Legislative Assembly 83 12 September 1995 TUESDAY, 12 SEPTEMBER 1995 PETITIONS The Clerk announced the receipt of the following petitions— Mr SPEAKER (Hon. J. Fouras, Ashgrove) read prayers and took the chair at 10 a.m. Cannabis From Mr Beanland (117 signatories) praying that the statutory prohibition on the AUDITOR-GENERAL'S REPORT production and usage of cannabis be Mr SPEAKER: I have to advise the continued. House that today I received from the Auditor-General the following report: Audits of Certain Education Related Entities for the Liquor Licensing Hours, Toowoomba Financial Year Ended 31 December 1994. From Mr Horan (199 signatories) praying that the proposed extension of liquor licensing hours to 5 a.m. in Toowoomba be not PAPERS TABLED DURING RECESS proceeded with. Mr SPEAKER: I have to advise the House that papers were tabled during the Julia Creek State School recess in accordance with the details provided on the Daily Program circulated to members in From Mr Mitchell (178 signatories) the Chamber. praying that immediate steps be taken to reintroduce Year 8 at the Julia Creek State 11 September 1995 School for 1996. Board of Trustees of the Ipswich Girl's Grammar School—Annual Report for 1994; Students with Disabilities Board of Trustees of the Ipswich Grammar School—Annual Report for 1994; From Mr Quinn (41 signatories) praying for an increase in the projected disability Board of Trustees of the Rockhampton Girl's package for 1996-97 to facilitate the Grammar School—Annual Report for 1994; establishment of post-school options for Board of Trustees of the Townsville Grammar students with disabilities. School—Annual Report for 1994; Island Industries Board—Annual Report for the year ended 31/1/95; Johnstone Shire Council Queensland Fire Service Superannuation From Mr Rowell (3,230 signatories) Plan—Annual Report for the year ended praying that action be taken to dismiss the 31/3/95; elected officials and senior management of Johnstone Shire Council. Sunshine Coast University College—Annual Report (Volume One and Two) for 1994; University of Southern Queensland—Annual Teacher Superannuation Report, Financial Report and Statement of From Dr Watson (55 signatories) praying Affairs for 1994; and that the Parliament of Queensland will urgently University of Queensland—Annual Report and reconsider a buy-back proposal for teachers Appendices for 1994. with broken patterns of service who have been financially disadvantaged in terms of superannuation retirement expectations. PETITIONS Petitions received. Format Mr SPEAKER: On Thursday, 7 PAPERS September, the House agreed to reinstate the change in format for the wording of petitions The following papers were laid on the agreed to in the Forty-seventh Parliament for table— the remainder of this session of the (a) Treasurer (Mr De Lacy)— Forty-eighth Parliament. As there are a Queensland Industry Development number of petitions yet to be presented which Corporation, Government Schemes contain the old wording, I intend to allow those Division—Financial Statements 1 July petitions to be presented to the House. 1994—30 September 1994 12 September 1995 84 Legislative Assembly Annual Reports for 1994-95 Urgent action is needed, and it is needed Brisbane Cricket Ground Trust before the major reconstruction of our Queensland Office of Financial hospitals is completed. The priority for Supervision expenditure will be the metropolitan teaching hospitals to ensure that they maintain (b) Minister for Primary Industries and Minister for Racing (Mr Gibbs)— international standards. Substantial funding will be spent at the Princess Alexandra Government Response to the Hospital, the Royal Brisbane, Royal Women's Parliamentary Committee of Public Works and Royal Children's, the Mater, the Prince Report into the Teemburra Dam Project Charles and QE II Hospitals. We will not ignore Trustees of the Eagle Farm Racecourse— the non-metropolitan hospitals, either. The Annual Report for 1994-95 other major hospitals and rural hospitals Tobacco Leaf Marketing Board of throughout Queensland will share in the Queensland and Tobacco Quota funding. Committee—Annual Report to 31 December 1994 To ensure that our priorities are right, specialist medical staff have been involved in Review of Statutory Marketing Arrangements for Grain in Queensland by the preparation of equipment schedules for the Grain Industry Review Committee— purchase as part of this program. The first Final Report phase of the re-equipping is nearly completed, (c) Minister for Housing, Local Government and hospitals are currently preparing and Planning, Minister for Rural necessary documentation in terms of Communities and Minister for Provision of functional plans, economic evaluations and Infrastructure for Aboriginal and Torres specifications for equipment where this is Strait Islander Communities required. It is expected that the first of this (Mr Mackenroth)— equipment should be arriving in our public Reference to the Local Government hospitals over the next two to three months. Commissioner on certain reviewable local This program of equipment replacement will government matters in relation to the run in parallel with the equipment replacement Shires of Crows Nest and Rosalie. that would automatically occur as a result of the rebuilding and refurbishment of many of MINISTERIAL STATEMENT Queensland's public hospitals under the 10- year Capital Works Program. Hospital Equipment Upgrade Of the $35m for new equipment, over half Hon. P. D. BEATTIE (Brisbane will be spent in the major metropolitan Central—Minister for Health) (10.06 a.m.), by hospitals. For example, I am advised that leave: In October 1993, the Government $7.5m will be spent in new equipment at the received a report which we commissioned to Princess Alexandra Hospital alone and look at hospital stock in this State and the $12.4m for Brisbane South region. The backlog in equipment replacement. The report categories of equipment we are replacing by Professor John Deeble from the National include anaesthetic equipment, radiology, Centre for Epidemiology and Population operating theatre equipment, nuclear Health at the Australian National University medicine and emergency department came to a number of conclusions about the equipment. The Public Hospital Equipment need to replace the infrastructure of our Replacement Program is the single largest hospitals and the need to undertake a block of expenditure ever committed by any program of equipment replacement. Government to specialist equipment. Some of Professor Deeble's report formed the the equipment that we are replacing is 25 basis of this Government's 10-year Hospital years old and a large proportion of it is 15 Rebuilding and Re-equipping Program. In years old. terms of equipment, the Government has Mr T. B. Sullivan: And they're announced its intention to spend $35m over complaining about six years. the next two years to introduce a Hospital Specialist Equipment Program to upgrade and Mr BEATTIE: I take that interjection. modernise equipment throughout We are replacing a legacy of National Party Queensland's public hospitals. As part of my neglect of Queensland's hospital equipment. 100 days of consultation I have visited a We recognise that to provide high-quality number of Queensland hospitals, and my health care to the people of Queensland, our discussions with clinical staff have highlighted doctors, nurses and other health professionals for me the very run-down state of some of the must have at their disposal medical, major specialist equipment in our hospitals. diagnostic, surgical and laboratory equipment Legislative Assembly 85 12 September 1995 which is readily available, reliable and at the "That pursuant to Standing Order No. cutting edge of medical technology. 26, the House shall meet for the dispatch Accordingly, as an integral part of the 10-year of business in addition to the days agreed Capital Works Program, a major audit of to pursuant to the Sessional Order of 7 clinical equipment in public hospitals September at 10 a.m. on the Friday of throughout Queensland is currently under way. each sitting week on which days The audits are being carried out by Government business shall take experienced consultants who have been precedence of all other business." instructed to talk with doctors, nurses and Motion agreed to. allied health professionals to gain their views on each hospital's equipment needs, both now and in the future. QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE Initially, the reviews will be concentrated in Eastern Tollway the Brisbane metropolitan area and include both the Royal Brisbane and Princess Mr BORBIDGE (10.13 a.m.): I refer the Alexandra Hospitals. Later in the year, the Premier to the overwhelming public rejection of reviews will be extended to hospitals in the Government's eastern tollway policy at the provincial and rural areas of the State. The general election 59 days ago, and I ask: why results of the reviews will provide my has he abrogated his authority and the department with an accurate clinical authority of Cabinet in regard to this matter by equipment database and information system, buck-passing this decision to caucus and why equipment benchmarks for the State's will he not tell Queenslanders what his hospitals linked to patient care and service recommendation to caucus will be? delivery requirements and a forward plan for Mr W. K. GOSS: Given the shifty and replacement, repair and maintenance. duplicitous approach that the Leader of the Ultimately, I hope to be able to provide Opposition took in the year or two leading up Cabinet with a detailed, long-term plan for to the election, it is a bit ironic for him to updating clinical equipment in all our public criticise me for not putting my solution forward hospitals. This will mean that members of the to the public. It is true that the position taken community can rest assured that, if they go to by the Government has been rejected by a a public hospital for treatment, the medical considerable number of people.