David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Cash for this opportunity and I welcome her concern for the health system in the Australian Capital Territory. I also thank Senator Canavan for his motion earlier for an inquiry. I know he has experience in the ACT. He has been to Calvary and he does hold genuine concerns.

But let's call this out for what it is. This is just wedge politics here. We finally have some concern for the territory. Where has that been for the last 10 years? We have seen 12 City Deals and not a single one to the ACT. We have seen our national institutions run down to the point where the roof is leaking—with $6 billion of national collections at the National Gallery at risk from water leaking because the previous government didn't think that it was worth investing in Canberra. Now, all of a sudden, they care.

I circulated a motion earlier to actually say to the ACT government that there should be an inquiry into this, because I believe there should. There are genuine concerns when it comes to the way that this has happened in the ACT. But stop trying to infringe on our territory rights. These have been hard-fought rights as a territory to stop the Commonwealth from reaching into our own affairs. An inquiry should happen, but it should happen at the territory government level where the Liberals, Labor and the Greens who sit on those committees will be able to probe, ask questions and find out about the concerns that have been raised by Canberrans—the concerns about the effect that this will have on the health system in the ACT and the concerns about consultation.

We know that there are many health challenges here in the ACT when it comes to our health system. We have one of the lowest GP-to-population ratio in the country. It is lower than many rural and remote areas. That is something that the federal government can help out with. I have been making representations to the health minister and speaking to his office and the department about what can be done in that area—because it is of real concern to Canberrans. We have one of the lowest bulk-billing rates in the country and one of the biggest gap fees rate. Talk to Canberrans who are trying to find a GP or find a specialist. It is very hard to do. Those are genuine concerns.

I do think that there should be an inquiry, and I've written to the Chief Minister and the health minister asking them to consider an inquiry at the territory level. So, whilst I do appreciate that the opposition is now concerned about this, it is not for the Senate to reach into the territory's concerns on something where there is actually no federal jurisdiction. I've written to the Chief Minister and the health minister asking them to consider an inquiry at the territory level, but it is not for the Senate to reach in to the territory's concerns on something where there is actually no federal jurisdiction.

I want to thank the people who have got in touch, spoken to me around Canberra, sent emails or made phone calls to my office, both in support of this move by the ACT government and many others raising concerns about what this means for health care, the lack of consultation with doctors and what this potentially means for other religious based organisations here in the ACT. These are all valid concerns, as I said, but the inquiry deserves to happen at the territory level, as it happens in the other states.

As for the opposition to be running this line that I am somehow against an inquiry! And after I wrote to the Chief Minister and to the health minister and put forward a motion to amend Senator Canavan's motion that would have had the President asking the ACT government to actually run an inquiry, which I believe is the fitting role of the Senate here.

The question remains, because that wasn't supported: does the opposition genuinely want an inquiry, or do you want seven months—which will be six months after this has taken place—to be able to run your agenda? Are we actually about outcomes here and ensuring that Canberrans are heard, or, now that's something has happened where you can see the wedge, are you going after it?

Canberrans, people in the ACT, fought long and hard, for 25 years, to overturn Commonwealth laws that constrained the territory. We're almost half a million people now. We are grown-up enough to legislate for ourselves, and, at the next territory election, people will be able to decide. My role as a federal representative is to advocate for the people of the ACT, not to reach into legislative assembly affairs and try and override things.

I would urge other senators in this place—there are so many issues that we have to deal with. There's no shortage of issues, and today we're spending this time and time voting on a motion seeking to reach into matters that sit firmly with the territory. I move:

That the motion be amended as follows:

Omit all words after 'That the Senate' and insert:

(a) reaffirms its commitment to territory rights, including upholding the rights of the people of the Australian Capital Territory to elect and hold to account a territory-level government;

(b) notes the concerns of some Canberrans expressed about the ACT Government's decision to compulsorily acquire Calvary Public Hospital, including the concerns of:

(i) certain stakeholders, that the Bill was not subject to consultation nor an inquiry process within the ACT Legislative Assembly;

(ii) parts of the ACT healthcare community about the impact it may have on the health workforce, including losses of staff from the ACT's hospital system; and

(iii) people of faith about the continuing role of religious institutions in delivering for-purpose services, including in the healthcare, aged care and education sectors.

(c) notes any inquiry into this matter is most appropriately initiated and facilitated at the territory-level.