JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE ROYAL NORTH SHORE HOSPITAL

Thursday 29^th November 2007

Rev Fred Nile, Leader of the Christian Democratic Party and Chairman of the Joint Select Committee on the Royal North Shore Hospital gave the following address before Parliament yesterday.

Reverend the Hon. FRED NILE: I move:

1.      That the reporting date for the Joint Select Committee on the Royal North Shore Hospital be extended to Thursday 20 December 2007.

2.     That this House requests the Legislative Assembly to agree to a similar resolution.

The committee has heard evidence from more than 70 witnesses. Some of those witnesses have indicated that the inquiry itself is having a negative effect on the operation of the hospital. It is important, therefore, that the inquiry takes no longer than is necessary to achieve its objectives—to investigate the problems at the Royal North Shore Hospital and to bring forth recommendations to deal with those problems. However, a matter has been raised during the committee meetings regarding the Anderson coroner's inquiry. The committee has heard evidence that Mr Anderson believes that some material that may come forth in the coroner's report next year—after February—may be relevant to our inquiry. As a result, the committee resolved that if matters relevant to the inquiry are raised in the coroner's report next year the Joint Select Committee on the Royal North Shore Hospital would be reconstituted in order to consider those matters. This motion is conditional on matters being in the coroner's report that are relevant to the inquiry and that are not matters about which we have already taken evidence from witnesses, similar to that taken from Mr Anderson.

There is no certainty as to the date on which the Coroner's report will be made public. As we heard from Mr Anderson, who had legal advisers assisting him during the inquiry, it is a major Coroner's inquiry so it could go longer than anticipated. I believe, as I am sure other committee members believe, that that uncertainty is a major factor; it would leave our committee almost in limbo until the Coroner's report is finally made public. I cannot force both Houses of Parliament to reconstitute the committee but, given that it is a joint select committee and members of the Government and the Opposition agree on the proposal, I am very confident that the committee would be reconstituted. I certainly give my personal assurance that I would ensure that that happens next year.

Our other concern, to which I referred earlier, is that if the committee were not to give a final report it would leave the staff at Royal North Shore Hospital in limbo and a state of uncertainty. It is important that the committee's recommendations be finalised and presented to this Parliament, and that the Government, through the Parliament, be allowed to implement the recommendations as a matter of urgency. Some of the issues need to be addressed urgently, to ensure that the hospital is improved in a number of areas. Some issues may be involved, whereas others may be quite straightforward. The sooner we can get the hospital operating as a number-one hospital in this State, the better. That is the whole purpose of my motion.