Dave Tollner (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

They deserve to be thrown out of office, but the federal government threw them a lifeline by arranging for the funding for the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre to go ahead at Royal Darwin Hospital. I make the point again that the only reason I can see that the health system has not failed is through the very hard efforts of the health professionals who are holding the flag of this floundering health system.

All of us remember that the Royal Darwin Hospital played a pivotal role in treating large numbers of casualties from the Bali bombings. The work of medical and other staff was magnificent under the direction of Dr Didier Palmer. While the trauma centre is designed to ensure Australia has an effective capacity to receive and treat casualties should there be another terrorist attack or a natural disaster, importantly, though, it will also be used on a day-to-day basis by the people of the Northern Territory. It is worth while here extending my many thanks to the Royal Darwin Hospital general manager Dr Robin Michael, medical superintendent Dr Len Notaras, and Dr Didier Palmer and his colleague Dr Dianne Stephens, who are the joint directors of the emergency department at Royal Darwin Hospital.

The lifeline that the federal government has thrown to the Territory government will offer immediate assistance to the NT health system, reactivating five operating theatres and establishing another 10 beds in the emergency care unit. A close eye will be kept on how the $66 million will be spent. I am advised that there will be big consequences if there is any cost shifting at all by the Martin government in the Northern Territory.

See this speech in context