Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

As the minister may know, long before I was elected to any public office I was advocating for an appropriate full service hospital for the Palmerston area. One of my proudest moments was when Prime Minister Abbott, along with former Minister for Health Peter Dutton, stood alongside me and Chief Minister Adam Giles on the new, bigger Palmerston hospital site and confirmed a coalition government would provide $110 million towards the Palmerston hospital.

Minister, as you are aware, the Country Liberals raised the idea of a hospital for the Palmerston area in 1999, and the very next year they delivered a 24-hour clinic, which Labor promptly closed when they came into government. Labor held office for 11 years in the Northern Territory and six years federally, and during that time the only progress made towards a complete Palmerston hospital was a fenced off bush site. Labor intended—

Mr Champion interjecting—

You might want to listen to this, member for Wakefield: Labor intended to build a 60-bed hospital with no room for expansion. I will repeat that for you, member for Wakefield, because you were not listening: Labor intended to build a 60-bed hospital with no room for expansion. The Abbott and the Giles governments are focused on the delivery of a world-class 116-bed hospital on a 45-acre site, so there is plenty of room for expansion.

Mr Champion interjecting—

There is a big difference between a 60-bed hospital and a 116-bed hospital.

Mr Champion interjecting—

See this speech in context