Health Minister Meegan Fitzharris has faced her second no-confidence motion in a year, as the ACT Opposition pursues the minister over her alleged mishandling of the portfolio.
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Labor and the Greens used their numbers to defeat the Canberra Liberals' latest motion, which came after an independent review into ACT Health's workplace culture highlighted deep cultural problems within the ACT’s public health system.
The motion was supposed to go ahead last month but was postponed after the minister was unwell.
It follows another no-confidence motion last May, after Canberra Hospital failed 33 key standards, some of which placed patients at "extreme risk".
The Liberals also attempted a censure motion against the minister in November over a string of issues including bullying and cultural problems and growing wait lists for surgeries.
In both cases, the motions were voted down by the Labor-Greens coalition, which holds the majority of seats in the Assembly.
Their parliamentary agreement means the Greens can only support a no-confidence motion in cases of proven corruption, gross negligence or significant non-adherence to the deal.
But Canberra Liberal health spokeswoman Vicki Dunne said the review had exposed serious deficiencies in Ms Fitzharris's handling of the portfolio and should step down.
"The mere fact that an inquiry like this had to make a recommendation like this that says follow the law is an indictment of this minister," Mrs Dunne said, referring to concerns people were being appointed to roles without due process.
Mrs Dunne said Ms Fitzharris's apology to staff that had endured bullying and harassment was the "sort of thing you'd say when you're exposed as a negligent and neglectful" employer.
She also pointed to infrastructure failings at the hospital and said work to fix problems associated with a switchboard fire two years ago were still not fixed.
However Ms Fitzharris said the Opposition was engaged in "relentlessly negative politics" and the media also ignored the positive parts of the health system.
She said Mrs Dunne's attacks were undermining the confidence of staff and the public in the health system, and pointed to investments like the $65 million boost to elective surgeries last year as proof she was responding to problems.
"I've never shied away from the challenges of the health system, I've tackled them head-on," Ms Fitzharris said.
But Opposition leader Alistair Coe said while everyone knew of a "magnificent story" where health staff went above and beyond, the same staff were flat out doing double shifts and missing meal breaks.
"Imagine working in a place where you avoid a toilet break because the workload is so intense. Imagine a place where you don't take annual leave, you don't take leave during school holidays because you know that would leave your colleagues under too much stress," Mr Coe said.
Liberal Giulia Jones said the rosters were designed to give the illusion of appropriate staffing even though people were constantly being asked to do double shifts.
"I was in a lift recently with doctors talking to each other in [the Centenary Women's and Children Hospital] about having had five hours of sleep in three days," Mrs Jones said.
Liberal Andrew Wall said frontline staff were doing the best job they could with their "hands tied behind their backs".
He said a hospitalised relative was told by staff they were fit to be discharged but weren't going to be, as there would be a problem getting a bed if they had to be readmitted due to a relapse.
Greens leader Shane Rattenbury said while the challenges facing the health system were great, he retained confidence in the minister.
He said the issues raised by the motion had been going on for many years and blame could not simply be laid at the feet of the current minister.
He also pointed to changes Ms Fitzharris had made as a result of the review, such as introducing an employee advocate role and mediation programs to help reduce conflict between staff.
"I think the minister has acted to make changes where others might have sought an easier path," Mr Rattenbury said.
Mrs Dunne would not rule out future motions related to performance the health minister.
