Calvary grab raises big concerns

Some healthcare professionals and Canberrans who are unimpressed by Canberra Health Services’ running of Canberra Hospital are sceptical, from a medical perspective, about the ACT government’s forced takeover of the territory’s Catholic-run Calvary Public Hospital. Other observers fear the move sets a bad precedent for future government takeovers of other faith organisations and assets in Australia.

Lack of meaningful consultation and ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr’s failure to answer properly the key question – why – is unsettling. From cardiologists and pediatricians to patients forced to wait hours for treatment at the state-run Canberra Hospital, dissatisfied consumers are asking why the government wants to take over a second hospital when it is struggling to run one properly. ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith acknowledges that Calvary has played an important role delivering public hospital care for Canberrans for 44 years. “Consolidating our public hospitals to create a single network will allow us to better co-ordinate our health services, distribute resources effectively, strengthen the capacity of our workforce, plan infrastructure on a territory-wide basis and improve health outcomes for all Canberrans,’’ she said. But that does not explain why the ACT government wants to take it over, knock it down and rebuild a larger public hospital on the site.

As Calvary taskforce chair Father Tony Percy wrote last week, the lease is for 120 years, with 76 years to run. Through legislation, the contract for service will be ripped up, land and property expunged: “No Australian likes to be dispossessed of their land and property. No Australian likes their contract ripped up unilaterally. One of the most significant reasons why Australia is a free and fair nation is because of our property rights, which ensure stability.” Not in this case.

On Saturday, Angela Shanahan revealed that Calvary chief executive Martin Bowles, in confidential negotiations with the government, “agreed to sell them sufficient land with expansion space on the condition that we continue to run the hospital”.

Ms Stephen-Smith insists the issue is not about religion or Catholic ethics. But in the absence of an explanation from the Barr government, the takeover has heightened suspicions of ideological motivation on the part of Greens-left territory authorities, including a potential future push to introduce voluntary assisted dying services. The Barr government needs to clear the air.