Dr ANDREW McDONALD (Macquarie Fields) [3.15 p.m.]: I move:

That this House recognises the enormous contribution that Roger Corbett, AO, has made to children's health in New South Wales over the past 40 years and thanks him for his good service.

The sacking of Roger Corbett, AO, goes to the very heart of the way this Government and the Minister for Health deal with the New South Wales health system. Roger Corbett, AO, has an extensive past history of both philanthropy and corporate success. As the chief executive officer of Woolworths and the chairman of Fairfax he knows all about the necessity of due process at all times. As the chair of the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Roger Corbett contributed greatly to the wellbeing of every child in New South Wales. Our children's hospitals are regarded by every person in New South Wales as being of the highest quality. No concern has ever been raised by any member of the public about the standard of care that children in this State receive at those hospitals.

I will start by paying tribute to Elizabeth Koff, who is a highly competent and respected professional. Elizabeth has the support of everyone involved in this debate. I stress again that this issue is not about her competence or her professional ability, which are above reproach. Mr Corbett was reappointed by the present Minister for Health to head the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network. Both while in Opposition and in Government the Minister has always said that these local health networks are independent of the ministry. Mr Corbett would have been told of the so-called core values this Minister has espoused from day one. These core values are collaboration, openness, respect and empowerment. We have seen the exact opposite of these values from this Minister. In an unbelievable absence of due process and a denial of natural justice, Mr Corbett has been summarily sacked.

Mr Brad Hazzard: Point of order: While the House has certainly seen fit to agree to debate two motions, the basis of that agreement was the clarity of the member's motion, which states:

That this House recognises the enormous contribution that Roger Corbett has made to children's health in New South Wales over the past 40 years and thanks him for his good service.

It is a very clear motion. The member is seeking to go beyond the motion by launching an attack on the Minister. That is entirely inappropriate and quite demeaning of the motion that the House has agreed to debate.

The DEPUTY-SPEAKER (Mr Thomas George): Order! I uphold the point of order. I ask the member for Macquarie Fields to confine his comments to the leave of the motion.

Dr ANDREW McDONALD: I will continue. As I was saying, in this case concerning Mr Corbett, a prosecutor, a judge and an executioner have finished his career and philanthropy all in one week.

Mr Brad Hazzard: Point of order: It is with much reluctance that I take this point of order. I do so out of concern for what should have been a bipartisan approach to supporting a motion of great merit. We now see that the member is using the opportunity to depart from the spirit of the motion and to engage in a full-scale attack on the Minister for Health. That is not appropriate. I ask, Mr Deputy-Speaker, that you direct the member for Macquarie Fields to confine his remarks to the leave of the motion and clearly indicate to him that if he continues in that manner he will be ruled out of order.

Mr Michael Daley: To the point of order: The Government agreed to this motion knowing full well the circumstances that surrounded the dismissal of Roger Corbett. It was quite evident.

Mr Brad Hazzard: What is your point of order?

Mr Michael Daley: I am speaking to the point of order taken by the Leader of the House. It is within the ambit of the motion to discuss the circumstances of Mr Corbett's departure.

The DEPUTY-SPEAKER (Mr Thomas George): Order! The motion clearly states:

That this House recognises the enormous contribution that Roger Corbett, AO, has made to children's health in New South Wales over the past 40 years and thanks him for his good service.

Debate is confined to the leave of that motion.

Dr ANDREW McDONALD: For most of debate on this motion I have been prevented from speaking, but I will conclude by saying that Mr Corbett contributed enormously to child health in New South Wales. His sacking was unjust and unfair.

Mrs JILLIAN SKINNER (North Shore—Minister for Health, and Minister for Medical Research) [3.20 p.m.]: I am very pleased to support the motion, which states:

That this House recognises the enormous contribution that Roger Corbett, AO, has made to children's health in New South Wales over the past 40 years and thanks him for his good service.

I wrote to Mr Corbett to thank him for his service to children's health.

Dr Andrew McDonald: Oh, sure.

Mrs JILLIAN SKINNER: Has he shown that letter to the member for Macquarie Fields? I would be surprised if he has. I particularly thanked him also for his fundraising support.

[Interruption]

The DEPUTY-SPEAKER (Mr Thomas George): Order! I remind the member for Maroubra that he is already on two calls to order. The Minister will be heard in silence.

Mrs JILLIAN SKINNER: I am pleased to take this opportunity to state for the record that I wrote to Mr Corbett to thank him for his contribution towards the Sydney hospitals network.

Dr Andrew McDonald: The Sydney Children's Hospital.

Mrs JILLIAN SKINNER: And for his contribution to the Sydney Children's Hospital at Westmead over many, many years. I particularly acknowledged his fundraising and support for the hospitals.

Ms Carmel Tebbutt: Why did you sack him?

Mrs JILLIAN SKINNER: My disagreement with Mr Corbett is about the approach he took to promotional opportunities for a senior staff member and that he tried to persuade her not to take up that appointment. As the Premier pointed out, under the legislation, which was supported by every member of the House, I have the right to appoint the boards—just as the former Minister for Health and member for Marrickville, who is present in the Chamber, had the right to appoint the boards—and I have a right to remove the boards. I exercised that right purely on the basis of my disagreement with Mr Corbett about the approach he took to the appointment of a staff member to a senior promotional position. I repeat that in correspondence I addressed to Mr Corbett, among many items of correspondence, phone calls and meetings I have had with him in recent weeks, I thanked him for his contribution to health.

Question—That the motion be agreed to—put and resolved in the affirmative.

Motion agreed to.