Blog

Australians need to know what is happening in the Australian Capital Territory.

The ACT Government is about to make a compulsory acquisition of Calvary Hospital.

In 1979, Calvary Hospital began its good work at the invitation of the Commonwealth Government.

The lease is for 120 years. There is 76 years to run.

Through legislation, the contract for service will be ripped up, land and property expunged.

All of this without any consultation.

Why?

The Canberra Hospital is the main, government hospital in the city. It has major problems.

An Independent Review March 2019 was scathing of the culture of TCH. The compulsory acquisition is clearly not about service delivery.

Is it a financial decision?

The Little Company of Mary runs Calvary and they have just finished building a 342-bed hospital in Adelaide for $350Million.

After compulsory acquisition, the ACT Government is going to build another hospital adjacent to the current Calvary Hospital and then knock the old one down. They estimate the cost to be $1Billion for a 500-bed hospital.

The ACT Government should simply commission the Little Company of Mary to build them a new hospital at half the cost and hand it over to the government. That would release $500Million for other needed government infrastructure.

Is it religious discrimination? Draw your own conclusion.

In 2022, the ACT Government conducted an enquiry into the availability of abortion in the ACT. The ACT Standing Committee Health Report was released 10 April 2023.

Astoundingly, the report accuses Calvary of restricting ‘medical services’ ‘due to an overriding religious ethos.’

Yet that same report notes that neither TCH or Calvary Public Hospital perform abortions (except in exceptional circumstances). Abortions are day procedures, carried out by other medical providers in the ACT.

Would the NSW Government dare claim that St. Vincent’s Hospital has an ‘overriding religious ethos’? Would the Queensland Government be so brash as to claim that The Mater in Brisbane operating with an ‘overriding religious ethos?’

This brings us to the next question.

Who is next?

What other community groups are under threat in the ACT?

Clare Holland House is one of the most revered institutions in the ACT. It provides superb palliative care under the umbrella of Calvary Hospital.

We know that the ACT Government has not taken up the majority of recommendations for palliative care from its end of life enquiry. It naively thinks VAD is the solution to end of life issues. Those of us with experience in this space respectfully disagree.

The government doesn’t like Horse Racing. The ACT Race Club should be nervous.

SUMMERNATS are burning up too much fuel at their annual event, so they get their marching orders.

The Association of Independent Schools of the ACT must be sweating. Imagine the scenario.

Independent schools decide not to promote gender transitioning, based not on religious grounds, but on compounding scientific evidence.

Suddenly, teachers, parents and children lose their rights as ordinary citizens.

Final question.

Which State will be emboldened by this ridiculous behaviour? And if the ACT Government gets away with this, they will be emboldened.

This is a serious issue with grave consequences for the Federation. The Prime Minister must get involved. Nothing less than the rule of law is at stake.

No Australian likes to be dispossessed of their land and property without consultation.

One of the most significant reasons why Australia is a free and fair nation is because of our property rights, which ensure stability.

Property rights are a key ‘natural mechanism,’ ensuring the creation of wealth and its just distribution.

This move by the ACT Government is dangerous, totalitarian in nature. Suddenly, everything is up for grabs.

Every Australian should be deeply concerned. Every Australian should act.

We want a free and fair society.