Government accused of bullying in Calvary hospital siege

The ACT government has been accused of using “bullying and standover tactics” in the forced takeover of Calvary Hospital, a Catholic health care provider.

The Commonwealth of Australia has called for a Senate inquiry into the ACT government’s forced takeover of Calvary Hospital after Catholic health care providers lost a legal bid to block the controversial takeover.

A full bench of the ACT Supreme Court on Friday dismissed Calvary Healthcare’s legal challenges, arguing that the law supporting the acquisition was invalid.

However, Calvary Healthcare called the court’s decision “extremely regrettable” and said it intends to appeal the ruling.

Still, while the legal debate over these regulations continues, management transitions may continue.

“We believe the ACT government has acted illegally and will continue to fight for our rights,” said Stephen Duckett, CEO of Calvary Healthcare.

Religious leaders have denounced the ACT Labor government’s decision to pave the way for a new hospital to be built on the Bruce site, blaming the Calvary takeover for setting a precedent.

The ACT parliamentary committee, chaired by Green MP Jonathan Davis, earlier this year criticized the hospital for its reluctance to offer abortions.

‘Despicable event’

Federal Liberal Senator Mikalia Cash issued a statement calling for a Senate investigation, calling the hospital takeover a “despicable case.”

“The ACT government has avoided scrutiny on this matter,” said Senator Cash. “They never held any public talks about the acquisition and used their numbers in Congress to thwart investigations.

“The ACT government has indicated it intends to resort to the worst forms of bullying and standover tactics if things don’t go their way,” Cash claimed.

Opposition health spokeswoman Ann Ruston said the deal set a “dangerous precedent” for other religious sites.

“This is a clear case of the ACT government using its power to discriminate against religious sites,” she said. “This sets a dangerous precedent for other religious institutions, such as nursing homes for the elderly, which could be targeted by the government as well.”

The ACT government defended the takeover, saying it needed to ensure a “world-class” public hospital in Canberra.

“This is a huge investment in the health of Canberran’s people,” said ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen Smith. “We are confident that this new hospital will provide world-class care for generations to come.”

source of information

Australian person

ABC

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