Page 961 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 26 July 1989
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Government will negotiate with the Federal Government for additional funding for the ACT health services, and the ACT Government will negotiate the funding on the basis that the Federal Government has run down some ACT health facilities, such as the Royal Canberra Hospital. Can the Minister enlighten the Assembly as to what action has been taken to keep this election promise?
MR BERRY: I think the first thing that the Government would wish to do in relation to the hospital is to hear the report from the steering committee into the hospital, which committee was set up by the Federal Government and is due to report by September to this Government. As soon as we have a report from the steering committee I think we will be in a better position to decide what we are going to do about the hospital system. In the meantime I think it would be inappropriate for us to take any action in relation to negotiations with the Federal Government. But I can assure Mr Moore that our policy is high in our minds when it comes to deliberations about the Canberra Hospital.
Control of Dogs
DR KINLOCH: My question comes under "d" for dogs. It is addressed to the Chief Minister in her role as acting Minister for Housing and Urban Services. I regret that our colleague Ellnor Grassby is not here for this vital question. I note that a press release from the Chief Minister's office states, "As a devoted cat owner, I am personally concerned about other cats and dogs which are not adequately looked after by their owners".
I know one is not supposed to say these things, but the picture of our Chief Minister and the RSPCA cat today is absolutely one of the most magnificent photographs ever to appear in the Canberra Times, and might I have a signed copy?
We understand that, in the case of the thousands of Canberra's roving dogs, move-on powers cannot adequately be applied as we do not have adequate numbers of dog patrols in the ACT. Would the Chief Minister in her role as acting Minister for Housing and Urban Services consider the possibility of imposing a much heavier fine on dog owners for allowing their dogs free access to the streets and open spaces? Currently the fine is only $75 for unleashed dogs and $200 for an attack. Could the Minister begin the process of increasing fines to at least $500, plus the possible impounding of the dogs which attack citizens?
MS FOLLETT: I thank Dr Kinloch for the question and I thank him also for the comment on the photo. I am, as Dr Kinloch suggests, a devoted cat person rather than a dog person and, like a great number of Canberra citizens, I am very much troubled by the roaming dogs in our streets, by the numbers of dogs that I have heard of that have attacked young children, and of course recently we saw in the press
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