Page 1483 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 27 September 1989
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Wednesday, 27 September 1989
____________________________
MR SPEAKER (Mr Prowse) took the chair at 10.30 am and read the prayer.
ELECTRICITY AND WATER (AMENDMENT) BILL (No. 2) 1989
Debate resumed from 23 August 1989, on motion by Mr Prowse:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
MR BERRY (Minister for Community Services and Health) (10.30): Mr Deputy Speaker, I seek leave to move a motion to refer the private member's Bill to amend the Electricity and Water Act to the Standing Committee on Social Policy.
Leave not granted.
Suspension of Standing and Temporary Orders
MR BERRY: Mr Deputy Speaker, I move:
That so much of the standing and temporary orders be suspended as would prevent the Minister for Community Services and Health from moving a motion now referring the Electricity and Water (Amendment) Bill (No. 2) 1989 to the Standing Committee on Social Policy.
I move this motion, Mr Deputy Speaker, to draw into focus the issue of public consultation on the subject of fluoridation, which is affected, of course, by the Electricity and Water (Amendment) Bill (No. 2). I raise the issue not to debate the merits or otherwise of fluoridation but merely to draw into focus the absence of a commitment by this Assembly and its participants to public consultation on an issue which has various degrees of public support.
From the Labor Government's point of view, it is crucial that the public have time to place their position before a committee and have that position properly evaluated before any committee reports to this Assembly and seeks to have its report endorsed by the Assembly. It seems to me that participants in the process here have sought to avoid that sort of consultation and to deny the people of the ACT the right to hear from an expert point of view the pros and cons of fluoridation of the water supply, and therefore just to impose their will without the consultation process which the Labor Government has long been committed to. I
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .