Page 4551 - Week 15 - Thursday, 22 November 1990
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MR PROWSE: The lawyer can make cheap shots from the other side but I will present him with some proof. The situation is that a Professor Douglas, who is head of epidemiology at the ANU, produced his own private report in June this year. In his report he listed two scientifically accepted reports of ill effects caused to people ingesting fluoride at the equivalent of one part per million. I will repeat that because obviously it has escaped the attention of the committee. The situation is that this professor has produced his own report, a scientifically accepted report, to the scientific community, that two listed reports have found ill effects in people ingesting fluoride at one part per million. One of the studies was conducted over a 14-year period and affected pregnant women. The result of this inquiry showed that one per cent - only one per cent - of pregnant women were adversely affected but they had major, visible physical effects. They were recorded.
Now, one per cent is not many. Assuming that there are 18 million people in Australia and nine million of those are women, and say only half of them fall pregnant. The point is that only something like 60,000 people in Australia are going to be adversely affected by this.
This is scientifically reported information that is accepted by the scientific journals. It is scientific literature. The point is - - -
Mr Jensen: Which journal?
MR PROWSE: I refuse to answer a frivolous comment. Professor Douglas has released his reports. He is a renowned scientist and epidemiologist at the ANU, and he has published his report. In fact, it has been handed to the people here present. It has been handed to members of the committee. The fact of the matter is that, unbeknown to a number of people here, Professor Douglas just happens to be a member of the same NHMRC committee that brought down its interim report the other day, and I will get to that in a moment. In their report they made the statement that no evidence was found of ill effects from taking fluoride at one part per million. I will repeat that. No evidence was found of ill effects from people taking fluoride at one part per million. They forgot to mention that Professor Douglas, a member of their own committee, had put out his own report that proves the error and the lie presented by the NHMRC.
I ask you: in all honesty, can anyone suggest that that was not a deliberate attempt to influence the Assembly committee? I suggest that you all take note of that possibility because we are going to be the laughing-stock of the community when that finally is understood.
Mr Wood: Unfortunately we already are, because of lots of things.
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