Page 4868 - Week 16 - Thursday, 29 November 1990
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MR HUMPHRIES (Minister for Health, Education and the Arts) (5.02): Mr Deputy Speaker, I can indicate that I think that we can offer some support to the amendment that Mr Berry has proposed. I think we have to be acutely aware of the fact that this report will now be due to come down only a matter of days before the legislation retaining fluoride in the water is due to expire and that, without action in those couple of weeks, we will find events overtaking us and, by omission, certain things will happen.
Given my discussions with the members of the committee, I acknowledge fully that this is very unlikely to occur, but if for some reason there should be some difficulty in presenting the report by that date I would like to have the benefit of advice from our Standing Committee on Social Policy as to what to do in the circumstances and how we should proceed. Having, as it were, preliminary advice from the committee would be very valuable. Therefore I think that we should support this proposed amendment.
MR JENSEN (5.03): Mr Speaker, I just want to make a brief comment on this. It is clear now that Mr Berry has support for this proposal; but this matter has been on the notice paper now all day, and it is unfortunate that Mr Berry, who often claims to want time to consider other issues, did not bring this matter before the members of the Assembly much earlier. It is just a little comment which I would like to make in relation to Mr Berry.
Mr Berry: Point taken.
MR JENSEN: I notice that he has taken the point.
MR STEVENSON (5.04): Mr Deputy Speaker, I was going to mention a similar point, namely, that this is the first I have seen of it. The view expressed by Mr Humphries explained it to me. I was not quite sure, apart from that. I believe the idea is that if there is some reason that we do not report by our extended reporting date we would continue meanwhile giving the Assembly a range of options. I wonder whether Mr Berry could give an affirmative or otherwise to that.
Mr Berry: Affirmative or otherwise to what? It is self-explanatory.
MR STEVENSON: As I said, I take it from the amendment, which I do not find perfectly clear, that if there was any reason that we could not report by our extended reporting date we would - - -
Mr Moore: You have to report in some form.
MR STEVENSON: Yes, we would give a range of options so that the Assembly could consider them prior to the time of the Act running out and then we would continue with our report. Is that the intention?
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