Page 5170 - Week 17 - Thursday, 13 December 1990
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The Labor Party believes that the involvement and participation of representatives from peak community organisations and non-government service providers - of course, the biggest community organisation is the trade union movement - would be of enormous assistance to health consumers. At some stage in the near future we would also like to see positions available on the board for elected staff members.
Our party, of course, has a fundamental commitment to making positions available for women - something that is not evident in the party opposite. In fact, in some respects they could be described as anti-women. Of course, women make up over half of the health consumers and it seems to me most appropriate that they make up at least half of the decision making process in the hospital service delivery.
The provision of hospital services to women in the ACT is just not good enough. There is an imbalance and it needs to be addressed. Whilst we respect the Minister's efforts to consult with the Opposition on appointments in his portfolio, the fact of the matter is that that consultation never happens at the contemplative stage. It always involves the delivery of a fait accompli, and full information is not provided to the Opposition - - -
Mr Humphries: More than you provided to us when we were in opposition.
MR BERRY: It is not provided to the Opposition, irrespective of what the Minister claims. It is not effective consultation if one is not involved at the contemplative stage. It is just not good enough. The amendment that we have set out to include in the Bill before this house seeks to address both the imbalance between health providers and the top end of town and the community and the gender imbalance. What we have said is:
At least five members shall be chosen from peak community agencies, trade unions -
we know that the trade unions represent about 50,000 constituents in the Territory -
non-government service providers and consumer organisations.
We have also set out to prescribe:
In any event at least half of the Board membership shall be women.
That, to seems quite appropriate in the circumstances because of the - - -
Mr Humphries: Who was on your board?
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