Page 5244 - Week 17 - Thursday, 13 December 1990
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It strikes me as a bit odd that one group of professionals might be discriminated against. After all, they are not practising their profession on the board. After Mr Moore's effort, they would be practising as unpaid board members - a thing for which they will, I am sure, be eternally grateful to Mr Moore. Perhaps it might reflect on the quality of people who take up positions on those boards. I urge the Government to support the amendment that has been put forward. I would like to be surprised by Government agreement to this amendment. I wonder whether this is the one.
MR HUMPHRIES (Minister for Health, Education and the Arts) (5.18): Mr Deputy Speaker, this is not "the one". Mr Berry might know which "the one" was had he chosen to discuss any of his amendments with me before coming into this house. Mr Berry slapped a wad of amendments on the table and made no attempt to discuss any of them, or explain them, or seek my views on any of them. I might point out that only yesterday I agreed - - -
Mrs Grassby: Even when we do, you people do not agree. I have tried it. I have discussed amendments and you still will not agree to them. What is the good of talking to you before?
MR HUMPHRIES: I might point out, Mr Deputy Speaker - - -
Mrs Grassby: That is right. So what? If we do not talk to you, it does not matter; if we do, it does not matter either. You will not agree.
MR HUMPHRIES: Mrs Grassby says that it does not matter whether we do or we do not. I remind her that yesterday Mr Berry approached me about another amendment to a piece of legislation he was putting forward and I readily agreed to it. We in fact effectively put a Government Bill through, piggybacking on Mr Berry's own Bill about sexually transmitted diseases. So I am a reasonable man when it comes to considering approaches from the Opposition. When Mr Berry wants to play politics with his amendments, get a splash for them, and not be prepared to justify any of them, not discuss any of them, naturally, of course, he is going to find himself coming to grief.
Mr Deputy Speaker, the amendment he has put forward in this case indicates an appalling ignorance of what goes on in the hospital system and, in particular, what is appropriate for a board of this kind. The fact of the matter is that a health professional who is appointed to serve on the Board of Health will be appointed with their status as a health professional in mind. In fact, one might say that it would be fundamental to their appointment to the board.
If, for example, a doctor was appointed to the board and subsequently was disbarred, it would be incomprehensible for the Government to allow that person to remain on the board. Without that provision, it has no power to remove the person from the board.
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