Page 5269 - Week 17 - Thursday, 13 December 1990
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(3) The consultant may apply, by giving notice of an intention to show cause or otherwise, for an extension of the period within which he or she is required to show cause.
(4) An application under subsection (3) shall be made before the expiration of the period specified in the notice.
(5) On receiving an application under subsection (3), the Board may extend the period of time by not more than 28 days.
(6) If, after the expiry of the period of time specified in a notice under subsection (1) or any extension of that period, the Board is satisfied that no cause to the contrary has been shown, the Board may vary, suspend or terminate the consultant's engagement as originally proposed in the notice.".
If Mr Humphries and the Government are not going to support this amendment, then it becomes a bit of a futile exercise. The difference, Mr Humphries, between what we were suggesting before and what is being suggested here is that this will take effect.
In the other proposal we were saying, "Do not gazette it" - it would actually be in, but you would not gazette it - whereas it is quite clear from this that, if they have not achieved their goal, then it will take effect. I think there is actually a difference in the tone of the situation. There is enough of a difference so that, if you like, the threat is a little less like a sledgehammer but it is still there, probably just a - - -
Mr Humphries: Have you spoken to the AMA over this?
MR MOORE: No, I have not, but I can. Mr Humphries asked whether I had spoken to the AMA. Until yesterday, as far as I was concerned, those clauses were in and I was satisfied with them. The real question is: has the AMA decided to approach anybody else? As far as I was concerned, it was satisfied. Let us not forget how long we have had this Bill and how long we have had the new Interim Planning Bill and all the other Bills. We have only so much time to be able to operate on these apart from our other duties, Mr Humphries. I think that, if somebody is dissatisfied with a situation, they have a responsibility to lobby as well.
It seems to me that here we have the opportunity to ensure that the doctors have a chance to prove themselves and, if they do not, let us not forget that they have not performed on this very well at all over the last X years. So, the logical thing for us to do is to set it up so that those clauses can take effect. That recognises what the AMA wants and gives it the opportunity that it has asked for. It is the one that has put the six-month time limit on it,
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