Page 1162 - Week 04 - Thursday, 21 March 1991
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It is important to note that the essence of the Special Premiers Conference agreement was to ensure:
... that the fundamental objective underlying any change would be to improve the existing system for the delivery of programs and services in the interests of our citizens.
That is the whole intent of the review, and the whole intent of what has been carried out. So, I do not understand how anybody could possibly conclude that these examinations - the results of which will not be put to the Special Premiers Conference for some time yet - were being undertaken with the objective of reducing the range of services or the funding available. I repeat: It is somebody that clearly has no knowledge of the reasons why the reviews are being undertaken or what the intent is.
Petrol Prices
MR BERRY: My question is addressed to the Chief Minister, and it relates to petrol prices. Are Canberra's high petrol prices due to your extra petrol tax, or do you support Mr Collaery's contention on television on Tuesday that there is a conspiracy between petrol retailers?
MR KAINE: I am not going to get into the question of conspiracy, because I know of none. But, to answer the first part of your question - whether it relates to the ACT additional franchise tax - of course the answer is no, because the rate of franchise tax in the ACT is identical to that which applies in New South Wales. So, it cannot be said that any difference in price between New South Wales and the ACT can be attributed to that tax.
Anti-inflammatory Drugs
MR STEVENSON: My question is directed to the Minister for Health, Gary Humphries. It concerns the anti-inflammatory drug NSAIDs, which is basically used for arthritic patients. Is Mr Humphries aware that the drug supposedly has no benefit for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers; that it can apparently cause ulcers in some 20 to 30 per cent of patients, and bleeding and tearing of the stomach lining; and that 10 per cent of people admitted to hospital after complications from taking the drug die, this being some 500 to 1,000 people a year? My questions are: Is the drug being prescribed in Canberra? Have doctors in Canberra been explaining these possible side effects to patients, particularly the elderly, who are the most common users?
MR HUMPHRIES: What is it called?
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