Page 2830 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 14 August 1991
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I think that most members would appreciate the fact that he did take the initiative and ensure that the Assembly did not bowl in and make a mistake. We have had too many silly mistakes that reflect on the whole Assembly, and what Mr Berry has done in this respect is a very positive thing. However, I think there are solutions other than taking another nine months in order to provide this change to this Act. I believe that that is being drafted at the moment and I look forward to seeing how it comes out.
Mr Deputy Speaker, to receive a letter like this with such little notice does put a strain on members of the Assembly, particularly when we realise that the machinery is not compatible with the proposed automation. The machinery, as we have heard, is already well and truly out of date. A more cynical person than I - - -
Mr Duby: Like me.
MR MOORE: Like Mr Duby. A more cynical person would see this as a possible push from ACTEW to do a little better out of the budget. When an opportunity like this arises, why not? A more cynical person than I could well say - - -
Mr Duby: Like a former Minister.
MR MOORE: Like a range of former Ministers, you may well say. It is an issue that we may well take up in the Estimates Committee and look at just what funds are available there and whether they are really needed.
MR STEVENSON (5.01): I mentioned in some detail yesterday the action by Mr Berry at 10.45 in waving around a document from ACTEW suggesting that we could not go ahead because they could not do the job. Mr Berry had the opportunity for a number of months to inform this Assembly of any particular problems in the area, but chose not to do so. I say "chose" advisedly, because the committee, five to nil, recommended that we reduce the level of fluoride added to the water from one part per million to 0.5 parts per million.
So, Mr Berry was well aware of that, as was everybody in the Assembly - even before they came to occupy the seats they now have. They were well aware that the committee recommendation since February was to halve it. Doing that late last night was unconscionable. It was absolutely not okay for Mr Berry, the Health Minister, to place that situation before this Assembly at that late time.
Yesterday, when I said that 141 submissions received by the committee were against fluoridation and 19 were for fluoridation, Mr Humphries mentioned that it was not an opinion poll. Of course, it was not an opinion poll, and I will get to referendums in a moment. However, we did ask for submissions, and submissions came in from the ACT, from all around Australia and from other countries. The
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