Page 3663 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 15 October 1991
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MR SPEAKER: Rubbish!
MS FOLLETT: Mr Speaker, I hear you interject "Rubbish!". With respect, I feel that you should be taken to task on this matter. It has been the Labor Party's view, maintained throughout the life of this Assembly, that we ought to take expert advice on the fluoridation of the water supply. The advice that was provided was to fluoridate the ACT and Queanbeyan water supply at the rate of one part per million. Neither I nor anybody else in the Labor Party here has the expertise to judge whether that rate ought to be changed or not; so we go to the best available advice. I think that is a sensible thing to do.
You will know, Mr Speaker, that on the last occasion that this matter was debated in the Assembly a sunset clause was put into the final resolution, which was to halve the amount of fluoride in our water supply. That sunset clause means that that resolution will expire within some months, and it is my intention, if it is within my power at that time, to restore the amount of fluoride to what the experts recommend it ought to be.
MR STEVENSON: I ask a supplementary question. Hopefully, for the people of Canberra, it will not be in the Chief Minister's power. It is unfortunate that she did not actually answer the question, which concerned advice from the expert on studying and evaluating the total intake. However, another part of that advice was:
A large proportion of the community should desire that fluoride be added to the water supply - - -
MR SPEAKER: Order! Members are misinterpreting standing orders with respect to supplementary questions. No new material and no preamble are permitted.
MR STEVENSON: Perhaps I could ask the supplementary question: When Ms Follett says, "We will listen to the best advice available", does that include the advice from the people of Canberra? Perhaps the question could be answered rather than these questions without notice becoming questions without answers.
MS FOLLETT: Yes, of course we listen to people's advice on those matters. Nevertheless, it is not a question upon which a general community view has been put forward, to the best of my knowledge. I say again that it is a view on which the best course of action for the Government to take is to heed the advice of experts. Mr Speaker, I think that that is the responsible way to proceed. Mr Stevenson seems to be implying that there is perhaps some other information.
Mr Stevenson: Indeed; we survey it.
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