Page 81 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 8 April 1992
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MRS CARNELL: No, I personally am not. It did nothing for the reputation of ACT self-government. I think that, if Mr Stevenson wanted to sow the seed of doubt in having self-government in the ACT, he has unfortunately been most successful on the issue of water fluoridation. It is my hope that we can get this debacle caused by the last Assembly finished with now.
This Bill will return fluoridation of water supplies to a permanent level of one part per million. For some months now the level of fluoridation has been set at 0.5 parts per million. It was intended last year that we return to a level of one part per million. Unfortunately, the Bill which would have carried forth this change, the Electricity and Water (Amendment) Bill of 1991, was amended by an amendment moved by Hector Kinloch. Dr Kinloch's amendment agreed to in August last year replaced the words "one part per million" with "0.5 parts per million". On this particular occasion there was a degree of consensus between the two major parties that Dr Kinloch's amendment be rejected. Unfortunately, in what was a reflection of the composition of the last Assembly, it was agreed to.
Mr Connolly: Some Liberals ratted.
MRS CARNELL: Look what happens to them. The situation now has changed. The major parties have 14 of the 17 seats. We are now in a situation where we can bring into effect what was originally intended last August, that is, legislation to make permanent one part per million of fluoride in Canberra's water supply.
Dr Kinloch, in moving his amendment, may have been overly infatuated with the work of the Social Policy Committee on the fluoride issue. The Social Policy Committee report on fluoridation recommended 0.5 parts per million. Although I would like to think that considerable work went into the committee report - it certainly took long enough to do so - its conclusions were not scientific. Committee members may have plucked the 0.5 parts per million figure straight out of a hat. One might note that Mr Wood, who presided over the Social Policy Committee and that report, has since disowned the 0.5 parts per million recommendation when he voted last year with Liberal and Labor members to restore the one part per million.
Madam Speaker, the appropriate level for fluoride is really a quite technical issue. We should respect the opinions of technical experts. Last year's Social Policy Committee report recommending a level of 0.5 parts per million was at variance with expert opinion. The National Health and Medical Research Council recommended levels of one part per million in its report entitled "The Effectiveness of Water Fluoridation" released last year. These people are the experts.
The report indicated that there is no evidence of ill effects attributable to a combination of fluoridated water at one part per million and discretionary sources of fluoride - for example, fluoride supplements, toothpaste, certain foods, et cetera. The report also noted, in considering levels of fluoridation at one part per million, that reductions below this level would inevitably result in an increased incidence of dental decay. There are a number of other studies which support this level of one part per million - approaching 100 worldwide.
Leaving aside a fiasco for about one week or so when fluoride was removed in 1989, Canberra has had fluoride in its water supply for about 27 years - longer than any other of the Australian cities. Canberra therefore provides a good point of comparison with cities such as Brisbane, which has never used fluoride.
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