Page 920 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 17 June 1992
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The issue, of course, is pharmacists and the provision of methadone at pharmacies. Mrs Carnell, as I said earlier, is the president of the Pharmacy Guild in the ACT. She represents pharmacy owners, the businessmen. It is the businessmen's union for pharmacies - and women - - -
Mrs Carnell: You are not being sexist, are you, Wayne?
MR BERRY: No. I am being very serious about an issue which is of great embarrassment to you, and I am trying to save your bacon. Let me comment on Mrs Carnell's figures. We have checked this morning, and in Queanbeyan it costs about $50 a week for the issue of methadone to the 100 or 110 people who want it. It has been said in the past that as many as six pharmacies might be interested in issuing methadone, so we will have - - -
Mrs Carnell: The price we gave at that stage was $2.50.
MR BERRY: Are you telling me that you will charge less than Queanbeyan? Come on now!
Mrs Carnell: You are talking about negotiations that have already happened.
MR BERRY: Come on! I did not come down in the last shower. So we would have about $1,000 per week going into a pharmacy. That is about $50,000 a year, on those figures. If I were an ordinary person in the street marching by and listening to the loudspeakers outside this Assembly broadcasting this issue, I would say, "What on earth is Mrs Carnell doing being involved in this thing?". The president of the Pharmacy Guild, the business side of pharmacies, is pressing legislation in the Assembly to ensure that there is a higher income to pharmacists. The president - - -
Mr De Domenico: On a point of order, Madam Speaker: I ask Mr Berry to withdraw that statement - "to ensure that a higher income is derived by every pharmacist". That is not the case, Madam Speaker. I think he should withdraw that. There was no imputation by Mrs Carnell that there was any assurance of a higher income for anybody.
MR BERRY: How much higher is just a matter of the figures - mine or hers.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Berry, I would ask you to withdraw any unnecessary imputation.
MR BERRY: It is not an imputation of anything incorrect.
Mr Humphries: Then withdraw it.
MR BERRY: It is an issue of fact.
Mr Humphries: You have been asked by the Speaker to withdraw.
MR BERRY: I withdraw any imputation, but I say to you that it is a matter of fact that pharmacy incomes will increase. Pharmacy incomes will increase if this - - -
Mr Kaine: The Speaker is not interested in fact. She said so in her statement yesterday.
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