Page 3415 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 25 November 1992
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I know that some people will say, "Oh, here is Dennis Stevenson talking about censorship". But we should understand that every society that has ever existed and every society that will exist will have censorship. When you look at this poem, it is a good example of something that should be censored. I too will make sure that I do not put the words in the Hansard, but those people who have read it will know of what we speak this morning.
The Australian Federal Police have long been known for their high standard. When I was a member of the New South Wales Police Force, we looked upon the AFP as having the best standards of any police force in Australia. There is one benefit from being in a smaller community: I must admit that it could be easier to gain a better name. Nevertheless, they have had a very good name for a long time, and deservedly so. There are always cases within any organisation - police, social welfare, parliaments and others - of acts that need condemnation. We all know, because of reports in the media of charges against people in these areas, that action has been taken, and so it should be. Dr Tomlinson, supported by public money, has done a disservice to this community, to the people who read Green Left Weekly and to the people he stands for, and he should apologise.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
ACTON PENINSULA
MR MOORE (11.13): I move:
That this Assembly directs the Government to:
(1) retain the use of the Acton Peninsula site, namely section 55 and 33, block 5, for a public health facility with rehabilitation, aged care services, convalescent facilities, Queen Elizabeth II home for mothers and babies, a hospice, clinical medical school, community health and related facilities; and
(2) establish a Chair of Community Medicine and a Chair of Rehabilitation and Aged Care as part of a Centre of Excellence in Aged Care on the Acton Peninsula.
I make no apology for the fact that this motion comes directly out of Labor Party policy. But, Madam Speaker, you watch them squirm when they are directed to put their policy into practice. What we are going to see over the next little while is a big squirm from the Minister for Health, and probably the Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning, because he does not want to put his policy into action.
Labor Party policy makes it quite clear what should happen. But I will bet you that what we are about to see is a repeat of what we saw when Labor came into power in their second time in government in the First Assembly. They made it very clear to the people of Canberra that they wanted to retain the Canberra hospital, and the Chief Minister had even tabled a Bill to retain the Canberra hospital. They had been hitting Gary Humphries over the head for ages saying, "You cannot close the Royal Canberra Hospital". They had the opportunity to reopen it, Madam Speaker, but what did they do? They squirmed, turned around and broke their promises, and basically let down the people of Canberra. It was a shameful activity, and I would not be surprised if we see a repeat of it here.
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