Page 3857 - Week 15 - Tuesday, 15 December 1992
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Medicare Agreement
MR HUMPHRIES: Madam Speaker, my question is addressed to the Minister for Health. I refer to statements the Minister has made today and before today concerning his confidence in the process that the Federal Government has begun to revise the Medicare agreement and, in particular, to increase the Medicare levy. In light of the obvious confidence he has in this process and the capacity of the ACT health system to cope with the consequences of this process, I ask him why he moved and had his senior private secretary second a motion at the Labor Party conference which reads:
Further, we urge the Federal Government to recognise that the failure to maintain health funding has led to great stress on State and Territory governments. This has, in turn, led to longer waiting lists and reduced government services in the public system at a time when the effects of the recession have taken private insurance out of the reach of many ordinary Australians.
I ask the Minister: If you believe that, why have you rushed with such indecent haste into signing a Medicare agreement which puts those same principles in concrete and ensures that citizens of the ACT continue not to have access to important health services?
MR BERRY: Madam Speaker, I thank the member for the question. I am delighted to take it. Madam Speaker, that just goes to show how much notice the Commonwealth takes of ACT branch motions. They have put up the Medicare levy to raise more funds.
Pink-tailed Legless Lizards
MR MOORE: Madam Speaker, I am not going to ask Mr Berry why he has not answered my question No. 76 on the notice paper, which was put there in April. Instead, I am going to ask a question of Mr Connolly as Minister for Urban Services. It follows the answer given by Ms Follett just a minute ago with reference to water quality. No doubt, Mr Connolly, you are aware that a critical 10 per cent of the remaining 400 pink-tailed legless lizard population in the ACT live in the gully site preferred by ACTEW for the bypass dam in the Lower Molonglo. What action will you take to ensure that ACTEW protects these species when dealing with the spillage from the Lower Molonglo Water Quality Control Centre?
MR CONNOLLY: Madam Speaker, Mr Moore sought to ask two questions. Perhaps before answering the question that he actually asked I can give an answer to a question that I would like to have been asked. He raises a very serious question. The outflow into the creek from the Lower Molonglo is a matter of real concern and a matter which this Government has addressed. We have been very open about the problems at the Lower Molonglo; we have been happy to invite any members, including members of the New South Wales State Parliament, to have a look at the system; and we have been open in saying, "We have to do better".
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