Page 3949 - Week 15 - Wednesday, 16 December 1992
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Wednesday, 16 December 1992
___________________________
MADAM SPEAKER (Ms McRae) took the chair at 10.32 am and read the prayer.
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES (CONFIDENTIALITY)
(AMENDMENT) BILL 1992
Debate resumed from 9 December 1992, on motion by Mr Moore:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (10.32): Madam Speaker, the Government will be giving support to this private members Bill, the Epidemiological Studies (Confidentiality) (Amendment) Bill 1992. We have perused it carefully; we have considered the issue and made our decision. We note that the Bill was introduced on 9 December and is being dealt with today, 16 December - a point that may be of some relevance later on this morning.
Mr Moore introduced the original Bill into the Assembly. He did so specifically to address the need to provide legal indemnity for those people involved in researching territorial studies. The legislation named one particular study, the Canberra drug users study, as a prescribed study under the Act. Since the enactment of that piece of legislation, the Government has approved the Epidemiological Studies (Confidentiality) Regulations, which name the study "Feasibility Research into the Controlled Availability of Opioides" as a prescribed study.
While developing those regulations, it became obvious that, rather than just naming the study in the regulations, a more detailed approach was required to avoid any confusion arising as to the boundaries of the study. Therefore, as well as naming the study "Feasibility Research into the Controlled Availability of Opioides", the regulations provide a comprehensive interpretation of what that study is about and who is conducting it. As many studies have similar components, it is preferable that this is the approach taken. To be brief, I therefore propose that Mr Moore's amending Bill be supported.
MRS CARNELL (10.34): The Liberal Party also will be supporting this Bill, for very similar reasons to those put by Ms Follett. Obviously, confidentiality in these sorts of studies is important. It is also important to know exactly what study you are talking about. With a study of this dimension, it is very important that exactly what we are talking about is understood, and on that basis the Liberal Party will be supporting the Bill.
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