Page 4027 - Week 15 - Wednesday, 16 December 1992
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I do not point the finger at Mr Stevenson. I do not particularly take issue with the fact that Mr Stevenson wishes to raise a matter such as this, because he is free to do so, as is anybody else; but I had had a higher regard for the way in which the Opposition would deal with an issue such as this. I, along with everybody else in this community, will be disappointed at their actions this afternoon.
MR STEVENSON (5.27), in reply: The Australian Capital Territory Public Health (Infectious and Notifiable Diseases) Regulations state:
"Notifiable Disease" means
(a) Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; ...
Subregulation 4(1) states:
A medical practitioner -
(a) who has reason to believe that a person professionally attended by him is, or may be, suffering from an infectious disease or a notifiable disease ... shall, forthwith, furnish to the Medical Officer of Health a notification in accordance with the form in Schedule 1.
Schedule 1 states:
Notification of Infectious or Notifiable Disease
I hereby certify that the person whose name and address appears hereunder is suspected by me to be suffering from -
There is space for the particular notifiable disease, and the case we talk about is AIDS.
On 15 January 1985 the then Medical Officer of Health, Dr Sheena MacLeod, expressed concern that she was no longer receiving notification of positive test results. On 23 December 1985 Mr J. O'Halloran, director of the legal branch of the ACT Health Department, sent a minute that I have referred to earlier to the Health Department chairman, Mr Bissett, via his superiors.
Ms Follett: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I refer to the relevance of Mr Stevenson's remarks. His motion is directed exclusively to the actions of the Minister, Mr Berry. Mr Berry, quite clearly, was not the Minister in 1983 or 1985.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Stevenson, I wish you to consider that and to focus your remarks on the motion in hand.
MR STEVENSON: It is highly relevant to what I say. I understand that everybody in this room would clearly see that.
MADAM SPEAKER: I am afraid that that is not the case. Would you make sure that the connection between what you are saying and your motion is made more clearly, Mr Stevenson.
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