Page 1593 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 19 May 1993
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MR BERRY (Minister for Health, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Sport) (12.06): Madam Speaker, Mrs Carnell tugs at the heartstrings again. Cancer is a very serious illness and is recognised as such in the community, but what Mrs Carnell has not focused on is what this Government has done. She is trying to draw attention away from the very positive things that this Government has done in relation to the treatment of cancer in the community. This Labor Government has come from a long way behind, and the advances that we have made in this Territory are unprecedented. It is shameful for Mrs Carnell to ignore those very important facts in drawing attention to this particular issue. All that you have done again is tug at the heartstrings. You did not deal with the issues or the treatment which is being provided by this Government.
This Government has set aside millions of dollars to detect, treat and prevent cancer as well as to collect data. Of course, a registry is a matter which we will get to, but it has to stand amongst all the other priorities in health. It is all very well for the Opposition to screech about this issue; but it is bad, and it is misinformation for the community, for them not to mention the positive things the Government has done. Next week, for example, I will open the $3.9m cancer treatment unit at Woden Valley Hospital. That will include a new $2m linear accelerator. The Opposition do not want to mention that. That is a positive move by the Government.
Mrs Carnell: How do you know that it is going to be big enough?
MR BERRY: What do we do in the meantime - just not do anything?
Mrs Carnell: Get some statistics.
MR BERRY: Statistics collected across Australia show very clearly where we stand on cancer. The Federal and ACT governments have committed $3m over two years to the breast cancer screening unit. You did mention that as a positive for the Government. That is only one. That has been functioning since February. Also, $800,000 has been committed over three years for a cervical screening program which has been running for more than a year. A pap smear register is being established. It will play an important role in the prevention and monitoring of cervical cancer. That register will become operational soon. It is not just a matter of getting a piece of paper with some columns on it for various types of cancer and filling in the names. You have to deal with very important privacy issues. You have to consult widely with the community, make sure that you get it right and make sure that the approach is up to date.
Madam Speaker, we have a difficulty here in the ACT, as does the rest of Australia, with an ageing population and cancer. As I have said - and I will repeat some of these things - the ACT Labor Government has made unprecedented progress in the treatment of cancer in the ACT. For Mrs Carnell to screech about a registry - a registry that will come - without mentioning in the same breath all the positive advances that we have made in relation to the treatment of cancer is unfair to the community and for those people who may unfortunately be suffering with cancer, who can get a full range of services from the ACT Government. This is more scare campaigning by the Liberals, and that is the model that you have always used.
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