Page 1597 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 19 May 1993
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Madam Speaker, I will take time to quote from a book called States of Health by Alan Davis and Janet George. On page 154, in talking about a situation before the turn of the century, they say:
Through the activities of the statistical sections of the government departments concerned with health, report after report documented the existence of hazards and unequal exposure to disease among the population. The statistical movement was a major ally of reformers, providing them with a never-ending supply of information and new problems to be tackled. It became possible for the first time to have precise classifications of illnesses and deaths, to work out how the population as a whole was faring when compared with the past and experience in other countries.
In other words, Madam Speaker, nearly 100 years ago the importance of statistical information was already clarified. That contrasts putting a priority on the care of the sick with putting a priority on health care. Mr Berry mentioned a quite large number of cases where the Government has put a priority on health care, where it has taken action to prevent a particular illness, specifically cancer. He mentioned the breast cancer screening clinic, cervical cancer, tobacco, sun screening and a whole series of things to do with cancer education and prevention in our society. They are very important issues.
Mr Berry also drew attention to new equipment worth millions of dollars to be bought for the hospital. That is important in caring for the sick. He emphasised the question of priorities. In dealing with the health of our community it is always difficult to work out just what the priorities should be. It seems to me, Madam Speaker, that the need to be able to evaluate what is being achieved, to assess exactly where the problems are and what the extent of the problems is and then to focus our resources is absolutely basic to the good use of our resources. That is the gap that Mrs Carnell has put her finger on. That is why this is a very important motion. It is a matter of urgency.
Mr Berry: Which service would you like cut to provide it?
MR MOORE: Mr Berry asks which service we would like cut. He also pointed out earlier that raising such matters is one of the luxuries of being in opposition. It is his responsibility to determine priorities. In supporting this motion, which Mr Berry is prepared to do, the Assembly is saying, "Minister, look at your priorities, recognise the importance of something that has been done in every other State, recognise the importance of doing something, and recognise the importance of being able to focus your restricted resources where they are needed most".
To suggest, as I believe Mr Berry did, that this motion is an outrageous strategy is entirely inappropriate. It is not a strategy that just tugs at the heartstrings, as he suggests. We are talking about gaining statistical information and monitoring prevention measures to find out how successful they are. A real question that will have to be asked within the next couple of years is: How successful has this breast cancer screening clinic been? What are the advantages of having that operating in the ACT? We should be able to answer that by looking at some data
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