Page 2447 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 18 August 1993
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ACT before the information could provide opportunities to perform studies of cancer incidence. The Government realises the need to have adequate data to study cancer. It is already contributing to the New South Wales register. Cancer registration may need to become a statutory requirement.
The community should make the decision to establish a register on the basis of a reasonable public debate, not on the basis of a register being the cure for cancer, which we all know it is not. A very dear friend of mine died of cancer. The sad part was that, before she even had time to tell her family, her children, somebody from the hospital told me. You can see how difficult it is to keep this information quiet. Before she had time to tell her children that she had an incurable cancer which she was going to die from, and did unfortunately, it was leaked out from the hospital and I found out before even her children knew.
I would want to know how carefully this register was going to be kept. The case I have referred to was bad enough; but, if I were applying for a job in a department or in a company here in Canberra and I had had a cancer operation that was not as serious as this one was, I would want to be sure that people did not know about it, because there are still people today who think that the big C is a frightening death sentence. We all know that if it is caught early it is not a death sentence. I would want to be sure that any register was kept confidential and I would like the Minister to look into this before he decides to do what Mrs Carnell wants.
MR DE DOMENICO (11.56): Madam Speaker, we will try to get the debate back onto the rails - although a lot of what Mrs Grassby had to say agreed with what the Leader of the Opposition said, which is interesting. Madam Speaker, when Mrs Carnell raised this matter some time ago it was done in a bipartisan and genuine way, because it is not something that one attempts to politicise.
Let me say from the outset that I have evidence in Hansard as to who did politicise the matter at hand. It was Mr Berry of course, Madam Speaker. Mr Berry, first of all, stood up and said that Mrs Carnell was screeching and complaining; I think they are the words Mr Berry used. Of course that is not right. He then accused Mrs Carnell of not talking about the positive things that governments of all political persuasions tend to do from time to time. To set the record straight, I applaud the Government and the Liberal Party applauds the Government for the things that it has done thus far. They are many and varied and all very good initiatives. We applaud the Government for doing these things. I give some examples. The Federal Government and the ACT Government have committed $3m over the past two years to the breast cancer screening unit. That is a great thing; it is fantastic. Also, $800,000 has been committed over three years for a cervical screening program which has been running for more than a year now. That is also a good idea.
Mrs Carnell: Which is a register.
MR DE DOMENICO: Which is a register. That is a great idea. Well done, governments - both Federal and ACT. A pap smear register is being established as well.
Mr Lamont: Could you repeat that, Mr De Domenico?
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