Page 2640 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 25 August 1993
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
This is an anti-abortion position, not an issue of how services are funded in the ACT. Madam Speaker, a non-government organisation has offered to provide services in the Moore Street building, one of which may include terminations of - - -
Mr De Domenico: May include or will include?
MR BERRY: At some time in the future it will include - - -
Mr De Domenico: When? Dates and times. Come on.
MR BERRY: That is up to them.
Mr Humphries: Come on; be specific, Wayne.
MR BERRY: That is up to them. Ask them.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order!
MR BERRY: At some time in the future they will provide terminations of pregnancy. They will also provide a range of other reproductive services, all services that Mrs Carnell wants. Madam Speaker, here we have a situation where the Government is doing what the Leader of the Opposition wants and we are being criticised for it. We are doing it more efficiently as well. We are providing some refurbishment and repairs money, of the order of about $100,000, to refurbish some space in the Moore Street building for a clinic which will be run by the Family Planning Association to provide services for women. But Mrs Carnell wants to abandon women on this score.
Nobody among the Liberals has said that it has been many years since there has been any refurbishment carried out at the Moore Street building and that it would have to be done whoever occupied the space. That will continue to occur as the building runs down. This is capital expenditure on a small space in the Moore Street building, and the Family Planning Association will provide services for the people of the ACT - economical services for the ACT Government. So we will cooperatively introduce an efficient service for the people of the ACT at low cost, and it will not only be for terminations of pregnancy; it will be for a range of other reproductive services.
As has been said, just over 12 months ago the Assembly voted to pass the Termination of Pregnancy (Repeal) Bill, so the law has changed. The effect of that was to repeal the Termination of Pregnancy Act which allowed for abortions to be carried out legally if performed in a hospital conducted by the then Board of Health. I have spoken about that and Mr Humphries supported the provision of terminations in the public hospital system, as he was the Minister. Mr Kaine signed the cheque. Mrs Carnell wants the services to be expanded. We are expanding them. Now we are being criticised. So there we have it. Mr Humphries provided them, Mrs Carnell supports the expansion of them, and Mr Kaine signed the cheque. So there we have it, and that is why the air is laden with that hypocrisy that I talked about earlier. The ACT, since the introduction of the repeal Act, is now in line with other States in allowing pregnancy terminations to be carried out in non-hospital settings, and that is a big plus.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .