Page 4621 - Week 15 - Tuesday, 6 December 1994
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To the extent that there is any concern about the power being abused, I will give you two answers. Firstly, the industry group is happy with it, which I would have thought would count for something with the pro-industry Liberals, but it obviously does not. Secondly, it will be reviewed in a later course of action. I do not particularly want to be authorising persons to break down doors in the middle of the night. That is not a role for a Minister. If you need to have that approved by somebody, it probably should be approved by a magistrate. Mr Moore adverted to something like that, and I suspect that in due course there will be something like that.
Mr De Domenico: Put it in the Bill.
MR CONNOLLY: "Put it in the Bill", says Mr De Domenico. Instead of this adhockery for which you are becoming famous, we are taking a broad approach to it.
Mr Kaine: Why do you not get your legislation right in the first place?
MR CONNOLLY: The industry says that it is right, Mr Kaine. That is the point.
Mr De Domenico: They might be wrong, Mr Connolly.
MR CONNOLLY: Of course, if Mr De Domenico says something, it must be right. I can see you all salivating at the prospect of doing me over on this. We developed this piece of legislation in good faith. We sent it out to the industry groups - and a whole range of groups are involved in this. It is pretty serious stuff, because we are talking about potentially infected needles and potentially very dangerous practices. If a health inspector sees the tattooist tattoo someone and then go to tattoo somebody else with the same needle, pity that person. Under our legislation the health inspector can go straight in and fix it.
Mrs Carnell: Is he checking it out through the window?
MR CONNOLLY: Yes, indeed. If my health inspector is standing by the window or the open door and sees the needle used on one person and sees it about to be used on another, under our legislation - approved by industry, because the industry is concerned about these things - the health inspector can go straight in and protect that person. Under Mrs Carnell's legislation that health inspector has to get on the bike, race up to my office and get me to sign a piece of paper - if I happen to be in my office. Of course, I am often out and about - at the hospital, for instance.
Mr De Domenico: You might be down the coast, you said.
MR CONNOLLY: It might be on the weekend and I might be down the coast, Mr De Domenico. I might be in an area where I am out of mobile phone range. I might be anywhere. In the hours or days in the interim, that tattooist may use that dirty needle not on one person but on many people.
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