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I welcome the statement, as far as it goes, in relation to casemix. The approach to casemix that is indicated here and in the paper of Professor Hindle appears to be a very sane, rational and sensible approach to casemix which is, as an information tool, an essential part of developing an efficient health system. As was set out in your statement and in the Hindle report, much work had been done on that under the Labor Government. Mrs Carnell, this statement perhaps settles once and for all the rhetorical nonsense of the casemix debate. You tried to say that we said, “No, no; never casemix”; and we certainly heard you as saying, “Casemix is the answer to all of our problems”. The reality is, as you say here, that casemix as a funder can be a real problem, but casemix as an information tool is vital. We are able to support you on that. You can no longer hide behind that false rhetoric or false dichotomy of Government versus Opposition views. You now have to get on with the job of delivering your promises, and the only thing new in this report is yet another consultancy.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

TRANSPORT MINISTERS MEETING – PERTH

Ministerial Statement

MR DE DOMENICO (Minister for Urban Services): Mr Speaker, I ask for leave of the Assembly to make a ministerial statement on the Australian Transport Ministers Conference which was held in Perth on 21 April 1995.

Leave granted.

MR DE DOMENICO: Mr Speaker, I wish to inform the Assembly that the Transport Ministers of the Federal, State and Territory governments met on 21 April 1995 as the Australian Transport Council. The council discussed a number of important issues, the highlights of which were the progressive introduction of access to public transport for people with disabilities, the need for increased road funding, reforms in the road transport industry, and a possible reduction in urban road speed limits.

Ministers were pleased with the progress of interjurisdictional working groups addressing the national transport policy framework, where policy positions are being developed on competition and pricing policy, transport infrastructure and planning, and intelligent transport systems. These will be presented to future council meetings for endorsement as they are completed. Ministers also endorsed a national strategy to make public transport more accessible for people with disabilities and agreed to release the report for public information. The aim is to achieve substantial accessibility in all modes of public transport within 20 years, and the idea has the backing of the disabled community. The council has agreed that a working party will be set up to establish new standards. Once agreed to, those standards will be incorporated into new public transport vehicles as they are purchased. A separate working party will investigate the likely costs of these new standards and their effects on existing infrastructure. Both working parties will include representatives from local, State and Federal governments, as well as people with disabilities and the transport industry. The working parties are expected to complete their work within the next 12 months.

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