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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 9 Hansard (27 August) . . Page.. 2608 ..

MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, I am disappointed that you did not gather the connection, because I did make the point earlier that Mrs Carnell was fulsome in her praise for Mr Howard before his election.

MR SPEAKER: I took that as a compliment, Mr Berry.

MR BERRY: I think that is an important issue that Mrs Carnell might deal with in the context of answering this question. Will Mrs Carnell give the Australian Capital Territory people an unequivocal commitment that she will maintain funding to dental services in the ACT following the Howard Government's withdrawal from this area? I ask that question in light of Mrs Carnell's fulsome praise for Mr Howard. I ask her, therefore, to try to uphold his promise, that is, that this budget is for all of us.

MR SPEAKER: The tail of the question is not relevant, Chief Minister.

MRS CARNELL: I think that I put out my press release, shall we say, panning the hell out of the decision to reduce the Commonwealth dental scheme the day before Mr Berry put out his release on this particular decision. Mr Speaker, I think it is a hopeless decision; I think it is a decision that deserves absolutely no support whatsoever. I made that extremely clear in the media the day before Mr Berry worked out it was even there. But that is by the by, Mr Speaker.

I am sure that Mr Berry, of course, because of his obvious support for Paul Keating, also supported the sale of Qantas, the Commonwealth Bank and all those sorts of things.

Mr Berry: Now that Mrs Carnell has raised it, no and no.

MR SPEAKER: Order!

MRS CARNELL: The answer, then, to the question of whether I support the Commonwealth Government's reduction in their dental funding is no, I do not; I do not support that at all. Mr Speaker, I think it is very important, though, to realise exactly what happened here. The Commonwealth dental health program was initiated in 1992 as a four-year program. It was initiated quite definitely as a program to address the significant waiting lists in adult health that existed all around Australia. That four-year program is going to be able to run its course. The funding will not be stopped immediately; it will be stopped, I think, towards the end of the year when the four years expires.

That does not in any way make it any easier either for the ACT or for any other State, Mr Speaker. I can guarantee, though, that the funds that we provide to the ACT dental service will not be cut. We will ensure that our funding to dental health is continued.

Mr Berry: On a point of order: I think Mrs Carnell has misunderstood me. I asked her would she give an unequivocal commitment to maintain the full level of funding.

MR SPEAKER: I think Mrs Carnell fully understood your question. She is answering the question.

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