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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 3 Hansard (9 April) . . Page.. 778 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

the ACT Dental Board, the AIDS Action Council, Transact, the Health Consumers Association of the ACT, the Mobile Youth Health Outreach Service, the Migrant Resource Centre, the Council on the Ageing (ACT), the Council on the Ageing national branch, the ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Associations plus all school principals, ACTCOSS, the Aboriginal Health Centre, Centacare, SHOUT, the president of the Public Health Association, the president of the Community Health Association, the ACT Commissioner for Health Complaints, all MLAs, the Community Information and Referral Service, the Community Advocate, ACROD, ADD Inc., ADFACT, the Central Dental Service and the ACT Health Care Association. They are the ones that we actually posted a copy to and - - -

Ms McRae: And me too. You did not count me in. You wrote to me.

MRS CARNELL: I did say "all MLAs".

Ms McRae: No; me personally.

MRS CARNELL: You personally; I am sorry. We sent all of those people a copy of the document and an offer of a personal briefing. Of the 17 or 18 submissions that were received, two were from primary schools. I received four letters. One was from Bill Wood. The only one I got from an Assembly member was from Mr Wood, not from Ms Tucker. We had two community meetings. We had two meetings with staff. We had a meeting with the CPSU. We had a formal meeting with senior Education Department staff. I think that is a pretty impressive consultation program.

MR SPEAKER: Ms Tucker, there was a lot of extraneous noise. Would you like Mrs Carnell to read the list again before you ask your supplementary question?

MS TUCKER: I think I can live with it. Basically, the parents were not contacted. My supplementary question is: Can Mrs Carnell respond to the concerns that have been expressed to me by parents and dentists? I have had more calls today after the newspaper article. The fact that I did not make a submission is totally irrelevant. I have the right as an MLA to raise these questions in this house, and it is quite irrelevant whether or not - - -

MR SPEAKER: That is not a supplementary question, Ms Tucker.

MS TUCKER: I just wanted to make that point.

MR SPEAKER: Just ask the supplementary question without the vitriol, without the preamble.

MS TUCKER: The concerns that have been raised with me today are that there will be a percentage of parents who do not pay, therefore a percentage of children who will not benefit from preventive and educational dental treatment. I would like to know whether Mrs Carnell can explain how she justifies this user pays for preventive dental health care.

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