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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 8 Hansard (28 August) . . Page.. 2638 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

If this commitment is not obtained, then the ACT will have to consider handing services that were transferred under the Commonwealth-State Disability Agreement back to the Commonwealth for it to fund and administer. This position, while not ideal, Mr Speaker, reflects the reality of the respective governments' ability to fund the necessary increase in services to meet current and future demands.

Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I believe that these ministerial meetings have produced a useful way forward on a number of challenging health and community care issues. Clearly, however, on some matters there are differences between State and Territory views and the position adopted by the Commonwealth Government. I continue to be concerned to draw both views together so that we can act in the best interests of all Australians. Mr Speaker, I present the following paper:

Ministerial meetings - Cairns, 31 July to 1 August 1997 - ministerial statement, 28 August 1997.

I move:

That the Assembly takes note of the paper.

MR BERRY (Leader of the Opposition) (4.05): Mr Speaker, these councils have performed an important function since they began many years ago; but it is now evident that the mood is changing somewhat. Indeed, we see almost daily criticism of the Federal Government by even the State Premiers, and I see that the Prime Minister has threatened to launch a counterattack if they keep it up. That tells me that the conservative Commonwealth policies are starting to impact on State communities and even the conservative State Premiers are becoming concerned about their impact.

The first issue mentioned in Mrs Carnell's statement to the Assembly today was aged care. Today in the Assembly I asked a question of the Chief Minister in relation to her solid support for the economic policies of John Howard. In that question I mentioned cuts to dental service funding, cuts to Australian Hearing Services for senior citizens, cuts to the ABC, a GST, forcing pensioners to pay more for their pharmaceuticals, and so on. Mr Speaker, how could Commonwealth Ministers even turn up to meetings of State and Territory Ministers and show their faces, when they have taken those sorts of actions which impact so heavily on aged people?

Mr Speaker, I think the report on these meetings to this Assembly by the Chief Minister leaves out an important strategy; that is, how we deal with this Liberal Prime Minister - or does Mrs Carnell wholeheartedly support the Prime Minister's attack on aged members of the community? I will bet that she says no. But, at the next Liberal Party shindig that is on, I will bet that she says yes. Mr Speaker, the ageing community deserve to be wary of John Howard. They deserve to be wary of Ministers around this country who support his policies. Mrs Carnell has said that she solidly supports John Howard's policies. Aged people around the country, and particularly here in the ACT, ought to be wary.

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