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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 11 Hansard (6 November) . . Page.. 3864 ..

2

Mister Speaker

This Bill aims to amend the Health Professions Boards (Procedures) Act 1981 through the removal of provisions which discriminate against persons based on their age.

At present, this Act prevents people who have attained the age of 65 years from serving as a member of a health profession board.

The Act covers procedures for:

. the Chiropractors and Osteopaths Board

. the Dental Board

. the Medical Board

. the Nurses Board

. the Optometrists Board

. the Pharmacy Board

. the Physiotherapists Board

. the Podiatrists Board

. the Psychologists Board and

. the Veterinary Surgeons Board.

Subsection 8(2) of the Act places an age limit on nominations for membership to these Boards to persons who have reached the age of 65 years or who will attain this age during their term of office.

This is inconsistent with the Discrimination Act and Government policy.

In addition, discrimination based solely on the age of a nominee does not make sense.

The Government accepts that many persons aged over 65 years have the capacity, knowledge, experience, and time to devote towards the workings of health profession boards.

The Health Professions Boards (Procedures) Bill 1997 proposes that Subsection 8(2)

of the Act be omitted from the Act. This will remove the age requirement for

nominees.

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