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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 10 Hansard (25 November) . . Page.. 2906 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

There is the issue raised succinctly by Mr Corbell of the impact of this legislation on what is an approved facility and the effects of that. As Mr Corbell was making his case about the impacts of this legislation on an approved facility, Mr Humphries interjected. (Extension of time granted) When Mr Corbell was making his case about the impact that this legislation would have on the definition of an approved facility he repeated the claim that has been made to us by Family Planning ACT that there is a very real possibility that, as a result of this legislation, the clinic will close. Mr Humphries is prepared to do it again. Mr Humphries shakes his head and suggests that that is an absolute nonsense.

Mr Berry: That is what he would like to see.

MR STANHOPE: That is right. On what basis can Mr Humphries shake his head and claim that that is a nonsense when the people who have responsibility for the management of the Reproductive Healthcare Services Clinic tell us unequivocally that if this Bill is passed the clinic will have to close?

Mr Humphries: It is scaremongering. The legislation will not close the clinic.

MR STANHOPE: Mr Humphries, I think it raises the very issue of the attitude to the clinic of those who are supporting this legislation. It does give some illustration of the basis for the support which this legislation is achieving in this place from some members, and it goes to the other issues that have been raised, particularly by Mr Corbell and Ms Tucker. This is a Bill about control. This is not a Bill about providing information. This is a Bill exerting control over women and their rights to make decisions for themselves.

If Family Planning ACT write to me and tell me that this Bill would lead them to consider closing the clinic, then, without some detailed investigation of that claim or that assertion through an extended public consultative process or through a committee process, I am inclined to take them on face value and believe them. I am not prepared to simply stare the other side out, or play blindman's buff and just cross my fingers and hope that it does not close. I do not think that is the game we are in here, of simply staring each other out and seeing who is standing at the end of the day and whether or not we have a clinic. It is just scaremongering. It is a nonsense.

Other issues that have been dealt with and which cause me enormous concern are issues going to the impact on the relationship between a patient and her medical practitioner, issues around the provision of anatomical drawings, issues around the professional panel and issues around prying into the private lives and private business of women. I will conclude my contribution to the debate, Mr Speaker, by referring to some of the correspondence that I have received. I have referred previously in this debate to the correspondence which each of us received from the Discrimination Commissioner. I harp on this, it seems, but I think it is incredibly important. It goes to the heart of it, for me. These are people in this community for whom I have the highest regard; people in this community appointed by the Government, by those opposite, to most senior positions within this Territory. Let us not forget that. Ms Follett, Mr Refshauge and Ms McGregor were all appointed by this Government to those most senior positions.

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