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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 10 Hansard (25 November) . . Page.. 2974 ..

MR MOORE (Minister for Health and Community Care) (11.29): Mr Speaker, I move amendment No. 4 circulated in my name:

Page 3, line 1, definition of "parent", omit the definition.

This amendment is consequential, but it brings on perhaps the most contentious issue that we will debate, and I think it is critical to understand that. It brings on the debate about the position of women who are under 18 years of age. The amendment deals with omitting the definition of "parent" and begins a process that I deal with in amendment No. 15. This amendment and amendment No. 15 set out the requirement that I propose to put in place. It is not good enough to require consent and apply procedural requirements. I propose this alternative. I am very keen to have members support it. Amendment No. 15 is the one that provides a comprehensive requirement for consent, rolling the information requirement and the cooling-off period concept into one. I would be very keen not to have it as a legal requirement at all, but I urge members to look at it in terms of the package. The most important part of that is that it begins the process of getting rid of the discrimination against people who are under 18 years.

Amendment agreed to.

MR MOORE (Minister for Health and Community Care) (11.31): Mr Speaker, I move amendment No. 5 circulated in my name:

Page 3, line 8, definition of "responsible officer", omit the definition.

Amendment No. 5 is also a consequential one. This amendment is merely a tidying up of other amendments. The term "responsible officer" was used in two places originally. Because of the way the amendments work it will need to be in only one place. Therefore, it does not need to be defined. It is really just about neatness.

Amendment agreed to.

MR MOORE (Minister for Health and Community Care) (11.32): Mr Speaker, I move amendment No. 6 circulated in my name:

Page 3, line 17, definition of "unrelated medical practitioner", omit the definition.

Amendment No. 6 is to do with the unrelated medical practitioner. This amendment is part of the process of implementing a new set of information requirements applying just to a single doctor. Members should refer to my amendment No. 11 in considering the amendment. Amendments Nos 12 and 13 will be consequential. My proposed amendments are simpler, less restrictive and do not interfere with the patient-doctor relationship. They allow continuity of care. In addition, the inappropriate sense of wrongfulness and insult to a doctor's integrity and reliability would be removed.

Amendment agreed to.

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