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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 10 Hansard (25 November) . . Page.. 3026 ..

MR MOORE (Minister for Health and Community Care) (2.45 am): Mr Speaker, I move:

Page 7, line 26, after subclause (2), add the following new subclauses:

"(3) The Advisory Panel appointed under subsection (2) may, for the purposes of paragraph 7(1)(c), approve materials containing information on the medical risks of termination of pregnancy and of carrying a pregnancy to term.

(4) The Advisory Panel appointed under subsection (2) may, for the purposes of paragraph 7(1)(d), approve materials which present pictures or drawings and descriptions of the anatomical and physiological characteristics of a foetus at regular intervals.

(5) The Minister may, for the purposes of paragraph 7(1)(e), approve materials containing information on -

(a) agencies operating in the Territory which provide assistance to women through pregnancy;

(b) agencies operating in the Territory that make arrangements for the adoption of children; and

(c) agencies operating in the Territory that provide assistance with family planning.".

This amendment provides new structural provisions for the information requirements. It is important to note here that my proposal is designed to cope with the problem of the anticipated materials not being approved by the time the Act commences, although I will work hard to make sure that they are. In such circumstances, I think it is important to be clear that the requirements would not kick in until the materials are ready. This principle would apply separately to each requirement, of course. If this Bill must become law, then I think we have to do it as smoothly as possible.

MR HARGREAVES (2.46 am): Mr Speaker, I move:

After proposed new subclause (3) insert the following new subclause:

"(3A) An Advisory Panel appointed under subsection (2) shall comprise at least 3 women among its membership.".

Mr Speaker, the reason why I moved this amendment was to have a guaranteed minimum of female representation on the advisory panel. I have previously sought to amend it to have two nurses on it. I am not saying, for example, that the most appropriate nurse in neonatal medicine may not be a male. It may be. If that is so, that would, in my view,

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