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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 3 Hansard (24 March) . . Page.. 747 ..
MR MOORE (continuing):
of batches of blood. If I remember correctly, the figure was 159. Those two figures were quite close and are therefore confusing. There were 62 people who have died and 90 or so, as I recall, who were also contacted, leaving the 30, of which we have dealt with 11. It seems to me, Mr Speaker, that the figures are consistent.
I have to say it is quite difficult to present these figures because three things are operating at any given time. Just before I came down here I asked for a media release - I will make it available to members - giving a very clear presentation of just what those three factors are, what the difference in numbers is and how they occur. I am quite happy to table that in the Assembly later today and to make sure that we get a clarification of those figures to make sure there is no doubt about it.
MR BERRY: Rather than me pursuing a supplementary question, would the Minister try to explain the disparity in figures he tabled yesterday between the estimate that possibly 50 per cent of patients already identified by the donor triggered lookback program may have died and the two-thirds proportion of the 94 cases already identified who have died? Could the Minister assure the Assembly that none of these people died from hepatitis C or hepatitis C-related problems?
MR MOORE: I do not have to provide that information later. I can provide that information now. Mr Berry, we cannot tell whether those people who died did die from hepatitis-related disease. What we do know is that a large number of people who have died were already involved in quite serious conditions. I would also say to you, Mr Berry, in providing the figure that 62 people died, that we are talking about going back over a period of more than 10 years and it is going to be very difficult to find out some of that information. I think the effort to find that particular piece of information is not warranted by the current circumstances. I presume, although we do not know, that some of the deaths were probably accelerated by hepatitis. But we do not know that.
Mr Berry: Do the families have a claim then?
MR MOORE: That is an issue that we are dealing with.
MR HIRD: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Urban Services. It relates to a transport matter which I know that you, sir, have a very sincere interest in. It is to do with the suburb of Garran and the street known as Dennis Street. I know there have been some controversial approaches made by certain citizens in that suburb concerning the traffic problems in that area and in that street. Could the Minister tell us the result of the traffic calming trial measures that are being introduced into Dennis Street, Garran?
MR SMYTH
: Mr Speaker, I thank Mr Hird for his question. It is a very important question which many members have raised here. Mr Speaker, as you would know, the Dennis Street trial has finished. The result of our survey is that the majority of residents were not in favour of the calming measures. As the majority of residents were not in favour, and that was one of the criteria for the permanent installation of the traffic
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