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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 2 Hansard (1 March) . . Page.. 446 ..

MR SMYTH (continuing):

in place in the ACT, and the encouragement which we provide to people to sign up to something like greenchoice, the people of the ACT are supporting this. We have companies such as ACTEW, which is a very good company with a great environmental record, dealing with Ecowise. It does good work for the environment not only in Australia but all over the world. The Government is playing a role as well. We have opened up a mini-hydro with the Stromlo pipeline. So that is an option.

As to whether we purchase electricity produced from brown coal or from gas, I am sure that gas is the preferable option. I note Ms Tucker has a gas-powered car. Why is she not driving a petrol-powered car? Because she thinks a gas-powered car is a better option for the environment. In this case, a gas-powered electricity station is much better than a brown coal powered electricity station.

The ACT is helping significantly in driving this proposal through our greenhouse strategy. We are the first to set targets. Mr Humphries did that when he was the Minister for the Environment. We are the first to set the strategy. We are the first to deliver on this. We are now entitled to four out of five stars in cities for climate change. In their measure of successful cities, we are the most successful in this country in delivery on greenhouse reform. We are the green government in this country.

MR WOOD: My question is to the Minister for Health and Community Care. Minister, on 17 February I posed a question about a court report of a man being convicted for molesting a nursing home resident. In view of the variety of serious allegations now being raised Australia wide about the abuse or poor treatment of the elderly in some nursing homes, and in view of the responsible Federal Minister's seeming reluctance to act, what assurances can you give to friends and relatives in the ACT of nursing home residents about their safety and overall welfare? What role does the ACT Government play in monitoring nursing homes in the ACT? Are there areas that need to be covered? Is there action the ACT Government ought to be taking in this respect?

MR MOORE: Nursing homes are a Federal responsibility. I think Mr Wood knows that. I think pressure needs to be kept on the Federal Government in the way in which nursing homes are monitored and nursing home residents looked after. The evidence in the ACT at the moment is that there are none of the sorts of problems which have become evident in Victoria.

There have been some discussions between officers of various Ministers in Australia as to whether we should reintroduce the kinds of systems that were in place prior to the Commonwealth taking full responsibility for the regulation of nursing homes. What has been identified is a specific problem that does need to be rectified. We will continue to monitor what is going on not only in the ACT but also in Victoria to ensure that the Commonwealth lives up to its responsibilities. But it is a Commonwealth responsibility, and I think that is exactly where the action has to be taken.

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