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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 10 Hansard (29 August) . . Page.. 3661 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

grateful for their assistance and advice. The potential to lose our egg labelling laws was not only an issue for consumers and residents in the community in the ACT; it was also an issue nationally because the ACT's legislation is seen as landmark legislation that leads the country when it comes to egg labelling and when it comes to giving consumers choice about and information on the different methods of production of the eggs that they buy. It also leads the country in terms of developing mechanisms to allow consumers to place pressure on producers to shift away from inhumane methods of egg production.

So, Mr Speaker, this is important legislation. It is important that it is maintained in place. I welcome the minister's commitment that it will be gazetted at the same time as the Food Act so as to provide for a continuity of legislative coverage. I commend the bill to the Assembly.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.

Bill agreed to.

Pharmacy Amendment Bill 2001

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

MR MOORE (Minister for Health, Housing and Community Services) (5.48): Mr Speaker, the Pharmacy Amendment Bill introduces an important new aspect into this territory. As Ms Tucker has indicated, it aligns the ACT with the rest of Australia in terms of ensuring that we are able to deliver a special form of health service. Many of us know that pharmacists are rated very high in the professional community. Many of us have phoned the pharmacist, sometimes the late night pharmacist, to get advice. I have myself. I've got a specific example, Imigran, which is a migraine tablet. I asked, "Is it possible to take Imigran along with Panadeine?", which contains a certain amount of codeine and so on. The pharmacist provided us with an answer. The pharmacist is a very important person within our community. I think all of us recognise the important place they hold in the health area. I gave one small example. There are many examples of us going to pharmacists for health advice, and we expect to continue to get that service.

Mr Speaker, the legislation that Ms Tucker has put up has reinforced that position, and the government will be supporting it. There was one issue that I have been negotiating with Ms Tucker over for some time that we were concerned about with regard to the self-government act. There was some suggestion that the bill might breach part of the self-government act. I believe that the amendment that I have circulated will deal with this issue. There is a small explanatory memorandum. It is really a question of the way we approach it rather than a matter of substance.

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