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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 13 Hansard (20 November) . . Page.. 3811 ..

MS GALLAGHER (continuing):

outwork here in the past. We must move towards regulation and protection for any future developments in this industry.

I note Mr Pratt's point about the TCFUA and FairWear. We are not doing anything that goes against anything they have been supporting. I would not have proposed a motion like this without consulting extensively, both with my colleagues interstate and with the people who commenced this campaign and have kept it going for so many years. The motion I moved has the endorsement of FairWear and the TCFUA. I hope that addresses those concerns.

Ms Dundas was concerned about costs. I support what Mr Stanhope said. We need to look at . We will not know exactly how much it will cost until it is all in place. From evidence interstate, the costs of establishing and policing a mandatory code are fairly small. The costs can be met by departments via administration but also through consumers being provided with information. The policing of the code is not done just by government.

Again, I thank all members for their contributions. This is a good day for the ACT.

Motion, as amended, agreed to.

Sitting suspended from 12.28 to 2.30 pm.

Questions without notice

Hospital waiting lists

MR HUMPHRIES: My question is to the Minister for Health. I refer to a statement that you made on WIN news on 15 November this year. I quote you:

The fact that a number of patients have gone interstate has led to a reduction in the waiting list at this moment, as of today, to a waiting list of three weeks which is a major success for the Canberra Hospital.

Minister, why is it a "major success" for the health system when cancer patients have to travel interstate because they cannot get treatment in Canberra within a clinically acceptable time frame?

MR STANHOPE: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. We are all well aware of the shortage of specialists in a number of areas of health service delivery provided by allied health professionals in the ACT. Indeed, an issue of concern to the government, the Canberra Hospital and the community for a number of years has been the shortage of oncologists and radiation therapists at the Canberra Hospital, as a result of which there has been enormous stress and strain within the oncology radiation service at the Canberra Hospital.

This was an issue two or three months ago here in the ACT, when waiting times unfortunately blew out to about 10 weeks, which is unacceptable for a whole range of reasons-other than imposing an enormous strain on people who have been diagnosed with cancer and who are looking for treatment. As a result, a number of ACT residents

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