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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 8 Hansard (19 August) . . Page.. 2878 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

every other jurisdiction in Australia, I have taken the decision that we have no option but to proceed down this path.

As I say, it is quite obvious that it gives me no pleasure. I think that it is a bad result for those individuals that will lose out. It is perhaps a good result for the community in that we can be assured of a supply of medical practitioners and specialists, that GPs will continue to practise here and will want to come to the ACT to practise into the future.

We have guaranteed that result, but a price has been paid and some individuals-our neighbours, our families- will pay that price in not being able to pursue an action for every instance of negligence which they suffer at the hands of a medical practitioner in this town. We will legislate for a circumstance where individuals injured by the negligence or incompetence of doctors will not be able to claim compensation for that injury. That is the price we are now asking some Canberrans to pay in order to ensure that we maintain the health system that we need.

MR SPEAKER: Order! The Chief Minister's time has expired.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

Detail stage

Clause 1.

Debate (on motion by Mrs Dunne ) adjourned to the next sitting.

Adjournment

Motion (by Mr Stanhope ) proposed:

Countrylink rail services

MRS DUNNE (10.08): Mr Speaker, I rise in the adjournment debate to draw the attention of this house to the announcement on Saturday by the New South Wales State Rail Authority of the curtailment of the rail service between Sydney and Canberra. On the surface, it seems to be unfortunate and a mere glitch that we will get over. The New South Wales State Rail Authority tells us that the services have been suspended because of a lack of staff and sickness and it cannot fill the rosters. If that is the real reason, Mr Speaker, this is a management failure of monumental proportions.

I have been inundated with calls over the last couple of days from people in the region who use the service and who have been left in the lurch. The New South Wales State Rail Authority says that it is going to put on a bus, but think of the disabled people who cannot drive a car and for whom a train is a much more convenient and much

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