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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 03 Hansard (Thursday, 11 March 2004) . . Page.. 1081 ..

MS MacDONALD: I am sorry I did not hear all of the answer to the question because of the interruption from the other side, but my supplementary question is: could the minister please inform the Assembly of the specific benefits of this grant to the health sector?

MR CORBELL: This is, again, the advantage of the government’s strategic approach. Not only do we greatly benefit the economic development of our city through investing in our key tertiary research and educational institutions but also there is a direct benefit for the health sector and the health workforce. Through the education and training provided in these courses, the ACT will strengthen its ability to attract and retain specialist health professionals. These specialties include being able to meet the ACT’s need for more physiotherapists, dieticians and other health professionals.

Our hospitals and our community health sector struggle at times to fill positions in vital areas of allied health, such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nuclear science, radiotherapy and pharmacy. All of that is now being opened up. The potential to train those people locally and to employ those people locally is now being opened up as a result of this government’s grant to the University of Canberra.

The university’s school of health sciences will provide the ACT with more graduates in these areas—a good thing for Canberra, a good thing for the people who use our health services and a crucial need that has been highlighted by the career, health and ageing sectors as more of our population and the populations of other states and territories grow older and live longer.

It will also directly benefit the health sector by lifting the standard of care that comes with the integration of service delivery within a teaching and research environment. For the same reason as the government is investing in the medical school—putting our money where our mouth is, spending the money in the hospitals to train medical graduates, working with the ANU—we are now working with the University of Canberra as well, funding health sciences, funding those allied health professionals, supporting the institutions and getting the benefit for our health sector.

That shows that we are serious about partnerships between our education sector, our business sector and the government itself. It is about growing our own health professionals. Of course, the more health professionals you grow locally, the more you can keep in Canberra, the more you can employ in your own public hospitals, in your own community health centres and in private practice. Once again it is a case of the government listening, planning and acting and making a big difference for health services in the ACT.

Mr Stanhope: I ask that further questions be placed on the notice paper.

MR SPEAKER: Ms MacDonald, did your question relate to the venture capital fund?

Ms MacDonald: No, Mr Speaker, I do not believe so. It related to a grant which was being given to the University of Canberra in terms of allied health.

MR SPEAKER: I am afraid your question was out of order. I should not have allowed it. I have just trawled through the presentation speech and spotted it.

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