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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 06 Hansard (Wednesday, 23 June 2004) . . Page.. 2500 ..

MRS CROSS: Actually, Mr Speaker, I am asking the minister, not accusing.

MR SPEAKER: There is an imputation there.

MRS CROSS: May I rephrase the question, Mr Speaker?

MR SPEAKER: Yes.

MRS CROSS: Minister, at any stage, did you discuss or have anything to do with the letter from the chair of the Pharmacy Board, Mr Paul O’Connor, urging you not to support the Pharmacy Amendment Bill 2004?

Members interjecting—

MR SPEAKER: Order, members please!

MR CORBELL: Mr Speaker, I think Mrs Cross is a big fan of The X Files: the truth is out there and ultimately all conspiracies will be proved. There is some giant web of entangled conspiracy designed to undermine everything that she does in this place and to support everything that she does not agree with in this place. If only the world were so simple! I am afraid that it is not the case, however.

Yes, Mr Speaker, I had a meeting with the Pharmacy Board at its request—

Mr Stanhope: On Phillip oval?

MR CORBELL: No, not on Phillip oval but I am sure that there was some attempt to implant in my mind some sinister plan to undermine Mrs Cross’s views about Phillip oval.

Mr Hargreaves: Was it a Trojan horse?

MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Hargreaves!

MR CORBELL: However, I did meet with the Pharmacy Board last Friday at its request to discuss a range of pharmacy issues, including the issue of Mrs Cross’s legislation. At that meeting, the chair of the board indicated to me that the board was most concerned about the nature of Mrs Cross’s legislation. The board indicated to me that it did not support that legislation because it believed that the legislation would fundamentally undermine the operation of community pharmacy in the ACT.

I suggested to the board that it would be appropriate for it to formally inform me of its position. That is what occurred and I have made that letter available to all members in this place so that they can be aware of the views of the Pharmacy Board—which advises me on issues as they affect the regulation of pharmacies in the ACT—and can rethink the fatally flawed, redundant, ham-fisted and absurd legislation put forward by Mrs Cross, which would result in the closure of dozens of currently legal and operating pharmacies here in the ACT.

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