Page 2472 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 29 June 2005

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Leave granted.

MRS BURKE: I move:

Omit all words after “That”, substitute “the Minister for Health tables the Government’s response to the Standing Committee on Health Report (No 8)—A pregnant pause: the future of maternity services in the ACT—April 2004, no later than the first sitting day in August 2005.”.

The reason I would not agree to the previous amendments put forward by members, particularly the government’s amendment, is that the government still leaves itself very open. I appreciate, however, that the government does note the work undertaken by the standing committee and thank it for that. I do not like paragraph (2), which states:

further notes the Minister for Health will table the Government response to this report in the August sittings.

I am sorry to be pedantic, health minister, but, as I said before, you have had more than enough time to do this. I would like to see “no later than the first sitting day in August 2005”, not during that week. We need to have that report, hopefully before the sitting week. It could even be tabled out of session. Again, I call on the minister to expedite this matter. The community has waited long enough. Ms MacDonald and I, as members of the old committee, have to face people coming to us wondering where the response is, certainly I do. Maybe Ms MacDonald does not talk to people; I do not know. It is really pertinent that the government get on with this now. Obviously you are a fair way through. You admit you still have not finished, but I would like to see the government response to this report tabled no later than the first sitting day in August 2005.

MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Minister for Health and Minister for Planning) (4.52): The government will not be supporting this amendment. Really, I have to say I just do not see how it adds a lot of value. There is a sitting week in August and the government has said it will table it during that sitting week. I really do not see the point in having an argument about a day. I think the existing arrangement is fine. There is a sitting week in August and the government is committed to table it during that sitting week. So we see no need to support the amendment.

Question put:

That Mrs Burke’s amendment to Dr Foskey’s motion, as amended, be agreed to.

The Assembly voted—

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