Page 4210 - Week 13 - Thursday, 14 December 2006
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Ms Porter: You did not recognise me, did you, behind my mask?
MR SMYTH: Sorry, Ms Porter was at the same table. Correct. There were a lot of people there. There was an auction; there was a lot of money raised to further the aims of the AIDS action councils and to fight the disease. It was done with great cheerfulness and great heart. People are not dismayed; people are not giving up. Some of the stories that you hear around those tables are stories of amazing courage and fortitude. “Are we downhearted? No we are not.” “Will we continue to fight? Yes, we will.”
I would like to honour those who are actually infected, for whatever reason. I say to them: “Don’t give up; live in hope. There are a lot of people working towards long-term cures and ensuring that people do not die of AIDS in the future. Know that around you there is a community that actually does love and care for you, and part of that loving and caring notion of the community is that we discuss it in your Assembly.”
It is with great pleasure that I rise today to speak on behalf of the Liberal opposition in supporting this motion.
MR BARR (Molonglo—Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation and Minister for Industrial Relations) (5.00): I thank Ms Porter for raising this matter of public importance today and I thank Mr Smyth for his contribution. At the end of what has been a tumultuous year in politics, it is nice to see that we can all come together.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: It is a Christmas afternoon, Mr Barr.
MR BARR: Indeed, it is. It is not often that I will say this in this place, but I wholeheartedly endorse everything that Mr Smyth just said.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: It is a Christmas afternoon.
MR BARR: It certainly is a Christmas afternoon. Having recently marked World AIDS Day, as Ms Porter and Mr Smyth have noted, the government, and I think all members of the Assembly, acknowledge the impact of HIV and AIDS on our community and on the world. We are encouraged by the activities that are under way to prevent further transmission and to provide care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS. As members have identified, it is all the more important now given the national increases in HIV notifications, particularly in Victoria and Queensland.
Whilst it is pleasing to note that we have not seen similar increases in HIV notifications for men who have sex with men in the ACT, it does not mean that we can afford to be complacent. We must always remain vigilant. Many members have commented that Australia’s response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic was led by community organisations from the earliest days. Since that time, governments of all political persuasions have supported a partnership approach with community organisations to tackle this important issue. This partnership is particularly strong in the ACT. I think that we have benefited from the small size of our jurisdiction.
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