Page 618 - Week 02 - Thursday, 22 February 2018
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MADAM SPEAKER: Ms Fitzharris is right to refer to 117(b), which says that a question shall not contain inferences and imputations. If we were to scour Hansard we would find lots of questions that indeed hold that tone. I will let the question stand, but I will let the Deputy Chief Minister answer in a manner she sees fit.
MS BERRY: I am confused by the Leader of the Opposition’s question, given that they did not vote against the motion yesterday on the development of a code for the ACT. So the question does not make any sense to me.
Mr Wall interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you, Deputy Chief Minister.
Mr Gentleman: Madam Speaker, on a point of order, you warned Mr Wall, and he continues to interject across the chamber.
Mr Hanson: On the point of order, Madam Speaker, it was me who was warned, not Mr Wall. He is innocent.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Hanson and Mr Wall, you are both warned. This afternoon still has plenty of time left to see you put out the door.
ACT Health—opioid treatment guidelines
MRS DUNNE: My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing: today you announced that the ACT's opioid treatment guidelines will be replaced by the national guidelines for medication-assisted treatment of opioid dependence. These guidelines were adopted at the national level in April 2014. On 2 August 2017 you told the Assembly that new guidelines would be completed in about six weeks. That was about six months ago. And you stated in this place on 14 September regarding replacement treatment guidelines:
Yes, I received those yesterday and I look forward to having a few more days to discuss those with ACT Health directly.
That is the last we heard about that until today. Minister, why has it taken the government four years to adopt the national guideline on medication-assisted treatment of opioid dependence and five years to actually replace the out-of-date guidelines?
MS FITZHARRIS: I thank Mrs Dunne for the question. Indeed, we were very happy today to see that the new opioid treatment guidelines have been published. When I referred to this last in the chamber in December I had, indeed, received a briefing folder. I had not yet read it, as I indicated. In that briefing folder there was further advice that relevant stakeholder groups who had been very extensively involved in consultation, upon my request, had sought a further consultation period. Given that that was in December, one of the most difficult times of the year to consult, they asked the government through the working group if further time could be allowed.
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