Page 2913 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 15 August 2018

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want to make sure that we can continue to have this conversation. There may be instances where certain pharmacies are unwilling to provide certain prescriptions or medications to women, and potentially to men, in our community. We look forward to exploring those issues in more detail based on Ms Cody’s motion today.

My amendment to her motion has been circulated. Arising from my discussions with Ms Cody, it clarifies that the intent of this motion is around pharmacies and the very widespread access that members of our community have to pharmacies and the advice that they seek from pharmacists. It calls on the government to explore a range of options to introduce a requirement for pharmacists who choose not to supply relevant reproductive health products to clearly display signage informing consumers in plain language about which particular products they either do or do not supply and to work with dispensers and their relevant organisations to ensure that their professional standards are met in the supply of reproductive health products.

I gather that there will be an amendment to this amendment. I welcome discussion about other opportunities to provide information through signage and potentially through an online mechanism. I thank Ms Cody very much. This is a good conversation. It is a conversation in our community that will make a difference, particularly to young men and women. I look forward to the debate concluding. I move the amendment circulated in my name:

Omit all text after “That this Assembly”, substitute:

“(1) notes that:

(a) the ACT Government has been an historical leader in abortion law reform, having entrenched in legislation that abortion is a health matter and not a criminal matter, thereby protecting women and their reproductive choices;

(b) law reforms, including legal and regulated access to abortion to make abortions safer for those who access this service; and

(c) ACT Government actions have created exclusion zones around the ACT’s legal abortion facility to ensure safe and accessible healthcare have been provided to women;

(2) further notes:

(a) the stigma which continues to exist in some sections of the community in relation to women’s reproductive rights;

(b) pharmacies may refuse to supply any prescription, medicine or item based on the particular religious or ethical views of the particular pharmacist;

(d) that there are a number of strict legislative requirements in relation to the advertising of medications such as the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 (Cwlth) (the Act) and Regulations, the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cwlth), and other relevant laws;

(e) that most dispensers display practices that model their professional standards; and

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