Page 3790 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 19 September 2018
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housing to other organisations. We will not be pursuing a harsh income management regime for already vulnerable Canberrans.
Public housing tenants are as diverse and as varied as Canberra is as a whole. If the stock is to grow, it is incumbent on us all to make tenants feel welcome and safe in our community so that they can get the support they need to thrive. I am committed to delivering outcomes that will drive more affordable housing and reduce homelessness in the ACT, and I look forward to releasing the strategy later this year.
Health—bulk billing
MS LAWDER: My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. On 12 February 2018 you announced the opening of applications for the bulk-billing general practices grants fund to encourage the expansion or establishment of bulk-billing general practices in either Tuggeranong or the Molonglo Valley. Applications were to close at 3pm on 6 April 2018. The government has yet to make an announcement about successful applicants for grants under this program. Minister, why has the government not yet made an announcement about successful applicants for this program and when can we expect such an announcement?
MS FITZHARRIS: I thank Ms Lawder for the question. I would have loved to have been in a position to announce those already. There were some further questions in follow up to that round and I very much look forward to making those announcements, I expect within the next month.
MS LAWDER: Minister, what impact have the delays in the grants process had on primary health care in Tuggeranong and the Molonglo Valley?
MS FITZHARRIS: I do not believe any substantial delays that I am aware of.
MRS DUNNE: Minister, how many people on the south side of Canberra have missed out on bulk-billing GP services as a result of your failure to treat the bulk-billing general practice grants fund as a priority?
MS FITZHARRIS: None as far as I am aware but, as members will also be aware, residents on the south side of Canberra can also receive primary care through a number of different organisations. Certainly, a lot fewer people have been affected than have been affected by the federal government’s continuing freeze on Medicare payments, which they only recently said they would start to ease.
Mrs Dunne interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Mrs Dunne, you have asked your question.
Canberra Hospital—off-site scan analysis
MRS KIKKERT: My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Minister, when the Canberra Hospital sends CT scans off-site for reporting, what medical history for the particular patient is provided to the external analyst?
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