Page 703 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 19 March 2019
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The Clerk of the Assembly sought advice from the Solicitor-General on the matter, and the committee considered that advice at its meeting on 7 February this year. In essence the advice noted that, while broadcasts of the Assembly proceedings are protected by virtue of the Legislative Assembly (Broadcasting) Act 2001, proceedings of the elected body’s public proceedings are not. This means that those persons responsible for the transmission or broadcast of the elected body’s public proceedings are not protected by the privilege afforded by section 9 of the Legislative Assembly (Broadcasting) Act. The advice noted that the OLA staff responsible for the broadcast would be legally liable for, for example, any defamatory comments that were published, subject to the usual defences.
In light of this advice, the committee is of the view that the broadcast of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body proceedings is not viable. The committee has written to the Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs to inform her of that view.
Health, Ageing and Community Services—Standing Committee
Statement by chair
MS CODY (Murrumbidgee) (11.16): Pursuant to standing order 246A, I wish to make a statement on behalf of the Standing Committee on Health, Ageing and Community Services relating to petition No 7-18 concerning eating disorder healthcare services in the ACT.
On 31 July 2018 the Assembly received petition No 7-18, lodged by Mr Pettersson MLA. As the petition contained over 500 signatures, pursuant to standing order 99A the petition was referred to the committee for consideration.
The committee notes that the Minister for Mental Health responded to the petition, under standing order 100, on 25 October 2018. In his response, the minister provided the ACT eating disorders position statement, which sets out a clear ACT government commitment to develop services for the treatment and management of eating disorders. It describes a number of short-term initiatives underway, as well as longer projects that could be pursued, depending on future budgets and more detailed work.
On 5 February 2019 the committee met with the Minister for Mental Health and government officials. The minister briefed the committee on the future direction of services provided to people with eating disorders in the ACT. The committee discussed the composition of eating disorders in the ACT, including age, cultural background and gender; the community-based initiatives that provide services to people with eating disorders in the ACT; the measures used to determine eating disorders; and identification of key groups at risk of developing an eating disorder.
The committee notes that the availability of information and training to a number of community, education and health services is essential in ensuring that people with eating disorders are supported. In light of the minister’s response to the petition and the information provided in the briefing, the committee has decided that it will not
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