Page 1785 - Week 05 - Thursday, 16 May 2019
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We are also really looking forward to the opportunities if a federal Labor government is elected this weekend, because it would mean a very welcome investment in our QE2 family centre. We are moving ahead with our search for a new service provider for QE2, following the decision of the Canberra Mothercraft Society to pursue new opportunities. I would again like to put on the record our incredible gratitude for everything they have done for our community and for Canberra families.
I know that we will be able to continue to offer a great service to many more families at QE2 through our new provider and through the commitment from federal Labor for a $4 million upgrade of the centre in Curtin so that it can continue to provide inpatient support to women experiencing postnatal difficulties such as breastfeeding or sleep problems if they have a baby with special needs.
Madam Speaker, we have a community that is growing, with more babies being born every year. This is a wonderful thing. Our maternity services are excellent, our facilities are modern, and our staff are highly experienced and caring. We have a clear plan, a plan we are implementing to help expand our services so that more women can get access to the best care at a location appropriate to their needs and so that our staff can go on to work in an environment that is supportive, rewarding and values their skills. I look forward to making further updates on the maternity access strategy in the coming weeks. I present the following paper:
Centenary Hospital for Women and Children—Update on maternity services—May 2019—Ministerial statement, 16 May 2019.
I move:
That the Assembly take note of the paper.
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (10.23): I thank the minister for the update, which was promised a while ago. Madam Speaker, this update was made available to your office at about 9 o’clock yesterday but it only became available to members of the Assembly this morning. It is a little perplexing. It is a busy day and sometimes it would be better to have a little more opportunity to absorb what is in these documents. Having said that, I am concerned that some of the issues touched on in the minister’s statement are the subject of the Select Committee on Privileges inquiry, so I will try my utmost to avoid that in my comments.
I note that again the minister has made the claim that the submission to the Standing Committee on Health, Ageing and Community Services was an anonymous submission. It was not an anonymous submission. The health committee, like all committees in this place, is not in the business of publishing anonymous submissions. It was an anonymised submission, and I have made that point on a number of occasions. The minister needs to take that into account.
Yes, the anonymised submission referred to an anonymous claim—I am being absolutely open here—but the submission made to the committee was made by a person who asked to have their name and contact details redacted. As it has transpired,
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