Page 270 - Week 01 - Thursday, 13 February 2020
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The territory’s balance sheet remains strong, represented by key indicators such as net debt, net financial liabilities and net worth. I commend the December quarterly report to the Assembly.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Amendment (Miscellaneous) Regulation 2019
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for Advanced Technology and Space Industries, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Minister for Planning and Land Management and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (3.13): Pursuant to standing order 211, I move:
That the Assembly take note of the following paper:
Health Practitioner Regulation National Law as applied by the law of the States and Territories—Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Amendment (Miscellaneous) Regulation 2019.
MS STEPHEN-SMITH (Kurrajong—Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Minister for Children, Youth and Families, Minister for Health and Minister for Urban Renewal) (3.14): This amendment to the regulations came into effect on 16 December 2019. It was also published on the ACT Legislation Register on this date. This amendment is minor: it simply provides an extension to the exemption for privately practising midwives to have professional indemnity insurance. This exemption has applied since 2010, when the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law commenced and required all registered health practitioners to have appropriate professional indemnity insurance.
Despite exhaustive national and international investigations, there is currently still no professional indemnity insurance policy for privately practising midwives in Australia for homebirths. As a result, this exemption has been extended several times since 2010. On 8 March 2019, health ministers agreed to extend the current exemption until December 2021 to allow time for alternatives to be further explored. That work on options is being undertaken by the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council and
will be completed by June 2020.
A professional indemnity insurance product to cover homebirths would be preferable to the uncertainty of a continued exemption for privately practising midwives. It would allow privately practising midwives to remain registered under the national law without the need for an exemption, and continue to provide choice to women and take into account the rights of women and children. However, the exemption does mean that ACT women continue to have a wide choice about the types of birthing services available to them. It provides a continuance of the existing situation for privately practising midwives in the ACT who provide homebirth services.
The ACT government is committed to providing women with choice, including the successful trial for mothers who wish to birth their child at home. This exemption in
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