Page 531 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
On International Women’s Day it is also important to reflect that the issues faced by women are disproportionately felt within our Indigenous communities. May the ACT government also continue to support female Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and work to reduce the barriers these women encounter.
I thank Minister Berry and Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith for bringing this motion as an important topic to the attention of the Assembly today.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Sitting suspended from 12.15 to 2.00 pm.
Questions without notice
Canberra Health Services—data security
MS LEE: My question is to the Minister for Mental Health. Minister, on at least nine occasions yesterday you refused to answer questions about the release of private patient records by government employees—referring instead to police investigations. A few months ago, you similarly hid behind police investigations to avoid answering questions about the violent death of a patient in one of your facilities.
Minister, have you actually sought advice on precisely what is or is not appropriate to disclose to the community when a matter is the subject of a police investigation? And if so, when and from whom?
MS DAVIDSON: Thank you for the question. Our priority in these situations is always to look after the patients that are affected by what is happening in facilities. I have heard what you are saying about wanting more information, and I have provided as much information as I can while there is an ongoing police investigation. I think if you want to take up the matter of what is and is not appropriate to talk about in a police investigation, you should probably talk to the minster for police.
Ms Lee: Point of order. The question was very specifically about whether she had actually sought advice and, if so, from whom and when. I ask that you direct the minister to be directly relevant.
MR ACTING SPEAKER: Minister, if it is possible for you to be directly relevant to that question, that would be nice.
MS DAVIDSON: I have sought advice about what specifically I can say about the incidents in question, and I have provided as much information as I can about the details of those events while there is a police investigation underway. Our priority needs to be, in this situation, the patients who are affected by the privacy breach.
I have heard what you are saying about wanting more information, but what about respect for privacy and dignity, and the patients and their carers who are impacted by the breach? They deserve to have as many conversations as it takes with CHS to understand how—
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video