Page 1791 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 18 October 1989
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terminology, partial quotes, hasty conclusions drawn from research work, completely unsubstantiated statements made by obscure scientists. The ADA said special care should be taken to prevent the people voting on fluoridation.
Not once did the ADA booklet suggest an honest and scientific evaluation of evidence demonstrating fluoridation harm or ineffectiveness. Nor did it, or Dr Bull's presentation, include any scientific evidence supporting fluoridation.
This incredible series of events ends in Australia in 1953, where the National Health and Medical Research Council, without any scientific or medical research experiments having been conducted in Australia, and by mainly using the US information, added its name to the growing list of important sounding groups promoting fluoridation.
MR BERRY (Minister for Community Services and Health) (11.53): I think it is very interesting to ponder how the various groups in this Assembly developed their fluoride policy and the purposes for which they developed it. It seems to me that the evidence is clear that single-issue parties are very keen to seize upon the issue of fluoride because it would assist them in becoming elected to this place and in pursuing their policies, whatever they might be in the hidden agenda - - -
Mr Stevenson: My agenda was not hidden; it was to abolish it.
MR BERRY: In the same way as we witnessed in the lead-up to the election for members to take their places in this Assembly - and I still recall the "A for Abolish" jingle - - -
Mr Stevenson: Sing it!
MR BERRY: You can always tell the billygoats by the way they butt in. The Government has indicated that it will support this Bill which has been moved by the Leader of the Opposition and it will take us back to the level playing field. The Government's position was clearly made out when the move to remove fluoride from the water was first introduced.
As my colleague Mrs Grassby has said, the Labor Government's vote was consistent throughout the debate. We consistently supported the placement of that issue before a committee so that there would be full disclosure to the people of the ACT.
It has also been said that the Labor Party did not have a position on fluoride. Those members with whom I discussed the issue in the period during which the Bill lay on the
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