Page 976 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 28 March 1990
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to be gained in financial terms of placing services in one system and not in two or three. Labor recognised these benefits in its plan for the redevelopment of Canberra's hospital system and with our longstanding commitment to affordable, accessible health care planned a strong, viable public health sector. Labor's philosophical position on this issue is unequalled in this house. Included in that plan was support for a range of options for women planning motherhood.
I would like it recorded that there was not one mutter of protest about the outstanding position of Labor on the rights of women from the benches opposite. I am referring, of course, to an ACT birth centre. I was happy to see Mr Humphries support Labor's plans for just such a centre, but I believe that a simple promise of a birth centre without the support for ancillary services and the other programs on which the success of such a centre depends, is short-sighted and fails to acknowledge the range of complex issues surrounding the delivery of obstetric services in the ACT.
That the ACT lacks a full range of antenatal and postnatal services for patients without private health insurance is an indictment of our health system, and, of course, it was one that Labor in office was moving to rectify. To give credit where credit is due, the Minister's support for a birthing centre is welcome though it is yet to be realised. Nevertheless, the words of support are welcome but they lack mention of antenatal and postnatal services for patients without private health insurance. With an understanding of the philosophical bent of the Liberals opposite one would be concerned that the absence of words means that there is an absence of commitment.
It is important for pregnant women to have access to comprehensive antenatal care and, at the same time, it is important that we provide full training for midwives in the ACT, as I mentioned earlier. The strong supportive role of midwives in childbirth is recognised by women in childbirth and the experience and expertise of midwives is recognised and greatly appreciated by both women and members of the medical profession who rely on them.
It is true to say however, that there are issues, which could be described as issues of demarcation, which arise from time to time in the delivery of these services. There are issues between those who argue for more control of the birthing process by midwives and mothers and those who argue that the medical profession has the sole right of control over the act of birth in the hospital system. There are two very strong debates in relation to that but one has to stand up for the rights of women in relation to this issue and, in my view, the Government members opposite have so far failed to do that. This is particularly evident because of the actions of the Government so far. The Chief Minister, with his ministerial responsibilities in respect of women, supported by Ms Maher, has made no
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