Page 1984 - Week 07 - Thursday, 31 May 1990
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involved in health promotion. It has good credentials in that respect. It is involved in the healthy cities Canberra project, a recognised health promotion organisation; the National Heart Foundation's healthy workplace programs, which it does at workplace level; and its annual pickets - - -
Mr Stefaniak: That was a Freudian slip!
MR BERRY: You would not know too much about pickets. The Labour Council promotes health at its annual picnics as well.
This Government by its actions, and particularly by the actions of the Minister for Health, has frozen out from representation on the health promotion fund advisory committee 50,000 ACT workers and their families in relation to the allocation of those funds. That is an absolute disgrace and it shows the level of consultation in which this Government and particularly its Health Minister are involved. Ministers treat consultation with contempt, and I think it is about time they changed their views and put the cards on the table about consultation.
Health Promotion
MR HUMPHRIES (Minister for Health, Education and the Arts) (5.08): Mr Speaker, I think it is important to respond to some of the things that Mr Berry said. Mr Berry seems to say that consultation is not consultation unless the person consulting accepts all the views of the person that he is consulting with. He put to me that there should be an arts representative on the committee. I accepted that recommendation, and an arts representative now appears on that committee. He has put to me that there should be some person other than those persons whom I was considering for sports representatives on the committee. I accepted his advice and accepted the appointment as a member of that committee one of the people that he brought to see me.
The third thing that he put to me was that there should be a union representative on that committee. I did not accept that advice. Now Mr Berry says that, because I did not accept everything he said to me, therefore I was not consulting with him properly. I should make it clear - - -
Mr Berry: I never discussed any of the people with you.
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I discussed with Mr Berry the issue - - -
Mr Berry: None of the individuals.
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I heard Mr Berry in complete silence and I think that he should reciprocate in that regard.
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