Page 3616 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 16 October 1990
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MR KAINE: If the member of the Opposition is looking for a legal opinion and an interpretation of the way the Government does its business, then I will seek that legal opinion; but he really is being quite absurd, and he knows it.
Mr Berry: You cannot answer the question.
MR KAINE: When it is your turn to ask a question, Mr Berry, you can comment. In the meantime I would suggest that you keep your mouth shut and listen to the answer.
Defibrillators
DR KINLOCH: I hope members will not be distressed when they know that my question also is about valves. My question is to Mr Humphries as Minister for Health. A well known newspaper owner - an Australian newspaper owner - Mr Kerry Packer, made a recent offer to help supply, I think, half the cost of automatic defibrillators to all New South Wales ambulances. Could the Minister comment on the number of defibrillators and associated trained staff in the ACT Ambulance Service?
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I thank Dr Kinloch for his question. I understand that since 1983 all duty ambulances in the ACT have carried defibrillators, which are used whenever possible to return the heart's normal rhythm after cardiac arrest. Defibrillators such as those used in ACT ambulances and New South Wales intensive care ambulances, like the ones which assisted Mr Packer, require officers to have special paramedic training.
In all ACT ambulances there is an officer trained in the use of this equipment. Mr Packer has indicated that he will buy new automatic defibrillators for New South Wales ambulances. The automatic defibrillator is programmed to treat one type of abnormal heart rhythm and is suitable for use by non-paramedic trained staff. The ACT Ambulance Service has an allocation in the budget for replacing defibrillators. When upgrading is necessary a decision will be made concerning the style of equipment - that is, automatic or the other sort - which the service will adopt at that time.
Ministerial Travel Expenditure
MR BERRY: My question is directed to the Chief Minister and it is related to members' travel. Does the Chief Minister consider that public knowledge of a Minister spending $17,000 on travel would lower that Minister in the estimation of right thinking members of society or expose him to hatred, contempt or ridicule?
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