Page 1262 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 16 April 1991
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An incident occurring in the gallery -
Sitting suspended from 2.57 to 2.58 pm
MR SPEAKER: I would like to thank the staff for the efficient manner in which they handled that occurrence.
Immunisation
MR WOOD: Mr Speaker, I direct a question to Mr Humphries, the Minister for Health, Education and the Arts. Mr Humphries, today's Canberra Times carries the views of the Speaker of this Assembly on immunisation. The Canberra President of the AMA has responded:
What he is saying is just the modern form of witch-doctoring - it flies in the face of all accepted learning and knowledge.
Is Mr Prowse speaking for the Liberal Party and the Government on this issue, or does the Minister support the AMA view?
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, unfortunately Mr Wood raises a policy which is presently in the process of being developed by the Government. At present the Government has no policy on the question of extending the opportunities or requirements for immunisation in the ACT. At present there is no requirement that individuals be immunised before they attend school in the ACT. There is a broad national proposal to do just that - to require people to have their children immunised before they come to school or at least to have proof of immunisation provided by parents so that the level of immunisation can be accurately monitored.
I understand that the view that was expressed by you, Mr Speaker, in the paper today was a personal view. It was not necessarily the policy of the Liberal Party. I have to say that at this stage both matters, as far as the Government's policy is concerned and as far as the Liberal Party's policy is concerned, are being developed by those bodies. I would therefore expect to be able to advise Mr Wood at some point in the future as to what the position of those respective parties might be.
MR WOOD: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. Is the Minister saying that he has not a policy about immunisation, this vitally important issue?
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, no, I am not saying that the Government has no policy on immunisation. The Government encourages immunisation as much as possible. It conducts immunisation clinics in the ACT and it has a policy of encouraging all children in the ACT to be immunised. That is government policy.
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