Page 1919 - Week 07 - Thursday, 20 August 1992
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Madam Speaker, I propose that the draft judicial commissions legislation lie on the table of the Assembly for a time to enable the judiciary, the legal profession and the public to provide comments. To enable the legislation to be passed by the end of this year, the period for comments will remain open until 16 October 1992.
Debate (on motion by Mr Humphries) adjourned.
RED NOSE DAY
Ministerial Statement
MR BERRY (Minister for Health, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Sport), by leave: Madam Speaker, Red Nose Day is in contrast to red face day. We had red face day here yesterday for the Liberals, and red faces here again today. This affliction, Madam Speaker, is a lingering affliction, so by the time we get to Red Nose Day the Liberals will be inappropriate models for the wearing of red noses. We have designed a special black nose to provide a contrast to the Liberals' red faces for their poor performance in the Assembly yesterday and today. We note that the Leader of the Opposition is suitably chastened.
Mr Kaine: I raise a point of order. I am not at all chastened, and I think that it is very sad that the Minister chooses to turn this very serious matter into somewhat of a joke. I am sure that the people involved in SIDS will be very interested to know that you have done it.
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Kaine.
MR BERRY: You are red-faced, though. Madam Speaker, I can see that the Leader of the Opposition is not in a humorous mood today.
Madam Speaker, I would like to bring to the attention of members an important date on their calendar next week. On Friday, 28 August, Canberra and the rest of Australia will take part in national Red Nose Day. Red Nose Day has been conducted annually in Australia since 1988. The aim of Red Nose Day is to heighten public awareness of sudden infant death syndrome, and to raise funds which can be allocated to national research projects relevant to SIDS.
The definition of SIDS, as proposed at the second international conference on the causes of sudden death in infants, held in 1969, is the sudden death of an infant which is unexpected by history, and where there is no cause of death found at autopsy. SIDS is now the largest killer of children under two years of age in the Western world. Each year some 500 babies in Australia die from SIDS. Over the 10-year period from January 1981 to January 1991, 116 babies have died in the ACT. The death of any family member is always sad, but particularly so when it is a baby who dies from no apparent cause.
Extensive work done by Australian and New Zealand researchers suggests that overheating and placing babies in the prone position - that is, face down on their stomach - may be contributing factors towards SIDS. While research is inconclusive, it also seems that there may be some association with smoking and non-breastfeeding. The incidence of SIDS has appeared to decrease in parts of the world where promotional campaigns focus on these issues.
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