Page 1195 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 11 May 1993
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simply be debated or argued about in the public arena. I believe that the work of EPACT has been extremely valuable. They have reported to me, for instance, on youth unemployment. They are in the process of doing a business strategy, which is very near to completion and on which, of course, I will report to this Assembly.
EPACT is a valuable forum. There are others. For example, there are the business seminars which are conducted through the Business Services Centre, and the women's business breakfasts which are also funded by the Government and supported by the Government and which also serve as a regular forum for consultation with the ACT's business sector. There are other mechanisms as well, Madam Speaker, including organisations like the South East Economic Development Council - a very important body - and I regularly receive representations from businesses within the ACT. I regularly discuss with individual businesses the matters which concern them.
Mr Westende has asked whether I take any notice of those matters. Of course I do. In looking to implement my own Government's policy on economic development, we have, I believe, a quite unique arrangement in the ACT where there is a partnership between the public and private sectors and there is a recognition of the interdependence of those two sectors. I think that is unique, at least in Australia, and it is certainly something which I believe is very valuable and which must be further nurtured.
Premature Births
MRS CARNELL: My question is to the Chief Minister in her capacity as Minister dealing with the status of women. I refer the Chief Minister to the fact that last week our hospital system was unable to cope with the premature births of two Canberra women who had to be sent to Sydney and Melbourne to have their babies delivered, and another woman who was put on stand-by to have her baby delivered in Brisbane or Darwin in the next couple of weeks. I ask the Chief Minister why it is, with all the money that we spend on health in the ACT, that we still have to send mothers interstate to give birth. Further, what sort of representation of women's issues are we getting from the Chief Minister when not only do women who want an abortion have to leave the ACT but also Canberra women who want to give birth?
MS FOLLETT: I clearly have to take Mrs Carnell's question on notice. I have no information on this issue. I will make sure that I receive some and I will report back to her. I am able to say, however, that in opening her question Mrs Carnell referred to the premature births of women. I would be pretty sure that it was premature births of babies.
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