Page 2452 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 18 August 1993
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MRS CARNELL: Unfortunately it is not happening here, Mr Berry, because there is no set approach for the private sector. You do not even have a system in place. All we need to do is get together very quickly, very simply, and come up with an approach that is acceptable to everyone. The approach that is acceptable to everyone is one form and one registry, preferably administered, as in New South Wales, by the Cancer Society. That is appropriate, for the reasons that Mrs Grassby spoke about. There are certain people who feel that government based registers at times lack privacy. The ACT Cancer Society is willing to do it. The societies have done it in other States. They are good at it, and of course we do not end up with privacy problems. The information that is required has already been set. We have somebody to run the register. The AMA, the doctors and all the other people are interested in it. It would save us having three different registers; it would save duplication; and, Mr Berry, it would save lives.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Sitting suspended from 12.16 to 2.30 pm
DISTINGUISHED VISITOR
MADAM SPEAKER: Members, I would like to welcome Mr Bill Stretch, an MLC from Western Australia, and his wife Margot. Mr and Mrs Stretch, welcome to the visitors gallery.
QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Separate Public Service
MRS CARNELL: My question is to the Chief Minister. In last night's betrayal budget the Keating Labor Government broke its promise and announced that it will cut back Federal public servants by 15,500 over the next four years to achieve its budget aims. It also announced that the $460,000 funding for the ACT to establish its own public service will be slashed to zero. Ms Follett, will you be cutting back public servants in your own budget, and how will your Government achieve the transition to the ACT public service with no further funding? Do you dispute that the number, the 15,500, and do you accept that those figures will equate to approximately 4,700 public servants losing their jobs in the ACT?
MS FOLLETT: Madam Speaker, I thank Mrs Carnell for the question, ill-advised, as usual, though it is. There is no doubt that the number of Commonwealth public servants is expected to drop, and I think we should put this in the context of a Commonwealth public sector which has been contracting for many years. I expect, based on the information in the budget, that there will be some 4,800 jobs lost this year, and, as Mrs Carnell says, 15,500 over the next four years. I would like to say that about two-thirds of these will be from Defence, Health and the Australian Taxation Office. Madam Speaker, most of the Health jobs relate to the transfer of repatriation hospitals in the States, so they have no impact here. Are you with me so far?
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