Page 1541 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 17 May 1994
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This Government has a plan in place. We published it. We surprised you the other day when I tabled the report. You presumably assumed that I was going to try to keep it secret. The Arthur Andersen report is on the table. It sets out that the first thing that must be done is to establish a financial imperative in ACT Health. We have already announced that we are - - -
Mrs Carnell: That is what you were told four years ago. That is what the last Arthur Andersen report said.
MR CONNOLLY: Madam Speaker, the Opposition is clearly not interested in hearing an answer to the question. They are clearly interested only in making cheap political points, so I shall desist.
Sporting Injuries
MRS GRASSBY: Madam Speaker, my question is addressed to the Deputy Chief Minister in his capacity as Minister for Sport. What is the ACT doing to address the problems of sporting injuries, particularly in the football codes?
MR LAMONT: Madam Speaker, the recent publicity that has been given to a number of horrendous injuries in a number of football codes follows on from a concern that has been raised by successive sports Ministers at national meetings of sports Ministers about ways in which we should address junior sport in particular and the protections that are necessary in those codes. Madam Speaker, as you would be aware, the modified versions of both rugby union and rugby league which have been introduced as part of the Aussie Sports program had as their genesis a desire to reduce the level of injury that was being sustained by juniors in those codes.
A question has been raised as to whether, in an attempt to prevent soft tissue injury, headgear should be made compulsory for children in Years 6 to 12, and under, playing modified football. I will shortly be asking my sports council to advise me on whether or not we should now proceed to that next level of protection. Madam Speaker, we are conscious of the need for governments around Australia, but particularly here in the ACT, to discuss with those codes, as we have already done, the development of suitable programs to prevent the level of injury that is occurring. To that extent, the injury prevention program, incorporating the necksafe campaign, has been negotiated with sporting organisations around Australia, including the two rugby codes. We await with interest the results from the National Health and Medical Research Council panel which is researching the question of neck injury in football. We are certainly mindful of the need to protect players, within these codes, junior players in particular, from head injury, and hopefully we will be able to use the council's recommendations as a base to reduce the level of injury.
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