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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 14 Hansard (11 December) . . Page.. 5005 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

I am confident that Mr Humphries will be successful with regard to X-rated videos. I am sure our approach to outsourcing and strategic partnershipping will be regarded as the norm in a few years. I am confident that our coordinated care approach in health will be the approach that other States will take. Our approach with regard to consumer rights and equalling the power base in the health arena by passing this Bill will also become the norm rather than something unusual over time. I suspect that it will not take all that long, Mr Speaker.

It is fascinating that when the freedom of information legislation was brought in and patient information was available from our public system, the doctors and other people believed that it simply was impossible to organise. The fact is that it really has not caused any real problems. It has just ensured that our patients, our customers, our consumers, have appropriate rights in a system. This, of course, is not just about doctors. It is also about a whole lot of other health service providers, shall we say. Complementary health service providers, too, are part of this whole approach. I am proud of it, Mr Speaker, but I have to say it is not my legislation. It was something that mattered to me, but a lot of other people have made it happen. I am really pleased that today, it would appear, the Bill will go through this Assembly. I am confident that this legislation will become part of the norm in terms of the rights of customers, patients and clients in the future, not just in the ACT but throughout Australia.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

MRS CARNELL (Chief Minister and Minister for Health and Community Care) (8.26): I seek leave to move amendments Nos 1 and 2 circulated in my name together.

Leave granted.

MRS CARNELL: I move:

Page 16, line 26, clause 7, subparagraph (3)(c)(ii): Omit "it", substitute "the person".

Page 34, line 1, clause 32, paragraph (1)(b): Omit "an order", substitute "a declaration or order".

Mr Speaker, amendment No. 1 is a minor amendment to ensure that the Bill reads better. Amendment No. 2 is somewhat more definite. We are changing "an order" to "a declaration or order" to ensure that there are adequate rights of appeal to the Supreme Court on the basis that possibly a patient or a client is not happy with a Magistrates Court decision. This just ensures that both patients or consumers have the same rights in our system as medical practitioners or other complementary health providers.

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