Page 2988 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 16 October 2007
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Has the Clinical Privileges Committee arrived at a conclusion regarding the 14 cases it has been looking into? When will the government appoint an oral and maxillofacial surgeon to the Canberra Hospital? When is that likely to be? Why has nothing been done, despite the 2005 report stating that the situation is urgent and the service is an essential one?
Death of Kim Beazley Snr
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (6.11): I would like to note and draw to the attention of the house the passing on Saturday of a great politician and great contributor to Australian life, Kim Beazley Snr. Mr Beazley was, as all members would know, the Minister for Education between 1972 and 1975; he was responsible for the appointment of Peter Karmel and the implementation of the recommendations of the Karmel inquiry into education funding that resulted in the establishment of the schools commission, the higher education commission and the commission for further education.
The work that was conducted by Kim Beazley in his time as Minister for Education was, I believe, fundamental in changing the attitude of Australians and changing policy setting in Australia in relation to the funding of schools. It was Kim Beazley who took the aspirations of many people on both sides of politics and turned it into reality. It was Kim Beazley who presided for the first time over a commonwealth organisation that was interested in the funding and the advancement of all sectors of schooling in this country and recognised the value and the contribution made by all teachers and all schools, whether in the government or the non-government system.
As a product of the non-government school system when I was finishing my schooling in 1973 and 1974, it was as if a huge burden had been lifted from parents, bursars, headmasters, school boards and P&Cs. The work of Kim Beazley ushered in a new age of funding for education in this country. All of us who are interested in the development of education in this country, in Australia, owe a huge debt of gratitude to Kim Beazley.
Kim Beazley was a man of extraordinarily high principle. He was for many years one of the patrons of the Australian Family Association. I was privileged to share a platform with him on a couple of occasions and I was always struck by his great charm, his great urbanity and his great humanity. As someone who tries to do the right thing in politics, I think that he is an exemplar for all of us. Unfortunately sometimes we do not live up to the example of our role models, but in Kim Beazley all politicians on either side have a great role model. His passing is a great loss to the Australian political scene.
Health—oral and maxillofacial services
MR STANHOPE (Ginninderra—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Business and Economic Development, Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Minister for the Environment, Water and Climate Change, Minister for the Arts) (6.15): Mr Speaker, I had not intended to speak but I will just take the opportunity to respond to the
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