Page 2833 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 5 August 2008

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Leave of absence

MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (12.03): I move:

That leave of absence be given to Ms MacDonald for this sitting week to attend a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference.

Ms MacDonald is absent on Assembly business representing the Assembly at a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association meeting. As she is overseas, she is unable to attend the Assembly for this sitting week.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Administration and Procedure—Standing Committee

Motion (by Mr Corbell) agreed to:

That Ms MacDonald be discharged from the Standing Committee on Administration and Procedure for the period 5 to 10 August 2008 and that Ms Porter be appointed in her place.

Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Bill 2007

Debate resumed from 6 December 2007, on motion by Ms Gallagher:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

MRS BURKE (Molonglo) (12.05): Today is set down to supposedly debate the Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Bill 2007. I say “supposedly debate” because we have just heard the Deputy Chief Minister say we are going to be really having to push through over 30 pieces of legislation in the next two or three sitting periods; so it is a disappointment.

There is a lot about this bill that is very good. I know that some Pharmacy Guild members who are sitting in the public gallery today obviously support a great deal of what has occurred and the government’s work on this. Of course it has been quite a task to consolidate four acts and their regulations regarding ACT law on medicines, poisons and prohibited substances.

As I have said, it pulls in and consolidates legislation in connection with dangerous substances, which is obviously in the community’s interest and things that they are very concerned about; so it is good to see that all those things now sit together. I think we can applaud the government, the guild and the pharmacies in general for the regulation of things like pseudoephedrine; it now becomes enshrined in legislation.

I think that we need to look at the summary of issues and read this bill because it has been quite a process. Talks, I know, have been ongoing for around 18 months in connection with this bill. The bill was tabled on 6 December 2007. From my view of


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