Page 2908 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 30 June 2010

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Centrelink payments, nor is it available to people who receive veterans affairs payments. There are some income tests on it but, they are above those for recipients of Centrelink payments; so they are an in-between category.

In terms of comparison, can I indicate that the ACT, Victoria, the Northern Territory and South Australia do not provide any free ambulance service for holders of these cards; New South Wales does. In Western Australia senior citizens over the age of 65 receive a 50 per cent subsidy, so the picture is quite mixed around the country.

I was also asked what was the average cost of emergency ambulance services in the ACT. Within the ACT, $750 is the charge, with an additional $10 per kilometre for every kilometre outside of the ACT. This compares with $924 in Victoria, $625 in the Northern Territory, $770 in South Australia, $301 in New South Wales and $738 in Western Australia. Only two jurisdictions provide universal and free ambulance cover, and they are Tasmania and Queensland.

The government has indicated as part of its review of the provision of ambulance services through the Lennox report, which I have made publicly available, that the issue of a sustainable funding base for ambulance services and, in particular, the question as to whether or not there should be a uniform levy or charge to provide in return a free and universal ambulance cover is a matter which the government is currently giving further consideration to and will be considered in the lead-up to next year’s budget.

Leave of absence

Motion (by Mr Hargreaves) agreed to:

That leave of absence be granted to Ms Porter for today and tomorrow due to ill health.

Litter (Shopping Trolleys) Amendment Bill 2010

Debate resumed.

Question put:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

The Assembly voted—

Question so resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

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