Page 4200 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 26 November 2013
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$70 million and $80 million a year, essentially through people being unwell and through lost productivity.
The majority of food poisoning is not reported to authorities because it happens to one or two people. The majority of it does not occur inside restaurants, which are regulated. So we know all those things. Those are not a surprise. We know people get unwell. People have been getting unwell at fetes across the city during fete season. People get unwell at the Multicultural Festival. These are risks that are just managed. They are managed and people understand, I think, that where there are community events there are going to be some risks attached to them. I do not think we should diminish the problems that food poisoning—
Mr Hanson: Do you eat quiche? You do not like sausages but you like quiche.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order, Mr Hanson!
MS GALLAGHER: Being the health minister does not encourage a wide variety of eating; let me just say that. You get briefed on all the risks attached with everything. But all I would say is that there are risks out there. We are trying to manage those risks. We are trying to respond to the community where there are concerns. The health protection service does a great job. They get criticised when they do not respond tough enough and when they do work out a way forward, they are criticised for intervening. It is a hard job to get the balance right. (Time expired.)
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Hanson.
MR HANSON: Minister, why did you introduce legislation without understanding the effect of that legislation?
MS GALLAGHER: It is not unusual to have to modify legislation when issues are brought to your attention. The cabinet never took a decision to regulate barbecues, but we did take a decision about improving food safety standards. When the advice was provided that that covered the field including the charity barbecue sector in the community, we have responded to that. It will require amendments through this place, and in the meantime health protection will continue to do the great job they do in taking an educative approach to managing the risks associated with temporary food stalls.
Mr Hanson interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, you are being unruly—not as unruly as it is in Victoria, I understand. Don’t tempt me.
Schools—year 12 graduates
MR GENTLEMAN: My question is to the minister for education. Minister, you recently released a report entitled Where are they now? Can you outline this report and how it gives you confidence in the quality and outcomes of ACT schools, both government and non-government.
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