Page 1967 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 5 August 2014

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hours in the service, retail or other industries to work without additional reimbursement in order that those with regular hours can enjoy these special days.

I am very pleased to be able to commend this bill here today. It is my hope that in the near future we will include similar arrangements for Anzac Day and for Easter Sunday as a public holiday, for which I have already received many personal letters of support from members of the community. It is important for us all, as elected government members, to value the interests of those members of the community who have to work in the retail or hospitality sectors, at the hospitals or as part of emergency services, or who have family members working in these industries.

Personally, I worked for 12 years in the security industry, for federal government, working shiftwork. It had a great impact on my family life. Due to the fixed rosters that were in place, it was almost impossible to plan public holiday weekends with the family. You have to try and swap those shifts with other shift members in order to get that time with the family.

In closing, let me say that it is our responsibility, as representatives of these members of the community, to ensure that they are entitled to unite as families for at least some time in the space of a calendar year or, at the very least, are properly compensated for the time spent away from their family on these important occasions.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.

Bill agreed to.

Sitting suspended from 12.25 to 2.30 pm.

Questions without notice

Canberra Hospital—gastroenterology and hepatology unit

MR HANSON: My question is to the Minister for Health.

Members interjecting—

MR HANSON: Welcome back. I see the happy mood that we generated this morning continues.

Minister, in June 2014 the Auditor-General produced a performance audit report titled Gastroenterology and hepatology unit, Canberra Hospital—GEHU—for tabling in the Assembly. This report says that governance of the GEHU “is inadequate” and that the GEHU outpatient waiting list has not been managed efficiently. Minister, why is GEHU’s governance inadequate and why is its management inefficient?


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