Page 786 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 21 March 2017
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decade in law reform and in a range of practical measures to ensure that all Canberrans are equal before the law. It will ensure that we continue to advocate for these important social causes like marriage equality amongst others and that all Australians are equal before the law.
Health—vaccination policy
MRS KIKKERT: My question is to the Minister for Health. The Prime Minister wrote earlier this month to the Chief Minister regarding the ACT government not allowing unvaccinated children to enrol in child care. The ACT government currently allows such children to enrol in child care. Has the government received the Prime Minister’s letter, has the government replied and, if so, what was the government’s response, if any?
MS FITZHARRIS: I thank Mrs Kikkert for the question and note that there is a motion on notice for tomorrow’s debate. Certainly I believe the Chief Minister did receive the Prime Minister’s letter. What the Prime Minister encouraged was a national approach which he flagged he would like to discuss with first ministers later in the year.
I have a meeting of health ministers this Friday in Melbourne. I look forward to discussing it with him. In principle the government does support the no jab no play approach.
MRS KIKKERT: Minister, what planning has the government done for outbreaks of infectious diseases in childcare centres and schools?
MS FITZHARRIS: The ACT is a national leader in immunisation rates. In all three categories of children under the age of six, we either lead or come second in the nation on our level of immunisation, from a high of 95 per cent of children under 15 months being immunised. That is an outstanding success rate.
We know there are groups of people that we need to encourage to take up immunisation. This opportunity for a national debate allows us more opportunity to encourage Canberrans to ensure that they are immunised and remain immunised.
But I would note, of course, too that immunisations are provided through the commonwealth under the national immunisation register. It is vitally important that we continue to support the commonwealth in having a national approach to immunisation, which includes the register and also importantly subsidisation of immunisation rates.
Ms Lawder: Point of order, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: Point of order, Ms Lawder.
MS LAWDER: The question related to plans for an outbreak of infectious disease, as opposed to the rate of immunisations in the ACT.
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