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Other Parliamentary Speeches

This page is dedicated to Peter's speeches during parliament that do not fall under Questions or Questions without notice. They range from debating legislation, reporting on events or issues in his seat of Southport and his Ministerial Statements.

Health and Other Legislation Amendment Bill
Posted by Administrator (admin) on Mar 26 2003
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Mr LAWLOR (Southport-ALP) (2.44 p.m.): I rise to support the Health and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2003. This bill amends 19 Health portfolio acts and also the Freedom of Information Act. I will address only a couple of issues in relation to the act. Others members will address the other issues.

These amendments, particularly to the Health Practitioners Professional Standards) Act 1999, will allow the Health Practitioners Tribunal and Professional Conduct Review Panels to operate far more efficiently. These bodies deal with disciplinary matters involving registered health practitioners. These proposed amendments will provide greater administrative flexibility in the constitution of the tribunal when conducting directions conferences and also full hearings.

The bill also allows the review panels to use any form of communication and to make decisions about matters before the panel or to delegate the holding of pre-hearing conferences to the secretary of the panels. I have some personal experience in relation to one of the effective means of communication which will be available to the review panel, and that relates to teleconferencing particularly, but email would also be an expeditious and effective means of communication.

I was on the Racing Appeals Authority for about seven or eight years, and during that time the chairman, Mr Leo Williams, introduced teleconferencing, which saved a considerable amount of money because prior to that the whole tribunal would have to travel to Cairns or Townsville together with the support staff and sometimes stay overnight. So it was a very costly exercise. With the implementation of the teleconferencing facilities, it saved a great deal out of the Racing Appeals Authority budget. The amendments will also enhance the effectiveness of the disciplinary system for health practitioners.

The bill also amends the Hospital Foundations Act 1982, which deals with the appointment of members of hospital foundations who, as we are well aware, are heavily involved in fundraising for medical research projects and also for the purchase of equipment. At the moment the appointment of members to hospital foundations is a fairly cumbersome procedure, and the amendments to the act will allow the minister to consult with entities that the minister considers have an interest in the purposes or objects of the hospital foundation.

Following that consultation, the minister may nominate a person as a hospital foundation member if the minister is of the opinion that that person has an interest in and is able to assist in achieving the foundation's objectives. I suppose the main object of that foundation is their ability to raise money. So that would be an important criterion. Any member would also be able to be appointed for a term of up to five years, which gives additional flexibility.

While we are on the issue of the hospital foundation, I must make mention of the Gold Coast hospital foundation, which is a good example of members of the community contributing to the running of the Gold Coast hospital. The chairman is the Mayor of the Gold Coast, Gary Baildon. The secretary is Richard Olley, the district manager of Queensland Health. The treasurer is Bronwyn Morris, and the members are Eda Beck, Prof. Anne McMurray, Heather Haynes, Dr Steven Weinstein, Dr Brian Bell, Colin Little and Alan Midwood. Those people are ably assisted by the development manager, Beth Dermoudy.

That foundation has been responsible for raising tens of thousands of dollars over many years for the Gold Coast Hospital. The foundation receives no government subsidy and consists of those members, who meet on a regular-I believe monthly-basis. I have been to at least two of theirmeetings. They are all unpaid volunteers. As I have already mentioned, the development manager, Beth Dermoudy, is the only employee. Funds raised enable the hospital to purchase equipment. Research is funded for the Gold Coast Hospital and also the surrounding health services through community groups and events and functions. The foundation runs art unions, raffles and fundraisers such as Melbourne Cup day functions and so on. These funds are then passed back to the hospital to enable those purchases to be effected. With those few words, I commend this bill to the House.

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