[Greens-Media] Government fails to deliver

[Manderson, Roland]

ACT Greens MLA Deb Foskey Media Release


Thurs 25 Aug 2005


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Government fails to deliver
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ACT Greens MLA Deb Foskey has described the ACT Health Minister's delayed response to the "Pregnant Pause" report, tabled in the ACT Assembly today, as inadequate and contemptuous of the mothers and babies of Canberra.

"The ACT Government response rejects the fundamental recommendations of this well researched and unanimous Assembly Committee report.  After taking an extra year to get around to it, we might have expected a profound and thoughtful response from Government" Dr Foskey said today.

"Instead the Minister tabled a flimsy document that demonstrates no vision for maternity services in the ACT, and no real support for midwife led care and the women who would choose it.  Given that, it is perhaps not surprising that Mr Corbell didn't even bother to talk to his response when he tabled it in the Assembly today."

 "The Government did not support 
-	the establishment of independent birthing areas, 
-	nor the integration of independently controlled maternity services across a range of different settings, 
-	nor a cost benefit analysis of different models of maternity care, 
-	nor a needs analysis for the substantially over subscribed Canberra Midwifery program 
-	nor the training and development of midwives in the ACT."

"The ACT Government has chosen to remain captured by the hospital and health profession, which treats pregnancy and birth as an illness, to the great cost of women and babies in Canberra" Dr Foskey said.


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Roland Manderson   Media Advisor
ACT   Greens    MLA  Deb  Foskey  
Legislative Assembly for the ACT 
ph(02)62050551      m 0412241379
==== www.act.greens.org.au ===== 
  
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