Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Hansard source

Can I thank the Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads for standing in for the Minister for Health and Ageing. Whilst it is not like me to be generous to the minister for health, I think perhaps the House could note that he is in attendance at the National Palliative Care Week function, particularly the launch of Parents in Care, which is an important event and one that I had intended to be at myself but for the unfortunate clash that the National Health and Medical Research Council Amendment Bill 2006 is before the House now. So I think we can forgive the minister for health his lack of attendance to his duties in the House for this hour. His lack of attendance for the remaining hours in the week still requires explanation, but at least we have an explanation for this hour.

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