Senator Robb you may ask your question now.
Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 1983: Committee and Final Stages.
Question proposed: "That section 1 stand part of the Bill."
In relation to the point the Minister made — and which I understand is a difficulty many countries have had, not so much today as they had 15 or 20 years ago — at a time of shortage and when so much of the national wealth is involved in training dentists, is there no way one could impose an obligation that there would be some return in terms of years' service for training received? One cannot oblige people to stay — and one would not want to live in a country where one was obliged to stay forever — but I feel that in a privileged profession, like dentistry or medicine, where there is a shortage and where the country has gone to the trouble of training people, there should be some obligation for a return on that investment. People should have to agree to serve a short period to help when there is a shortage of professional help.
I would not disagree with the Senator's sentiments. I believe considerable sums of money are spent not only in the dental profession but in every profession. All we can do is appeal to these people who owe society a debt and say that the best way to repay it would be by making a contribution of their profession for, say, a year. As a professional, the Senator's voice could carry in this area. All professions could make this contribution because of the money spent on training. It would, in my view, engender a new spirit in our society, a spirit of wanting to give on a voluntary basis and not giving because they had to sign a contract. That is not the kind of society anyone wants to live in.
Senator Robb has made a good point which the Minister or the Government might consider. We should insist that these people give some service to the nation that educated them. In the teaching profession, as students we had to pay a certain share of the money towards the course and the rest was subsidised. Some fees are very high in comparison to others and we had to give a commitment to give ten years service or buy our way out of the service as is done, for example, in the Army. It should be insisted upon within the educational sphere when taking places at university that in return they will give service to the State.
Question put and agreed to.
Section 2 agreed to.
Title agreed to.
Bill reported without amendment and received for final consideration.
Question proposed: "That the Bill do now pass."
Has Senator Robb a question to ask?
Yes. If the Government feel it is not possible to bring in the recommendations we have heard, surely the other alternative must be to train more dentists. If they are not prepared to do that, then the consumer representation if it is to have "teeth" will have something to say about the matter. If the Government are not going to take more interest, or if they cannot get people to give some service to the nation in return for education received, then if we set up a council and various committees at local level with consumer bite, the consumer will insist that he gets proper dental care for his children.