Meningococcal Victim Jehan Nassif

Mrs JILLIAN SKINNER: My question, which involves a serious matter, is directed to the Premier.

The SPEAKER: Order! Members on the Government benches will come to order. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition has the call.

Mrs JILLIAN SKINNER: Since the Premier said in 2006 that he would not apologise to the family of meningococcal victim Jehan Nassif until inquiries into her death were complete, and since the Coroner today delivered her findings that there were problems with the treatment Jehan Nassif received in the New South Wales health system, will the Premier now respond to the request of Jehan's family and apologise?

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: In response to the second part of the member's question, the answer is: yes, I will do so. It was a very distressing case—

[Interruption]

I will answer the first part of the member's question in a moment. In relation to the second part, I take this opportunity, once again, to apologise to the family for this tragedy—a young girl cut down in the prime of her life. I am advised that the former director general of the department also established an independent inquiry comprising Dr Rosemary Lester, Professor Lyn Gilbert—two leading clinicians—and Ms Gail Furness, a leading practising barrister. That team undertook an inquiry that resulted in a number of changes being made to the way in which patients falling into the category of Ms Nassif are dealt with by the Ambulance Service and hospital staff. These changes related, in particular, to information and to the guidelines for treating and caring for patients with meningococcal disease.

I refer to the first part of the member's question and do so simply for the record. In response to the question asked by the shadow Minister for Health, I direct her to an excerpt from an interview conducted with Mr Steve Price on 23 August 2006 at 4.10 p.m. In response to a question about making an apology to the family, I said, "Yes, I am sorry for the death of this young girl". I direct the member to an interview on 24 August 2006—

[Interruption]

Mrs Jillian Skinner: Point of order: I suspect that the Premier did not hear my question.

The SPEAKER: What is your point of order?

Mrs Jillian Skinner: My question was: would the Premier respond today to the family's call to him to apologise?

The SPEAKER: Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will resume her seat. That is an inappropriate point of order.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: I accept that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition was not listening when I said in response to her question that I would deal with that part of her question that related to an apology today. I indicated that I would make today an unreserved and unequivocal apology for the tragedy and the distressing circumstances of this case—a young girl cut down in her prime. I will not change that position at all. In response to the other part of the member's question that related to comments made last year, for the record and no more—I do not want to make political points—I draw the attention of the shadow Minister for Health to the comments that I made at the time.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition should stop interjecting.

Mr MORRIS IEMMA: At 9.25 a.m. on Alan Jones' 2GB radio show I said, "Of course I am sorry at the loss of this young girl. I have expressed my sorrow and sympathy to the family." That is what I said at the time and I repeat it today for the benefit of the shadow Minister.