Western Australian Parliamentarians visit HealthInfoNet

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Published in the HealthBulletin Journal
Posted on:
30 January, 2003
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Three members of the Western Australian Parliament – Carol Martin, MLA, Member for Kimberley and Chair of the Education and Health Committee, Tony O’Gorman, MLA, Member for Joondalup, and Dianne Guise, MLA, Member for Wanneroo and Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly – visited the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet on Friday 6 December.

This visit was arranged when HealthInfoNet research officer, Jane Burns, attended the Path of Honour celebrations at Edith Cowan University’s Joondalup Campus marking the contributions of valued citizens. Carol Martin, who was being honoured as the first Indigenous women to be elected to an Australian Parliament, expressed an interest to Jane in the innovative work of the HealthInfoNet and was keen to visit to learn more.

The visit gave all the parliamentarians a greater awareness of the poor health status of Indigenous Australians as well as some examples of the positive work being done nationally in the area. Professor Neil Thomson, Director of the HealthInfoNet, demonstrated how the HealthInfoNet contributes to improving the health of Australia’s Indigenous people by making relevant, high quality knowledge and information easily accessible.

Carol was particularly impressed at the way in which the HealthInfoNet covered wide-ranging issues so comprehensively. She noted that: ‘the HealthInfoNet is an invaluable resource that politicians and other people interested in Indigenous health should have ready access to’.

All three of the visitors expressed their support and encouragement for the project and were keen to help spread the word through their wide networks.

HealthInfoNet staff with the visiting parliamentarians
Left > right: Ellie Kirov; Tony O’Gorman, MLA; Dianne Guise, MLA; Carol Martin, MLA; Professor Neil Thomson; and Rhonda Murphy
Left > right: Dianne Guise, MLA; Tony O’Gorman, MLA; Krish Gunasekera; Carol Martin, MLA; and Sam Burrow