Mary Henry (Independent)

This section relates to the establishment of the registration boards, which will be extremely important. I am sure Members and the Minister of State will want to ensure that these boards operate in line with their international counterparts and that they will not cover people for whom provision is not made internationally. I was concerned on the previous occasion when the Minister of State said that we must be careful about protecting people's livelihoods. The boards will not take anyone else's livelihood away; they will be concerned with the protection of people's titles. If a person is not entitled to be with a particular board, that does not mean they cannot make a living. No one is trying to prevent them from doing so. These individuals will merely not be able to refer to themselves by the title conferred by registration with the board in question. People will be required to have certain training, experience, etc., before they can register with any of the boards.

The registration boards will make their own rules. However, I understood that the philosophy behind the Bill is to introduce professional registration in respect of the professionals to which it refers while simultaneously protecting the general public by ensuring that only those registered will be able to refer to themselves by whatever may be the relevant appellation. There is no question that we are trying to take away anyone's livelihood. I previously stated that we can establish as many registration boards as we like but that people will be free to refuse to take notice of them.

Senator Glynn also previously referred to the outrageous behaviour of certain individuals who were members of professional boards. If people want to seek help from such individuals, there is nothing we can do about it. All we can do is point out that they are not registered with the various registration boards. If, when the boards are established, it is believed that certain people already on the registers should be struck off, the boards will be empowered to remove them.

It is important to recall the philosophy behind the Bill which, in my view, is to establish registers for the various professions, require professional qualifications from anyone wishing to register and allow for further professions to be catered for at a later date. No one is trying to take away anyone else's livelihood. The important matter with which the Bill deals involves people's use of titles. Members of the general public should be in a position to consult registers to see if people who refer to themselves as holding particular professional appellations are included on those registers.