BREACH OF CONFIDENCE CLAIMED

Evening Star, Issue 24007, 4 October 1941, Page 16

BREACH OF CONFIDENCE CLAIMED

INTERLUDE DURING DOCTORS' BILL DEBATE OPPOSITION INDIGNANT ( Special 0 WELLINGTON, Oct. 3. A complaint that confidential information had been disclosed was made by Opposition members during the committee stages of the Social Security Amendment Bill in the House of Representatives this morning after the Minister of Health (Mr Nordmeyer) had said that he had information that the member lor Central Otago (Mr Bodkin) was on tbo list of a doctor rendering free sen-ice under the capitation scheme. Mr Bodkin was out of the House when the Minister made his statement, and on returning protested against the Minister’s remark, explaining that his doctor was in Dunedin, but that he had put his name an the list of the doctor in his district to assist in retaining the services of a medical man for a country area. “ Do you think yon ought to mention a thing like that in the House?” said the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Holland), after the Minister had made bis reference to Mr Bodkin. “ You are disclosing confidential information,” added Mr Holland. Air Poison: The secrecy has gone—h lisgraceful thing. The Minister; There is no secrecy about it; it is competent for any permit to go on any doctor’s list. Mr Holland; You should not do that. “I understand the Minister made a statement that I have a contract with v panel doctor.” declared Mr Bodkin, m his return to the House. “ I am surprised, but people who know tin' Minister hotter may not be. My own lector resides in Dunedin, my child is it school in the North Island, and has i doctor there. The Minister knows shat I called on him and pointed out she case of my district where a doctor md been maintained for years. The lector at the time was not able to nake a living there, and went to Auckand, and I discussed ways and means ;o try and get that doctor to my disrict, .and to build up a practice in the listrict.” , , , Mr Bodkin said he agreed to put Ins lame and the name of his wife on he list, and asked the Minister if it vould be all right to include his daugh;er J s name also. The Minister agreed hat that "was desirable. At a later tage he reported progress on how the iractice was built up. That doctor had lever at any time prescribed for a nember of his family, and was never ikely to do so. The Minister knew perectlv well that he was trying to keep i doctor in a country district. The Minister might think such a- thing lean politics—he himself was not gong to comment. His medical adviser ras in Dunedin. The Minister of Finance (Mr Nash) aid that what had been disclosed was he result of a conversation between , member of the House and the Minster, which was agreed upon before t was done. There was no aped for any (fillister to give an assurance that irivnte business that came to the rnowledge of a . Government departnent would not be disclosed. It should iot go out of the House that the ioctor’s list was used against any peron. It had not been used in that way iv the Minister,