Burton Mark: Appointments — Abortion Supervisory Committee 
Burton Mark: Appointments — Abortion Supervisory Committee 
[Volume:639;Page:9906] 
Hon MARK BURTON (Minister of Justice) 
: 
 I move  
That pursuant to sections 10 and 11 of the Contraception Sterilisation and Abortion Act 1977 this House recommend His Excellency the Governor-General appoint Professor Linda Jane Holloway DCNZM of Dunedin Dr Rosemary Jane Fenwicke of Wellington and Patricia Ann Allan of Christchurch as members of the Abortion Supervisory Committee and appoint Professor Linda Jane Holloway as Chairman of the Supervisory Committee. 
 The Abortion Supervisory Committee is constituted under section 10 of the Contraception Sterilisation and Abortion Act and consists of three members one of whom is appointed as chairperson. Two of the members must be medical practitioners. They are appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of this House of Representatives for a term of 3 years and they are all able to be reappointed. The Abortion Supervisory Committee is responsible for keeping under review all the provisions of the abortion law in New Zealand and for the operation and effect of those provisions in practice. That includes licensing institutions for the performance of abortions and the appointment of certifying consultants to authorise abortions. 
The previous members of the committee were Dr Lesley Rothwell of Wellington as chair Papaarangi Reid of Wellington and Marlene Lamb JP of Morrinsville. I take this opportunity on behalf of the Government and of the whole House to thank Dr Rothwell Dr Reid and Mrs Lamb for the contributions they have made during their terms on the committee. 
The qualities sought in all members of the committee are that they be sufficiently impartial and open-minded to be able to represent the needs and interests of women in a non-controversial manner be sensitive to the needs of different cultural groups have good communication skills and accept a level of public scrutiny. Also the chair should have previous experience in a leadership role. The new appointments that are proposed in the motion before the House are for Linda Holloway to be a member and chair the committee and for Dr Rosemary Fenwicke and Patricia Allan to be members of the committee. I suggest to members that all are very capable people and together they would bring a balance of knowledge and experience to the committee. They also bring a high degree of integrity to their respective roles as members of the committee thus ensuring that it will be able to perform with the required diligence and competence in interpreting the intentions of the legislation. 
Professor Linda Holloway who was previously pro vice-chancellor of health sciences at Otago University was appointed chair of the National Health Committee in 2006 having been a member of it since 2002. She is a specialist anatomical pathologist and at an earlier stage in her career she also worked in rural general practice. Her major area of research interest has been respiratory pathology. She has served on the Medicines Assessment Advisory Committee and was one of the advisers to Dame Silvia Cartwright during the inquiry into the treatment of cervical cancer at National Women’s Hospital. She has also been in many areas of community work including the Lottery Grants Board research distribution committee and the Medical Women’s Association. She is a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in recognition of her career of dedicated service to health science. 
Dr Rosemary Fenwicke is a member of the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal and the Medical Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal. She was the medical director of the central region for the New Zealand Family Planning Association from 1987 to 1990. As an on-call doctor for the New Zealand Police and the Department of Child Youth and Family Services she assessed victims of sexual abuse. She was also a medical officer at Victoria University’s Student Health Service. Dr Fenwicke also developed a general practice clinic at Waiwhetu Marae in Lower Hutt. She currently works in general practice in Wellington at the level J terminations clinic at Wellington Women’s Hospital and she also does independent allowance assessments and rehabilitation assessments for the Accident Compensation Corporation. In 2005-06 she was the national medical officer for the New Zealand Fire Service. 
Patricia Allan established her own consultancy business as a facilitator and mentor at the beginning of 2004. For the previous 20 years she had been involved in either church or council-funded social service and in ministry roles in Christchurch and on the West Coast. Before establishing her current business she worked for the Methodist Church’s Christchurch inner-city ministry and had previously served as the vicar of Hokitika and as diocesan mission coordinator for the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch. She has held a number of governance roles in the Methodist and Anglican churches including as an elected member of the standing committee of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of New Zealand and also as a member of the board of the McLean Institute a charitable trust. She was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal for her community work on the West Coast. Ms Allan completed her registered nursing qualification in 1960 and also holds a licentiate of theology. 
I can confirm that an appropriate process has been followed in selecting the proposed new appointees in terms of the State Services Commission’s appointment guidelines and in accordance with Cabinet directives. I can confirm that appropriate inquiries concerning conflicts of interest have been carried out in accordance with State Services Commission appointment guidelines and that any conflict of interest that could reasonably be identified would have been identified. No conflict of interest has been identified. While serving on the committee the chair or a member must declare to the Speaker any personal or professional interests or associations that might create a conflict with his or her duties as a member of a committee. The Speaker then decides on the appropriate course of action. 
I recommend that the House adopt Government motion No. 1.