00:00Despite committing support for the Children's Life Fund Amendment bill,
00:05concern was still expressed by the opposition and independent benches over certain clauses.
00:11Dr. Emery Brown led the charge for the opposition asking for the estimated number of children
00:17who will now benefit from the expanded list of conditions.
00:20Every member here knows that with these expansions we can anticipate a deluge of new applications
00:29that is inevitable, I would say it's welcome because it's a sign that more children with more cases
00:38would be receiving the required attention, but it also demands that the Ministry of Health,
00:45the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Planning would have to make proper provision.
00:51Dr. Brown says many of the declined cases were based on poor prognosis.
00:56The likelihood of success or survival, success in the treatment or management was too low
01:04to justify or support an approval and the committal of these funds.
01:14And that's why he questioned.
01:15Why would you wish to take that burden and now put it, take it from an authority
01:26and put it on a minister, a politician appointed by a prime minister?
01:35What is the objective of doing that?
01:39A medical practitioner herself, Independent Senator Dr. Desiree Murray, supports the bill,
01:44but questions the terminology used.
01:47She calls for changing the term illness to the broader, more inclusive term condition.
01:53This distinction matters as it may determine who is eligible for life-saving, life-extending
02:02or life-enhancing treatment under the fund.
02:06It ensures that children are not excluded due to imprecise language.
02:12Also on the independent bench, Senator Francis Lewis says the unavailability of audited financials
02:19for the Children's Life Fund since 2014 is unacceptable.
02:23As a legislator with a responsibility for the public purse, I have to ask the question,
02:29is the money being well spent? What was spent? What does the bank account look like? How do we handle it?
02:35And the basics of having audited financials cannot be overstressed.
02:41He says the minister's authority to reject board decisions just does not stand up to scrutiny.
02:48The board of the fund is appointed by the minister. And then that same minister overrules that committee
02:56and jumps, rejects their decision. I would expect the board to resign. I would expect that very few
03:04persons of integrity would want to serve on such a committee, because that's bad governance.
03:10Independent Senator Deerup Timal could not agree more.
03:14It politicizes individual medical cases. It may undermine the independence and credibility of the
03:22Children's Life Fund at board. And it opens the door to lobbying and favoritism, real or perceived.
03:31And in my opinion, it can always, because of this flexibility and power of the minister,
03:37it can restrict future possible donations on the basis of trust and credibility.
03:46He suggests a tribunal be established to consider appeals.
03:50Rishi Tawari, Rupanarai, TV6 News.
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