Page 1320 - Week 07 - Thursday, 24 August 1989
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healthy sporting activities. I have written to the Chief Minister on this issue, as well as the Federal Minister responsible for this area, to support this activity, and I trust that they will look at that with due interest and the nature of how it was put forward and why it was put forward. The activities of those two clubs are fully encouraged by all principals of all the schools and the colleges in the Tuggeranong Valley.
MR SPEAKER: Order! Please stick to the point, Mr Jensen.
MR JENSEN: Mr Speaker, in this particular case, I am referring to the need for these sorts of facilities to ensure that the young people of this town are given the opportunity not to have to gather on street corners and cause problems. I am referring to the matter in relation to the Social Policy Committee that will be looking at this action. I would think it was highly appropriate for the Government to be looking at these particular areas to help remove some of the problems.
In closing my remarks, Mr Speaker, I need to refer briefly to the attitude to this matter of members of my own family in much the same way Mr Collaery has done. My 19-year-old daughter believes it necessary for this legislation to be provided to protect her, as she has felt concerns at various stages, particularly when using public transport in this city. A couple of times, in fact, she has come to me very concerned, and this has resulted in complaints to the police and reports to the police in this particular area. I can understand her point of view and why she would be concerned.
However, on the other side of the coin, my teenage son was concerned about the Bill and the effect it may have on his freedom. However, I must return to my point, to my earlier commitment, about the need for the police force and our young people to get together. I look forward to the response of the Government to this particular issue.
MR DUBY (11.32): Mr Speaker, I was not going to speak to this motion today. I thought it was fairly well established what the view of the house was on this matter and there was no need to reiterate these points, but I felt I just had to get to my feet after the impassioned address by Mr Kaine, huffing and puffing about how this house has come to the conclusion that the original Bill that the Liberal Party proposed has finally now got the agreement of the house.
Mr Kaine, the Bill that was originally proposed by your party is as similar to this Bill as chalk is to cheese. I just want to make that point. The passage of this Bill represents a major defeat for the Liberal Party, and that is the bottom line. The Bill that you folk wanted to put up was, as has been described, draconian and was unacceptable to the community. This Bill is more to the point. It is more sensible and it is more libertarian.
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