Page 1603 - Week 08 - Thursday, 28 September 1989
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MR HUMPHRIES: I move:
(a) Paragraph (1), delete "a select committee be appointed to", substitute "the Standing Committee on Social Policy"; and
(b) Omit paragraphs (3) to (5) inclusive.
Like the previous speakers, we endorse the concept of an investigation into this question but feel that it would be more appropriately dealt with at this juncture by the Standing Committee on Social Policy. The reason for that is as follows. The establishment of a select committee effectively supersedes the priorities like those that the Social Policy Committee has established for itself in respect of a certain number of inquiries that it is already conducting. We are concerned with the prospect that this particular inquiry, important as it is, will take priority over other inquiries which, in my view, are probably as important, if not more important, in other fields.
I know that the Standing Committee on Social Policy at the present time is inquiring into the ageing. It is also in the middle of an inquiry into public behaviour. That inquiry is significant because public behaviour has a great deal to do with the content of this motion moved by Mr Moore. AIDS, illegal drugs and prostitution are all issues that relate intimately to questions of public behaviour of the kind currently being examined by the Social Policy Committee. I understand also that today we are to examine some motion dealing with the Social Policy Committee looking at fluoride. Those sorts of things are all going to be on the plate of the committee. I would be happier if the Social Policy Committee were to decide between its members exactly how those issues should be handled, whether they should be integrated in any way - and obviously, as I have just said, to some extent they should - and decide for itself what priority and what time scale ought to be attached to each of these items. Therefore, I am not keen on the idea of a further select committee.
I spoke yesterday in the debate on the motion of Mr Berry that we should have a reference to a standing committee which would increase the number of inquiries in the ACT. I cannot say that we are happy with extending the number or range of inquiries in any respect but, as I said, I accept that there is some need for the examination of the issues mentioned in this motion. As such, we support the inquiry but would be happier if it were to be referred to the Standing Committee on Social Policy.
The issues concerned have been covered adequately by previous speakers and are issues that will not go away. In particular, AIDS is an issue that needs to be addressed by any responsible administration at the earliest juncture with respect to what is happening in other places in Australia so that we have a policy which makes sense. Illegal drugs is an issue that has been raised in various
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