Page 2795 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 21 November 1989
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that, in my view, if the ALP left its funding issues off the front page tomorrow, there may well have been a better reception of the decision that this Assembly is going to reach. But the fact is that, if you see the Rally making a casting vote on the same day as another issue that brings the Assembly and the political process of this town into some sort of community question, then it is totally inappropriate to want this debate to go on this evening. Mr Speaker, I will be opposing this Bill for that latter reason. I express regret at the events that have occurred in the last 48 hours.
MS FOLLETT (Treasurer) (10.38), in reply: I think we have just about heard it all! Nevertheless, I will try to summarise some of the issues which we have heard about during this debate. I will leave out the more ridiculous. But I would like to reiterate, Mr Speaker, why the Government has put forward this Bill and why we support this business franchise measure. It is a revenue measure. It has nothing whatsoever, Mr Speaker, to do with clinical hypnotherapy. It has nothing whatsoever to do with donations to the Labor Party, or the lack of them. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the Women's Consultative Council. It is a revenue measure.
I know that you have all had tremendous fun this evening scrabbling in an undignified manner for the moral high ground. You have not succeeded. This is a revenue measure. It is put forward, Mr Speaker, in order to raise revenue for the ACT. It is estimated to raise this year some $2m in revenue and in a full year $5m.
In addition, the Bill that is put forward provides for additional regulation of the industry which appears to trouble you all so much. It provides for additional regulation of the industry, which should be supported by anybody who is concerned. I am amazed that members opposite, while purporting to have such difficulties with this industry, will not vote to provide additional regulation of the industry. The Bill cannot be seen as legalising or legitimating the industry. As Mr Moore has already said - - -
Mr Humphries: That's rubbish!
MS FOLLETT: The industry is not illegal.
Mr Humphries: You legitimise it by taxing it.
MS FOLLETT: Mr Speaker, Mr Humphries continually interjects that I am legitimising the industry. I regard taxing the industry in no way to be legitimising it, in no way to be supporting - - -
Mr Humphries: They do. The industry does.
MR SPEAKER: Order!
MS FOLLETT: Would you protect me from that man?
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