Page 336 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 20 February 1990
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Mr Duby: You're always prepared.
MR JENSEN: Of course, I am always prepared. Mr Speaker, before commencing my comments on the report on the tenancy of commercial premises, I would like to refer to the support provided by the committee staff in assisting the members of the select committee to get the report to this final stage. My fellow committee member and committee chairman, Robyn Nolan, has already made some specific comments on this issue and the degree of support provided to us.
I start by mentioning the first secretary to the inquiry, Cameron Kent, who returned to his job with the ACT Administration when a permanent opportunity was offered to him late last year. Cameron did much of the early work of the inquiry and ensured that we were able to beat the strike that was not a strike to allow us to discuss this important issue with representatives from tenants, landlords and governments within New South Wales and Victoria. It is unfortunate that Cameron was unable personally to see this report through to its finality.
When he left us his role was taken on by committee secretary, John Cummins. Many of us who have worked on committees in these early days of our Assembly are well aware of the time and effort that he has given to his role as Senior Secretary of committees. His work on this report is no exception. John was followed by Miss Cheryl Scarlett who spent many hours outside what we would consider to be normal public service hours to help complete this report. I know that my colleague Mrs Nolan has already mentioned Cheryl. Thank you, Cheryl, for your efforts in the final stage of preparation.
My comments on the excellent support from the committee staff would not be complete without reference to Melinda Stirling, who also has since left us, and Kim Blackburn, both of whom assisted with the clerical and keyboard support for the inquiry. Thank you, one and all, for a job well done.
I now turn to my comments on the report. I took the opportunity to look over the original debate, led by me, which resulted in this committee being formed. I note with interest that the then Chief Minister, in the debates of 26 July, indicated that there was broad agreement on the thrust of the proposal. It was unfortunate that the then Government's sole committee person was unable to participate in the committee. However, I accept that his workload was already very great at the time. It was clear that all groups in the Assembly accepted that there were problems in the commercial and retail industry and that we needed to examine these problems and suggest possible means of resolving them. Solutions had been considered in the past, but it seemed that when action was finally proposed either a Federal election intervened or the Federal
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