Page 697 - Week 03 - Thursday, 22 March 1990
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Government. This Bill is another example of how the previous Government was giving high priority to issues affecting the people of Canberra. We have yet to see any initiatives from this fossilised Government.
As the Minister pointed out in his presentation speech, the control over the disposal of clinical waste has been a matter of some concern for a number of years. Existing ACT legislation did not adequately deal with the problem, and before self-government the resources were not available to give this matter the priority that it deserved.
There is something ironic in the fact that a man who opposed the ACT stepping out of the dark ages into twentieth-century government should now be the Minister who introduces this much needed and modern legislation. Nevertheless, time is not as forgiving as some people would like us to believe. I am sure that in 1992 nobody will have forgotten the miraculous conversion of St Craig on the road to nowhere.
It is interesting to note the Minister's claim that this legislation was actioned immediately by the Liberal coalition Government. If this Government claims that action involves no more than proceeding with legislation drawn up by a previous government, then we are in for a dull time under the dullards opposite.
I challenge the Government to provide us with a true record of its achievements in the first 100 days. It would be similar to that book about its ideological hero, Malcolm Fraser - The Wit of Malcolm Fraser - 20 or 30 blank pages. With this conservative Government, it would not even be on recycled paper, I am sure.
Mr Jensen: That is older than you, Ellnor.
MRS GRASSBY: No, not older than me. The only person older than me is your leader.
Mr Kaine: And only marginally, at that.
MRS GRASSBY: Do not believe it; you are a long way ahead of me.
MR SPEAKER: Order! Please proceed, Mrs Grassby.
MRS GRASSBY: The leader opposite is handling the needs of the ageing in case he might be there sooner than he thought. As I mentioned previously, the opposition has one concern with the Bill as it stands. This was raised by Professor Whalan in his report to the Standing Committee on the Scrutiny of Bills and Subordinate Legislation. Clause 4 provides that the Act binds the Crown, but this is then softened by providing in clause 5 that the Crown is not liable to be prosecuted for an offence. The effect of this, as Professor Whalan points out, is that it weakens the thrust of the legislation, and the biggest producers of
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