Page 851 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 27 March 1990
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Mr Moore: It is just as logical - - -
Mr Duby: They are both at Dickson.
MR SPEAKER: Order!
MR KAINE: She needs to get her act together if she wants to ask a question about it.
MR SPEAKER: Order, Chief Minister!
Driving Requirements
MR STEFANIAK: My question is to Mr Duby, the Minister for Finance and Urban Services. Minister, I refer to a recent article in the "Voters' Voice" column of the Canberra Times which stated that ACT drivers are disadvantaged in comparison to New South Wales drivers because they are not able to drive trucks to move furniture. Would you, as Minister for Urban Services, clarify this, please?
MR DUBY: Yes, I am aware of the article in the Canberra Times that Mr Stefaniak refers to which contrasted ACT and New South Wales requirements. To be perfectly honest, Mr Stefaniak, a New South Wales class 1 licence allows vehicles to be driven up to 4.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass. This compares to ACT class 1 or 2 which allows vehicles to be driven up to 2 tonnes tare. Because New South Wales licence classes are based on gross vehicle mass-laden-weight whereas ACT licences are based on tare - unladen weight - the actual differences between New South Wales and the ACT are not very significant at all.
The differences between the licence classifications of the ACT and other States have been recognised and there are moves in place to alter the ACT classifications to align them with those agreed to at the ATAC meetings - the Australian Transport Advisory Council. These recommendations will be introduced in 1991 with the implementation of stage 2 of the drivers licence system and they will not impact significantly on current licence requirements. So that is the situation.
Hospitals - Consultations
MR BERRY: My question is directed to Mr Humphries. I note his reluctance to answer questions in relation to hospital matters as he announced today. No wonder nobody bothers to ask him any because he will not answer them anyway. In the absence of consultation with the wider community - particularly the trade union movement and the interim hospitals board - on the future of Canberra's hospitals, will the Minister inform the Assembly of the dates and, of
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