Page 2456 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 7 August 1990
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The result has been to put in train a process which will not only provide a constructive solution for the retail sector and small commercial tenants generally but also put in place a legislative framework which will have lasting and wide-ranging benefits for the ACT.
Why will it benefit ACT consumers? It will benefit them by regulating a range of unfair and misleading marketing practices which unfortunately persist in some sections of the commercial world. They are practices including false advertising and other false claims about goods and services. Also, it will benefit ACT consumers by reducing practices which are anti-competitive and which impede the marketplace from rewarding products on the basis of quality rather than marketing tricks. This is effective capitalism.
Mr Acting Speaker, the small commercial tenants, the small retailers, are important people in the ACT economy. They are flat out running their own businesses and are not always in a position to seek the protection of their rights in a complex legal system. The Alliance Government has recognised the importance of this sector of the economy and has responded quickly to a need arising in it. It is an example of responsive and good government, and I heartily congratulate the Government on it.
Mr Kaine: I just need to be sure, Mr Acting Speaker, that I am not closing the debate.
MR ACTING SPEAKER: Apparently you have already spoken, Chief Minister, but you can speak again, by leave.
Mr Kaine: This is a debate on the Government's response to the report. I presume that I will have an opportunity to conclude the debate and that, if I speak, I will be the final speaker. I do not want to cut anybody else off from speaking. I am quite happy to speak now.
Leave granted.
MR KAINE (Chief Minister) (8.28): I have been listening to what passes for debate on this matter. Once again it is amazing to anybody who has listened how little contribution the Opposition has made to this question. It was considered to be a serious matter a little while back because this Assembly asked a committee to examine it. At that time it was obviously thought to be important.
Now that the report is before the Assembly and there are proposals as to what should be done to rectify a real problem in this Territory, which has been a festering sore, to my certain knowledge, since 1975, what does the Opposition do? The best that Mr Connolly can do is talk about the Fyshwick fruit markets. I presume that indicates his level of knowledge about the problem between landlords and tenants. I think it speaks for itself about Mr
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