Page 3760 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 17 October 1990
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MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: I did not hear that, Mr Berry; I am sorry.
Mr Berry: Isn't that strange? Selective deafness, perhaps, Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker?
MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Berry, I request that you withdraw that.
Mr Berry: I withdraw that. I was compelled to defend myself against the Chief Minister's statement which you did not hear, Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker; my apologies.
MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: Your apology is accepted, Mr Berry.
MR BERRY: It is an important issue. There will be a slight delay. It is not a delay of our doing. I think the Government has to accept some of the responsibility for this matter not being properly sorted out before the matter was drafted. The Government did say - and this is a criticism - that it needed to consult, and that is why there were delays in relation to the issue. I have seen no evidence that there has been consultation with the youth sector. Maybe it would have picked up that issue had that been the case.
That aside, it is an issue that has to be addressed. It is regrettable that I have not been able to bring it to the Minister's attention before today. I am looking forward to the position where the matter can be settled in a bipartisan way before we bring the matter back into the Assembly next week.
Mr Collaery: You are leading us to believe that, are you?
MR BERRY: The fact of the matter is that there is something which has to be sorted out. In his wildest dreams, Mr Collaery would not be able to negotiate a settlement on most issues in this place, so I guess he has given up attempting to do it and that is why he has suggested that perhaps that might not be the case in relation to this matter.
There is one other issue that is of concern, and that is the possibility of contrived arrangements due to exemptions for staff of tobacco companies and their relatives. I think that remains to be seen, but it is something which I would like to place on record and which the Government ought to take notice of because it is something of importance. The Government would need to ensure that that does not occur.
One other matter of concern which has received some publicity has been the Government's position in relation to non-smoking space in public eating places. The Government has said that it will allow the industry to self-regulate.
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