Page 1014 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 19 March 1991
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DR KINLOCH (8.11): I have only a very brief comment to make, Mr Speaker, especially as we have the Scouts with us. I would like to say how exciting Bills are, and the Stock Bill 1991 is probably one of the most exciting Bills we have ever had in the Assembly. It has some suggestions in it for ways in which we could identify factions, whether within the Labor Party, the Liberal Party, or even, Mr Jensen and Mr Collaery, within the Residents Rally. It is a question of whether you clip the left ear or the right ear, and this is well described in item 31. I do commend this to all factional groups.
The thing that is most exciting and, indeed, of literary significance is on page 15, under "Placement of Brands". I would like to read one of these to give the full flavour of how a literary presence is often to be found in our Bills:
Near-shoulder
Off-shoulder
Near-rump, hip and thigh
Off-rump, hip
Near-ribs and saddle
Off-ribs and saddle
It is really magnificent stuff. I commend it, and it should appear in the next issue of The Poetry of Canberra.
MR DUBY (Minister for Finance and Urban Services) (8.13), in reply: I thank Dr Kinloch for those enlightening comments concerning the interesting legislation we get to address here in the Assembly. People often forget that the ACT does have a significant rural base. Indeed, we are one of the few places in Australia that have more people than sheep. There are about 150,000 head of sheep in the Territory and almost 15,000 head of cattle. So it is a significant area of concern to a small portion of the population.
I was heartened to hear the expressions of support from members of the Assembly. The changes proposed in this Bill regarding the registration of stock brands and flexibility of stock rates, et cetera, combined with the streamlining of procedures for obtaining permits for the droving of stock, will reduce the regulative controls on primary producers and thus will be welcomed by the rural lessees of the ACT. I thank the Assembly for its support.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.
Bill agreed to.
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