Page 2838 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 14 August 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
colleagues have decided to do is to say, "Okay, we want this level implemented. If you cannot do it, you will not get pinched". Well, I for one am not entirely happy with that approach. If you are going to make a sensible law, it has to be definite. At the end of the day, when people are tampering with the water supply, as is the case when it comes to the addition of health-giving chemicals, it ought to be done properly.
I do not mind; I have played it straight. Some people do not seem to be able to cope. If you want to go this way and look a bit silly, go for your life. It is something that you have to be reminded of. The Government is obliged to take a sensible approach in this matter. It offered you a sensible amendment to address the issue. It seems to me that there was more concern about whose scent was left on the amendments than the effect of the amendments.
Mr Deputy Speaker, this is a silly debate. It will go down with all of the other silly debates that have happened in this place. The people who are involved in this silly debate will be remembered for it. I will make sure that they are.
MR KAINE (Leader of the Opposition) (5.31): Regrettably, now that we have reached this stage of the debate, Dr Kinloch's amendment having been accepted, I would have to note that Mr Berry is in fact fighting a rearguard action, unfortunately, and I use the words "unfortunately" and "regrettably" quite deliberately. The simple fact is that, having adopted Dr Kinloch's amendment, we are now in a situation that, until such time as the machinery can be adjusted or new equipment provided to comply with the new requirement, the Electricity and Water Authority will be in breach of the law.
So, we have very little option at this stage but to adopt Mr Collaery's amendment so that ACTEW will not be in breach of the law. I am afraid that the fact of the matter is as simple as that. I guess that there is not much point in any further debate. We should simply get on with the matter, support Mr Collaery's amendment, regrettable as it may be to have to do so, and protect the officers of the Electricity and Water Authority.
DR KINLOCH (5.32): I am not sure to what degree I can be grateful to Mr Berry, but I am trying to do that. I had no wish whatever - please do me the credit - to create any political or legal or technical difficulties about this matter. Many of us here have worked long and hard on a report. We were unanimous in recommending to this Assembly the findings of that report. We - and it just happened to be me - recommended the 0.5 proposal.
I am grateful to Mr Berry that he saw, thanks to his advisers, the problems that could arise. I had no idea that there would be such problems; I am sure most of us did not. But I want to say that there has been no attempt here
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .