Page 3378 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 17 September 1991
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I urge members of the Assembly not to make this a disallowable instrument. Just take today, for example. If a subordinate law on electricity and water was passed today, it could get buried; it could get buried very easily. Yet, this has such an impact on the people of Canberra. The average increase to people's costs across Canberra will be some $20. There are in the order of some 100,000 households in Canberra. Considering the number of very small units and residential dwellings, there will be some people for whom this will mean an increase in their annual budget of hundreds of dollars. So, it is a decision that we must not take lightly.
I have made it very clear that I support the specific drop in the water allowance from 455 to 350 kilolitres and my amendment has been drafted in that way. We as an Assembly should, I think, be able to go to the public and say, "Yes, there are very good reasons why we have supported that. There are very good reasons why we do not want to be involved in building another dam, although it would provide extra capital works".
Mr Jensen: You would not support it because of the borrowings, Michael. Make up your mind.
MR MOORE: I think members realise that I said that in jest. I think it is very important for us to realise our responsibility to be able to go into the community and argue, "Yes, we have very good reasons for dropping the basic water allowance from 455 to 350 kilolitres". I think most of us know the arguments for that, and I support it.
What I do not support is the notion that this decision should be made in any other forum than this Assembly. It really is our responsibility. We should keep it that way. I urge members to look carefully at the amendments that I have circulated and the spirit in which I have put them. I ask you to support them. In that way we can achieve our goal.
MR STEFANIAK (4.25): I am pleased to say, Nimby, that the Liberal Party is going to support your amendments and that will enable us also to support the Bill. We have had a quick little chat about that, and that is what we are going to do; so well done.
In relation to this matter, one does have to look at the Labor Party's decision not to go ahead with the corporatisation of ACTEW. That step, if taken, would have raised about $12m extra dollars for the ACT, because of the efficiencies it would have brought to ACTEW's operation this financial year. I think the estimate of money coming into ACT coffers after that would have been $20m. Surely, in our financially strapped ACT at present, that would have been a very welcome sum of money for this Government or, indeed, any government in terms of trying to balance the budget.
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