Page 3596 - Week 12 - Thursday, 19 September 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
individual and $20,000 for a body corporate. That is certainly something that, if we get a couple of cases there, should help pay, for the increase in staff that I believe is probably going to be necessary to make sure that all this spot checking takes place.
I would like now to turn to the Trade Measurement (Administration) Bill. I note the move to on-the-spot fines which in this case, I believe, should reduce the administration of enforcement. Under previous legislation the cost of taking someone to court far outweighed the minuscule fine that actually would have been levied. That is probably a step in the right direction.
I also note that the procedures for search warrants and the appointment of inspectors have, I presume, been accepted by the Scrutiny of Bills Committee, in keeping with current practice. I certainly did not see any complaints about that.
Moving right along to the Weights and Measures (Amendment) Bill, this Bill, like the first, also takes me back to my childhood when I used to walk up the street on a Sunday morning to collect fresh bread from the baker's shop. Any of us who have lived in a country town will know that particular activity, as opposed to getting it in plastic bags in the shop, as we find today.
Mr Duby: What town was that, Norm?
MR JENSEN: It was in the days before sliced bread and plastic wrappers. I thought we would like to finish this very long and tortuous debate today with a little bit of light relief.
Mr Wood: And you were barefoot, too, weren't you?
MR JENSEN: I actually was, Mr Wood, yes. It seems unfortunate that we have to go this way, but I guess that is progress. I am not sure that the sort of progress we are talking about is in the long term interests of sustainability, but I guess we have to put up with that fact.
I notice that clause 18 says that bakers are required to have scales on the premises. This seems to me to be a bit of an expensive provision for the baker, and one which could well be avoided. Maybe I will put a question on notice to the responsible Minister, asking how many times people have actually asked the baker to weigh the bread. I just wondered why that is required. It seems to me that, with all the spot checking that is going on and the hefty fines, there would probably be no need for that. But I do not propose to move any amendments on that matter.
With those few short comments, I propose to close my remarks - to the joy, I see, of my colleagues. I commend the three Bills to the house.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .