Page 4708 - Week 15 - Thursday, 21 November 1991
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the inquiry into the Forrest bowling club site, that this Bill was not already in place. The community out there sees great benefit in the advantages that flow from this Bill, and I would like to see it in place as quickly as possible.
I know that the Government has an intention of not putting it into effect until July next year, and I have some understanding of their position. There is a budgetary problem, and the minute this Bill becomes an Act and is put into effect they are going to have to find money to fund it. I can only say, however, that I have no sympathy for their position. The Alliance Government knew that this Bill would require funding and we had made financial provision in our forward estimates and in our budget for this year.
I can only conclude that this Government took the money out because they were having trouble funding some of their other projects that they thought took precedence over this. Well, I do not happen to agree with them. Although I understand their view, I do not support their decision to take the money out of the budget and delay this.
The Government has consistently agreed with the Liberals and, indeed, with the Rally that this Bill is an important Bill. They continue to say that. Yet, when it comes to putting it into effect, they say, "Well, it is not so important that we should provide funds for it". I do not accept that argument.
My original intention was to move that this Bill become effective from 1 January, but yesterday someone, I am not sure whether it was the Minister or another member of the Government, gave me a short paper that explains the difficulties from the Government's viewpoint of putting it into effect from 1 January. There are things that have to be done to make it possible to implement the Bill. I accept that, so I concede the need to put it into effect on some date later than 1 January.
I think that 1 March is three months from now. That does give the Government plenty of time to put into effect the administrative arrangements that need to be put in place, in my view; to conduct seminars, to explain to people how it all works, to get forms printed and to establish computer software packages and the like. So, I am prepared to move back to 1 March; but it would be difficult to persuade me that the implementation of this important Bill, this important Act, should be delayed beyond 1 March. So, Mr Speaker, I ask members of the Assembly, in the interests of the community, to put this provision into the Bill - that the Act should become effective not later than 1 March 1992.
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