Page 5070 - Week 16 - Wednesday, 27 November 1991
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Mr Stefaniak: We did not drive that one, did we?
MR BERRY: No, that is not the one. You were not trying hard enough, Bill; that was your trouble. Its traditional colour and advertising scheme promote a particular brand of cigarettes - notice that I did not mention the name. It is in this form that the vehicle has raced in grand prix races around the world. The vehicle was brought to Canberra as part of the recent highly successful National Capital Sprint, and it was a major drawcard for the event, as those who went there would agree.
I agreed to provide an exemption for the vehicle to allow its display at the event as, quite clearly, the advertising on the vehicle is there in order to complete an accurate historical representation of the vehicle as it was raced. It was in its original livery. I am advised that there is no current sponsorship arrangement involving tobacco companies in relation to this car, and if that were not the case my decision, I think, would have been quite different. As to the particular brand of cigarettes - notice that I did not mention the name - not having had a look at the shops in recent times, I went to a shop to see whether that particular brand of cigarettes was still available. And, to my horror, they were; but that could be coincidental.
To seek to enforce the tobacco advertising ban in such circumstances, even to me would have seemed overzealous. I am particularly zealous about this issue. But many products and events have been used over many years to advertise and promote tobacco products, and we cannot just rewrite history. Many of these products, referring to the car, have a value to the people who fanatically support motor racing. In my view, it would have been inappropriate to censor or hide them because of their past association with tobacco products. It was a good example of a past racing car in very nicely kept condition.
On 31 October 1991 I received a request from the organisers for an exemption. The late gazettal of this exemption for the car is regretted. I understand why Mr Moore is concerned about it, but it was partly the result of difficulties in clarifying some of the details necessary for the preparation of the exemption. I needed to be satisfied in my own mind that there was no current sponsorship for the vehicle. I have to say, too, that part of the delay was because of my own reluctance to sign the exemption. I regret this matter. The car was in town for two days and on display, and it has gone.
MR MOORE: I have a small supplementary question that ties in with this. With the New South Wales Parliament considering the legislation, and there is a great deal of talk about very tight laws there, if their laws are tighter than ours and they set a date in 1995, will you also support pulling in line with New South Wales?
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