Page 6159 - Week 19 - Tuesday, 17 December 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
that there may be unintended effects; that we had not had a chance to adequately consult but we would give the government of the day, given that it has the best financial advisers in government, the benefit of the doubt and give effect to those amendments. That was the line the Rally took on that payroll tax issue. We take the same line today.
Both Mr Duby and I have had close involvement with the issues, as former responsible Ministers. We are aware that the issues are not clear, but we still do not believe that the truncated procedure is necessarily the optimum situation; that is, leaving the existing licensees on the old system and moving newer ones to the new one.
I do not know what the Trade Practices Act says in that regard. I have not had time to investigate what would clearly be a discriminatory practice by government which favours those who are already in business as against those who wish to emerge into business, new enterprises. Those issues have not been explored. I put that on the record. When we are back in government after February we will certainly re-examine this issue.
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (11.31), in reply: Mr Speaker, I thank members for their support of this Bill and I note their cautious approach to it. I can assure members that the Bill has been the subject of pretty extensive consultation with the affected industry. I accept, as some members have said, that this is a compromise Bill. There is no doubt about that.
The previous arrangement put forward by the Alliance caused a great deal of difficulty and resentment amongst the liquor industry and was the subject of quite a campaign at the time. I do not think members could be unaware of the resistance in the industry to the previous proposal. As I say, it is a compromise and it does involve two levels - one for existing licensees and one for new licensees. Quite clearly, as Mr Collaery says, there are two types of programs in operation under this Bill that is before us at the moment.
Nevertheless, Mr Speaker, I think that it is not a bad compromise and it does improve the situation for the liquor industry in the ACT, as Mrs Nolan said. I really think that our Treasury people should be congratulated on coming up with a compromise such as this that does improve the Territory's exposure to bad debt by the liquor industry, which has been a problem in the past, and at the same time moves new licensees to a new scheme which will protect us even more substantially from that bad debt situation whilst not imposing an undue impost on the licensees themselves.
As I say, it has been pretty well consulted on. It is a compromise. It is not a secret that that is the case. I trust that members will see it in the spirit in which it is offered - the wish to reduce bad debts while at the same
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .