Page 6399 - Week 19 - Tuesday, 17 December 1991
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THIS YEAR. THE A.C.T. CONSUMER AFFAIRS BUREAU HAS ALSO BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN MONITORING THE LOCAL SITUATION.
MR SPEAKER, IT IS AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED TO TABLE THIS BILL. BUT WE ARE DEFINITELY NOT SAYING TO THE COMMUNITY: "EVERYTHING IS OK, WE THE GOVERNMENT HAVE TAKEN OVER THE PROBLEM AND WE WILL FIX IT WITH THE STROKE OF A PEN."
THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT TABLING THIS BILL WITH THE IDEA THAT THE PROBLEMS INVOLVED IN THE MARKETING AND SUPPLY OF FUEL CAN ALL BE SOLVED BY THE STROKE OF THE LEGISLATIVE PEN. THAT IS NOT REALISTIC. THERE ARE LIMITS TO WHAT GOVERNMENT CAN AND SHOULD DO IN THE MARKETPLACE. WHAT WE DO SEEK TO DO BY TABLING THIS EXPOSURE DRAFT IS AT LEAST TO CONTRIBUTE TO A SENSIBLE COMMUNITY DISCUSSION OF THE ISSUE.
A BILL PROVIDES A CONCRETE BASIS FOR SUCH DISCUSSION, AND IT IS THERE READY TO BE ENACTED INTO LAW IF NECESSARY.
LEGISLATIVE REGULATION IN THIS FORM MAY NOT BE THE WAY TO GO IN THE LONG RUN, BUT SOME STATES SUCH AS VICTORIA AND WESTERN AUSTRALIA HAVE APPROACHED THE ISSUE IN THIS WAY. THOSE STATES HAVE ENACTED LEGISLATION ALONG SIMILAR LINES TO THE DRAFT BILL WE ARE TABLING TODAY AND HAVE ACHIEVED SATISFACTORY RESULTS.
MR SPEAKER, THE BILL IS FAIRLY SIMPLE IN STRUCTURE. IT WOULD ENABLE THE MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR CONSUMER AFFAIRS TO GAZETTE MAXIMUM PRICES FOR FUEL ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE DIRECTOR OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS. THE DIRECTOR WOULD ALSO BE EMPOWERED ON A CONFIDENTIAL BASIS TO OBTAIN RELEVANT INFORMATION FROM THE INDUSTRY FOR THE PURPOSES OF ADVISING THE MINISTER. THE BILL ALLOWS THE SETTING OF MAXIMA, IT DOES NOT EMPOWER THE SETTING OF RECOMMENDED PRICES OR MARGINS BECAUSE THAT WOULD LESSEN COMPETITION BY PRICE AND DISCOURAGE TRADING AT LOWER PRICES.
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