Page 234 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 12 May 1992
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While not detracting from the overall principle of mutual recognition, this exemption will ensure that the stringent provisions of our legislation, which is the toughest in Australia, are not compromised, in keeping with the Government's firm commitment to promoting a safer community.
Madam Speaker, agreement was also reached on further reforms in electricity generation, transmission and distribution. As an electricity consumer, the ACT is concerned to ensure that the electricity industry is as efficient and competitive as possible, and that we can negotiate directly with cost efficient generators of electricity. I therefore welcomed the agreement by heads of government to the principle of separate generation and transmission bodies in the electricity sector, and to develop an interstate transmission network across the eastern part of Australia. It is particularly pleasing that further work in this area will be undertaken by a body in which the ACT is a full participant, namely, the National Grid Management Council, in contrast with our continued exclusion from the review of the Snowy Mountains scheme.
In the area of road transport, agreement was reached to extend the role of the National Road Transport Commission, established at the July 1991 Special Premiers Conference, to cover all road users. In the same way as a national scheme has been established for regulation of heavy vehicles, national harmonisation of regulation will now apply to light vehicles. This is an important reform which will lead to greater efficiencies and overcome problems arising from varying regulations across Australia. It is also a reform in which the ACT has been asked to play a significant role.
Madam Speaker, the other parties to the agreement have asked us to agree to having legislation enacted by the Commonwealth to extend the role of the National Road Transport Commission to cover light vehicles. This legislation would then be adopted by other jurisdictions. As I believe that it is appropriate that we should take this further step through a parliamentary process, I will shortly be seeking the consent of the Assembly to adopting the approach that I have described.
Madam Speaker, before doing so, I would like to turn to some further areas of national importance in which progress was made at yesterday's meeting. Heads of government agreed to the need to achieve a major increase in the level of vocational education and training opportunities across Australia, particularly in order to equip our young people with appropriate skills and qualifications. We resolved to settle, as a matter of urgency, the responsibilities of governments for the funding and resourcing of vocational education and training. More detailed work on options in this area will be undertaken for the June Premiers Conference. A further important topic for the June meeting will be the issue of youth employment and training.
In Aboriginal affairs, we endorsed the report prepared for the Australian Aboriginal Affairs Council, "Achieving Greater Coordination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Programs and Services", as a framework of principles and a plan of action for improved intergovernmental relations. I believe that the directions provided by this report will be a valuable mechanism for addressing issues of Aboriginal disadvantage, particularly by the development of a national Aboriginal policy statement.
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