Page 1033 - Week 04 - Thursday, 18 June 1992
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
six-month period, was received in March. Also in line with New South Wales, the Bill before members provides for an annual energy research and development levy. Funds from the levy will be used to undertake research into energy related matters of benefit to the Territory.
It has also been recognised that there are potential benefits to be obtained by ensuring that other suppliers of gas can have the opportunity to enter the market. As it would be most unlikely that a second pipeline system could be justified, the ACT provides for access to the existing pipeline system by a third party, subject to conditions and recognising the existing rights of the existing gas distributor. Madam Speaker, AGL fully supports these proposals and is already operating under such a system in New South Wales. Finalisation of AGL's authorisation and appointment of the Gas Authority will take place to coincide with commencement of the legislation.
Madam Speaker, after 12 years the ACT can feel confident that under these proposals it will have an appropriate level of control over distribution of natural gas in the ACT. The proposals will also ensure that the benefits of the three-year price freeze will not be taken away, provide consumers and AGL with clear conditions for the provision of gas and replace the previous inconsistent and unsatisfactory approach to price regulation with a predictable, open formula. Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Chief Minister, I present the explanatory memorandum for the Bill.
Debate (on motion by Mr Westende) adjourned.
POSTPONEMENT OF ORDER OF THE DAY
Motion (by Mr Berry) agreed to:
That order of the day No. 1, Executive business, Dog Control (Amendment) Bill 1992, be postponed until a later hour this day.
BUDGET STRATEGY 1992-93
Ministerial Statement
Debate resumed from 16 June 1992, on motion by Ms Follett:
That the Assembly takes note of the paper.
MR KAINE (Leader of the Opposition) (3.36): Mr Deputy Speaker, my purpose today is to respond to the statement from the Chief Minister put forward two days ago as a budget strategy, which falls far short of the objective that its title would suggest. You might expect that the Follett Labor Government's budget strategy would tell us how the budget will be framed, what its priorities are and how the economic future of the ACT will be shaped. But our expectations have not been met.
All this statement does is tell us that this Government is aware of the obvious problems and, in ways that have not been defined, will try to do something about them. As the Canberra Times said in its editorial yesterday:
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .