Page 2408 - Week 09 - Thursday, 17 September 1992
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addressed will significantly enhance the concepts of trade between States and Territories in Australia. Madam Speaker, as I have said, the concepts behind the Mutual Recognition Bill will, in my view, deliver the most significant micro-economic reforms this century. Hopefully, the Bill will go a long way towards overcoming the inefficiencies inherent in the State system that our federation was constructed on.
Madam Speaker, it is also appropriate to recognise that we have come a long way in redressing the problems in our transport industry. In attempts to get around the provisions of the Constitution and the Trade Practices Act about free trade between States and Territories, some States have put into force licensing mechanisms which have prevented proper interstate trade from occurring. The Minister for Urban Services recently announced a range of initiatives that the ACT Government has agreed to, but which I understand the New South Wales Government is not all that happy with, to adjust the licensing arrangements for some vehicles and place all of the States on the same playing field.
It is outrageous, for example, that most of the semitrailers used in New South Wales are in fact registered in South Australia, where the requirements for the registration of such trailers are significantly less than they are in New South Wales or in fact here in the ACT. With the support of the ACT Government, we have come to a position where registration requirements are now uniform across Australia. There was some bleating - I think that would be a generous way to describe it - from the Deputy Premier and Leader of the National Party in New South Wales, Mr Murray, on the radio yesterday, but I think that was more politicking and sour grapes than anything else. His State must now fall into line with what is happening in the rest of Australia. It has been New South Wales in particular that has kept those most significant reforms from happening much sooner. Madam Speaker, as I have said, the Mutual Recognition Bill comes from a desire - expressed in the Special Premiers Conference and acted on by what is called the overarching committee which represents the States, Territories and the Commonwealth - to arrive at a better system of commerce between the States and Territories, something which I hope that this Assembly supports unanimously when the Bill is put on the table.
Madam Speaker, the other matter in relation to the legislative program that I wanted to address is the document that was tabled yesterday by Minister Wood in relation to the Commissioner for the Environment. I compliment and applaud the Minister for releasing a discussion paper on the concept of the Commissioner for the Environment. This position, I believe, will be one of the most significant statutory positions in the ACT. It will be an onerous position because that person will be charged, as an independent body, with ensuring compliance with proper environmental laws determined by this Assembly. It will be up to this Assembly to ensure that the laws that are put into place are ones that protect Canberra's environment and protect the quality and style of living that we have. We will be placing upon the shoulders of this person, as I have said, probably one of the most onerous responsibilities of any statutory office-holder in the ACT. The Minister has now released a discussion paper and this, I believe, is the most appropriate way for us to proceed to enact the legislation which will underpin the authority of the commissioner.
Madam Speaker, I would like to address a range of other matters within the first and second priority lists, but I understand that my time is almost up.
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