Page 958 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 31 March 1993
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hearings, to pursue the matter. The school has neither the resources nor the time available, nor, I would suggest, probably the expertise; nor can you expect the department to act unilaterally. It does require political direction, and I suggest that it is this political will that is lacking at present, while thousands of dollars of hard work is trashed in schools and in the wider community by under-age vandals.
I do not claim that this legislation will eradicate the problem, either in schools or elsewhere. However, it will perhaps reduce it and, hopefully, make parents more aware of their responsibilities for their children to the community. I believe that it will certainly provide the community with some restitution for the damage caused, providing that there is the political will to do so. I commend the Bill to the house.
Debate (on motion by Mr Connolly) adjourned.
COMMERCIAL TENANCIES BILL 1993
MR MOORE (10.55): I present the Commercial Tenancies Bill 1993.
Title read by Clerk.
MR MOORE: I move:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
This Bill seeks to establish an Act of this Assembly which will regulate the relationship between lessors and lessees and provide a mechanism for resolving disputes between parties to a commercial lease. During the election campaign leading up to the formation of the First Legislative Assembly of the ACT, the Labor Party distributed many hundreds of copies of a circular to commercial tenants throughout the ACT. These included commercial tenants in both retail industry and other types of commercial activity. I quote from this circular:
We are going to election at a time of publicity about extreme rent increases and other impositions on commercial tenants ... in the interests of the consumer and small business we believe it necessary to step in and make this relationship fairer and more equitable.
A Labor Government is committed to introducing legislation to protect commercial tenants.
Madam Speaker, there are members with excellent memories who will recognise that every word I have spoken so far is quoted from Hansard. The words I have used so far are the words of Paul Whalan in March 1990, when introducing the Business Leases Review Bill. It did not get a guernsey. He went on to say that members of the tenants association had asked him why the legislation had not been introduced earlier. Deja vu. The same tenants association, along with many members of the public, are still asking why the Labor Party has not taken the very steps it promised in 1989 to protect the rights of commercial tenants in the ACT.
Mr Berry: Because they did not all vote for us.
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