Page 1241 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 11 May 1993
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The ACT once again, as Ms Szuty most eloquently said, is going to be the island of prohibition in a sea of acceptance. We have all seen what has happened with the circus issue. Thousands upon thousands of Canberrans go over to Queanbeyan and spend their money in Queanbeyan. Why? Because the only State, Federal or any other government banning circus animals is the ACT radical left-wing Labor Government. I stress that, because we people on this side of the house learnt from 13 March - and I concede this to you, Mr Berry - that parties that are perceived to be radical in any way, shape or form do not get the support of the people in this community. I am sure that even the Independents in this room realise that this ACT Labor Government is one of the most radical governments, conservative or non-conservative, that this country will ever see.
Let me also refer to comments made by Mr Berry and Ms Follett from time to time about this wonderful word "consultation". I am sure that no member in this Assembly - and not one person in the community - had their door kicked down over the past three months or four months by people saying, "You must ban kick boxing".
Mr Cornwell: I was underwhelmed.
MR DE DOMENICO: Were you? But no wonder. The first time the community heard about this was when Mr Berry walked in here and presented a Bill to the Assembly. His presentation speech said "and similar contests". When I went around town and talked to the people in the judo association and karate clubs they said, "Hey, listen. The way we read this presentation speech and press release is that we may be affected". Mr Connolly stands up and says, "No, they are not going to be affected". But how do we know that? Why should we believe Mr Connolly? Nobody in the sporting community believes him when he says that, and certainly no-one believes Mr Berry. Mr Berry might believe in what he has to say, but then again we know - - -
Mr Lamont: The Speaker is down there.
MR DE DOMENICO: Mr Lamont is trying to interject. If Mr Lamont wants to contribute to the debate he can stand up and do so after I have finished or after somebody else has finished. I wonder whether the next step Mr Berry might take is to ban some Jean-Claude Van Damme movies or Bruce Lee movies because they may cause our little brothers and sisters and boys and girls to dash out on the street on a Saturday night and start punching one another in the face.
This Bill is nonsense. This Bill is another example of how this left-wing controlled Labor Government is about to nanny the community because of the personal views of one or two apparatchiks in the back row somewhere who are saying to Mr Berry, "You must do what we tell you" under the threat of not being preselected next time round. Clause 20 of this Bill is a nonsense. The banning of kick boxing is a nonsense and for that reason, as my very eloquent colleague says, the Liberal Party will be supporting Ms Szuty's amendment. We say, "Well done, Mr Berry, for controlling boxing. That is a good move. Well done. Now control kick boxing as well. Do not ban it".
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