Page 4468 - Week 14 - Thursday, 9 December 1993
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Kangaroo Culling
MR WESTENDE: Madam Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning. I refer the Minister to the successful method used for culling the kangaroo population in the Governor-General's residence enclosure at Yarralumla. What, if any, measures has the Minister undertaken to control or cull the population of kangaroos in areas covered by rural leases in the ACT?
MR WOOD: Madam Speaker, that was, it appears, a successful operation for containing kangaroos when they were already contained in a different way, that is, within fences, whether at Government House or the Botanic Gardens or somewhere else. Last night I was talking to some people who were anxious to see that process written up in a scientific way. There is a deal of information there that vets in the ACT and others would see as being useful, so we hope to see that whole deal written up in a proper journal.
For some time now the department has been discussing the kangaroo "problem", if there is a problem, with rural lessees, with a broad range of people. That discussion is continuing. I cannot indicate at this stage where that may go. Should it emerge in any form, obviously this Assembly would be informed at the appropriate time.
X-Rated Videos
MR STEVENSON: Madam Speaker, my question is to the Chief Minister. In today's Canberra Times it is reported that the Federal Opposition Treasury spokesman, Alexander Downer, said that the national capital should fall into line with the States and ban X-rated video tapes. He went on to say that the introduction of the 40 per cent tax on the adult movie industry by the former ACT Alliance Government in 1989 could be regarded as a coward's way out. May I remind members that I voted against first of all the ALP's proposal to introduce a retail tax and later the Alliance's 40 per cent tax, which was introduced. According to the Commissioner for ACT Revenue, Mr Gordon Faichney, in the Canberra Times yesterday, a possible new tax to meet the cost of regulating the X-rated video industry is a matter for the Government, which would need to amend the legislation. Is the Chief Minister considering the introduction of such tax, or would it be better to fall into line with the States and prevent our laws being used to subvert theirs?
MS FOLLETT: There was a question in there somewhere, Madam Speaker. First of all, with reference to Mr Downer's comments, I regret to say that I did not actually read them, so I will have to take Mr Stevenson's word for that. It sounds like something he would have said. I do not think it is in any way incumbent upon the Government to either listen to or take heed of anything Mr Downer says. That also probably comes as a relief to the Liberals opposite.
With regard to the comments of Mr Faichney, the Commissioner for Revenue, he is absolutely correct, as always, in saying that it is a matter for the Government to decide whether we will be reviewing the taxing regime for X-rated videos and whether, as a result of that review, we amend the taxing regime in the light of the
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