Page 4484 - Week 14 - Thursday, 9 December 1993
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reasonably, as a community, we should be expected to bear to improve that situation". I believe that the balance comes down quite clearly in favour of the arrangement that the Government has put in place with the Transport Industry Training Council.
Let us look at who makes up the Transport Industry Training Council. This is not some group of raving Bolsheviks that we are talking about here, Mr Stevenson; we are talking about people involved in the Transport Industry Training Council who have been in the road transport industry and the transport industry in general for a considerable period. The first chair of the Transport Industry Training Council was Mr Barrie Cole. Barrie Cole's Removalists is a well-known local firm that employs a substantial number of Canberra, Queanbeyan and regional residents. Indeed, Mr Cole has made an outstanding contribution to road safety not only here in the ACT but in Australia. He has a commitment. He believes that his drivers, that his workers at all levels, should have appropriate training and retraining. He has contributed not only in dollar terms and time. He has said that he is committed to this program of reducing road accident trauma in Australia and increasing the professionalism of the transport industry. That is looking at it in pure economic terms.
What happens in our community when you are able to reduce road deaths and road trauma? On the statistics that I have read out, if we are able to continue the decline in road deaths in the ACT the social benefit is immeasurable. You cannot stand up here and suggest that a peppercorn rent is too much or too little to pay when compared to the preservation of life. That is something that nobody speaking in this debate this afternoon has been able to challenge.
There is one final matter. The Minister said in his address, and I will quote it again, that this was not built as a motor sport facility. Mr Cornwell, taking a debating point, tried to obscure that fact. He failed again. Just for his edification, that is in fact what was said. I also indicate that the group that is involved, the Transport Industry Training Council, is a federally and ACT Government and private sector funded organisation. You have private sector companies in the road transport and distribution industry putting up hundreds of thousands of dollars to provide for this facility to be created in our region. This is something for which they should be congratulated, not vilified as proposed by this matter of public importance or as enunciated by Mr Cornwell.
MR DE DOMENICO (4.00): Madam Speaker, I will attempt to speak at a level a couple of decibels lower than previously.
Mr Lamont: I have to, to get over the interjections.
MR DE DOMENICO: Not one person, as I recall, Madam Speaker, interjected on Mr Lamont.
Mr Lamont: You are also deaf because you cannot hear Mr Cornwell.
Mr Moore: Just ignore his interjections.
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