Page 4621 - Week 15 - Wednesday, 15 December 1993
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given no argument for setting aside the advice that she has been given by two reputable organisations, the Law Society and the Canberra Business Council. Unless she can do that, unless she can refute it with substantial evidence, I am not prepared to accept her word. It is not good enough.
Mr Lamont: So you are prepared to revisit the 80 teachers, because the Business Council said that you were wrong.
MR KAINE: I am not talking about teachers. I am talking about your tax Act, Mr Lamont. Focus on the debate at hand.
MS SZUTY (11.59): I too have listened again to the words of the Chief Minister and Mr Kaine, who presented the amendments to this Act today. The Chief Minister said that Mr Kaine had really presented no reasons for the 30-year period that he was contemplating, rather than the 25 years. I think Mr Kaine presented very good reasons, as he outlined when he spoke after Ms Follett, based on the views of the Law Society and the Canberra Business Council. It is not a question that there is no evidence of support - - -
Mr Lamont: Hello; Ms Szuty is also going to cut by 80 teachers because the Business Council said that you should. Take their advice now.
MS SZUTY: I listened to the debate, Mr Lamont, and Ms Follett did say that she saw no reason for supporting the 30-year period. I am refuting that that is actually the case. She also said that the decision that she made was based on leases taken for a 25-year period. Presumably, at the moment, there are not leases taken for a longer period than that; so, presumably, Mr Kaine's amendment as it stands will not have any immediate effect whatsoever. It really does puzzle me that, when this Government gets into a situation where it believes that it has been wrong, it simply cannot accommodate the arguments that other members of this Assembly or the Opposition can present which will legitimately give it cause to change its mind. I really think that that is a very puzzling situation. I think Mr Kaine has presented his arguments in support of the 30-year period well to this Assembly this morning, and I believe that we should support his Bill and reject Ms Follett's amendment.
MR MOORE (12.01): I would like to start with the fact that the Chief Minister appropriately said that whatever the Assembly decides she will implement. That is a very pleasing thing and a great contrast with her attitude to referenda for the people of Canberra. Whenever the people of Canberra have presented what they wanted through a referendum it has been totally ignored by this Chief Minister and the Labor Party in a treacherous betrayal and a total cop-out.
MADAM SPEAKER: Could you talk about the Stamp Duties and Taxes (Amendment) Bill, please, Mr Moore?
MR MOORE: That is exactly what I am doing, Madam Speaker. It is appropriate, in dealing with the Stamp Duties and Taxes (Amendment) Bill and the words of the Chief Minister, saying that the Assembly's decision will be implemented, that we highlight the contrast there with her treacherous attitude to the referendum and the way she has misled this chamber.
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