Page 199 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 23 February 1994
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I believe that the appropriate thing for this Assembly to do, before it takes this very momentous and courageous step, is to refer this Bill to an appropriate standing committee of the Assembly, to ensure that that issue particularly is thrashed out. I would like to see that happen. Perhaps at the end of the day a cost to the restaurant industry in terms of patronage lost or jobs lost or revenue lost is an acceptable price to pay. Perhaps we should be saying to ourselves that the saving in health costs to this community is worth the loss to the restaurant industry. Perhaps we can say that. But we need to know what that equation is. We need to know what that level of effect on that industry is, and, frankly, the Government has made not the faintest attempt to explain that phenomenon; nor has it even acknowledged expressly that that might occur.
There are other problems, Madam Speaker. Another is the undisclosed timetable which is behind this Bill. What is wrong with the Minister allaying the concerns of our community and the members in this place by putting on the table the Government's long-term plans, if there are any, for establishments like taverns, bars, clubs and the casino? Why can we not know that? Are we not to be trusted with that important public health information? Are we going to misuse it? Are we likely not to understand it? I think the timetable is pretty understandable by anybody. Why cannot the industry know? Why cannot the community know?
Mr Berry: They will.
MR HUMPHRIES: The question, Minister, is: When? When will they know? Can they know before this becomes law?
Mr Berry: Shortly.
MR HUMPHRIES: Fine. I am looking forward to hearing that. I would like to know particularly whether the Minister considers that the giving of a blank cheque of this kind in respect of this kind of legislation would be tolerated in any other area of government. I suspect that it would not.
I am also concerned, as I have said before, Madam Speaker, at the serious misdirection of this piece of legislation. If we were going to strike a blow for public health in the Territory, what is the place or the category of places where we would first legislate to ban smoking? I do not know about other members, but I have gone to lots of restaurants over a long period and in my opinion restaurants today, from a passive smoking point of view, are considerably safer places than they were 10 years ago. Today there are many more non-smoking areas available to people like me, and there are many more restaurants without any smoking at all. Indeed, there is a change of culture in restaurants in this community. People do not smoke as much in restaurants, even if they are smokers. That is an indication of the extent to which the environment has changed.
But, Madam Speaker, that simply cannot be said about taverns and bars, or clubs, for that matter. The problem there is very serious. The question needs to be asked: Why did the Government move on restaurants? (Extension of time granted) I thank members. Madam Speaker, why is it that those other areas where there is a considerable problem with passive smoking have been overlooked?
Mr Berry: Read the speech.
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