Page 1047 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 20 April 1994
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
It is not something that many of us could ever see happening near us. It is not something that many of us understand. It is, nevertheless, a tragedy. The Labor Party suffers internally because of it. We are people who are bound to peace and we want to make sure that whatever we do extends peace across the world. Some time ago we dealt with the issue of arms sales here in the Territory, and our motives on peace were expressed in the course of the debate over the Aidex matter. Mr Westende, we support your motion fully. I know that the community will support your motion fully. But I fear that we will be frustrated for some time yet, in the absence of an early solution. All of us will do what we can to foster some sort of solution and transmit our support for the early reconciliation you have called for.
MR MOORE (12.19): Madam Speaker, I think the importance of this motion is that it is yet another small mark that says that we must do something other than continue with war. It is another small amount of pressure to be put on the people of the region, the people who are making the decisions, rather than the people who are suffering. It seems to me that, if motions such as this from almost every other parliament in the world were brought to the attention of the people of the region, we could hope that that might bring some reasonable pressure for a solution. For that reason, along with the reasons expressed by both Mr Westende and Mr Berry, I think it is appropriate that this Assembly, hopefully unanimously, should support the motion proposed by Mr Westende.
Question resolved in the affirmative, members standing in their places.
Sitting suspended from 12.21 to 2.30 pm
QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Petrol Station Site
MRS CARNELL: Madam Speaker, my question without notice is addressed to the Minister for consumer affairs. I refer the Minister to the ACT Government's agreement with Burmah Fuels Australia which requires Burmah to pay rental at the highly concessional rate of 1.8c per litre after recovery of set-up costs. I ask the Minister: Is he aware that an independent valuation of the site conducted by McCann and Associates values the gross rental potential at not less than 7c per litre? We know that he is aware of that because we gave the information to him just before question time. Does he agree that on the expected throughput of 3.6 million litres per year the Government would receive $64,800, as per the AVO advice of 29 October 1993; but that if the Government were to charge a normal market rental it would receive $252,000? Why did the Government decide to forgo at least $187,000 in annual rent for the site?
MR CONNOLLY: The Government did not decide to forgo $187,000 in annual rent. I agree with the figures that you quoted on our figures, because they were the Australian Valuation Office figures and were the figures I gave you. You refer to the independent valuation which I see was sent to, and presumably paid for by, the Motor Trades Association of Australia, which of course does not like the fact that Canberra citizens are paying 7c a litre less for petrol under Labor than they would pay under the Liberals. What I am saying about this report, Madam Speaker, is that it says in the final paragraph:
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .