Page 3163 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 20 September 1994
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Mr Moore has made a grave mistake in this area and is leading Australia down the wrong path on this issue. This is a grave mistake. I am sure that the people who responded to Mr Stevenson's poll would mean "no risk" and "some risk"; that is what they would mean. What Mr Moore is guaranteeing by his amendments is that there will be risk locked into some restaurants. In fact, for 90 per cent of them it would be banned. But, for the well-off ones, it would not be banned. There would be a ban in some cases. But those restaurants, et cetera, which could afford ventilation equipment could provide it. The playing field is not level, which is something that business does not want. Of course, the Government's position has always been to provide a level playing field.
Mrs Carnell scuttled her little paddleboat at the outset, when she talked about ASH, because she talked about a letter which referred to the provision of ventilation systems which lead to a smoke-free environment. But what Mr Moore is proposing, of course, is a ventilated area that means that there will be smoking there forever, up 50 per cent in the public area of premises; except in the case of restaurants, which will be up 75 per cent. I can tell you that ASH do not support that approach.
In the proposal that is being supported by Mr Moore before this Assembly we have the likelihood of, according to Mr Moore, a ban in 90 per cent of premises. In the case of non-restaurants, that will mean that 50 per cent of the public area in say 10 per cent of those premises will be covered by Australian Standard 1668, which, I think I have proven, does not provide a safe environment for non-smokers. Certainly, the people that supported that approach in Mr Stevenson's poll would not accept Australian Standard 1668, on the evidence that is provided. In the rest of those premises there will be a ban. In the case of restaurants, 75 per cent of the public area shall remain smoke free. What a joke! This would have to be one of the biggest jokes that I have ever heard - 75 per cent of the public area of a restaurant shall remain smoke free. We have an Australian standard that, as has been measured by other people, leaves dangerous carcinogens in the air. We have this very clear definition, I say tongue in cheek, about what is to occur:
The Minister shall not grant a certificate under paragraph (1)(b) unless -
(a) satisfied that the part of the premises to which the application relates -
(i) is not greater than 50 per cent of the public area of the premises;
(ii) is a clearly defined area ...
We will walk around with chalk and put the mark on the floor. This is the clearly defined area in this premises which has 50 per cent of it covered by Australian Standard 1668. There is no commitment to where the return air ducts, supply air ducts and so on will be - none at all.
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