Page 3167 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 20 September 1994
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Mr Berry also said that Mr Moore and members of the Opposition were trying to enhance the culture of tobacco consumption where the culture of tobacco consumption is endorsed. I am suggesting, Madam Speaker, that what we are trying to do here is the exact opposite of that. The commonsense and logical argument is that it is dangerous to have tobacco smoke blown in your face everywhere - not just in restaurants but in clubs, taverns and casinos. Mr Berry also used the expression "level playing field". For there to be a level playing field, it must be recognised that it is dangerous to have tobacco smoke blown in your face everywhere. What these amendments say is that all places, every single place that we can think of - restaurants, clubs, taverns, casinos - will have certain areas where there will be no tobacco smoke at all. There will also be extraction equipment to Australian Standard 1668 to make sure that, as much as possible, the air quality is just as good as the air quality outside. That will be across the board - restaurants, the casino, clubs, bars, taverns. On the one hand, the Government is suggesting that the only places where it is prepared to act are restaurants. It has adopted this position without consulting the restaurant industry, by the way. The Government has that in mind. One wonders why.
On the other hand, the Opposition and the Independents are saying that the code of practice of Mr Lamont, the new Minister for Industrial Relations, says that by the year 1997, in order to protect the occupational health and safety of workers, all places - restaurants, clubs, hotels, taverns and even the casino - will have certain areas which are totally smoke free. Had Mr Berry dared to consult with the workers, he would have known that that is what the workers want as well. Mr Berry should realise that certain workers happen to enjoy a smoke. In fact, I am aware that Mr Lamont and the Chief Minister happen to enjoy a smoke as well, but what Mr Berry should have done - - -
Mrs Carnell: In their offices.
MR DE Domenico: In their offices, Mrs Carnell says. I do not know, because I would not dare go into the Chief Minister's office, just in case she was smoking.
Mr Kaine: Just sniff the air-conditioning from time to time.
MR DE Domenico: That is right. So, we have the two sides of the argument. Mr Berry is saying that the only place where it appears that the Government is prepared to say that smoking is dangerous is in restaurants. It is all right to puff smoke in a club such as the Canberra Club. I use the Canberra Club as an example because Ms Ellis takes umbrage when I mention the Labor Club. The Government is saying that it is all right to smoke in any club, even the Southern Cross Club, Mr Kaine, or the Italo-Australian Club. It is okay to blow smoke in someone's face at the Italo-Australian Club but not at Fringe Benefits, because then it is dangerous.
What these amendments quite rightly say is that it is dangerous to blow smoke anywhere. They also say that workers have a right to work in areas that are totally smoke free. To make sure that that happens, as a secondary measure we also insist on Australian Standard 1668 air-conditioning. That is to add to the protection of workers in the workplace. That is what this is all about. There is no logic in Mr Berry's argument.
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