Page 3170 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 20 September 1994
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If what you are saying is that you are convinced at this stage that the technical specifications of the clean air standard will provide an adequate level of safety and that as a result you will vote for these amendments, I would take the natural corollary of that to be that if it were demonstrated conclusively and beyond refutation that it will not - and that is the suggestion put forward by my colleague Mr Berry in relation to the dispersion and circulation of carcinogens within an enclosed environment through air-conditioning that would meet this standard - you would change your vote if this matter were again brought before the Assembly for determination.
I think that really is where this debate begins and ends. We can talk about the political point scoring - you said this; I said that - but that, after all, is the basis upon which the Assembly committee made its recommendation. The majority of the members of the Assembly committee believed that this standard was sufficient to afford a proper level of protection.
Mr Moore: Where does it say that?
MR LAMONT: I am not disputing that, Mr Moore. I am quite confident that the majority of the members of the committee reasonably believed that. That is the basis upon which, most certainly, one member of this Assembly has determined to judge their vote and cast their vote. I think it needs to be accepted also, Mr Moore, that, if that can be satisfactorily refuted, then this Assembly must again visit this issue. If that is the determinant for votes in support of tonight's amendments, then it must also be the determinant for changing tonight's vote. That really is the test that as an Assembly we have now set ourselves.
I personally do not believe that that is satisfactory to the industry. We are basing these amendments on something that is the subject of varying interpretation, something that has not been accepted by any occupational health and safety organisation in this country. We are basically basing our views on that. So, on the one hand - - -
Mr Moore: That is not true.
MR LAMONT: Mr Moore, I heard you in reasonable silence.
Mr Moore: Yes, but I said things that were true.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order, Mr Moore!
Mr Moore: I withdraw, Madam Speaker.
MR LAMONT: Mr Moore, I am not trying either to provoke you or to belittle your argument, but I am trying to understand it. This is a substantial sensitive matter within our community. I think everybody in this chamber acknowledges that. I am expected to vote tonight on amendments to the Government's Bill when the rationale for those amendments, I believe, will mean that this matter will be revisited by the Assembly in a very short period of time. I do not believe that that can give any comfort at all to the
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