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MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General and Minister for Consumer Affairs) (4.08), in reply: Mr Speaker, I thank the Opposition for their support for this Bill. It is good to see that they have not made an issue of the question of wild Liberal deregulation leading to all sorts of rorts and so on. You could say that they have used their loaf and decided not to behave strangely on the matter.

Mr Speaker, members will be aware that in the ACT for some time now you have been able to buy bread in all sorts of different shapes and sizes. Some very good bread is now available in shops around the ACT. I think that the effect of this legislation is basically on packaged bread, which had to be in particular sizes. There was a much smaller variety in that particular medium, and this overcomes that by removing that requirement for particular sizes to be effective. As Mr Connolly points out, it is still obligatory, obviously, that if one puts on the side of a package of bread that it weighs 600 grams it still has to weigh 600 grams. There is no removal of that requirement to accurately describe the contents of packets. We do not need to worry particularly much about bakers selling loaves that are basically hollowed out, or whatever. People are fairly effective in shopping around in those circumstances, and I very much doubt that bakers who decide to pull that trick would stay in business for very long.

This is only a small measure in the overall scheme of giving people greater choice and removing unnecessary restrictions on consumers. It is foolish to be suggesting that only certain loaf sizes should be sold in our shops. It is welcome that we have support in the Assembly today in taking a small step towards freeing up the market from those sorts of silly and outdated regulations.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.

Bill agreed to.

WORKERS COMPENSATION PROVISIONS - SELECT COMMITTEE

Membership

MR SPEAKER: Pursuant to the resolution of the Assembly of 31 May 1995, I have been notified in writing of the nominations of Mr Berry, Mr Hird and Mr Moore to be members of the Select Committee on Workers Compensation Provisions.

Motion (by Mr Humphries) agreed to:

That the members so nominated be appointed as members of the Select Committee on Workers Compensation Provisions.

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