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That moratorium, Mr Speaker, will be lifted at one of two events. The Trades Practices Commission is presently examining multi-site franchising arrangements and the Government will await its report, which is due next year. If that report demonstrates that multi-site agreements benefit the community, as the oil companies allege, we will certainly consider lifting the moratorium in that event; or, if the oil companies themselves can demonstrate an unequivocal commitment to benefiting the Canberra consumer by this action. I do not mean by that a comforting letter or assurances; I mean proof positive that multi-site franchising will actually benefit Canberra consumers.

Mr Speaker, the support for this move has been surprising in many ways. My office took a telephone call from the Caltex-Ampol group the other day and were expecting some abuse from them. In fact, I can report that they were very pleased to support the move made by the Government. They apparently see this development as being deleterious to competition, not just within a particular marketplace but across Australia, and they are anxious to oppose it. I can also report that the governments of Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and New South Wales are also examining this proposal, and several of those States have indicated that they would like to see our legislation when it is ready in order to be able to copy it in those jurisdictions as well.

I would say to the oil companies concerned that, if they had any impression that, because of our position on the policies of the previous Government about admitting new players into the Canberra petrol market on preferential terms, we were in some ways friendly towards major oil companies or compliant about their policies and plans for this marketplace, these moves clearly indicate that we are not. We will not stand by and see competition further reduced in the ACT marketplace and we will protect the interests of both Canberra service station owners and the consumers in this marketplace with whatever steps are reasonable in the circumstances.

MR KAINE: I have a supplementary question. Minister, thank you for a comprehensive answer, but we have seen legislation before. In fact, I recall that the previous Attorney-General passed legislation that he desperately needed to cap wholesale pricing. That legislation has never been invoked, presumably for good reasons, in that it was probably known that it would not work. In order for this new legislation to work, I presume that you would need to have the cooperation of other State governments. How confident are you that your legislation will receive that sort of popular support and will be effective?

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I can advise Mr Kaine that this issue was raised at the meeting of Consumer Affairs Ministers about three weeks ago and that there was quite surprisingly strong support from almost every other jurisdiction for this proposal.

Mr Connolly: Except New South Wales, who said you were silly.

MR HUMPHRIES: Except New South Wales and the Commonwealth. New South Wales was ambivalent. The Minister for Consumer Affairs there has been in office for even less time than we have and she did not have a strong view about going down a particular path.

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