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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 6 Hansard (23 May) . . Page.. 1705 ..

MS FOLLETT (continuing):

Mr Speaker, I believe that the Government has a great deal of work to do if it is going to implement competition policy in a way that does protect the best interests of the Canberra community. Even when it came to examining an issue like the public interest, which is a key issue in competition policy, all that the committee got was the stock definition. There was no explanation, no elaboration, on how that might apply in the ACT situation. So, Mr Speaker, I believe that there is a great deal more work to be done. I am very sorry indeed that people like Mr De Domenico - and many of his bureaucrats, I might say - continue to mouth the rhetoric without an understanding of the underlying issues which are very significant for our community.

Mr Speaker, as I say, I believe that the Government has brought this motion upon itself. At the time that I tabled the report of the Select Committee on Competition Policy, when I addressed the issue of a consultative forum, I left it wide open to the Government as to how it might want to implement this recommendation of the committee. I made it clear that it was a key recommendation of the committee. I invited the Government to nominate whether it was going to be a committee of the Assembly, a group of outside experts or a peak body made up of its other consultative mechanisms. And what did the Government come back with in its response to that committee report? It said, "No, that is not acceptable".

Mr De Domenico: We did not say no. We said that there are already mechanisms in place.

MS FOLLETT: Mr Speaker, we have heard from Mr De Domenico that there are consultative procedures and consultative provisions in place. That is absolutely untrue. What the Minister has just reiterated - things like the statement on competition neutrality principles and so on - is not consultation. I think that, for a Government that has at least mouthed the words on being open and consultative to pretend that again the stock statements - delivered, as they must be under the legislation, after the event - constitute consultation is absolutely laughable.

Mr Speaker, I believe that Mr De Domenico has let his side down in his whole approach to this issue yet again. Mr De Domenico usually lets his side down; but I am much more concerned that he lets down the Canberra community as well. Mr Speaker, Mr De Domenico clearly has no grasp on his portfolio as it relates to the Canberra community. He is merely mouthing the words that have been written for him - just the rhetoric yet again. There is obviously a greater need now than there ever was before for the Government and the bureaucrats who are involved in competition policy implementation to get some good information, and that information must be drawn from the community who will be affected.

Mr Speaker, had the Government come back with a more thoughtful, more moderate, more considered and conciliatory approach on this committee report, I would not be supporting this motion. But they have not. Yet again, as I say, they have taken a unanimous committee report from this Assembly and have just treated it with absolute contempt. It is very important indeed, I believe, that such a government seeks advice from people who have a better regard than it appears to have for the Canberra community. As I say, I will be supporting the motion as put forward by Ms Tucker.

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