Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 6 Hansard (23 May) . . Page.. 1713 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

The reality is, Mr De Domenico, that a sensible person reading this recommendation would have said, "That is a good idea. Of course we can take advice on this issue". The fortunate part for you is that Ms Tucker has deliberately left the motion broad so that you can use it to your benefit. Instead of coming in and accepting it in good faith - indeed, Ms Tucker and I discussed it; and she deliberately left it broad so that you could use it to get advice, rather than trying to corner you on exactly how you must do it - you have tried to make it harder and, therefore, there has been more detail in the motion. It seems to me that it is a very sensible approach by Ms Tucker to say to the Government that, when sensible committee reports come down and the best you can do is say, "I disagree with it", then this Assembly is likely - - -

Mr De Domenico: No; with some of it.

MR MOORE: The best you have done so far, Mr De Domenico, is to say, "I do not like it because I disagree with you, because I often disagree with you". You are going to have to learn that, if you can come to this Assembly with some decent and valid arguments, unlike the ones you presented earlier, you may get a hearing; but that will be done as a response to the committee report, instead of the seven- or eight-line response you gave to this recommendation. We take committee reports seriously. A huge amount of work goes into committee reports in this Assembly, and the Assembly as a whole has always shown appropriate respect for those recommendations. I would suggest that in future you take the easy way out.

MS TUCKER (4.41): Mr Speaker, there are a couple of points I will have to address. It is very worrying when I hear Mr De Domenico, and I think other members on that side, continuing to claim that this is just about a Bill. This is not just about a Bill. This was made clear through the whole process of the committee's inquiry. There is a document called the Competition Principles Agreement, and in that document there are very - - -

Mr De Domenico: Who signed it?

MS TUCKER: Yes, exactly. We would have thought you would acknowledge - - -

Mr De Domenico: Ms Follett signed it.

MS TUCKER: But the point is that the responsibilities lie with you now to implement this, and what you are showing is an ignorance even of its existence. Do you know what is in subclause 1(3)? Do you know, Mr De Domenico? It says:

... where this Agreement calls:

(a) For the benefits of a particular policy or course of action to be balanced against the costs of the policy or course of action; or

(b) for the merits or appropriateness of a particular policy or course of action to be determined; or

(c) for an assessment of the most effective means of achieving a policy objective;

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .