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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 8 Hansard (25 June) . . Page.. 2067 ..

Mr Moore: What about the suburban supermarkets? It does not help any.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, in answer to that interjection by Mr Moore, I concede that some people will not move from their town centre supermarket to their group centre supermarket. Some people will not go there; some will go to their local centre supermarkets. That is the extent of benefit of this policy for local supermarkets. Mr Speaker, that is an important benefit.

I make no secret of the fact that this Government supports the concept of having a balance in our retail trading hierarchy. We want local shops, we want group shops, we want town centre shops, and we will support all of those players in the hierarchy; but we will not sacrifice the small shops, the small businesses, the local employers, the local businesses or the local jobs that come in small businesses in town, group and local centres. Mr Speaker, that is what this policy is all about.

MR WHITECROSS: Mr Speaker, my supplementary question is: Minister, given that the Supermarket Institute survey found that 93 per cent of Canberra residents did not want a reduction in town centre supermarket trading hours, and given that your policy will throw 300 people out of work, inconvenience thousands of shoppers and potentially cost them 12 per cent more for their groceries if they shop in a suburban centre, why are you persisting with this disruptive experiment which the Chief Minister concedes may not even work?

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, the dishonesty of those opposite again needs to be highlighted. Where is - - -

Mr Berry: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Mr Humphries clearly imputed that all of us were dishonest. I for one rise to a point of order and ask him to withdraw that unequivocally.

MR SPEAKER: Mr Berry, you well know that the rules of this house state that if a member accuses another member individually - - -

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, may I draw your attention to the standing orders.

MR SPEAKER: Naturally, the member concerned would have to withdraw. But if a term is used collectively - and there are numbers of times when various references have been made to oppositions or governments being hypocrites or something of that nature - then we have always ruled that there is no point of order. I so rule. Would you like to quote me a standing order?

Mr Berry: I would like to quote you a standing order. It may in fact - - -

Mrs Carnell: It is not a personal reflection.

Mr Berry: Mrs Carnell, if you want to be Speaker, run for the job, but you will not get a reference from me. Mr Speaker, the standing order reads:

All imputations of improper motives - - -

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