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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 8 Hansard (25 June) . . Page.. 2086 ..

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, there is a fairly fundamental misconception in the question that has been asked, and that is that we are making a choice between whether people shop in a local centre or whether they shop in a town centre. That is not the distinction we are talking about. If this policy is not pursued, then there will not be local centres in the future, because the present policy settings in this town are driving those businesses out of business. You do not need me to tell you that. You need not take my word for that fact. Look at what has happened. Ms Reilly, you live in Weston Creek. You know what has happened to local centres around Weston Creek in recent times. You know the number of supermarkets that have closed around that area. You have spoken to those people and you know what small businesses - - -

Ms Reilly: But these new rules are not going to help those local supermarkets. Cooleman Court, which you use, is still open.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I suggest that Ms Reilly go and talk to some of those small businesses and ask them what they think about a policy which gives them a chance by restricting access to the local centres, particularly as far as trading hours are concerned. I doorknocked every one of those local centres before the last ACT election. I spoke to every business in those local centres in Weston Creek. Mr Speaker, at least a third of those people said that what they saw as killing them was the unrestricted trading hours available in the local town and group centres. It was access to unrestricted trading hours in other centres that they saw as hurting them. You cannot claim on the one hand that this policy will make no difference and then go and front the people in those centres and say to them, "We are going to oppose this policy because it will not help you". They do not believe that, Ms Reilly. You go and talk to them and sell that twaddle to them and see what they say.

MS REILLY: Mr Speaker, I have a supplementary question. I asked about town centres. The Minister who is answering the questions today may like to look around the town centres and see the people - - -

MR SPEAKER: Question, Ms Reilly; no preamble. You know that. I know everybody tries to crib, but there is no preamble for a supplementary question.

MS REILLY: A number of people live permanently around the town centres in the ACT. They use those town centres as their local shopping centres. What are those people going to do when you close their local shops?

MR HUMPHRIES: What planet have you been living on, Ms Reilly? Those supermarkets in the town centres you are talking about will be open for 85 hours a week. Can people not find time to shop there in those 85 hours? We are not talking about midnight to 6 am or anything like that; we are talking about standard trading hours of 85 hours a week. Do not say to me that you are concerned that the people who live near the town centres have nowhere to shop. They have places to shop and they have plenty of time to shop. Mr Speaker, the other thing which is surprising in the approach taken by those opposite is that they seem to pretend that what we are doing here is placing exceptional restrictions on town centre trading in this city. I draw members' attention to the situation in other cities in this country and, indeed, other places around the world.

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