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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 8 Hansard (27 June) . . Page.. 2241 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General and Minister for Consumer Affairs) (11.19): Mr Speaker, the Government supports this motion, but not because we think that this is an area which is crying out for another committee or inquiry to examine it. Ms Follett made reference to the previous Assembly inquiry of 1994, but there is also other work that preceded that and succeeded that. The very good work by a working party involving the Attorney-General's Department and the Consumer Affairs Bureau in 1992 or 1993 had some very important things to say about the way in which petrol pricing in the ACT occurs and why the price of petrol here is higher than elsewhere in the country. Of course, there has been work outside the ACT, some of which Ms Follett referred to. The ACCC is inquiring into petrol pricing and things like multisite franchising, and academic work is going on all over the country.

Mr Speaker, I do not believe that another contribution to that is necessarily warranted on the part of the ACT or to add to the sum of knowledge, but I believe that it is important for there to be an inquiry in order to put to bed the assertions that have been made in the course of this debate - and made, I might say, by Ms Follett herself - that the reason for the recent jump in petrol prices was Government inactivity or, even worse, that Government collusion with petrol companies has somehow contributed to that rise in price. Mr Speaker, the Government's policy will withstand scrutiny on this issue. Ms Follett, in her comments, called for a bipartisan approach towards reducing petrol prices. I would welcome that. I would expect some sign from the Opposition that they are prepared to offer bipartisanship. We have not seen it very much in recent days.

Mr Moore: What about the Gungahlin Development Authority, Gary?

MR HUMPHRIES: On petrol pricing, I am saying. This Government has continued key policy issues pursued by the previous Government in the area of petrol pricing, yet those opposite saw fit to attack, I think rather opportunistically, the fact that petrol prices had gone up and to blame the ACT Government for that fact. I believe the Government has been vigorous on the question of petrol pricing, and I welcome this inquiry as a way of testing just what the Government has done on this subject and allowing the Assembly to determine, through its committee process, whether we have in fact adopted the right approach or whether we have in fact sat on our hands, as has been alleged in the past. If it leads to a bipartisan or multipartisan approach on petrol pricing, that would be a good thing and I would welcome that. I personally believe that the Assembly needs to focus some attention on the enemy outside the Territory, particularly the work of some major oil companies in this field that has contributed to higher petrol prices in the Territory. Perhaps if we spent less time attacking each other's so-called performance or lack of performance on petrol pricing we may be able to do that. I see this as an appropriate device to explore those issues I have referred to. A small select committee would be appropriate. I welcome the motion that has been put forward by Ms Follett. I hope that it does achieve the bipartisanship which she referred to in speaking to her motion.

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