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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 8 Hansard (27 June) . . Page.. 2412 ..

MR BERRY (10.53): I will deal with some of the Government antics on this later but, after listening to the Green Party's Ms Horodny on this issue, one would expect the Greens to stand by their commitments in relation to a whole range of matters. I heard Ms Horodny say that if they had their way they would close down the group centres as well. But that, in fact, does not happen with this legislation. Have a look at the real situation. The real situation is that large supermarkets will have to close between the hours which are prescribed in clause 6 of the Bill, but a supermarket of 400 square metres will be allowed to trade 24 hours in those areas, ad infinitum, until the sunset clause which is going to be proposed by the Liberals comes into effect. A situation is being created whereby you could close down a 24-hour trading supermarket, a large supermarket in a town centre, and a smaller one of 400 square metres could open up, trade for 24 hours, and in two years be sent broke. This is ridiculous legislation that the Greens are supporting.

Let us look at the effect of it on small shopping centres. The Greens have made great play of how much they support small business. Well, I have to agree with a comment I heard earlier, "Smaller and smaller and smaller business", because what they propose in relation to this Trading Hours Bill is what will happen. The 24-hour traders will move out into the group centres. For example, I reckon we will see a 24-hour trader in Kippax, an area that I know, and what do you think will happen? What do you think will happen as a result, Ms Horodny? I will tell you what will happen. The impact will be felt at the small Holt supermarket, the Higgins supermarket, the Charnwood supermarket and the Melba supermarket. You reckon you stand for small business.

Ms Horodny: Sure.

MR BERRY: Do not give me that. How can you support this legislation?

Ms Horodny: They are already going under.

MR BERRY: "They are already going under", Ms Horodny says; so it is all right. We will just give them a little help along; we will just speed it up a bit so they will not feel the pain for longer.

MR SPEAKER: Order!

MR BERRY: Now, come on! Just grease up the tracks a bit.

MR SPEAKER: Order! Stop asking rhetorical questions.

MR BERRY: Let us be serious about this. I am not going to sit idly by and have you pour that sort of stuff down my throat, saying that what you are doing in support of this Bill will help small business. I can tell you that where I live it will not help them. It will make things worse for them. It will make things much worse for them.

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