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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 14 Hansard (11 December) . . Page.. 4699 ..

MR OSBORNE: Thank you for that answer, Mr Stefaniak. I will need to get a copy of Hansard to work out exactly what you said.

MR SPEAKER: This is a supplementary question. No preamble, Mr Osborne.

MR OSBORNE: I would still like to know when the rebates were last adjusted. My advice is that this figure of $5.25 has been constant for about 10 years. During a recent debate your colleague Mr Humphries described your Government as being tight fisted and scrooge-like in relation to its approach to a certain issue. Mr Stefaniak, do you concur with your colleague's opinion that your Government is indeed tight fisted and scrooge-like, especially in its application of these rebates for the less fortunate members of our community?

MR SPEAKER: The question is out of order in asking for an expression of opinion. You may answer what is left of it, if you wish, Mr Stefaniak.

MR STEFANIAK: Mr Osborne, I thought this Government, in very difficult financial circumstances, was being as generous as is humanly possible and doing a pretty good job of it, too.

MR MOORE: My question is to the Minister for Planning, Mr Humphries. It deals with an area where they are not tight fisted and scrooge-like. That is the area of business. Mr Humphries, one of the prime planks of your retail policy is the rebuilding of small retail centres. My understanding is that it requires a variation of the Territory Plan. Can you tell us what you have done to promote retail centres through variation of the Territory Plan? What have you done about that plank of your policy? Have you sought community opinions? Have you advertised for comment? Are you really serious about small retail centres, or is the shopping hours business just a stunt?

Mr Osborne: Here is your chance to be honest, Gary.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I will ignore that interjection by Mr Osborne because it is out of order. It would be nice to throw him out, Mr Speaker, but I will not.

Mr Berry: No courage.

MR HUMPHRIES: Discretion is the better part of valour, Mr Berry. You would not know about that, but I do.

The Government some time ago announced its policy concerning revitalisation of the city's smaller shopping centres, and obviously other arms of that policy have been progressed in the meantime. Mr Moore might recall the debate we had a little while ago about shopping hours, which was part of the overall platform.

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