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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 14 Hansard (12 December) . . Page.. 4899 ..

Mr Humphries: There is a big shortcoming with paper, too. It comes at a big environmental cost.

MS HORODNY: The issue of paper, Mr Humphries, is a very interesting one. You should not have touched on that one, Mr Humphries, because I have approached you on a couple of occasions at least to review the paper in this Assembly. Why do we get speeches, Mr Humphries, in 24-point font and on single sides? There is a hell of a lot of paper that could be saved in this place that is not saved. Suddenly, out of the blue, you have some sort of commitment to paper. Suddenly, you realised, "Oh, I am the Minister for the Environment. I had better say something about paper, had I not. It is about time because I have not said anything about the environment for a while and, whoops, that is right, I am the Environment Minister. I am glad my advisers told me, because I would have forgotten". I think, Mr Humphries, you should tidy up the level of paper that is used in this Assembly.

Mr Humphries: I take a point of order, Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker. I really think Ms Horodny should not shout. It is late at night and we are a little bit sensitive. I think shouting is most untoward in this debate.

MS HORODNY: I am very sorry. I apologise wholeheartedly to Mr Humphries. I agree that the hour is late and I should not shout. You are absolutely right. I am sorry, Mr Humphries, but I am afraid it is something that I really had to point out to you. It is not often that you put on your Environment Minister's hat. I was just so excited that you finally remembered that you were the Minister for the Environment. I just could not help myself.

Mr Moore: It was fleeting.

MS HORODNY: It was fleeting. You are right, Mr Moore. Of course, he has taken that hat off again. Of course, he will be wasting lots and lots of paper in this Assembly, producing speeches in 24 \-point font so that we each get 10 pages of every speech that could fit on one or two pages double-sided. Anyway, that was a nice little foray into the ministry for the environment. Thank you for that.

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (10.25): Let me take up formally the invitation Mr Moore gave to me to explore the way in which we can put this information onto electronic databases or the Internet if you like. Secondly, I have just decided that I will save some paper. I am going to recycle my Christmas card from you, Lucy, and send it to somebody else.

MR WHITECROSS (Leader of the Opposition) (10.26): Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, I am sorry to see that the Greens have abandoned the polluter-pays principle with this amendment. As a result, we will not be supporting it. Perhaps I am not surprised. My constituents in Greenway have to drive all the way to Chisholm or Calwell when they want to go to a supermarket because the Tuggeranong Hyperdome supermarkets have closed. They use up all those fossil fuels. I guess they will feel the same way as I feel now.

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