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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 2 Hansard (27 February) . . Page.. 617 ..

MR OSBORNE (continuing):

okay for there to be tabletop dancers in the middle of Civic. If that means I am a moral guardian, so be it. There are designated areas for that type of entertainment, if you call it that, and, if Mr Moore wants to frequent one of those places, he knows where they are. The thing that annoys me about people like Mr Moore is that they constantly attack everything that normal, sensible people cling to - issues such as morality. The fact is that they never offer a real alternative. They erode everything that is dear to us; yet they never put up anything to counter what they have taken away. Mr Speaker, I will be supporting the Government on that issue.

On the extension of the 4.00 am close, when I proposed it last year there was very strident and very vocal opposition from the AHA, the lobby group for these licensees. Yet, here we are, nearly 12 months away, and they have come out in support of extending the trial while we wait for the outcome of the report. It is only sensible. Why the hell go back to 24-hour trading if the report is going to come down in a couple of weeks or a couple of months and recommend 4.00 am? It is certainly going to throw everybody out. I would imagine most people in Canberra are used to the 4.00 am close. I went out with the police a couple of weeks ago and was even brave enough to walk through one of the nightclubs at about 10 to 4. I was wondering whether I would get something thrown at me, but I did not. Most people resign themselves to the fact that we now have a 4 o'clock close. Mr Moore's option of going back to a 24-hour licence while we await the outcome is quite silly.

I would like also to speak on the issue of being a wowser. Look at that grotty little smile on Mr Moore's face. He has used it quite often in the last couple of weeks. He called me a wowser last week over my referral of a code of practice to the Legal Affairs Committee. If Mr Moore thinks that, because I cut my hair and have a shave and choose not to have a drink, I am a wowser, so be it. I would like to offer him a bit of advice, Mr Speaker: The hippy age ended 25 years ago. Get into the real world. Have a haircut, have a shave, and welcome to reality, Mr Moore.

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General) (6.28), in reply: Mr Speaker, I will try to be as brief as I can, to close this debate. I will not comment, at any length anyway, on the argument that we are being hasty in pursuing this legislation. This is one of the Bills we have had longer to consider in this sitting fortnight than most others we have had to deal with already in this period.

Mrs Carnell: It is better than 48 hours.

MR HUMPHRIES: It is certainly better than 48 hours, but I will not reflect on a previous vote of the Assembly. Let me make something quite clear: Mr Moore asked what was the reason for considering this right now. The reason is that between now

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