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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 5 Hansard (15 May) . . Page.. 1483 ..

Mr Moore: There is one on the notice paper.

MRS CARNELL: Yes. That was not the question, though. With regard to the competition policy, the important issue is community benefit, Mr Speaker. It is quite all right to have legislation that may not be totally compliant with competition policy, as long as there is a demonstrated community benefit. That might be an issue that we spend a lot of time debating in the future.

Mr Speaker, I am very pleased that the Assembly will support this legislation. I am interested that Mr Whitecross has not read the legislation; otherwise, he would realise that it is not retrospective. The club that he has anything to do with would not be affected by it anyway. I am pleased that everyone will support this legislation. I think it will produce a significantly better system.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.

Bill agreed to.

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

MR WHITECROSS: I have a question without notice for the Chief Minister. Chief Minister, I refer to your current attempt to have a cheese packaging factory relocated from Bega to the ACT. Are you aware that the Bega Chamber of Commerce and Industry are concerned that, should the "bribe" by the ACT Government result in the loss of this development from the Bega region, it will be the last straw for their economically beleaguered community? Chief Minister, how does this reconcile with the statement you made on ABC radio last week that there would be no jobs lost in Bega as a result of this deal? Are you aware that more than half of Bega's 5,000 residents have signed a petition pleading for the plant to be kept in their town? How do your actions in seeking to steal this plant from under the noses of our regional neighbours reconcile with your frequent protestations of support for the national capital region, or do you see the national capital region as just another media opportunity? Finally, Chief Minister, given the damage that your actions are causing to relations with other centres in our national capital region, will you now abandon your short-sighted and opportunistic attempt to poach Bega's plant for Canberra?

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