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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 5 Hansard (15 May) . . Page.. 1539 ..

MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, I just enjoy making Mr Moore twitch over this. He is allegedly a very progressive politician who likes to deal with issues out there in health. He studies matters concerned with health and he knows and understands the effects of tobacco consumption. I want to sheet home to him at every opportunity the mistake he is making. In the AHA's submission to the inquiry I referred to, they said:

Restaurants, taverns and hotels will lose trade and accordingly be forced to offset the reduction in business activity. Staffing levels will be the first area to be cut in an effort to reduce costs.

Smoking was banned in restaurants some time ago and the only feedback I have received in relation to restaurants is good feedback from patrons who have said, "Gee, that was a good idea, a great idea". The AHA will always bleat that the end of the world is nigh when these sorts of things are proposed. In the end, the AHA won the day. They also said:

The AHA has proposed a more realistic five point plan to address this issue.

They proposed the establishment of a working party and so on, and they said:

At the expiration of the two year period the Working Party will have achieved significant progress towards achieving cooperation and industry self-regulation.

They have done nothing, and neither has the Government. They have done nothing at all to prepare the licensed premises for the full effect of the legislation that is proposed to take effect on 6 June.

Mr Moore: Did you propose the legislation, Wayne?

MR BERRY: In our legislation, Mr Moore, and I will read it to you again in case you did not hear earlier, the development of the policy, that is, the smoke-free workplaces code of practice - not partly smoke-free - should occur within 12 months, but this can be brought forward by agreement between the employers and the employees and the policy fully implemented within three years of the code's gazettal on 25 May 1994. Add three years - 25 May 1997.

This Government has done nothing. The former Minister for Industrial Relations did nothing at all in relation to this code of practice. Ask how many extra resources were put into the occupational health and safety arm of government to make sure that these sorts of policies were adhered to, and the answer you will get is nothing. It has been a half-hearted approach from the start. So what happens? The tobacco industry comes along to Michael Moore and Kate Carnell, the millionaire pharmacist, and says, "Business is going to be hurt by this - - -

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