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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 12 Hansard (11 November) . . Page.. 3921 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

entitlements of our chief executives, or for that matter anybody else. I am fascinated that those opposite, who are usually so wedded to these sorts of things, believe that somehow we should not pay people their legal entitlements. It absolutely escapes me. We are working under exactly the same rules as those opposite did, and very similar rules to those the Federal Government operates under.

MR MOORE: My question, directed to Mr Wood under standing order 116, refers to order of the day No. 19, the Prostitution Amendment Bill (No. 2). I indicated to Mr Wood as he was coming down here that I would be asking a question, although I did not tell him what it was about. Mr Wood, did you consult with representatives of the sex industry in Canberra - that is, the Scarlet Alliance, WISE and Eros - before you tabled this legislation last week? Have you received from them objections to the Bill on grounds that it is a breach of international human rights conventions, it singles out the sex industry for different treatment compared to other areas, the Migration Act already covers brothel owners and others who employ illegal immigrants, the Bill is in contravention of the ACT Discrimination Act and it fosters prejudice and racism, much of which is specifically targeted at Asian women? Have you spoken to representatives of those groups, and what action do you propose to take to deal with concerns raised?

MR SPEAKER: Mr Wood, I would just remind you that questions may be asked to elicit information regarding business pending on the notice paper, but discussion must not be anticipated.

MR WOOD: I thought that you had just allowed some discussion, Mr Speaker. It is a refreshing change to get a question, and I appreciate that. Mr Moore, as you would know, my contact with this issue goes back some time to a committee that both you and I served on. My contacts and my interest have continued. The Bill that I introduced has raised a number of quite interesting and significant questions which I believe merit debate. As I said, I have maintained contact with numbers of people on these issues over a period. Before I tabled the Bill I mentioned it very briefly to you. I did not indicate the detail of it, as you would know. I did not talk to those particular groups that you mentioned. I have since seen them, I have heard what they have to say, and I have indicated to them, as I indicate to you, that I will study their remarks. I maintain again that there are a number of very significant issues that I want to attend to and that I believe this Assembly and the community ought to consider.

MR WOOD: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Chief Minister. I would point out to the Chief Minister that the way temporary accommodation allowance was treated by the former Government is not comparable with what this Government has done, because we did not recruit to the same significant degree a large number of public servants from outside the ACT. The Chief Minister said that she did not want to use names, but from answers she supplied during the Estimates Committee process I have a long list of staff employed by the Government who qualify for that allowance. It is a very large number,

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