Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 11 Hansard (21 October) . . Page.. 3439 ..

MR MOORE (Minister for Health and Community Care) (12.01): Ms Tucker is right that I am rising to oppose the amendments. Ms Tucker talked about the consultation process. I wonder if Ms Tucker could share with us what Bartter felt about the regulation. Did you consult, Ms Tucker? I wonder: Did you consult with Bartter when you put this regulation up? Did you consult with the egg manufacturer when you put this up? Mr Speaker, obviously I have to ask it as a rhetorical question.

Ms Tucker: Mr Speaker, on a point of order. I am quite happy to wrap it up in my closing remarks, but Mr Moore is addressing me directly across the chamber - - -

MR SPEAKER: He is asking a rhetorical question.

Ms Tucker: And I understand there is a standing order against that- - -

MR SPEAKER: You will have the opportunity - - -

Ms Tucker: I am quite happy for him to raise the question during debate.

MR SPEAKER: You will have the opportunity to respond.

MR M OORE: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Ms Tucker got distracted just at the wrong moment. I had actually just said this is a rhetorical question.

Ms Tucker: You were looking directly at me.

MR MOORE: I would expect you would talk about the consultation you did with Bartter when you wrap up. I understand exactly what Ms Tucker is trying to do. I do not disagree with what she is trying to achieve by this regulation. There are some pragmatic issues that lead me to oppose it. Have we done well enough at the moment with the prominence of the labelling? I think members only have to look at this egg carton to realise that in fact the manufacturer has cooperated.

I imagine Mr Corbell could read, "battery, cage", from where he is. It would be pretty close and it is quite an easily read label. There is no trickery about it. Perhaps it is more important to note that it also has on it not only the bar code but the expiry date. There are two things people do when they pick up a pack of eggs. The first one I do, and Mr Corbell does, is to open it to make sure there are no broken eggs in it. You then check the expiry date. The expiry date is there with the indication that they are battery cage eggs.

I am interested in labelling, Ms Tucker. I am interested in very effective labelling. But I am interested in providing information, not to try to enhance some sense of guilt. The information we ask for, for example, on genetically modified foods will be small print in the middle of a label. It will not be something that is incredibly prominent on the package. It will be prominent enough. That is the case here. It will be conspicuous enough. Your legislation requires that the label be conspicuous. Any ordinary person looking at the label on this egg carton would say that it is conspicuous. The regulation I drew up maintained that notion.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .