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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 9 Hansard (5 September) . . Page.. 2859 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

I am not in a position to comment on the committee's recommendations but indicate that the government, as Mr Quinlan suggested, will take on board what the committee have said and, if necessary, come back to the Assembly with amendments that deal with the issues that have been raised by the committee.

However, it is worth bearing in mind that the scheme is already in operation. It has been in operation for several weeks, since members informally approved the scheme to be restored. I think we should confirm it in legislation and come back in the October sittings, if we need to, and consider some amendments in light of issues raised by the scrutiny of bills committee.

It may also be appropriate to retrospectively apply some of the amendments that are given rise to by the committee to ensure that people's right are affected appropriately, although from my quick reading I do not think any of this touches on the amount people are entitled to so much as the process they have to go through to make their claim for the subsidy to be paid to them.

I make one final comment. The legislation does have an inherent problem in that it is very difficult indeed to ascertain whether the subsidy is reaching the consumer. We pay a subsidy to retailers to help defray the expense to them of obtaining low-alcohol beer and other products. There is no mechanism in the legislation that facilitates, effectively at least, the passing on of the subsidy to the consumer. If a retailer decides they are going to give, say, a 5c subsidy for each glass of low-alcohol beer as opposed to a 10c subsidy-which is what the legislation, for argument's sake, might provide-there is effectively nothing the government can do about that. It is one of the further problems-

Mr Quinlan: Just make a public statement as to how much it should be, and the drinkers will take care of the rest.

MR HUMPHRIES: We could try prescribing the price of beer. That is true, Mr Quinlan.

Mr Quinlan: Just make a public statement as to what the margin should be.

MR HUMPHRIES: Yes, we could do that. That is a possibility. It is not particularly enforceable, but we could certainly give it a go. Mr Speaker, that may be the case. Obviously, I have less expertise on the price of a schooner of beer than Mr Quinlan does. He might like to assist me in making that declaration.

Mr Quinlan: I am happy to be a control for you.

MR HUMPHRIES: Yes, you could be quality control measurer as well, Mr Quinlan.

Mr Speaker, I thank members of their support, and I hope we can come back in a future sitting and fix any problems which have been given rise to by the scrutiny of bills committee report.

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