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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 10 Hansard (30 August) . . Page.. 3849 ..

Mr Corbell: There are reasonable excuse provisions.

MR SMYTH: Mr Corbell says that there are reasonable excuses. Do we have to have a reasonable excuse for not doing something? We are going into the negative here. The people who create the problem should be responsible for it. To broaden the net further is not logical.

Question put:

That Ms Tucker's amendment No 3 be agreed to.

The Assembly voted-

 	Ayes, 8  			Noes, 9

 Mr Berry  	Mr Stanhope  	Mrs Burke  	Mr Moore  
 Mr Corbell  	Ms Tucker  	Mr Cornwell  	Mr Rugendyke  
 Mr Hargreaves  Mr Wood  	Mr Hird  	Mr Smyth
 Mr Osborne    			Mr Humphries   	Mr Stefaniak
 Mr Quinlan    			Mr Kaine 

Proposed new clause 7A negatived.

Proposed new clause 7B.

MS TUCKER (8.59): I move amendment No 4 circulated in my name, which inserts a new clause 7B [see schedule 8 at page 3914].

In the bill, at clause 10, the government has required that environmental improvement plans must have regard to relevant best practice. This is a good concept, as we do not want second-rate environmental practices used in the ACT. We want the ACT to set the lead. I think the bill should go further and extend the concept of best practice to all aspects of the Environment Protection Act. This amendment therefore adds the requirement for best practice in environment protection policies.

If Mr Moore wants me to talk in a little more detail about who was consulted with on this, I am happy to do that. It is important to know that the Environmental Defender's Office is one of the groups that told us that they think it is important to have this provision in the legislation, as is the conservation council. Mr Moore, as chair of the committee, you supported this in the original legislation, which is where this came from. You seem to have forgotten, or you are telling me across the chamber that you have learnt better. I realise that you are having a bit of fun with this legislation, but it is very important legislation.

I am concerned that today Mr Moore said that this place needs to conduct itself with dignity. This is important to the Greens. I think it is important to the Labor Party. I do not think it is okay for you to continue to make fun of a serious issue. You have the right

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