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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 3 Hansard (12 March) . . Page.. 921 ..
MR CORNWELL (continuing):
go on your early morning walk, as my wife and I do, and pick up cans and bottles-we picked up one of each this morning-that are thrown onto the side of the road. I will give more of that later.
I am interested in the comments Ms MacDonald made about the person who dropped the cigarette butt. Why didn't you pick them up for littering-make a citizen's arrest? It is all very well talking about this. The fact of the matter is that we are not prepared to really address cleaning up the environment if it involves us personally and causes us to take some action. I think that is a deplorable situation.
What is even more deplorable, Mr Speaker, is that this year I understand that, in spite of the government's talk about congratulations being extended to the volunteers of Clean Up Australia, the government's support for the activity did not extend to Griffin Promotions. I understand that, this year, the government cut their budget by half. So much for a Clean Up Australia commitment.
There is another point I would like to make, which is relevant to the government's commitment. Mr Wood points to the Treasurer. Yes, I am willing to accept that he is probably to blame.
There are a number of matters which concern me about the government's initiative in relation to litter in this territory, which involve Clean Up Australia. I appreciate there are many things that we cannot do until national decisions are made relating to packaging and deposit legislation. These matters have been debated in the past, and will no doubt be debated in the future. Although we cannot do much to reduce this, there is a great deal we can do in relation to the law in the territory and-I repeat-the enforcement of it.
I have been asking a number of questions on notice of the Minister for Urban Services relating to litter. One question I asked some time ago was about the government's policy on the provision of litter bins.
Mr Wood: It is the same as yours, actually.
MR CORNWELL: Yes. This Labor Government has not changed the policy-from that of the previous government.
Mr Wood: It is your policy.
MR CORNWELL: The answer I received says:
In relation to litter removal in urban as well as national parks, it has long been accepted that people using neighbourhood parks and other public places are responsible for the collection and disposal of their own litter, including dog faeces. In most instances, this means that people would take their litter home for either composting or hygienic disposal in their wheeled bins.
Mr Minister, please-let us go back and put our feet on the ground. "In most instances this means that people will take their litter home."What a load of baloney!
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