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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 6 Hansard (18 June) . . Page.. 2045 ..
MR SMYTH
(continuing):The ACT has shown what can be done with its greenhouse strategy. When no other jurisdiction in Australia would take on greenhouse as an issue, when no other Australian jurisdiction would look at the Kyoto Protocol, the too small ACT did, and we have led the charge on greenhouse. I reject too small.
Mr Quinlan
: Get onto the subject, for God's sake. It's a long day.MR SMYTH
: Well, it is a long day. I am rejecting just your case. I have still got another three pages of what you said, Mr Quinlan.There was criticism that no fault lets people off the hook. No fault does not mean no negligence. Negligence is still included in this bill and if people are found to be negligent they will be prosecuted under this act.
Mr Quinlan
: No wonder you are meandering.MR SMYTH
: I am just following your lead, Mr Quinlan. I am just responding to everything you said. If it was a meander by me, it was a meander by you.Mr Quinlan
: I'll give you a copy of the flaws in it, mate.MR SMYTH
: Are you happy to circulate the advice?Mr Quinlan
: In the mail.MR SMYTH
: That is very kind. Mr Speaker, I will take up Mr Quinlan's offer of circulating the flaws. This is really clutching at straws.Mr Speaker, we then have Mr Quinlan's defence that they have got a comprehensive three-phase program but they won't be stampeded. It has taken them 11/2 to two years to get to the point where they can introduce the second way that their reform-
Mr Quinlan
: There is another meeting of ministers in August, mate. It still goes on.MR SMYTH
: Next week, Mr Speaker. It is certainly not a stampede; it is certainly not a hive of activity either.We were then told it is a joke, it is a dog's breakfast, it is full of holes. Well, okay, where is your legislation? It is still coming. And when will it be passed? Sometime in the future. I think the efforts that the government has put into this are just appalling.
And then it was claimed that our legislation was absolutely illogical. "We will resist on our own"-these were the stirring words, Mr Speaker-"any attempt to put thresholds and caps on people's expectations of payment."So suddenly the ACT can do it on its own, and this points out the illogical nature of the government's defence.
The government is absolutely embarrassed that they have been caught out by the opposition, who in a short time was able to come up with a comprehensive program that will assist people who are injured. If they are to have a chance to return to full life, you
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