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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 10 Hansard (24 September) . . Page.. 3594 ..

MR PRATT (continuing):

months, I have run a petition calling for a ban on the retail sale of shopgoods fireworks, and the response has been tremendous. On the first weekend that I ran the petition in the city, approximately 220 signatures were collected over 21/2 hours. This support was backed up by the number of calls, overwhelmingly in favour of the proposed ban, that were made to talkback programs on local radio stations. Emails to my office and to the offices of my colleagues have also been overwhelmingly in favour of a ban. Since then, my office has received many calls for copies of that petition. Signed copies are sent to me nearly every day, and last weekend, in a local shopping centre, people were still lining up to sign the petition. I understand that 721 signed petitions will be presented to this place later on today.

This support cannot be ignored by the Liberal opposition and the other members in the chamber here today. There has been a continual flow of complaints coming into my office about the illegal use of fireworks. This illegal use has resulted in reports of windows in people's houses being shaken and of small children, the elderly and pets being scared of the noise and vibrations made by fireworks. In addition, property damage is common and there have been some cases of injury, such as the recent incident at Tarago where five people were taken to hospital after setting off illegal fireworks around a campfire.

The reports of illegal use of fireworks continue throughout the year, with a minority of people causing dangerous situations for the rest of the community. For example, a constituent alerted me to the presence of roman candles on the Amaroo playing fields. This is the matter that the minister referred to earlier. The constituent was so concerned about the shells of the fireworks being left in the playing fields, with the possibility of children or animals discovering them, that they brought them into my office. Earlier this week, the fireworks shells were handed over to WorkCover, who confirmed that they were indeed illegal.

At the same time, there have been a significant number of complaints that the police have either not attended, or did not have the resources to attend, reports of acts of vandalism and other dangerous situations. A lot of constituents have said, with the exception of-

Mr Smyth: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Mr Hargreaves just interjected, "Lucky you weren't charged,"which of course is an imputation on the member, and I would ask that he withdraw that.

Mr Hargreaves: Mr Speaker, I am happy to withdraw that for those delicate people opposite-unreservedly.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Hargreaves. Members will cease interjections.

MR PRATT: If Mr Hargreaves believes that I might have been charged, he hasn't got a clue about law.

MR SPEAKER: The interjection was out of order. Responding to it equally is unnecessary and a waste of your speaking time, I would suggest, Mr Pratt.

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