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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 12 Hansard (19 November) . . Page.. 4333 ..

MR CORNWELL (continuing):

I will say, however, that anybody who wishes to oppose this legislation in relation to banning spray cans for under-18s as a minimalist approach to helping to stamp out this problem really does not have any pride in this city. I appreciate that this piece of legislation is going to go down. I would therefore suggest that we call on the vote, Mr Speaker, because it appears to me that it is a clear case of whether we appreciate a beautiful city or whether we are prepared to appease a small minority of social misfits. I repeat that Labor, the Democrats and the Greens obviously are fighting over the vandal vote at the next election.

Question put:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

The Assembly voted-

Ayes 7

Noes 10

Mrs Burke

Mr Smyth

Mr Berry

Ms MacDonald

Mr Cornwell

Mr Stefaniak

Mr Corbell

Mr Quinlan

Mrs Cross

Ms Dundas

Mr Stanhope

Mrs Dunne

Ms Gallagher

Ms Tucker

Mr Pratt

Mr Hargreaves

Mr Wood

Question so resolved in the negative.

Smoking (Prohibition in Enclosed Public Places) Bill 2003

Debate resumed from 25 June 2003, on motion by Mrs Cross:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

MR CORBELL (Minister for Health and Minister for Planning) (4.01): Mr Speaker, this bill seeks to address a public health problem which is not unique to the ACT, but about which the ACT has in the past taken a national lead, that is, the issue of providing people with protection from environmental tobacco smoke, a known cause of death and disease in non-smokers. In 1994, the ACT took a national lead by establishing non-smoking as the norm in most enclosed public places. As a result, members of the community can now go about their daily lives and participate in the life of the community without risks to their health from passive smoking. These measures have proved to be popular and well-supported and have served as a model for legislation in other Australian states and territories.

Since 1994, a lot has happened, and there is now an undeniable need to update our legislation to ensure that it is consistent with best practice and provides the highest possible standard of health protection to ACT residents, workers and visitors. We have recently seen from the results of indoor air quality testing in exempt premises undertaken by the Health Protection Service that the system of exemptions under our present legislation is not sufficient to protect patrons and workers from tobacco smoke in these premises. In short, smoke-free areas are not smoke free.

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