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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 12 Hansard (19 November) . . Page.. 4349 ..

MRS CROSS: Mr Speaker, I am directing my comments through you. I do not make a habit, Mr Speaker, of misleading any member of this place. There have been so many conversations and dates and changes and amendments and decisions toing-and-froing that it has been very difficult-

Ms MacDonald: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.

Mr Smyth: What standing order?

MRS CROSS: What standing order?

MR SPEAKER: Order! I will deal with this.

Ms Macdonald: Mr Speaker, Mrs Cross has made the imputation that other people mislead this place on a regular basis.

MRS CROSS: No, I did not say that.

MR SPEAKER: I think it is a point of debate, Ms MacDonald.

MRS CROSS: I did not imply that at all. Mr Speaker, as I said, the minister's amendment moves my amendment by one month. Okay. As I said, I hope this is not a cynical political exercise. I think this is for the greater good of the community. We should be working together for this and not bunkering down in party politics to win points.

I encourage members to support both the bill as a whole and my amendment, which will give us a reasonable timeframe to allow the exemptions to expire and the clubs and pubs time to adjust. This will provide the people we represent good smoke-free enclosed public places.

In conclusion, Mr Speaker I must thank the Parliamentary Counsel for its support and its hard work in putting this together. They are the quiet achievers in many of the things that they are asked to do, which at times are insurmountable. I must extend my sincere thanks to them.

I would also once again like to thank all the members in this place for finally working together to move forward on what is a very serious community health issue. I thank the Assembly. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I commend the bill to the Assembly.

At 5.00 pm, in accordance with standing order 34, the debate was interrupted. The motion for the adjournment of the Assembly having been put and negatived, the debate was resumed.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

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