Page 2888 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 30 June 2010
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Association and the community councils. This bill has been seen and commented on by IGAs, Kmart, Coles, Woolworths, Supabarn, Trolley Tracker and community councils, as well as others, and I have met with many of these groups in person.
The feedback on the bill was actually quite positive, despite the fact that it regulates the retail sector, something which traditionally the retail sector loathes. In fact, Trolley Tracker told us that in some ways the bill is a catch-up for the ACT with the New South Wales code for supermarket trolleys.
Comments from the retailers were basically minor. The main issue that came up was removing the requirement for a unique identifier in each trolley, and we are happy to agree to do that. It may legitimately be too onerous for retailers, especially given that they tend to move trolley fleets between different stores. Instead, this can be replaced with a power of rangers to add a unique notice number or sticker to a trolley that they find and need to identify. We can deal with this in the detail stage. In fact, I think that this is probably going to be done by the government’s amendments.
I thank the government for its support today. It is a bit disappointing that the government is still not ready to pass the bill today. It has had the issue of abandoned trolleys listed as an issue for action on its sitting program for years. In January 2008, the government promised to amend the law to combat trolley dumping and nothing happened. It has been over two years since that announcement.
I raised this issue last year and introduced legislation in February. It is now nearly six months later. I would have liked to have seen that when we brought the legislation on the amendments were ready to be talked about. However, the government’s amendments do sound constructive. I look forward to constructive negotiations where we can perhaps have the best of both worlds in what is finally passed.
It is disappointing and frustrating that the government often seems not to put effort into the initiatives which come from the Greens, even if the government acknowledges they are important issues. There is a bit of a pattern happening here where the government tries to stall and stymie private members’ business. The same thing happened in March with Ms Hunter’s education bill. We brought it on and the government said it was not ready, despite having had ample time and warning.
Then there was the energy efficiency motion from Mr Rattenbury, another very important issue. Ms Bresnan’s solaria bill faced the same fate. We were provided with government amendments through a regulation on the Thursday night after the sitting was over. Another example was last week, when I was prevented from talking on Ms Porter’s animals motion because the government adjourned it. This is not the way we should be dealing with important issues. We have had useful discussions with the Liberal Party. In conclusion, as I can see the time, we have an opportunity to address in the Assembly what has been a vexed issue for Canberra and many cities around Australia.
Debate interrupted in accordance with standing order 74 and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for a later hour.
Sitting suspended from 12.32 to 2 pm.
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