Page 4641 - Week 12 - Thursday, 1 November 2018
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think that in having a second referral—one that has a reporting date more than 12 months from now—the committee can manage their workload. I think that that should be fine. Obviously, they will have other matters come up as well, but this is a job for the committee. If, by next November, they think they cannot do this, then they should come back to the Assembly and seek an extension.
I also will reflect on the remarks that Ms Orr made in quoting me. Yes, I made those remarks. I made them in a particular context. They were made in either November or December 2016. It was when this Assembly had just convened after the election. We saw a swathe of potential inquiries brought forward to direct the committees to start with. I had a view at that time. Ms Orr quoted me. I am happy to own my comments here again today. But the committees had not even actually met at that point. Most of the committees had just been established in this place. They had had no meetings whatsoever.
I put a particular view that I felt that it was inappropriate for the Assembly at that time to direct the committees before they had even had a chance to get together and probably even introduce themselves to each other, possibly for the first time. That was the context. I think it is a different context. I am happy to be explicit about saying that I believe there is a different context now.
On that basis, the Greens will support this amendment today. We will not be supporting the amendment moved by Ms Orr, because that will ask the committee to think about it. I think it is appropriate for this Assembly to discuss these matters and make referrals. As I flagged, I will shortly seek leave to move the amendment that I have circulated.
MR PARTON (Brindabella) (12.03): There should be a committee inquiry into drone delivery and it should be reporting by the end of 2019. I live in Bonython, the only suburb in the world undergoing a full commercial drone delivery trial, which I think is pretty cool. I signed up to the trial, so I think I would be the only member who has had burritos delivered by drone to my house. This trial could well shape the future of commercial drone delivery around the world, and I do not think that we can understate that importance. I was absolutely tickled pink that it was happening in my suburb.
As a local member of parliament I took it upon myself to get fully across the trial, so that is why I signed up. A few months ago with the app on my phone I ordered four Guzman y Gomez burritos, and they arrived less than 10 minutes after I hit send on the order. I was blown away.
What is going on here is potentially amazing. When the trial was first announced there were a number of dissenting voices in my local community. These people were against the concept of drove delivery mainly for privacy and safety reasons. I suggested that they should wait and see how it affected them once it was in operation. I had this belief that their opposition would dissipate once we had drones in the air, but I was wrong.
Once the trial commenced those against it grew in number and their voices certainly grew in volume. They appealed to me to oppose it in whatever way I could. I had
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