Page 207 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 23 February 1994
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MR CORNWELL (4.34): Madam Speaker, I must admit that this legislation worries me greatly. It is not just the Bill on its own but an indication of a general drift here in the ACT that I find extremely concerning. In my opinion, there is an indication that various freedoms are being put at risk in this city.
Ms Follett: Freedom to drive on the right, freedom to kill people!
MR CORNWELL: It is interesting that the Chief Minister interjects, because I would imagine that some of the socially progressive legislation that is being introduced from time to time in this Assembly would concern her as much as it concerns me. It certainly concerns a lot of people out there in the community who believe that this Assembly should be addressing far more important issues than in fact we are. However, Mr Berry, to his credit, is on record as being an anti-smoker, unlike me, now a non-smoker. I draw a distinction between the two. Nevertheless, as my colleagues have pointed out, a considerable number of double standards are being applied in this legislation. There are aspects of it that, I have to say, I find quite repugnant. I do not like, for example, the idea of inspectors being appointed to enforce the law, because I think that under - - -
Mr Berry: It is all right for liquor licensing, though.
MR CORNWELL: I would like to see just how the legislation is going to be applied, Mr Berry, because I do not particularly want some tourist in the Hyatt to be bailed up by one of your inspectors about whether he or she is smoking in the right place or not. I do not think that would do much at all for the tourist industry. If there is not to be a double standard, why do you not do the right thing and ban cigarettes?
Mr Berry: No.
MR CORNWELL: No, you will not do that, will you? Ban tobacco, my friend. No; we do not want to do away with the excise that comes in from tobacco any more than we would like to threaten - - -
Mr Connolly: This speech could come straight from the Tobacco Institute - this talk of personal freedoms - - -
MR CORNWELL: I will come to you in a minute. We do not want to lose tobacco excise any more than we would like to threaten the amount of money that will come into the Territory through the casino. Therefore, we will not ban smoking in the casino. A fistful of dollars from there is of far more importance than any principle that you might have in relation to smoking.
Mr De Domenico: Forget about the local restaurant owner.
MR CORNWELL: We will make a distinction with the casino, just as we will make a distinction with the club in Tuggeranong; but we will not worry about the local restaurant owner, as Mr De Domenico properly interjects. It would appear to me from some of Mr Connolly's comments that he would dearly have liked to ban those advertisements on the television. Goodness knows, he whinged enough about them, did he not? I find it worrying that people can be thinking along these lines.
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