Page 216 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 23 February 1994
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Mr Moore: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. The conduct of the Minister is highly disorderly. I refer to standing order 55. Given the Minister's earlier performance and the tone of his speech so far, it is important that he understand that such imputations are highly disorderly.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Berry, if you were intending to impute anything improper to Mr Moore, I ask you to withdraw it.
MR BERRY: All I said - Madam Speaker, I suppose we should have grown to expect it by now - was that I think that if we had been kinder to Mr Moore's proposals, then we would have got warmer support. I think that is a fair assumption; but if it offends Mr Moore I will withdraw it. I would be offended.
One other matter that needs to be raised in the debate is the discussion about the absence of any program to deal with the rest of those businesses which might be affected by the consumption of tobacco. In my presentation speech I made it very clear that this was a two-pronged approach and that all of those other places which were not caught up in the proposals which would come forward by way of regulations would be picked up under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. That was made very clear and has always been clear. For people to deny that it has been clear is to tell a big fib. There is no question about that. This measure will pick them all up over a period of time. The legislation before the chamber is meant to deal with some very important areas very quickly. Of course, a code of practice will be issued shortly. We have consulted widely with business, and my occupational health and safety advisory committee will advise me shortly on that. That code of practice will lock people into their duty of care under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
The importance of the legislation is matched by the desperation of some of the tactics that have been used to defeat it. Defeating or delaying this Bill, whether by months or by years, will only put off the inevitable. In the meantime, more members of our community - including babies, young children, pregnant women, asthmatics and heart disease sufferers - will have no choice but to breathe other people's smoke as they go about their day-to-day activities. In recent weeks we have heard many claims about what the Smoke-free Areas (Enclosed Public Places) Bill will do. Some of the most vocal groups had decided their position before they had examined the legislation. When they looked at it, they could not find anything legitimate to protest about - because there is nothing - so they had to resort to creating half-truths and fantasy. Of course, they are the ones that hypnotise Mrs Carnell. They have her under their spell.
The silence of the tobacco industry in all of this has been nothing short of deafening. Do you know why? It is because they have a heap of people to do their dirty work. No wonder they are quiet on the subject. They have a line-up of people to do their dirty work. The industry's undoubted discomfort at marketing a product which harms not only tobacco users but also non-users must be eased by having normally reputable groups and individuals speak for the industry. Mrs Carnell was once reputable on this, and she is holding off. Mr Moore was once reputable on this too. I can see now that he is having second thoughts on the issue. Now we have the big diversion. Once he found out the big mistake that he had made - boom, boom - he decided to send the Bill off to a committee.
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