Page 1476 - Week 05 - Thursday, 12 May 1994
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MR CONNOLLY: I have been given that title as ACT Minister, Mr Humphries, but it is the support of my Cabinet colleagues that allows me to take the lead on these issues. It is the support of this Labor Government for progressive consumer affairs issues that has allowed me to take this prize. While it is an individual prize, I regard it as part of a team prize. The best government in Australia, I think, was the title that we were given last week. The Chief Minister has the team trophy and I have an individual player award in this respect.
What is most significant and what should cause members opposite real concern is this quote from the Australian Consumers Association:
Connolly's biggest achievement in the past year was to break through Canberra's "petrol ceiling" - the informal barrier to petrol price discounting. "Petrol prices have since fallen substantially and have remained down".
I would like to table for members a chart which shows the difference between retail and wholesale prices for leaded petrol from June of last year through to May. It indicates quite dramatically the way that those prices have contracted. If we had the level of profiteering that was occurring as of last year, before this Government acted in a way which gave it significant marks from the Australian Consumers Association, consumers here would still be paying in the order of 75c to 76c a litre for petrol. I note that the Opposition, on that issue of petrol pricing, as we have gone in and taken on a very major issue for Canberra consumers, have remained totally silent. I note that in the Motor Trades Advocate they are full of praise for Mrs Carnell - Mrs Carnell is wonderful; the Liberals are wonderful. Are they on a promise, Madam Speaker? What would this party do about petrol pricing if they were in office? If they had been in office prices would still be high. If they were to get into office, what would happen to petrol prices in this jurisdiction?
National Museum of Australia
MR HUMPHRIES: I am looking forward to the publication of the survey by the Tuckey Foundation next week, which I am sure will give a very interesting view about the ACT Government. My question, however, is directed to the Chief Minister. I refer her to Tuesday night's Federal budget in which Friends of the National Museum of Australia were again disappointed to see no funding to commence the building of the national museum and, rather ominously, a cut to the staffing establishment of the museum. That is hardly a good start towards a big expansion. I also refer the Minister to that august publication, theRos Kelly Advocate, the March 1993 edition - also not the Canberra Times. In it the author, Ros Kelly, says:
The Federal Government has committed itself to the National Museum. It will contribute $26 million over the next four years.
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