Page 1767 - Week 06 - Thursday, 19 May 1994
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convenient or easy to do. I suggest that, if she wishes to have further meetings, she suggest to me through the proper processes of the committee that there be further meetings. There is work before the committee, and Mrs Grassby knows full well that that work is before the committee. I suggest that, if she is serious about getting some work done, she come to see me about it.
MRS GRASSBY: I ask a supplementary question. Given the poor record of meetings of the committee you are chairing and in light of your criticism of Mr Berry's staffing budget, I ask: What are the reasons why the Assembly should not expect you to repay the money you have been paid as chair of the committee for work that has not been done?
MADAM SPEAKER: That question is out of order.
Petrol Station Sites
MR MOORE: My question is directed to Mr Connolly, Madam Speaker. It has to do with petrol pricing. It is an issue that I spoke to Mr Connolly about just before we came into the chamber. Mr Connolly, I refer to the letter that the Chief Minister wrote to BOMA in which she stated that a report was being prepared before you would proceed to open more sites for independent petrol operators. Would you tell us the results of that report and whether or not you would be able to make it available to members of the Assembly?
MR CONNOLLY: Thank you, Mr Moore. I will be making a statement on additional petrol station sites in a few minutes' time. I would like to let members know that, in the five hours since we announced this to the media, the price of petrol has fallen 2c. The existing major discounter has dropped its price 2c and as of 12 o'clock today was selling unleaded petrol at 69.9c and leaded petrol at 70.9c, and I expect that other retailers will match that, as they have done in the past.
Ms Follett's letter indicated that the Government would be seeking a report, which indeed it did. Obviously, this was a matter that was considered by the Government through the Cabinet process. That report - commissioned from a consultant with expertise on petroleum marketing, essentially an expert on how to go about setting up independent retailing sites - was considered by Cabinet. I see no reason why members should not see that through any committee process. I will have to have a look at it, because there may be some commercial-in-confidence aspects to it. I will also look at other material that supported it through the Cabinet process; but in general I see no reason why I should not be able to provide a copy of that report, or at least by far the bulk of it, to Mr Moore.
What the report basically indicated was that the presence of one independent operator had had an impact on the Canberra market; that there was a danger that if you had only one independent site, or only one independent operator holding a number of sites, you may not achieve maximum competition; that it was necessary to achieve competition among
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