Page 3140 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 20 September 1994
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MR CONNOLLY: The committee, in its infinite wisdom, no doubt thought that we should not have floors, and the Government, being a conciliatory and consensual government, agrees.
Amendment agreed to.
MR MOORE (8.06): Madam Speaker, I move:
Page 2, line 10, after the definition of "enclosed" insert the following definition:
"'licensed premises' means -
(a) premises licensed under the Liquor Act 1975, being premises where liquor is served; or
(b) premises licensed under the Casino Control Act 1988;
other than any part of those premises that is a restaurant;'.".
The amendment is to ensure a new definition of "licensed premises". It is based on the committee's report. It sets up a system whereby we are dealing not only, in the limited way that the Government had done, with restaurants but with the real issue, which is that passive smoking is likely to be a greater problem in pubs, clubs and so forth. The definition of "licensed premises" in my amendment includes premises licensed under the Liquor Act 1975 and also premises licensed under the Casino Control Act 1988; but it is limited to premises where liquor is served, to avoid any difficulty where, for example, shops have a liquor licence.
Madam Speaker, this is a quite important clause, because it does demonstrate clearly the inadequacy of what the Government had originally proposed. The former Minister for Health - the one who has done so well that he has been recognised by the community for his great contribution to the health of the ACT - has made such a great contribution that he decided that he would try to make a mark by just cutting out restaurants and leaving the most important areas. The reason why pubs and clubs ought not to be ignored is that they are the areas where you will find the most smokers. They are the areas to which we should be sending a clear message that says, "Smoking is not good for you. If you are not a smoker, you ought not to be subjected to passive smoking". There is a way of doing that, Madam Speaker. The Government was not prepared to do it. The majority of the committee were prepared to extend it that far. Even the minority report of the committee recognised that we ought to be targeting that group, as I recall.
Ms Ellis: I think that might be a very bad recollection, Mr Moore.
MR MOORE: I see from the look on Ms Ellis's face that I may be misrepresenting her, Madam Speaker; so I withdraw any misrepresentation on my part. Clearly, the will of the majority of the committee - I hope that it will be the will of the Assembly - was that we take this a step further than the Government was prepared to take it, to take it into the
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