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House of Representatives Practice . . Page.. 176 ..

In concluding my remarks, Mr Speaker, I think Mr Moore has once again brought up an issue of great importance. The Liberal Party is committed to the assistance of small businesses in this Territory. We acknowledge the fact that they are the ones who provide most employment and most investments here in the ACT, and it is about time that other companies that come here realised that that is the attitude that this Government has. All we want is fairness and equity for all tenants here in the ACT. I am sure that if we work assiduously towards that end things like that will happen.

MR SPEAKER: The discussion is concluded.

Before I call the Manager of Government Business, may I correct something I said a little earlier about Government members being responsible for forming a quorum. That is in fact quite incorrect. I refer to House of Representatives Practice, which is what we normally rely on when there is nothing in our own standing orders. House of Representatives Practice, at page 303, the fourth paragraph, the last sentence, states:

It is the duty of all Members to form a quorum, not just Government members.

I would ask for all members’ cooperation. We are a small Assembly and it is rather disruptive if we call for quorums all the time.

ADJOURNMENT

Motion (by Mr Humphries) proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

Lease Betterment Payments

MR MOORE (4.43): Mr Speaker, I would like to refer to a matter on the notice paper to seek some reassurance. I realise that one has to take care in doing so. Mr Wood has a notice on the notice paper, at No. 8, to move:

That there be no change in betterment arrangements in the ACT during the life of this Assembly.

Mr Speaker, that matter is yet to be debated; but I would hope that we could have the same approach to betterment as we had from Mr Humphries to the leasehold system, when he said that, should any changes be made to the value of commercial leases, that would be brought to the Assembly’s notice. I would hope that we could get a similar assurance on any proposed changes to the betterment provisions, particularly because there is a motion on the notice paper but also in the spirit of Mr Humphries’s indication

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