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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 8 Hansard (26 June) . . Page.. 2131 ..

MS HORODNY (continuing):

This Bill also establishes the immediate introduction of a labelling scheme for eggs sold in the ACT, whereby egg cartons will be required to have a conspicuous label which indicates the conditions under which the hens that produced the eggs are kept. These labels must also use one of four standard descriptions of these conditions so that there will be no misleading of the consumer. These descriptions are free range, barn, aviary or battery cage. Of course, the battery cage label would become redundant once this form of egg production is banned in the ACT, within three years.

Finally, members, this issue has often brought mirth in this house, particularly from members of the Liberal Party. I would just like to say that that seems to me to be a very callous attitude to the keeping of hens. I find it quite disturbing that people bleat about having compassion, concern and care, and yet that is not what we hear here on the floor. I believe this is a serious issue and there is no justification for this appalling type of treatment of innocent animals. Mahatma Gandhi was once asked by a journalist what he thought of Western civilisation. His reply was: "Yes, that would be a good idea". The question here is: Are we a civilised society or are we not? I believe we need to be. I commend this Bill to the Assembly.

Debate (on motion by Mrs Carnell) adjourned.

MR BERRY (10.48): Mr Speaker, I present the Long Service Leave (Building and Construction Industry) (Amendment) Bill 1996.

Title read by Clerk.

MR BERRY: I move:

That this Bill be agreed to in principle.

Mr Speaker, the Long Service Leave (Building and Construction Industry) Act 1981 recognises the special circumstances of workers in the building and construction industry - workers whose work takes them from one workplace to another as a natural course; workers who may spend from a few days to a few months, to a few years on one building site, depending on the size and complexity of the project. They may have periods in between projects where there is no work. They can have different employers on each project. For many years workers in this industry received no recognition of the transient nature of their work. Members may recall that there was quite extensive industrial unrest on this issue many years ago, before workers in the industry had their long service leave entitlements recognised and developed into a form of legislation which provided extra conditions for building workers.

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