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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 10 Hansard (3 September) . . Page.. 2953 ..

MS TUCKER: I ask a supplementary question. I am well aware of the estimates procedures, Mrs Carnell. The point is that there has been a problem for some community groups trying to access these funds. They were curious to know where you had been spending the money. The community was given the impression that it was going to community projects. That is why there is an interest to know, before we get to the end of the year, whether you have spent it and where it was spent.

MRS CARNELL: Was that a question, Mr Speaker?

MR SPEAKER: I took it rather as a statement.

Ms Tucker: I would like to know, before the estimates proceedings, where it was spent. The question stands. Can we see how it was spent?

MRS CARNELL: I am sorry; I need some clarification, Mr Speaker. What was spent? The money from the Federal Government? Is that what you are after?

Ms Tucker: Yes.

MRS CARNELL: No trouble.

MR OSBORNE: My question is to the Attorney-General, Mr Humphries. It is about the beginning of the 4.00 am liquor trial last weekend. Could you inform this Assembly, just generally, how the first weekend with the restricted liquor trading hours in place went? How was it received by the police? Did they have any major problems with people spilling out onto the streets? Could you also confirm or deny claims made by some licensees that people had to wait for an hour and a half for a taxi?

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I thank Mr Osborne for that timely question. I will take the second part of it first. I am not exactly sure who was telling us that it was an hour and a half. I saw Mr McCoy of the Australian Hotels Association, a person who would be well known and little loved by Mr Osborne perhaps, saying that customers of his were waiting for an hour and a half for a taxi and that it was outrageous. Unfortunately, he had forgotten to tell his offsider, Mr Ken Smith, also of the AHA, who said on the other channel that waiting times were around 15 minutes. They need to get their stories straight, I suspect, before they know what they are doing.

Mr Speaker, my reports on what happened on the weekend were much better than what Mr McCoy supplied to the media. Police and liquor licensing inspectors were out in numbers, as you might expect. A member of my staff was out also. They reported that compliance on the first weekend was quite good. Most licensees in Civic, Manuka and Belconnen did close very soon after 4.00 am. There were two exceptions.

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