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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 13 Hansard (4 December) . . Page.. 4360 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

The third reason we use regulation is that the regulation can change from year to year. Mr Osborne's amendment is not just for this year; it is for every year. We would have to have new legislation next year, presumably, were it decided that some different regime were to apply from the one he is suggesting in his Bill. Some different regime would have to be done every year, and that means legislation every year to change the trading hours. That would be silly, Mr Speaker. The fourth reason is that, to be frank, the proposal we have put forward is much closer to the legislation we have already passed. It is only a modification of that and is much nearer to that than it is to the other end of the spectrum, where Mr Osborne's legislation comes in. I would suggest that it is more appropriate to base the changes on our legislation and modify that slightly than to take Mr Osborne's legislation and amend that very heavily. That is why the Government has taken this course of action.

Mr Speaker, I have had a clear demonstration from a number of smaller traders that they believe there are benefits flowing to their centres from this legislation. Members in this place who are ideologically opposed to the idea of this kind of regulation will refuse to admit that there is any possibility of that, but I would strongly urge those people to talk to people in small centres, local centres, around this town. I went to a centre in Mr Berry's electorate the other day - I think it was Charnwood; I forget the suburb - on the western side of Belconnen.

Ms Follett: Belconnen?

MR HUMPHRIES: Yes, that is Mr Berry's electorate. I think it was the centre in Charnwood; it was some weeks ago, and I forget which one it was. They were extremely pleased and very positive about the changes that had been made. They said that it had made their centre viable when it was not viable before. That was their view. That was one of Mr Berry's constituents and they were very definite about that. If members of this place cared to speak to some people in local centres, I think they would all hear the same message. There has been some discernible difference in outlook as a result of the legislation. It has not been overpowering or turned huge losses into huge profits - nothing like that - but some of those centres have been on the margin for a long time. We all know that centres in this town have closed altogether because of pressure from town centres. We know that that has been the case. I think in our heart of hearts we know that there are some benefits - we might dispute the extent - that have flowed from this legislation. I would urge members not to throw it out wholesale for the sake of one month's free-for-all for the town centres. Let us agree to some sensible modification to ensure that there are still benefits flowing to the broader community.

MS HORODNY (11.11): Mr Speaker, the Greens recognise that there is increased shopping activity over the Christmas period, but we do not believe that it is necessary for a permanent amendment to be made to the Trading Hours Act to accommodate this.

Mr Berry: "Greens make another mistake. We are sorry".

MS HORODNY: It is not a mistake, Mr Berry.

MR SPEAKER: Order; otherwise some members may be getting an early opportunity for Christmas shopping.

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