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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 9 Hansard (3 September) . . Page.. 2797 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

Parkwood would be forced by the imminent change in the law to start producing a greater number of barn eggs and reduce their production of battery eggs. But, of course, consumers would not be forced to buy only barn eggs. Their tastes would not be changing, and the price differentials would not encourage them to change. Parkwood would be producing fewer battery eggs and more barn eggs, but the customer would not be buying those barn eggs. Customers have that choice right now. They can buy barn eggs or free-range eggs now if they want to. Parkwood produces both barn and free-range eggs and sells them in the ACT, but they sell far more battery eggs because that is what people want to buy. People want the cheaper prices. To comply with this six-year timeframe Parkwood would have to start producing more barn eggs, which people do not want to buy. The supermarkets would be saying, "Hang on. Do not give us any more barn eggs. We have enough of those. People want only the battery eggs. Give us more battery eggs". Parkwood would be saying, "We cannot produce them anymore, because we have to convert our facilities over to barn production".

Bartter would have to discount the price of their barn eggs in order to be able to sell them and would make losses. When they started to make losses, they would have to think about whether they should not be basing themselves somewhere else where they are not going to be affected by these provisions. That, I emphasise again, is the risk that we run. I ask whether any of you can look the community in the face and say, "Do not worry, people. You will not have to face up to this problem. It will not be a real problem. We will work out a way of dealing with it. Yes, you will have to pay another $1.44 a carton for the eggs, but do not worry about it. You will feel much better as you are eating your omelette in the morning. Do not worry about it". If you can say that to people with confidence, good luck to you; go ahead and pass the legislation with Mr Corbell's amendments.

I say very clearly to the Assembly that there is the real risk that this business will not be prepared to take the gamble that they will be able to produce on the same footing as other businesses like them in Australia and that they will think about moving outside the ACT. If the worst came to the worst, they might even consider selling to people who cross the border to buy cheaper battery eggs in Queanbeyan, rather than be lumbered with only the barn eggs in the ACT, which are so much more expensive. That is the real risk. I say to members: Take that step if you wish, but this Government will not be supporting that step.

MR CORBELL (11.20): Labor will be supporting in principle the Bills before us today. We will be giving that support in recognition of growing community concerns about the system of battery egg production and community perceptions about the problems which are part of that system of egg production. In making this decision, however, the Labor Party also recognises that there are constraints about how far the ACT can go on its own in progressing a change from battery egg production to alternative forms of production such as a barn system.

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