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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 8 Hansard (29 August) . . Page.. 2519 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

Mr Speaker, this Bill provides for a small but very important change from the previous scheme. The subsidy for low-alcohol wine products will now be payable only on low-alcohol wine 6.5 per cent alcohol per volume or less where the wine product is undiluted or unadulterated. The previous ACT low-alcohol subsidy scheme did not indicate that the wine subsidy was based on undiluted or unadulterated wine, which inadvertently allowed a number of "trendy" mixed wine drinks to fall within the subsidy scheme.

Mr Quinlan: Ban them all.

MR HUMPHRIES: I would ban them all too. I think they are revolting things. There is no accounting for taste.

Mr Speaker, funding for the subsidy was authorised by the Legislative Assembly through an amendment to the Appropriation Bill on 10 July 2000, and since then a majority of members have formally agreed to the reintroduction of the subsidy under administrative arrangements until this bill is passed.

In conclusion, this bill will provide a legislative framework for the payment and administration of liquor subsidies for low-alcohol beer and wine to ensure ACT consumers of these products are not disadvantaged in comparison with those in New South Wales. As I indicated, this arrangement may be temporary, pending the agreement being reached between the states and territories and the Commonwealth on the provision of a Commonwealth excise providing for a concession for low-alcohol beer.

I commend the bill to the house.

Debate (on motion by Mr Quinlan ) adjourned.

Mr Humphries , by leave, presented the bill and its explanatory memorandum.

Title read by Clerk.

MR HUMPHRIES (Treasurer, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Community Safety) (12.02 ): I move:

This bill amends the Electoral Act 1992 to provide that independent members of the Legislative Assembly are required to disclose in their annual returns only gifts given solely or substantially for a purpose related to an MLA's position rather than all amounts received by them during the financial year.

Presently, the Electoral Act requires that all amounts received by parties and independent MLAs be included in annual returns lodged with the ACT Electoral Commission and that details of amounts over $1,500 need to be disclosed. The only exemption to the reporting of amounts received by independent MLAs provided in the Electoral Act is that gifts received by an MLA in a personal capacity, which are not used solely or substantially for

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