Page 3827 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 27 August 2008
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Unfortunately, here we are tonight debating yet another bill the government failed to adequately and appropriately consult the community on. The consultation process at best was a total shambles and at worst was non-existent. I have been told that. Either they are not telling me the truth or I have to believe them. And I have no reason to think that they would lie. I said, “I was told from the minister, ‘I am sorry, the minister has said she has consulted with you.’” They have said, “That’s not true.” There has been a breakdown again all the way through this.
I understand the minister’s penchant for pushing things through. It is an election year, and she wants to make herself look good. This is a very contentious issue, and the minister is trying to have it every which way on this. I am a non-smoker. I used to smoke but I do not smoke now. I hate the things. But I think there is a courtesy that should have been extended to the dozens of family businesses in Canberra who will have to make certain arrangements in terms of the point-of-sale display bans.
I guess the correlation of this odd debate that we have had today was Mr Mulcahy’s legislation. We allow paraphernalia that is used in the taking of illicit drugs to be displayed. The government apparently do not have a problem with that. I find it weird. I find it absolutely a contradiction and hypocrisy in the highest. I thought the government would have supported that hands down, particularly because of what we are debating here tonight—the main point.
I will go through the minister’s media release in a moment and just say that the majority of what she is saying is fine; it is sound; the industry do not have a problem with it. But to be sidelined and not even listened to in terms of other models that are being used very successfully around Australia to wean away the community is fine, is it, minister? No. We have to do it because there is an election on.
It is disappointing. The failure and the lack of adequate consultation by this government have really bugged the community. And it could have been done better. The bill is two years old. This consultation, supposedly in 2006, was an information session. It was not consultation at that point. Then the industry heard nothing virtually until 6 March 2008. I think that is appalling. That is not consultation.
The government then appears to have conveniently forgotten, shall we say, about having to consult with the community. Obviously something went wrong. We have had lots of breakdowns of communication. I do not know what is going on in the minister’s office but there seems to be a bit of a breakdown in there. Let us not worry about family businesses. In fact, I tabled in this place a signed petition from 120 or so businesses right across the length and breadth of Canberra expressing their concern at the lack of consultation on behalf of this minister and this government. That is a key signature or tune of this government and that is really sad. That is a major failing of this government. These family businesses will be severely impacted.
All right, maybe people will say, “In the short term we have got to think of the health of people.” I have not yet seen any evidence that banning point-of-sale displays is going to have a great impact on the community. If I believed that was the case, if I was fully convinced—as I have said before, I cannot abide smoking; I cannot stand it—I would be backing the minister absolutely 100 per cent.
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