Page 5303 - Week 14 - Thursday, 19 November 2009
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road rules. Why was not the same approach given to fireworks? Could it be that some of those opposite almost wanted the system to fail?
There are other parts of the world where cracker nights still exist: parts of the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and the Caribbean and, of course, the fireworks capital of the world, China. I never thought I would say this, but proponents of fireworks might have to seek refuge in the People’s Republic of China. Of course, there are many other issues in China to contend with.
Even the Chief Minister on 27 August 2009 said in the Canberra Times:
I regret the decision. I think of decisions I've made in Government it's one of the decisions that I have significant regret around. I always enjoyed fireworks, cracker night, I loved it as a child. My children loved it, and it's a matter of regret that there are generations of children now that will never have that same experience or that same joy, and I regret that.
Chief Minister, I share your concerns. As the youngest person in this Assembly, I can say that, of the people of Canberra I know of a similar age, many also regret the decision taken by your government.
I think there are many other options for the safe and responsible use of fireworks that could be explored. Firstly, I would support a system which cracked down on illegal use. As I have already discussed, fireworks, like many products, if used irresponsibly, can be dangerous. People that do this should be punished. Why do we not look at alternative options like on-the-spot fines? The current suite of options open to enforcement officers does not include this tool. I believe it would help in obvious cases of abuse of the laws and serve as a deterrent. As Mrs Dunne has said, given that not one person has been prosecuted for using fireworks outside of regulated times, it shows the system is not working well.
Mrs Dunne has also flagged the possibility of limiting the fireworks weekend to just one night rather than two. This is something which should be on the table for consultation. What about nominations for parts of Canberra where people can congregate and let off fireworks or watch others let off fireworks? The event could even be facilitated by service clubs or other community organisations. There are many options which should be on the table but sadly are not.
Only the Canberra Liberals are committed to genuine consultation and genuine representative and responsible government. I think this is a sad day for Canberra. Some may think I am being melodramatic, but for many in our community, fireworks are more than colourful lights in the sky; they represent families, friends and communities coming together and enjoying each other’s company. Whilst it seems to be a done deal, I urge Labor and the Greens to rethink their approach to this issue.
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (12.09), in reply: I thank members for their participation. I am not surprised but I am disappointed that this motion will go down. What we are doing here is acknowledging that the people of Canberra are not satisfied that the government or this Assembly have done their best to explore all the options in relation to shopgoods fireworks. The people of Canberra are not satisfied that this government and this Assembly have considered any kind of reasonable compromise that can be
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