Page 2945 - Week 10 - Thursday, 7 October 2021
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It is of critical importance that the director-general has the right tools available to contain COVID-19 if a staff member or young detainee has been exposed. Being able to implement measures early and efficiently, and maintain those for as long as necessary to keep young people and Bimberi staff safe from COVID-19 is a legitimate aim and justifies the limiting of human rights in this instance. The amendment will reduce the increased risks associated with managing the administrative process required to maintain an ongoing emergency declaration every three days if an outbreak of COVID-19 were to occur within Bimberi.
Safeguards are incorporated in this measure. These include regular review of the declaration at least every 28 days by the director-general, accompanying each review with a report to the minister on any measures taken in response to the emergency, annual reporting on measures taken under the declaration, and a requirement to revoke the declaration if reasonable grounds no longer exist for its continuation.
As with other COVID-19 measures, this measure is temporary. It will expire when the COVID-19 Emergency Response Act 2020 expires, which is at the end of a 12-month period during which no COVID-19 declaration has been enforced. This measure may only be used while a COVID-19 emergency declaration is in force. I commend this batch of amendments to the Assembly.
Amendment agreed to.
Clause 3, as amended, agreed to.
Clauses 4 to 8, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Proposed new clauses 8A to 8C.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong—Attorney-General, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Gaming and Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction) (5.57): I move amendment No 2 circulated in my name, which inserts new clauses 8A to 8C [see schedule 1 at page 2953].
Amendment agreed to.
Proposed new clauses 8A to 8C agreed to.
Clauses 9 to 23, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clauses 24 to 40, by leave, taken together.
MR CAIN (Ginninderra) (5.58): As mentioned this morning, the ACT Labor-Greens government, under part 11 of the bill, clauses 24 to 40, in my opinion and in the opinion of the Canberra Liberals, is trying to push through wide-ranging powers via this part with its amendments to the Taxation Administration Act 1999. The effects of the proposed amendments would provide the Treasurer with the discretion to determine by disallowable instrument a scheme for a tax deferral, a tax exemption or a tax rebate without any precondition to the exercise of this discretion, and in any circumstance.
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