Page 181 - Week 01 - Thursday, 15 February 1990
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I must speak for the Government in that regard. That section of the legislation, which was inserted by the former Government, is anticipatory, but it is clearly an indication that there was a considered attempt to raise funds from the X-rated video process. In that regard, clearly this has significance as a step along the way in ensuring that were this community and this Assembly to legitimise in any way the X-rated video industry there would be machinery in process which indicates that there can be some purview - I did not say preview, Mr Speaker - of the X-rated videos on premises.
Certainly, Mr Speaker, you cannot take it from the Government's point of view - and perhaps I speak for others in this house - that this in any way acknowledges, legitimises, predicts or anticipates the outcome of any legislation this Assembly may make on the X-rated video issue. It is interesting to see that this law is anticipatory. Just to ensure, Mr Speaker, that this Assembly does not cop any criticism for acting in that way, clearly it is of interest that our revenue gatherers prepare legislation in anticipation of social changes, in anticipation of new products coming on the market which could be open to taxes. But by anticipating that, it in no way means that the Government will proceed to open that area up for taxation or regulation. It is simply there as a backstop, as we interpret it on this side of the house.
The Opposition, in declining to comment upon this Bill and describing it as minor, showed again that it does not understand the significance of the early legislation coming through this new, historic Assembly. The fact is that this is efficient, revenue gathering machinery work. Clearly, the Administration is to be congratulated for facilitating a process whereby any Bill that partly regulates X-rated videos, or any legislation of that kind, can be accompanied by legislation of this kind. I make no comment on the X-rated video issue, on behalf of the Government at large or, for this matter, myself at this stage. I merely point out the interesting fact that included in here is a product which is yet to receive any official recognition from this Government.
The Rates and Land Tax Act 1926, along with a lot of legislation in this Territory - and we saw earlier an amendment passed to the 1957 Trustee Act - is dated in its drafting and language. Whilst there have been statute law revision moves in recent years to fix up some of the expressions in legislation that are offensive to women at times, a lot of our laws in the Territory, like the Rates and Land Tax Act 1926, are old-fashioned and in need of review, and today's debate points up again that we will end up with a very large challenge facing us in the area of law reform in the Territory.
We need to redraft completely a lot of this legislation. Whilst today we can bring in some band-aid changes to it,
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