Page 182 - Week 01 - Thursday, 15 February 1990
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which will assist the integration of any possible legislation and fix up loopholes, given our budgetary limitations, given the enormous pressure at the moment on the Law Office generally of this Government and its legislative drafting function, we should realise that down the track considerable funds will have to be found somewhere to effect a general law revision activity. The Rates and Land Tax Act 1926 aptly recognises that. If members referred to that Act, they would see some quaint and old-fashioned language dealing with issues that have since passed in the Territory.
The Rates and Land Tax Act 1926 allows, through this amendment that may be passed today, for the remission of interest on unpaid rates and land taxes in appropriate circumstances. Members may recall complaints, at the time the budget of the former Government came in, that there were changes going on in the rating area to impose penalty rates of interest in certain circumstances on late payments. This Bill gives certain discretions to deal with that situation. It is incumbent on me generally, Mr Speaker, as Attorney to draw attention to those matters.
People may think this is minor, pedantic, but in the early life of this Assembly I think it is important that I point out the significance of the legislation, particularly that which passes through in a perfunctory fashion because of its complexity, and because this house is probably blessed with enough lawyers as it is and the others are not interested particularly in becoming bush lawyers. I ask the members to look at the added significance of pieces of legislation of this nature.
I also point out that as the Bills committee, which we will no doubt re-form and reharness, becomes operational in this Assembly we will be able to give more concerted attention and perhaps more informed comment across the political spectrum in this Assembly on legislation. But at this stage the Bills committee is in its infancy and has not seen the legislation that has come forward today, although I imagine that the Clinical Waste Bill will certainly be looked at by it to determine whether any of those issues are relevant.
Mr Speaker, I commend these machinery changes to the house but additionally commend to members some contemplation of the significance of having an administration that can think of the loopholes, such as on the X-rated video issue, inform government of them in timely fashion, and at least have some legislation in place were Bills of that nature to be passed.
MR MOORE (11.15): That was a very informative speech from Mr Collaery. Let me make a couple of comments in response to his statements rather than specifically on the Bill, although I will refer to what he was saying about the Bill. With reference to the X-rated classification, now that Mr Collaery has made his point about the Labor Government's
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