Page 3789 - Week 13 - Thursday, 18 October 1990
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I ask the question again, despite their carping and their criticism: what did the Opposition do when they were here? I repeat: they did absolutely nothing - absolutely nothing. Next month when the Commonwealth-State National Committee on Violence Against Women meets, the ACT will be an active participant. This committee will focus on the experience and needs of women vulnerable to physical and emotional abuse. Domestic violence can be effectively eliminated only if every government takes an unequivocal stand on the protection of those victims, particularly children, who are now able to independently secure protection with our recent amendment to the domestic violence legislation. Measures to secure an understanding of the causes and effect of such aggression will be discussed by the national committee.
Ms Follett has made much of the fact that the Weapons Bill has not yet been put to the Assembly. The reason why the Weapons Bill has not yet been put to the Assembly in its final form is that it is very comprehensive legislation; it is new legislation; it is legislation at the forefront of similar legislation in Australia; it raises very complex issues, and we have had an enormous response from the public on that exposure draft. That requires that we consider very carefully what was said to us. This is the community consultation process that the people opposite always whinge and complain about. They say that we do not do it; but when we do it they say, "Where is the legislation?". You cannot have it both ways, Mr Berry. When we go through the community consultation process, as we do on all of our major Bills, you do not like it, because we get community input.
Mr Berry: You do not take any notice of anybody.
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Berry!
MR KAINE: Do I have to debate this man, Mr Speaker?
MR SPEAKER: Please proceed.
Mr Berry: No. I will be going in a moment.
MR SPEAKER: Order!
MR KAINE: As usual, you disappear from the floor of the house when the heat gets on. The fact is that the Weapons Bill will be brought down when all of the submissions that have been made by the community are taken into account; when those views are reflected, as far as they can be, in the draft Bill. That takes time. It requires legislative drafting expertise. It is not an easy task. I repeat, Mr Speaker, that it is of such significance that the Government believes that it is better that we get this legislation right rather than put it on the table half-baked and satisfy the carping Opposition.
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