Page 1880 - Week 06 - Thursday, 2 May 1991
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MAGISTRATES COURT (AMENDMENT) BILL 1991
MR COLLAERY (Attorney-General) (10.45): Mr Speaker, I present the Magistrates Court (Amendment) Bill 1991. I move:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
The Magistrates Court Act 1930 provides, under part VIIA, for a plea to specified offences to be made by post. Section 116A of the Act specifies offences for the purposes of part VIIA. The Motor Vehicles (Dimensions and Mass) Act 1990 provides for the regulation of the dimensions and mass of certain motor vehicles with particular reference to loads.
The amendment will insert a reference to the Motor Vehicles (Dimensions and Mass) Act 1990 into section 116A of the Magistrates Court Act 1930. The amendment will allow a plea in response to a summons to answer a charge under the Motor Vehicles (Dimensions and Mass) Act 1990 to be made by post where the penalty for the offence does not exceed a fine of $1,000. There will be no need for a person who wishes to plead guilty to make a court appearance to answer a charge in relation to such a specified offence.
This is a minor technical amendment, but one which will have the effect of reducing court time and costs spent on minor criminal offences and allow a person charged with a minor offence against the Motor Vehicles (Dimension and Mass) Act 1990 to answer a summons without the need for a court appearance. I am sure that members of the Transport Workers Union and other truck drivers who may come within the ambit of these provisions will welcome this simple but convenient process. Mr Speaker, I present the explanatory memorandum for the Bill.
Debate (on motion by Mr Connolly) adjourned.
LANDLORD AND TENANT (AMENDMENT) BILL 1991
MR COLLAERY (Attorney-General and Minister for Housing and Community Services) (10.47): Mr Speaker, I present the Landlord and Tenant (Amendment) Bill 1991. I move:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
Mr Speaker, all members of this Assembly would agree that the establishment of a rental bond protection scheme in the ACT is a long overdue initiative. It has been overdue through successive Labor governments. There has been for some time an urgent need to provide tenants and landlords with an effective and independent custodial and advisory service for rental bonds. It is the Alliance Government which has now ensured that this need will be finally met. The Office of Rental Bonds is to be created under the Landlord and Tenant (Amendment) Bill 1991.
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