Page 3711 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 15 October 1991
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Finally, there was a concern in the community in relation to the staff. Under clause 64 the staff required to assist the tribunal in the performance of its functions are to be public servants made available by the head of administration. The question was: Who would they be responsible to and who would they answer to? The Government has agreed to our suggestion that a clause should be put in there to make them subject to the supervision, at least, of the tribunal. That has been accepted by the Government. Also, a typo in clause 58 is to be rectified.
I thank the government law officers for their diligence and their very prompt response to the matters we thrashed out this afternoon. I look forward to the final draft amendments which will be placed before this house - not tonight, but shortly. I have no problems in commending to the Assembly this legislation and, indeed, the Opposition amendments when they come. My party supports this package of Bills.
MS MAHER (9.01): I rise briefly to congratulate the Attorney-General on bringing forward this package of Bills. I would also like to congratulate the former Attorney-General, Mr Collaery, for all the time and effort that he spent with the Law Office and community groups in initiating a lot of the legislation that is being put forward. It is pathetic that the Commonwealth has allowed the ACT to be governed by out-of-date legislation like the Lunacy Act of 1898. The community has worked hard for the changes that are being presented.
The guardianship issue is one that has been around the community for a long time. It is good to see that it is recognised that there is a need to protect those who are unable to manage their own affairs, and the relatives of those people; and also those who know that they are losing full control of the functions of their mind through disease or illness.
I commend the Attorney-General for bringing forward some amendments to the legislation which the community has been working very hard on since 12 September when this legislation was tabled in the Assembly. Amendments will continue to come forward and the debate will be adjourned until the Assembly members are agreed on those amendments. Different issues have come up in the amendments.
I think that Mr Stefaniak and Mr Collaery have gone through most of those, and I will not repeat them. I would just like to congratulate the community groups, the Attorney-General, Mr Collaery and the Law Office for their hard work, and to say that I will be supporting the legislation.
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