Page 5490 - Week 17 - Wednesday, 4 December 1991
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MRS NOLAN: I was just going to say that that report was handed down in April 1991. Normal government convention is that governments respond to committee reports within a three-month period. It is unfortunate that that was not done. Had a response been tabled, one could have acted upon that response some time ago. The reality is that the report was not acted upon, and Mr Moore then took it upon himself to introduce legislation into the house.
I have to say that the legislation he introduced, in its original form, was not something I supported. It was not the position I supported in relation to the report when that was handed down, and I made my views quite clear in additional comments in that report. I accept that it is difficult to get a situation where all members and parties in this Assembly come to agreement, but the issue has been around for some considerable time. Law reform needs to be achieved in this area, and if we cannot get agreement on how that is going to be done the issue will go onto the backburner for another year or two, or it may never be acted upon.
If the Labor Party do not want it acted upon, that is their view. An enormous amount of work was put in by both the committee members and the committee secretary, and I think it is important that something be put in place before the end of the life of this Assembly. Even though further reforms can probably be done later, the amendments proposed by Mr Moore will go some way to addressing the issue. Further amendments can then be put in place next year which will better address the situation.
MR STEFANIAK (11.28): The Liberal Party has looked at this issue over the last 12 months. Indeed, on the last occasion I read out our policy, which was passed on 1 June. The prostitution part is in our police and justice policy, which is probably the best police and justice policy this Territory has seen. We recognise the situation in relation to prostitution. Our police acknowledge - - -
Mr Berry: Who wrote it, Bill?
Mrs Nolan: I did.
Mr Berry: No, the police and justice policy.
MR STEFANIAK: I wrote it, but Mrs Nolan certainly had input in relation to the prostitution part.
Mr Kaine: We have not seen the New Conservatives' policy yet.
MR STEFANIAK: As indeed did Mr Kaine, who made some very sensible amendments on the day. So, we have ended up with a very good policy. Mr Moore has taken out significant parts of this legislation, which caused problems to a number of people in the community and may well have caused some problems in the implementation of his Act.
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