Page 5513 - Week 17 - Wednesday, 4 December 1991
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either; but this was something that was of concern to me because of the tourism industry, and I thought the matter had been addressed. So, it is unfortunate. I am glad to see that it has been fixed up as quickly as possible and, naturally, I support the Bill.
MR CONNOLLY (Attorney-General, Minister for Housing and Community Services and Minister for Urban Services) (12.41), in reply: Members have said that it is unfortunate that there has been an unintended consequence of a Bill that has been through this house. I would say that it has been through the scrutiny of the Scrutiny of Bills Committee; it was not picked up there. Obviously, Mrs Nolan discussed this very issue with the proponent of the Bill and thought that it had been covered. As I understand it, I think everyone assumed that "licensed premises" included a BYO; but, because of the peculiarities of the liquor laws in this Territory, that definition is not indeed adequate.
I think this episode is a timely reminder of the responsibilities of this Assembly when we are considering private members' Bills. It is a matter of some real disquiet to the Government that we often are in the sort of position that we were in this morning in respect of private members' business. We seemed to have a constant stream of amendments to other Bills coming in to us; the sands are constantly shifting. This Bill itself had some amendments on its way through.
Obviously, we have to be very, very careful in scrutinising all the Bills that come before this Assembly. A Bill that comes up through the Executive process has at least had the discipline of the Cabinet process, which is set out in the Cabinet handbook - it is circulated throughout agencies; it is pored over by a whole range of people with different perspectives. It is therefore perhaps less likely that these anomalous effects occur.
When we are debating private members' business, sometimes on the run, and particularly when we get amendments that are handwritten - scribbled out on the floor and then voted on - there is an obvious risk of this sort of thing occurring again. I hope that it will not. Certainly, the officers of the Attorney-General's Department have learnt a lesson in this; that there will have to be far more careful consideration of all private members' legislation as it comes through. But, given the vast raft of material that is being introduced - and, again, my desk has this morning accumulated a little pile of additional amendments to other private members' legislation - there is always, obviously, a risk of this happening. We have detected the error as quickly as we could, and we have acted to correct it.
Mr Moore: It is interesting, Mr Speaker, that - - -
MR SPEAKER: Mr Connolly, in fact, has closed the debate on this issue.
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