Page 1262 - Week 05 - Thursday, 25 June 1992
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will provide motorists with sufficient opportunity to remove any anti-speed-measuring devices from their vehicles before the new law takes effect. Given that these devices are designed for open road speeding - there is very little open road in the ACT - and most of it is done in New South Wales where they are already banned, anyone with these devices is already breaching the law whenever they travel in New South Wales.
The amendments to the Motor Traffic Act are an indication of the Labor Government's continuing commitment to improving road safety in the Territory. I commend the Bill to the Assembly and I present the explanatory memorandum for the Bill.
Debate (on motion by Mr Westende) adjourned.
LEGAL AID (AMENDMENT) BILL (NO. 2) 1992
MR CONNOLLY (Attorney-General, Minister for Housing and Community Services and Minister for Urban Services) (10.53): Madam Speaker, I present the Legal Aid (Amendment) Bill (No. 2) 1992.
Title read by Clerk.
MR CONNOLLY: I move:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
Madam Speaker, this Bill contains a number of amendments to the Legal Aid Act 1977 which aim to bring into effect a set of minor changes to constitutional, administrative and financial provisions relating to the operations of the Legal Aid Commission. It is expected that the measures proposed in the Bill will assist the commission to keep pace with its growing importance in the Territory community. I am happy to note that the commission has shown keen interest in the measures which form the basis of this Bill and has been involved in the Bill's development throughout its various stages.
The Bill envisages a constitutional change to the commission which will see the commission membership reduced from nine to eight, in keeping with the small population it serves. This will be achieved by removing one of the two specialist commissioners. Specialist commissioners are appointed to provide specialist assistance to the commission with their skills, experience and qualifications. The commission no longer requires assistance from two commissioners of the same type.
The commission has difficulties in enforcing payments due to it, mainly owing to delays inherent in following the procedures under the existing provisions. I believe that, at the time when the provisions dealing with the commission's power to recover contributions were enacted, recovery of money by a non-financial institution like the commission was not regarded as being of much importance. However, the commission's status as an independent body and the growth of its operations, and consequently its need to have financial discipline, make it necessary to update the commission's recovery power.
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