Page 2391 - Week 09 - Thursday, 17 September 1992
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Thursday, 17 September 1992
___________________________
MADAM SPEAKER (Ms McRae) took the chair at 10.30 am and read the prayer.
PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE -
STANDING COMMITTEE
Report on New Capital Works Program 1992-93
Debate resumed from 11 August 1992, on motion by Mr Lamont:
That the report be noted.
MR BERRY (Deputy Chief Minister) (10.31): Pursuant to standing order 77(d), I move:
That executive business be called on forthwith.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Mr Kaine: If he had explained this to us, we might not disagree. This is the first I have heard of it.
MADAM SPEAKER: The ayes have it. Can we continue, please?
Mr Kaine: I withdraw my objection, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Kaine.
LISTENING DEVICES BILL 1992
Debate resumed from 20 August 1992, on motion by Mr Connolly:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
MR HUMPHRIES (10.32): The Listening Devices Bill is a valuable Bill and will be an important piece of legislation in the armoury of legislation to protect the rights of citizens of the ACT. The Opposition gives its broad support to this Bill and welcomes action by the ACT Government on this question. The ACT follows, I understand, a number of jurisdictions in enacting similar legislation. It is appropriate that we are putting in place provisions to protect our citizens which other citizens have enjoyed for some time. Indeed, the New South Wales Government passed a Listening Devices Bill as far back as 1984, and other legislation might even precede that.
There is no doubt that listening devices constitute one of the gravest threats to the privacy of citizens in this country that one could imagine. This Bill establishes safeguards against the unjustified invasion of privacy which listening devices, particularly electronic listening devices, can occasion. Mr Justice Douglas of the Supreme Court of the United States of America said at one time:
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