Page 3399 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 24 November 1992

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ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS

ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY QUESTION

QUESTION NO 361

Community Law Reform Committee -
Residential Tenancy Law Reference

MR CORNWELL - Asked the Attorney General upon notice on 14 October 1992:

In relation to the Community Law Reform Committee of the ACT and the current Residential Tenancy Law reference -

(1) What policy direction, if any, has the Government given the

Committee;

(2) As any law reform is only as good as its factual basis, has the .

Committee any funds to conduct a survey to verify the current

factual base; and

(3) Can the Government provide such funds at (2) and; if so, how much.

MR CONNOLLY - The answer to the members questions are as follows:

These questions assume a measure of control over the Committees research and decision making processes which the Government does not have. The Committee is an independent body established to make recommendations to Government on the basis of its own investigation following consultation with the community. It does not conduct surveys at the behest of Government.

(1) The answer to the first question is an emphatic no. The Government

has not nor will it dictate policy or tell the Committee what it should think or

do. To push the Committee in any direction would jeopardise the Committees

proven independent standing in the community and deprive it of its ability to

make impartial recommendations.

(2) The Government is not in the practice of allocating particular funds to

the Committee for particular purposes. The Committee has the resources of a

secretariat which is one of the functions of the Law Reform Unit of my

Department. How the Committee uses those resources within the confines of

the law reform budget is a matter for the Committee. This Government is not

about to investigate and advise the Committee on how it should complete the

terms of reference on residential tenancy law or on any other reference.

(3) If Mr Cornwell has any particular concerns in relation to this matter he

may wish to consider taking them up with the Committee.

3399

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