Page 3836 - Week 14 - Thursday, 10 December 1992
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MR MOORE (4.33): Madam Speaker, Ms Szuty and I have discussed this Bill. We approached the Attorney-General this morning with a couple of doubts that he was able to resolve quickly. We wanted to verify the situation with paragraph 4(b)(f), which refers to a person charged with a prescribed offence. A prescribed offence is a disallowable instrument, as Mr Humphries pointed out. The fact that the power to disallow such an instrument resides with the Assembly as a whole is important. At the same time, such a provision in the legislation gives the Minister the opportunity to resolve any problem similar to that which gave rise to this Bill. We hope that such a problem does not occur again; but, if it does, the power is there to resolve it very quickly by regulation. The Assembly will be able to decide soon after whether such action is appropriate. Madam Speaker, with those few words, I believe that it is quite appropriate that members support the urgent passage of this minor amendment.
MR CONNOLLY (Attorney-General, Minister for Housing and Community Services and Minister for Urban Services) (4.34), in reply: Madam Speaker, I thank members for their support. I am particularly pleased that the Opposition is prepared to support this quick amending Bill. I note that the Opposition has itself put forward an amending Bill which, interestingly, goes some of the way that is recommended by the Community Law Reform Committee's report on domestic violence. No doubt we will debate that in the new year. I thank members for being prepared to move swiftly on this very small remedial measure which will ensure that any breaches of domestic violence orders over the Christmas-New Year period will be dealt with appropriately.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.
Bill agreed to.
ADJOURNMENT
Motion (by Mr Berry) proposed:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
Mr Vic Rebikoff
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (4.36): I take the opportunity of the adjournment debate to comment on an achievement by a Canberra citizen, Mr Vic Rebikoff, in promoting the cause of ethnic communities and advancing the status of the ACT. At the recent National Congress of the Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils held here in Canberra, Mr Rebikoff was elected as the national chairperson of FECCA. I am sure that most members in this chamber will know that Mr Rebikoff has had a very long association with the ACT Ethnic Communities Council. He has been president of the ACT council since 1983. He has also been the deputy chair of FECCA and the deputy chair of the Government's Multicultural Advisory Council.
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