Page 2674 - Week 09 - Thursday, 25 August 1994
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Madam Speaker, there have been no major or significant changes made to the Bill since it was tabled in March this year. The Bill being introduced today is almost identical to the Bill that was tabled, and my introductory speech at that point is a relevant reference. The changes have been minor and few in number. However, I do not want to be appearing to suggest that the public consultation stage was unproductive. It has had the important advantage of allowing the Bill to be finetuned. Madam Speaker, I will give you an example of this finetuning. The original Bill allowed the court, at the time of giving judgment, to make enforcement orders. On the suggestion of the Magistrates Court, the Bill has been revised to give the court a discretion, after it has given judgment, to delegate to the registrar its powers to make enforcement orders. This may appear to be a small change; yet it and others have the combined effect of making the legislation more workable in practice and, of course, in saving court time and costs.
Madam Speaker, new forms to be used in conjunction with the legislation are necessary. The Magistrates Court, assisted by my department, is currently developing those forms, and I expect that they will be completed by about October. The forms will commence by notice in the Gazette, and this notice will be a disallowable instrument. It is expected that this legislation and the forms will have the same commencement date. I am hopeful, subject to the Bill's passage through this place, that the legislation and the accompanying forms will commence and be fully operational at the end of this year.
Madam Speaker, the procedural reforms contained in this Bill are another indication of the importance that this Government attaches to law reform. By all accounts, the legislation will make a positive contribution to meeting the needs of the ACT community. These new procedures not only will enable judgment creditors to more effectively enforce judgment debts but also will ensure that judgment debtors are adequately protected. Madam Speaker, the Bill is certainly long and somewhat technical. Prior to its being debated, members may wish to consult officers of my department over fine detail, and those officers will, of course, be at members' disposal. I commend the Bill to the house and present the explanatory memorandum.
Debate (on motion by Mr Humphries) adjourned.
PUBLICATIONS CONTROL (AMENDMENT) BILL 1994
MR CONNOLLY (Attorney-General and Minister for Health) (11.07): I present the Publications Control (Amendment) Bill 1994.
Title read by Clerk.
MR CONNOLLY: Madam Speaker, I move:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
The ACT Government has expressed its support for the Commonwealth's initiative to introduce a classification scheme for computer games. To put this scheme into effect we need to amend the Publications Control Act 1989 to recognise the classification scheme
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