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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 10 Hansard (7 December) . . Page.. 2764 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

of title. This area of law has been replaced by provisions in ACT leases and subleases. An example of a New South Wales law still operative in the Territory is the Crown Lands Act of 1884. This Act allowed access across crown land for property owners and is superseded in the ACT by the Land (Planning and Environment) Act of 1991.

Turning to ACT law, there are 14 revision and amending Acts listed for repeal. It is not necessary to retain these essentially machinery provisions. The relevant changes are retained by virtue of the Interpretation Act 1967. Laws which regulated the egg industry are repealed because the regulatory regime which they govern has now lapsed. The Police Offences Act of 1930 and associated legislation is repealed by this Bill. This body of law, comprising 12 separate Acts, now contains only one offence. The offence is committed by a person who keeps "a place of public resort ... wherein provisions of liquor or refreshments of any kind are sold or consumed ... and ... who knowingly permits or suffers persons of notoriously bad character to meet together and remain therein".

Mr Berry: Does this mean that two of your Ministers will be able to go to the pub now?

MRS CARNELL: I think there are probably a few bars around the ACT, Mr Berry, where certain politicians and members of the media may have contravened that legislation. The intent of this provision is adequately covered by the Liquor Licence Act of 1975 and other laws. Other laws in the list to be repealed either are spent or contain outdated or inappropriate provisions now more efficiently or more appropriately dealt with in modern legislation.

In summary, the measures in the Law Reform (Abolitions and Repeals) Bill 1995 are long overdue housekeeping of ACT law; but it is only the tip of the iceberg. The comprehensive program of law reform initiated by this Government includes action on a further 250 laws and regulations, including the imperial and New South Wales laws I mentioned earlier, which will be repealed, updated or simplified over the next two years. These also include laws to be updated in conjunction with the Commonwealth and the States where a uniform national code is agreed.

The Government has a strong commitment to regulatory reform. We are doing this through a series of integrated measures in addition to those already mentioned. A systematic review over the next two years of all ACT regulation will result in the removal of any unnecessary burdens, costs or disadvantages placed on business and the reform of legislation affected by the implementation of the national competition policy, while still protecting consumers, the community and the environment. This review is in addition to any actions that may arise following the Government's consideration of the findings of the red tape task force.

Taken together, the Government's reforms will result in a major change in the regulatory and legal climate in the Territory. They will facilitate business by removing unnecessary regulations and cumbersome processes, protect consumers in a just and efficient way, and make our law more accessible, relevant and effective. I made it clear when I became Chief Minister that I wanted to be remembered not for the many laws we passed during

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