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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 6 Hansard (17 June) . . Page.. 1685 ..

MR BERRY (continuing):

Mr Speaker, this debate will go on. I am sure that in due course there will be changes about the regulation of drugs in this country. I trust that the changes will be on a national front and that we do get some realistic changes. No matter how passionate, even obsessed, some of us might be about drug law reform in this place we cannot afford to think that a small parliament that represents 300,000 people here in the ACT can lead the rest of Australia against its will. It is more important that we travel with the rest of Australia, encourage change - - -

Mrs Carnell: Just hang in there at the back.

MR BERRY: Mrs Carnell interjects, "Hang in there at the back". She knows that I was the first to raise it in a ministerial drug council and I have argued for change on many occasions. If politicians in this place do silly things about drug law reform, I will criticise them. Silly things have been done in the past. I have criticised them. In fact, I hope that I caused belly laughter about them, because they were so silly. The fact is that we have to behave responsibly on these issues, and I trust that we will.

MR SPEAKER: The discussion has concluded.

MR WOOD: Mr Speaker, I present Report No. 6 of 1997 of the Standing Committee on Scrutiny of Bills and Subordinate Legislation. I ask for leave to make a brief statement on the report.

Leave granted.

MR WOOD: Mr Speaker, the report comments on a number of Bills, in particular the Public Health Bill. It also deals with erroneous references in various Bills and errors in explanatory memorandums. The EM for the Public Health Bill was at odds in numbering with the Bill itself. There were also some provisions for which there was no explanation, and at least one explanation was given for a provision that does not appear to be in that form in the Bill. The committee wrote to the Health Minister seeking an amended EM. She did not really need to get our letter, as our request was in the mail to her when the new EM arrived. I am grateful for that amended EM. I think it reflects the pressure under which officers work from time to time and is something that we should note.

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