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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 6 Hansard (18 June) . . Page.. 1717 ..

Mr Osborne: You are too frightened to go out with the police to see the results of the 4 o'clock close.

MR MOORE: Here is another interruption, about 4 o'clock closing. We will get to that later today.

MR SPEAKER: Do not pre-empt debate.

MR MOORE: Mr Speaker, I commend this legislation to the Assembly.

Debate (on motion by Mr Osborne) adjourned.

MR MOORE (11.02): Mr Speaker, I present the much less controversial Legislative Assembly (Broadcasting of Proceedings) Bill 1997, together with an explanatory memorandum.

Title read by Clerk.

MR MOORE: I move:

That this Bill be agreed to in principle.

I think this is a very important piece of legislation. Members will be aware that currently I have on the notice paper a piece of legislation relating to the broadcasting of proceedings of the Assembly. Mr Speaker, once this piece of legislation is on the notice paper, then it will be appropriate for us to withdraw the previous Bill. You will notice on the daily program a motion to discharge the order of the day for the other broadcasting of proceedings Bill. I did discuss, Mr Speaker, with the secretariat what would be the best way to proceed. It seemed to me that I could have prepared this legislation as an amendment to the existing legislation; but it seemed much more sensible, since there were some fairly substantive changes, to withdraw that other Bill and to replace it with this Bill.

The intention of the two Bills is exactly the same. The current piece of legislation, which I have just tabled and which I have just moved be agreed to in principle, reflects the view of the Assembly committee and the Government response. It has been through a very long process and, for me, I must say, much too long a process to get to the position where our democracy is enhanced by there being widespread publication of proceedings of the Assembly, with the authorisation of the Speaker.

Mr Speaker, the Bill covers the broadcasting to the public and the internal transmission to ACT government offices. It confers a defence against defamation for broadcasts of proceedings. Part 2 of the legislation - clauses 4, 5 and 6 - relates to broadcasting to government offices; and part 3 relates to broadcasting to the public. I think the most

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