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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 9 Hansard (4 September) . . Page.. 2883 ..

MR KAINE (Minister for Urban Services and Minister for Industrial Relations) (10.59): Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, I present the Annual Leave (Amendment) Bill 1997, together with its explanatory memorandum.

Title read by Clerk.

MR KAINE: I move:

That this Bill be agreed to in principle.

My comments with respect to the Long Service Leave (Amendment) Bill 1997, just tabled, relate equally to this Bill.

Debate (on motion by Ms McRae) adjourned.

MR KAINE (Minister for Urban Services and Minister for Industrial Relations) (11.01): Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, I present the Workers' Compensation (Amendment) Bill (No. 2) 1997, together with its explanatory memorandum.

Title read by Clerk.

MR KAINE: I move:

That this Bill be agreed to in principle.

Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, I am pleased to introduce into the Legislative Assembly the Workers' Compensation (Amendment) Bill (No. 2) 1997. The Bill, if passed by the Assembly, will streamline and update the Act; provide certainty and clarification on various issues, including a definition of "wages" for the purposes of premium calculation and important limitations on the definition of "stress"; address some loopholes in the Act, for instance, the treatment of cover notes; and address deficiencies in the administration of the Act.

These amendments to the Workers' Compensation Act 1951 demonstrate the Government's commitment to improving workers compensation in the ACT, easing the financial burden on employers, and providing a fair and equitable compensation coverage for injured workers. In brief, these amendments are aimed at maintaining equity for employers, employees and insurers, encouraging rehabilitation, introducing systems of best practice and avoiding litigation by removing ambiguity from the meaning of various provisions of the Act.

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