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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 12 Hansard (13 November) . . Page.. 4208 ..

MR WOOD (continuing):

If the Minister wanted to pursue his argument, he should have produced some statistics to give some idea of the relative strength of those two arguments. I still think that the advantage should be given to those people who want to make a claim but find it threatening to go to the Magistrates Court. The overriding point is that the $5,000 has not been changed for a very long time - about 10 years, I think. You might correct me. It has not been changed for about 10 years.

Mr Humphries: We have not had much inflation in the last 10 years.

MR WOOD: There has been very little inflation in the last year. I am not going to argue about that, but there was pretty hefty inflation in earlier years. I have not done the maths and I have not checked the CPI for each year, but I would judge that the $5,000 about 10 years ago would be very much less now. The jurisdiction has actually shrunk. Rather than expand the jurisdiction, which was the word I used, it might be more correct to say that we will restore the jurisdiction. I think that is what this would be about.

Amendments agreed to.

MS TUCKER (9.26): I ask for leave to move together the three amendments circulated in my name.

Leave granted.

MS TUCKER: I move:

Page 55, Schedule 1, proposed new Schedule 3:

Omit -

"I, [name], swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Second, and Her heirs and successors, according to law.

I swear that I will well and truly serve in the office of referee in the Small Claims Court.".

substitute -

"I, [name], swear that I will well and truly serve the people of the Australian Capital Territory in the office of referee in the Small Claims Court.".

Omit -

"I, [name], solemnly and sincerely affirm that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Second, and Her heirs and successors, according to law.

I solemnly and sincerely affirm that I will well and truly serve in the office of referee in the Small Claims Court.".

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