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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 4 Hansard (25 June) . . Page.. 1040 ..

MR SMYTH (continuing):

This amendment also refines the definition of "local Regulator" in relation to a future date at which the ACT and New South Wales will transfer the regulation of distribution pipelines to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission from State-based regulators.

Mr Speaker, the Gas Pipelines Access Bill 1998 provides for the ACT to confer powers on the Federal Court in relation to civil and criminal matters, plus apply the Commonwealth Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act in relation to a review of an administrative decision of a code body. I thank members for their assistance in this matter.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

Clauses 1 to 7, by leave, taken together, and agreed to.

Clause 8

MR OSBORNE (11.47): I move:

Page 5, line 25, subclause (2), omit the subclause.

Mr Speaker, as I said when I foreshadowed my amendment, its purpose is to ensure that Mr Baxter, the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Commissioner, continues with gas the role that he has played in electricity. I was very interested in Mr Smyth's comments. As I said, I get very suspicious when governments start fiddling around with independent pricing commissioners, or anything independent. My amendment ensures that we have control over the Pricing Commissioner in this piece of legislation.

MR SMYTH (Minister for Urban Services) (11.48): Mr Speaker, the Government is happy with Mr Osborne's amendment to clause 8.

Amendment agreed to.

Clause, as amended, agreed to.

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