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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 5 Hansard (27 August) . . Page.. 1486 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General, Minister for Justice and Community Safety and Minister Assisting the Treasurer) (4.14): Mr Speaker, the whole of Mr Corbell's remarks just now are completely irrelevant since the Chief Minister did not say what he suggested she said. He should listen to the debate rather than come in and just throw a punch at the Chief Minister's head on the assumption that that is all right; that it is par for the course or it is good enough. It is not what she said. He should listen to what was said.

Mr Corbell: It is. I was here for her statement.

MR HUMPHRIES: It is not. You listen, Mr Corbell. Go back and read what was said.

Amendment agreed to.

Motion, as amended, agreed to.

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General, Minister for Justice and Community Safety and Minister Assisting the Treasurer) (4.15): Mr Speaker, for the information of members, I present the Government's response to the report of the ACT Government working party's review of commercial and retail tenancy legislation, entitled "Commercial and Retail Tenancy Legislation into the 21st Century", and I move:

That the Assembly takes note of the paper.

I can always refer this report to a committee, I suppose, Mr Speaker, but I just move that we take note of the paper. Mr Speaker, the Government has now had the opportunity to consider the report of the ACT Government working party's review of commercial and retail tenancy legislation. The report, which is called "Commercial and Retail Tenancy Legislation into the 21st Century", was presented to me in November last year. The review of the legislation was sought by the Government as part of its commitment to review legislation and regulations governing business and industry in the Territory. The Government has had a longstanding commitment to ensuring a fair balance between the interests of lessors and commercial and retail tenants. The Government's objectives have been and continue to be fourfold: Ensuring that all parties, but especially tenants, are able to make fully informed decisions; ensuring that there is a proper balance in the respective bargaining power of lessors and tenants, particularly at the negotiation stages; ensuring that, once established, there is equity in the relationship between lessors and tenants; and ensuring that there is an effective dispute resolution process.

Late last year I attended a special meeting of the Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers responsible for retail tenancy matters, which committed each jurisdiction to work together with the others to provide national minimum standards for retail tenancy laws. I was able to say at that meeting that the ACT's laws not only met those minimum standards but in many respects offered additional protections to ensure an even balance

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