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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 8 Hansard (27 October) . . Page.. 2244 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

It is not a matter of such concern that we would want to consider it an urgent Bill, but the amendments are, I think, fairly easy to look at. They are simply consistent with the recommendations of the Scrutiny of Bills Committee and deliver what the Scrutiny of Bills Committee has requested. But we can certainly discuss that further at lunchtime and you can check that they do that.

MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, I seek leave to make a short statement on this matter.

Leave granted.

MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, as a member of the Scrutiny of Bills Committee, or the Justice and Community Safety Committee - whichever title you want to give it - I share the concern expressed by Mr Stanhope and Ms Tucker. As a member of the committee, I saw this draft report only late last night. If you read the detail of the committee's comments, particularly in connection with the Domestic Violence Bill but also in connection with the series of Bills that relate to the building industry, you will see that there is some quite considerable comment in there.

I believe that the members of this place, before they vote on a Bill, have a right to understand it. There is a necessity for people to read what the Scrutiny of Bills Committee report says about a Bill and then go and have a look at it and see what it all means. To simply table a thing and then expect members to debate and vote on a significant Bill like the Domestic Violence Bill, in the light of the comments that are made about it in this report, I think is asking too much.

In connection with the Health (Amendment) Bill, Mr Moore tables an amendment to it this morning, but I have a letter addressed to the chair of the committee - dated only 1 October - from Mr Moore in connection with this Bill, in which he says that he cannot respond in the time scale and that he will be in a position to give us a comment by the end of November. What am I to do? I have got a letter advising me, as a member of the committee, that Mr Moore cannot respond to the questions raised by the committee until the end of November, but he tables amendments today. Am I to assume that, at the end of November or early December, Mr Moore will produce further amendments to make good further discrepancies in the Bill?

Mr Moore is stretching my credulity a bit if, on 1 October, he says that he cannot give us a response until the end of November - that is nearly 21/2 months after he was advised by the committee of our concerns - but he comes in here this morning, puts amendments on the table and says, "I want you to support the Bill today". Mr Speaker, I am afraid not. Mr Moore is going to have to do a lot more clarification on these matters before I will support his Bill today.

MR OSBORNE: Mr Speaker, I seek leave to make a further statement.

Leave granted.

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