Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 11 Hansard (8 December) . . Page.. 3176 ..

4. The failure of privatised power and water utilities to deliver essential services to the community or to effectively address environmental issues; and

5. The loss of jobs resulting from privatisation of public assets in Australia and elsewhere.

Your petitioners therefore request the Assembly to: Oppose any sale of the ACTEW Corporation and vote to retain and further develop ACTEW as an effective Territory Owned Corporation.

Petition received.

MR MOORE (Minister for Health and Community Care) (10.32): Mr Speaker, I ask for leave to present the Mental Health (Treatment and Care) (Amendment) Bill (No. 2) 1998.

Leave granted.

MR MOORE: I present the Mental Health (Treatment and Care) (Amendment) Bill (No. 2) 1998, together with the explanatory memorandum.

Title read by Clerk.

MR MOORE: I move:

That this Bill be agreed to in principle.

This Bill amends the Mental Health (Treatment and Care) Act 1994 by replacing the current section 3 of the Act. At present, section 3 states that the Act expires at a maximum of four years from its commencement. This means that the Act will expire on 5 February 1999. On 26 November this year, I presented a number of amendments to the Mental Health (Treatment and Care) Act which included a repeal of the sunset clause. At that time I explained why the Assembly had included a sunset provision in the 1994 Act.

The Government had expected that the amendments proposed in the Bill I presented in November would be debated and passed before the end of 1998 and before the expiry of the sunset clause. However, as the Assembly has deferred consideration of the substantive amendments until 1999, or has indicated its willingness to do so, it will be necessary to extend the operation of the Mental Health (Treatment and Care) Act, otherwise the ACT will have no effective mental health legislation after 5 February 1999. The Bill extends the operation of the Mental Health (Treatment and Care) Act 1994 until 30 June 1999. I am sure that this will provide sufficient time to consider the substantive amendments.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .