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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 11 Hansard (8 December) . . Page.. 3311 ..

MR OSBORNE: I love it when you are cranky. It is so cute.

MR SPEAKER: You have been here long enough, Mr Osborne, to know the rules.

MR OSBORNE: Smile. Come on.

MR SPEAKER: Get on with it.

MR OSBORNE: Mr Speaker, I listened to Mr Stanhope's speech on this issue and I felt I needed to justify my position in supporting this in relation to the scrutiny of Bill's committee report that highlighted a number of concerns by the legal adviser. I would like to put on record that in that committee I was involved in quite a number of discussions with the legal adviser on this issue. The main thrust of what I was arguing was that I had read what he had said but I did not feel that it warranted not supporting the Bill. I felt that the issue in relation to this Bill is a unique one and one where unique pieces of legislation need to be enacted. As chair of that committee, I presented the report with the information provided by the legal adviser.

As I have said, I was involved in a number of discussions with him in committee on the points that he raised, but I did not feel that the issues were enough to make me not want to support the Bill. I felt in relation to this issue that we needed to make an exception, and that is why I will be supporting it, Mr Speaker. This is a very contentious piece of legislation which came back to the Assembly a number of times, and the issue of infringing on personal liberties was one that was discussed a number of times in committee. However, I felt, in relation to this piece of legislation, that we needed to have enough faith in the police. I am not saying that Mr Stanhope does not. I have worked as a policeman and have dealt with these volatile situations. Most of them occur at night and over the weekend, and magistrates are very hard to track down. I will be supporting the Bill. I am not in disagreement with my legal adviser, but the issues that he raised did not concern me enough to make me want to vote against the legislation. Thank you for your time, Mr Speaker.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill, by leave, taken as a whole

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General, Minister for Justice and Community Safety and Minister Assisting the Treasurer) (10.47): Mr Speaker, I ask for leave to move amendments Nos 1 to 14 circulated in my name together.

Leave granted.

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