Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .
Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 12 Hansard (25 November) . . Page.. 3696 ..
Debate resumed from 21 October 1999, on motion by Mr Smyth:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
MR SPEAKER: Is it the wish of the Assembly to debate this order of the day concurrently with the Road Transport (General) Bill 1999, the Road Transport (Driver Licensing) Bill 1999, the Road Transport (Vehicle Registration) Bill 1999 and the Road Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 1999? There being no objection, that course will be followed. I remind members that in debating order of the day No. 6 they may also address their remarks to orders of the day Nos 7, 8, 9 and 10.
MR HARGREAVES (11.58): Mr Speaker, the Opposition supports the general concepts that appear in the Bill. We support the change from our Motor Traffic Act to the Road Transport Act and keeping us in line with interstate movements. We congratulate the Government's representatives on the ministerial council that has brought this about over the years. There is a lot of really good material in this package of legislation, Mr Speaker. However, there are a couple of aspects of it which give me some concern.
Unfortunately, Mr Speaker, when the legislation was presented it was not only presented as road transport reform legislation. There was an attempt to sneak into the legislation some bits and pieces which are the private pets of certain members who wanted to introduce mandatory sentencing into the motor traffic legislation, and we have some difficulties with that concept.
It has been said that there is some urgency to pass this legislation. We do not believe that urgency is as acute as has been said recently. We believe that we can support the Bill in principle, but there are some issues within the body of the legislation which will require some attention.
Unfortunately, this is a complicated package. It does not just automatically translate certain pieces of the Motor Traffic Act across. There is a shift of some pieces of legislation which existed before and they are being popped into regulations. We support that concept in general terms. However, there are other parts of the previous legislation,
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .