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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 13 Hansard (9 December) . . Page.. 4274 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

This amendment is a reasonable, non-contentious amendment that I hope the Government can support. It proposes that an applicant under this proposed section must serve a copy of the application on each other person whom the applicant believes to be entitled to financial assistance under this section in respect of that injury. There is an element of first in, first served in relation to related victims under the Government's proposed scheme. This amendment would require a related victim who has made an application to seek out other potential related victims and let them know that he is putting in an application or seeking to make a claim, so that there can be some equality of opportunity amongst related victims. It is a proposal to ensure that all related victims who might potentially wish to make a claim know that one of their group is intending to make a claim. It is something I hope the Government can support.

MR HUMPHRIES (Treasurer, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Community Safety) (3.02 am): My advice is that this could be a bit of a problem for the court. They would need to be able to be satisfied that certain steps had been taken in respect of these sorts of applications. They would need to be sure that the notices had been served. I am not particularly concerned about this. It is a sensible move in concept. If there is a problem with the way in which it works within the context of the courts, I am sure Mr Stanhope would be prepared to consider some amendment to fix the problem down the track.

Amendment agreed to.

MR RUGENDYKE (3.03 am): Mr Speaker, I ask for leave to move amendment No. 4 circulated in my name.

Leave granted.

MR RUGENDYKE: I move:

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