Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .
Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 6 Hansard (23 May) . . Page.. 1550 ..
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
MR HARGREAVES (10.36): We have a considerable amount of difficulty with this bill. A lot of it stems from conclusions and questions by the scrutiny of bills committee in its report on the matter. I would ask the house to adjourn discussion on this bill because the issues raised by the scrutiny of bills committee go to significant people's rights. The bill talks about the burden of proof. It talks about the reverse onus of proof. I have forgotten the exact terminology, but it talks about the implied condition of guilt.
Given that scrutiny report No 7 has not been delivered to this chamber, I do not intend to breach privilege, but I have to say that the report the committee wished to place before the Assembly this morning talks about the government's response to queries the committee raised. We cannot debate this bill today. We need the Assembly to be given the benefit of the committee's report.
Mr Speaker, I would ask for your intervention, please. This is a particularly important issue to do with human rights, and conversations are going on around the chamber.
MR SPEAKER: I uphold your point of order, Mr Hargreaves Gentlemen, please! Ms Tucker, if you wish to speak, would you mind going out and using the lobbies. May I also suggest that Mr Rugendyke and Mr Minister also do the same.
Mr Kaine: It was not Ms Tucker.
MR SPEAKER: I apologise, Ms Tucker. I did not realise that you were not involved.
MR HARGREAVES: Mr Speaker, I will go though this again.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, if you would, please.
MR HARGREAVES: We are being requested to debate a bill when the standing committee that has been charged with looking into the terms of the bill has not presented its report to this chamber. It is important that they present their report. We are not necessarily talking about the policy content of the bill. We are talking about what we believe to be, hopefully, unintended consequences within it which impinge on human rights. Whilst I am not putting a case for or against those, I am suggesting that all members of this chamber would benefit by seeing that report, which was supposed to come down today. Due to circumstances beyond the control of committee members, it was not possible to table it this morning. I suggest that the debate on this bill be adjourned.
Debate (on motion by Mr Berry ) adjourned.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .