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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 7 Hansard (27 June) . . Page.. 2016 ..

Mr Deputy Speaker, as Mr Moore has already said, this is a serious issue. States across the country are racing ahead to issue licences. It is curious that the majority of those are Labor states. What we have here is legislation that will protect ACT residents and their rights. We have a commission that is empowered and resourced to do so. We have a report from the commission saying that they believe the legislation is adequate and I believe that we should be getting on with this.

Debate (on motion by Mr Quinlan ) adjourned.

MR HUMPHRIES (Treasurer, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Community Safety) (3.50): Mr Deputy Speaker, for the information of members, I present the following paper:

I move:

The government welcomes the standing committee's report and endorses the committee's recommendations. It was evident at the time the government first produced the amendments that the defence of intoxication, although only rarely used successfully, was not supported by the majority of the community. The government is aware that there are differing views, both in the community generally and the legal profession, as to how best to address this issue. The government also notes that there is an absence of unanimity between Australian jurisdictions on this matter.

In the government's submission to the standing committee I indicated that I was open to alternative approaches to that in the bill proposed by the government. In light of the standing committee's recommendation that the bill be supported by the Legislative Assembly, it would appear that the government's approach to this matter is a sound one. I therefore urge members to support the passage of this legislation when the bill is debated.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

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