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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 7 Hansard (27 June) . . Page.. 2081 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

It would mean that if I was doing the rounds and talking to members about these matters for the government and someone was going away that afternoon for the weekend, I could not get him or her to sign the consent if I had not completed talking to another member at the other end of the corridor and it would not be until I had spoken to the member at the end of the corridor that I could go back and get a consent form signed by the first member. That would be silly, Mr Speaker, with respect. Clearly, I have to obtain the consent of a majority of the members. Clearly, I have to consult each member of the Assembly about the proposals.

Ms Tucker: It says "who is available" in paragraph 2(a).

MR HUMPHRIES: Yes, that is true, but paragraph 2(b) does not say "who is available", does it? You have to get the consent of a majority of the members of the Assembly. Mr X may be available to consult, but I could not get his signature on the piece of paper saying that he wants to support the regulation because I have not yet consulted other members of the Assembly.

I need to get nine members to support the proposition and the two non-government members whose support I need to secure this provision may be Ms Tucker and Mr Kaine, for argument's sake. I may have spoken to you, Ms Tucker, and you may have indicated that you were willing to sign the consent to authorise this important regulation that I am going to make to effect the arrangements for taxation, but I could not get you to sign the document, even though I am actually relying on your consent to be able to pass the legislation, if I have not been able to get round to speaking to another member at this stage-a member who might be available, being in town and in the grounds of the Assembly, but is not around at the particular time I want to speak to him.

You may have to attend a protest at a woodchip mill down the coast and want to get away from Canberra in the afternoon, but I could not get you to sign until I have spoken to the other member whose support may not be necessary to get the regulation through. I accept that I have to talk to every member of the Assembly, at least everyone who is available, but why do I have to talk to them all before I can get any of them to sign the consent? I do not think it makes any sense.

I am simply asking members to give me a little bit of flexibility with this provision. As I say, it will not be exercised very often. It would be most unfortunate if we could not legislate because we could not actually get round to covering all the bases in this arrangement without a great deal of complication arising.

Amendment (Mr Humphries' ) to Mr Quinlan's amendment agreed to.

Amendment (Mr Quinlan's ), as amended, agreed to.

Clause 5, as amended, agreed to.

Remainder of bill, by leave, taken as a whole, and agreed to.

Bill, as amended, agreed to.

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