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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 10 Hansard (18 October) . . Page.. 3174 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

The Bill removes ambiguities in the relationship between the requirements of the Act for insurance and the further details that appear in the Construction Practitioners Registration Regulations. The effect of the Bill is to remove all the details from the Act.

Another aim of the amendments is to reword the description in the Act of the point at which building work is complete. The Bill separates this from requirements for the completion of associated plumbing and electrical work.

I propose to make changes to the Regulations that will alter details of the description of the insurance. They will remove any implication that the insurance covers every negligent action by a building certifier or plumbing plan certifier or that an insurer who begins to provide building certifiers with insurance is unable to stop doing so and they will make it clear that a building certifier who has been insured by more than one insurer can only make a claim for an event under one insurance.

Further changes in the Regulations will deal with the remaining questions, such as ensuring that the scope of the insurance is limited to building certifiers' statutory obligations and that only one insurance can be applicable to a building certifier's actions.

The insurance that the ACT and the States in eastern Australia require for building certifiers contains elements that are not part of standard insurance products. Producing a satisfactory result for regulators and insurers has required rethinking as ambiguities and potential hazards came to light. I would like to thank the Insurance Council of Australia for its assistance in developing these amendments.

I now seek that the Bill be agreed to in-principle.

MR HUMPHRIES: I thank members for their courtesy.

Debate (on motion by Mr Quinlan ) adjourned.

2001-2002 BUDGET-SELECT COMMITTEE

Appointment

MR HUMPHRIES (Chief Minister) (11.35): Mr Speaker, I ask for leave to move a motion to establish a select committee to examine the broad parameters of the 2001-02 budget.

Leave granted.

MR HUMPHRIES: I move:

That:

(1) a Select Committee on the 2001-2002 Budget be appointed to inquire into and report on the broad parameters of the 2001-2001 Budget, with particular reference to:

(a) spending priorities;

(b) changes to the mix of outputs;

(c) the surplus/deficit operating position and strategies for ageing assets;

(d) unfunded liabilities; and

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