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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 12 Hansard (7 December) . . Page.. 3860 ..

MR SMYTH (continuing):

supply chain where regulation would be the most effective is being identified. Enforcement, prosecution and cross - border compliance issues are also being investigated.

Debate (on motion by Ms Tucker ) adjourned to the next sitting.

MR SMYTH (Minister for Urban Services): The best one for last, Mr Deputy Speaker. For the information of members, I present the following papers:

I ask for leave to make a short statement in relation to the papers.

Leave granted.

MR SMYTH: I present to the Assembly the exposure draft of the Workers Compensation Amendment Bill 2000 and the exposure draft of the associated Workers Compensation Regulations 2000.

This draft legislation is the culmination of the work of many people and several committees over the past two years. It represents a landmark for the ACT. For the first time since self - government, it is proposed that the legislative framework governing the compensation arrangements for private sector workers be thoroughly overhauled. The existing legislation, originally drafted in 1951, is now both archaic and anachronistic, and treats unfairly both workers and employers.

The government deliberately set upon a course to review the operation of workers compensation in the territory several years ago. We did this by asking the ACT Occupational Health and Safety Council to undertake a wide - ranging review of the arrangements. The government asked the council to provide advice to it on the changes needed to provide a modern and cost - effective set of workers compensation arrangements.

The council established a committee with representatives of all the relevant stakeholders on it. I wish to place on the record my thanks to the members of the council and the Workers Compensation Monitoring Committee it formed to undertake the review. The committee delivered its report to me earlier this year. The package of draft legislation that I present today incorporates the vast majority of the recommendations of the committee.

It is clear to anyone who has an interest in this area that every jurisdiction in Australia, and around the world, constantly grapples with the competing objectives of workers compensation arrangements. On one hand, the arrangements must ensure that injured

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