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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 8 Hansard (7 August) . . Page.. 2446 ..

MR OSBORNE (continuing):

I and many other people have been criticised in the past by the Labor Party for not providing amendments until the last minute. As I have said, it is not acceptable that we should be placed in a position where we are required to vote during the in-principle stage without having had time to properly look at these amendments.

This is a significant piece of legislation. As I have said, it has been on the table for a number of years. I would expect that all of us in this place have looked quite closely at it. The TWU have-

Mr Humphries: We don't care if we adjourn.

Mr Quinlan: Yes, sit down.

MR OSBORNE: Mr Quinlan asked me to sit down. I can understand his embarrassment.

MR SPEAKER: I know, but what I would like to establish is whether it is your intention to adjourn the debate to a later hour today or to the next day of sitting.

MR OSBORNE: I am happy to adjourn it to a later hour this day. But if I am not satisfied that there is not enough time to debate it this afternoon, I will adjourn it to another day in this sitting.

MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, I seek leave to speak to the motion that the debate be adjourned.

Leave granted.

MR KAINE: I must say I am a bit surprised that we have before us a motion to adjourn the debate on the basis put forward by Mr Osborne. If you look at the 15 pages of amendments put forward by the Minister for Urban Services, you will see that they seek to achieve one thing-that is, to delete the word "Corporation" and insert the work "Authority". The same applies to Mr Quinlan's amendments.

Mr Quinlan: No.

MR KAINE: Well, there are one or two minor amendments in addition to that. Mr Osborne is right: it is an important bill and it has been on the table for a long time. But it is a bit odd to seek to adjourn it on those grounds. The matter needs to be debated. So, unless there is something underlying this that I am not privy to, why don't we get on and debate the substance of the bill?

MR QUINLAN: Mr Speaker, I seek leave to speak to the motion.

Leave granted.

MR QUINLAN: Just for the record, late last week the Transport Workers Union and the government concluded negotiations on the structure of their future relationship. So I think it is fairly reasonable that there should be a few changes, and there are only a few changes inherent in the 15 pages of amendments.

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