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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 8 Hansard (9 August) . . Page.. 2628 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

This bill extends the broadcasting of the Assembly and its committees to a wider audience than was previously possible. It has the potential to involve the community more closely in the workings of democracy and reflects the government's commitment to open and accessible government. Open government encourages community interest and has the potential to build common goals, civic pride, networks and trust. These changes to legislation in the long term will involve a larger community audience in the workings of government by ultimately opening up access so that a citizen of the ACT will be able to log into proceedings at any time during sitting periods or public committee hearings. Making government and the Assembly more accessible to Canberrans reflects my commitment to building social capital.

The bill provides access to the audio and/or visual recording and broadcasting of all public proceedings of the Legislative Assembly and its committees, subject to any conditions or guidelines specified by resolution of the Legislative Assembly. It enables the Legislative Assembly to withdraw the right to record or broadcast the public proceedings of the Legislative Assembly. It empowers the Assembly, by resolution, to delegate to the Speaker and/or its committees the authority to withdraw the right to record or broadcast proceedings. It also enables the Legislative Assembly to determine processes, by resolution, by which the right to record or broadcast the public proceedings of committees can be withdrawn. Finally, the bill repeals the 1997 act. I commend the bill to the Assembly.

Debate (on motion by Mr Stanhope ) adjourned to the next sitting.

Cooperatives Bill 2001

Mr Humphries , pursuant to notice, presented the bill and its explanatory memorandum.

Title read by Clerk.

MR HUMPHRIES (Chief Minister, Minister for Community Affairs and Treasurer) (10.37): I move:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

I ask for leave to incorporate my presentation speech in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The speech read as follows:

Mr Speaker, in March 2000 the Government tabled the Cooperatives Bill 2000. At that time debate on the Bill was adjourned.

Since then there has been a number of proposed amendments to that Bill. While large in number, most of these amendments are minor in nature and are generally not policy related. However, rather than presenting a large volume of amendments to the Assembly, a new Cooperatives Bill has been drafted incorporating those proposed amendments. I now present the new Bill, the Cooperatives Bill 2001, to the Assembly.

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