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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 8 Hansard (9 August) . . Page.. 2836 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

the different types of cases that may come before them for domestic violence and other protection orders, changed their forms to meet the court's recommendations, and checked and reissued where necessary all the existing orders which had been thrown into doubt by the Supreme Court's ruling.

While rewriting the legislation in a clearer fashion will no doubt be helpful in the future to the legal practitioners and to people who need to use the law in their own lives, it cannot be credibly argued that this is urgent. So I would like to know where the sudden urgency comes from.

The review process has taken time, in recognition of the importance of this area of law, and if we now know, as we do, that domestic violence stakeholders have not had input, then surely it is much more important to get it right. Surely we don't want to create more problems than we solve. It is simply not good enough for the government to say that they have considered these points of view without responding in detail. It is not good enough to neglect domestic violence specialists and the model legislation when rewriting protection order laws. We have heard a lot of rhetoric today about women and caring about women's issues. This is a woman's issue. Give it due respect.

MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Technically, under standing order 65, the question must be put forthwith. I indicate that Ms Tucker's motion will be put in two parts. The first part is-

MR MOORE (Minister for Health, Housing and Community Services): Mr Deputy Speaker, I seek leave to speak.

Leave granted.

MR MOORE: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I shall be very brief. I do need to say that this is a stunt. Ms Tucker stands up-

Ms Tucker: It is not a stunt.

MR MOORE: This is a stunt. You stand up to berate us about consultation. You did no consultation whatsoever in spite of your-

Ms Tucker: I talked to your minister.

MR MOORE: We had not seen this motion. You asked for leave. We had no idea what it was about. Out of the goodness of our hearts we gave you extra leave.

Ms Tucker: I told the minister.

MR MOORE: It is the last time in this Assembly that you get leave.

Mr Stefaniak: You didn't say you would do this.

Ms Tucker: You had better explain-

Mr Stefaniak: You said you wanted to have a little word.

MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Can we get on with this motion, thank you.

MR MOORE: It is the last time you get leave. Mr Deputy Speaker, unfortunately it is now no l

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