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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 9 Hansard (21 August) . . Page.. 3099 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

Thirdly, the amendment to the Trade Measurement Act permits inspectors to issue notices requiring the owners of measuring devices that do not bear an inspector's mark showing it has been verified as accurate to correct the fault within the stated period of not more than 28 days. In the current act, there is no provision for the correction notice. It is simply an offence to have a device that does not bear a verification mark. Under this amendment, if the owner complies with the notice, they are taken not to have committed an offence under the act. This provision places reliance on the discretion of the inspector to ensure that devices are quickly verified and therefore the public is assured they are getting proper measures promptly. I would hope that the occasions on which businesses are given the full 28 days to have the measuring devices verified are extremely rare, to limit the possibility of consumers receiving short weights or other measures.

The scrutiny committee pointed out that one amending provision, that which relates to the Children and Young People Act, may have a retrospective effect but concluded that the provision is beneficial and therefore unobjectionable. On the basis of that, and noting the points of policy as I have for the record, the Labor Party supports the bill.

MR STEFANIAK (Minister for Education and Attorney-General) (8.18), in reply: I thank Mr Stanhope for his comments. I note there are some amendments. They are simply of a minor and technical nature. Perhaps I will speak to them when they are dealt with. I am sure they have been circulated for some months now.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

Detail stage

MR STEFANIAK (Minister for Education and Attorney-General) (8.19): Mr Speaker, I seek leave to move the amendments circulated in my name together .

Leave granted.

MR STEFANIAK: I move the amendments circulated in my named [see schedule 2 at page 3112].

As I indicated, the amendments are minor and technical in nature. The amendments to the Children and Young People Act deal with the withdrawal of proposed section 439A on notifications, as this has been passed under the Children and Young People Amendment Act 2001.

The amendments to the Consumer Credit (Administration) Act 1996 are technical in nature and were suggested by the Parliamentary Counsel's Office to correct errors in an earlier amending act.

Cabinet previously agreed to amendments to the Sale of Motor Vehicles Act 1977 to allow a broader range of matters to be taken into account in assessing suitability to participate in the industry and to establish a new disciplinary process. One of the

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