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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 4 Hansard (1 April) . . Page.. 1134 ..

MR WOOD (continuing):

I take note of what Ms Dundas and Ms Tucker commented upon when they expressed some concern about rushing this bill and not being absolutely clear about all the details. I do not think it is the largest bill in the world. It reads fairly simply. The measures are quite clear. We do need to be sure that when people take some money from us, willingly given, it goes where it is intended and is handled at all times appropriately.

I will deal with a couple of points that were raised. Office collections are exempted, so there will be no problem with passing the hat around the office. Schools are covered by the charity's licence. If shopping centres, as they do universally, collect on behalf of a charity, they are covered by that charity's licence also.

Mr Cornwell commented on the importance of this legislation and the considerable moneys that are raised in the ACT. He referred to questions on this subject he had asked a little time ago. I am pleased that we are now putting into practice some of Mr Cornwell's points of concern.

Mr Cornwell said that the register of those who are licensed might be on the Internet, I understand there should not be a problem with doing that to make everything more visible, which is the key to it all.

The identification tag is important. Sometimes in the street I see people with a badge and a bucket with a money hole in it. I will never put money into that sort of bucket. I will put money into buckets at public engagements where there is a whip-round, expecting that will be all right. If it is for a so-called charity I am not too sure about, I am very cautious about putting money in.

As Mr Cornwell and others indicated, we contacted a large number of stakeholders. We have responded to the few points that came from that source. One comment was in relation to clause 45, which requires a licensee to pay the money into a trust bank account within five banking days after receiving it. When an organisation runs an annual doorknock over three weekends, the people collecting generally give the money over at the end of that period, which is more than five days. That has been clarified. The money has to be banked within five days of when it comes from the people who are doing the collecting.

There was a comment that it would be good if we could organise it so that there was no more than one ACT-wide doorknock on any day. If there were a way of handling that, it would be through the application process. An applicant could be asked, "Are you aware that another charity is doing this?"

There was a comprehensive scrutiny report dealing with some of the legal issues and an equally comprehensive response from me in legal terms that I have studied. I am sure all members understand the full import of that. I sometimes get lost in legalese, so I am pleased that you have not asked me to extend the debate on that. The response that was given to the scrutiny report is entirely appropriate. A new EM is being circulated.

The bill has a delayed commencement of up to six months. That will allow for comprehensive consultation. We will get back to Mr Cornwell and other people on that so that they remain in the loop. The regulations will be important. They will include the

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