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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 06 Hansard (Tuesday, 22 June 2004) . . Page.. 2425 ..

protected information obtained while exercising a function under the act. It may be that some people will always be suspicious of union officials engaged in workplace safety inspections; however, the legislation would nonetheless prohibit the use of any documents obtained for OH&S purposes in any other context.

Amendment agreed to.

MS GALLAGHER (Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Children, Youth and Family Support, Minister for Women and Minister for Industrial Relations) (12.20): I move amendment No 6 circulated in my name [see schedule 3 at page 2446].

This amendment addresses another concern raised by the scrutiny of bills committee. The amendment substitutes the words “or anyone at the premises” with the words “an employee or anyone else working at the premises”. As it now stands, the bill provides an authorised representative with the power to require anyone at a premises to render assistance. This may include people at a premises who have no concern with employment conditions, such as a customer at a shop. The amendment limits that power by requiring assistance to be exercised only by employees or people working on the premises.

Amendment agreed to.

MS GALLAGHER (Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Children, Youth and Family Support, Minister for Women and Minister for Industrial Relations) (12.21): I move amendment No 7 circulated in my name [see schedule 3 at page 2446].

This amendment expands subsection (3) to apply to subsection (2) (d). Subsection (3) requires an authorised representative to produce their authorisation when requiring a person to give reasonable assistance. The effect of the amendment is to require an authorised representative to produce their authorisation when requiring the production of documents for examination and copying.

MS DUNDAS (12.21): This is an additional amendment about the production of documents and requires that an authorised representative must produce identification before requesting a document. The amendment ensures that an employee or authorised representative cannot take documents without the knowledge of an employer. I think it is an important amendment and I am happy to support it.

Amendment agreed to.

MS GALLAGHER (Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Children, Youth and Family Support, Minister for Women and Minister for Industrial Relations) (12.22): I move amendment No 8 circulated in my name [see schedule 3 at page 2446].

Again, these are consequential on earlier amendments, merely substituting for the words “employee organisation” the words “registered organisation”.

Amendment agreed to.

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