Page 1697 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 3 May 2005
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territory through minor legislation changes. It is an efficient mechanism to take care of non-controversial, minor or technical amendments to a range of territory legislation, while minimising the resources needed if the amendments were dealt with individually.
Each amendment is minor but when viewed collectively they are a significant contribution to improving the operation of the affected legislation. For example, the narrowing of the grounds on which prohibition notices may be issued under the Dangerous Substances Act 2004 and the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1989 removes potential anomalies from these acts. The amendments to the Legislation Act 2001 ensure that the overall structure of the statute book is cohesive and consistent and kept up to date with best practice. In particular, the broadening of the group of people who can request a notification of registrable instruments reflects operational experience that the existing provisions are unnecessarily restrictive.
I would once again like to express the government’s ongoing appreciation for members’ continuing support for the technical amendments program. It is an example of the territory leading the way and striving for the best—in this case a modern, high quality, up to date, easily accessible statute book. As has been mentioned, the government will move an amendment to the bill during the detail stage, removing amendments to the University of Canberra Act 1989 from the bill.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
Detail Stage
Bill, by leave, taken as a whole.
MR STANHOPE (Ginninderra—Chief Minister, Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment and Minister for Arts, Heritage and Indigenous Affairs) (11.50): I move amendment No 1 circulated in my name and table a supplementary explanatory statement to the amendment [see schedule 1 at page 1732].
As has been indicated, there has been some representation from members of the University of Canberra community who have raised some concerns about aspects of the proposed amendments to the University of Canberra Act 1989. As members know, and it is the basis on which we proceed, the statute law amendment program is designed to deal with, and does and should only deal with, minor or technical amendments and repeals that are not controversial. It is on that basis that we continue with a statute law amendment process, and it is important that members do have confidence that only technical, minor and non-controversial amendments will be incorporated within the legislation.
That was the government’s view initially, and that was the case with amendments proposed to the University of Canberra Act. But, on the basis of some representations that we have received, we are, of course, more than happy to remove those proposed amendments—which we initially saw as fitting within the scope and ambit of a statute law bill—from the bill. They will be dealt with separately. It really is just in order to ensure the integrity of the statute law process that the government has moved to delete
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