Page 3397 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 20 September 2005
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I have spoken on a number of occasions in this place about my concerns about the propensity to apply strict liability offences to the average man in the street. I wrote at length to the Chief Minister on this issue and made suggestions for better ways to approach strict liability offences. I am pleased that he has taken up those views. That is not to say that they are only my views; they are the views of a wide range of people. I think that the example adverted in the Pests Plants and Animals Act is a far better model.
I hope that this will be the beginning of a much better approach to the use of strict liability offences in legislation. As I said this morning, I hope that we will see an end to the fairly rampant use of strict liability offences and the way they impinge upon the rights of people in the ACT. I am not going to speak again on these amendments. We will be supporting them.
Amendments agreed to.
Clause 15, as amended, agreed to.
Proposed new clause 15A.
MR STANHOPE (Ginninderra—Chief Minister, Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment and Minister for Arts, Heritage and Indigenous Affairs, and Acting Minister for Education and Training) (5.21): I move amendment No 3 circulated in my name [see schedule 4 at page 3418].
The rationale for the government’s amendment is that which I just outlined. That is the case in relation to a number of amendments, so I will not speak again to those, other than to say that the issue is the same.
Proposed new clause 15A agreed to.
Clause 16.
MR STANHOPE (Ginninderra—Chief Minister, Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment and Minister for Arts, Heritage and Indigenous Affairs, and Acting Minister for Education and Training) (5.22): I seek leave to move amendments Nos 4 and 5 circulated in my name together.
Leave granted.
MR STANHOPE: I move amendments Nos 4 and 5 circulated in my name [see schedule 4 at page 3418].
I will not speak again. The import is the same.
Amendments agreed to.
Clause 16, as amended, agreed to.
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