Page 729 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 29 March 2006
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should ignore. The simplest thing that you can do, members, is to bring us into line with other jurisdictions.
My legislation uplifting the New South Wales legislation does just that. If minor amendments are needed, as I have already alluded to, I have got no dramas about that. However, on the substantive aspects that this bill shares with other pieces of legislation, specifically the commonwealth legislation, we cannot compromise. We need to have, and the ACT people have an expectation that we will have, strong legislation in place that will protect them as best as any legislation can from the risk of terrorist attack. There are significant, realistic and justifiable concerns that the government’s draft bill does not do that. My bill does. I commend it to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Mr Stanhope) adjourned to the next sitting.
Legislative Assembly Precincts Amendment Bill 2006
Mr Berry, pursuant to notice, presented the bill and its explanatory statement.
Title read by Clerk.
MR BERRY (Ginninderra) (10.45): I move:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
This bill, the Legislative Assembly Precincts Amendment Bill, makes some minor changes to the Legislative Assembly Precincts Act 2001. After seeking legal advice earlier in the year, it was found that the ability of the Assembly to issue licences to outside individuals or organisations was in doubt. The use by private individuals of our facility is not a great part of the role of the Assembly and members who were waiting for a piece of landmark legislation that was going to change the direction of the world may well be disappointed with this bill, but it is an important thing with our community and I was keen to resolve the problem.
The options were to send all requests to use our facilities to the head of the ACT Planning and Land Authority for approval or to amend the Precincts Act 2001 to restore the power to the Assembly. I chose the latter option and the result is the bill that I have presented today. This bill authorises the Speaker to grant a licence to use the Assembly precincts and sets out what information must be provided by the user, including the name of the user, which part of the Assembly they are to use and the purpose for which they are seeking to use the Assembly.
The bill also allows the Speaker to set fees for the use of any part of the Assembly by determination, which is a disallowable instrument. Previously the Minister for Planning set these fees. The Speaker will also be able to approve forms to be used. Any such form would be a notifiable instrument. These are simple changes to facilitate the operation of the Assembly. I commend the bill to members.
Debate (on motion by Mr Stanhope) adjourned to the next sitting.
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