Page 806 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 29 March 2006
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could support and is inconsistent with my amendment. I am sorry about that. I just noticed it now. I proposed that the matter be referred to an Assembly committee for inquiry. I seek leave to move an amendment to paragraph (1).
Leave granted.
MR STANHOPE: I move:
Paragraph (1), omit “supports the”, substitute “notes some support for the”.
If I move that paragraph (1) be deleted, the difficulty then is that paragraph (2) cannot stand alone. I will need to add words because it does not say what has been referred.
MR SPEAKER: It seems to me that there is some machinery work that has to be done on the drafting. We are now in a situation were we have got a whole mess of amendments before the place. Why do you not seek leave to withdraw the amendments? That clears the deck.
MR STANHOPE: I seek leave to withdraw the amendments moved by me to notice No 4.
Leave granted.
Amendments, by leave, withdrawn.
MR STANHOPE: I seek leave to move two amendments together.
Leave granted.
MR STANHOPE: I move:
(1) paragraph (1), omit “supports the”, substitute “notes some support for the”; and
(2) omit paragraph (2), substitute:
“(2) refers the proposal to the Standing Committee on Education, Training and Young People for inquiry and report back to the Assembly on or before 1 October 2007.”.
MR STEFANIAK (Ginninderra) (5.33): Mr Speaker, we completely understand what the Chief Minister is doing. We support his amendments to the original amendment to the motion which will have the effect of noting some support for a scheme that would allow the 16 and 17-year-olds as citizens rather than residents to vote in elections—I understand that Dr Foskey wants it to be non-compulsory—and sending the proposal off the Standing Committee on Education, Training and Young People for inquiry and report back to the Assembly by a particular date. I think that is a sensible thing to do.
I suppose it is fair to say that in the past a number of people in my party have probably been somewhat supportive of what Dr Foskey is trying to achieve, and probably a more significant majority have concerns about it. I certainly do not agree with the Chief Minister all the time but on this occasion I think he made a lot of valid points,
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