Page 3127 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 17 October 2006
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look forward to working with everyone to ensure that we discourage the uptake of smoking and certainly young people’s access to purchasing cigarettes in the ACT.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
Detail stage
Clauses 1 to 3, by leave, taken together and agreed to.
Clause 4.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (11.41): Mr Speaker, I move amendment No 1 circulated in my name [see schedule 1 at page 3182].
All this amendment does is change the definition, which is currently quite broad and encompasses children from the age of 12 through to 18. The experience in South Australia was that children as young as 14 and two months were used; it seemed to work adequately in that jurisdiction. From the information I have, the number of offences proven involved a 15-year-old girl, a 15-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl, so clearly it is quite able to be done with older children, and if there are any negative impacts we would not want to impose them on children of a younger age. I thank the government for their support for this amendment.
DR FOSKEY (Molonglo) (11.42): I will support this amendment, though I remind members that I believe that no-one under 18 should be used in this way. However, I certainly think that a 15-year-old child doing this work is marginally better than a 12, 13 or 14-year-old. For that reason I support it.
MR HARGREAVES (Brindabella—Minister for the Territory and Municipal Services, Minister for Housing and Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (11.43): The government will support Mr Smyth’s amendment. It is a sensible amendment and we are appreciative of his bringing it forward.
Amendment agreed to.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (11.43): Mr Speaker, I seek leave to move amendments Nos 2 to 4 circulated in my name together.
Leave granted.
MR SMYTH: I move amendments Nos 2 to 4 circulated in my name [see schedule 1 at page 3182].
These amendments lead to some clarification of what reporting is to take place. In the current bill, the annual report about compliance testing, clause 42H, applies only to the chief executive and to the annual report. Whilst we believe that that is necessary, we also think it is appropriate in an area where there is some concern about what the bill may do that the minister should come back to the Assembly, and that is the nature of
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