Page 2536 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 1 July 2008
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do interstate bodies, although it does not seem too much; for a firm of two people I think they charge $1,600 per annum for their licence.
The data also is linked to subordinate legislation. The commission also researches and publishes papers on such things as sentencing trends. It has an educational function, which includes orientation programs for new judicial officers and papers on such things as circle sentencing, crown appeals against sentences and others. The information effectively before the commission provides what was described to me as the collective wisdom of the courts. As I said, it would be very easy for us to lock into the system.
In May 2008 the New South Wales system had 84,000 hits from its 700 users. Half of those users were from the DPP, legal aid, police and the Public Defenders Office. Everyone I spoke to, including members of the profession, members of the judiciary and indeed even the shadow Attorney-General all spoke very highly of the system. It is also used for judicial education. A judge I spoke to said she herself had assisted the commission in some educative papers over the last few years and found it a particularly useful tool.
We have some pretty good educative ways of doing things in the ACT, but certainly this is something that the ACT could very easily tap into. It is very relevant and other jurisdictions are taking it up. I have made some suggestions as to how we could perhaps have some part-time position for complaints and that type of thing, but certainly the database is of great assistance.
World Youth Day—Days in the Dioceses
MS PORTER (Ginninderra) (6.54): Today I had the pleasure, on behalf of the Chief Minister, to recognise the significant event that is happening very shortly in our city: the arrival of 6,500 young people aged between 16 and 35—pilgrims coming here to celebrate “Days in the Dioceses” as part of World Youth Day.
We all know that the larger event, World Youth Day, will take place in Sydney, and in terms of participants that is going to be bigger than the Sydney Olympics, as it is expected that 500,000 people will attend. As I said, Canberra will play host to 6,500 young pilgrims and they will be hosted and billeted by Canberra families and supported by the ACT government.
We trust that the young people from places as far flung as Germany, France, Nigeria, Tonga, the USA and Aruba will enjoy their stay despite the cold weather and that they will take the opportunity to visit some of our national institutions and some of the NAIDOC events courtesy of the free ACTION bus travel at their disposal.
I also note that Raiders Michael Weyman, Joe Picker and Troy Thompson and Brumbies Matt Toomua and Francis Fainifo are supporting the pilgrims during their stay by acting as ambassadors.
May I place on the record here my thanks to the organising committee and all the volunteers who have worked so tirelessly for a number of months for the event and to the families that will be billeting the young people.
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