Page 4530 - Week 12 - Thursday, 15 October 2009
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functions may not be. This bill places an obligation on organisers of functions which are predominantly organised for the territory’s children and young people to be completely smoke free.
The government acknowledges that the legislation may have an impact on the hospitality industry. It is proposed, therefore, to commence the restrictions on 1 December 2010, which is the fourth anniversary of the commencement of the ban on smoking in enclosed public places. If, however, the bill does not pass until after 1 December 2009, the government will delay commencement of the restrictions for exactly 12 months following passage of the bill. Twelve months should be sufficient time for the industry to prepare itself.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics recently announced that there was a lower proportion of people in the ACT who were current daily smokers—15.8 per cent compared to the total Australia rate of 18.3 per cent. When compared to 16.4 per cent in previous surveys, this shows that tobacco control measures are having an impact on smoking rates in the ACT, and it is hoped that this bill will assist to lower that rate further. I commend the bill to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Mrs Dunne) adjourned to the next sitting.
Statute Law Amendment Bill 2009 (No 2)
Mr Corbell, pursuant to notice, presented the bill, its explanatory statement and a Human Rights Act compatibility statement.
Title read by Clerk.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water, Minister for Energy and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (10.22): I move:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
The Statute Law Amendment Bill 2009 (No 2) makes statute law revision amendments to ACT legislation under guidelines for the technical amendments program approved by the government. This program provides for amendments that are minor or technical, and non-controversial. They are generally insufficiently important to justify the presentation of separate legislation in each case and may be inappropriate to make as editorial amendments in the process of republishing legislation under the Legislation Act 2001. The program is implemented by presenting a statute law amendment bill such as this one in each sitting of the Assembly and including further technical amendments in other amending legislation where appropriate.
Statute law amendment bills serve the important purpose of improving the overall quality of the ACT statute book so that our laws are kept up to date and are easier to find, read and understand. A well-maintained statute book greatly enhances access to ACT legislation and is a very practical measure to give effect to the principle that members of the community have a right to know the laws that affect them.
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