Page 4531 - Week 12 - Thursday, 15 October 2009
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Statute law amendment bills also provide an important and useful mode for continually modernising the statute book. For example, laws need to be kept up to date to reflect ongoing technological and societal change. Also, as the ACT statute book has been created from various jurisdictional sources over a long period, it reflects the various drafting practices, language usage, printing formats and styles throughout the years. It is important to maintain a minimum, consistent standard in presentation and cohesion between legislation coming from different sources at different times so that better access to, and understanding of, the law is achieved.
This statute law amendment bill deals with four kinds of matters. Schedule 1 provides for minor, non-controversial amendments proposed by a government agency. Schedule 2 contains amendments of the Legislation Act 2001 proposed by the Parliamentary Counsel to ensure that the overall structure of the statute book is cohesive and consistent and is developed to reflect best practice. Schedule 3 contains technical amendments proposed by the Parliamentary Counsel to correct minor typographical or clerical errors, improve language, omit redundant provisions, include explanatory notes or otherwise update or improve the form of legislation. Schedule 4 contains repeals of obsolete or unnecessary legislation proposed by government agencies or the Parliamentary Counsel.
Mr Speaker, the bill contains a large number of minor amendments with detailed explanatory notes; so I will not go through them now. However, I will draw to the attention of members a number of matters. Schedule 1 contains amendments of a number of acts and regulations, including the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (Transitional Provisions) Regulation 2009, the Casino Control Act 2006, the Children and Young People Act 2008, the Gaming Machine Act 2004 and its corresponding regulation, the Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 2008 and the Public Sector Management Act 1994.
The Casino Control Act 2006 makes a series of minor amendments to the act, sections 75, 76, 100, 105 and 110. Section 75 is amended so that control procedures for the operation of the casino must include details about the level of supervision that is appropriate and reasonable for a casino employee. It also provides that the requirement to include job descriptions apply in relation to licensed staff only, that is, casino employees.
Section 76 inserts a new paragraph to give the commission the option of taking time additional to the one week presently allowed, to consider changes proposed by the casino licensee to the control procedures before the changes are automatically approved under subsection 76(6).
Section 100 has been recast to make it clear that games in the casino must be conducted in accordance with approved rules. Section 105 has been amended to stop casino employees from accepting gratuities for any service provided at the casino and section 110 has been amended to permit casino patrons to use EFTPOS debit facilities to pay for food and drinks only. Importantly, Mr Speaker, the casino operator continues to be prohibited from providing cash advances from EFTPOS facilities.
The Children and Young People Act 2008, section 863, enables the chief executive to declare a care team for a child or young person, comprising team members from
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