Page 1713 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 5 May 2010
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I would particularly like to thank the staff of the parliamentary counsel for their assistance in drafting this legislation. Here in the Legislative Assembly, members are very fortunate to be able to call upon an array of dedicated professionals to help us in our work, and I would like to recognise the contribution that was made in this process.
I would also like to thank former staff members Emma Smith and Annika Hutchins for their contributions throughout the early stage of this process, and of course my current staff, Andrew Hunter, Charles Njora and Jack Simpson. I would also like to thank other supporters that have been helping me throughout this process with the consultations, such as the peak bodies and the retirement villages themselves, in helping me through that process of consultation. It has been a long journey and it is important to recognise those who played a role in the formative days.
I believe this draft legislation, when it is finally enacted, will provide the people of Canberra with adequate protections when moving into retirement village living arrangements, whilst also providing certainty for the industry. Interested parties now have an opportunity to comment on the draft exposure bill, and I look forward to receiving this feedback. I am sure the final bill, when it is tabled in this place, will meet the needs of all stakeholders.
Road Transport (Alcohol and Drugs) (Random Drug Testing) Amendment Bill 2009
Debate resumed from 17 March 2010, on motion by Mr Hanson:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
MR STANHOPE (Ginninderra—Chief Minister, Minister for Transport, Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Minister for Business and Economic Development, Minister for Land and Property Services, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs and Minister for the Arts and Heritage) (10.17): Mr Speaker, let me say at the outset that the government has no in-principle opposition at all to the introduction of random roadside drug testing as a road safety initiative to deter drug driving. I have previously outlined the process that the government proposed to pursue, accepting Mr Hanson’s bill that has been proposed in relation to this.
Members will recall that when this issue was raised previously, in our last sitting week, I indicated that the government would release a discussion paper and that from the discussion paper we would take submissions. We would then prepare an exposure draft bill. It was my expectation then that the Assembly would agree to debate the bill that the government proposes to introduce cognately with Mr Hanson’s bill.
At one level I regret that Mr Hanson has decided not to support that particular process and wishes to proceed unilaterally with his legislation today, in the face of advice from me and from the government that we were engaged in a process—a process of community consultation—in relation to roadside drug testing and that that process has not yet concluded. I must say, Mr Speaker, that I welcome the joint submission that the government received from you and Ms Bresnan in relation to our discussion paper.
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