Page 2880 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 30 June 2010
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we may be coming from different points of view, and we can come up with a workable and sound piece of legislation. I commend this legislation to the Assembly.
MR HANSON (Molonglo) (11.59): First, I would like to thank members for their contributions today. I would also like to thank the people one step behind us: the Liberal Party staff; the Greens’ staff, who I know have worked tirelessly on this; and the parliamentary counsel’s office, who have had to deal with numerous amendments as a result of the engagement that I have had with the crossbench, Bianca Kimber and the others who have worked on this legislation. They have done an outstanding job at very short notice, and I would like to pass on my thanks to them.
I would like to thank Alison Ryan for coming in today, and with her friend Rusty. It is great to have you here and it is great, I think, for you to see what is about to happen here as this reaches a conclusion. This has been a long journey for you, a difficult journey, and it is great to have you here today with us.
I would like to thank those people in the community that made contributions not only to my legislation but also to the government’s and who have contributed to the debate. We have obviously weighed heavily on and used the submissions made to the government throughout this process, including the discussion paper I quoted from before. In particular, I would like to thank the AFPA for their assistance.
Most importantly, this is legislation that will change lives. It will save lives and it will prevent carnage on our roads. Throughout all of this debate, be it about the technical differences that we might have had, be it about the human rights implications, the point is that this is legislation that will save lives. That is why we are here today. I think why many of us sought election to this place was to bring into this place and into the ACT legislation that makes a difference. And there is no question in my mind that this legislation will make a difference to many lives in Canberra moving forward.
The opposition has tried to do this repeatedly. I recall that in 2005 the opposition tried, and in 2008, and I introduced this in 2009, and the legislation has been either voted against or adjourned on numerous occasions. So it is good to be at this point. Much has been made of the political process. I do not want to harp on it, because I think this is a great moment, but I do have to say that I commend the Greens for their approach. I think they have taken this approach of road safety. We have had some disagreements, but we have worked together to achieve an outcome here for the people of the ACT.
Quite clearly, in Mr Stanhope’s approach he has lacked integrity—I think that was pointed out very clearly by Mr Rattenbury—in the way that he has twisted and turned and, as late as this morning, was using claims that drugs may not actually impair drivers as an excuse to pull his own legislation. I think that the process that he has followed has been disgraceful. That has been well outlined and has been acknowledged, clearly, by many of the community groups that I engage with, by many uniformed officers that have contacted my office and by the members in this Assembly. I think Jon Stanhope stands, in many ways, condemned for the approach he has taken.
I am sure—I am very confident—that this is good legislation and I look forward to it working successfully. But, if there are any technical problems that do come to light, I
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