Page 6067 - Week 14 - Thursday, 9 December 2010
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Often governments rely on media releases and their websites to tell stakeholders about changes being made. I think actually getting out and talking with people face to face can be a very important process, one that I think will really help business owners understand the new changes and be able to ask questions. I welcome the different approach that is being taken here and I congratulate ORS on developing a plan to roll that out.
In conclusion, this is an important bill. Nationally it promises $4.5 billion in savings to businesses and better, more consistent protection to consumers. It was also a risky bill. Had the Assembly found issues with it and moved to adjourn it, there would have been ramifications and the ACT would have lost out on COAG-related funding. Luckily for the government and the ACT taxpayer, there was no such need to adjourn, but we encourage the government to plan ahead more in 2011 and not leave similar bills to the last possible opportunity.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water, Minister for Energy and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (11.23), in reply: I thank the Greens for their support of this bill. I note that of course the Greens were able to get around the detail of the bill and understand its ramifications in a way that the opposition were not. It says a lot about how the opposition operates and perhaps confirms the sneaking suspicion that many of us have that they really do only work during sitting weeks.
Mr Hanson: The Chief Minister does not even do that when he is in Spain.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Hanson!
Mr Hanson: He was taunting me, Madam Deputy Speaker.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: You do not need to respond.
Mr Smyth: You should be protective then, Madam Deputy Speaker, as is your job.
Mr Hanson: Remind him to put his comments through you.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: We are not having a conversation about this.
MR CORBELL: The passing of the Fair Trading (Australian Consumer Law) Amendment Bill 2010 by this Assembly will provide positive results for the ACT that will flow from the application of the ACL, as the Australian consumer law is known. In the national partnership agreement to deliver a seamless national economy, the Council of Australian Governments agreed to complete the legislative process to implement the ACL by 31 December 2010, for the ACL to commence in all jurisdictions on 1 January 2011.
This process was undertaken with extensive national consultation across nearly two years. The consultation process provided all stakeholders, consumers and businesses alike with a number of opportunities to comment on various aspects of the proposed law, such as the overarching reform process and details of the agreed reforms, draft unfair contract terms and provisions, best practice proposals, product safety and the
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