Page 5349 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 16 November 2011
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process, intentionally or recklessly. Its approach is broadly in line with those taken by other jurisdictions who have implemented reform in this area; namely, New South Wales and Queensland. Delays in finalising commonwealth legislation have limited the capacity to ensure consistency at this level. Subject to that unavoidable constraint, consistency with other jurisdictions has been maximised as much as possible, with obvious benefits for political parties and third-party campaigners operating across jurisdictions.
As a Liberal, I do not lightly endorse constraints on individuals’ and entities’ capacity to participate in the electoral process. However, we believe that in terms of the total human rights, in particular political rights, of the citizens of the ACT as a whole, the effect of this legislation is overwhelmingly positive. It prevents no-one from participating publicly in the policy conversation, including via paid media within quite generous limits, but it does put in place important safeguards to prevent that conversation being prostituted to the highest bidder. This bill safeguards the operation of the Hare-Clark system in the ACT.
Finally, I conclude by thanking my colleagues in the committee and the committee staff for their cooperation during the lengthy deliberations in relation to campaign finance reform. Getting to the bottom of this issue was onerous and a complex task and it was done in good spirit. I want to thank my colleagues in the Canberra Liberals and our staff who have been a sounding-board in this endeavour, in the drafting of this legislation.
But most importantly, I want to thank the extremely professional and hardworking drafters from the Parliamentary Counsel’s Office who have undertaken the herculean task of translating the committee’s recommendations into legislation in such a short time frame. I commend the bill to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Mr Corbell) adjourned to the next sitting.
Crimes (Penalties) Amendment Bill 2011
Debate resumed from 24 August 2011, on motion by Mrs Dunne:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development, Minister for Territory and Municipal Services and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (10.33): The government will be supporting this bill in principle. This bill gives effect to key elements of the government’s Crimes (Certain Penalty Increases) Amendment Bill 2011, and we will be moving amendments in the detail stage to ensure this outcome.
The government’s view is that it will put the community interest first and take the responsible course of action by supporting this bill in principle. The bill as it presently stands affects the offences of manslaughter and culpable driving. It would raise the maximum penalty for manslaughter from 20 years to 25 years, culpable driving causing death from seven years to 15 years, and culpable driving causing grievous
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