Page 2587 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 5 June 2012
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
With respect to the second part, the Crimes (Offences Against Police) Amendment Bill—Mr Seselja’s bill, I think it was—I remember two comments coming forward from witnesses: one was that this is totally unnecessary. They did not understand why on earth we would need to be going there. They did not really think it was necessary in the sense that there are already sufficient processes and procedures and penalties contained in existing legislation to cover it. One of the witnesses also said—and I think this was poignant—that it was merely a case of finding out all of the penalties and adding two years to them and was described by that witness as merely a law and order pre-election grab, or words to that effect. I do not want to be accused of misrepresentation, but that is the message I got out of it. It was just a case of a law and order position and was not actually something based in fact.
I regret, in fact, that the committee was not able to have a unanimous position on both pieces of legislation because they had the same common theme in them. We were not convinced that the second piece of legislation was necessary. Indeed, with respect to the first one, as I say, the presentation we received from four significant legal practitioners in this town showed us evidence, both visual and in writing, which quite frankly scared the pants off me as I watched it. I was very moved by their evidence. So I, too, recommend this report in its entirety to the Assembly.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Standing and temporary orders—suspension
Motion (by Mr Corbell) agreed to, with the concurrence of an absolute majority:
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent:
(1) any business before the Assembly at 2.30 p.m. this day being interrupted to allow the Treasurer to be called on forthwith to present the Appropriation Bill 2012-2013 and the Appropriation (Office of the Legislative Assembly) Bill 2012-2013;
(2) (a) questions without notice concluding at the time of interruption; or
(b) debate on any motion before the Assembly at the time of interruption being adjourned until the question “That debate on the Appropriation Bill 2012-2013 be adjourned and the resumption of the debate be made an order of the day for the next sitting” is agreed to;
(3) at 2.30 p.m. on Thursday, 7 June 2012, the order of the day for resumption of debate on the question that the Appropriation Bill 2012-2013 be agreed to in principle, being called on notwithstanding any business before the Assembly and that the time limit on the speeches of the Leader of the Opposition and the ACT Greens Parliamentary Leader be equivalent to the time taken by the Treasurer in moving the motion “That this Bill be agreed to in principle”; and
(4) (a) questions without notice concluding at the time of interruption; or
(b) debate on any motion before the Assembly at that time being adjourned until a later hour that day.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video