Page 927 - Week 03 - Thursday, 10 April 2014
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MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations and Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development) (10.49): I move:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
The Statute Law Amendment Bill deals with three kinds of matters. Schedule 1 provides for minor, non-controversial amendments proposed by a government agency that have required the approval of the Chief Minister. Schedule 2 contains amendments to the Legislation Act proposed by the parliamentary counsel. Schedule 3 contains technical amendments proposed by the parliamentary counsel to correct minor typographical or clerical errors, improve language, omit redundant provisions, include explanatory notes and otherwise update or improve the form of the legislation.
I will briefly mention a few matters outlined in this technical and minor amendment bill. Schedule 1 of the bill amends the Corrections Management Act to increase the field from which the minister may appoint an adjudicator for the purposes of the act. Section 177 provides that the minister may appoint at least one adjudicator. An adjudicator reviews disciplinary matters and segregation decisions under the act. Currently, adjudicators are required to be magistrates. The amendment will allow the minister to appoint as an adjudicator a person who is judicially qualified—that is, a judge or magistrate, retired judge or magistrate, or someone who has been a legal practitioner for not less than five years.
Schedule 1 of the bill also amends the Cultural Facilities Corporation Act to repeal section 15. Under section 15, the Cultural Facilities Corporation is required, at the end of each quarter, to give the minister a report on the quarter about the operation of the corporation and the act. The minister must then present the report to the Assembly within six sitting days. The report is usually not the subject of discussion in the Assembly. It generally contains information that is also available in other publications the corporation produces, such as the annual report, seasonal calendars of events and the two websites the corporation maintains.
The corporation will continue to report on its activities and performance under the Annual Reports (Government Agencies) Act 2004. The amendments relating to the repeal of section 15 are to commence on 1 July 2014. This will enable the corporation to give the minister a final quarterly report for the quarter ending on 30 June this year.
Schedule 1 of the bill also amends the Dangerous Substances Act as a consequence of the enactment of the Work Health and Safety Act. Since the enactment of the latter act it has been possible for a person to have corresponding duties under the Dangerous Substances Act and the Work Health and Safety Act in relation to dangerous substances, including asbestos and hazardous chemicals. The inclusion of new section 8A in the Dangerous Substances Act makes it clear that a person with corresponding duties under the Dangerous Substances Act and the Work Health and Safety Act in relation to a dangerous substance will be complying with the person’s duties under the Dangerous Substances Act if the person complies with their duties under the Work Health and Safety Act.
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