Page 1287 - Week 04 - Thursday, 8 May 2014
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amendment is to provide clarity and surety to duty holders. Mr Smyth’s amendment, in the government’s view, has the potential to do the opposite and create confusion. Therefore we cannot support it, and I will speak further on this later in the debate.
Finally, with respect to the definition of “coroner” in the Legislation Act, this small amendment will increase accessibility and make the law more user friendly as the term is used in a number of acts and items of subordinate legislation. These changes will assist in clarity in relation to legislation. Overall, I thank members for their general support of this bill and I commend it to the Assembly.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
Detail stage
MR WALL (Brindabella): I seek leave of the Assembly to propose amendments to the Assembly that have not been circulated in accordance with standing order 178A.
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), by leave: Madam Deputy Speaker, in relation to the request to grant leave, the government will not be opposing leave, but I take this opportunity to remark that the government is willing to grant leave to allow for the workability and efficient operations of this place.
The standing orders prohibit Mr Wall from moving the amendments because he lodged them too late, and that is why he needs leave. The government will grant leave. I make the observation that it is incumbent on all members in this place to cooperate in a similar manner to allow the business of government and the business of the Assembly to be conducted smoothly. I would ask the opposition in particular to reflect on its position in relation to not granting leave to the government earlier this week in relation to other matters and to reflect on the fact that from time to time it will need leave for some of its matters also.
MR WALL (Brindabella), by leave: Madam Deputy Speaker, it has been brought to my attention that it is part of the standing orders that a signed copy of the amendments need to be presented to the Clerk’s office 24 hours prior. This is the first time that I have attempted to move amendments to a bill in this Assembly since being elected. I would also like to note that both Mr Rattenbury and Mr Corbell’s offices were notified, I believe, on Tuesday morning of the intention. So I believe ample notification was given. It was a failure of process.
MR HANSON (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition), by leave: I will just make a quick comment in response to Mr Corbell’s sanctimonious lecture, if I may, Madam Deputy Speaker. The issue that Mr Corbell is alluding to is the fact that he is not providing statements to the opposition or to the Assembly two hours prior to presenting them in the Assembly, as was the form in the last Assembly; we did that.
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