Page 600 - Week 02 - Thursday, 19 February 2015
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In summary, the Greens are concerned about many aspects of this bill. We will be putting forward a series of amendments to try and stop the other parties in this place watering down what we believe are good electoral laws—laws that made the ACT one of the most progressive jurisdictions in Australia on campaign finance reform.
The Greens call on the ACT Labor Party and the Canberra Liberals to think through what they are proposing today and to consider our amendments with an open mind. We have been clear and open about the amendments we are proposing today. There is no doubt that other parties have had the opportunity to reconsider their positions and, given that we will not deal with this until after the lunch break, there is still more time to consider them.
Should this bill proceed without amendments in significant areas such as donation caps, administrative funding and changes to expenditure caps, I think that the Canberra community will rightly be outraged that once again politicians are seeking to smooth their own path without actually delivering a better outcome for democracy in the ACT.
Debate interrupted in accordance with standing order 74 and the resumption of the debate made an order of the day for a later hour.
Sitting suspended from 12.31 to 2.30 pm.
Questions without notice
Crime—motorcycle gangs
MR HANSON: My question is to the Attorney-General. Attorney-General, on 1 April 2009 I introduced an amendment to a motion, in which I acknowledged that a number of jurisdictions, including New South Wales, had implemented or were in the process of implementing legislation targeting organised criminal networks to safeguard the community. I said at the time:
The impact on the ACT of these legislative changes will be significant. If we sit here vainly hoping that the ACT will be isolated from the worst elements of organised crime, then we are failing in our duty …
I called on the government to act. At the time Mr Corbell called for more consultation and said:
I do not accept the assertion as a given that, because New South Wales legislates in one way, we will be swamped, to use Mr Hanson’s language on radio this morning, by bikie gangs from New South Wales.
Minister, given the recent spate of shootings across Canberra, some allegedly linked to bikie gangs, do you stand by your comments that laws in other jurisdictions, and particularly New South Wales, with regard to outlaw motorcycle gangs, have had no impact on the ACT?
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