Page 1300 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 5 May 2015
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It is apparent that this bill has most definitely fulfilled its purpose as an omnibus bill. The amendments are minor but altogether play an important part in making building and construction legislation up to date, more easily understood and accurate. In particular, this bill plays an important role in the continuing development of easily accessible and understood asbestos-related laws in the territory. Asbestos is a health issue of concern to everyone, and improving asbestos-related legislation can only be a huge benefit to the community.
I thank members for their contribution to this debate—Mr Coe’s view on sensible changes to legislation, Ms Fitzharris’s discussion on minor corrections and amendments to the territory plan and other legislation, and Mr Rattenbury’s support for the minor and technical changes. I commend the bill to the Assembly.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.
Bill agreed to.
Children and Young People Amendment Bill 2015
Debate resumed from 26 March 2015, on motion by Mr Gentleman:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
MS LAWDER (Brindabella) (11.37): I rise to speak briefly to the Children and Young People Amendment Bill 2015. May I say at the outset that the Canberra Liberals will be supporting this bill.
The bill seeks to amend the Children and Young People Act 2008 in relation to the ACT Children and Young People Death Review Committee. The bill and the explanatory statement describe the proposed amendments as administrative in nature and designed to enable the committee to function more efficiently. In particular, the bill sets out requirements for the appointment of committee members and the deputy chair and alters the quorum at meetings.
This committee plays an important role in examining information about the deaths of children and young people under the age of 18 years in the ACT. The functions of the committee include identifying emerging patterns and trends and undertaking research aimed at preventing and reducing the number of child deaths. The committee is able to recommend changes to legislation, policies, practices and services that will help prevent the deaths of children and young people in the ACT.
I take this opportunity to note that my colleague Mrs Dunne has previously expressed concerns about the ACT government trying to tie everything up in a single piece of legislation which is almost 1,000 pages long. She highlighted at that time that the length of the legislation could be problematic, which is evidenced by the number of amendments that have already been made to the act since it was passed in 2008.
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