Page 4212 - Week 13 - Thursday, 19 November 2015
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In summary, the changes to this bill to restructure and expand the Human Rights Commission and to merge the Guardianship Unit with the Public Trustee in a consolidated Public Trustee and Guardian office will improve the protection of human rights through streamlined governance arrangements and better coordination of processes for handling complaints, conducting investigations into systemic matters affecting rights and raising awareness of rights in our community. I commend the bill to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Mr Hanson) adjourned to the next sitting.
Terrorism (Extraordinary Temporary Powers) Amendment Bill 2015
Mr Corbell, pursuant to notice, presented the bill, its explanatory statement and a Human Rights Act compatibility statement.
Title read by Clerk.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Deputy Chief Minister, Attorney-General, Minister for Health, Minister for the Environment and Minister for Capital Metro) (10.44): I move:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
Today I would like to begin my remarks for this bill by acknowledging the tragic events in Paris last Friday. As all other Australians, I am shocked and heavy-hearted at these barbaric attacks on basic human freedoms and liberties. Our sympathies, I know, are with the people of France and all who face the horrors of violent extremism.
Today I am presenting the Terrorism (Extraordinary Temporary Powers) Amendment Bill 2015. The purpose of this bill is to extend the operation of the Terrorism (Extraordinary Temporary Powers) Act 2006 for a further five years. The act authorises the use of preventative detention orders to prevent and respond to terrorist acts in the ACT.
I am also tabling a review of the operation and effectiveness of the act, as required under section 100:
Terrorism (Extraordinary Temporary Powers Act, pursuant to section 100(b)—Terrorism (Extraordinary Temporary Powers Act 2006—Review, dated October 2015.
The review found that as a result of a number of national and multilateral reviews, including the COAG counter terrorism review and the Martin Place siege review as well as the current security environment, it is appropriate and necessary to extend the operation of the act. To safeguard the relevance and currency of the legislation, the bill also requires a further review of the act in a further five years.
While there has been no need to use preventative detention orders in the territory to date, the terrorism climate in Australia and overseas is clearly of significant concern.
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