Page 5068 - Week 13 - Thursday, 29 November 2018

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transparency in the legislation in relation to decisions made by CIT for admission and the issuing of awards.

The Canberra Institute of Technology Amendment Bill 2018 is a further step to ensuring that CIT is best positioned for success. The ACT government continues to support CIT as an education and training institute of fundamental importance to the ACT by providing ongoing and secure funding for programs and activities to enable it to meet the breadth of needs of our constituents. In turn, CIT provides supports and services that no other training organisation has the capacity to deliver. The amendments will provide CIT with additional capability to deliver on the functions prescribed in the legislation; to provide educational products and services; to use the facilities and resources to advance and develop knowledge and skills in the community; and to support ACT industry and business in pursuing economic growth and sustainability for the community. I commend the Bill to the Assembly.

Debate (on motion by Mr Hanson) adjourned to the next sitting.

Electoral Amendment Bill 2018

Mr Ramsay, pursuant to notice, presented the bill, its explanatory statement and a Human Rights Act compatibility statement.

Title read by Clerk.

MR RAMSAY (Ginninderra—Attorney-General, Minister for the Arts and Cultural Events, Minister for Building Quality Improvement, Minister for Business and Regulatory Services and Minister for Seniors and Veterans) (11.24): I move:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

I am pleased to present the Electoral Amendment Bill 2018 to the Assembly today. The bill sits alongside the government’s legislation to create an integrity commission as a measure to increase public confidence in our government by removing perceived bias and strengthening our electoral reporting framework.

The amendments I am presenting today will contribute to fairer, more transparent and equal participation in ACT elections by implementing a key government commitment to ban political donations or gifts from property developers. They also implement significant transparency and reporting improvements to our Electoral Act. This bill is part of the government’s track record of meeting its election commitments reflected in the parliamentary agreement. This bill implements key commitments made in the government’s response to the Select Committee on the 2016 ACT Election and Electoral Act.

The government recognises that perceived influence by property developers on government decisions is a serious concern, and the public has a strong interest in being certain that elections are not influenced by the private wealth that results from those decisions. This legislation will reduce the risk of actual or perceived corrupt


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