Page 775 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 19 March 2019
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eligible to access common law provisions have an avenue to seek access to this. These changes improve the bill and will help ensure that there are more safeguards for people whose circumstances fall outside the norm.
The government would also like to thank all other stakeholders and members of the community who have contributed to improving this legislation since its release as an exposure draft. Where genuine concerns and constructive solutions have been brought to us, we have worked through these and incorporated them into the bill. It is a better piece of legislation as a result of this iterative process of engagement over many months.
In conclusion, this bill and the new motor accident injury scheme it establishes have been designed around the priorities and the objectives that Canberrans told us matter. They are: fair coverage for all road users; equitable access to treatment and care for people who are injured; quick and transparent benefits to get recovery underway as soon as possible; and comprehensive and ongoing support for those who need it most. I commend this bill and the new motor accident injury scheme to the Assembly as another good and worthy reform that this place can support that will make a real difference to the lives of Canberrans.
Debate (on motion by Mr Coe) adjourned to the next sitting.
Royal Commission Criminal Justice Legislation Amendment Bill 2019
Debate resumed from 21 February 2019, on motion by Mr Ramsay:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
MR HANSON (Murrumbidgee) (4.52): The Canberra Liberals will be supporting this bill. Although it does not introduce any new overall concepts this bill expands the scope of operation of principles contained in the previous bills relating to the reporting of child sexual abuse and the mechanisms needed to make effective laws. These matters were reviewed by Justice Dodds-Streeton in late 2018 and she focused on the most effective way to implement the recommendations of the royal commission on the reporting of child sexual abuse. That review has assisted in the drafting of this bill.
This bill will create a new criminal offence of failing to report child sexual abuse, which applies to everyone. This includes circumstances where a person becomes aware of a child sexual abuse matter within a religious confession. The matter of breaking the confessional seal has been discussed by this Assembly before in a previous bill relating to the reportable conduct scheme. I remind the Assembly that the Canberra Liberals supported that bill, as we do this one. But I also acknowledge and recognise that there are those in this chamber and in this community who feel deeply and strongly about the importance and significance of confession as part of their Catholic faith.
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