Page 959 - Week 04 - Thursday, 7 May 2020
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Some amazing things have happened during this crisis in regard to individuals and organisations putting aside their political and ideological differences for the good of the community. The day that you see a joint press release from the MBA and the CFMEU you know this is a brave new world. This report is a part of that brave new world. I look forward to seeing the detail of Ms Le Couteur’s planning bill later on, to see if my Greens colleague has been able to embrace this new reality.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Justice and Community Safety—Standing Committee
Statement by chair
MRS JONES (Murrumbidgee) (11.59): Pursuant to standing order 246A, I wish to make a statement on behalf of the Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety in its legislative scrutiny role. As noted earlier today, report No 41 for the Ninth Assembly reports its findings on two bills introduced and passed on 2 April which established a legislative framework to deal with the COVID-19 emergency. These bills, particularly the COVID-19 Emergency Response Bill 2020, enacted a number of novel and unprecedented provisions which are now ACT law.
The Assembly, in common with other jurisdictions, enacted this legislation as an unprecedented and emergency legislative response to provide a basis for government activity and community requirements in confronting a dangerous and complex health situation.
The committee’s report on the COVID legislation was tabled after the bills the subject of the report were introduced, debated and enacted without the scrutiny committee’s comment on the bills. The Assembly will note, however, that the committee now fulfils its required role in seeking specific response on several matters in the bills which the committee considers should be clarified.
In introducing the COVID-19 Emergency Response Bill on 2 April, the Chief Minister drew the Assembly’s attention to an important matter. He said:
It is important to put on the record that what we are introducing today is not a new normal. These amendments are designed to sunset, which means they will be phased out once our community and our economy begin to recover from this public health emergency. The government has also undertaken to ensure that any future regulations dealing with the COVID-19 crisis will be provided to the Assembly scrutiny committee at least 48 hours in advance.
He also said:
I foreshadow that these are unlikely to be the last legislative amendments needed during this public health emergency. The national cabinet meets frequently. The situation is changing, and we will continue to seek to take a nationally consistent approach, and an approach that is in alignment with New South Wales as much as possible, to ensure that we are best placed to respond effectively in this crisis to the needs not only of the ACT but of the broader Canberra region.
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