Page 1679 - Week 06 - Thursday, 23 July 2020
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I believe that the issues they and others have raised would greatly benefit from more in-depth consideration by the Assembly. Therefore, I would like to go on the record today as stating that the ACT Greens will be moving for a select committee to be formed at the earliest possible opportunity in the next term of the Assembly.
These are sensitive matters that involve multiple frontline and human service agencies. There are genuine questions to be asked about the territory’s need to explore having a full-time dedicated Coroner’s Court to reduce delays and to consider more deeply the objective of the Coroners Act’s operation—to really think about the benefits of the court’s consideration of matters of community safety and how any recommendations and findings are absorbed by government. I feel that a select committee is the most effective possible way to give these and other matters the best hearing and will lead to a more in-depth reform program being embedded in government thinking.
In the interim, I do support the amendments before us. I appreciate that the Attorney-General has sought to improve the operation of the act and has recognised the need for reform of the coronial system in the broad. In particular, I welcome the inclusion of step-parents in the definition of “member of the immediate family” for the purpose of the Coroners Act, and the resolution of an issue that has been brought to my awareness many times: that we will now create an error correction power for the Coroner’s Court to allow a coroner to amend their findings to correct an error, mistake, or omission. This will also clarify for families that they do not need to appeal to the ACT Supreme Court to correct an error in coronial findings resulting from an accidental slip or omission. Representations to my office on this have highlighted the too-often disempowering, overly legalistic and potentially adversarial nature of coronial inquiries. This is a solid response to those issues.
I also acknowledge the calls from the community, represented by the ACT Law Reform Advisory Council’s final report Canberra—becoming a restorative city, to develop a more restorative approach to these complex matters. In my capacity as Minister for Mental Health, I have recently explored the feasibility of undertaking a pilot in this vein. I can definitely see potential benefits. However, I am also very mindful of the need to undertake any such innovative approach within careful frameworks and defined parameters.
The bill before us is a good first step towards the broader reform agenda that I believe is required to improve the coronial process. Certainly, if it is within my influence, we will be endeavouring to see that there are further reforms in the coming months and years. As I have said, I think that a select committee would be a good way to start that, to give a forum to explore these issues in more depth, to build an understanding across the Assembly and to build a sense of common agreement amongst the parties as to where we should go. We should get into that early in the next term so that we have time across the course of four years to have the committee, do the in-depth consideration of its findings and then bring the legislative reform back to this place.
MR RAMSAY (Ginninderra—Attorney-General, Minister for the Arts, Creative Industries and Cultural Events, Minister for Building Quality Improvement, Minister for Business and Regulatory Services and Minister for Seniors and Veterans) (5.23),
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