Page 2000 - Week 07 - Thursday, 13 August 2020
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This minister spends her time saying, “I suppose it is pretty bad, but we are doing as well as we can.” They are traducing the people of the ACT. They are abandoning the people of the ACT, the children of the ACT and their families. They do not care, and all they can say is, “We are throwing money at the problem.” There is more to it than throwing money at the problem. First of all, you have to care. Secondly, you have to do more than say, “It could be better. Sometimes they are not great figures.” But that is all they do. They are just hoping against hope that they fall across the line and they can spend another four years abandoning and traducing the people and the children of the ACT with these appalling figures.
The people of the ACT deserve better and they can have better. Quite frankly, the Labor government has been terrible at running the health system, utterly and completely terrible for the best part of 10 years. Quite frankly, anyone could do better. I know that my colleagues on this side of the floor will do a damn sight better after the election because they are, first and foremost, committed to the people, not to their factions and to sucking up to people who will give them preferment and keep them in government.
Amendment agreed to.
Original question, as amended, resolved in the affirmative.
Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Amendment Bill 2020
Debate resumed from 23 July 2020, on motion by Mr Rattenbury:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
MS LAWDER (Brindabella) (5.09): We are supportive of many of the changes made in this bill and we understand the complexities and challenges of these issues. We are compassionate to those facing those challenges. We support the principle that every individual should live their life to the fullest capacity.
We support the right of those with legal capacity to be able to make changes relevant to them, which is why we support those over 16 years being able to change their own birth records. We commend families who face challenges together, which is why we support allowing people younger than 16 to make changes with the care and guidance of their parents. We recognise the value of knowing your own history, which is why we support the change to allow birth parents to be part of a person’s official record under the Adoption Act amendments.
But areas of the bill that the Canberra Liberals believe are particularly complex and raise concerns are the sections which allow a person under 16 years to change their details on a birth certificate without the consent of their parents. The age when a person becomes fully responsible is a difficult one—there are many competing factors and no easy answers.
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