Page 836 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 25 July 1989
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It is appropriate, I believe, that it be taken into account during that consultation phase.
I believe, Mr Speaker, that it is true to say that the volume of legislation to come into the Assembly will be heaviest later in the year, particularly in October, November and December. Bearing all those factors in mind, the Government has proposed a sitting pattern, as Mr Collaery suggests, that would mean that the house will rise this week, not meet again until late in August, sit for a week in September and then sit quite intensively through October, November and December.
I believe that sitting pattern is consistent with the activity levels in State legislatures and I think that it also meets the particular needs of a body like ours, which is very new and which in some ways has to build up a head of steam on legislation.
MR COLLAERY: I wish to ask a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. Does the Chief Minister acknowledge, in response to that question, that the Federal budget period will be when this Assembly is not sitting?
MS FOLLETT: Indeed, Mr Speaker, I think I have made it clear that this Assembly will not be sitting when the Federal budget is brought into the Federal Parliament but, as I have said, that is a matter which does not require an immediate response from this Assembly, but it is one that is required to be taken into account in our deliberations on our ACT budget.
I hope that there will be ample opportunity for that to happen. I do not believe that the Assembly, as a legislature, is in any way disadvantaged by the fact that we will not be sitting at that time.
Guardianship
MS MAHER: My question is directed to the Minister for Community Services and Health. Yesterday the Law Reform Commission had public hearings at the ANU on the subject of guardianship. Is it proposed that guardianship legislation for people with disabilities and mental illness will be introduced in the ACT?
MR BERRY: I thank Ms Maher for the question. The matter of guardianship legislation for people with intellectual disability or mental illness is, as she has said, presently before the Law Reform Commission. A discussion paper has been released recently for community comment, and as a result of that discussion paper further submissions on all aspects of guardianship have been invited.
It is expected that once the submissions have been received from the Australian Law Reform Commission new legislation
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