Page 4387 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 30 November 1994
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Some of the amendments in the present Bill amend provisions of the Principal Act that are to commence on that date. Clause 2 is drafted to ensure that those provisions take effect as amended by the present Bill. Other amendments to the Act and the new provisions also take effect on that date.
The final comment in the Scrutiny of Bills Committee report reads:
Of course, if the passing and notification in the Gazette of the present Bill as an Act were to be delayed beyond 6 December 1994, the present Bill would be retrospective in effect.
That is something that I am sure all members of this Assembly would not like to see occur. Madam Speaker, I would also like to thank the Minister for making his officers available to me to go through the draft amendments, as they were, several days ago. It has, I believe, expedited the consideration of this final Bill which is currently before the Assembly. I did point out during my briefing that I felt that there was a problem with the definition of "premises" in the draft Bill. I have not examined the final form of the Bill too closely, but I understand that my concerns in that area have been taken up. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to see this legislation coming to the point where it will be implemented shortly. These are certainly measures that the Canberra community has been anticipating for some time, and it gives me great pleasure to finalise consideration of this matter today.
MR CONNOLLY (Attorney-General and Minister for Health) (4.48), in reply: I thank members for their support. This Bill was introduced, essentially, to correct some technical errors that occurred as a result of the process of the original legislation going through. I would only observe that today we correct what we have done in relation to tobacco smoke, and we may well find ourselves here in a week's time thinking about cannabis smoke.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.
Bill agreed to.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .