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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 5 Hansard (4 May) . . Page.. 1298 ..
MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):
These provisions, I make no secret, are wider than I would ordinarily have thought it was appropriate to support, but, clearly, there will be a number of major national and international events in a whole range of sports leading up to the Olympics in the middle of 2000, and many of those events will be held across Australia, some in the ACT. It would be unfortunate, I think, if important pre-Olympic events where competitors, including Australian competitors, could have the chance to prepare appropriately were not able to take place in the ACT because of that. I thank members for their understanding on this issue and I hope it will extend to other issues and other legislation where we will need to consider how to accommodate the special requirements of the Olympic Games in the coming 12 or 15 months.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General, Minister for Justice and Community Safety and Minister Assisting the Treasurer) (10.49): Mr Speaker, I move:
Page 4, line 5, clause 7, proposed new subsection 49A(5), definition of "defined period", omit the definition, substitute the following definition:
" 'defined period' means the period of 3 months commencing on the day on which the person arrives in the Territory for the purpose of participating in the competition.".
Mr Speaker, the amendment I have circulated removes a superfluous paragraph from the Bill. Permits enabling an international visitor to possess and use a firearm for competition purposes will remain in force for a maximum of three months.
Proposed section 49A of the Act provides that an international visitor will only be able to possess and use a firearm in the ACT for competition purposes in reliance on a permit issued interstate for what is called "the defined period". Subsection 49A(5) says that the defined period is the period ending three months from the arrival in the Territory and at the expiry of the permit, whichever is the earlier.
This government amendment simply removes the reference to the expiry of the permit, bringing an end to the defined period. This is because once an interstate permit expires, none of the provisions of section 49A will apply to an international shooting competitor to authorise possession or use of a firearm in the ACT. Section 49A is expressed to apply to the holder of a temporary permit issued interstate which authorises the possession and use of a permit for competition shooting. If a permit has expired, the person to whom it was issued ceases to be the holder of a permit, and the permit is no longer in existence to authorise possession or use of a firearm. The government amendment simply removes the superfluous reference to "the expiry of the permit".
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