Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 8 Hansard (31 August) . . Page.. 2756 ..


TRANS-TASMAN MUTUAL RECOGNITION ACT (COMMONWEALTH)-ENDORSEMENT OF PROPOSED REGULATIONS

Paper and Ministerial Statement

MS CARNELL (Chief Minister): I present the following paper:

Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act (Cwlth), pursuant to section 47-Endorsement of proposed Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition (Temporary Exemptions) Regulations 2000, notified in Gazette S46, dated 25 August 2000.

This endorsement of regulations, published in Gazette No S46 of 25 August 2000, extends special and temporary exemptions under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement. I ask for leave to make a short statement.

Leave granted.

MS CARNELL: As the designated person under subsection 5(4) of the ACT's Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997, I have endorsed the proposed regulations of the Commonwealth to extend the temporary exemption in place for offensive weapons and body armour described in sections 15 and 15A of the South Australian Summary Offences Act of 1953.

The Commonwealth act provides for the mutual recognition within Australia and New Zealand of regulatory standards regarding goods and occupations. It is legislation as contemplated by the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act, a non-treaty agreement signed in 1996 between the Commonwealth, state and territory governments of Australia and the government of New Zealand.

The tabled regulation is to provide a further 12 months to the existing temporary exemption in place that prohibits the sale and possession of weapons and body armour as stated in the South Australian Summary Offences Act. The South Australian legislation was not originally included as a permanent exemption in the Commonwealth legislation because of an oversight.

The temporary exemption was deemed to become a permanent exemption at the end of September. The consent of all jurisdictions is required for a permanent exemption. However, one state was unable to process the permanent exemption by the expiry date. The Commonwealth has therefore requested that the temporary exemption be extended for a further 12 months.

Under the Commonwealth act the Governor-General can make regulations continuing temporary exemptions with the endorsement of at least two-thirds of the participating jurisdictions to the agreement. An endorsement is made by a jurisdiction publishing a notice, endorsing the terms of the regulation, in its official gazette. I have been advised that the extension to the current temporary exemption has the agreement of two-thirds of the participating jurisdictions.


Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .