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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 8 Hansard (31 August) . . Page.. 2764 ..

MR HIRD (continuing):

a land information system and gather whatever information is required. This access would be given having regard to privacy, and possibly pricing, issues, which would be spelt out up-front.

The roll-out of the TransACT system is possibly too good an opportunity to be missed in relation to public access to government held but publicly available information. The committee is concerned that the systems in other jurisdictions, in particular in Tasmania and the Northern Territory, are leaving the ACT behind. We have observed the Tasmanian and Northern Territory systems and have been most impressed by both. We feel that the ACT should be able to lead the field in this important area, and to do so we hope to develop policy directions to assist the government in areas such as:

determining who owns (or has custody of) corporate land information;

facilitating access to various different data sets; and

determining the access arrangements-taking into account important pricing and privacy issues.

The committee has placed advertisements in the local media inviting public comment on the new inquiry and we have written to key groups and organisations asking them to consider lodging submissions. Naturally, we have also written to the minister seeking a whole-of-government submission. Submissions close on Friday, 6 October and we plan to hold at least one public hearing sometime after that date. I commend this inquiry to the house. Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Debate resumed.

MR MOORE (Minister for Health and Community Care) (3.58): Mr Speaker, I rise to support this legislation. My opinion on the legislation was adequately set out last time it was before the Assembly and I have not moved from that position.

MS CARNELL (Chief Minister) (3.58), in reply: Mr Speaker, I thank members for their support at the in-principle stage of the bill. I am pleased with the cooperation that has been shown by those opposite and members of the crossbench in coming up with a set of amendments on which I understand we have an agreed position.

Mr Speaker, this bill is important for a whole range of reasons, but predominantly to ensure that the children born into surrogacy arrangements in the ACT can go forward with confidence in terms of legal parenting arrangements. I know that their actual parenting arrangements are quite appropriate; but I think that it is up to this Assembly, as was said by the Supreme Court, to come up with legislation that actually reflects the situation in the ACT at the moment.

I thank members for their support. This bill is about a difficult area, but this debate does show that this Assembly can work together if it puts its mind to it.

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