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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 02 Hansard (Tuesday, 2 March 2004) . . Page.. 442 ..

still have a levy which is well below the cost of the entitlement. They have an entitlement of about 13 weeks long service leave after 10 years. That is more than the entitlement received by workers in government employment, and it is certainly more than what is received in the cleaning industry under the 1976 Long Service Leave Act.

I have had a long association with the issue of long service leave. I am absolutely convinced that it was proper for a prospective Labor government to put before the people of the Australian Capital a promise to expand and protect long service leave entitlements. People out there in the community need to have this reasonable aspiration protected by regulation. As legislators we have a responsibility to ensure that the entitlements of workers in our workforce—those people that we represent—are adequately protected.

There will be claims that there will be some crossover with Commonwealth awards, and that is true to a small degree. I have discussed this with the trade union movement and they have said that they want to get this in place and then work their way through those areas where there might be some crossover or conflict between awards. But in the main, amongst those 80,000 or 90,000 workers there is a reasonable expectation that Labor will deliver on this solemn promise, and I intend to do my best to make sure that it does.

Debate (on motion by Ms Gallagher) adjourned to the next sitting.

Scrutiny report 44

MR STEFANIAK: I present the following report:

Legal Affairs—Standing Committee (performing the duties of a Scrutiny of Bills and Subordinate Legislation Committee)—Scrutiny Report 44, dated 24 February 2004, together with the relevant minutes of proceedings.

I seek leave to make a brief statement.

Leave granted.

MR STEFANIAK: Mr Deputy Speaker, scrutiny report 44 contains the committee’s comments on 11 bills, 41 pieces of subordinate legislation, one government response, and one interstate agreement. The report was circulated to members when the Assembly was not sitting and I commend it to the Assembly.

Leave of absence

Motion (by Mr Wood) agreed to:

That leave of absence for 2 and 3 March 2004 be given to Mr Hargreaves.

Human Rights Bill 2003

Debate resumed from 18 November 2003, on motion by Mr Stanhope:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

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