Page 3916 - Week 12 - Thursday, 20 October 2005

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clarity in the operation of the statute book that will lead to a better understanding of how time is worked out for statutory provisions.

Schedule 3 includes amendments of six acts that have been reviewed as part of an ongoing program of updating and improving the language and form of legislation. The acts reviewed include the Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1989, which applies to most decisions of an administrative character made under enactments. The act allows a person aggrieved by such a decision to ask for a statement of reasons for the decision and to seek judicial review of the decision. The amendments are technical in nature and include the updating of language, the breaking up of several complex provisions into smaller provisions and the restructuring of the schedules to improve the accessibility of this important act to legislation users. Schedule 4 repeals four banking-related acts that are no longer needed.

Mr Speaker, in addition to the explanatory notes in the bill, parliamentary counsel are available to provide any further explanation or information that members would like about any of the amendments made by the bill. The bill, while minor and technical in nature, is another important building block in the development of a modern and accessible ACT statute book that is second to none in Australia. Despite the nature of the amendments, their cumulative number has created a substantially sized bill on this occasion. Mr Speaker, I commend the bill to the Assembly.

Debate (on motion by Mr Stefaniak) adjourned to the next sitting.

Administration and Procedure—Standing Committee

Membership

Debate resumed from 18 October 2005, on motion by Mr Smyth:

That Mrs Dunne be discharged from the Standing Committee on Administration and Procedure and that Mr Seselja be appointed in Mrs Dunne’s place.

MR HARGREAVES (Brindabella—Minister for Disability, Housing and Community Services, Minister for Urban Services and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (10.56): Mr Speaker, I was concerned that a precedent was being set and I was a bit disturbed about it. I understand that discussions have since occurred and we will be hearing more about that later.

I rise to speak from my experience of having spent three years in this place as a government whip. I think I should address a number of issues. The first thing I would like to say is that I recognise and respect the right of the leader of the Liberal Party to distribute portfolios and responsibilities as he or she deems fit, but I wonder whether this right and authority should be exercised if exercising it appears to be inconsistent with a determination by the remuneration tribunal. The mere provision to this place in the first place of a motion and an appointment would seem to indicate either a lack of understanding of the remuneration tribunal’s determination—a disregard for that determination—or a disregard for precedent and convention in this place.


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