Page 898 - Week 04 - Thursday, 3 May 2007

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duplication and achieving the maximum degree of standardisation of legislative provisions consistent with policy requirements and operational needs.

The schedule contains two technical amendments of section 192, which sets out the period within which prosecutions for offences must be begun. Offences by corporations that are punishable by a fine of 100 penalty units or more may be begun at any time. The amendments add a reference to the equivalent value of the fine to allow for the application of national uniform laws in the ACT where the penalties were expressed as amounts of money rather than in penalty units.

Schedule 3 contains minor or technical amendments of legislation initiated by the parliamentary counsel’s office. The amendments include the correction of minor errors, updating language, improving syntax and other minor changes to update or improve the form of legislation. In addition to the explanatory notes in the bill, the parliamentary counsel is also available to provide any further explanation or information that members would like about any of the amendments made to 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. I commend the bill to the Assembly.

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

Estimates 2007-2008—Select Committee

MR STEFANIAK (Ginninderra—Leader of the Opposition) (10.57): I move:

That:

(1) a Select Committee on Estimates 2007-2008 be appointed to examine the expenditure proposals contained in the Appropriation Bill 2007-2008 and any revenue estimates proposed by the Government in the 2007-2008 Budget;

(2) the Committee be composed of:

(a) two Members to be nominated by the Government;

(b) two Members to be nominated by the Opposition; and

to be notified in writing to the Speaker by 4 p.m. today;

(3) the Committee report by 21 August 2007;

(4) if the Assembly is not sitting when the Committee has completed its inquiry the Committee may send its report to the Speaker or, in the absence of the Speaker, to the Deputy Speaker, who is authorised to give directions for its printing, publishing and circulation; and

(5) the foregoing provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders.

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