Page 1138 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 29 May 2007

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There are technical aspects around payment by states and territories. I have mentioned the formula that has been developed. It needs to be understood, however, that this is a transferral essentially of funding from the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission to the national regulator. There will be no extra burden on the ACT or on the ACT ratepayer as a result of this legislation. It is simply transferring the function, as agreed by all jurisdictions, to a national regulator and removing that functional responsibility from our Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission. So, to the extent that this legislation provides for a payment regime, it does need to be understood that it is not imposing an extra burden or a further burden on the ACT. It is simply that the cost of the resourcing of the regulatory function now will be directed, not to our independent regulator, but to the national regulator.

I thank members for their support. It is a very important piece of legislation. It is very technical in nature, but it is essentially a machinery bill which, I just wanted to make the point, does not impose an additional financial burden on the people of the ACT. It is important, I think, that we understand that and I thank members for their support.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

Detail stage

Bill, by leave, taken as a whole.

MR STANHOPE (Ginninderra—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Business and Economic Development, Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Minister for the Environment, Water and Climate Change, Minister for the Arts) (5.18): I seek leave to move together amendments Nos 1 and 2 circulated in my name.

Leave granted.

MR STANHOPE: I move amendments Nos 1 and 2 circulated in my name [see schedule 1 at page 1150]. I table a supplementary explanatory statement to the amendments.

The purpose of these amendments is to rectify a typographical mistake in proposed new section 54C (5) and to ensure consistency with proposed new sections 54H (1) (a) and 54I (2) (b). The purpose of the second of the amendments is to add an explanatory note to enforce client legal privilege under new section 54J (3).

Clause 1 changes the date which is referred to in the definition of the proposed new section 54C (5) from 1 October to 15 September. That is to rectify the mistake and to ensure consistency with the proposed new sections.

Clause 2 adds a note alerting the reader to the Legislation Act. The amendment adds a note about privilege against self-incrimination and exposure to civil penalty and about client legal privilege. This is an amendment which was recommended by the scrutiny of bills committee. Clause 9 changes the reference from section 4 (ka) of the Utilities Act 2000 to section 4 (ka) of the Taxation Administration Act.


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