Page 2632 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 2 July 2008

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MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (5.11): Mr Speaker, I support the principle behind Dr Foskey’s amendments, but, unfortunately, they are wrongly placed. These two provisions in relation to the ICRC have to be deleted from the legislation simply because the ICRC does not have the role that this legislation paints for it. That is a mistake in the drafting, and that mistake in the drafting has to be fixed. The ICRC does not have the role that Mr Gentleman’s first draft of the legislation envisaged. If you cared to take a briefing from the commissioner, you would have understood how this situation works. The opposition has to support Mr Gentleman’s opposition to this clause because it is just making wrong law.

I cannot support Dr Foskey’s amendment to insert it into a clause that must be deleted. I support the concerns of Dr Foskey and Mr Mulcahy that we do all we can to minimise the impact on low-income earners. But this is not the place to do it, unfortunately. It is really about doing your homework and determining the best place to move your amendments. If you had had a stand-alone amendment about concessions, we would have been able to support it. But as Dr Foskey proposes to amend a clause that needs to be deleted, I cannot support the amendment.

MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella) (5.13): I did not explain it very clearly, but Mrs Dunne has. The omission of the two clauses is specifically because the ICRC does not have the ability to make those changes. Therefore, we cannot make amendments to its act to try and make those changes. We will be opposing these amendments.

Amendments negatived.

Clause 14 negatived.

Dictionary.

MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella) (5.15): I seek leave to move amendments Nos 15 and 16 circulated in my name together.

Leave granted.

MR GENTLEMAN: I move amendments Nos 15 and 16 circulated in my name together [see schedule 2 at page 2654].

Amendment No 15 provides a new dictionary term of “additional metering costs”, which is referred to in clause 6. The definition refers to the cost of a meter to measure electricity generated. Amendment No 16 provides a new dictionary term of “electricity supplier”. The definition refers to the dictionary in the Utilities Act 2000, which defines “electricity supplier” in relation to the supply of electricity to premises. It means a utility licensed to supply electricity to the premise.

Amendments agreed to.

DR FOSKEY (Molonglo) (5.16): I move amendment No 15 circulated in my name [see schedule 2 at page 2659].


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