Page 1716 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 1 April 2009
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(c) any legislation introduced or being introduced into the New South Wales and Queensland Parliaments to provide for special powers to combat OMCG;
(d) any other legislative developments internationally that could be of relevance to combating organised crime groups in the Territory and any available evidence as to the efficacy and operation of such legislation;
(e) the human rights issues raised by legislation that provides for mechanisms similar to those contained in the South Australian legislation that allow for the banning of certain organisations in circumstances where a sufficient nexus can be established between the organisation and criminal activity; and
(f) any legislative changes it considers appropriate to ensure that the ACT will not attract organised criminal elements that are dislocated from other States and Territories as a result of legislative changes to criminal law either proposed or enacted in those jurisdictions; and
(3) resolves that this advice be provided to the Assembly by the last sitting day in June 2009.”.
I will be brief in speaking to my amendment. The motion that Mr Corbell has put forward has been amended. In paragraph (1) I have essentially just added that a number of activities are occurring in the national debate which will better inform the house when Mr Corbell comes back. I have included Queensland, where the laws are being looked at and are about to be introduced. So it is not just New South Wales, but also Queensland.
The substantive element is subparagraph (f), which makes it clear that when the minister does report back to the house in June he will not just provide a report on what is going on elsewhere but will identify any legislative changes that are considered appropriate to ensure that the ACT will not attract organised criminal elements that dislocate from other states and territories as a result of legislative changes to criminal law, either proposed or enacted in those jurisdictions.
So it does give the government the ability—I note that it is not directing us to do so, but certainly the ability which we would support is in there—for examination of various laws over the next several weeks. If they do identify that there are deficiencies in our law or that the laws being introduced in New South Wales will in fact create a situation where we may see leakage of organised crime to the ACT, it will give them the ability to introduce law at that stage. I commend my amendment to the house.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water, Minister for Energy and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (5.39): As I noted in my comments in relation to the debate on Mr Hanson’s motion, I note that Mr Hanson’s amendments in their entirety retain elements of my motion and make only one other significant addition in relation to the advice that I am suggesting the government provide to the Assembly. That is point (f) in relation to legislative changes that the government may consider to be appropriate
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