Page 498 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 23 February 2010

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for this instrument must be tabled in the Assembly within three sitting days after it is given. Section 17 of the act enables variations to appropriations for any increase in existing commonwealth payments by direction of the Treasurer.

The Department of Treasury has received $2.38 million in additional funding from the commonwealth for the first homeowners boost. This increase in funding is due to the extension of the scheme by the commonwealth to 31 December 2009. This extension was announced after the release of the ACT budget. The increase in appropriation is required to fund the additional first homeowners boost payments being made by the Department of Treasury, and I commend the instrument to the Assembly.

Paper

Mr Corbell presented the following paper:

ACT Criminal Justice—Statistical Profile—December 2009 quarter.

Outlaw motorcycle gangs

Paper and statement by minister

MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water, Minister for Energy and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (3.11): I present the following paper:

Outlaw motorcycle gangs—Human rights compliance of legislative responses to bikie gangs—Copy of letter to the Attorney-General from the Human Rights and Discrimination Commissioner, dated 24 August 2009, pursuant to the resolution of the Assembly of 1 April 2009.

I move:

That the Assembly takes note of the paper.

Last year, the Assembly passed a motion that required the government to advise the Assembly on the nature and operation of existing territory laws used to combat organised crime groups. The government was also asked to examine the legislative responses adopted by governments in other Australian jurisdictions to tackle serious organised crime, particularly in New South Wales and South Australia. The motion also required the government to report on any human rights issues raised by legislation that bans certain organisations from criminal activity.

On 24 June last year, I tabled the government report to the ACT Legislative Assembly Serious organised crime groups and activities. In preparing the report, I sought the advice of the Human Rights and Discrimination Commissioner on the way human rights issues might be raised by outlaw motorcycle gang legislation that other jurisdictions have adopted. This advice was sought to ensure that any legislative response by the territory was informed, reasonable and compatible with our human rights obligations.


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