Page 5889 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 8 December 2010

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video


Wednesday, 8 December 2010

The Assembly met at 10 am.

(Quorum formed.)

MR SPEAKER (Mr Rattenbury) took the chair and asked members to stand in silence and pray or reflect on their responsibilities to the people of the Australian Capital Territory.

Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988—proposed review

Debate resumed from 17 November 2010, on motion by Ms Porter:

That this Assembly supports:

(1) the notion that the people and the parliament of the ACT should have the same rights as Australians living in the States to legislate on their own behalf upon matters within their legislative jurisdiction; and

(2) a comprehensive review of the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988, with a view to:

(a) allowing the ACT Legislative Assembly to determine its own size;

(b) removing provisions that allow the Commonwealth to overturn any ACT law through the exercise of Executive fiat; and

(c) making other such amendments necessary to deliver genuine self-government to the people of the ACT, consistent with the democratic rights enjoyed by Australians living in the States.

and on the amendment moved by Mrs Dunne:

Omit all words after “That this Assembly”, substitute:

“(1) supports the rights of people of the ACT to legislate on their own behalf upon matters within their legislative jurisdiction under the Constitution of Australia;

(2) supports the formation of a broad public consultation forum to discuss and debate changes requested to the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988 as raised by the Assembly, the community and other stakeholders and develop a formalised agreed position to present to the Federal Parliament; and

(3) calls on the Government to investigate the timing and provision of a public forum on these reforms and report to the Assembly with options.”.


Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video