Page 6063 - Week 14 - Thursday, 9 December 2010

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Fair Trading (Australian Consumer Law) Amendment Bill 2010

Debate resumed from 18 November 2010, on motion by Mr Corbell:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

Motion (by Mrs Dunne) put:

That debate be adjourned.

The Assembly voted—

Question so resolved in the negative.

MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (11.09): The Canberra Liberals will be opposing this bill today, not because of the merits or otherwise of the legislation but simply on the basis that there has not been enough time for us to appropriately consider the measures and to consult with the community. There is no necessity for this bill to be forced through on the third-week anniversary of its being introduced into this place. The Canberra Liberals will not be supporting this bill.

This bill seeks to bring into effect the agreement that was agreed by COAG in July 2009 to implement the national consumer law. The enabling legislation was passed by the commonwealth in two tranches—in May and June this year—and the commonwealth desires that it come into effect on 1 January. It is interesting that in his introductory speech on this bill the minister, in his concluding paragraph, said that, as the chair of the Ministerial Council on Consumer Affairs, he was recommending this bill to the Assembly for its passage.

I think it is rather rich and ironic that the chair of the Ministerial Council on Consumer Affairs is the last minister to do this work. The ACT is the last jurisdiction to introduce this legislation. Queensland introduced theirs on 31 August this year. New South Wales had passed and received assent for their legislation by 29 November and Victoria by 19 October. Tasmania introduced theirs on 12 September. South Australia have passed theirs and are waiting for assent, as is the case in Western Australia. The Northern Territory finalised theirs on 30 November and I understand it has now received assent.

Everybody else in this country could do this work, but Simon Corbell, who boasted about the fact that he was the chairman of the consumer affairs ministerial council, took until 18 November and then needed to rush it through. On the basis of that and that alone—the fact that we do not have the time and the necessary wherewithal to

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