Page 2340 - Week 06 - Thursday, 10 May 2012

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I am pleased to present the Disability Services Amendment Bill 2012, which amends the Disability Services Act 1991. The bill complements and builds upon existing legislation allowing the Minister for Community Services to approve disability service standards and establish regulation-making power.

This government is committed to delivering and funding good quality services for people with a disability in the ACT. By moving the standards from a contract and policy matter to a legislative platform and by allowing for ministerial approval of disability service standards and the establishment of regulations, the protection of people with disability will be further enhanced. Both the standards and regulations are disallowable instruments which may be subject to scrutiny by the Assembly.

I can now outline the amendments this bill seeks to make.

The section 11 amendment allows the Minister for Community Services to approve standards related to the provision of services for people with a disability, and the approval may apply, adopt or incorporate an instrument as in force from time to time.

The section 12 amendment relates to the regulation-making power and states that the executive may make regulations for this act. A regulation may make provision in relation to standards in areas such as the need for entities to comply with the standards; performance measures for measuring compliance with the standards; the monitoring of compliance with the standards; the enforcement of compliance with the standards; and the consequences of failing to comply with the standards.

The section 4 amendment sets out that the Minister for Community Services will not approve a grant unless the minister is satisfied that the relevant standards will be complied with.

The Human Rights Commission Act 2005 will be amended to state in section 40(b)(va) that a person may complain to the commission if a service provider acts inconsistently with a standard approved in terms of the new section 11.

I commend the bill to the Assembly.

Debate (on motion by Mr Hanson) adjourned to the next sitting.

Corrections and Sentencing Legislation Amendment Bill 2012

Dr Bourke, pursuant to notice, presented the bill, its explanatory statement and a Human Rights Act compatibility statement.

Title read by Clerk.

DR BOURKE (Ginninderra—Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Corrections) (11.59): I move:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.


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