Page 718 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 26 February 2013

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contained in the bill, it is proposed that the next election for the body will occur during NAIDOC Week in 2014.

I look forward to the passage of this bill being another step in improvement. I am certainly very keen for the government to have a strong, ongoing and active engagement with the elected body. It presents an excellent opportunity to improve the lives of Indigenous community members in the ACT. Certainly the recommendations that have come through to government out of the most recent report are a very good reflection of the issues affecting the community. The government is very seriously looking at those recommendations now as they represent the priorities of the community. I am pleased to commend this legislation to the Assembly today and look forward to its implementation.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.

Bill agreed to.

Justice and Community Safety Legislation Amendment Bill 2013

Debate resumed from 14 February 2013, on motion by Mr Corbell:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

MR SESELJA (Brindabella) (10.52): The Canberra Liberals will be supporting this bill today. This bill amends a number of acts consequential to passing the Retirement Villages Act 2012 and makes amendments to the Retirement Villages Act itself. Today’s bill is being rushed through because the Retirement Villages Act comes into operation on Monday and this legislation has been a mess from the beginning.

Ms Porter in her first bill cut and pasted bits and pieces of legislation from other jurisdictions. This made the bill unworkable because it was inconsistent. There was such widespread condemnation from the industry that Mr Corbell was forced to write to the Chief Minister raising concerns that, although it was a private member’s bill, the passage of this bill would lead to criticism of the government.

The industry said:

The proposed adoption in the ACT of yet another distinct style of regulation, which contains onerous obligations is going to increase this cost on us and on the industry. If Lend Lease had been aware of those onerous obligations proposed in the bill at the time of lodging its tender for Isabella Plains, we would have viewed the ACT retirement living market differently and we most probably would not have proceeded with the acquisition.

There had been years of consultation on this bill, but a number of questions could not be answered to clarify the bill at the time. This was said by a resident of a


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