Page 601 - Week 02 - Thursday, 18 February 2016
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Changes to the structure of the commission have necessitated changes to the constitution of the Official Visitors Board which previously had the Public Advocate and a Human Rights Commission nominee as representatives. The bill will amend section 23E of the Official Visitor Act to remove the reference to the Public Advocate, thereby reducing the membership of the board to four people, while also introducing a decision-making provision specifying that the chair of the board has the casting vote in case of a tied vote of the board on a question.
The 2016 bill provides that statutory instruments of appointment under the existing Human Rights Commission Act, the Domestic Violence Agencies Act 1986 and the Victims of Crime Act 1994 are repealed. This is to support the alignment of terms of appointment of the new positions within the commission and in the new office of Public Trustee and Guardian.
The Protection of Rights (Services) Legislation Amendment Bill 2016 will support the new structure of the Human Rights Commission and Public Trustee and Guardian, which will improve governance, efficiency and effectiveness of key ACT rights protection services.
The bill includes a three-year review provision in the Human Rights Commission Act 2005 to provide that the minister must review the operation of the Human Rights Commission Act and the Public Trustee and Guardian Act 1985 as amended by the protection of rights services amendments in the 2015 and 2016 protection of rights bills. The review must be started as soon as practicable after l April 2019, and a report of the review is to be tabled in the Assembly within 12 months after the day the review is started. The review is to cover the effectiveness of the restructuring of the rights protection services, including how the amendments promote the objects, express or implicit, of the acts which are about delivering vital rights protection and promotion to the Canberra community.
I commend this bill to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Mr Hanson) adjourned to the next sitting.
Road Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2016
Mr Rattenbury, pursuant to notice, presented the bill, its explanatory statement and a Human Rights Act compatibility statement.
Title read by Clerk.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo—Minister for Corrections, Minister for Education, Minister for Justice and Consumer Affairs and Minister for Road Safety) (11.48): I move:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video