Page 2500 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 9 August 2016
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arts in the ACT community. So the government has decided to convene a whole-of-government working group on the arts in order to support the implementation of the ACT arts policy and consider key cross-portfolio arts policy issues. It begs the question as to why this is not already happening. After all, it is one ACT government.
I am intrigued as to how this is not already happening, despite previous estimates committee recommendations on this as well. This government has been in place for nearly 15 years and they have only just now thought to consider key cross-portfolio arts policy issues. Regardless of this situation, I am pleased that the government is now going to convene the whole-of-government working group for the benefit of arts here in the ACT.
The estimates committee report also recommended again the completion of stage 2 of the Belconnen Arts Centre, which is a key component of the Belconnen town centre and Emu Bank foreshore. The report noted that this benefits not only the community but also provides economic benefits for the surrounding restaurants and cafes. Belconnen Arts Centre has received national recognition for various elements in their programming, as well as national funding.
Minister Bourke has apparently offered to sponsor a petition for the completion of stage 2. I guess it remains to be seen whether his support includes a commitment, not just an empty promise of support.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo—Minister for Corrections, Minister for Education, Minister for Justice and Consumer Affairs and Minister for Road Safety) (4.21): I will be using this budget line item to discuss some of the work and initiatives that have occurred in the Justice and Consumer Affairs Portfolio. While this does cross between justice and community affairs and the Chief Minister portfolio through Access Canberra, it is drawn together most appropriately in this portfolio area.
Justice and Consumer Affairs is a portfolio that has broad impacts for all Canberrans. It affects Canberrans undertaking the smallest purchases through to ensuring consumer protection for large purchases like houses and cars. This portfolio area also affects the policy related to the registration of births, deaths and marriages and policy relating to the registration of many businesses throughout Canberra.
Over the past year, my focus in this area has included improvements to the law regarding retirement villages. The improvements cover important areas, such as rights and responsibilities of residents and village operators, financial impacts and ensuring that residents can actively participate in their village. I anticipate that this year work will continue during the second stage of work on retirement villages, including consideration of the issues associated with renting in retirement villages and simplifying the law for villages that are also unit titled.
Over the past year this Assembly passed improvements to the law providing recognition of a range of diverse families and individuals. These reforms allowed for recognition of interstate parentage orders, provided flexibility in documenting name
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