Matters of public importance
—your Assembly @ work
Non sitting and sitting weeks—17 August to 18 September 2015
Issue 10/2015
Legislative Assembly Open Day
Government business
20 September 2015—10am to 2pm
Includes all business items presented to the
Assembly by the Executive including bills,
motions, and papers
The ACT Legislative Assembly is celebrating spring
by opening the doors and giving you an
opportunity to see behind the scenes in your
Assembly building (196 London Crct, Canberra).
Detailed timetable here (free entry)
Timetable of Events
10:00am-2:00 pm
The ‘Great Democratic Sausage Sizzle’—MLAs
serving their community. Come to the barbeque
and meet your MLAs.
Tours of the ACT Legislative Chamber and
building conducted by MLAs
Artwork display by Assembly staff & MLAs
11:00am-11:30am
Performance by Canberra Children’s Choir
11:30am-1:40pm
Tours of the Assembly artworks by Assembly Art
Curator (every 20 minutes)
11.30am-1.15pm
Come and view the Magna Carta replica in the
Assembly Chamber and stay for the debate on the
significance of the Magna Carta, featuring Year 10
and 11 students from Canberra schools: “The
Magna Carta has little relevance to our system of
democracy”. The debate will be presided over by
The Honourable Justice Richard Refshauge.
12:15pm-1:00pm
Bills introduced
Rates Amendment Bill 2015—
This bill will amend the Rates Act 2004 to
establish a methodology for changes in the
unimproved value of airport lands for rating
purposes (presented 17 September 2015).
Spent Convictions (Historical Homosexual
Convictions Extinguishment)
Amendment Bill 2015—
This bill will amend the Spent Convictions Act 2000
to enable people to apply to have convictions
relating to consensual homosexual offences to be
permanently erased from their record (presented
17 September 2015).
Bills debated
Financial Management Amendment Bill
2015—
Summary: This bill will amend the Financial
Management Act 1996 to improve and modernise
the Act. The amendments will provide flexibility
to the Government to respond to emerging
priorities, streamline administrative
requirements and reduce ambiguity by making
the affected provisions simpler and clearer. The
amendments will also increase transparency and
accountability to the Legislative Assembly and
the community.
Three local Canberra artists to discuss their works
on display in the Assembly
Proceedings: Debate resumed on the proposed
legislation on 15 September with all parties in
the Assembly supporting the bill.
1:00pm-1:30pm
The bill was passed without amendment.
Performance by Latin Lovers Choir
Crimes (Child Sex Offenders) Amendment
Bill 2015—
Summary: This bill amends the Crimes (Child Sex
Offenders) Act 2005 and the Crimes (Child Sex
Offenders) Regulation 2005 to assist police with
monitoring convicted offenders in the
community and also administer the register for
child sex offenders.
Proceedings: The bill received tri-partisan support
for the agreement in principle stage when debate
resumed on 17 September 2015.
The bill was adjourned at the detail stage and
made an order of the day for the next sitting.
Red Tape Reduction Legislation
Amendment Bill 2015—
Summary: This bill will amend a number of
Territory laws to reform legislative requirements
that add unnecessary administrative and
compliance costs for business, the community
and government. The amendments allow for
public notices to be made by the most effective
means, aligns license requirements for the sale of
goods on public unleased land under a single Act
and reduces the need to reapply for permits to
use public unleased land. The amendments will
also reduce reporting requirements on workers
compensation for employers.
Proceedings: Debate resumed on the proposed
legislation on 15 September 2015 and was agreed
to in principle by all parties. During the detail
stage five amendments were moved by the
Government which passed with the support of all
parties in the Assembly.
The amended bill was then agreed to by the
Assembly.
Ministerial statements
On 15 September 2015 the Minister for Education
and Training made a statement concerning the final
report of the review of Vocational Education and
Training in ACT Public Schools. Also on
15 September the Minister for Multicultural Affairs
made a statement regarding the ACT response to
refugees and asylum seekers and reflected on the
community’s preparedness to welcome refugees to
our city.
The full text of statements can be found here.
Motions debated
On 17 September the Minister for Multicultural
Affairs moved a motion relating to refugees
and asylum seekers. The Government called
on the Australian Government to consider a
sustained increase in the number of refugees
accepted into Australia.
The motion was agreed to by the Assembly.
Also on 17 September the Minister for Education
and Training moved a motion calling on the
Government to continue to work with the
Australian Government to ensure families have
access to affordable and high quality early
childhood education and care. The
Opposition moved an amendment to the motion
calling for an independent review of childcare
services that could investigate and recommend
practical steps to help reduce childcare costs and
increase the number of places available for
families however this was voted down by the
Assembly.
The motion was then agreed to by the Assembly.
Private Members’ business
Includes all items presented to the Assembly
by all non-Executive Members, including bills
and motions
Bill introduced
Lotteries Amendment Bill 2015—
This bill will amend the Lotteries Act 1964 to
provide definitions of a lottery agreement,
lottery operator and requirements to be met that
allow a business entity to enter into a lottery
agreement (presented 16 September 2015).
Motions debated
On 16 September 2015 Mr Smyth MLA moved a
motion relating to the Lease Variation
Charge (LVC) calling on the Government to
reduce the LVC in town centres for the next four
years. The Government moved an amendment to
the motion noting the contribution of the LVC to
funding community services and to continue to
ensure a percentage of profits gained through
lease variations are kept for the benefit of the
Canberra community. The Government
amendment passed with the support of the ACT
Greens after a vote in the Assembly.
The amended motion was agreed to by the
Assembly.
Also on 16 September a motion concerning
adoption processes in the ACT was moved by
Ms Lawder MLA. The motion called on the
Government to prioritise faster processing to
reduce the backlog of cases in the ACT court
system. During debate the Government moved
an amendment recognising that the individual
circumstances for each child must be taken into
account during the adoption process. The
amendment was agreed to after a vote of the
Assembly.
Other
The amended motion was then passed by the
Assembly.
The following matters of public importance were
discussed in the Assembly this week—
The Health Infrastructure Program was the
subject of a motion moved on 16 September by
Ms Fitzharris MLA. The motion noted the
Government’s investment in the health system
through services being delivered in a range of
acute and community facilities. The Opposition
moved an amendment calling on the
Government to restore beds to the University of
Canberra Hospital and provide updates on the
progress and costs of a number of health
projects. The amendment was voted on by the
Assembly but did not pass.
The original motion was then passed by the
Assembly.
Other motions debated on 16 September 2015
related to:
Business Confidence—Dr Bourke MLA
Inappropriate structure in a school—
Mr Doszpot MLA
The full debate on the above motions can be
accessed from the Assembly Hansard site.
Executive Members’ business
Includes all items presented to the Assembly
by Executive Members, including bills and
motions
Bill introduced
Health (Patient Privacy) Amendment Bill 2015
This bill will amend the Health Act 1993 to create
“privacy zones” to ensure that both staff and
patients may enter and exit an approved health
facility that provides pregnancy terminations, or
abortions, in the ACT. Within the privacy zones it
will be an offence to conduct protests, intimidate,
hinder or harass a person with the intent of
preventing them from entering the facility.
On 15 September the Speaker made a statement on
the Assembly delegation to Taiwan and presented
the following paper:
Assembly Delegation to Taiwan—
17-23 August 2015—Delegation report
Dr Bourke and Mr Wall, by leave, also made
statements in relation to the paper.
Matters of public importance
The importance of urban renewal in Civic
and the town centres—Mr Coe MLA
The importance of modernising and
strengthening schools in Canberra’s
established suburbs—Ms Fitzharris MLA
Papers presented
The following is a list of papers of interest that
were presented:
Auditor-General’s Reports—Government
responses—
No 5/2015—Integrity of Data in the Health
Directorate—Government response (presented
by the Minister for Health on 17 September 2015)
No 6/2015—Bulk Water Alliance—
Government response (presented by the
Treasurer 15 September 2015)
No 7/2015—Sale of ACTTAB—Government
response (presented by the Treasurer 15 September
2015)
AP2: A new climate change strategy and action plan
for the Australian Capital Territory—
Implementation status report, prepared by the
Office of the Commissioner for Sustainability and
the Environment—Government response
(presented by the Minister for the Environment on
15 September 2015
Government Agencies (Campaign Advertising)
Act—Independent Reviewer—Report for the
period 1 January to 30 June 2015 (presented by the
Speaker 15 September 2015)
Operations of the Gene Technology Regulator—
Quarterly report—1 January to 31 March 2015
(presented by the Minister for Health on 15 September
2015)
Petitions
Government responses
On 15 September the following ministerial
responses to petitions were lodged—
Public Accounts—Standing Committee
Telopea Park School playing fields—Land swap.
A copy of the response can be found here.
Campbell Service Station site—Redevelopment.
A copy of the response can be found here.
Committee activities
Committee reports presented
Scrutiny Committee
Scrutiny Report 36, dated 15 September 2015
(presented 15 September 2015)
This report contained the committee’s
comments on four bills, six pieces of subordinate
legislation, two national regulations and three
government responses.
Report 14—Review of Auditor-General’s
Reports: No. 7 of 2014: 2013-14 Financial
Audits; and No. 7 of 2013- 2012013 Financial
Audits (presented on 17 September 2015)
Report 11—Report on Annual and Financial
Reports 2013-14—Government response to
recommendation 10—Update on aviation
partnership and direct services for international
flights (presented on 17 September 2015)
Members of the Legislative Assembly
for the ACT
Electorate of Brindabella
Ms Joy Burch (Australian Labor Party)
Mr Mick Gentleman (Australian Labor Party)
Statements
Ms Nicole Lawder (Canberra Liberals)
Health, Ageing, Community and Social
Services—Standing Committee
Mr Brendan Smyth (Canberra Liberals)
The deputy chair of the committee made a
statement on 17 September 2015 concerning
consideration of statutory appointments by the
committee. The chair then presented the
following paper:
Schedule of statutory appointments—
8th Assembly—Period 1 January to
30 June 2015.
Planning, Environment and Territory and
Municipal Services—Standing Committee
The chair of the committee made two statements
on 15 September 2015. The first statement
related to the Parliament of Youth on
Sustainability and the second concerned
consideration of statutory appointments by the
committee. The chair then presented the
following papers:
Parliament of Youth on Sustainability—
Action for our Future—White paper—What
is one action for our future we should take to
tackle climate change?
Schedule of statutory appointments—
8th Assembly—Period 1 January to
30 June 2015.
Mr Andrew Wall (Canberra Liberals)
Electorate of Ginninderra
Ms Yvette Berry (Australian Labor Party)
Dr Chris Bourke (Australian Labor Party)
Mr Alistair Coe (Canberra Liberals)
Mrs Vicki Dunne (Canberra Liberals)
Ms Mary Porter AM (Australian Labor Party)
Electorate of Molonglo
Mr Andrew Barr (Australian Labor Party)
Mr Simon Corbell (Australian Labor Party)
Mr Steve Doszpot (Canberra Liberals)
Ms Meegan Fitzharris (Australian Labor Party)
Mr Jeremy Hanson CSC (Canberra Liberals)
Mrs Giulia Jones (Canberra Liberals)
Mr Shane Rattenbury (ACT Greens)
Next sitting
The Assembly will sit again on Tuesday,
22 September 2015.
This document is produced by the Office of the
Legislative Assembly for information.