The bill makes a number of amendments to the Historic Cultural Heritage Act 1995, intended to ensure the legislation remains aligned with the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993.
Unquestionably, our farmers and primary producers are absolutely critical to Tasmania and they are facing a challenging time.
This is the Tasmanian parliament’s fourth opportunity to bring our Police Offences Act into the modern age.
The bill before us has been to this place and discussed on a number of occasions, this electoral amendment Bill and the Greens will be supporting this change to section 196 because we have long felt that it is constraining people's rights to speak freely and make political statements in an election period and that the explosion of social media and the changes in communications that have occurred since the act first was written in 2004 means that there is wide disparity between the intentions of what was trying to be achieved in 2004 and the reality of political campaigning in 2024.
The state has taken the commendable step of issuing a formal state apology to people affected and the harm done by our past laws, and that is commendable. The next logical step from making that apology from making that apology is to make sure that there is a formal mechanism in our laws that deals with redress.
I can indicate that the Greens will be supporting this bill, as we did with the similar legislation that we passed before the state election. I want to acknowledge Faith and family, and I am also very aware of the advocacy you did over the years.
We are very pleased to see that this recommendation of the commission of inquiry has been adopted, because I remember thinking at the time when we passed some amendments to the Evidence (Children and Special Witnesses) Act 2001 that it seemed like the sort of humanising and sensible change that was needed to support people who have experienced trauma so that they can give the best evidence that is needed to get fair justice.
I have a few questions for the Attorney-General about the first charge evidence provisions contained in the proposed new section 430 in the Criminal Code. Community Legal Centres Tasmania recommended that this be amended to ensure that acts committed when the accused person was a child be excluded from these provisions.
I can indicate that the Greens will be supporting the Justice Miscellaneous (Commission of Inquiry) Bill 2024, which implements recommendations 16.9, 16.13, 16.14, 16.18, 17.4, 17.5 and 18.12 of the commission of inquiry.
As has been pointed out, this state has proudly led the country in the hemp industry.
