Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (Hazardous Substances Assessments) Amendment Bill

Members, we come now to our final debate, on clauses 1 to 3. This is the title, commencement, and principal Act.

Well, just a relatively minor point, but given the keenness of the current Government that supports plain language legislation, I’m interested to know whether the Minister and his officials could have come up with something that was a little bit less complicated than the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (Hazardous Substances Assessments) Amendment Bill. Could that have been something that officials could have turned their mind to in terms of just saying, “This is something that is going to be a little less cumbersome”, if only for those of us that have to speak to the title in the House?

I actually think officials did well to choose that name, because it actually addressed the issue that Simon Court asked, which is whether the bill actually addresses new organisms or hazardous substances, and it actually addresses the assessments of hazardous substances. That’s clear from the title and therefore I’m not proposing to change it.

In the spirit of what the Minister’s just suggested, that this is in plain English, what were some of the initial alternatives that officials put forward?

Madam Chair, thank you, and thank you, Minister. On the title and your reference, Minister, to the fact that this bill exclusively addresses hazardous substances, have you considered or received any advice as to whether in a future review of the operation of this legislation, with respect to new organisms, there could be a separate piece of legislation that addresses our future needs, in terms of biotechnology to solve medical problems, to solve environmental problems, and potentially to solve some of the problems around food production—whether a separate piece of legislation titled maybe “Beneficial Biotechnology” or something would be considered in the future?

I’m not sure it’s relevant to the title debate but, as I said, we are considering some changes to make more practical the rules around laboratory research for not just medical but non-medical purposes as well. We don’t have a current plan to broadly change the rules relating to the release of genetically modified organisms into the environment.

The question is that clause 1 stand part.

Clause 1 agreed to.

The question is that clause 2 stand part.

Clause 2 agreed to.

The question is that clause 3 stand part.

Clause 3 agreed to.

Bill to be reported without amendment.