Statutes Amendment (Rights of Foster Parents and Guardians) Bill

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 19 March 2015).

Mr KNOLL (Schubert) (10:43): I rise with great pleasure to speak to this bill today and commend my good friend the member for Hartley on bringing this matter to the parliament's attention. The bill seeks to provide for an offence for a person who, in relation to an application for access to an agency's documents, directs a prescribed officer of the agency to make a decision or determination for the purposes of this act that the person knows, or ought reasonably to have known, is not a decision or determination that the office should, in the circumstances, make.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Before you continue, the table has brought to my attention that you have actually spoken on this before; is that your recollection?

Mr KNOLL: Not since the parliament was prorogued. It was reintroduced last month.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: It was 19 March they are saying you spoke on this.

Mr GRIFFITHS: On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker, I believe, unfortunately, the member for Hartley's freedom of information bill was adjourned, and that was not the intention. Are we talking about that or the Finn's law bill?

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, please! We did adjourn FOI; that was the first thing he stood up for. That was adjourned, and now we are on to foster carers.

An honourable member: No, we adjourned foster carers.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, on my list, No. 1 is freedom of information. Can we rescind? An absolute majority not being present, ring the bells.

An absolute majority of the whole number of members being present: