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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-08-06 Daily Xml
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Bills

Statutes Amendment (SACAT) Bill

Second Reading

Debate resumed.

Mr TARZIA (Hartley) (12:56): I would like to thank the hardworking public servants who have composed this bill, and I appreciate that their task has certainly not been easy. I also thank the government for the opportunity to be briefed on the matter. With super tribunals themselves, since at least the 1970s, there has certainly been a yearning for reform of specialised tribunals or decision-making bodies outside of the court system. One only has to look at the Kerr Committee in the 1970s and the Bland committee, which I think it is fair to say resulted in CATs all over the country—many CATs. The SACAT is the last one by the looks of it, after the NCAT, the QCAT and, my personal favourite, the VCAT.

Once again, South Australia seems to be one of the last states in this nation to implement important reforms, but at least now we finally have a generic civil and administrative tribunal, hopefully. Super tribunals of this nature have existed for a while. In these jurisdictions, the tribunals replace an array of tribunals, which has made it simpler and easier for the people of those jurisdictions to access justice. When compared with the array of tribunals which the super tribunals replace, across the board there has been far greater accessibility, efficiency, consistency in decision-making, and greater independence from government in both perception and reality. I believe that SACAT will also allow for a much more transparent and consistent approach over the broad range of areas that SACAT will be able to preside over.

Earlier this year we heard that the government appointed current Supreme Court judge Parker, Deputy President and current District Court judge Susanne Cole, and the registrar Clare Byrt. We expect SACAT to be up and running over the next few months and incorporate smaller tribunals in perhaps a staggered way. I note that the Law Society have complimented the bill. They have said that they welcome the important government initiative and generally endorse the establishment, the objectives, the structures, and the powers and procedures provided for in the bill. I seek leave to continue my remarks.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.

Sitting suspended from 12:59 to 14:00.

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