George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

The opposition supports the Statute Law Revision Bill 2008. This is one of those housekeeping measures which effect changes to a multiplicity of Commonwealth statutes. It repeals 27 obsolete acts. It makes minor technical amendments to 26 principal acts and to 14 amending acts and it removes gender-specific language from 88 acts. I thought I might record, in speaking to this bill, an obscure fact of parliamentary practice. We have always wondered what the Office of Parliamentary Counsel does during an election time. Her Honour Justice Hilary Penfold has recently revealed the story in an article published by Her Honour called ‘Legislative drafting and statutory interpretation’. Hilary Penfold QC, as Her Honour then was, reveals that what the Office of Parliamentary Counsel does during election periods is prepare statute law revision bills for the ensuing parliament. No doubt the Statute Law Revision Bill 2008 is the fruit of this elegant parlour game engaged in by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel during the quiet time for it of the election campaign. The opposition supports the legislation and commends the Office of Parliamentary Counsel upon its industry.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a third time.