Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Statute Law Revision Bill 2009 corrects technical errors in a number of acts, modernises language and repeals a number of obsolete acts. Bills of this nature are traditionally non-controversial and receive the support of parliament because they are regarded as an essential tool in the process of keeping the Commonwealth statute books accurate and up to date. The acts to be repealed are self-evidently obsolete and have been superseded by other legislation. Of the acts to be amended, most of the proposals relate to spelling, grammatical and technical errors and the removal of gender specific language. Schedule 1 to the bill contains amendments to 33 principal acts. Schedule 2 amends 22 amending acts. Schedule 3 repeals five acts. The remainder of the bill makes bulk amendments in respect of spelling and capitalisation. The coalition supports the bill.

Ursula Stephens (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Fierravanti-Wells for indicating the opposition’s support for the Statute Law Revision Bill 2009. This is a housekeeping bill. It does not change the substance of the law, but it corrects some minor drafting and clerical errors and does what needs to be done—it removes expired laws from the statute books. The amendments also ensure that our laws reflect contemporary social standards by amending statutes containing gender specific language to produce a statute book that is gender neutral and more inclusive. I commend the bill to the Senate.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.