INTERPRETATION AND GENERAL CLAUSES (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

The Attorney-General (Mr E. J. Davies): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Sir, the main changes which this Bill seeks to make to the principal Ordinance flow from the introduction of a Ministerial system of government, but the opportunity has also been taken to include in this Bill two other amendments which are considered by Government to be desirable. Those are clauses 2 and 3 of the Bill.

Clause 2 of the Bill purports to amend section 29 of the principal Ordinance which provides that:

"Where a written law confers power on any person to do or enforce the doing of any act or thing, all such powers shall be understood to be also conferred as are reasonably necessary to enable the person to do or enforce the doing of the act or thing."

Experience over the past few years has shown that it is desirable that such powers should be more particularly expressed in the law, and clause 2 of the Bill, as Members will see, expressly gives the power to prohibit and control and includes the power to provide therefor by licensing; and the power to grant a licence, permission or exemption includes the power to impose conditions. This new provision, Sir, finds a place in most modern Interpretation Ordinances of other territories, and it is long overdue in this Colony.

Clause 3 is designed to provide that section 32 of the principal Ordinance shall he amended so that substantive appointments may be made to offices without delay when the former holder proceeds on leave prior to retirement or transfer. This clause 3, Sir, follows the usual pattern of clauses in the Interpretation Ordinances of other territories, and, indeed, finds a place in our own Order in Council.

The remaining clauses deal directly with the Ministerial system of government, and I venture to think that they are fully and adequately explained in the Objects and Reasons attached to the printed copy of the Bill. I venture to think that there is nothing controversial in those provisions, or at least nothing that should cause any undue concern to Members on either this side of the House or the other side. I therefore beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time.