Circulated by authority of

Andrew Barr MLA
Minister for Industrial Relations

This Bill contains amendments to the Holidays Act 1958 which will change the day that the Canberra Day public holiday is celebrated from 2008.

1. Name of Act
This clause establishes the name of the Act as the Holidays (Canberra Day) Amendment Bill 2007.

2. Commencement
This is a formal provision specifying when the Act will commence. The Act commences on the day after its notification day.

3. Legislation amended
This clause provides that the purpose of the bill is to amend the Holidays Act 1958. This Act also amends the Road Transport (Offences) Regulation 2005.

4. Public Holidays
Section 3 (1) (a) (iii)
Currently section (3) (a) (iii) provides that the Canberra Day public holiday will be celebrated on the third Monday in March each year. The purpose of the amendment is to move the public holiday to the second Monday in March each year, commencing in 2008.

The purpose of this new section is to clarify that despite new section (3) (a) (iii), the Canberra Day public holiday for 2007 is 19 March 2007. This section and the note to section (3) (a) (iii) will expire on 19 March 2008.

6. Road Transport (Offences) Regulation 2005, section 22 (3) and (4)
Currently sub sections 22 (3) and (4) of the Road Transport (Offences) Regulation 2005 provide that double demerit points do not apply for the Canberra Day public holiday on the third Monday in March. The amendment ensures that the existing arrangements continue to apply to the new date of Canberra Day.

Subsection (5) clarifies that subsection (4) only applies from 2008 onwards. Subsections (6) and (7) provide that subsections (5), (6) and (7) expire on 19 March 2008.