Brunswick Labor.net

More than 90 bills were considered in Parliament this year and 74 bills were passed, as the Victorian Government got to work on implementing its election promises and continued to set the agenda for the future on important issues like the environment.

Parliament has passed a number of key bills in 2007, ensuring that Victoria continued to lead Australia in a number of areas. These include:

• The Victorian Energy Efficiency Bill, which will introduce energy efficiency targets for energy retailers to meet and will provide incentives for homeowners to save energy;
• The Infertility Treatment Bill – keeping Victoria at the forefront of medical research by allowing scientists to carry out stem cell research and to continue to pioneer new medical treatments for diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s;
  
• Increasing the assistance for Victims of crime and increasing sentences for a number of offences, including possessing a prohibited or controlled weapon;
  
• Strengthening the laws on DNA and enabling use of a national database;
  

Victorian Labor Premier, John Brumby has announced a series of new initiatives to strengthen democratic accountability.

The measures are:

• Prioritising the drafting of new legislation to reform the FOI Act;
• Releasing an annual Statement of Legislative Intent from 2008 – outlining the year’s major legislative program;
• Providing funding for the live audio web-casting of all sessions of the Legislative Assembly and Council – including question time;
• Releasing quarterly reports that detail the costs and benefits of all Ministerial overseas travel;
• Publicising the remuneration band and identity of members of Government boards and advisory committees; and
• Posting transcripts of Premier’s media conferences on the website – www.premier.vic.gov.au – as soon as they become available.