The ACT government will this week introduce new wide-ranging crimes legislation, which includes improvements to protections from voyeuristic behaviour such as so-called up-skirting through the use of cameras and other technology.
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In the Legislative Assembly's last full sitting week of 2014, Attorney-General Simon Corbell will introduce the bill, which aims to strengthen prohibitions on indecent behaviour using cameras or other technology including smartphones and tablet computers.
The legislation comes in the same week as the long awaited appropriation bill for the Mr Fluffy home buy-back process is expected to be introduced.
Mr Corbell said the Crimes Legislation Amendment Bill 2014 would deliver a range of changes to territory law, including greater protection from invasions of privacy in response to advances in technology.
The bill will also create new restrictions on the display of some drug paraphernalia, allows for victim impact statements to be presented to courts in the form of drawings and creates new requirements for interview-friends to be provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are subject to an application or order for a forensic procedure.
"The offences introduced by the bill, to protect the privacy of individuals, will ensure that the law can appropriately deal with people who indecently engage in behaviour sometimes referred to as up-skirting and down-blousing without the consent of the person being observed, filmed or photographed," he said.
If passed, the proposed laws would prohibit the display in retail outlets of drug-related items including ice pipes, hash pipes and cannabis water pipes.
"This is the latest step in the government's strong, ongoing commitment to a harm minimisation approach to illicit drugs in the ACT," Mr Corbell said.
"The amendments recognise the particular vulnerability and over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the criminal justice system."
Also included in the legislation are amendments designed to clarify the regulation of firearms and some safety controls on the use of firearms in the territory.
Authorised instructors would be given a general authority to use club-owned firearms for the purpose of instruction and licensees would be permitted to use their firearms on club shooting ranges where they are registered for genuine reasons other than club use.
The bill also seeks to clarify the existing restriction which required a young person to be 12 years or older to possess or use a firearm for the purposes of receiving instruction on a shooting range.
Chief Minister Katy Gallagher will introduce the Mr Fluffy appropriation bill on Tuesday. The bill is expected to be considered by members on December 4 after an extra sitting day was added to the assembly's schedule.
A vote on the bill, enabling the spending of $750 million from the Commonwealth government's loan, will come after the Public Accounts Committee holds a one day hearing on Friday.
A call for written submissions to the committee, chaired by Liberal Brendan Smyth, was issued last week. Home owners, interest groups and other organisations have been invited to take part in the inquiry, which could continue on Monday, December 1, if required.
Funds from the concessional loan to the territory for the buy-back and demolition of 1021 Mr Fluffy homes cannot be allocated to the Asbestos Taskforce until the bill is passed.
