Robert McClelland (Barton, Australian Labor Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

in reply—Briefly, I thank members for their contributions—some more relevant than others, I must say—to the debate on the Statute Law Revision Bill (No. 2) 2010. I am encouraged to see that, aside from comments straying a little from the mark, essentially the purpose of the bill attracts bipartisan support in the parliament. It is a practice that has continued over a period of successive governments.

The government is happy to facilitate and support the passage of this bill and, more generally, statute law revision bills which perform a vital service in improving the quality of Commonwealth legislation. The series of regular reviews of legislation by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel—often occurring during periods of the parliament being prorogued for elections—enables minor errors in the Commonwealth statute books to be efficiently addressed and improves the accuracy and usability of Commonwealth acts. These improvements complement the government’s commitment to creating clearer and more accessible Commonwealth laws.

The bill also amends references to specific ministers and departments and, in doing so, will have a particular impact on the clarity and usability of a large number of Commonwealth laws. By inserting generic references to the names of ministers and departments the bill will allow users of legislation to more easily identify the appropriate minister or department with relevant authority under an act, even after machinery of government changes occur.

This bill was prepared on the initiative of the Office of Parliamentary Counsel. I commend the office on the quality of the bill and its commitments to maintaining the accuracy and clarity of the Commonwealth statute book. I commend the bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Ordered that the bill be reported to the House without amendment

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