House debates

Thursday, 21 June 2007

Committees

Reports: Government Responses

3:31 pm

Photo of David HawkerDavid Hawker (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

For the information of honourable members, I present a schedule of outstanding government responses to reports of House of Representatives and joint committees, incorporating reports tabled and details of government responses made in the period between 6 December 2006, the date of the last schedule, and 20 June 2007. Copies of the schedule are being made available to honourable members and it will be incorporated in Hansard.

The schedule read as follows

On 21 June 2007, the Government presented its response to a schedule of outstanding Government responses to parliamentary committee reports tabled in the House of Representatives on 7 December 2006.

It is Government policy to respond to parliamentary committee reports within three months of their presentation. In 1978 the Fraser Government implemented a policy of responding in the House by ministerial statement within six months of the tabling of a committee report. In 1983, the Hawke Government reduced this response time to three months but continued the practice of responding by ministerial statement. The Keating Government generally responded by means of a letter to a committee chair, with the letter being tabled in the House at the earliest opportunity. In 1996, the Howard Government affirmed the commitment to respond to relevant parliamentary committee reports within three months of their presentation.

The attached schedule lists committee reports tabled and government responses to House and joint committee reports made since the last schedule was presented on 7 December 2006. It also lists reports for which the House has received no government response. A schedule of outstanding responses will continue to be presented at approximately six monthly intervals, generally in the last sitting weeks of the winter and spring sittings.

The schedule does not include advisory reports on bills introduced into the House of Representatives unless the reports make recommendations which are wider than the provisions of the bills and which could be the subject of a government response. The Government’s response to these reports is apparent in the resumption of consideration of the relevant legislation by the House. Also not included are reports from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, the House of Representatives Committee of Members’ Interests, the Committee of Privileges, the Publications Committee (other than reports on inquiries) and the Selection Committee. Government responses to reports of the Public Works Committee are normally reflected in motions for the approval of works after the relevant report has been presented and considered. Reports from other committees which do not include recommendations are only included when first tabled.

Reports of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit primarily make administrative recommendations but may make policy recommendations. A government response is required in respect of such policy recommendations made by the committee. However, responses to administrative recommendations are made in the form of an Executive Minute provided to, and subsequently tabled by, the committee. Agencies responding to administrative recommendations are required to provide an Executive Minute within 6 months of tabling a report. The committee monitors the provision of such responses. Reports which do not contain policy recommendations are only included when first tabled.

21 June 2007

Description of Report

Date

Tabledor Published1

Date of Government Response2

Responded in Period Specified3

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs (House, Standing)

Unlocking the future: The report of the Inquiry into the Reeves Review of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976

30-08-99

No formal response to date4

No

Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Inquiry into future water supplies for Australia’s rural industries and communities – Interim Report

05-05-04

No response to date5

No

Getting water right(s) – The future of rural Australia

21-06-04

No response to date5

No

Taking control: a national approach to pest animals

28-11-05

No response to date5

No

Skills: Rural Australia’s need

26-02-07

No response to date

No

Australian Crime Commission (Joint, Statutory)

Supplementary report to the Inquiry into the trafficking of women for sexual servitude

11-08-05

No response to date5

No

Review of the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002

10-11-05

No response to date5

No

Examination of the Australian Crime Commission Annual Report 2004-2005

19-10-06

No response to date5

No

Inquiry into the manufacture, importation and use of amphetamines and other synthetic drugs (AOSD)

28-02-07

No response to date

No

Examination of the Australian Crime Commission Annual Report 2005-06

18-06-07

Time has not expired

Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (House, Standing)

From reel to unreal: future opportunities for Australia’s film, animation, special effects and electronic games industries

21-06-04

No response to date6

No

Digital Television: Who’s Buying It?

13-02-06

No response to date5

No

Community Television: Options for digital broadcasting

12-02-07

No response to date

No

Report: Tuning In To Community Broadcasting

20-06-07

Time has not expired

Corporations and Securities(Joint, Statutory)

Report on aspects of the regulation of proprietary companies

08-03-01

No response to date7

No

Corporations and Financial Services(Joint, Statutory)

Report on the regulations and ASIC policy statements made under the Financial Services Reform Act 2001

23-10-02

No response to date8

No

Inquiry into the review of the Managed Investments Act 1998

12-12-02

No response to date5

No

Inquiry into Regulation 7.1.29 in Corporations Amendment Regulations 2003 (No.3), Statutory Rules 2003 No.85

26-06-03

No response to date8

No

Money matters in the bush-Inquiry into the level of banking & financial services in rural, regional & remote areas of Australia

15-01-04

No response to date9

No

Report on the ATM fee structure

15-01-04

No response to date10

No

Corporations amendment regulations 2003

24-03-04

No response to date8

No

Corporations Amendment Regulations 7.1.29A, 7.1.35A and 7.1.40(h)

02-06-04

No response to date11

No

Property Investment Advice – Safe as Houses?

23-06-05

No response to date12

No

Timeshare: The Price of Leisure

05-09-05

No response to date5

No

Statutory oversight of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, December 2005

13-02-06

No response to date5

No

Corporate responsibility: Managing risk and creating value

21-06-06

No response to date5

No

Statutory oversight of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, August 2006

16-08-06

No response to date5

No

Corporations Amendment (Takeovers) Bill 2006 [Exposure Draft]

23-02-07

No response to date

No

Statutory oversight of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission

01-03-07

No response to date

No

Corporations Amendment (Insolvency) Bill 2007 [Exposure Draft]; Corporations and Australian Securities and Investments Commission Amendment Regulations 2007 [Exposure Draft]

29-03-07

Time has not expired

Corporations Legislation Amendment (Simpler Regulatory System) Bill 2007 and related bills

19-06-07

Time has not expired

Economics, Finance and Public Administration (House, Standing)

Review of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission annual report 2003

21-06-04

No response to date5

No

Improving the superannuation savings of people under 40

19-06-06

No response to date5

No

Review of the Reserve Bank of Australia & Payments System Board Annual Report 2005 (First report)

14-08-06

No response to date5

No

Review of the Reserve Bank of Australia Annual Report 2005 (Second report)

04-12-06

No response required

Review of the Reserve Bank of Australia Annual Report 2006 (First Report)

21-05-07

No response required

Servicing our future – Inquiry into the current and future directions of Australia’s services export sector

18-06-07

Time has not expired

Education and Vocational Training(House, Standing)

Top of the class: Report of the inquiry into teacher education

26-02-07

No response to date

No

Electoral Matters(Joint, Standing)

Funding and Disclosure: Inquiry into disclosure of donations to political parties and candidates

30-03-06

No response to date5

No

Civics and electoral education

18-06-07

Time has not expired

Employment and Workplace Relations and Workforce Participation(House, Standing)

Working for Australia’s future: increasing participation in the work force

14-03-05

22-05-07

No

Making it work: Inquiry into independent contracting and labour hire arrangements

17-08-05

No response to date5

No

Shifting gears: Employment in the automotive component manufacturing sector

04-12-06

09-05-07

No

Current vacancies: Workforce challenges facing the Australian tourism sector

18-06-07

Time has not expired

Environment and Heritage(House, Standing)

Public good conservation: Our challenge for the 21st century

27-09-01

No response to date13

No

Sustainable cities

12-09-05

No response to date5

No

Inquiry into a Sustainability Charter, Review of Green Office Procurement Audit (Interim Report)

04-09-06

No response to date5

No

Family and Human Services(House, Standing)

Balancing Work and Family

07-12-06

No response to date

No

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (Joint, Standing)

Australia’s free trade agreements with Singapore, Thailand and the United States: progress to date and lessons for the future

07-11-05

29-03-07

No

Australia’s Defence Relations with the United States

22-05-06

01-03-07

No

Expanding Australia’s trade and investment relations with North Africa

22-05-06

31-05-07

No

Australia’s relationship with the Republic of Korea; and developments on the Korean peninsula

22-06-06

29-03-07

No

Review of the Defence Annual Report 2004-05

16-10-06

No response to date5

No

Review of Australia-New Zealand trade and investment relations

07-12-06

24-05-07

No

Review of Australia’s relationship with Malaysia

26-03-07

Time has not expired

Health and Ageing(House, Standing)

The Blame Game: Report on the inquiry into health funding

04-12-06

No response to date5

No

Industry, Science and Resources(House, Standing)

Getting a better return: Inquiry into increasing the value added to Australian raw materials second report

24-09-01

01-03-07

No

Industry and Resources(House, Standing)

Australia’s Uranium: Greenhouse friendly fuel for an energy hungry world

04-12-06

29-03-07

No

Intelligence and Security(Joint, Statutory)

Review of administration and expenditure: Australian Intelligence Organisations Number 4 - Recruitment and Training

14-08-06

No response to date5

No

Annual Report of Committee Activities 2005-2006

11-09-06

No response required

Review of the relisting of Al-Qa’ida and Jemaah Islamiyah as terrorist organisations

16-10-06

No response required

Review of security and counter terrorism legislation

04-12-06

No response to date5

No

Review of the re-listing of the ASG, JuA, GIA and GSPC

26-02-07

No response required

Review of the re-listing of Tanzim Qa’idat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn (TQJBR) as a terrorist organisation under the Criminal Code Act 1995

09-05-07

No response required

Review of the re-listing of Ansar al-Sunna, JeM, LeJ, EIJ, IAA, AAA and IMU as terrorist organisations

12-06-07

No response required

Legal and Constitutional Affairs (House, Standing)

The third paragraph of section 53 of the Constitution

30-11-95

No response to date

No

Inquiry into crime in the community: victims, offenders and fear of crime

11-08-04

12-06-07

No

Harmonisation of Legal Systems within Australia and between Australia and New Zealand

04-12-06

No response to date5

The long road to statehood: Report of the inquiry into the federal implications of statehood for the Northern Territory

28-05-07

Time has not expired

Migration (Joint, Standing)

Review of Audit Report No. 1 2005-2006: Management of Detention Centre Contracts  Part B

05-12-05

24-05-07

No

Negotiating the maze: Review of arrangements for overseas skills recognition, upgrading and license

11-09-06

No response to date5

No

Report on the Parliamentary delegation to New Zealand: Australia – New Zealand Committee Exchange Program

04-12-06

No response required

National Capital and External Territories (Joint, Standing)

Norfolk Island electoral matters

26-08-02

No response to date14

No

Antarctica: Australia’s Pristine Frontier. Report on the adequacy of funding for Australia’s Antarctic Program

23-06-05

01-03-07

No

Norfolk Island Financial Sustainability: The Challenge – Sink or Swim

01-12-05

No response to date14

No

Current and future governance arrangements for the Indian Ocean Territories

13-06-06

14-06-07

No

Report on the visit to Norfolk Island 2-5 August 2006

16-10-06

No response required

Review of the Griffin Legacy Amendments

26-03-07

Time has not expired

No

Native Title and the Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Land Account (Joint, Statutory)

Report on the operation of Native Title Representative bodies

21-03-06

15-02-07

No

Procedure(House, Standing)

House Estimates: consideration of the annual estimates by the House of Representatives

13-10-03

No response to date5

No

Media coverage of House proceedings including the Chamber, Main committee and committees (Final report)

10-10-05

No response to date15

No

Learning from other parliaments: study program 2006

04-09-06

No response required

Encouraging an interactive Chamber

07-12-06

No response to date

No

Motion to suspend standing orders and condemn a Member: Report on events of 10 October 2006

07-12-06

No response to date

No

Public Accounts and Audit(Joint, Statutory)

Corporate governance and accountability arrangements for Commonwealth government business enterprises, December 1999(Report No. 372)

16-02-00

10-05-07

No

Developments in aviation security since the committee’s June 2004 Report 400: Review of aviation security in Australia – An interim report (Report 406)

07-12-05

No response to date5

No

Annual report 2005-2006 (Report 408)

30-10-06

No response required

Developments in Aviation Security since the Committee’s June 2004 Report 400: Review of Aviation Security in Australia (Report 409)

04-12-06

No response to date5