Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present a supplementary explanatory memorandum to the Do Not Call Register Legislation Amendment Bill 2009. I ask leave of the House to move government amendments (1) to (30) together.

Leave granted.

I move:

(1)   Schedule 1, page 4 (after line 28), after item 9, insert:

9A Section 4

Insert:

emergency service number has the same meaning as in the Telecommunications Act 1997.

(2)    Schedule 1, item 12, page 5 (lines 12 to 14), omit the item.

(3)    Schedule 1, item 14, page 5 (lines 18 to 20), omit the item.

(4)    Schedule 1, item 16, page 5 (lines 24 to 27), omit the item.

(5)    Schedule 1, item 22, page 8 (lines 12 to 19), omit section 5C.

(6)    Schedule 1, item 24, page 8 (line 26) to page 9 (line 6), omit subparagraphs 11(3)(b)(i), (ii), (iii) and (iv), substitute:

                   (i)    the person received information under paragraph 19(2)(d) in response to the submission of the list, but that information did not state that the number was registered on the Do Not Call Register; or

                  (ii)    the person was informed under paragraph 19(2)(e), in response to the submission of the list, that the number was not registered on the Do Not Call Register; or

                 (iii)    under paragraph 19(2)(f), in response to the submission of the list, the person was given a list that included the number.

(7)    Schedule 1, items 26 and 27, page 9 (lines 9 to 30), omit the items.

(8)    Schedule 1, item 28, page 9 (lines 31 to 33), omit the item, substitute:

28 Paragraph 12(1)(b)

Omit “telephone numbers”, substitute “Australian numbers”.

(9)    Schedule 1, item 29, page 10 (line 28) to page 11 (line 12), omit subparagraphs 12B(3)(b)(i), (ii), (iii) and (iv), substitute:

                   (i)    the person received information under paragraph 19(2)(d) in response to the submission of the list, but that information did not state that the number was registered on the Do Not Call Register; or

                  (ii)    the person was informed under paragraph 19(2)(e), in response to the submission of the list, that the number was not registered on the Do Not Call Register; or

                 (iii)    under paragraph 19(2)(f), in response to the submission of the list, the person was given a list that included the number.

(10)  Schedule 1, item 29, page 11 (lines 16 to 33), omit subsection 12B(4).

(11)  Schedule 1, item 29, page 12 (line 1), omit “, (4)”.

(12)  Schedule 1, item 29, page 13 (line 11), after “Australian numbers”, insert “that, under section 14, are eligible to be entered on the Do Not Call Register”.

(13)  Schedule 1, item 31, page 14 (lines 6 and 7), omit the item.

(14)  Schedule 1, item 33, page 14 (lines 16 and 17), omit the item, substitute:

33 Section 14

Repeal the section, substitute:

14 Eligibility for registration

                 An Australian number is eligible to be entered on the Do Not Call Register if:

             (a)    it is used or maintained primarily for private or domestic purposes; or

             (b)    it is used or maintained exclusively for transmitting and/or receiving faxes; or

             (c)    it is used or maintained exclusively for use by a government body; or

             (d)    it is an emergency service number.

(15)  Schedule 1, item 34, page 14 (lines 18 and 19), omit the item.

(16)  Schedule 1, items 37 and 38, page 14 (line 24) to page 15 (line 25), omit the items.

(17)  Schedule 1, item 39, page 15 (line 26) to page 16 (line 25), omit the item, substitute:

39 Paragraph 16(a)

Omit “a telephone number”, substitute “an Australian number”.

(18)  Schedule 1, item 41, page 16 (lines 28 and 29), omit the item.

(19)  Schedule 1, item 42, page 16 (line 30) to page 17 (line 2), omit the item, substitute:

42 Paragraph 17(1)(b)

Repeal the paragraph, substitute:

             (b)    remains in force for:

                   (i)    3 years; or

                  (ii)    if a longer period is specified in an instrument in force under subsection (1A)—that longer period;

                      unless sooner removed from the Do Not Call Register in accordance with a determination under subsection 18(1).

42A After subsection 17(1)

Insert:

     (1A)    The Minister may, by legislative instrument, specify a period for the purposes of subparagraph (1)(b)(ii).

(20)  Schedule 1, items 44 and 45, page 17 (lines 5 to 8), omit the items.

(21)  Schedule 1, items 47 and 48, page 17 (lines 11 to 14), omit the items.

(22)  Schedule 1, item 52, page 17 (line 23) to page 18 (line 15), omit paragraphs 19(2)(d), (e), (f) and (g), substitute:

             (d)    if the access-seeker requests the ACMA or the contracted service provider, as the case may be, to do so—inform the access-seeker which numbers (if any) on the access-seeker’s list are registered on the Do Not Call Register; and

             (e)    if the access-seeker requests the ACMA or the contracted service provider, as the case may be, to do so—inform the access-seeker which numbers (if any) on the access-seeker’s list are not registered on the Do Not Call Register; and

              (f)    if the access-seeker requests the ACMA or the contracted service provider, as the case may be, to do so—return the access-seeker’s list, modified by the deletion of the numbers (if any) registered on the Do Not Call Register.

(23)  Schedule 1, item 54, page 18 (line 19), omit “19(2)(d), (e) or (f)”, substitute “19(2)(d) or (e)”.

(24)  Schedule 1, item 55, page 18 (line 21), omit “19(2)(g)”, substitute “19(2)(f)”.

(25)  Schedule 1, items 74 and 75, page 26 (lines 20 to 26), omit the items.

(26)  Schedule 1, item 76, page 26 (line 27) to page 27 (line 4), omit the item.

(27)  Schedule 1, item 84, page 27 (line 23) to page 28 (line 23), omit clause 6.

(28)  Schedule 1, item 91, page 30 (line 30), omit “20(1)(c)”, substitute “20(1)(b)”.

(29)  Schedule 1, item 91, page 30 (line 32), omit “20(1)(d)”, substitute “20(1)(c)”.

(30)  Schedule 1, page 31 (after line 18), at the end of Part 1, add:

Division 3—Transitional

94A Transitional—reinstatement of registration of numbers

The Minister may, by legislative instrument, determine that, if:

             (a)    the registration of an Australian number on the Do Not Call Register ceased to be in force before the commencement of the instrument; and

             (b)    the cessation was:

                   (i)    as a result of paragraph 17(1)(b) of the Do Not Call Register Act 2006 as in force before the commencement of this item; and

                  (ii)    not because of the removal of the number from the Do Not Call Register in accordance with a determination under subsection 18(1) of the Do Not Call Register Act 2006; and

             (c)    the number was not registered on the Do Not Call Register immediately before the commencement of this item; and

             (d)    no application for the number to be entered on the Do Not Call Register was pending immediately before the commencement of this item;

then:

             (e)    the number must be entered on the Do Not Call Register by:

                   (i)    if the Do Not Call Register is kept by the ACMA—the ACMA; or

                  (ii)    if the Do Not Call Register is kept by the contracted service provider—the contracted service provider on behalf of the ACMA; and

              (f)    despite subsection 17(1) of the Do Not Call Register Act 2006 as amended by this Part, the registration of the number on the Do Not Call Register:

                   (i)    takes effect when it is entered on the Do Not Call Register; and

                  (ii)    remains in force for the period specified in the instrument, unless sooner removed from the Do Not Call Register in accordance with a determination under subsection 18(1) of the Do Not Call Register Act 2006 as amended by this Part.

The government has decided to amend the Do Not Call Register Legislation Amendment Bill 2009 to replace the existing three-year registration period with a ministerial determination, which will provide for a five-year registration period initially and remove the previously proposed extension of the register to business numbers. The government amendments I am moving here in the chamber will, firstly, enable the minister to specify by legislative instrument the period of registration. The instrument will apply to existing registered numbers and to any numbers whose registration lapses due to the current three-year registration period. Initially, the minister will specify a registration period of five years instead of the current three-year period.

Secondly, the amendments will remove the previously proposed extension of the register to include business telephone numbers but retain the eligibility of emergency numbers, government numbers and all fax numbers. This has arisen following extensive consultation by the department since the bill was introduced and referred for consideration to the Senate Environment, Communications and the Arts Legislation Committee. The government intends to undertake further detailed research and consultation with stakeholders on this issue. Finally, as a consequence of removing eligibility of business telephone numbers, we will remove the notion of registered consent that would have enable registrants to nominate industry classifications on which they would agree to receive telemarketing calls and faxes.

The passage of these amendments, together with the passage of the bill as amended, will ensure that this bill is able to receive the timely support of all in this chamber. I think it is an example of the Senate processes being taken seriously. It is an example of the parliament working cooperatively in the national interest. Whilst there have been some disagreements, it has been agreed that it is important this legislation be moved forward, which is why I commend these amendments to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill, as amended, agreed to.