Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement, I present the committee's advisory report on the Regulatory Powers (Standard Provisions) Bill 2012, together with the evidence received by the committee.

The Regulatory Powers Bill 2012 is drafted as a bill of general application. It is intended to create a standard suite of monitoring and investigative powers and enforcement provisions which may be brought into effect by 'trigger mechanisms' contained in new or amended legislation.

In the course of its inquiry into the bill the committee received 10 submissions. It conducted a hearing at which the Attorney-General's Department gave evidence.

In examining those submissions, and considering that evidence, the Law Enforcement committee formed the view that there were complex issues arising from the bill that required further examination. The committee agreed that the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, to which the bill had also been initially referred, was the best placed to inquire into those issues.

On that basis, the report I table today recommends the Regulatory Powers (Standard Provisions) Bill 2012 be referred to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry.

The Law Enforcement committee appreciates the efforts of submitters and witnesses to its inquiry, and acknowledges their contribution. It further recommends that the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee have the power to consider and use the evidence submitted to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement in relation to its inquiry on that bill.

In accordance with standing order 39(f) the report was made a parliamentary paper.