Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I present the first report for 2008 of the Selection of Bills Committee and I seek leave to have the report incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The report read as follows—

SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

REPORT NO. 1 OF 2008

(1)

The committee met in private session on Wednesday, 13 February 2008 at 7.15 pm.

(2)

The committee resolved to recommend—That the Alcohol Toll Reduction Bill 2007 be referred immediately to the Community Affairs Committee for inquiry and report by 18 June 2008 (see appendix 1 for a statement of reasons for referral).

The committee recommends accordingly.

(3)

The committee considered a proposal to refer the provisions of the Workplace Relations Amendment (Transition to Forward with Fairness) Bill 2008 to a committee (see appendix 2 for a statement of reasons for referral), but was unable to agree on the referral of the bill.

(Kerry O’Brien)

Chair

APPENDIX 1

13 February 2008

Senator Kerry O’Brien

Government Whip

Parliament House

CANBERRA ACT 2600

Dear Senator O’Brien

I write to seek the agreement of the Selection of Bills Committee to refer the Alcohol Toll Reduction Bill 2007 to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs for inquiry.

The Bill was introduced to the Senate in September last year.

Alcohol is a major problem - it kills three times more Australians than all illicit drugs combined. Family First wants to address our alcohol toll to help change our binge drinking culture to a healthy drinking culture.

Family First’s Alcohol Toll Reduction Bill 2007 will:

• Require health information labels on all alcohol products;
• Require all alcohol ads to be pre-approved by a government body rather than a body rum by the alcohol industry;
• Restrict TV and radio alcohol advertising to after 9pm and before 5am to stop alcohol being marketed to young people;
• Ban alcohol ads which are aimed at children or which link drinking to personal, business, social, sporting, sexual or other success.

The inquiry could seek submissions and expert testimony from:

• Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation
• Australian Drug Foundation
• Arbias Ltd - Acquired Brain Injury Assessment and Consulting
• Dr Alex Wodak, St Vincent’s Hospital
• Professor Sandra Jones, University of Wollongong
• Australian Medical Association
• National Health and Medical Research Council
• Distilled Spirits Industry Council of Australia
• Australian Hotels Association

Hearings could be held in the week of 3 March and the Committee could report back to the Senate by Thursday, 20 March.

I would appreciate the Committee’s support to refer the Alcohol Toll Reduction Bill 2007 for an inquiry so that the Senate can examine how best to address the serious problem of binge drinking in Australia.

Yours sincerely

Senator Sieve Fielding

Family First Leader

Family First Senator for Victoria

APPENDIX 2

SENATOR THE HON. JOE LUDWIG

Minister for Human Services

Manager of Government Business in the Senate

Senator for Queensland

Senator O’Brien Government Whip

cc Richard Pye - Senate Table Office Senate PLO

SELECTION OF BILLS AGENDA

I write to seek your cooperation to have the following bill considered at the Selection of Bills Committee meeting on Wednesday 13 February 2008.

• Workplace Relations Amendment (Transition to Forward with Fairness) Bill 2008.

This bill is to be introduced into the House of Representatives on Wednesday 13 February 2008.

Yours sincerely

JOE LUDWIG

Minister for Human Services

12 February 2008

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

Name of bill(s):

Workplace Relations Amendment (Transition to Forward with Fairness) Bill 2008

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration

Inquire and report by 3 March 2008 with particular reference to the impact of Australian Workplace Agreements on the employees and their families, employers and their businesses.

Possible submissions or evidence from:

Employer and employee organisations

Non-profit organisations

Academic experts

Committee to which bill is to be referred:

Employment, Workplace Relations and Education

Possible hearing date(s):

25-27 February, 2008

Possible reporting date:

3 March 2008

I move:

That the report be adopted.