Sue Lines (President) | Hansard source

PRESIDENT (): I will now deal with the Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) Bill 2024 and two related bills. The question is that the bills be read a second time.

Question agreed to.

Bills read a second time.

I will now deal with the committee of the whole amendments to the Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) Bill 2024 circulated by the government.

Government's circulated amendments to the Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) Bill 2024

(1) Clause 4, page 2 (before line 15), before the definition of Commonwealth entity, insert:

accountable authority:

(a) of a Commonwealth entity other than the High Court—has the meaning given by the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013; or

(b) of the High Court—means the Chief Executive and Principal Registrar of the High Court.

(2) Clause 7, page 3 (after line 30), at the end of the clause, add:

Non-compliance

(4) If the accountable authority of a Commonwealth entity becomes aware that the Commonwealth entity has failed to comply with subsection (1) of this section, the accountable authority must notify the Minister in writing of the non-compliance as soon as practicable.

(5) If the accountable authority notifies the Minister under subsection (4), the Minister may, by legislative instrument, direct the Commonwealth entity to do a specified act, or to refrain from doing a specified act, in relation to the non-compliance.

(6) The Commonwealth entity must comply with the direction.

(7) Subsection (6) has effect subject to any other law of the Commonwealth.