Ursula Stephens (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I table the supplementary explanatory memorandum relating to the government amendments to be moved to this bill. This memorandum was circulated in the chamber on 21 June 2010.

Julian McGauran (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, I have been advised that we must move amendments (1), (6), (9) and (15) separately, but that the other amendments may be moved together.

The Temporary Chairman:

by leave—I move government amendments (2) to (5), (7), (8), (10) to (14) and (16) to (19) on sheet AE225:

(2)    Schedule 1, item 11, page 7 (line 29), omit “subsection 44ZZOAA(7)”, substitute “section 44ZZOAA”.

(3)    Schedule 1, item 13, page 8 (line 23), omit “subsection 44ZZOAA(7)”, substitute “section 44ZZOAA”.

(4)    Schedule 1, item 34, page 15 (line 5), omit “subsection 44ZZOAA(7)”, substitute “section 44ZZOAA”.

(5)    Schedule 1, item 42, page 18(line 18), omit “subsection 44ZZOAA(7)”, substitute “section 44ZZOAA”.

(7)    Schedule 1, item 46, page 19(line 14), omit “subsection 44ZZOAA(7)”, substitute “section 44ZZOAA”.

(8)    Schedule 1, item 51, page 22 (line 12), omit “subsection 44ZZOAA(7)”, substitute “section 44ZZOAA”.

(10)  Schedule 1, item 55, page 23(line 3), omit “subsection 44ZZOAA(7)”, substitute “section 44ZZOAA”.

(11)  Schedule 1, item 66, page 27(line 17), omit “subsection 44ZZOAA(7)”, substitute “section 44ZZOAA”.

(12)  Schedule 1, item 68, page 27 (lines 24 and 25), omit “the power to request information under subsection 44ZZBCA(1) and”.

(13)  Schedule 1, item 70, page 28 (line 12) to page 30 (line 29), omit section 44ZZOAA, substitute:

Tribunal to notify decision maker

        (1)    If an application for review of a decision (however described) is made under this Part, the Tribunal must notify the decision maker of the application.

        (2)    If the application is made under section 44K, 44L, 44LJ, 44LK or 44O, the Tribunal must also notify the Council of the application.

Decision maker to give material to Tribunal

        (3)    The decision maker must give the following information to the Tribunal within the period specified by the Tribunal:

             (a)    if the decision is taken to have been made because of the operation of subsection 44H(9), 44J(7), 44LG(6), 44LI(7), 44N(4) or 44NB(3A)—all of the information that the Council took into account in connection with making the recommendation to which the decision under review relates;

             (b)    if the decision is taken to have been made because of the operation of subsection 44PD(6), 44XA(6) or 44ZZBC(6)—any information or documents given to the Commission in connection with the decision to which the review relates, other than information or documents in relation to which the Commission could not have regard because of subparagraph 44PE(6)(c)(iii) or 44ZZBD(6)(c)(iii);

             (c)    otherwise—all of the information that the decision maker took into account in connection with the making of the decision to which the review relates.

Tribunal may request further information

        (4)    The Tribunal may request such information that the Tribunal considers reasonable and appropriate for the purposes of making its decision on a review under this Part.

        (5)    A request under subsection (4) must be made by written notice given to a person specifying the information requested and the period within which the information must be given to the Tribunal.

        (6)    The Tribunal must:

             (a)    give a copy of the notice to:

                   (i)    the person who applied for review; and

                  (ii)    if the application is made under section 44K, 44L, 44LJ, 44LK or 44O—the Council; and

                 (iii)    if the application is made under section 44PG, 44PH, 44ZP, 44ZX or 44ZZBF—the Commission; and

                 (iv)    any other person who has been made a party to the proceedings for review by the Tribunal; and

             (b)    publish, by electronic or other means, the notice.

        (7)    Without limiting the information that may be given in accordance with the notice, information may include information that could not have reasonably been made available to the decision maker at the time the decision under review was made.

Certain material before the Tribunal not to be disclosed

        (8)    The Tribunal may, on the application of a person, prohibit or restrict the disclosure of the contents of a document or other information given to the Tribunal under this section if the Tribunal is satisfied that it is desirable to do so because of the confidential nature of the document or other information, or for any other reason.

        (9)    In this section:

decision maker, in relation to an application for review under this Part, means:

             (a)    if the application was made under section 44K, 44L, 44LJ or 44LK—the designated Minister; or

             (b)    if the application was made under section 44O—the Commonwealth Minister; or

             (c)    if the application was made under section 44PG, 44PH, 44ZP, 44ZX, or 44ZZBF—the Commission.

                 For the purposes of a review under this Part, the Tribunal:

             (a)    subject to paragraph (b), must have regard to:

                   (i)    information that was given to the Tribunal under subsection 44ZZOAAA(3); and

                  (ii)    any information given to the Tribunal in accordance with a notice given under subsection 44ZZOAAA(5); and

                 (iii)    any thing done as mentioned in subsection 44K(6), 44L(5), 44LJ(5), 44LK(5), 44O(5), 44PG(5), 44PH(5), 44ZP(5), 44ZX(5) or 44ZZBF(5); and

                 (iv)    any information or report given to the Tribunal in relation to the review under subsection 44K(6A), 44L(5A), 44LJ(6), 44LK(6), 44O(5A), 44PG(5A), 44PH(5A), 44ZP(5A), 44ZX(5A) or 44ZZBF(5A) within the specified period; and

             (b)    may disregard:

                   (i)    any information given to the Tribunal in response to a notice given under subsection 44ZZOAAA(5) after the period specified in the notice has ended; and

                  (ii)    any information or report of the kind specified in a notice under subsection 44K(6A), 44L(5A), 44LJ(6), 44LK(6), 44O(5A), 44PG(5A), 44PH(5A), 44ZP(5A), 44ZX(5A) or 44ZZBF(5A) that is given to the Tribunal after the specified period has ended.

(14)  Schedule 1, item 71, page 31 (table item 2), omit “44ZZOAA(4)”, substitute “44ZZOAAA(5)”.

(16)  Schedule 1, item 72, page 34 (line 13), omit “44,”.

(17)  Schedule 1, item 72, page 34 (line 13), omit “53,”.

(18)  Schedule 2, item 7, page 47 (lines 16 and 17), omit “subsection 44ZZOAA(7)”, substitute “section 44ZZOAA”.

(19)  Schedule 2, item 7, page 49 (lines 2 and 3), omit “subsection 44ZZOAA(7)”, substitute “section 44ZZOAA”.

I think Senator Ronaldson wants to say something.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Special Minister of State and Scrutiny of Government Waste) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, indeed. What I wish to say is that I do not have instructions in relation to these amendments. I can only assume that they have been circulated to the shadow minister, and I am working on the assumption that if I speak very slowly I might, I hope, get some instructions in relation to this matter. I could talk about last night, I suppose—about the dinner I was at with some of the parliamentary secretary’s colleagues! I am working on the basis that there are no issues with this, but if the parliamentary secretary wants to say a couple of words I would be very grateful.

Ursula Stephens (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Senator Ronaldson. I can assure the members of the opposition that the shadow minister, Mr Billson, has agreed to these amendments.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Special Minister of State and Scrutiny of Government Waste) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is very good news!

The Temporary Chairman:

Then the question is that those amendments be agreed to.

Question agreed to.

Ursula Stephens (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government opposes schedule 1 in the following terms:

(1)    Schedule 1, item 7, page 6 (line 20) to page 7 (line 11), to be opposed.

(6)    Schedule 1, item 44, page 18 (lines 24 to 26), to be opposed.

(9)    Schedule 1, item 53, page 22 (lines 15 to 17), to be opposed.

(15)  Schedule 1, item 72, page 34 (lines 6 to 8), to be opposed.

These amendments vary the scope of the limited merits review arrangements that the bill is to introduce.

Julian McGauran (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that schedule 1, items 7, 44, 53 and 72 of the bill stand as printed.

Question negatived.

Bill, as amended, agreed to.

Bill reported with amendments; report adopted.