Senate debates
Wednesday, 9 February 2011
Committees
Reports: Government Responses
Trish Crossin (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
In accordance with the usual practice, I table a report of parliamentary committee reports to which the government has not responded within the prescribed period. The report has been circulated to honourable senators. With the concurrence of the Senate, the report will be incorporated in Hansard.
The report read as follows—
PRESIDENT’S REPORT TO THE SENATE ON GOVERNMENT RESPONSES OUTSTANDING TO PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE REPORTS AS AT 25 NOVEMBER 2010
PREFACE
This document continues the practice of presenting to the Senate twice each year a list of government responses to Senate and joint committee reports as well as responses which remain outstanding.
The practice of presenting this list to the Senate is in accordance with the resolution of the Senate of 14 March 1973 and the undertaking by successive governments to respond to parliamentary committee reports in timely fashion. On 26 May 1978 the Minister for Administrative Services (Senator Withers) informed the Senate that within six months of the tabling of a committee report, the responsible minister would make a statement in the Parliament outlining the action the government proposed to take in relation to the report. The period for responses was reduced from six months to three months in 1983 by the incoming government. The Leader of the Government in the Senate announced this change on 24 August 1983. The method of response continued to be by way of statement. Subsequently, on 16 October 1991 [tabled 5 Nov 1991] the government advised that responses to committee reports would be made by letter to a committee chair, with the letter being tabled in the Senate at the earliest opportunity. The government affirmed this commitment in June 1996 to respond to relevant parliamentary committee reports within three months of presentation. The current government indicated on 26 June and 4 December 2008 that it is committed to providing timely responses to parliamentary committee reports1.
Although, on 29 September 2010, the House agreed to a resolution which places a six month response time on House and joint committee reports tabled in the House, the Senate has not agreed to a similar resolution. Therefore, this report is prepared on the basis of a three month reporting requirement for Senate and joint committee reports tabled in the Senate.
This list does not usually include reports of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works or the following Senate Standing Committees: Appropriations and Staffing, Privileges, Procedure, Publications, Regulations and Ordinances, Scrutiny of Bills, Selection of Bills and Senators’ Interests. However, such reports will be included if they require a response. Government responses to reports of the Public Works Committee are normally reflected in motions in the House of Representatives for the approval of works after the relevant report has been presented and considered.
Reports of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) primarily make administrative recommendations but may make policy recommendations. A government response is required in respect of such policy recommendations made by the committee. However, responses to administrative recommendations are made in the form of an executive minute provided to, and subsequently tabled by, the committee. Agencies responding to administrative recommendations are required to provide an executive minute within six months of the tabling of a report. The committee monitors the provision of such responses.
An entry on this list for a report of the JCPAA containing only administrative recommendations is annotated to indicate that the response is to be provided in the form of an executive minute. Consequently, any other government response is not required. However, any reports containing policy recommendations are included in this report as requiring a government response.
Committees report on bills and the provisions of bills. Only those reports in this category that make recommendations which cannot readily be addressed during the consideration of the bill, and therefore require a response, are listed. The list also does not include reports by committees on estimates or scrutiny of annual reports, unless recommendations are made that require a response.
A guide to the legend used in the ‘Date response presented/made to the Senate’ column
* See document tabled in the Senate on 24 November 2010, entitled Government Responses to Parliamentary Committee Reports–Response to the schedule tabled by the President of the Senate on 24 June 2010 for Government interim/final response.
** Report contains administrative recommendation – any response to those recommendations is to be provided to the JCPAA committee in the form of an executive minute.
1 See House of Representatives Hansard, 26 June 2008, p6131 and 4 December 2008, p1263, and Journals of the Senate, 4 December 2008, p1447
Committee and title of report | Date report tabled | Date response presented/made to the Senate | Response made within specified period (3 months) | ||
A Certain Maritime Incident (Senate Select) | |||||
Report on a Certain Maritime Incident | 23.10.02 | *(interim) | No | ||
Agricultural and Related Industries (Senate Select) | |||||
Pricing and supply arrangements in the Australian and global fertiliser market—Final report | 20.8.09 | *(interim) | No | ||
The incidence and severity of bushfires across Australia | 28.9.10 (presented 13.8.10) | - | Time not expired | ||
Food production in Australia—Final report | 28.9.10 (presented 23.8.10) | - | Time not expired | ||
Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (Joint Statutory) | |||||
Operation of the Law Enforcement Integrity Commissioner Act 2006Interim report | 24.2.10 (tabled HoR 22.2.10) | 25.10.10 (HoR 13.10.10) | No | ||
Climate Policy (Senate Select) | |||||
Report | 15.6.09 | *(final) | No | ||
Community Affairs Legislation | |||||
National registration and accreditation scheme for doctors and other health workers | 11.8.09 (presented 6.8.09) | *(interim) | No | ||
Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Welfare Reform and Reinstatement of Racial Discrimination Act) Bill 2009 [Provisions], Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (2009 Measures) Bill 2009 [Provisions] and the Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (Restoration of Racial Discrimination Act) Bill 2009 | 10.3.10 | *(final) | No | ||
Healthcare Identifiers Bill 2010 [Provisions] and the Healthcare Identifiers (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2010 [Provisions] | 15.3.10 | *(final) | No | ||
Health Practitioner Regulation (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2010 [Provisions] | 12.5.10 | *(final) | No | ||
Community Affairs Legislation (continued) | |||||
Provisions of Schedules 2 and 3 of the Families, Housing, Community services and Indigenous Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (Budget and Other Measures) Bill 2010 | 22.11.10 | - | Time not expired | ||
Community Affairs References | |||||
Hear us: Inquiry into hearing health in Australia | 13.5.10 | *(interim) | No | ||
The hidden toll: Suicide in Australia | 24.6.10 | 24.11.101 | No | ||
Inquiry into gene patents | 28.9.10 (presented 26.8.10) | Not required | - | ||
Consumer access to pharmaceutical benefits | 28.9.10 (presented 26.8.10) | Not required | - | ||
Planning options and services for people ageing with a disability | 28.9.10 (presented 2.9.10) | Not required | - | ||
The prevalence of interactive and online gambling in Australia | 28.9.10 (presented 2.9.10) | Not required | - | ||
Consumer access to pharmaceutical benefits | 24.11.10 | - | Time not expired | ||
Community Affairs Standing | |||||
Funding and operation of the Commonwealth State/Territory Disability Agreement | 8.2.07 | *(interim) | No | ||
Towards recovery: Mental health services in Australia | 25.9.08 | *(interim) | No | ||
Corporations and Financial Services (Joint Statutory) | |||||
Review of the Managed Investments Act 1998 | 12.12.02 | *(interim) | No | ||
Inquiry into Regulation 7.1.29 in Corporations Amendment Regulations 2003 (No. 3), Statutory Rules 2003 No. 85 | 26.6.03 | *(interim) | No | ||
Corporations Amendment Regulations 7.1.29A, 7.1.35A and 7.1.40(h) | 15.6.04 | *(interim) | No | ||
Corporate responsibility: Managing risk and creating value | 21.6.06 | *(interim) | No | ||
The structure and operation of the superannuation industry | 7.8.07 | *(interim) | No | ||
Better shareholders - better company—Shareholder engagement and participation in Australia | 24.6.08 | *(interim) | No | ||
Corporations and Financial Services (Joint Statutory) (continued) | |||||
Inquiry into aspects of agribusiness managed investment schemes | 8.9.09 (tabled HoR 7.9.09) | *(interim) | No | ||
Inquiry into financial products and services in Australia | 24.11.09 (tabled HoR 23.11.09) | *(final) | No | ||
Statutory oversight of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission | 22.6.10 (tabled HoR 21.6.10) | *(interim) | No | ||
Economics Legislation | |||||
Food Standards Amendment (Truth in Labelling Laws) Bill 2009 | 26.11.09 | *(interim) | No | ||
Tax Laws Amendment (2010 Measures No. 1) Bill 2010 [Provisions] | 15.3.10 | *(final) | No | ||
Safe Climate (Energy Efficient Non-Residential Buildings Scheme) Bill 2009 | 17.3.10 | *(final) | No | ||
Trade Practices Amendment (Australian Consumer Law) Bill (No. 2) 2010 [Provisions] | 15.6.10 (presented 21.5.10) | *(final) | No | ||
Tax Laws Amendment (Research and Development) Bill 2010 [Provisions] and Income Tax Rates Amendment (Research and Development) Bill 2010 [Provisions] | 15.6.10 | *(final) | No | ||
Tax Laws Amendment (Public Benefit Test) Bill 2010 | 28.9.10 (presented 7.9.10) | - | Time not expired | ||
Corporations Amendment (No. 1) Bill 2010 [Provisions] | 16.11.10 | - | Time not expired | ||
Annual reports (No. 2 of 2010) | 17.11.10 | - | Time not expired | ||
Economics References | |||||
Consenting adults deficits and household debt—Links between Australia’s current account deficit, the demand for imported goods and household debt | 13.10.05 | *(interim) | No | ||
Employee share schemes | 17.8.09 | *(interim) | No | ||
Foreign investment by state-owned entities | 17.9.09 | *(interim) | No | ||
Government measures to address confidence concerns in the financial sector – The Financial Claims Scheme and the Guarantee Scheme for Large Deposits and Wholesale Funding | 17.9.09 | *(interim) | No | ||
Report on bank mergers | 17.9.09 | *(interim) | No | ||
GROCERYchoice website | 18.11.09 | *(interim) | No | ||
Economics References (continued) | |||||
Milking it for all it’s worth—competition and pricing in the Australian dairy industry | 13.5.10 | *(interim) | No | ||
Access of small business to finance | 28.9.10 (presented 30.6.10) | - | Time not expired | ||
The regulation, registration and remuneration of insolvency practitioners in Australia: the case for a new framework | 28.9.10 (presented 14.9.10) | - | Time not expired | ||
Economics Standing | |||||
Exposure draft of the legislation to implement the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme | 12.5.09 (presented 16.4.09) | *(final) | No | ||
Education, Employment and Workplace Relations References | |||||
Provision of childcare | 23.11.09 | *(interim) | No | ||
Welfare of international students | 26.11.09 | *(interim) | No | ||
Primary schools for the Twenty First Century— Interim report | 24.6.10 | - | No | ||
Administration and reporting of NAPLAN testing—Interim report | 28.9.10 (presented 27.7.10) | Not required | - | ||
Inquiry into Industry Skills Councils—Interim report | 28.9.10 (presented 13.9.10) | Not required | - | ||
Electoral Matters (Joint Standing) | |||||
Civics and electoral education | 18.6.07 | interim response 10.11.08 (presented 30.10.08) *(interim) | No | ||
Implications of the Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Amendment (Automatic Enrolment) Act 2009 (NSW) for the conduct of Commonwealth elections | 25.2.10 | *(interim) | No | ||
Report on the 2007 federal election—Events in the division of Lindsay—Review of penalty provisions in the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 | 18.3.10 | *(interim) | No | ||
Environment and Communications Legislation Committee | |||||
Radiocommunications Amendment Bill 2010 [Provisions] | 17.11.10 | - | Time not expired | ||
National Broadcasting Legislation Amendment Bill 2010 [Provisions] | 17.11.10 | - | Time not expired | ||
Environment and Communications References Committee | |||||
Sustainable management by the Commonwealth of water resources | 25.10.10 (presented 7.10.10) | - | Time not expired | ||
Green Loans Program | 27.10.10 | - | Time not expired | ||
Environment, Communications and the Arts Legislation | |||||
Do Not Call Register Legislation Amendment Bill 2009 | 25.2.10 | *(final) | No | ||
Building Energy Efficiency Disclosure Bill 2010 [Provisions] | 12.5.10 | *(final) | No | ||
Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Fibre Deployment) Bill 2010 [Provisions] | 12.5.10 | *(interim) | No | ||
Renewable Energy (Electricity) Amendment Bill 2010 [Provisions]; Renewable Energy (Electricity) (Charge) Amendment Bill 2010 [Provisions]; Renewable Energy (Electricity) (Small-scale Technology Shortfall Charge) Bill 2010 [Provisions] | 15.6.10 | *(final) | No | ||
Environment, Communications and the Arts References | |||||
Forestry and mining operations on the Tiwi Islands | 29.10.09 | *(interim) | No | ||
The impacts of mining in the Murray-Darling Basin | 2.2.10 (presented 4.12.09) | *(interim) | No | ||
Australia Post’s treatment of injured and ill workers | 24.6.10 | - | No | ||
Energy Efficient Homes Package (ceiling insulation) | 28.9.10 (presented 15.7.10) | - | Time not expired | ||
Sustainable management by the Commonwealth of water resources—Interim report | 28.9.10 (presented 30.7.10) | Not required | - | ||
Environment, Communications and the Arts References (continued) | |||||
Administration and effectiveness of the Green Loans Program—Interim report | 28.9.10 (presented 6.8.10) | Not required | - | ||
Environment, Communications and the Arts Standing | |||||
The operation of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999First report | 18.3.09 | *(interim) | No | ||
The operation of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999Second and final report | 12.5.09 (presented 30.4.09) | *(interim) | No | ||
The reporting of sports news and the emergence of digital media | 14.5.09 | *(interim) | No | ||
Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts References | |||||
Living with a salinity – a report on progress: The extent and economic impact of salinity in Australia | |||||