Senate debates Bills

Acts and Instruments (Framework Reform) Bill 2014; In Committee


Scott Ryan

Scott Ryan Victoria, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education and Training

1:10 pm

I table a supplementary explanatory memorandum relating to the government amendment to this bill, and I move the government amendment:

(1) Schedule 1, item 83, page 60 (lines 30 and 31), omit the item, substitute:

83 Section 59

  Repeal the section, substitute:

59 Review of operation of this Act

(1) During the 3 months starting on the fifth anniversary of the commencement (the framework reform commencement)of Schedule 1 to the Acts and Instruments (Framework Reform) Act 2015, the Attorney-General must appoint persons to a body to review the operation of this Act.

(2) A person appointed to the body may resign from it by giving the Attorney-General a signed notice of resignation.

(3) The body must review all aspects of the operation of this Act and any related matters that the Attorney-General specifies.

(4) The body must give the Attorney-General a written report on the review within 15 months after the fifth anniversary of the framework reform commencement.

(5) The Attorney-General must cause the report to be laid before each House of the Parliament within 6 sitting days of the House after the Attorney-General receives the report.

This amendment inserts a new section 59 into the act. New section 59 requires that the operation of the act be reviewed five years after changes made by this bill commence. The amendment implements a recommendation of the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee. The committee recommended that this house pass the bill subject to a recommendation that a review requirement be inserted, as is outlined in this amendment.

Doug Cameron

Doug Cameron NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services

1:11 pm

I indicate once again that Labor support the amendment—and we are also happy that the Attorney-General and shadow Attorney-General support this proposition!

Penny Wright

Penny Wright SA, Australian Greens

I also indicate that the Australian Greens support this amendment; it is certainly a positive move.

Alex Gallacher

Alex Gallacher SA, Australian Labor Party

The question is that the amendment be agreed to.

Question agreed to.

Bill, as amended, agreed to.

Bill reported with an amendment; report adopted.