David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present the ninth report of 2017 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. 9 OF 2017

1. The committee met in private session on Wednesday, 16 August 2017 at 7.20 pm.

2. The committee recommends that—

(a) contingent upon introduction in the House of Representatives, the provisions of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Amendment Bill 2017 be referred immediately to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 16 October 2017 (see appendix 1 for a statement of reasons for referral);

(b) the provisions of the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment (Ensuring Integrity) Bill 2017 be referred immediately to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee but was unable to reach agreement on a reporting date (see appendices 2 and 3 for a statement of reasons for referral);

(c) the provisions of the Migration and Other Legislation Amendment (Enhanced Integrity) Bill 2017 be referred immediately to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 17 October 2017 (see appendices 4 and 5 for a statement of reasons for referral); and

(d) contingent upon introduction in the House of Representatives, the provisions of the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Cashless Debit Card) Bill 2017 be referred immediately to the Community Affairs Legislation Committee but was unable to reach agreement on a reporting date (see appendices 6 and 7 for a statement of reasons for referral).

3. The committee recommends that the following bills not be referred to committees:

Product Emissions Standards (Excise) Charges Bill 2017

Product Emissions Standards (Customs) Charges Bill 2017

Product Emissions Standards (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2017

4. The committee deferred consideration of the following bills to its next meeting:

Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment Bill 2017

5. The committee considered the following bill but was unable to reach agreement:

(David Bushby)

Chair

17 August 2017

APPENDIX 1

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee:

Name of bill:

Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Amendment Bill 2017

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

This Bill deals with Australia's efforts to combat money laundering and terrorism financing. Given the importance and complexity of these matters, it would be prudent to have this Bill considered by Committee to:

Possible submissions or evidence from:

Attorney-General's Department, AUSTRAC, CDPP, the Australian Federal Police, Law Council of Australia, State and Territory Law Associations (e.g. Law Institute of Victoria), State and Territory Bar Associations, major banks, Australian Bankers' Association, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the Uniting Church, Transparency International Australia, State and Territory police forces.

Committee to which bill is to be referred:

Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation

Possible hearing date(s):

To be determined by the Committee.

Possible reporting date:

16 October 2017

Senator Anne Urquhart

APPENDIX 2

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee:

Name of bill:

Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment (Ensuring Integrity) Bill 2017

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

Possible submissions or evidence from:

Committee to which bill is to be referred:

Senate Employment and Education Legislation Committee

Possible hearing date(s):

To be determined by the Committee.

Possible reporting date:

13 November 2017

Senator Anne Urquhart

APPENDIX 3

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee:

Name of bill:

Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment (Ensuring Integrity) Bill 2017

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

To provide Senators with an opportunity for further consideration of the scope of the new tests in the Bill.

Possible submissions or evidence from:

Registered Organisations, other employee or employer groups, academics, peak bodies affected by the conduct of registered organisations.

Committee to which bill is to be referred:

Senate Employment and Education Legislation Committee

Possible hearing date(s):

To be determined by the Committee.

Possible reporting date:

01 September 2017

Senator Mitch Fifield

APPENDIX 4

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee:

Name of bill:

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

Possible submissions or evidence from:

Committee to which bill is to be referred:

Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation

Possible hearing date(s):

To be determined by the Committee

Possible reporting date:

Tuesday 17 October 2017

Senator Anne Urquhart

APPENDIX 5

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee:

Name of bill:

Migration and Other Legislation Amendment (Enhanced Integrity) Bill 2017

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

This bill makes significant changes to migration, Visa and work arrangements for overseas workers in Australia.:

Possible submissions or evidence from:

Australian Council of Trade Unions

Individual unions across a range of industries

Employer groups including the National Farmers Federation and Australian Industry Group

Migration Institute of Australia

Law Council of Australia

The Salvation Army

Justice and International Mission Unit, Uniting Church in Australia

JobWatch Inc.

Committee to which bill is to be referred:

Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee

Possible hearing date(s):

Possible reporting date:

19 October 2017

Senator Rachel Siewert

APPENDIX 6

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee:

Name of bill:

Social Services Legislation Amendment (Cashless Debit Card) Bill 2017

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

To allow for proper scrutiny of the Bill and consultation with the communities involved

Possible submissions or evidence from:

Committee to which bill is to be referred:

Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee

Possible hearing date(s):

To be determined by the Committee

Possible reporting date:

13 November 2017

Senator Anne Urquhart

APPENDIX 7

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee:

Name of bill:

Social Services Legislation Amendment (Cashless Debit Card) Bill 2017

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

Impacts of the bill on recipients

Possible submissions or evidence from:

ACOSS, National Congress of Australia's First Peoples, Professor Jon Altman, Australian Human Rights Commission, National Social Security Rights Network

Committee to which bill is to be referred:

Community Affairs Legislation Committee

Possible hearing date(s):

Possible reporting date:

17 October 2017

Senator Rachel Siewert

I move:

That the report be adopted.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move the following amendment:

At the end of the motion, add "and in respect of:

(a) the Medicare Levy Amendment (National Disability Insurance Scheme Funding) Bill 2017 and 10 related bills, the bills be referred to the Economics Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 16 October 2017; and

(b) the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment (Ensuring Integrity) Bill 2017, the Education and Employment Legislation Committee report by 9 October 2017".

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I indicate that the opposition will be supporting the government's amendment, but I also would like to flag that we will be moving a subsequent amendment to it and seek the Senate support for that.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that Senator Fifield's amendment be agreed to.

Question agreed to.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

At the end of the motion, add "and in respect of Social Services Legislation Amendment (Cashless Debit Card) Bill 2017, the Community Affairs Legislation Committee report by 13 November 2017".

The opposition believes this is a reasonable time frame, considering the workload that is in front of the community affairs committee and that we've just asked them to deal with the Medicare levy amendment bill by October. We believe November is realistic to deal with a significant piece of legislation like this.

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I indicate the Greens will be supporting this amendment. This is a significant piece of legislation, bringing in significant changes. As Senator Gallagher has just articulated, the Community Affairs Legislation Committee, of which I am deputy chair, and the Community Affairs References Committee have a very significant workload, which has just been added to with the referral of the Medicare NDIS bills, whose referral I do support, to be clear.

David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We're on to Economics.

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sorry, to the Economics Legislation Committee. I beg your pardon. That's correct. It does already have a significant workload. I will say that many of us who are working on the Medicare levy and NDIS committee are also members of the community affairs committee. There will be a workload regardless of which committee it goes to. I think it's fair enough, given the significance of the bills and the workload that we all have already, that this reporting date be accepted.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move the following amendment to Senator Gallagher's proposed amendment:

"13 November 2017", substitute "16 October 2017".

The government sees this as a very important piece of legislation. We recognise the desire of the Senate to have this referred to a committee for inquiry, but we seek, obviously, a shorter time frame in which that work can happen. I think we all now recognise that the Medicare levy bill is going to the Economics Legislation Committee, not the Community Affairs Legislation Committee, which has been acknowledged by Senator Siewert.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the amendment moved by Senator Fifield to the amendment moved by Senator Gallagher to change the reporting date be agreed to.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the amendment as moved by Senator Gallagher be agreed to.

Question agreed to.

The question is that the Selection of Bills Committee motion as moved by Senator Bushby, as amended, be agreed to.

Question agreed to.