House debates
Thursday, 22 June 2006
Committees
Government Responses: Report
David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source
For the information of honourable members, I present a schedule of outstanding government responses to reports of House of Representatives and joint committees, incorporating reports tabled and details of government responses made in the period between 8 December 2005, the date of the last schedule, and 22 June 2006. Copies of the schedule are being made available to honourable members and it will be incorporated in Hansard.
The schedule read as follows—
THE SPEAKER’S SCHEDULE OF OUTSTANDING GOVERNMENT RESPONSES TO REPORTS OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND JOINT COMMITTEES
(also incorporating reports tabled and details of Government responses made in the period between 8 December 2005, the date of the last schedule, and 22 June 2006)
22 June 2006
THE SPEAKER’S SCHEDULE OF OUTSTANDING GOVERNMENT RESPONSES TO COMMITTEE REPORTS
On 22 June 2006, the Government presented its response to a schedule of outstanding Government responses to parliamentary committee reports tabled in the House of Representatives on 8 December 2005.
It is Government policy to respond to parliamentary committee reports within three months of their presentation. In 1978 the Fraser Government implemented a policy of responding in the House by ministerial statement within six months of the tabling of a committee report. In 1983, the Hawke Government reduced this response time to three months but continued the practice of responding by ministerial statement. The Keating Government generally responded by means of a letter to a committee chair, with the letter being tabled in the House at the earliest opportunity. In 1996, the Howard Government affirmed the commitment to respond to relevant parliamentary committee reports within three months of their presentation. The Government also undertook to clear, as soon as possible, the backlog of reports arising from previous Parliaments.
The attached schedule lists committee reports tabled and government responses to House and joint committee reports made since the last schedule was presented on 8 December 2006. It also lists reports for which the House has received no government response. A schedule of outstanding responses will continue to be presented at approximately six monthly intervals, generally in the last sitting weeks of the winter and spring sittings.
The schedule does not include advisory reports on bills introduced into the House of Representatives unless the reports make recommendations which are wider than the provisions of the bills and which could be the subject of a government response. The Government’s response to these reports is apparent in the resumption of consideration of the relevant legislation by the House. Also not included are reports from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, the House of Representatives Committee of Members’ Interests, the Committee of Privileges, the Publications Committee (other than reports on inquiries) and the Selection Committee. Government responses to reports of the Public Works Committee are normally reflected in motions for the approval of works after the relevant report has been presented and considered. Reports from other committees which do not include recommendations are only included when first tabled.
Reports of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit 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 6 months of tabling a report. The committee monitors the provision of such responses. The schedule only includes reports with policy recommendations.
22 June 2006
Description of Report | Date Tabled or Published1 | Date of Government Response2 | Responded in Period Specified3 |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs (House, Standing) | |||
Unlocking the future: The report of the Inquiry into the Reeves Review of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 | 30-08-99 | No response to date | No |
Many ways forward: Report of the inquiry into capacity building and service delivery in indigenous communities | 21-06-04 | No response to date 4 | No |
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry | |||
Inquiry into future water supplies for Australia’s rural industries and communities – Interim Report | 05-05-04 | No response to date 5 | No |
Getting water right(s) – The future of rural Australia | 21-06-04 | No response to date 5 | No |
Taking control: a national approach to pest animals | 28-11-05 | No response to date 5 | No |
Private review of agency security arrangements | 13-10-03 | No response to date 6 | No |
ASIO’s Questioning and Detention Powers - Review of the operation, effectiveness and implications of Division 3 Part III of the ASIO Act 1979 | 30-11-05 | 29-03-06 | No |
Cybercrime | 24-03-04 | 09-02-06 | No |
Inquiry into the trafficking of women for sexual servitude | 24-06-04 | No response to date 6 | No |
Supplementary report to the Inquiry into the trafficking of women for sexual servitude | 11-08-05 | No response to date 7 | No |
Review of the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002 | 10-11-05 | No response to date 6 | No |
Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (House, Standing) | |||
From reel to unreal: future opportunities for Australia’s film, animation, special effects and electronic games industries | 21-06-04 | No response to date 8 | No |
Digital Television: Who’s Buying It? | 13-02-06 | No response to date 9 | No |
Corporations and Securities | |||
Report on aspects of the regulation of proprietary companies | 08-03-01 | No response to date 10 | No |
Corporations and Financial Services | |||
Report on the regulations and ASIC policy statements made under the Financial Services Reform Act 2001 | 23-10-02 | No response to date 11 | No |
Inquiry into the review of the Managed Investments Act 1998 | 12-12-02 | No response to date 12 | No |
Inquiry into Regulation 7.1.29 in Corporations Amendment Regulations 2003 (No.3), Statutory Rules 2003 No.85 | 26-06-03 | No response to date 11 | No |
Money matters in the bush-Inquiry into the level of banking & financial services in rural, regional & remote areas of Australia | 15-01-04 | No response to date 13 | No |
Report on the ATM fee structure | 15-01-04 | No response to date 14 | No |
Corporations amendment regulations 2003 | 24-03-04 | No response to date 11 | No |
Corporations Amendment Regulations 7.1.29A, 7.1.35A and 7.1.40(h) | 02-06-04 | No response to date 11 | No |
Exposure draft of the Corporations Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2005 | 16-06-05 | 08-12-05 | No |
Property Investment Advice – Safe as Houses? | 23-06-05 | No response to date 15 | No |
Timeshare: The Price of Leisure | 05-09-05 | No response to date 16 | No |
Statutory oversight of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission | 13-02-06 | No response to date | No |
Corporate responsibility: Managing risk and creating value | 21-06-06 | Time has not expired | |
Economics, Finance and Public Administration | |||
Numbers on the run: Review of the ANAO Report no. 37 1998-1999 on the management of Tax File Numbers | 28-08-00 | No response to date 17 | No |
Review of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission annual report 2003 | 21-06-04 | No response to date 18 | No |
Improving the superannuation savings of people under 40 | 19-06-06 | Time has not expired | |
Electoral Matters | |||
The 2004 Federal Election: Report of the Inquiry into the Conduct of the 2004 Federal Election and Matters Related Thereto | 10-10-05 | No response to date 19 | No |
Funding and Disclosure: Inquiry into disclosure of donations to political parties and candidates | 30-03-06 | Time has not expired | |
Employment and Workplace Relations and Workforce Participation | |||
Working for Australia’s future: increasing participation in the work force | 14-03-05 | No response to date 20 | No |
Making it work: Inquiry into independent contracting and labour hire arrangements | 17-08-05 | No response to date 21 | No |
Environment and Heritage | |||
Public good conservation: Our challenge for the 21st century | 27-09-01 | No response to date 22 | No |
Sustainable cities | 12-09-05 | No response to date 22 | No |
Family and Community Services | |||
Road to recovery: Report on the inquiry into substance abuse in Australian communities | 08-09-03 | No response to date 22 | No |
Family and Human Services | |||
Overseas Adoption in Australian: Report on the inquiry into adoption of children from overseas | 21-11-05 | No response to date 23 | No |
Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (Joint, Standing) | |||
Inquiry into Australia’s Maritime Strategy | 21-06-04 | 25-05-06 | No |
Australia’s engagement with the World Trade Organisation | 09-06-04 | 16-02-06 | No |
Reform of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights | 12-09-05 | No response required | |
Australia’s Human Rights Dialogue Process | 12-09-05 | 02-03-06 | No |
Review of the Defence Annual Report 2003-04 | 10-10-05 | 27-03-06 | No |
Report of the Delegation to the United States 28 June to 13 July 2005 | 11-10-05 | No response required | |
Australia’s free trade agreements with Singapore, Thailand and the United States: progress to date and lessons for the future | 07-11-05 | No response to date 24 | No |
Parliamentary delegation visit to Australian Defence Forces deployed to support the rehabilitation of Iraq - 22 to 28 October 2005 | 22-05-06 | No response required | |
Australia’s Defence Relations with the United States | 22-05-06 | Time has not expired | |
Expanding Australia’s trade and investment relations with North Africa | 22-05-06 | Time has not expired | |
Industry, Science and Resources | |||
Getting a better return: Inquiry into increasing the value added to Australian raw materials second report | 24-09-01 | No response to date 25 | No |
Intelligence and Security | |||
Review of the listing of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) | 26-04-06 | Time has not expired | |
Legal and Constitutional Affairs (House, Standing) | |||
The third paragraph of section 53 of the Constitution | 30-11-95 | No response to date | No |
Modern-day usage of averments in customs prosecutions | 31-05-04 | 09-05-06 | No |
Inquiry into crime in the community: victims, offenders and fear of crime | 11-08-04 | No response to date 26 | No |
Exposure Draft of the Family Law Amendment (Shared Parental Responsibility) Bill 2005 | 18-08-05 | 08-12-05 | No |
Review of technological protection measures exceptions | 01-03-06 | No response to date | No |
Migration | |||
Review of Audit Report No. 1 2005-2006: Management of Detention Centre Contracts Part B | 05-12-05 | No response to date 27 | No |
National Capital and External Territories (Joint, Standing) | |||
Norfolk Island electoral matters | 26-08-02 | No response to date 28 | No |
Antarctica: Australia’s Pristine Frontier. Report on the adequacy of funding for Australia’s Antarctic Program | 23-06-05 | No response to date 22 | No |
Norfolk Island Financial Sustainability: The Challenge – Sink or Swim | 01-12-05 | No response to date 28 | No |
Current and future governance arrangements for the Indian Ocean Territories | 13-06-06 | Time has not expired | |
| Native Title and the Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Land Account | |||
Report on the operation of Native Title Representative bodies | 21-03-06 | No response to date | No |
Examination of annual reports 2004-2005 | 21-03-06 | No response to date | No |
Procedure | |||
Arrangements for second reading speeches | 01-12-03 | 07-12-05 | No |
House Estimates: consideration of the annual estimates by the House of Representatives | 13-10-03 | No response to date 29 | No |
Media coverage of House proceedings including the Chamber, Main committee and committees (Final report) | 10-10-05 | No response to date 29 | No |
Maintenance of the Standing and Sessional Orders – (First report) | 27-03-06 | 29-03-06 30 | Yes |
Public Accounts and Audit | |||
Corporate governance and accountability arrangements for Commonwealth government business enterprises, December 1999 (Report No. 372) | 16-02-00 | No response to date 31 | No |
Access of indigenous Australians to law and justice services (Report No. 403) | 22-06-05 | 02-03-06 | No |
Review of auditor-general’s report 2003-2004: Third and fourth quarters; and first and second quarters of 2004-2005 (Report 404) | 07-12-05 | No response to date 32 | No |
Annual report 2004-2005 (Report 405) | 28-11-05 | No response required |
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