Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present a supplementary explanatory memorandum to the bill. I seek leave to move government amendments (1) to (61), as circulated, together.

Leave granted.

I move:

(1) Clause 3, page 3 (lines 16 and 17), omit "or by a regulation".

(2) Clause 3, page 3 (lines 18 and 19), omit "The power to make a regulation triggering this Act must be found in another Act.".

(3) Clause 7, page 8 (line 13), omit "or a regulation".

(4) Clause 7, page 8 (line 21), omit "or a regulation".

(5) Clause 9, page 9 (line 21), omit "or a regulation".

(6) Clause 10, page 9 (line 26), omit "or a regulation".

(7) Clause 11, page 10 (line 3), omit "or a regulation".

(8) Clause 11, page 10 (line 6), omit "or a regulation".

(9) Clause 12, page 10 (line 14), omit "or a regulation".

(10) Clause 12, page 10 (line 23), omit "or a regulation".

(11) Clause 13, page 11 (line 7), omit "or a regulation".

(12) Clause 13, page 11 (line 16), omit "or a regulation".

(13) Clause 15, page 12 (line 4), omit "or a regulation".

(14) Clause 15, page 12 (line 11), omit "or a regulation".

(15) Clause 16, page 12 (line 25), omit "or a regulation".

(16) Clause 16, page 13 (line 1), omit "or a regulation".

(17) Clause 17, page 13 (line 23), omit "or a regulation".

(18) Clause 18, page 13 (lines 26 to 29), omit the clause.

(19) Clause 24, page 18 (line 22), omit "or a regulation".

(20) Clause 37, page 30 (line 9), omit "or a regulation".

(21) Clause 37, page 30 (line 19), omit "or a regulation".

(22) Clause 39, page 31 (line 12), omit "or a regulation".

(23) Clause 39, page 31 (line 15), omit "or a regulation".

(24) Clause 41, page 32 (lines 2 and 3), omit "or a regulation".

(25) Clause 42, page 32 (lines 7 and 8), omit "or a regulation".

(26) Clause 42, page 32 (line 16), omit "or a regulation".

(27) Clause 43, page 32 (lines 28 and 29), omit "or a regulation".

(28) Clause 43, page 33 (line 7), omit "or a regulation".

(29) Clause 45, page 33 (line 24), omit "or a regulation".

(30) Clause 45, page 33 (line 31), omit "or a regulation".

(31) Clause 46, page 34 (line 11), omit "or a regulation".

(32) Clause 46, page 34 (line 20), omit "or a regulation".

(33) Clause 47, page 35 (line 6), omit "or a regulation".

(34) Clause 48, page 35 (lines 8 to 11), omit the clause.

(35) Clause 54, page 40 (line 21), omit "or a regulation".

(36) Clause 78, page 61 (line 7), omit "or a regulation".

(37) Clause 78, page 61 (line 12), omit "or a regulation".

(38) Clause 81, page 62 (lines 24 and 25), omit "or a regulation".

(39) Clause 82, page 62 (line 30), omit "or a regulation".

(40) Clause 82, page 63 (line 7), omit "or a regulation".

(41) Clause 83, page 63 (line 19), omit "or a regulation".

(42) Clause 84, page 63 (lines 22 to 25), omit the clause.

(43) Clause 101, page 72 (line 10), omit "or a regulation".

(44) Clause 103, page 73 (line 4), omit "or a regulation".

(45) Clause 104, page 73 (line 10), omit "or a regulation".

(46) Clause 104, page 73 (line 18), omit "or a regulation".

(47) Clause 105, page 73 (line 30), omit "or a regulation".

(48) Clause 105, page 74 (line 7), omit "or a regulation".

(49) Clause 106, page 74 (lines 17 to 20), omit the clause.

(50) Clause 113, page 82 (line 8), omit "or a regulation".

(51) Clause 115, page 82 (line 23), omit "or a regulation".

(52) Clause 116, page 83 (lines 3 and 4), omit "or a regulation".

(53) Clause 116, page 83 (line 12), omit "or a regulation".

(54) Clause 117, page 83 (line 24), omit "or a regulation".

(55) Clause 118, page 83 (lines 27 to 30), omit the clause.

(56) Clause 121, page 86 (line 8), omit "or a regulation".

(57) Clause 123, page 86 (line 20), omit "or a regulation".

(58) Clause 124, page 86 (line 25), omit "or a regulation".

(59) Clause 124, page 87 (line 9), omit "or a regulation".

(60) Clause 125, page 87 (line 21), omit "or a regulation".

(61) Clause 126, page 87 (lines 24 to 27), omit the clause.

In response to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee report into the Regulatory Powers (Standard Provisions) Bill 2012, the government has made a number of amendments. The report was tabled on 18 March 2013 and recommends that the bill be passed, subject to four substantive recommendations. The government has accepted, or accepted in principle, all of the recommendations. First, the government has accepted the committee's recommendation to remove the power to trigger the provisions of the bill by regulation. This will enhance parliamentary scrutiny. Second, the government has accepted in principle a recommendation for all new bills to explicitly articulate and explain that the standard provisions will be triggered in the explanatory memorandum. Third, the government has accepted in principle a recommendation for new bills to clearly set out the agency's current regulatory powers, a comparison with the powers in the bill that will be triggered, and, where there may be any expansion of the agency's powers, a detailed explanation of the reasons for the expansion of powers. Fourth, the government will review legislation currently before, and recently passed by, the parliament that deals with regulatory powers to assess whether it would allow regulations to be made that would provide regulatory powers to an agency and consider amendment where appropriate. I commend these amendments to the parliament and thank the Attorney-General's Department and the Office of Parliamentary Counsel for this work on the Clearer Laws project and this legislation.

Question agreed to.

Bill, as amended, agreed to.