Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The Marriage (Celebrant Registration Charge) Bill 2014provides legislative authority for the government to charge Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrants an annual celebrant registration charge. The administrative arrangements for implementing the celebrant registration charge are provided for in the Marriage Amendment (Celebrant Administration and Fees) Bill 2014, which I will also introduce today.

Separate legislation for the celebrant registration charge is required under section 55 of the Constitution as the charge is a cost recovery levy.

The annual costs of administering the Commonwealth Marriage Celebrants Program will be fully cost recovered through the imposition of this charge. This will enable government to improve services delivered to Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrants, while also better regulating those celebrants. These measures will in turn facilitate Commonwealth-registered marriage celebrants delivering professional, knowledgeable and legally correct services to marrying couples in Australia.

The bill provides that the amount of the charge is to be determined by the minister by legislative instrument and is not to exceed the statutory limit. The statutory limit for the financial year commencing 1 July 2014 is $600 and is to be indexed annually in line with the consumer price index.

However, in line with the expected costs of administering the program, the charge for the 2014-15 financial year will be considerably lower than the statutory limit at $240. This charge will not generate revenue.

Costs are incurred by the program in administering newly appointed celebrants from the time they are registered until the next annual charge becomes due and payable on 1 July. Where a new celebrant is registered after 1 July in any financial year, a ministerial determination may provide that different amounts of the celebrant registration charge are payable in respect of that year. This is only fair as the celebrant will not be accessing the resources provided by the Marriage Celebrants Program until registration. It will also ensure that people registered close to 1 July in any given year are not disadvantaged by having to pay a full celebrant registration charge twice in a short period of time.

The imposition of a celebrant registration charge under the Marriage (Celebrant Registration Charge) Bill 2014is consistent with the Australian Government Cost Recovery Guidelines and will result in enhanced services and support for marriage celebrants. This will assist marriage celebrants to continue to provide couples seeking to marry with professional and legally correct services on what is one of the most important days in the lives of marrying couples.

Debate adjourned.