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

This bill follows the Acts and Instruments (Framework Reform) Bill 2014, 'the principal bill'. That bill, amended to accept one recommendation made by the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, passed the parliament with Labor support on 5 March 2015. The principal bill implemented the recommendations of a statutory review of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003, carried under the former Labor government in 2008. That review was led by an eminent committee, comprising Mr Anthony Blunn AO, Mr Ian Govey, the Australian Government Solicitor, and Professor John McMillan AO.

That bill made a number of reforms to the arrangements for delegated legislation under the Legislative Instruments Acts 2003. The Legislative Instruments Act 2003, now renamed the Legislation Act, sets out a comprehensive regime for the registration, tabling, scrutiny and repeal of legislative instruments.

This bill makes a number of consequential technical, machinery and drafting changes. The bill: updates references across the statute book to the Legislative Instruments Act to reflect the change of name to the Legislation Act; compiles the list of instruments exempt from sunsetting and disallowance, presently found in various locations, into one central list in a regulation which is to be made under the Legislation Act; clarifies the status of rules of court under the Legislation Act; and, finally, repeals spent provisions and makes various technical and drafting corrections to the Legislation Act. These are minor and technical changes.

As Labor indicated when the Acts and Instruments (Framework Reform) Bill came to this place, we support any measure which makes Commonwealth instruments easier to locate and understand. I commend this bill to the House.

Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry and Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank honourable members for their contribution to the debate on this bill. The Acts and Instruments (Framework Reform) (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2015 supports reforms made by the Acts and Instruments (Framework Reform) Act 2015 to improve the operation and clarity of the legislative framework for Commonwealth instruments and acts. It makes consequential amendments to enhance accessibility of the law by ensuring the statute book does not contain incorrect references and provisions are correct on their face. The bill also clarifies requirements for administrative forms and that court rules are not legislative instruments.

These amendments support the Acts and Instruments (Framework Reform) Act in its contribution towards the government's deregulation agenda. This bill was prepared on the initiative of the Office of Parliamentary Counsel. I commend the office for the quality of the bill and its commitment to maintaining the accuracy and clarity of the Commonwealth statute book. I commend this bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.