Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to have the report incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

       The report read as follows—

SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

REPORT NO. 1 OF 2007

(1)

The committee met in private session on Wednesday, 7 February 2007 at 4.18 pm.

(2)

The committee resolved to recommend—That—

(a)

the provisions of the AusCheck Bill 2006 be referred immediately to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee for inquiry and report by 14 March 2007 (see appendix 1 for a statement of reasons for referral); and

(b)

the provisions of the Human Services (Enhanced Service Delivery) Bill 2007 be referred immediately to the Finance and Public Administration Committee for inquiry, but was unable to reach agreement on a reporting date (see appendices 2 and 3 for statements of reasons for referral).

(3)

The committee resolved to recommend-That the following bills not be referred to committees:

• ACIS Administration Amendment (Unearned Credit Liability) Bill 2007
• Australian Energy Market Amendment (Gas Legislation) Bill 2006
• Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Amendment Bill 2006
• Pregnancy Counselling (Truth in Advertising) Bill 2006
• Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Amendment (Statements of Principles and Other Measures) Bill 2006.

The committee recommends accordingly.

(4)

The committee considered a proposal to refer the provisions of the following bills to the Economics Committee:

• Income Tax Amendment Bill 2007
• Income Tax (Former Complying Superannuation Funds) Amendment Bill 2007
• Income Tax (Former Non-resident Superannuation Funds) Amendment Bill 2007
• Income Tax Rates Amendment (Superannuation) Bill 2007
• Superannuation Legislation Amendment (Simplification) Bill 2007.

The committee was unable to reach agreement on whether the bills should be referred (see appendix 4 for a statement of reasons for proposed referral).

(5)

The committee considered a proposal to refer the provisions of the Aged Care Amendment (Security and Protection) Bill 2007, upon its introduction in the House of Representatives, to the Community Affairs Committee. The committee was unable to reach agreement on the reference and deferred the matter to a subsequent meeting, to be held on 8 February 2007 (see appendix 5 for a statement of reasons for proposed referral).

(6)

The committee considered a proposal to refer the provisions of the Tax Laws Amendment (2006 Measures No. 7) Bill 2006 to the Economics Committee. Again the committee was unable to reach agreement on the reference and deferred consideration to its next meeting (see appendix 6 for a statement of reasons for proposed referral).

(7)

The committee also deferred consideration of the following bill to its next meeting:

• Family Law (Divorce Fees Validation) Bill 2007.

(Jeannie Ferris)

Chair

8 February 2007

Appendix 1

SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

Name of bill

AusCheck Bill 2006

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

55(d)       Such other matters as are prescribed by the regulations.

58(1)(c)   For such other purposes as are prescribed by the regulations.

We think the criteria and scope of the Bill should be in the Act not the Regs.

Possible submissions or evidence from:

MUA, TWU, AMWU, Aust Pilots Association

Committee to which bill is to be referred:

Legal & Const

Possible hearing date(s):

Your choice

Possible reporting date:

28 March 2006

(signed) Ruth Webber

Whip/Selection of Bills Committee member

Appendix 2

SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

Name of bill: Human Services (Enhanced Service Delivery) Bill 2007-02-08

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

Analysis of the privacy and security implications of the legislation.

Possible submissions or evidence from:

Allan Fels; Australian Privacy Foundation; Law Council; Australian Medical Association; Australian Consumers’ Association; Electronic Frontiers Australia; Australian Law Reform Commission; Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Office of the Victorian Privacy Commissioner; Department of Health and Ageing; Consumers’ Federation of Australia; Department of Family and Community Services; Office of the Privacy Commissioner; attorney-Generals Department; banks and other service sectors; others

Committee to which bill is to be referred: Finance and Public Administration

Possible hearing date(s): Week beginning March 5 or 12

Possible reporting date: Week beginning March 26

Andrew Bartlett

Australian Democrats Whip

Appendix 3

SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

Name of bill: Human Services (Enhanced Service Delivery) Bill 2007

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

Analysis of the viability of the registration process: in particular, whether there are adequate proof of identity checks.

Possible submissions or evidence from:

Office of the Privacy Commissioner, Attorney Generals

Committee to which bill is to be referred:

Finance and Public Administration

Possible hearing date(s):

Week beginning March 5/12

Possible reporting date:

Week beginning March 26

(signed)

George Campbell

Kate Lundy

Whip/Selection of Bills Committee member

STATEMENT OF REASONS FOR INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGE IN THE 2007 AUTUMN SITTINGS

HUMAN SERVICES (ENHANCED SERVICE DELIVERY) BILL 2007

Purpose of the Bill

The Bill will streamline and modernise Australia’s delivery system for health and social service benefits and reduce the opportunity for fraud in relation to such benefits.

The Bill:

• sets out the scope and purposes of the use of the access card and Register;
• sets out the information to be included in the Register and in the chip of the card and on the surface of the card;
• provides a registration process for obtaining an access card;
• vests ownership of access cards in card holders;
• allows card owners to use their access card for whatever lawful purposes they choose; and
• creates a range of offences to prohibit persons requiring an access card for identification purposes and to prohibit other improper uses of the access card.

Reasons for Urgency

To ensure community consultation on an exposure draft of the legislation prior to introduction in Parliament, it was not possible to introduce legislation in the 2006 Spring sittings.

The early passage of the Bill is required to ensure that a legal framework is available to support the implementation of the proposed access card system, to enable registration for the card to commence in early 2008 and to provide sufficient time to provide meaningful information to the public about the proposed changes.

The legislation will provide the certainty required to achieve cost-effective procurement of technological services required to support the access card.

(Circulated by authority of the Minister for Human Services)

SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

Appendix 4

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

Name of bill(s):

Superannuation Legislation Amendment (Simplification) Bill 2007 and others

Possible submissions or evidence from:

Same as for Tax Laws Amendment (Simplified Superannuation) Bill 2006 plus state/territory governments due to provisions of chapter 4 unclaimed money.

Committee to which bill is to be referred:

Economics

Possible hearing date(s): Wed 21 to Fri 23 February

Possible reporting date:

Tues 27 February

(signed) ..............................

Whip/Selection of Bills Committee member

Appendix 5

SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

Upon its introduction into the House of Representatives

Name of bill:

Aged Care Amendment (Security and Protection) Bill 2007

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

See attached.

Possible submissions or evidence from:

Committee to which bill is to be referred:

Community Affairs

Possible hearing date{s):

Possible reporting date:

1 March 2007

(signed)

Jeannie Ferris

Whip/Selection of Bills Committee member

STATEMENT OF REASONS FOR INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGE 1N THE 2007 AUTUMN SITTINGS

AGED CARE AMENDMENT (SECURITY AND PROTECTION) BILL

Purpose of the Bill

The bill amends the Aged Care Act 1997 (the Act) to:

• implement new aged care complaints investigation arrangements, including a new Aged Care Commissioner;
• introduce the requirement for approved providers of residential aged care to report to the Department of Health and Ageing and the police allegations and incidents of sexual and serious physical assault; and
• introduce protection for approved providers and staff in residential aged care that report allegations and incidents of sexual and serious physical assault.

Reasons for Urgency

The amendments to the Act will give effect to the decision made by the government in July 2006 to implement new complaints investigation arrangements for Australian Government-subsidised aged care services, including the establishment of a new Aged Care Commissioner, as well as the introduction of compulsory reporting of alleged incidents of sexual and serious physical assault in residential aged care, and protection for approved providers and staff who report such incidents.

In the Minister for Ageing’s announcement of 27 July 2006, he foreshadowed an implementation date of 1 April 2007 for the aged care complaints investigation arrangements, compulsory reporting and protection measures. In order to meet this implementation date, the bill needs to be introduced and passed in the 2007 Autumn sittings.

(Circulated by authority of the Minister for Health and Ageing)

Appendix 6

SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

Name of bill:

Tax Laws Amendment (2006 Measures No. 7) Bill 2006

Specifically Schedule 2

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

• Schedule 2 makes substantial changes to the interest withholding tax exemption
• Proposed changes in Schedule 2 may have an impact on the ability of Australian companies to raise finance
• Inadequate consultation with industry

Possible submissions or evidence from:

Institute of chartered Accountants

Committee to which bill is to be referred:

Economics

Possible hearing date(s):

Week of 19 February 2007

Possible reporting date:

Week of 1 March 2007

(signed)

George Campbell

SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE-REPORT NO. 1 OF 2007- AMENDMENT TO REPORT

MINISTER:

I move the following amendment:

At the end of the motion, add “and, in respect of the Human Services (Enhanced Service Delivery) Bill 2007, the Finance and Public Administration Committee report by 15 March 2007.”.