Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the Senate in committee for agreeing to those sensible government amendments. I now move government amendment (5) on sheet RC321, which deals with Comcare’s functions:

(5)    Schedule 1, page 14 (after line 9), after item 31, insert:

31A  After paragraph 69(fa)

Insert:

            (fb)    such other functions as are conferred on Comcare by the regulations;

This amendment would enable additional functions to be conferred on Comcare by regulation. The existing functions of Comcare are set out in the legislation. These functions are tightly drawn and from time to time Comcare is constrained from performing various functions that are not specifically provided for in the act. The amendment simply provides a mechanism for additional functions to be conferred on Comcare by regulation to provide some much-needed flexibility in this area. Any conferral of these additional functions would of course be subject to parliamentary scrutiny.