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

I draw the honourable senator’s attention to part 7, section 69 of the act, about functions. There are two-and-a-little-bit pages dealing with the functions, so I will not read out all of those matters that are enumerated or dealt with there. The government’s view is that it would be helpful, and I have mentioned the asbestos example. If honourable senators—or indeed members in the other place—were to consider that the government was doing by regulation things that they disagreed with, then of course the potential for a disallowance motion would always be available to senators.

Question agreed to.

I move government amendment (6):

(6)    Schedule 1, item 47, page 17 (lines 25 and 26), omit “starting on the day after this Act receives the Royal Assent”, substitute “starting on the day on which item 24 of this Schedule commences”.

This amendment, which has a heading for convenience, ‘Technical correction’, makes a minor technical correction to item 47 of the bill as introduced. Item 47 is a transitional provision which would enable the minister to specify a transitional interest rate for the purposes of new section 21(5) contained in item 24 of the bill. As presently drafted, the specified transitional interest rate would have to take effect from the day after the amendments received the royal assent and before the commencement of the substantive provision on proclamation. This amendment would enable the minister to specify a transitional interest rate before the commencement of the substantive provision, but that would take effect from the date the substantive provision takes effect.