Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Banking and Financial Services) Share this | Hansard source

I move opposition amendment (1) on sheet 5344:

(1)    Schedule 1, page 3 (after line 11), after item 3, insert:

3A  After subsection 10(1A)

Insert:

      (1B)    At least one of the Deputy Chairpersons must have a small business background.

This amendment deals with the deputy chairperson having a small business background. The amendment requires at least one of the two ACCC deputy chairpersons to have a small business background. The Treasurer, in his second reading speech to this bill, said he envisaged the second deputy chairperson position created by this bill to be filled by someone with a small business background, so Labor’s amendment will ensure this happens by inserting a requirement in law in the act.

The act currently requires one of the commissioners to have a consumer background. Therefore, it is not without precedent to require commissioners to have a particular background to ensure that they have the experience and expertise to add to the ACCC. Labor believe it is a very appropriate amendment; we are in obvious agreement with the Treasurer if he is true to his word about envisaging that the second deputy chairperson—are they tricky words or not?