Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move opposition amendments (3), (14) and (15) on sheet 7711:

(3) Clause 5, page 4 (line 26), after "Board", insert "of the NHMRC".

(14) Clause 32B, page 28 (line 4), after "Advisory Board", insert "of the NHMRC".

(15) Clause 32B, page 28 (after line 4), after subsection (1), insert:

  (1A) The Advisory Board is taken to be a Principal Committee within the meaning of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992, other than for the purposes of the following provisions of that Act:

  (a) sections 5D and 5E;

  (b) section 35;

  (c) section 41;

  (d) section 80;

  (e) subsections 82(1C) and (2).

  (1B) This section has effect despite the definition of Principal Committee in section 4 of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992.

These go to a formal role for the National Health and Medical Research Council.

I did indicate earlier that Labor does see a formal role for the NHMRC in administering MRRF disbursements. As a supplementary report from Labor Party senators to the Senate inquiry made clear, a Labor government would seek to amend the NHMRC Act—

The CHAIRMAN: Senator Wright—do you have a point of order?