James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I give notice that, on the next day of sitting, I shall move:

That the provisions of paragraphs (5) to (8) of standing order 111 not apply to the following bills, allowing them to be considered during this period of sittings:

Parliamentary Business Resources Bill 2017

Parliamentary Business Resources (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2017.

Also, I table a statement of reasons justifying the need for these bills to be considered during these sittings and seek leave to have the statement incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The statement read as follows—

STATEMENT OF REASONS FOR INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGE IN THE 2017 WINTER SITTINGS

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS RESOURCES BILL 2017

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS RESOURCES (CONSEQUENTIAL AND TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS) BILL 2017

Purpose of the Bill

To establish new primary legislation governing parliamentarians' business expenses (referred to currently as "entitlements" or "benefits") and repeal the Parliamentary Entitlements Act 1990 (PE Act), Parliamentary Entitlements Regulations 1997 (PE Regulations) and all legislative instruments authorised by the PE Act and PE Regulations

Reasons for Urgency

The Parliamentary Business Resources Bill 2017 (PBR Bill) needs to be passed by 22 June 2017 to enable new or revised work expenses to commence at the beginning of the 2017–18 financial year.

The commencement of the PBR Bill is tied to the passage of the Parliamentary Business Resources (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2017. Therefore, passage must be secured for both bills if either is to commence at the beginning of the 2017–18 financial year.

(Circulated by authority of the Minister for Finance)