Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Hansard source

The government is investing $36 million in additional FCC resourcing, including four additional judges and seven judicial registrars, as part of the 2020-21 budget. This will allow the court to resolve more matters every year, including an estimated 1,000 additional migration cases, which responds to the increase in FCC migration filings from 3,544 in 2014-15 to 6,555 in 2019-20. The resourcing will be offset by an increase to the migration application fee, with all revenue reinvested in the court. Currently, the FCC fee for migration matters is significantly lower than the AAT fee, and the new rate is set halfway between the AAT and Federal Court fees. The government does not oppose the production order but will necessarily have to consider any public interest immunity claim, for instance, given this was subject to cabinet processes. The government will endeavour to meet the time frame, and that will depend on the number of documents identified.

Question agreed to.