Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) 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 various bills, allowing them to be considered during this period of sittings.

I also table statements of reasons justifying the need for these bills to be considered during these sittings and seek leave to have the statements incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The statements read as follows—

STATEMENT OF REASONS FOR INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGE IN THE 2021 SPRING SITTINGS

AUTONOMOUS SANCTIONS (THEMATIC SANCTIONS) AMENDMENT BILL 2021

Purpose of the Bill

1. The purpose of the Autonomous Sanctions (Thematic Sanctions) Amendment Bill 2021 (the Bill) is to expand the Government's ability to impose targeted financial sanctions and travel bans against the perpetrators of egregious acts of international concern, beyond Australia's primarily country-based autonomous sanctions framework. The Bill will specify categories of conduct pursuant to which new thematic sanctions could be established. Once the Bill has passed, the Government will amend the Autonomous Sanctions Regulations 2011 to promptly establish new thematic sanctions regimes relating to serious human rights violations or abuses, serious corruption and significant cyber incidents. This reform implements the government's response to the report of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (JSCFADT) entitled Criminality, corruption and impunity: Should Australia join the Global Magnitsky movement?. The Minister for Foreign Affairs publicly announced the measures in the Bill on 5 August 2021. As an increasing number of countries use thematic sanctions to respond swiftly and flexibly to issues of international concern, regardless of geographic location, the Bill will also enable us to sanction individuals and entities in coordination with key global partners, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, where it is in our national interest to do so. This reform provides Australia with an additional foreign policy tool of statecraft to define, defend and demonstrate our values, and protect the international rules-based order.

Reasons for Urgency

With an increasing number of comparatively attractive economies joining the "Magnitsky movement", we must position Australia to act more quickly to freeze the funds of perpetrators and beneficiaries, and to prevent them from travelling here. Further delay would mean we risk becoming an isolated, attractive safe haven for such people and entities, and their ill-gotten gains. The reform will enable Australia to swiftly and flexibly deny the perpetrators and beneficiaries of egregious acts, including serious human rights violations or abuses, and serious corruption, from accessing our economy and benefiting from the freedoms that our democracy allows. This additional tool of foreign policy statecraft will allow us to more flexibly respond to situations of international concern in the national interest. Introduction and passage of the Bill in the 2021 Spring sittings will facilitate swift implementation of human rights and corruption sanctions, consistent with the recommendations of the JSCFADT.

(Circulated by authority of the Minister for Foreign Affairs)

STATEMENT OF REASONS FOR INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGE IN THE 2021 SPRI NG SITTINGS

ELECTORAL LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (ANNUAL DISCLOSURE EQUALITY) BILL 2021

Purpose of the Bill

The objective of the proposed amendments to the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 is to improve the consistency of application of the financial disclosure framework and promote transparency by:

Reasons for Urgency

The Bill is urgent with the next federal election to be held on or before 21 May 2022. In order for relevant legislative changes to take effect and be implemented by the Australian Electoral Commission before the election, passage will be needed during this sitting period.

(Circulated by authority of the Special Minister of State)

STATEMENT OF REASONS FOR INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGEIN THE 2021 SPRING SITTINGS

ELECTORAL LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (ASSURANCE OF SENATE COUNTING) BILL

Purpose of the Bill

The Bill enhances confidence in elections through strengthening the integrity of counting of Senate votes, including independent assurance of computer systems and processes used to capture and count votes.

Reasons for Urgency

The bill is urgent with the next federal election to be held on or before 21 May 2022. In order for relevant legislative changes to take effect and be implemented by the Australian Electoral Commission before the election, passage will be needed during this sitting period.

(Circulated by authority of the Special Minister of State)

STATEMENT OF REASONS FOR INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGE IN THE 2021 SPRING SITTINGS

ELECTORAL LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (CONTINGENCY MEASURES) BILL

Purpose of the Bill

The Bill implements the Government response to recommendations from the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters (JSCEM) inquiry on the future conduct of elections operating during times of emergency situations

Reasons for Urgency

The Bill is urgent with the next federal election to be held on or before 21 May 2022. In order for relevant legislative changes to take effect and be implemented by the Australian Electoral Commission before the election, passage will be needed during this sitting period.

(Circulated by authority of the Special Minister of State)

STATEMENT OF REASONS FOR INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGE IN THE 2021 SPRING SITTINGS

INVESTMENT FUNDS LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL

The Investment Funds Legislation Amendment Bill will provide alternate employment arrangements for the Future Fund Management Agency (FFMA) and a partial Freedom of Information Act 1982 exemption for the Future Fund Board of Guardians (Board) and the FFMA for documents relating to investment activities. The Amendment Bill will simplify the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) disbursements framework, bringing greater certainty to funding for health and medical research. It will also transfer administrative responsibility for expenditure from the Emergency Response Fund (ERF) to the newly established National Recovery and Resilience Agency (NRRA).

Reasons for Urgency

Passage of the Amendment Bill will ensure the new disbursements framework for the MRFF is in place ahead of the disbursement amount for next financial year being determined under current arrangements, providing certainty of the funding that is available in 2022-23. It will also give effect to the transfer of administrative responsibility for expenditure from the ERF to the NRRA, which came into existence on 1 July 2021.

(Circulated by authority of the Minister for Finance)

STATEMENT OF REASONS FOR INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGE IN THE 20 21 SPRING SITTINGS

VETERANS' AFFAIRS LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (EXEMPTING DISABILITY PAYMENTS FROM INCOME TESTING AND OTHER MEASURES) BILL

Purpose of the Bill

Exempting Disability Payments

These measures will exempt the disability pension − as defined in the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA) − from the income test under the Social Security Act 1991 (SSA). This would remove the need for the Defence Force Income Support Allowance (DFISA). These measures will also amend the VEA to remove the disability income rent test for rent assistance under the VEA, providing additional support to certain disability veterans who rent privately.

These measures will simplify the way income support payments are calculated and administered by DVA and Services Australia. The changes align with the Government's commitment to remove unnecessary complexities in the broader welfare system.

These measures will also remove an anomaly whereby the more impaired a veteran is, the lower the rate of rent assistance they receive. Once implemented, the rent assistance measure will result in some highly impaired individuals receiving higher rates of rent assistance.

Approximately 14,000 veterans and dependents will benefit from simpler administration of their payments. Of these people, approximately 6,900 veterans and their dependents will receive additional rent assistance. All clients (including those who will not have a change to their payment rate) will benefit from a simpler payment structure. The veteran community is particularly anxious that benefits from removing the rent assistance anomaly flow through to them as soon as possible.

Overall, these measures will provide much needed financial and other assistance to severely impaired veterans.

Pilot of Non-Liability Rehabilitation

These measures will establish access to vocational and psychosocial rehabilitation services for transitioning Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and other veterans who have an identified need, without the requirement of having lodged a compensation claim.

Currently, access to DVA-funded rehabilitation services is only available once the Commonwealth has accepted liability for an injury or disease as being related to the person's ADF service, or while their claim is being determined. The proposal will establish a two-year pilot program that will provide early access to rehabilitation services and break the nexus between a liability claim and undertaking rehabilitation.

An instrument-making power will allow the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission to determine a class of persons to whom the provision of rehabilitation programs would apply in the context of the new pilot program.

The pilot is in response to Recommendation 6.3 from the Productivity Commission's Report, A Better Way to Support Veterans, and seeks to foster cultural change, encouraging early and voluntary participation in rehabilitation.

Reasons for Urgency

The Exempting Disability Payments from income testing measures were part of the 2020-21 Budget with a commencement date of 20 September 2022. The 2021-22 Budget however brought the commencement date forward to 1 January 2022.

These measures have been long awaited and are in response to the Independent Review into the TPI Payment delivered to the Australian Government in August 2019. The measures will provide much needed financial and other support to a significant number of the veteran community.

The non-liability rehabilitation measure was announced as part of the 2021-22 Budget with a commencement date of 1 January 2022. Early commencement of the pilot will enable the Government to assess the beneficial impact of providing early rehabilitation to veterans.

The 1 January 2022 commencement date will necessitate introduction and passage of the bill in the Spring sittings.

(Circulated by authority of the Minister for Veterans' Affairs)