Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill may proceed without formalities and be now read a first time.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a first time.

by leave—I move:

That the provisions of paragraphs (5) to (8) of standing order 111 not apply to the bill, allowing it to be considered during this period of sittings.

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

Leave granted.

The statement read as follow—

STATEMENT OF REASONS FOR INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGE IN THE 2022 SPRING SITTINGS

AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION (SELECTION AND APPOINTMENT) BILL

Purpose of the Bill

This bill will respond to recommendations of the United Nations Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA), by (among other things) amending federal human rights and anti-discrimination law to require that appointments to the Australian Human Rights Commission (the Commission) be made through a publicly advertised merits-based selection process.

Reasons for Urgency

In early 2022 the SCA deferred re-accreditation of the Commission as an 'A'-status National Human Rights Institution for 18 months due to concerns that recent selection and appointment processes for statutory Commissioners did not fully comply with the United Nations General Assembly Principles relating to the Status of National Institutions (the Paris Principles). The SCA will re-consider the Commission's accreditation in October 2023, with the Commission required to submit a written statement of compliance by 1 June 2023.

Passage of this bill in the 2022 Spring sittings will implement changes to the selection and appointments process before the expiry of three Commissioner terms in early 2023 and demonstrate that Australia has addressed the concerns raised by the SCA before the deferred consideration of re-accreditation in late 2023.

Question agreed to.