Senate debates

Friday, 25 November 2011

Committees

Selection of Bills Committee; Report

9:56 am

Photo of Anne McEwenAnne McEwen (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I present the 17th report of 2011 of the Selection of Bills Committee and I seek leave to have the report incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The report read as follows—

SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

REPORT NO. 17 OF 2011

1. The committee met in private session on Thursday, 24 November 2011 at 3.32 pm.

2. The committee resolved to recommend—That—

(a) the provisions of the Access to Justice (Federal Jurisdiction) Amendment Bill 2011 be referred immediately to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 22 March 2012 (see appendix 1 for a statement of reasons for referral);

(b) the provisions of the Corporations Amendment (Further Future of Financial Advice Measures) Bill 2011 be referred immediately to the Economics Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 14 March 2012 (see appendix 2 for a statement of reasons for referral);

(c) the Crimes Act Amendment (Fairness of Minors) Bill 2011 be referred immediately to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 22 March 2012 (see appendix 3 for a statement of reasons for referral);

(d) the Fair Work Amendment (Textile, Clothing and Footwear Industry) Bill 2011 be referred immediately to the Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 27 February 2012(see appendix 4 for a statement of reasons for referral);

(e) the provisions of the Illegal Logging Prohibition Bill 2011 be referred immediately to the Rural Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 8 February 2012 (see appendix 5 for a statement of reasons for referral);

(f) the provisions of the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Records Bill 2011 and the provisions of the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Records (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2011 be referred immediately to the Community Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 29 February 2012 (see appendix 6 for a statement of reasons for referral); and

(g) the provisions of the Social Security Legislation Amendment Bill 2011, Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory Bill 2011 and the Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2011 be referred immediately to the Community Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 29 February 2012 (see appendices 7 and 8 for statements of reason for referral).

3. The committee resolved to recommend—That the following bills not be referred to committees:

                              The committee considered the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Fair Protection for Firefighters) Bill 2011 and, noting that the bill had passed the Senate on 24 November 2011, resolved to recommend that the bill not be referred to a committee.

                              The committee recommends accordingly.

                              4. The committee deferred consideration of the following bills to its next meeting:

                                        (Anne McEwen)

                                        Chair

                                        25 November 2011

                                        Appendix 1

                                        SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

                                        Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

                                        Name of bill:

                                        Access to Justice (Federal Jurisdiction) Amendment Bill 2011

                                        Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

                                              Possible submissions or evidence from:

                                              Law Council of Australia

                                              Family Court

                                              Federal Court

                                              Federal Magistrates Courts Attorney-General's Department

                                              Committee to which bill is to be referred:

                                              Legal and Constitutional Affairs

                                              Possible hearing date(s):

                                              --

                                              Possible reporting date:

                                              --

                                              (signed)

                                              Senator Fifield

                                              Selection of Bills Committee member

                                              APPENDIX 2

                                              SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

                                              Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

                                              Name of bill:

                                              Corporations Amendment (Further Future of Financial Advice Measures) Bill 2011

                                              Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

                                              To consider the impact of the proposed changes on consumer and financial advisers.

                                              Possible submissions or evidence from:

                                              Financial Services Council; Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia; Financial Planning Association; Association of Financial Advisers; Industry Superannuation Network

                                              Committee t o which bill is to be referred:

                                              Senate Economics Committee

                                              Possible hearing date(s):

                                              To be determined by Committee

                                              Possible reporting date:

                                              14 March 2012—the reporting date set for the inquiry into the related Corporations Amendment (Future of Financial Advice) Bill 2011.

                                              (signed)

                                              Senator Fifield

                                              Selection of Bills Committee member

                                              APPENDIX 3

                                              SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

                                              Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

                                              Name of bill:

                                              Crimes Act Amendment (Fairness to Minors) Bill 2011

                                              Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

                                              To examine at the medical and forensic value of wrist and dental x-rays

                                              To scrutinise the legal aspects and merits of placing children in adult prison or remand

                                              To examine the sequence of events which lead to children being charged, or not charged, with people smuggling

                                              To look at evidentiary aspects of age determination process for alleged minors charged with people smuggling

                                              Possible submissions or evidence from:

                                              Victoria Legal Aid

                                              Alliance of Australian Lawyers

                                              Australian Bar Association

                                              Human Rights Commission

                                              State and Territory Children's' Commissioners

                                              Indonesian Consulate

                                              Department of Immigration

                                              Australian Federal Police

                                              Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecutions

                                              Royal Australian College of Physicians, or Australasian Paediatric Endocrine Group, or Australian and New Zealand Society for Paediatric Radiology, or Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists

                                              Committee to which bill is to be referred:

                                              Legal and Constitutional Affairs Possible hearing date(s): February/March 2012

                                              Possible reporting date:

                                              22 March 2012

                                              (signed)

                                              Senator Siewert

                                              Whip/Selection of Bills Committee member

                                              APPENDIX 4

                                              SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

                                              Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

                                              Name of bill:

                                              Fair Work Amendment (Textile, Clothing and Footwear Industry) Bill 2011

                                              Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

                                              To ensure the Bill would achieve the objectives of the Bill and has no unintended consequences.

                                              Possible submissions or evidence from:

                                              Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Textiles and Footwear Industry Association CCI WA

                                              Committee to which bill is to be referred:

                                              Senate Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Committee Possible hearing date(s):

                                              Possible reporting date:

                                              March 2012

                                              (signed)

                                              Senator Fifield

                                              Selection of Bills Committee member

                                              APPENDIX 5

                                              SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

                                              Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

                                              Name of bill:

                                              Illegal Logging Prohibition Bill

                                              Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

                                              Consider the Bill against Committee's recommendations. Possible submissions or evidence from:

                                              Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Australian Timber Importers Federation

                                              Australian Forest Products Association

                                              Greenpeace

                                              Uniting Church Social Justice Mission

                                              Committee to which bill is to be referred:

                                              Rural Affairs & Transport Legislation Committee Possible hearing date(s):

                                              Possible reporting date:

                                              8 February

                                              (signed)

                                              Senator McEwen

                                              Whip/Selection of Bills Committee member

                                              APPENDIX 6

                                              SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

                                              Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

                                              Name of bill:

                                                  Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

                                                                  Possible submissions or evidence from:

                                                                    Committee to which bill is to be referred:

                                                                      Possible reporting date:

                                                                        (signed)

                                                                        Senator Fifield

                                                                        Selection of Bills Committee member

                                                                        APPENDIX 7

                                                                        SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

                                                                        Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

                                                                        Name of bill:

                                                                        Social Security Legislation Amendment Bill 2011

                                                                        Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

                                                                        Consideration of measures forming part of the Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory legislation package

                                                                        Possible submissions or evidence from:

                                                                        Committee to which bill is to be referred:

                                                                        Senate Community Affairs Committee

                                                                        Possible hearing date(s):

                                                                        Possible reporting date:

                                                                        29/2/12

                                                                        (signed)

                                                                        Senator Fifield

                                                                        Selection of Bills Committee member

                                                                        APPENDIX 8

                                                                        SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

                                                                        Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

                                                                        Name of bill:

                                                                        Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory Bill 2011

                                                                        Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory(Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2011

                                                                        Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

                                                                        Effect of measures and implementation plans, evidence of community awareness/acceptance. Assessment of intended and unintended consequences.

                                                                        Possible submissions or evidence from:

                                                                        Northern Territory Government, FaHCSIA, Northern Land Council, Central Land council, NT Shire Councils, NT Indigenous Advisory Group, Aboriginal Legal Aid, Concerned Australians, Stop The Intervention group, affected individuals.

                                                                        Committee to which bill is to be referred:

                                                                        Community Affairs—Legislation Committee

                                                                        Possible hearing date(s):

                                                                        TBA

                                                                        Possible reporting date:

                                                                        29 Feb 2012

                                                                        (signed)

                                                                        Senator Fifield

                                                                        Selection of Bills Committee member

                                                                        by leave—I move:

                                                                        That the report be adopted.

                                                                        Question agreed to.