Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for School Education and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to 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:

Fair Work Amendment Bill 2012

National Gambling Reform (Related Matters) Bill (No. 1) 2012

National Gambling Reform (Related Matters) Bill (No. 2) 2012

National Gambling Reform Bill 2012

Superannuation Legislation Amendment (Further MySuper and Transparency Measures) Bill 2012

Treasury Legislation Amendment (Unclaimed Money and Other Measures) Bill 2012

Wheat Export Marketing Amendment Bill 2012.

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 document read as follows—

STATEMENT OF REASONS FOR INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGE IN THE 2012 SPRING SITTINGS

NATIONAL GAMBLING REFORM BILL

NATIONAL GAMBLING REFORM (RELATED MATTERS) BILL (No. 1)

NATIONAL GAMBLING REFORM (RELATED MATTERS) BILL (No. 2)

Purpose of the Bills

The bills deliver on the Government's commitments to reduce the harm caused by gaming machines to problem gamblers, the families and communities of problem gamblers, and those at risk of experiencing that harm, as announced on 21 January 2012.

The bills provide for the phased implementation of harm minimisation measures, including:

Reasons for Urgency

Passage as early as possible is essential to provide certainty to industry and the broader community in the lead-up to the measures applying under the Act, and to allow time for any necessary preparations to be undertaken.

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:

Customs Amendment (Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement Implementation and Other Measures) Bill 2012

Customs Tariff Amendment (Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement Implementation) Bill 2012.

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 document read as follows—

STATEMENT OF REASONS FOR INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGE IN THE 2012 SPRING SITTINGS

CUSTOMS AMENDMENT (MALAYSIA AUSTRALIA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION AND OTHER MEASURES) BILL

CUSTOMS TARIFF AMENDMENT (MALAYSIA-AUSTRALIA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION) BILL

Purpose of the Bills

The bills implement Australia's tariff commitments and obligations under the Rules of Origin Chapter in the Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement (MAFTA). The bills amend the Customs Act 1901 to define MAFTA originating goods and the Customs Tariff Act 1995 to provide preferential tariffs for MAFTA originating goods in accordance with MAFTA.

Reasons for Urgency

The MAFTA Treaty has been finalised and was tabled in Parliament on 14 August 2012 for the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT) to consider. Introduction of the bills can only occur after JSCOT has tabled its report on the Treaty.

The Governments of Australia and Malaysia have agreed to aim for the Treaty to enter into force on 1 January 2013.

The amendments in these bills are required before the Treaty can commence and hence the need to be passed before 29 November 2012.

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 Law Enforcement Integrity Legislation Amendment Bill 2012, allowing it to be considered during this period of sittings.

I also 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 document read as follows—

STATEMENT OF REASONS FOR INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGE IN THE 2012 SPRING SITTINGS

LAW ENFORCEMENT INTEGRITY LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL

Purpose of the Bill

The bill introduces a range of measures to increase the resistance of Commonwealth law enforcement agencies to corruption and to enhance the range of tools available to law enforcement agencies to respond to corruption.

The bill introduces integrity testing for staff members of the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Australian Crime Commission (ACC) and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (Customs) suspected of corrupt conduct. Integrity tests are operations designed to test whether a public official will respond to a simulated or controlled situation in a manner that is illegal or would contravene an agency's standard of integrity. The introduction of integrity testing has been recommended by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity.

The bill also increases the jurisdiction of the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity to include all staff in the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre and the CrimTrac Agency, and prescribed staff in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

The bill also enhances the powers of the CEO of Customs to deal with suspected corrupt conduct and brings those powers in to line with powers currently available to the AFP Commissioner and the ACC CEO.

Reasons for Urgency

This bill contains a number of measures aimed at addressing recently identified opportunities to strengthen the resistance to corruption of a number of key Commonwealth law enforcement agencies. Introduction and passage of this bill in the 2012 Spring sittings of Parliament will allow these important anti-corruption measures to be implemented as soon as possible. The agencies affected by this bill all play a key role in border security. Delay in passage of the bill may provide opportunities for vulnerabilities in these agencies to be exploited by organised crime.