David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present the sixth report for 2015 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. 6 OF 2015

1. The committee met in private session on Monday, 15 June 2015 at 7.19 pm.

2. The committee resolved to recommend—That—

(a) the provisions of the National Health Amendment (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2015 be referred immediately to the Economics Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 23 June 2015 (see appendix 1 for a statement of reasons for referral); and

(b) the provisions of the Water Amendment Bill 2015 be referred immediately to the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 8 September 2015 (see appendix 2 for a statement of reasons for referral).

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

Export Charges (Imposition—Customs) Bill 2015

Export Charges (Imposition—Excise) Bill 2015

Export Charges (Collection) Bill 2015

Energy Grants and Other Legislation Amendment (Ethanol and Biodiesel) Bill 2015

Private Health Insurance (Prudential Supervision) Bill 2015

Private Health Insurance (Prudential Supervision) (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2015

Private Health Insurance Supervisory Levy Imposition Bill 2015

Private Health Insurance (Risk Equalisation Levy) Amendment Bill 2015

Private Health Insurance (Collapsed Insurer Levy) Amendment Bill 2015

Tax Laws Amendment (Small Business Measures No. 2) Bill 2015.

The committee recommends accordingly.

4. The committee considered the following bills but was unable to reach agreement:

Medical Research Future Fund (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2015.

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

Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2015

Imported Food Charges (Imposition—Customs) Bill 2015

Imported Food Charges (Imposition—Excise) Bill 2015

Imported Food Charges (Collection) Bill 2015

(David Bushby)

Chair

16 June 2015

Appendix 1

SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

Proposal to refer a bill to a com mittee

Name of bill:

National Health Amendment {Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 201.S

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

To allow stakeholders to respond to the proposed changes.

Possible submissions or evidence from:

Consumers Health Forum, Public Health Association of Australia, Generic Medicines Industry Association, Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Medicines Australia.

Committee to which bill is to be referred:

Economics

Possible hearing date(s):

19 June 2015

Possible reporting date:

23 June 2015

(signed)

Senator McEwen

Appendix 2

SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

Name of bill:

Water Amendment Bill 2015

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

The bill imposes a limit of 1500 gigalitres for Commonwealth buybacks of water across the Murray-Darling Basin. This is despite water purchase from willing sellers widely recognised as the most cost effective means of water recovery for the environment.

The Murray Darling Basin Plan mandates the recovery of 2750 GL of water for the environment by 2019. Water recovery to date is 1951 GL - about 70% of the required total.

The government has expressed a preference for recovering the remaining water through infrastructure projects but has not clarified how this will occur. However it is recognised that buybacks of water are 2 to 7 times cheaper than 'other' forms of water recovery.

The bill will significantly impact key stakeholders and have environmental impacts. An inquiry will allow these impacts to be brought to lights.

Possible submissions or evidence from: Environment Victoria; Inland Rivers Network; Water Services Association of Australia; Aboriginal Land Council; WWF; Wentworth Group of Scientists; Wilderness Society; Queensland Conservation; UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures; CSU Institute for Land, Water & Society; eWater.

Committee to which bill is to be referred:

Environment and Communications

Possible hearing date(s):

September

Possible reporting date:

September

(signed)

Senator Rachel Siewert

I move:

  That the report be adopted.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

At the end of the motion, add, "but,

(a) in respect of the Medical Research Future Fund Bill 2015 and the Medical Research Future Fund (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2015 the provisions of the bill be referred immediately to the Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by and 10 August 2015; and

(b) noting that the provisions of the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Fair and Sustainable Pensions) Bill 2015 are under inquiry by the Community Affairs Legislation Committee, that the committee report on the bill by 10 August 2015.

This amendment to the motion to adopt the report relates to extensions to reports on two bills. One is the Medical Research Future Fund Bill, and the cognate Medical Research Future fund (Consequential Amendments) Bill. We ask that it be referred to the Finance and Public and Administration Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 10 August. We believe that this is an extraordinarily complex bill. It incorporates a large chunk of budget, it has been under discussion for some time and there are various views from research facilities around the place as to exactly how it is going to operate, so we think there is a requirement that such an important piece of legislation actually have the opportunity for a process of inquiry through the finance and public administration committee. We are not asking for a long extension, just until the first sitting when we return in the new financial year. But we think it is very important that, with such a bill, the views of people in the community, not just in the medical research community but in the wider community who been hearing about this bill for a long time, be given consideration and the opportunity of a hearing.

The other bill is the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Fair and Sustainable Pensions) Bill. We are also asking that that be deferred for the same period of time, to 10 August. This is an interesting one because the initial bill that came to us, which was part of the budget cut-off in terms of issues in the budget that needed to be heard, included a number of elements. In this case, there were six particular elements in this one bill. It is not uncommon that we have a number of issues in one bill, but the particularly concerning bit for us is that the implementation dates of these elements vary immensely. Only one of the elements, which was in fact the energy supplement, needs urgent consideration, and we accept that. If you are wanting to move something quickly, the energy supplement has a commencement date of 20 June 2015, which is quite soon.

However, in this element of quite complex considerations—and, again, it is a significant budget measure out of this year's budget—two of the elements, the education supplement and the education entry payment, both of which were part of last year's budget and which we had discussions about, are not due for implementation until 1 January 2016. The capped deductible amount is in January 2016 as well. But the really large elements, and the core aspects of savings as put forward in these bills, relate to pensions outside Australia and the significant asset test changes that have been such a core element of the proposals put before this place by the government. Those elements of the bill are not due for implementation until 1 January 2017.

This is an important area of discussion. We know, as parliamentarians, that we have received a number of representations from people who are concerned about their futures—about their future earnings and the assets changes proposed in this budget. There has been no opportunity for scrutiny of this bill in the way it deserves through the Community Affairs Committee to this point. As we know, the numbers in the legislation committee process are held by the government. Originally there was an expectation that this bill, amongst three others, would be reported on by this week, with no opportunity for any scrutiny beyond looking at the papers because we were in the middle of Senate estimates. There has already been a proposal, which I believe the Community Affairs Committee are looking at, for this bill to be looked at with a reporting date next week. While we say that that is an improvement on reporting this week, it is not sufficient. It is not sufficient for this Senate not to have the amount of scrutiny that these changes should receive. The impact on Australians, the impact on future pensions in this country and the impact on families is significant. There are a range of views and concerns. We say that it is not good enough to bring a package of proposals into this place and say that because one element has an urgent time frame it should be all wrapped up together in one parcel and heard and then be brought back to this place with too quick a turnaround.

We believe that these changes are significant enough—they certainly are complex enough, when you go through the data on the changes to the assets process and also look at the composite impact of the changes proposed in this bill—to require effective scrutiny by the Senate. We know that scrutiny will not always lead to agreement, but we do believe that the job of this place is to scrutinise legislation. Again, 10 August is not an outrageous ask and our amendment proposes that extension.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I indicate in relation to part (a) of Senator Moore's motion that the government would very much like to deal with the MRFF legislation so that it can take effect from 1 August. Delay in establishing the fund will slow the future earnings that will support additional investment in medical research.

In relation to part (b) of Senator Moore's motion, it is important for the chamber to recognise that the practice under this government and the previous government has been that budget bills which are time critical are automatically referred to legislation committees with an early reporting date. It is something that occurred under the previous government and something that we supported, and it is something that has occurred under this government for the last two budgets. In relation to the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Fair and Sustainable Pensions) Bill, the chamber actually agreed that it would be reported on on Monday of this week but with the agreement and support of the government that reporting date was extended to Monday of next week. So the government has supported an extension of time already. If the opposition had a different view at the time the extension of the reporting date was agreed in this chamber, they should have given voice to and expressed that view. The chamber has already expressed its view and taken a decision on two occasions in relation to the reporting date of this inquiry into this legislation. I thought it was important that the chamber be apprised of those particular facts.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I have just been advised that we are seeking to amend our amendment so that the Medical Research Future Fund Bill also be referred to the Community Affairs Committee rather than the Finance and Public Administration Committee. I do apologise for that.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does anyone wish to speak to the amendment? Senator Siewert.

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They had me on this one, but I do not know now that it has been referred to the Community Affairs Committee. We are of a mind to support this amendment. These are important bills. While we may be more favourably disposed to some of the provisions of the social services legislation, there are other provisions that we are not favourably disposed to. They could have some significant consequences, so we are of a mind to support these extensions.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—Given that they are two separate and distinct issues, I raise the question of whether they should be put separately to the chamber.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It would be my intention to put parts (a) and (b) as separate motions, unless anyone strongly objects to that. The question is that part (a) of the amendment moved by Senator Moore to the Selection of Bills Committee report be agreed to. Those in favour, on part (a) only, say aye; those against, say no.

I think the noes have it.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The ayes have it.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Division required?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, they've got it.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Okay, no division required.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sorry, what are we agreeing to?

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We voted aye.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Oh, I did not hear the Greens call for the ayes. I will put it again because we have divided this amendment. The question is that part A of Senator Moore's amendment to Senator Bushby's motion be agreed to.

Question agreed to.

I will now put part B of the motion moved by Senator Moore. The question is that part B on the amendment circulated by Senator Moore to Senator Bushby's motion be agreed to.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question now is that the motion moved by Senator Bushby, as amended, be agreed to.