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

I present the 12th report of 2017 of the Selection of Bills Committee. I seek leave to have the report incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The report read as follows—

SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE

REPORT NO. 12 OF 2017

1. The committee met in private session on Wednesday, 18 October 2017 at 7.17 pm.

2. The committee recommends that—

(a) the provisions of the Coastal Trading (Revitalising Australian Shipping) Amendment Bill 2017 be referred immediately to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee but was unable to reach agreement on a reporting date (see appendix 1 for a statement of reasons for referral);

(b) the provisions of the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Housing Affordability) Bill 2017 be referred immediately to the Community Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 27 November 2017 (see appendix 2 for a statement of reasons for referral); and

(c) contingent upon introduction in the House of Representatives, the provisions of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Banking Executive Accountability and Related Measures) Bill 2017 be referred immediately to the Economics Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 24 November 2017 (see appendix 3 for a statement of reasons for referral).

3. The committee recommends that the following bills not be referred to committees:

Customs Tariff Amendment (Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement Amendment Implementation) Bill 2017

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

5. The committee considered the following bill but was unable to reach agreement:

(David Bushby) Chair

19 October 2017

APPENDIX 1

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

Name of bill:

Coastal Trading (Revitalising Australian Shipping) Amendment Bill 2017

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

Possible submissions or evidence from:

Committee to which bill is to be referred:

Senate Rural Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee

Possible hearing date(s):

To be determined by the Committee.

Possible reporting date:

9 February 2018.

APPENDIX 2

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

Name of bill:

Social Services Legislation Amendment (Housing Affordability) Bill 2017

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

The Bill requires further scrutiny

Possible submissions or evidence from:

National Shelter, State and Territory Tenants' Unions, ACOSS, State and Territory housing authorities, National Affordable Housing Providers Inc., Community Housing Industry Association, PowerHousing, Department of Social Services.

Committee to which bill is to be referred:

Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee

Possible hearing date(s):

To be determined by the committee

Possible reporting date:

27 November 2017

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

Name of bill:

Social Services Legislation Amendment (Housing Affordability) Bill 2017

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

Effect on income support recipients

Possible submissions or evidence from:

ACOSS, National Social Security Rights Network, National Shelter, Anglicare Australia, UnitingCare Australia, Catholic Social Services

Committee to which bill is to be referred:

Committee Affairs Legislation Committee

Possible hearing date(s):

Possible reporting date:

Feb 2018

APPENDIX 3

Proposal to refer a bill to a committee

Name of bill:

Treasury Laws Amendment (Banking Executive Accountability and Related Measures) Bill 2017

Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:

Possible submissions or evidence from:

Committee to which bill is to be referred:

Possible hearing date(s):

To be determined by the committee

Possible reporting date:

24 November 2017

I move:

That the report be adopted.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move the following amendment:

At the end of the motion, add "and, in respect of the Fair Work Laws Amendment (Proper Use of Worker Benefits) Bill 2017, the provisions of the bill be referred to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 10 November 2017".

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I need your direction, Madam Deputy President. I have circulated an amendment on the Selection of Bills Committee report in the chamber as well. It deals with a similar bill. I don't know now whether my amendment is an amendment to Senator Fifield's amendment.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think what would be helpful at this stage, Senator Gallagher, is for you to move an amendment to the date amendment that Senator Fifield has dealt with, and then we can deal with your second bill, which is listed at (1).

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you. I move an amendment to Senator Fifield's amendment:

At the end of the motion, add:

(1) but, in respect of the provisions of the Coastal Trading (Revitalising Australian Shipping) Amendment Bill 2017, the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee report by 4 December 2017;

(2) and, in respect of the provisions of Fair Work Laws Amendment (Proper Use of Worker Benefits) Bill 2017, the provisions be referred immediately to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 12 February 2018.

The reporting date is the only change to Senator Fifield's amendment. We don't believe that, considering the legislative workload for the rest of the year, it's reasonable to expect, for a bill which we haven't seen, which we have only read about in the paper, that an inquiry and a report be done in essentially the next two weeks. I think it's entirely reasonable for a bill on this matter—on which, I imagine, based on the reports we read in the newspaper, there will be disputed views—to have a reasonable time frame. The reason it is February is more that we don't sit in January. We're not trying to unreasonably delay, but we believe that it is reasonable for the committee to have time to take submissions, to have hearings and to report back to the Senate in an orderly way.

David Leyonhjelm (NSW, Liberal Democratic Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can I ask that the dates in relation to the coastal trading amendment bill and the Fair Work laws amendment bill be dealt with separately rather than together? I intend to vote different ways on them.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes. We're just dealing with Fair Work, but thank you for the clarity.

The question is that the amendment as moved by Senator Gallagher to amend the reporting date on the Fair Work laws amendment bill be agreed to.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question now is the amendment as proposed by Senator Fifield to amend the reporting date of the Fair Work Laws amendment bill to 10 November.

Question agreed to.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I now move the first section of the amendment that has been circulated in my name:

That the Coastal Trading (Revitalising Australian Shipping) Amendment Bill 2017 be referred to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 4 December 2017.

Original question, as amended, agreed to.