Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) 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 various bills, allowing them to be considered during this period of sittings.

I also table statements of reasons justifying the need for the bills to be considered during these sittings and seek leave to have the statements incorporated in Hansard.

Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2023-2024

Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2023-2024

Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2023-2024

Autonomous Sanctions Amendment Bill 2024

Broadcasting Services Amendment (Community Television) Bill 2024

Competition and Consumer Amendment (Fair Go for Consumers and Small Business) Bill 2024

Social Services Legislation Amendment (Child Support and Family Assistance Technical Amendments) Bill 2024

Leave granted.

The statements read as follows—

STATEMENT OF REASONS FOR INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGE IN THE 2024 AUTUMN SITTINGS

APPROPRIATION BILL (NO. 3) 2023-2024

APPROPRIATION BILL (NO. 4) 2023-2024

APPROPRIATION (PARLIAMENTARY DEPARTMENTS) BILL (NO. 2) 2023-2024

Purpose of the Bills

The 2023-24 Additional Estimates Bills will propose appropriations from the Consolidated Revenue Fund to fund additional government expenditure to be incurred in 2023-24.

Reasons for Urgency

Appropriations proposed in the Additional Estimates Bills will provide funding to implement decisions that involve further expenditure in 2023-24, which have been made since the 2023-24 Budget.

Passage in the 2024 Autumn sittings is required to ensure continuity of the Government's programs and the Commonwealth's ability to meet its obligations for the 2023-24 financial year as they fall due; and facilitate the commencement of new measures that the Government may announce.

AUTONOMOUS SANCTIONS AMENDMENT BILL

Purpose of the Bill

The Bill seeks to amend the Autonomous Sanctions Act 2011 to confirm the validity of existing and future sanctions made under the Autonomous Sanctions Regulations 2011. More specifically the bill would:

Reasons for Urgency

Passage of the Bill in the 2024 Autumn sittings is required to confirm as soon as possible, the validity of listings based on past conduct/status beyond doubt, as well as clarify the validity of listings that rely on the Minister's discretion to impose sanctions.

It is important that any perceived ambiguities in the Act be addressed in a prompt manner, to avoid potential confusion as to the operation of the framework. Sanctions need to be clear as non-compliance carries criminal penalties. The Bill would provide certainty and transparency to individuals and businesses, so that they can effectively comply with sanctions laws.

BROADCASTING SERVICES AMENDMENT (COMMUNITY TELEVISION) BILL

Purpose of the Bill

The Bill allows for the extension of existing community television licences, provide instrument making powers for the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) for when an alternate technology or use of spectrum is identified in the future and harmonise code-making arrangements for community television licensees.

Reasons for Urgency

Community television licences in Melbourne and Adelaide are set to expire on 30 June 2024 unless amendments are made to the Radiocommunications Act 1992 (RA) and the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (BSA). If the licences expire, community television operators will no longer have access to the broadcasting services bands and their services will cease as a result. Viewers will no longer have access to these services.

This Bill needs to be passed during the 2024 Autumn sittings to allow time for the ACMA to commence and complete a number of consultation and merit assessment processes required to extend the existing licences before the critical 30 June 2024 expiration date. These cannot commence until the community television amendment is passed. This includes varying the Melbourne Television Licence Area Plan, which, as a legislative instrument, requires consultation be undertaken under section 17 of the Legislation Act 2003. Consultation processes require a reasonable period of time to complete.

Additionally, the ACMA will need to reissue a broadcasting services licence under Part 6 of the BSA, which requires a merits-based assessment. The reapplication process should not commence until it is certain there will be continued access to broadcasting services bands under the RA. The Bill passing the Parliament in March would allow for these processes to commence, be implemented and finalised prior to 30 June 2024.

COMPETITION AND CONSUMER AMENDMENT (FAIR GO FOR CONSUMERS AND SMALL BUSINESS) BILL 2024

Purpose of the Bill

The Bill will provide fairer outcomes to consumers and small businesses by:

Reasons for Urgency

Passage of the Bill in the 2024 Autumn sittings is required to:

SOCIAL SERVICES LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (CHILD SUPPORT AND FAMILY ASSISTANCE MEASURES) BILL 2024

Purpose of the Bill

This Bill introduces amendments to child support and family assistance legislation clarify the intended operation of the 'interim period' provisions for child support and family tax benefit (FTB). The 'interim period' provisions are relevant for determining a person's percentage of care for a child if a care arrangement (i.e. court order, or written agreement) is not being complied with.

Reasons for Urgency

Passage of the bill in the 2024 Autumn sittings is required to remedy as soon as practicable the unintended outcome of amendments by the Family Assistance and Child Support Legislation Amendment (Protecting Children) Act 2018, to the 'interim period' provisions for determining a person's percentage of care for a child.

Where there is a written care arrangement in place for a child (such as a parenting order or a parenting plan) a person's percentage of care for the child may be based on the written care arrangement for an 'interim period' (instead of the actual care that each person has for the child). At the end of the interim period, a person's percentage of care for the child will be based on the actual care. This encourages compliance with written care arrangements, especially court ordered arrangements, and reduces the child support and FTB impact on a parent when the other parent unilaterally withholds care of a child in contravention of a written care arrangement.

The effect of the 2018 amendments is that access to the interim period provisions is not available in almost all instances. This has the unintended consequence of rewarding non-compliance with written care arrangements by the separated parents of a child.