Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I 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:

Defence Legislation Amendment Bill 2011

Indigenous Affairs Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2011

National Residue Survey (Excise) Levy Amendment (Deer) Bill 2011

Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Amendment (Oils in the Antarctic Area) Bill 2011.

I 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 statements read as follows—

DEFENCE LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL 2011

Purpose of the Bill

The purpose of this Bill is to reflect certain Defence policy in Defence administered legislation, specifically the Defence Act 1903, Naval Defence Act 1910 and the Air Force Act 1923 to provide that a Service Chief’s day to day administrative responsibility for their respective Service cadets is subject to the direction of the Minister or the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF). The amendments will also provide the CDF with a delegation making power (to the Vice Chief of the Defence Force (VCDF)) in relation to cadet responsibility and direction.

Reasons for Urgency

Implementing this measure was a Labor 2010 election commitment: “A Gillard Labor Government will introduce legislation to give the Chief of the Defence Force more control and responsibility over the Cadets.” Implementation of the measure will strengthen the lines of accountability over for the ADF Cadet youth development organisation.

INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL (No. 2) 2011

Purpose of the Bill

This Bill amends the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act 2005 to make several minor governance and business changes. One of the amendments is to ensure that information held by Indigenous Business Australia will be appropriately protected but capable of being disclosed by that organisation in carrying out its proper functions, consistent with similar Commonwealth arrangements. Another change is to amend the agency head title of several portfolio bodies from ‘General Manager’ to ‘Chief Executive Officer’, as a better reflection of the responsibilities and expectations of these roles.

Reasons for Urgency

The amendment to the information-handling provision is important to enable Indigenous Business Australia to disclose information to agencies with responsibility for overseeing Commonwealth administrative practices – such as the Ombudsman and the Privacy Commissioner. This has not been possible to date because of a narrow focus in the provisions in question. In the past the current provisions have also prevented information being given to Commonwealth agencies working on joint initiatives with Indigenous Business Australia – and also to State and Territory agencies seeking to work more closely with Indigenous Business Australia to achieve better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities. The amended provision should overcome these difficulties, while maintaining appropriate protection of sensitive information. The new provisions will be consistent with similar Commonwealth arrangements for handling protected information, such as in the family assistance law and the Paid Parental Leave Act 2010.

The change from ‘General Manager’ to ‘Chief Executive Officer’ will support current and potentially imminent recruitment processes for vacancies, bringing them into line with most other similar agencies, and help the Boards of these agencies to attract higher calibre candidates.

NATIONAL RESIDUE SURVEY (EXCISE) LEVY AMENDMENT (DEER) BILL 2011

Purpose of the Bill

The National Residue Survey (Excise) Levy Amendment (Deer) Bill 2011 amends the National Residue Survey (Excise) Levy Act 1998 (the Act) to increase the maximum allowable levy rate (cap) for the National Residue Survey (NRS) component of the deer slaughter levy (the levy) from 4 to 10.5 cents per kilogram of carcase weight.

Reasons for Urgency

The Deer Industry Association of Australia, on behalf of the deer industry, has requested increasing the NRS component of the levy from 4 to 6 cents per kilogram as soon as possible in order to maintain a viable residue monitoring program. Approximately 85 per cent of venison produced in Australia is exported. The deer industry requires a residue monitoring program to access its key export markets.

Amendments to the Act to increase the NRS cap to 10.5 cents need to be in place to enable the consideration of amendments to the Primary Industries Levies and Charges (National Residue Survey Levies) Regulations 1998 to increase the NRS component of the levy from 4 to 6 cents per kilogram of carcase weight.

PROTECTION OF THE SEA (PREVENTION OF POLLUTION FROM SHIPS) AMENDMENT (OILS IN THE ANTARCTIC AREA) BILL

Purpose of the Bill

The bill amends the Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act 1983 to implement amendments to Annex I (Prevention of Pollution by Oil) to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) which are intended to prohibit the carriage or use on ships in the Antarctic area of heavy grade oils, and bitumen, tar and their emulsions.

Reasons for Urgency

The amendments to Annex I of MARPOL entered into force generally and for Australia on 1 August 2011. These amendments to MARPOL, which are important to protect the marine environment, cannot be enforced by Australia until amendments are made to the Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act 1983.

I move:

That the provisions of paragraphs (5) to (8) of standing order 111 not apply to the Clean Energy Bill 2011 and related bills, allowing the bills to be considered during this period of sittings.

I 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 statement s read as follows—

Purpose of the Bills

The bills implement a carbon pricing mechanism with the aim of reducing Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions and meeting Australia’s international emissions reduction obligations and commitments, and provide assistance to households and industry to adjust to a carbon price.

Reasons for Urgency

Australia needs to reduce its carbon pollution as part of global efforts to combat climate change. Cuts in global pollution are necessary to reduce the risks posed by unmitigated climate change. For Australia, these risks are large, threatening the economy, natural heritage and our way of life.

Timely introduction of a carbon price is the most cost-effective and economically responsible way of reducing Australia’s carbon pollution. Its timely introduction would enable Australia to play its part in global efforts to reduce the risks posed by climate change. A carbon price will also provide opportunities for innovation and investment in lower carbon technologies, and opportunities and rewards for improved land use management.

The Government is aiming to commence the carbon pricing mechanism on 1 July 2012. Passage of enabling legislation in the 2011 Spring sittings is required to provide sufficient time for businesses to prepare systems and procedures for complying with the mechanism and to consider any additional investments they may wish to make to reduce their emissions liabilities.

Sufficient time will also be needed to establish the Clean Energy Regulator, the Climate Change Authority and associated systems to administer the carbon pricing mechanism and engage effectively and efficiently with entities covered by it, to deliver assistance to households and industry and to establish any additional systems required to deliver this assistance.