The Governor-General Amendment (Salary) Bill 2019 (the Bill) was introduced in the House of Representatives on 14 February 2019 by the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and passed on 20 February 2019. The Bill seeks to amend the Governor-General Act 1974 to set the salary for the incoming Governor-General. Read more...
On 12 February 2019 the House of Representatives considered amendments made by the Senate to the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2018 (the Home Affairs Bill). The Government strongly opposed the Senate amendments, which sought to give greater weight to medical opinion when determining whether a medical evacuation from a regional processing country should occur, and attempted to prevent them from being considered by the House. However, as the Senate amendments were supported by the Opposition and a number of crossbench members, the Government unsuccessfully tried to stop the House from considering them, with further amendments being decided following negotiati... Read more...
Income management in Cape York and the cashless debit card trials in all of the current cashless debit card sites except Bundaberg and Hervey Bay are set to end on 30 June 2019. The Social Security (Administration) Amendment (Income Management and Cashless Welfare) Bill 2019 (the Bill) extends income management in Cape York and the expiring cashless debit card trial sites until 30 June 2020 (the Bundaberg and Hervey Bay trial already has an end date of 30 June 2020). The Minister for Families and Social Services, Paul Fletcher, announced a 12 month extension of the Cashless Debit Card in the Ceduna region (South Australia), the East Kimberley region (Western Australia) and the Goldfields reg... Read more...
On 13 February 2019, the Australian Government introduced the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Worker Screening Database) Bill 2019 (the Bill) into the House of Representatives. The Bill seeks to amend the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (NDIS Act) to establish a database for nationally consistent worker screening for the purposes of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Read more...
With the news in December 1900 that Governor-General Lord Hopetoun had invited Edmund Barton to form a protectionist ministry, George Reid assumed the mantle of de facto leader of the Free Traders and, therefore, of the official Opposition.[1] Reid’s task was a difficult one, as he later observed: The prestige attaching to such an able collection of Ministerial talent was enhanced by a general desire to give the first Ministry of Australia a fair trial. As a Ministry, it had no past and a flying start.[2] Barton and his ministry were able to hold office prior to any election by operation section 64 of the Constitution. Sworn into office on 1 January 1901, Barton’s interim minist... Read more...
The Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Amendment (Land Scheduling) Bill 2018 (the Bill) was introduced in the Senate on 5 December 2018. It contains one item in one Schedule that amends the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 (the Act) to add 3,105 hectares of land within Ammaroo Station to Part 4 of Schedule 1 of the Act, so that they can be granted as Aboriginal land. This fulfils the Ammaroo Indigenous Land Use Agreement made in October 2014. That agreement exchanges any exclusive native title held by the Kayteyte Alyawarr Awenyerraperte Ingherr-Wenh Aboriginal Corporation over approximately 193 km2 of former stock routes on the Ammaroo station, for Land Ri... Read more...
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