For the sitting period
14-17 August 2000
Select committee on nuclear contract
The Senate embarked on potentially a major inquiry with the
appointment on 15 August of a select committee to inquire into the
controversial awarding of the contract for a replacement for the
Lucas Heights nuclear reactor to an Argentinian firm. The
resolution of appointment of the committee requires it to report by
4 December. In response to a Senate order for production of
documents relating to the contract (see Bulletin No. 144, p. 1) the
government produced some documents, but has already raised claims
of commercial confidentiality in relation to others.
Order for production of documents
An order passed on 17 August calls for documents relating to the
SES scores of schools, which determine the provision of federal
funding. It will be interesting to see whether the government
claims that any of the required information should be withheld on
any ground. The deadline for the production of the documents is the
next day of sitting.
Estimates hearing —Employment Advocate
The extra estimates hearing ordered by the Senate on 28 June
(see Bulletin No. 144, p. 2) duly occurred. The Employment Advocate
clarified the basis on which he had declined to provide information
about workplace agreements, indicating that he did not claim that
he was prevented from doing so by the statute, but merely that he
thought it inappropriate to provide information about particular
firms. As a result of the hearing some compromise may have been
reached about the information to be supplied.
Legislation: bill rejected
The Workplace Relations Amendment (Unfair Dismissals) Bill 1998
was rejected on the second reading on 14 August. Although the issue
involved in the bill, exempting small businesses from the unfair
dismissal laws, has been before the Senate on previous occasions,
this is the first rejection for this particular bill. There were
claims that the government brought forward the bill in the hope of
having it rejected twice to give itself the option of a double
dissolution under section 57 of the Constitution.
Another workplace relations bill, the Workplace Relations
Amendment Bill 2000, is opposed by the opposition, and extensive
amendments have been circulated by the Democrats. Proceedings on
that bill were not concluded by the end of the period.
Proceedings on another complex bill, the Environmental
Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2000, were also not concluded,
but the bill has already been extensively amended.
Delegated legislation
Workplace relations also provided the subject for the
disallowance by the Senate on 17 August of a set of
regulations, accompanied by heated debate on the motives of the
responsible minister in seeking to enact provisions which are known
not to have the support of the Senate.
The Regulations and Ordinances Committee presented on 17 August
its annual statement on its work during the past year, indicating
that the committee has scrutinised a very large volume of
legislation and brought about changes to significant numbers of
instruments.
Vacancy
Another vacancy was created in the Senate on 15 August by the
sudden resignation due to ill-health of Senator Quirke (Labor,
South Australia).
Senate Daily Summary
The Senate Daily Summary provides more detailed information on Senate proceedings, including progress of legislation, committee reports and other documents tabled and major actions by the Senate. Like this bulletin, Senate Daily Summary may be reached through the Senate home page at www.senate.gov.au.
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