ABBREVIATIONS — parties, stages and committees
AC | Australian Conservatives | LDP | Liberal Democratic Party |
AG | Australian Greens | LP | Liberal Party of Australia [Govt] |
ALP | Australian Labor Party [Opp] | Nats | The Nationals [Govt] |
CA | Centre Alliance (formerly Nick Xenophon Team) | NXT | Nick Xenophon Team |
DHJP | Derryn Hinch's Justice Party | PHON | Pauline Hanson's One Nation |
FFP | Family First Party | SBC | Senate Selection of Bills Committee |
Ind | Independent | SC | House of Representatives Selection Committee |
KAP | Katter's Australian Party | UAP | United Australia Party |
JLN | Jacqui Lambie Network | | |
(Mr Clare MP — ALP)
The bill: prohibits the Commonwealth from entering into a trade agreement that includes certain provisions; requires the Commonwealth to include in all bilateral trade agreements a labour chapter with internationally recognised labour principles; prohibits the Commonwealth from entering into a trade agreement unless the agreement requires skills assessments to be undertaken in Australia; requires the minister to commission an independent national interest assessment of any proposed trade agreement; and provides for the establishment of an accredited trade advisers program.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 15/10/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 15/10/18
(Senator Carr — ALP)
The bill: prohibits the Commonwealth from entering into a trade agreement that includes certain provisions; requires the Commonwealth to include in all bilateral trade agreements a labour chapter with internationally recognised labour principles; prohibits the Commonwealth from entering into a trade agreement unless the agreement requires skills assessments to be undertaken in Australia; requires the minister to commission an independent national interest assessment of any proposed trade agreement; and provides for the establishment of an accredited trade advisers program.
Senate:
- Introduced 15/10/18
- 2nd reading agreed to 12/11/18
(Senator Leyonhjelm — LDP)
Amends the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 to remove goods and services tax from the supply of electricity.
Senate:
- Introduced 5/9/17
- Negatived at 2nd reading 7/9/17
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 23/8/18
(Health portfolio)
Part of a package of three bills to increase maximum excess levels for private hospital cover, the bill amends the A New Tax System (Medicare Levy Surcharge—Fringe Benefits) Act 1999 to: give effect to new maximum voluntary excess levels that are permitted for a complying health insurance policy to exempt the holder from the Medicare Levy Surcharge; and remove the grandfathering provisions that provided Medicare levy surcharge exemptions for certain policies that pre-date the commencement of the Private Health Insurance Act 2007.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Passed 31/5/18
Senate:
- Introduced 18/6/18
- Bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 19/6/18; report tabled 13/8/18
- 2nd reading amendments: 1 AG/passed; 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 10/9/18
Assent: 21/9/18 (Act No. 99, 2018)
(Indigenous Affairs portfolio)
Amends the: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act 2005 to: give the Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC) functions in relation to water-related rights; require the ILC to prepare a National Indigenous Land and Sea Strategy and regional indigenous land and sea strategies; align rules for dealings in water-related rights granted by the ILC, or acquired with ILC assistance, with rules for dealings in land granted by, or acquired with, ILC assistance; and include experience in water management as a qualifying criteria for membership of the ILC Board; and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act 2005 and Remuneration Tribunal Act 1973 to rename the ILC as the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Consideration in detail amendments: 2 Govt/passed
- Passed 25/10/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee 28/3/18 (SBC report 4/18); progress report presented out of sitting 1/5/18; final report tabled 8/5/18
- Introduced 12/11/18
- Passed 28/11/18
Assent: 30/11/18 (Act No. 144, 2018)
(Indigenous Affairs portfolio)
Introduced with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land and Sea Future Fund (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2018, the bill provides for the establishment of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land and Sea Future Fund as a dedicated financial asset fund for the making of annual and discretionary payments to the Indigenous Land Corporation.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Consideration in detail amendments: 9 Govt/passed
- Passed 25/10/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee 28/3/18 (SBC report 4/18); progress report presented out of sitting 1/5/18; final report tabled 8/5/18
- Introduced 12/11/18
- Passed 28/11/18
Assent: 30/11/18 (Act No. 145, 2018)
(Indigenous Affairs portfolio)
Introduced with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land and Sea Future Fund Bill 2018, the bill amends: the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act 2005 to close the Land Account; five Acts to make consequential amendments to support the operation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land and Sea Future Fund on commencement; and the proposed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land and Sea Future Fund Act 2018 to make amendments contingent on the repeal of the Nation-building Funds Act 2008 and enactment of the proposed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Amendment (Indigenous Land Corporation) Act 2018. Also provides for transitional arrangements.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Consideration in detail amendments: 4 Govt/passed
- Passed 25/10/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee 28/3/18 (SBC report 4/18); progress report presented out of sitting 1/5/18; final report tabled 8/5/18
- Introduced 12/11/18
- Passed 28/11/18
Assent: 30/11/18 (Act No. 146, 2018)
(Previous title: Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Amendment Bill 2017)
(Indigenous Affairs portfolio)
Amends the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 to: enable certain Kakadu and Urapunga land to be granted as Aboriginal land; and provide for the leaseback of the Kakadu land to the Director of National Parks.
Senate:
- Introduced 6/12/17
- Committee amendments: 2 Govt/passed
- Passed 26/11/18
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/11/18
- Read a 1st time 28/11/18
(Indigenous Affairs portfolio)
Amends the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 to enable an area of land that is detailed in the Ammaroo Indigenous Land Use Agreement, National Native Title Tribunal Number DI2014/003 (Ammaroo Land), to be granted as Aboriginal land.
Senate:
- Introduced 5/12/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 5/12/18
(Senator Hinch — DHJP)
Amends the Aged Care Act 1997 to prescribe a mandated ratio of skilled staff to care recipients in government-funded aged care residential facilities.
Senate:
- Introduced 6/9/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 6/9/17, 7/9/17
(Ms Sharkie MP — CA)
Amends the Aged Care Act 1997 to require approved residential care service providers to notify the secretary of the ratios of aged care recipients to staff members, broken down into categories of staff members, on a quarterly basis.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 20/8/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 20/8/18
- Bill referred to House of Representatives Health, Aged Care and Sport Committee 22/8/18 (SC report no. 29); report tabled 7/12/18
(Health portfolio)
Introduced with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2018, the bill: establishes the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to replace the existing Australian Aged Care Quality Agency and Aged Care Complaints Commission from 1 January 2019; provides for the functions, powers, appointment and terms and conditions of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner; provides for staff of the commission; and establishes the Aged Care Quality and Safety Advisory Council and provides for its functions, membership, procedures, reporting and planning, information sharing and entry and search powers.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 12/9/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 17/10/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 13/9/18 (SBC report 10/18); extensions of time to report 19/9/18, 15/10/18; report presented out of sitting 19/10/18
- Introduced 17/10/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 CA/negatived
- Committee amendments: 9 Govt/passed; 2 AG/negatived; 1 AG to Govt/negatived; 1 CA/negatived
- Passed 26/11/18
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives agreed to Senate amendments 27/11/18
Assent: 10/12/18 (Act No. 149, 2018)
(Health portfolio)
Introduced with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Bill 2018, the bill: repeals the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency Act 2013 and Australian Aged Care Quality Agency (Transitional Provisions) Act 2013; provides for the transfer of the functions and operation of the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency and Aged Care Complaints Commissioner to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission; provides for the transfer of members of the Quality Agency Advisory Council to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Advisory Council; and makes consequential amendments to the Aged Care Act 1997, Aged Care (Transitional Provisions) Act 1997 and Freedom of Information Act 1982.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 12/9/18
- Passed 17/10/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 13/9/18 (SBC report 10/18); extensions of time to report 19/9/18, 15/10/18; report presented out of sitting 19/10/18
- Introduced 17/10/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 CA/negatived
- Passed 26/11/18
Assent: 10/12/18 (Act No. 150, 2018)
(Health portfolio)
Amends the: Aged Care Act 1997 and Australian Aged Care Quality Agency Act 2013 to provide for a single set of aged care quality standards to apply to all Commonwealth funded aged care providers; Australian Aged Care Quality Agency Act 2013 to vary the functions of the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency to reference the Aged Care Quality Standards; and Freedom of Information Act 1982 to exempt protected information acquired by the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency from disclosure under the Act.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 24/5/18
- Passed 20/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 25/6/18
- Committee amendments: 3 DHJP/negatived
- Passed 10/9/18
Assent: 21/9/18 (Act No. 102, 2018)
(Agriculture and Water Resources portfolio)
Amends the: Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Products (Collection of Levy) Act 1994 and Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Administration) Act 1992 to simplify reporting requirements for annual returns; Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code Act 1994 to: enable the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) to manage errors in an application at the preliminary assessment stage, grant part of a variation application, and vary a label approval where that approval is suspended; enable the APVMA and Food Standards Australia New Zealand to agree on appropriate timeframes for notifications about variations to the Maximum Residue Limits Standard; and clarify that the 'expiry date' is the date after which a chemical product must not be used; and Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Administration) Act 1992 and Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code Act 1994 to: establish civil pecuniary penalties for providing false or misleading information; and make minor and technical amendments, including the removal of redundant provisions.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 25/10/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 12/2/18
Senate:
- Introduced 13/2/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 13/2/18
(Agriculture and Water Resources portfolio)
Amends the: Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code Act 1994 in relation to: approval and registration for prescribed active constituents, chemical products or labels; information to be taken into account by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) in determining applications; limits on use of information; computerised decision-making by the APVMA; notification and publication of voluntary recalls; obligations on holders and applicants to inform the APVMA of new information where it relates to the safety criteria; the definition of 'registered chemical product'; suspension or cancellation of approval or registration for provision of false or misleading information; supply of registered chemical products with unapproved label; variation of approval of registration during suspension; safety, efficacy, trade and labelling criteria; notice requirements for notices provided to Food Standards Australia New Zealand by the APVMA; and amendment of an incorrect reference in the Agvet Code; Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Administration) Act 1992 and Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code Act 1994 to: enable the APVMA to prescribe an accreditation scheme for third party assessment providers; and make minor and machinery changes including the removal of unnecessary and redundant provisions; Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Administration) Act 1992 to remove the requirement for the APVMA to prepare an annual operational plan; and Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Legislation Amendment Act 2013 to align the timing of reviews of agvet legislation. Also repeals the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Legislation Amendment (Removing Re-approval and Re-registration) Act 2014.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 18/10/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 18/10/18
Senate:
(Agriculture and Water Resources portfolio)
Introduced with the Excise Levies Legislation Amendment (Honey) Bill 2016, the bill amends the: Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Administration) Act 1992 to cease the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) Advisory Board; Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code Act 1994 to: amend the information that the APVMA is required to provide to Food Standards Australia New Zealand; and amend an incorrect reference in the Agvet Code; Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry Act 1997 to: remove the requirements for an export licence to export meat by-products and for certain documents to be tabled; and repeal obsolete provisions; Biosecurity Act 2015 to make minor technical amendments; Dairy Produce Act 1986, Forestry Marketing and Research and Development Services Act 2007 and Sugar Research and Development Services Act 2013 to remove the requirements for certain documents to be tabled; Farm Household Support Act 2014 to remove the ability of the secretary to delegate their general rule-making power; Fisheries Administration Act 1991 to cease the Fishing Industry Policy Council; Fisheries Management Act 1991 to: enable the Australian Fisheries Management Authority to renew an existing permit without existing permit holders needing to re-apply; transfer the functions of the Statutory Fishing Rights Allocation Review Panel to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, and cease the panel; and remove the text of the Treaty on Fisheries between the Governments of Certain Pacific Island States and the Government of the United States of America; Illegal Logging Prohibition Act 2012 to enable the secretary to delegate certain powers; Primary Industries Research and Development Act 1989 to remove the requirement for the minister to organise an annual co-ordination meeting for the chairs of the statutory research and development corporations; and Water Amendment (Review Implementation and Other Measures) Act 2016 to clarify dates for water-related reviews and change a commencement date. Also repeals the Rural Adjustment Act 1992 to cease the National Rural Advisory Council, makes consequential amendments to the Natural Heritage Trust of Australia Act 1997 and repeals 12 redundant Acts.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 1/12/16
- Passed 13/2/17
Senate:
- Introduced 14/2/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 14/2/17
(Senator Rice — AG)
Amends the: Air Services Act 1995 to: provide that the functions of Airservices Australia (AA) include undertaking activities to protect the human and natural environment, community amenity and residential areas from the effects of the operation and use of aircraft, and associated effects; introduce new consultation arrangements for AA and persons affected by aircraft noise; require AA to consider the need to minimise the impact of aircraft operations on the human and natural environment, community amenity and residential areas when preparing corporate plans; expand the AA board by up to two members and require that it include an expert in environmental management and a representative of a community group affected by aircraft noise; and provide for the creation and operations of the Aircraft Noise Ombudsman and related reporting arrangements; and Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 to require the minister to appoint an independent Community Aviation Advocate to represent communities affected by aircraft noise.
Senate:
- Introduced 27/3/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 27/3/18
- Bill referred to Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee 28/3/18 (SBC report 4/18); extension of time to report 18/6/18; report tabled 16/8/18
(Mr Bandt MP — AG)
Amends the: Air Services Act 1995 to: provide that the functions of Airservices Australia (AA) include undertaking activities to protect the human and natural environment, community amenity and residential areas from the effects of the operation and use of aircraft, and associated effects; introduce new consultation arrangements for AA and persons affected by aircraft noise; require AA to consider the need to minimise the impact of aircraft operations on the human and natural environment, community amenity and residential areas when preparing corporate plans; expand the AA board by up to two members and require that it include an expert in environmental management and a representative of a community group affected by aircraft noise; and provide for the creation and operations of the Aircraft Noise Ombudsman and related reporting arrangements; and Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 to require the minister to appoint an independent Community Aviation Advocate to represent communities affected by aircraft noise.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 21/5/18
- Removed from Notice Paper 23/10/18
(Previous title: Airports Amendment Bill 2016)
(Infrastructure and Transport portfolio)
Amends the Airports Act 1996 to: implement a differential master plan submission cycle for federal leased airports (excluding Mount Isa and Tennant Creek); mandate the inclusion of an Australian Noise Exposure Forecast in each new master plan; increase the monetary trigger for major development plans (MDPs) from $20 million to $35 million and enable the minister to review and revise the monetary trigger every three years; specify a 15 business day statutory timeframe within which the minister must consider applications from airport-lessee companies for reduced consultation periods for MDPs, with such applications deemed approved if there is no ministerial decision within this timeframe; enable the minister to extend more than once the period that approved MDPs are required to be substantially completed; enable airport-lessee companies to notify the minister if an approved MDP is not able to proceed on the basis of exceptional circumstances; and make technical amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 1/12/16
- Consideration in detail amendments: 2 Opp/passed
- Passed 13/8/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee 9/2/17 (SBC report 1/17); interim report tabled 28/3/17; extension of time for final report 28/3/17; final report tabled 19/3/18
- Introduced 15/8/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 AG/negatived
- Passed 12/9/18
Assent: 21/9/18 (Act No. 107, 2018)
(Senator Rhiannon — AG, Senator Hinch — DHJP and Senator Storer — Ind)
Amends the Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry Act 1997, Export Control Act 1982 and proposed Export Control Act 2018 to restrict the long haul export of live sheep and lambs during the northern hemisphere summer months of July, August or September in a five year transitional period, or at any time after that period, where the voyage is by ship and of duration exceeding 10 days, and where a place in that voyage is either the Persian Gulf or the Red Sea (regardless of whether it is the final destination).
Senate:
- Introduced 18/6/18
- Passed 10/9/18
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 10/9/18
- Read a 1st time 10/9/18
(Finance portfolio)
Appropriates additional money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the ordinary annual services of the government, in addition to the appropriations provided for by the Appropriation Act (No. 1) 2017-2018.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 8/2/18
- Passed 26/2/18
Senate:
- Introduced 19/3/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 LDP/negatived
- Committee requests for amendments: 2 LDP/negatived
- Passed 19/3/18
Assent: 28/3/18 (Act No. 18, 2018)
(Finance portfolio)
Appropriates additional money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for certain expenditure, in addition to the appropriations provided for by the Appropriation Act (No. 2) 2017-2018. Also repeals 15 Appropriation Acts from the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 financial years.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 8/2/18
- Passed 26/2/18
Senate:
- Introduced 19/3/18
- Committee amendments: 2 LDP/negatived
- Passed 19/3/18
Assent: 28/3/18 (Act No. 19, 2018)
(Finance portfolio)
Appropriates additional money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the ordinary annual services of the government, in addition to the appropriations provided for by the Appropriation Act (No. 1) 2017-2018 and Appropriation Act (No. 3) 2017-2018.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 8/5/18
- Passed 21/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 25/6/18
- Passed 25/6/18
Assent: 27/6/18 (Act No. 48, 2018)
(Finance portfolio)
Appropriates additional money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for certain expenditure, in addition to the appropriations provided for by the Appropriation Act (No. 2) 2017-2018 and Appropriation Act (No. 4) 2017-2018.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 8/5/18
- Passed 21/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 25/6/18
- Passed 25/6/18
Assent: 27/6/18 (Act No. 49, 2018)
(Finance portfolio)
Appropriates money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the ordinary annual services of the government.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 8/5/18
- Passed 21/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 25/6/18
- Passed 25/6/18
Assent: 27/6/18 (Act No. 50, 2018)
(Finance portfolio)
Appropriates money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for certain expenditure.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 8/5/18
- Passed 21/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 25/6/18
- Passed 25/6/18
Assent: 27/6/18 (Act No. 51, 2018)
(Finance portfolio)
Appropriates money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for expenditure in relation to the parliamentary departments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 8/5/18
- Passed 21/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 25/6/18
- Passed 25/6/18
Assent: 27/6/18 (Act No. 52, 2018)
(Act citation: ASIC Supervisory Cost Recovery Levy Amendment Act 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Introduced with the Treasury Laws Amendment (2017 Measures No. 5) Bill 2017, the bill amends the ASIC Supervisory Cost Recovery Levy Act 2017 to add benchmark administrator licensees to the list of entities from which the Australian Securities and Investments Commission may recover its regulatory costs.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 7/9/17
- Passed 28/2/18
Senate:
- Introduced 19/3/18
- Passed 28/3/18
Assent: 11/4/18 (Act No. 24, 2018)
(Jobs and Innovation portfolio)
Amends the Australian Astronomical Observatory Act 2010 to: amend the short title of the Act to the Astronomical Functions Act 2010; substitute a new outline of the Act; and abolish the Australian Astronomical Observatory (AAO) and AAO Advisory Committee. Also repeals the Australian Astronomical Observatory (Transitional Provisions) Act 2010 and provides for transitional arrangements.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Passed 19/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 19/6/18
- Passed 28/6/18
Assent: 29/6/18 (Act No. 59, 2018)
(Mr Wilkie MP — Ind)
Seeks to give effect to certain provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child by: declaring an Australian Bill of Rights; providing that any Commonwealth, state or territory law that is inconsistent with the Bill of Rights is invalid to the extent of the inconsistency; specifying that Commonwealth, state and territory laws must be interpreted consistently with the Bill of Rights; and providing the Australian Human Rights Commission with a range of additional powers and functions in relation to the rights and freedoms in the Bill of Rights.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 14/8/17
- Removed from Notice Paper 27/2/18
(Senator Storer — Ind)
Amends the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 to insert additional requirements in relation to the process for appointing non-executive directors to the board of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Senate:
- Introduced 17/10/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 17/10/18, 15/11/18
(Communications and the Arts portfolio)
Amends the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 to expand the existing statutory duty of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Board by including the requirement to be 'fair' and 'balanced' in relation to the gathering and presentation of news and information by the ABC.
Senate:
- Introduced 18/10/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 18/10/17
- Bill referred to Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee 16/11/17 (SBC report 13/17); progress report presented out of sitting 9/2/18; extension of time to report 12/2/18; final report presented out of sitting 16/2/18
(Senator Burston — UAP)
Amends the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 to provide that at least 35 per cent of the money of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation applied in a financial year is applied in making payments to persons in regional, rural or remote parts of Australia.
Senate:
- Introduced 9/8/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 9/8/17
(Senator Xenophon — NXT)
Amends the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 to: require the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to maintain three domestic shortwave transmission services for the Northern Territory that were operating up until 31 January 2017; and maintain an international shortwave radio transmission service for Papua New Guinea and parts of the Pacific.
Senate:
- Introduced 13/2/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 13/2/17, 17/8/17
- Bill referred to Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee 16/2/17 (SBC report 2/17); extension of time to report 9/5/17; report tabled 9/8/17
(Senator McKenzie — Nats)
Amends the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 to: amend the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's (ABC) Charter in relation to the delivery of services to rural and regional Australia in each state and territory; impose certain requirements on the ABC and the ABC Board; and provide for the establishment, functions and membership of the Rural and Regional Advisory Council.
Senate:
- Introduced 1/12/15
- 2nd reading adjourned 1/12/15
- Bill referred to Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee 3/12/15 (SBC report 16/15); interim report presented out of sitting 5/5/16
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 13/9/16
- Bill referred to Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee 15/9/16 (SBC report 6/16); extensions of time to report 8/11/16, 7/2/17, 21/3/17; interim report presented out of sitting 31/3/17; final report presented out of sitting 13/4/17
(Communications and the Arts portfolio)
Amends the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 to: amend the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Charter to require the ABC to broadcast programs that contribute to a sense of regional and national identity, and inform and entertain, and reflect the geographic and cultural diversity of, the Australian community; require the ABC Board to have two members with a substantial connection to, or substantial experience in, a regional area through business, industry or community involvement; establish a Regional Advisory Council to advise the ABC Board; and require the ABC Board to report annually on a range of additional matters, including the total number of individuals employed in regional and metropolitan areas, and the journalist to support staff ratio of employees.
Senate:
- Introduced 18/10/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 18/10/17
- Bill referred to Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee 16/11/17 (SBC report 13/17); report presented out of sitting 16/2/18
(Senator Di Natale — AG)
Establishes the Australian Cannabis Agency to regulate the production and distribution of recreational cannabis in the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.
Senate:
- Introduced 27/11/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 27/11/18
(Act citation: Australian Capital Territory (Planning and Land Management) Amendment Act 2018)
(Local Government and Territories portfolio)
Amends the Australian Capital Territory (Planning and Land Management) Act 1988 to: establish the National Capital Authority (NCA) as the accountable authority for the purposes of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013; empower the NCA to provide the Chief Executive of the NCA with specific directions in relation to its operations; and make consequential amendments.
Senate:
- Introduced 6/12/17
- Passed 8/2/18
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 8/2/18
- Passed 10/5/18
Assent: 22/5/18 (Act No. 32, 2018)
(Senator Milne — AG)
Establishes the Australian Centre for Social Cohesion and provides for: the director to develop and implement programs to improve social cohesion and prevent violent extremism; the director's powers, appointment and terms and conditions of employment; and deputy directors, staff, consultants and delegations.
Senate:
- Introduced 9/2/15
- 2nd reading adjourned 9/2/15
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 15/9/16
(Home Affairs portfolio)
Amends the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 to: remove the requirement that a person be sentenced to 6 or more years of imprisonment for a relevant terrorism offence to be eligible to lose their Australian citizenship; and replace the current requirement that a person is a national or citizen of a country other than Australia at the time the minister makes a determination that the person ceases to be an Australian citizen with the requirement that, if the minister were to determine that the person ceases to be an Australian citizen, the minister is satisfied the person will not become a person who is not a national or citizen of any country.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/11/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 28/11/18
(Senator Hanson — PHON)
Amends the: Australian Citizenship Act 2007 in relation to: strengthened citizenship requirements, including in relation to permanent residency and English language proficiency; the definition of 'spouse' and 'de facto partner'; citizenship by adoption; automatic acquisition of citizenship; citizenship by conferral; residence requirements for citizenship; good character requirements; the bar on approval of citizenship where there are related criminal offences; offence provisions; mandatory and discretionary cancellation of approval of citizenship; ministerial discretion to delay the making of the pledge of allegiance; the maximum period of deferral for making the pledge of allegiance; revocation of citizenship by descent, conferral or under intercountry adoption arrangements; ministerial power to make legislative instruments; use and disclosure of personal information; and consequential amendments; and Migration Act 1958 to enable the use and disclosure of personal citizenship information.
Senate:
- Introduced 7/2/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 7/2/18
- Bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 15/2/18 (SBC report 2/18); extension of time to report 3/12/18; report due 15/3/19
(Justice portfolio)
Merges the functions of the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) with the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) by: amending the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002 to enable the ACIC to perform the AIC's functions, including carrying out, sharing and publishing of criminology research, and carrying out commissioned research; and repealing the Criminology Research Act 1971 to abolish the AIC as a statutory agency.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 14/9/16
- 2nd reading adjourned 14/9/16
Senate:
(Senator Burston — UAP)
Amends the Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 to: require the Australian Human Rights Commission to undertake a preliminary assessment of a complaint before proceeding to a full inquiry and attempt to conciliate; set out the steps of the preliminary assessment process; and provide for the termination of a complaint at any time during the preliminary assessment process.
Senate:
- Introduced 7/2/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 7/2/17, 16/2/17
(Senator Bernardi — AC)
Repeals the Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 to abolish the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Senate:
- Introduced 15/2/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 15/2/18
(Health portfolio)
Amends the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Act 1987 to implement certain recommendations of the Independent Review of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) by: replacing the representative-based structure of the AIHW board with a skills-based board comprised of members from a range of different fields; providing for board members to be appointed by the minister rather than the Governor-General; providing for members to be appointed for terms of up to five years; specifying employment conditions and administrative arrangements in relation to the membership and operation of the board; and making transitional arrangements.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 25/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 25/6/18
- Committee amendment: 1 Govt/passed
- Passed 12/9/18
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives agreed to Senate amendment 12/9/18
Assent: 21/9/18 (Act No. 105, 2018)
(Senator Di Natale — AG)
The bill: enshrines the principles of diversity and multiculturalism; establishes the Australian Multicultural Commission and provides for its functions, powers, constitution, operation and inquiries; and provides for annual reporting requirements for Commonwealth entities.
Senate:
- Introduced 23/8/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 23/8/18
(Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio)
Amends the Australian Passports Act 2005 to enable the minister to make Australian travel document data available for the purposes of, and by the automated means intrinsic to, the identity-matching services to which the Commonwealth, states and territories agreed in the Intergovernmental Agreement on Identity Matching Services, agreed by COAG on 5 October 2017.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 7/2/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 7/2/18
- Bill referred to Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security 6/3/18
(Education and Training portfolio)
Amends the Australian Research Council Act 2001 to: apply indexation to existing appropriation amounts for the financial years commencing on 1 July 2017, 1 July 2018 and 1 July 2019; and insert new funding caps for the financial years commencing on 1 July 2020 and 1 July 2021.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 10/5/18
- Passed 25/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 25/6/18
- Passed 28/6/18
Assent: 28/6/18 (Act No. 54, 2018)
(Senator Faruqi — AG)
Amends the Australian Research Council Act 2001 to remove ministerial discretion in relation to the approval of research grants administered by the Australian Research Council.
Senate:
- Introduced 15/11/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 15/11/18
(Senators Rice and Simms — AG)
Amends the: Automotive Transformation Scheme Act 2009 to: broaden the objects of the Act; and apply principles to encourage investment in manufacturing sustainable transport options; and Automotive Transformation Scheme Regulations 2010 to: broaden the eligibility for Australian motor vehicle and automotive component manufacturers for assistance under the Automotive Transformation Scheme (ATS); and enable the minister to grant permission to certain persons to apply for registration under the ATS.
Senate:
- Introduced 10/11/15
- 2nd reading adjourned 10/11/15
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 15/9/16
(Home Affairs portfolio)
Amends the Aviation Transport Security Act 2004 to enable the secretary to give an aviation industry participant a transport security program that sets out the security requirements they must meet.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 19/9/18
- Passed 24/10/18
Senate:
Assent: 29/11/18 (Act No. 136, 2018)
(Ms Sharkie MP — CA)
Amends the Banking Act 1959 to impose certain obligations and requirements on authorised deposit-taking institutions in relation to loans of up to $5 million to small primary production businesses.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 26/2/18
- Removed from Notice Paper 18/9/18
(Senator Whish-Wilson — AG, Senators Hanson and Roberts — PHON, Senator Xenophon — NXT, Senator Hinch — DHJP and Senator Lambie — JLN)
Establishes a parliamentary inquiry into banking and financial services to report to Parliament on particular matters.
Senate:
- Introduced 22/3/17
- Passed 15/6/17
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 15/6/17
- Removed from Notice Paper 6/2/18
(Mr Katter MP — KAP)
Enforces the separation of retail commercial banking activities involving the holding of deposits from wholesale and investment banking activities, such as financial advice, wealth management, stock broking and insurance.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 25/6/18
- Removed from Notice Paper 4/12/18
(Attorney-General's portfolio)
Amends the Bankruptcy Act 1966 to reform Australia's debt agreement system, including by: specifying persons authorised to administer debt agreements and related qualification and registration requirements; specifying arrangements relating to the content, length, variation, termination and voiding of debt agreements; introducing offences relating to the administration of debt agreements; specifying the functions and powers of the Inspector General; modifying requirements in relation to the payment of, and the application process for, unclaimed moneys; and making related technical amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 14/2/18
- Passed 28/2/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 7/12/17 (SBC report 15/17); extension of time to report 19/3/18; report tabled 21/3/18
- Introduced 19/3/18
- Committee amendments: 36 Govt/passed
- Passed 19/9/18
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives agreed to Senate amendments 19/9/18
Assent: 27/9/18 (Act No. 118, 2018)
(Attorney-General's portfolio)
Amends the Bankruptcy Act 1966 to: provide that, where a bankrupt becomes a bankrupt again, the income contribution obligations and contribution assessment period for the first bankruptcy will cease; provide that ceasing income contributions to a trustee in an earlier bankruptcy in the event of a second bankruptcy does not limit the ability of the trustee in the later bankruptcy to exercise certain powers; amend notification requirements to provide that a bankrupt or discharged bankrupt must notify the trustee within 10 business days of changes to their name, address and phone number during the 'prescribed period'; clarify the period for which eligible discharged bankrupts must continue to make income contribution payments to the bankrupt estate; extend the requirement to make certain income contribution payments to persons who are eligible to make these payments, but have been automatically discharged after one year; ensure that a bankrupt or discharged bankrupt will ordinarily be liable for income contributions for at least three contribution assessment periods; provide that determinations regarding supervised account regimes apply post discharge and throughout the contribution assessment periods, and only cease when the bankrupt is no longer liable to pay a contribution; extend the obligations and duties on a bankrupt to keep and produce records of income, employment and financial transactions or dealings; provide for an automatic discharge after one year of bankruptcy and related transitional arrangements; and enable the extension of a period of bankruptcy on the basis of an objection by a trustee or official receiver.
Senate:
- Introduced 19/10/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 19/10/17
- Bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 30/11/17 (SBC report 14/17); extension of time to report 19/3/18; report tabled 21/3/18
(Agriculture and Water Resources portfolio)
Amends the Biosecurity Act 2015 to: introduce new information-gathering arrangements in relation to monitoring, controlling and responding to biosecurity risks within Australia; clarify the definitions of 'commercial-in-confidence information' and 'human remains'; clarify that protected information may be disclosed by Australia's National Focal Point to other member states of the World Health Organization under the International Health Regulations (2005); and make technical amendments. Also repeals the Quarantine (Validation of Fees) Act 1985.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Passed 27/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 27/6/18
- Passed 23/8/18
Assent: 31/8/18 (Act No. 88, 2018)
(Act citation: Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Digital Radio) Act 2018)
(Communications and the Arts portfolio)
Amends the: Broadcasting Services Act 1992 to remove the requirement for the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to provide written notice of its intention to declare a digital radio start-up day for a licence area; and Radiocommunications Act 1992 to: remove requirements that the ACMA must consult before preparing or varying a digital radio channel plan; shorten timeframes associated with the formation of eligible joint venture and digital community radio broadcasting representative companies, and clarify the invitation and acceptance process for the formation of such companies; shorten timeframes associated with issuing a foundation digital radio multiplex transmitter licence (DRMT) in accordance with a price-based allocation system and DRMT licensees giving the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission access undertakings; and clarify how excess multiplex capacity on foundation DRMT licences is determined.
Senate:
- Introduced 6/12/17
- Passed 8/2/18
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 8/2/18
- Passed 15/2/18
Assent: 5/3/18 (Act No. 11, 2018)
(Act citation: Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Foreign Media Ownership, Community Radio and Other Measures) Act 2018)
(Previous title: Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Foreign Media Ownership and Community Radio) Bill 2017)
(Communications and the Arts portfolio)
Amends the: Broadcasting Services Act 1992 to: establish a Register of Foreign Ownership of Media Assets to be administered by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA); provide for a new assessment criterion for the applications for, and renewals of, community radio broadcasting licences relating to material of local significance; and make consequential amendments; and Australian Communications and Media Authority Act 2005 to enable the ACMA to delegate the power to issues certain notices.
Senate:
- Introduced 6/12/17
- Passed 28/6/18
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 13/8/18
- Consideration in detail amendments: 2 Govt/passed
- Passed 20/8/18
Senate:
- Senate agreed to House of Representatives amendments 21/8/18
Assent: 31/8/18 (Act No. 95, 2018)
(Communications and the Arts portfolio)
Amends the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 to: abolish the '75% audience reach rule', which prohibits commercial television broadcasting licensees from controlling licences whose combined licence area populations exceed 75 per cent of the population of Australia; abolish the '2 out of 3 cross-media control rule', which prohibits control over more than two out of three regulated media platforms in any one commercial radio licence area; and provide additional local programming obligations for regional commercial television broadcasting licensees.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 1/9/16
- Consideration in detail amendments: 2 Opp/negatived
- Passed 30/11/16
Senate:
(Environment and Energy portfolio)
Amends the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011 to: remove the obligation to obtain consent of eligible interest holders from existing area-based emissions-avoidance projects; clarify that state and territory government Crown lands ministers and Commonwealth ministers responsible for land rights legislation have consent rights for projects conducted on exclusive possession native title land that is Torrens system land or land rights land; provide for legislative rules or regulations to allow parts of a sequestration offsets project to be removed and credits surrendered for the carbon stored in that area; ensure a sequestration project's net total liability under the scheme does not include credits issued for emissions avoidance or credits that have already been relinquished; clarify that requirements to relinquish carbon credits if carbon stores are lost apply to sequestration projects that store carbon and avoid emissions; provide for projects to transfer between methods so as to move between emissions-avoidance and sequestration; ensure that relinquishment requirements apply to projects whose crediting period extends beyond their permanence period; and allow legislative rules or regulations to provide for the removal of regulatory approval or consent conditions on declarations obtained after the end of the first reporting period for the project.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 23/3/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 23/3/17
Senate:
(Senator Milne — AG)
Amends the: Parliamentary Service Act 1999 to: require the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) to prepare an intergenerational report for the Treasurer every five years; and enable the PBO to request a Commonwealth body to provide information that is relevant to the preparation of that report; and Charter of Budget Honesty Act 1998 to make consequential amendments.
Senate:
- Introduced 17/3/15
- 2nd reading adjourned 17/3/15
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 15/9/16
(Previous title: Civil Law and Justice Legislation Amendment Bill 2017)
(Attorney-General's portfolio)
Amends the: Acts Interpretation Act 1901 and Legislation Act 2003 to clarify the validity of ministerial acts and the operation of provisions about the management of compilations prepared for the Federal Register of Legislation; Archives Act 1983 to: provide the National Archives of Australia with tools to manage high-volume applicants requesting access to records; and make other minor technical amendments; Bankruptcy Act 1966 to clarify that the Family Court of Australia has bankruptcy jurisdiction when a trustee applies to have a financial agreement set aside under the Family Law Act 1975; Domicile Act 1982 to provide that it applies to territories currently specified in the Domicile Regulations 1982; Evidence Act 1995 to amend the presumption about when postal articles sent by prepaid post are received; Family Law Act 1975 to: introduce new offences relating to international parental child abduction and to allow a person to request a location order for the purposes of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction; clarify who may perform the powers of the registry managers; align financial and other provisions for de facto and married couples; make various amendments relating to the operation of the family law courts; and make minor and technical amendments; International Arbitration Act 1974 to: specify the meaning of 'competent court' for the purpose of the Model Law; clarify procedural requirements for enforcement of an arbitral award; modernise provisions governing certain arbitrators' powers; and clarify the application of certain confidentiality provisions; Marriage Act 1961 to: remove outdated concepts and ensure consistency with the Family Law Act 1975 in relation to parental consent for the marriage of minors; and make minor and technical amendments; and Sex Discrimination Act 1984 to remove the exemption for discrimination against women employed, engaged or appointed in Australian Defence Force positions involving combat duties. Also makes consequential amendments to nine Acts.
Senate:
- Introduced 22/3/17
- Bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 30/3/17 (SBC report 4/17); report tabled 10/5/17
- Committee amendments: 17 Govt/passed; 1 KAP/negatived; 4 LDP/negatived
- Passed 12/9/18
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 17/9/18
- Passed 17/10/18
Assent: 25/10/18 (Act No. 130, 2018)
(Environment and Energy portfolio)
Amends the Clean Energy Finance Corporation Act 2012 to remove the prohibition on the Clean Energy Finance Corporation investing in carbon capture and storage technologies.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 31/5/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 31/5/17
Senate:
(Senator Di Natale — AG)
Prohibits the Commonwealth government or its agencies from funding the refurbishment, building or purchase, or assisting in the transfer of ownership, of a coal-fired power station.
Senate:
- Introduced 17/10/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 17/10/17, 19/3/18, 10/9/18
(Mr Bandt MP — AG)
Prohibits the Commonwealth government or its agencies from funding the refurbishment, building or purchase, or assisting in the transfer of ownership, of a coal-fired power station.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 23/10/17
- Removed from Notice Paper 26/6/18
(Mr Bandt MP — AG)
Prohibits the Commonwealth government or its agencies from funding the refurbishment, building or purchase of, or providing indirect assistance to, a coal-fired power station.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 3/12/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 3/12/18
(Infrastructure and Regional Development portfolio)
Amends the: Coastal Trading (Revitalising Australian Shipping) Act 2012 to: remove the five-voyage minimum requirement to apply for a temporary licence; allow the minister to determine that consultation must be undertaken on the movement of certain kinds of cargoes and passengers when applied for under a temporary licence or a variation to a temporary licence; create a single variation process for temporary licences; provide that notifications are only required when voyage details have changed from that approved on a licence; amend the tolerance provisions for temporary licence voyages; allow for temporary licences to be issued in emergency situations; amend the definition of 'coastal trading' to include voyages commencing and concluding at the same port, ships engaged in dry-docking, and voyages between ports and other defined places in Australian waters; allow vessels to be covered by a coastal trading licence while dry-docking; clarify that applications for a variation to a temporary licence must be made by the temporary licence holder and that agents may apply for a temporary licence on behalf of vessel owners or masters; and require temporary licence holders to provide a vessel's International Maritime Organization number in voyage reports; and Occupational Health and Safety (Maritime Industry) Act 1993 and Seafarers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1992 to make consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 13/9/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail amendments: 14 Opp/negatived
- Passed 15/8/18
Senate:
(Law Enforcement and Cybersecurity portfolio)
Amends the Commerce (Trade Descriptions) Act 1905 to: incorporate an exception, which applies to representations as to the country of origin of goods under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (CCA), so that it applies in relation to a false trade description; and enable information standards made or declared under the CCA, and that are in force or existing from time to time, to be incorporated by reference in the Act.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Passed 18/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 19/6/18
- Passed 28/6/18
Assent: 29/6/18 (Act No. 60, 2018)
(Mr Katter MP — KAP)
Establishes a Commission of Inquiry to inquire into the coal seam gas industry.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 4/9/17
- Removed from Notice Paper 27/3/18
(Senator Farrell — ALP)
Amends the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 to: reduce the disclosure threshold to $1000; ensure that, for the purposes of the disclosure threshold and the disclosure of gifts, related political parties are treated as one entity; prohibit the receipt of a gift of foreign property and all anonymous gifts by registered political parties, candidates and members of a Senate group; provide that public funding of election campaigning is limited to declared expenditure incurred by the eligible political party, candidate or Senate group, or the sum payable calculated on the number of first preference votes received where they have satisfied the four per cent threshold, whichever is the lesser; provide for the recovery of gifts of foreign property, anonymous gifts and undisclosed gifts; introduce new offences and penalties; and increase penalties for existing offences.
Senate:
- Introduced 28/11/16
- 2nd reading adjourned 28/11/16
(Senator Rhiannon — AG)
Amends the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 to prohibit political donations from certain industries and from industry representative organisations whose majority members are prohibited donors.
Senate:
- Introduced 4/12/14
- 2nd reading adjourned 4/12/14, 3/3/16
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 31/8/16
(Senator Steele-John — AG)
Amends the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 and Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984 to: lower the minimum (non-compulsory) voting age in Australian federal elections and referenda from 18 to 16 years; allow 14 and 15 year olds to be added to the electoral roll in preparation for their eligibility to vote at 16 years of age; provide for 16 and 17 year olds to be included in the certified list of voters (but not to be given a penalty notice if they do not vote); and provide that an eligible voter, who is not yet on the electoral roll or enrolled at their correct address, is able to cast a provisional vote on election day.
Senate:
- Introduced 18/6/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 18/6/18, 21/6/18
- Bill referred to Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters 25/6/18; extensions of time to report 20/9/18, 28/11/18; report due 29/3/19
(Senator Rhiannon — AG)
Amends the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 to: reduce the disclosure threshold to $1000; require certain persons making gifts at or above the threshold to furnish a return within eight weeks after polling day; ensure that for the purposes of the disclosure threshold and the disclosure of gifts, related political parties are treated as one entity; prohibit the receipt of a gift of foreign property and all anonymous gifts by registered political parties, candidates and members of a Senate group; extend existing recovery powers; and introduce new offences and penalties and increase penalties for existing offences.
Senate:
- Introduced 2/3/16
- 2nd reading adjourned 2/3/16
- Bill referred to Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee 3/3/16 (SBC report 3/16); report due 17/6/16
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 31/8/16
(Senator Rhiannon — AG)
Amends the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 to decrease to $500 and $1000, respectively, the nomination deposit that must be paid by or on behalf of candidates for the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Senate:
- Introduced 4/3/14
- 2nd reading adjourned 4/3/14
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 31/8/16
(Senator Bernardi — AC)
Amends the Commonwealth Inscribed Stock Act 1911 to limit the face value of stock and securities that can be on issue under the Treasurer's standing borrowing authority to $600 billion.
Senate:
- Introduced 6/2/18
- Negatived at 2nd reading 13/8/18
(Senator Hanson — PHON)
Amends the Commonwealth Inscribed Stock Act 1911 to limit the amount the government can borrow, by providing that the Australian Office of Financial Management cannot issue further stock if it would result in the value of stock and securities on issue to be an amount greater than 35% of Australia's gross domestic product.
Senate:
- Introduced 25/6/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 25/6/18
(Senator Bernardi — AC)
Amends the Criminal Code Act 1995, Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 and Australian Citizenship Act 2007 to prohibit the wearing of full face coverings in Commonwealth places and territories in prescribed circumstances, including while attending a Centrelink office and while participating in a citizenship ceremony.
Senate:
- Introduced 11/9/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 11/9/18
(Social Services portfolio)
Introduced with the Commonwealth Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2017, the bill implements the Commonwealth's response to recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse's Redress and Civil Litigation Report by: establishing the Commonwealth Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse to operate for a 10-year period from 1 July 2018; providing a payment of up to $150 000 to survivors; providing access to counselling and psychological services to survivors; and facilitating a direct personal response to survivors from the responsible institution, should the survivor request one.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 26/10/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 26/10/17
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 30/11/17 (SBC report 14/17); progress report presented out of sitting 13/3/18; extension of time to report 19/3/18; final report tabled 28/3/18
(Social Services portfolio)
Introduced with the Commonwealth Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Bill 2017, the bill amends the: Social Security Act 1991 and Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 to provide that payments made under the Commonwealth Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse are exempt from the income test; Bankruptcy Act 1966 to ensure that payments made under the Commonwealth redress scheme are quarantined from the divisible property of a bankrupt; and Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1997 to exempt decisions made under the Commonwealth redress scheme from judicial review.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 26/10/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 26/10/17
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 30/11/17 (SBC report 14/17); progress report presented out of sitting 13/3/18; extension of time to report 19/3/18; final report tabled 28/3/18
(Previous title: Communications Legislation Amendment (Deregulation and Other Measures) Bill 2017)
(Communications and the Arts portfolio)
Amends the: Broadcasting Services Act 1992 to: amend account keeping and licence fee administration arrangements for commercial broadcasters and datacasting transmitter licensees; remove duplicative requirements for licensees, publishers and controllers to notify the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) of certain changes in control of regulated media assets; provide a consistent classification arrangement for all television programs, including films; and amend two statutory publication requirements; National Broadband Network Companies Act 2011 to provide that NBN Co may dispose of surplus non-communications goods; Telecommunications Act 1997 to: correct a technical error in relation to the admissibility of certain evidence in court proceedings; remove the requirement for the ACMA to consult with an advisory committee before declaring a submarine cable protection zone; and remove the ability of NBN Co to issue and keep a register of statements that it will not be installing fibre in a new real estate development; Australian Communications and Media Authority Act 2005 and Broadcasting Services Act 1992 to remove duplication in the complaints handling and information gathering functions of the ACMA; Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to remove the ability of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to issue tariff filing directions to certain carriers and carriage service providers; Competition and Consumer Act 2010 and Telecommunications Act 1997 to amend the statutory information collection powers of the ACMA and the ACCC; Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983, Special Broadcasting Service Act 1991 and Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999 to make technical amendments; and Telecommunications Act 1997 and three other Acts to enable the development of an industry-based scheme for the management of telephone numbering resources. Also repeals 53 Acts and removes redundant provisions in four Acts.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 29/3/17
- Consideration in detail amendments: 7 Govt/passed
- Passed 28/2/18
Senate:
- Introduced 19/3/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 19/3/18
(Senator Hanson — PHON)
Amends the: Australian Postal Corporation Act 1989, Remuneration Tribunal Act 1973 and Remuneration Tribunal (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 1976 to make the Remuneration Tribunal the responsible body for setting the remuneration of the Managing Director of Australia Post; and National Broadband Network Companies Act 2011 to make the tribunal the responsible body for setting the remuneration of the Chief Executive Officer of NBN Co.
Senate:
- Introduced 21/3/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 21/3/17, 17/8/17
(Act citation: Communications Legislation Amendment (Online Content Services and Other Measures) Act 2018)
(Communications and the Arts portfolio)
Amends the: Broadcasting Services Act 1992 to: enable the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to make online content service provider rules which impose gambling promotions restrictions on online content service providers; and provide the ACMA with the power to determine program standards about gambling promotional content which apply to certain broadcasters and subscriptions providers; Australian Communications and Media Authority Act 2005 to: require the ACMA to monitor compliance with online content service provider rules; and enable the ACMA to delegate the power to issues certain notices; and Enhancing Online Safety Act 2015 to make consequential amendments.
Senate:
- Introduced 6/12/17
- Bill referred to Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee 7/12/17 (SBC report 15/17); report tabled 12/2/18
- 2nd reading amendments: 1 NXT/passed; 1 AG/negatived
- Committee amendments: 1 Opp/negatived; 19 AG/negatived; 4 NXT/negatived
- Passed 27/3/18
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 27/3/18
- Passed 28/3/18
Assent: 11/4/18 (Act No. 28, 2018)
(Act citation: Communications Legislation Amendment (Regional and Small Publishers Innovation Fund) Act 2018)
(Communications and the Arts portfolio)
Amends the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 to: enable the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to make a grant of financial assistance to a publisher of a newspaper, magazine or other periodical, or a content service provider; provide that the ACMA may only make a grant of financial assistance in the three financial years commencing on 1 July 2018, with the total amount of financial assistance not exceeding $50 100 000; require the ACMA to enter into an agreement with the recipient setting out the terms and conditions of the grant; enable the minister to establish an advisory committee to advise the ACMA in relation to the exercise of its powers to make grants of financial assistance; and provide for annual reporting requirements.
Senate:
- Introduced 6/12/17
- Bill referred to Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee 7/12/17 (SBC report 15/17); report tabled 12/2/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Committee amendments: 3 AG/negatived
- Passed 10/5/18
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 10/5/18
- Passed 30/5/18
Assent: 19/6/18 (Act No. 43, 2018)
(Senator Milne — AG and Senator Xenophon — NXT)
Amends the: Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to: create specific requirements for country of origin labelling for food; extend country of origin labelling to all packaged and unpackaged food for retail sale; restrict the range of labelling to three kinds of claim; and create penalties and defences; and Imported Food Control Act 1992 to make consequential amendments.
Senate:
- Introduced 12/2/15
- 2nd reading adjourned 12/2/15
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 15/9/16
(Mr Katter MP — KAP)
Amends the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to: prohibit the supply in trade or commerce of anything that includes an Indigenous cultural expression, unless it is done in accordance with an arrangement with the relevant Indigenous community and artist and the thing is made in Australia; and create an offence for the supply of anything that includes an Indigenous cultural expression without an arrangement with the relevant Indigenous community and artist.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 11/9/17
- Removed from Notice Paper 22/5/18
(Ms Sharkie MP — CA)
Amends the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to: provide that eggs may be marketed as 'free range' only if they are laid by hens that are able to, and do in fact, move freely on an open range during daylight hours on most days, and are laid from hens subject to a stocking density of no more than 1500 hens per hectare; require stocking density information to be displayed on egg labels prominently in a 'hens per hectare' format; and enable eggs that are not cage eggs but which do not meet the definition of 'free range' to be marketed as 'access to range'.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 12/2/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 12/2/18
- Removed from Notice Paper 11/9/18
(Mr Wilkie MP — Ind)
Amends the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to provide that, when a representation is made about the speed, quality or price of a broadband service, that representation must include information about typical speeds, typical busy periods and their impact on average speeds, and any other factors that may affect the performance of the service.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 26/2/18
- Removed from Notice Paper 18/9/18
(Mr Wilkie MP — Ind)
Amends the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to: ensure that, when a supplier provides a customer with an itemised bill or proof of transaction, the document is given in paper form unless the customer consents to receiving it electronically; and ensure that customers are not charged a fee for receiving the document in paper.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 19/6/17
- Removed from Notice Paper 13/2/18
(Ms Sharkie MP — CA)
Amends the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to impose a penalty on Australian cattle exporters who do not take reasonable steps to ensure that Australian cattle that is slaughtered, or processed after slaughter, in a foreign country is not marketed as Australian beef.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 19/6/17
- Removed from Notice Paper 13/2/18
(Senator Xenophon — NXT)
Amends the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to require the minister to make an information standard for goods containing palm oil and ensure that the information standard is in force at all times.
Senate:
- Introduced 21/6/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 21/6/17, 17/8/17
(Senator Gallagher — ALP)
Amends the: Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Act 2015 to: allow the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman to provide assistance in advising and preparing a person's case for a no adverse costs order in proceedings in relation to contraventions of Part IV of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010; and require the number of requests for assistance in relation to an application for a no adverse costs order to be included in the ombudsman's annual report; and Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to: allow for a no adverse costs order to be sought, at any time during proceedings, by a person bringing an action in relation to loss or damage by conduct of another person that was done in contravention of Part IV of the Act; and specify the circumstances in which the court is able to make a no adverse costs order.
Senate:
- Introduced 16/2/17
- Passed 10/8/17
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 10/8/17
- Removed from Notice Paper 19/6/18
(Communications and the Arts portfolio)
Amends the Copyright Act 1968 to amend the scope of the online copyright infringement scheme by: amending the threshold for capturing overseas online locations to those with the primary purpose or effect of infringing copyright; including a rebuttable presumption that the online location is outside Australia, to reduce the evidentiary burden on copyright owners; enabling copyright owners to seek injunctions requiring online search engine providers to take such steps as the Federal Court considers reasonable so as not to provide search results that refer users to online locations blocked under the scheme; clarifying that the Federal Court may make blocking orders which follow copyright infringing activity where operators of an overseas online location attempt to avoid the application of an injunction by creating new pathways to online locations; and enabling the minister to declare that particular online search engine providers be exempt from the scheme.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 18/10/18
- Passed 24/10/18
Senate:
- Introduced 12/11/18
- Bill referred to Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee 13/11/18; report tabled 26/11/18
- Passed 28/11/18
Assent: 10/12/18 (Act No. 157, 2018)
(Act citation: Copyright Amendment (Service Providers) Act 2018)
(Communications and the Arts portfolio)
Amends the Copyright Act 1968 to extend the operation of the safe harbour scheme to a broader range of service providers, including educational institutions, libraries, archives, key cultural institutions and organisations assisting persons with a disability.
Senate:
- Introduced 6/12/17
- Bill referred to Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee 7/12/17 (SBC report 15/17); report tabled 19/3/18
- Passed 10/5/18
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 10/5/18
- Passed 27/6/18
Assent: 29/6/18 (Act No. 71, 2018)
(Indigenous Affairs portfolio)
Amends the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 to: make a number of changes in relation to corporations recognised under the Act (CATSI corporations) regarding: classification of CATSI corporations; the making of constitutions; review of financial reports; subsidiaries and other entities; meeting and reporting obligations; members and membership; key management personnel; related party transactions; special administration; voluntary deregistration; investigation and enforcement; publication of notices; independent directors; qualified privilege for auditors; resolutions; unanimous requests for special administration; insolvency; and conflicting duties under state or territory legislation; and make minor technical amendments.
Senate:
- Introduced 5/12/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 5/12/18
- Bill referred to Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee 6/12/18 (SBC report 15/18); report due 11/2/19
(Treasury portfolio)
Gives effect to the Australian Government's commitment, as a signatory to the Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) on the Establishment and Implementation of the Asia Region Funds Passport (the Passport), to introduce the Asia Region Funds Passport by amending the: Corporations Act 2001 to: incorporate key definitions and the mechanism for incorporating the rules for passport funds into Australian domestic law; specify the processes for Australian and foreign passport funds to offer interests in Australia and for registration of passport funds; specify processes for deregistration of Australian passport funds and de-notification of foreign passport funds; set out requirements in relation to disclosure and financial reporting for foreign passport funds; and provide transitional arrangements for delegations of functions or powers by the minister and certain decisions of ASIC; and Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006, Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 and Corporations Act 2001 to make consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Consideration in detail amendments: 4 Govt/passed
- Passed 25/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 27/6/18
- Passed 28/6/18
Assent: 29/6/18 (Act No. 61, 2018)
(Act citation: Corporations Amendment (Crowd-sourced Funding for Proprietary Companies) Act 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the Corporations Act 2001 to: extend the crowd-sourced funding (CSF) framework for public companies to eligible proprietary companies, subject to additional reporting requirements and accountability standards; provide that proprietary companies with shareholders who acquire shares through a CSF offer are not subject to the takeovers rules; introduce special investor protections for proprietary companies accessing the CSF regime; and remove the temporary corporate governance concessions for proprietary companies that convert to or register as public companies to access the CSF regime.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 14/9/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 26/2/18
Senate:
- Introduced 19/3/18
- Committee amendment: 1 Opp/passed
- Passed 12/9/18
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives agreed to Senate amendment 12/9/18
Assent: 21/9/18 (Act No. 106, 2018)
(Senator Xenophon — NXT)
Amends the Corporations Act 2001 to require an email address to be included on a register of members of a company or registered scheme.
Senate:
- Introduced 15/6/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 15/6/17
- Bill referred to Senate Economics Legislation Committee 22/6/17 (SBC report 7/17); report tabled 11/9/17
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the: Corporations Act 2001 to: strengthen enforcement and recovery options to deter and penalise company directors and other persons who engage in, or facilitate, transactions that are aimed at preventing, avoiding or significantly reducing employer liability for employee entitlements in insolvency; enable the recovery of unpaid employee entitlements of an insolvent company from certain entities in limited circumstances; and enable the Australian Securities and Investments Commission to disqualify company directors and other officers (either directly or on application to the Court), where they have a track record of corporate contraventions and inappropriately using the Fair Entitlements Guarantee scheme to pay outstanding employee entitlements; and Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 to make a consequential amendment.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 20/9/18
- 2nd reading amendments: 1 Opp/negatived; 1 CA to Opp/negatived
- Passed 24/10/18
Senate:
- Introduced 12/11/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 12/11/18
(Treasury portfolio)
Part of a package of four bills to enable the recovery of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission's (ASIC) costs for specific regulatory activities, the bill amends the Corporations (Fees) Act 2001 to: increase the caps on fees for chargeable matters; expand the definition of chargeable matter and prescribe who is liable to pay and when the liability is incurred; provide that the fees regulations may prescribe different fees for chargeable matters based on the complexity and the type of entity; enable ASIC to determine by legislative instrument the criteria and complexity of particular regulatory services; and enable the making of regulations.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 24/5/18
- Passed 18/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 19/6/18
- Passed 28/6/18
Assent: 28/6/18 (Act No. 55, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the Corporations (Review Fees) Act 2003 to make amendments consequential on the commencement of the proposed Corporations Amendment (Asia Region Funds Passport) Act 2018 to enable regulations to prescribe fees in relation to the review dates for notified foreign passport funds.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 24/5/18
- Passed 25/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 25/6/18
- Passed 28/6/18
Assent: 29/6/18 (Act No. 72, 2018)
(Attorney-General's portfolio)
Amends the: Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977 to exclude from review decisions of senior Australian Federal Police (AFP) members in relation to consent for the purposes of applications to vary interim control orders; Criminal Code Act 1995 to: extend the operation of the control order regime, the preventative detention order (PDO) regime and the declared areas offences for a further three years; allow an issuing court to vary an interim control order; clarify the evidential weight that the issuing court must give to an original request for an interim control order during the confirmation proceedings; extend the minimum time period between an interim and a confirmation hearing for a control order; provide that the issuing court cannot make costs orders against a controlee except in limited circumstances; require the AFP to notify the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) after the making of initial or continued preventative orders or a prohibited contact order; create an exception to the declared areas offence for individuals performing an official duty for the International Committee of the Red Cross; enable the Minister for Foreign Affairs to revoke a declaration of a declared area prior to the expiry of the declaration; enable the PJCIS to review a declaration of a declared area at any time while it is in effect and to table a report in both Houses of Parliament following its review; and amend provisions in relation to the protection of sensitive information in continuing detention order proceedings; Crime Act 1914 to: extend the operation of stop, search and seize powers for a further three years; require the AFP to report as soon as practicable after the exercise of these powers; and require the minister to report annually to the Parliament; Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979 to extend the questioning, and questioning and detention, warrant regime for a further 12 months; and Intelligence Services Act 2001 to: require the PJCIS to review the PDO regime, declared areas provisions and the stop, search and seize powers ahead of their sunset date; and enable the PJCIS to monitor and review the performance of the AFP in relation to its stop, search and size powers, and the exercise of the Minister for Home Affairs' power to declare prescribed security zones.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 24/5/18
- Bill referred to Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security 24/5/18; report presented to Senate out of sitting 7/6/18; report tabled in House of Representatives 18/6/18
- Passed 25/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 26/6/18
- Passed 16/8/18
Assent: 24/8/18 (Act No. 74, 2018)
(Social Services portfolio)
Amends the Crimes Act 1914 to enable the convictions of persons who work, or seek to work, with people with disability in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to be disclosed to, and taken into account by, Commonwealth, state and territory agencies in determining whether a person is suitable to work with people with disability in the NDIS.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 15/2/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 28/2/18
Senate:
- Introduced 19/3/18
- Passed 10/5/18
Assent: 22/5/18 (Act No. 33, 2018)
(Justice portfolio)
Amends: the Criminal Code Act 1995 to: amend the offence of bribery of a foreign public official to extend the definition of foreign public official to include a candidate for office, remove the requirement that the foreign official must be influenced in the exercise of the official's duties, replace the requirement that a benefit and business advantage must be 'not legitimately due' with the concept of 'improperly influencing' a foreign public official, and extend the offence to cover bribery to obtain a personal advantage; and create a new offence of failure of a body corporate to prevent foreign bribery by an associate; the Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1983 to implement a Commonwealth Deferred Prosecution Agreement scheme which will enable the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions to invite a person that has engaged in serious corporate crime to negotiate an agreement to comply with a range of specified conditions; and five Acts to make consequential amendments.
Senate:
- Introduced 6/12/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 6/12/17
- Bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 7/12/17 (SBC report 15/17); report presented out of sitting 20/4/18
(Previous title: Crimes Legislation Amendment (International Crime Cooperation and Other Measures) Bill 2016)
(Justice portfolio)
Amends: six Acts to ensure that assistance that Australia can currently provide to foreign countries can also be provided to the International Criminal Court and international war crimes tribunals; the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act 1987 to: amend provisions in relation to proceeds of crime search warrants; clarify which foreign proceeds of crime orders can be registered in Australia; clarify the roles of judicial officers in domestic proceedings to produce documents or articles for a foreign country; and make minor and technical amendments; the Extradition Act 1988 to ensure that magistrates and judges have powers to make orders necessary for the conduct of extradition proceedings; the Foreign Evidence Act 1994 to: ensure foreign evidence can be appropriately certified; and extend the application of foreign evidence rules to proceedings in the external territories and the Jervis Bay territory; the Crimes Act 1914 to ensure the offence of identifying a child witness or vulnerable adult complainant extends to identifying a child complainant; the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Law Enforcement Integrity, Vulnerable Witness Protection and Other Measures) Act 2013 to clarify the application of supports and protections for victims and witnesses to future criminal proceedings, regardless of when the alleged conduct occurred; the Crimes Act 1914, Criminal Code Act 1995 and Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 to clarify the operation of human trafficking, slavery and slavery-like offences; the War Crimes Act 1945 to streamline reporting arrangements; the Australian Federal Police Act 1979 to: ensure that the Australian Federal Police's alcohol and drug testing program and integrity framework apply to the entire workforce; ensure that the most up to date testing standards can be employed at the time a sample is provided; and clarify the processes for resignation in cases of serious misconduct or corruption; the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006 to: enable travellers departing Australia to report cross-border movements of physical currency electronically; and enable the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission to access AUSTRAC information; the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002 to clarify the use of the Australian Crime Commission's prescribed alternative name; and the AusCheck Act 2007 to enable AusCheck to conduct and coordinate background checks in relation to major national events.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 23/11/16
- Consideration in detail amendments: 2 Govt/passed
- Passed 8/2/18
Senate:
Assent: 22/5/18 (Act No. 34, 2018)
(Home Affairs portfolio)
Amends the: Crimes Act 1914 to: broaden existing identity check provisions and create offences and powers in relation to identity check, move-on and ancillary directions by constables and protective services officers at Australia's major airports; and Australian Federal Police Act 1979 to provide that the offence of contravening an identity check or move-on direction is a protective service offence for the purposes of the Act.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 12/9/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 12/9/18
- Bill referred to Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security 13/9/18
(Previous title: Crimes Legislation Amendment (Powers, Offences and Other Measures) Bill 2017)
(Justice portfolio)
Amends the: Australian Federal Police Act 1979 to clarify the functions of the Australian Federal Police to enable cooperation with international organisations and non-government organisations; Crimes Act 1914 to: clarify the custody notification obligations of investigating officials when they intend to question an Aboriginal person or Torres Strait Islander; create separate offence regimes for 'insiders' and 'outsiders' for the disclosure of information relating to controlled operations; remove an obsolete reference to the death penalty; amend procedural requirements relating to protecting the identity of a vulnerable witness or complainant in a criminal proceeding; authorise collection, use and disclosure of information for the purposes of preventing, detecting, investigating or dealing with fraud or corruption against the Commonwealth; and enable the New South Wales Enforcement Conduct Commission to use and disclose spent conviction information; and Criminal Code Act 1995 to increase the maximum applicable penalties for breach of the general dishonesty offences.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 30/3/17
- Consideration in detail amendments: 2 Govt/passed
- Passed 27/6/18
Senate:
Assent: 24/8/18 (Act No. 75, 2018)
(Justice portfolio)
Amends the: Crimes Act 1914 to: insert community safety as a factor that can be taken into account to revoke the parole of a federal offender without notice; remove the requirement to seek leave before a recorded interview of a vulnerable witness can be admitted as evidence in chief; remove the requirement for vulnerable witnesses to be available to give evidence at committal proceedings; introduce mandatory minimum penalties for certain Commonwealth child sex offences and offenders; require a court to state and record the reasons for granting bail; insert a presumption against bail for certain Commonwealth child sex offenders; insert additional factors which must be taken into account when sentencing federal offenders; require the court to have regard to certain rehabilitation considerations when sentencing Commonwealth child sex offenders; insert presumptions in favour of cumulative sentences and actual terms of imprisonment for Commonwealth child sex offenders; impose certain requirements on Commonwealth child sex offenders under a recognizance release order; add 'residential treatment orders' as a sentencing alternative for intellectually disabled offenders; allow certain information to be withheld from an offender in national security circumstances; reduce the amount of 'clean street time' that can be credited against the outstanding sentence following commission of an offence by a person on parole and licence; and require a period of time to be served in custody if a federal offender's parole order is revoked; Criminal Code Act 1995 to: clarify the scope of the definition of 'engage in sexual activity'; insert a range of new aggravated offences for child sexual abuse; insert new offences relating to 'grooming' and the provision of electronic services to facilitate dealings with child abuse material online; increase the maximum penalties for certain Commonwealth child sex offences and breaches of reporting requirements; and insert new additional factors for mandatory consideration at sentencing; and Crimes Act 1914, Criminal Code Act 1995, Customs Act 1901 and Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 to replace references to 'child pornography material' in Commonwealth legislation with 'child abuse material'.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 13/9/17
- Passed 19/10/17
Senate:
(Senator Back — LP)
Amends the Criminal Code Act 1995 to: insert new offences in relation to failure to report a visual recording of malicious cruelty to domestic animals, and interference with the conduct of lawful animal enterprises; and make consequential amendments.
Senate:
- Introduced 11/2/15
- 2nd reading adjourned 11/2/15
- Bill referred to Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee 12/2/15 (SBC report 1/15); interim report presented out of sitting 29/5/15; final report presented out of sitting 12/6/15
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 31/8/16
(Previous title: Criminal Code Amendment (Firearms Trafficking) Bill 2016)
(Justice portfolio)
Amends the Criminal Code Act 1995 to provide for a mandatory minimum sentence and increased maximum penalties for the offences of trafficking firearms or firearms parts within Australia, and into and out of Australia.
Senate:
- Introduced 15/9/16
- Bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 13/10/16 (SBC report 7/16); report tabled 7/11/16
- Committee amendments: 5 Opp (2 as amended by 6 NXT)/passed
- Passed 13/2/17
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 15/2/17
- Consideration in detail amendments: 2 Govt/passed
- Passed 25/10/17
Senate:
- Senate reported message from House of Representatives returning bill with amendments 13/11/17
(Attorney-General's portfolio)
Amends the Criminal Code Act 1995 to: increase the maximum penalties available for the offences of contaminating goods, threatening to contaminate goods and making false statements about the contamination of good from 10 to 15 years' imprisonment; introduce new offences with a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment that apply where a person contaminates goods, threatens to contaminate goods or makes false statements about the contamination of goods and is reckless as to whether their actions cause public alarm or anxiety, economic loss or harm to public health; and expand the meaning of public infrastructure to include foods and services and utilities related to food for the purpose of sabotage offences.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 20/9/18
- Passed 20/9/18
Senate:
- Introduced 20/9/18
- Passed 20/9/18
Assent: 21/9/18 (Act No. 98, 2018)
(Act citation: Criminal Code Amendment (Impersonating a Commonwealth Body) Act 2018)
(Attorney-General's portfolio)
Amends the Criminal Code Act 1995 to: introduce new offences for a person recklessly or intentionally representing themselves to be, or to be acting on behalf of, or with the authority of, a Commonwealth entity or service; and introduce a new injunction power to allow authorised persons to seek injunctive relief to prevent a person from engaging in conduct in contravention of the new offences.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 13/9/17
- Passed 6/2/18
Senate:
Assent: 21/6/18 (Act No. 44, 2018)
(Senators Kakoschke-Moore and Xenophon — NXT; Senator Griff — CA and Senator Hinch — DHJP)
Amends the Criminal Code Act 1995 to: create a criminal offence for a person over 18 years of age to intentionally misrepresent their age in online communications to a person they reasonably believe to be under 16 years of age for the purposes of encouraging a physical meeting, or with the intention of committing an offence; and impose penalties.
Senate:
- Introduced 12/10/16
- 2nd reading adjourned 12/10/16, 10/11/16
(Senator Lambie — JLN)
Amends the Criminal Code Act 1995 to prohibit the wearing of full face coverings in public places under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth if the threat level under the National Terrorism Threat Advisory System is higher than 'possible'.
Senate:
- Introduced 8/2/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 8/2/17, 16/2/17, 14/9/17
(Senator Leyonhjelm — LDP)
Amends five Acts and the Criminal Code Regulations 2002 to remove barriers in Commonwealth legislation to the legalisation and regulation of cannabis for recreational, medicinal, industrial and other purposes.
Senate:
- Introduced 9/5/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 9/5/18, 15/10/18
- Bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 10/5/18 (SBC report 5/18); extension of time to report 14/8/18; report presented out of sitting 14/9/18
(Home Affairs portfolio)
Amends the Customs Act 1901 to require tobacco importers to pay import duty on tobacco products upon importation into Australia from 1 July 2019, thereby removing the option to enter imported tobacco products into a licensed warehouse without the payment of import duties. Also includes transitional arrangements for the treatment of tobacco products that are still in warehouses on 1 July 2019.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 19/9/18
- Passed 17/10/18
Senate:
- Introduced 17/10/18
- Passed 18/10/18
Assent: 25/10/18 (Act No. 131, 2018)
(Law Enforcement and Cyber Security portfolio)
Introduced with the Customs Tariff Amendment (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation) Bill 2018 to implement Australia's obligations under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, the bill amends the Customs Act 1901 to: provide preferential rates of duty for certain Trans-Pacific Partnership originating goods; and impose certain obligations on exporters and producers of eligible goods to a party to the agreement for which a preferential rate of customs duty is claimed.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 23/8/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail amendment: 1 KAP/negatived
- Passed 17/9/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 23/8/18 (SBC report 9/18); report presented out of sitting 10/10/18
- Introduced 18/9/18
- 2nd reading amendments: 1 Opp/negatived; 1 AG/negatived
- Committee amendments: 2 AG/negatived; 3 CA/negatived; 1 AC/negatived
- Passed 17/10/18
Assent: 19/10/18 (Act No. 127, 2018)
(Law Enforcement and Cybersecurity portfolio)
Amends the Customs Act 1901 to: create two new offences in respect of imported illicit tobacco based on recklessness; and allow Customs officers to investigate certain new illicit tobacco offences that are proposed to be contained in the Taxation Administration Act 1953.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 14/8/18
Senate:
- Introduced 14/8/18
- Passed 23/8/18
Assent: 31/8/18 (Act No. 89, 2018)
(Law Enforcement and Cyber Security portfolio)
Introduced with the Customs Tariff Amendment (Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus Implementation) Bill 2018 to implement Australia's obligations under Chapter 3 of the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus, the bill amends the Customs Act 1901 to: provide preferential rates of duty for certain Pacific Islands originating goods; and impose certain obligations on exporters and producers of eligible goods to a party to the agreement for which a preferential rate of customs duty is claimed.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 16/8/18
- Passed 22/8/18
Senate:
- Introduced 23/8/18
- Passed 13/9/18
Assent: 25/9/18 (Act No. 112, 2018)
(Home Affairs portfolio)
Introduced with the Customs Tariff Amendment (Peru-Australia Free Trade Agreement Implementation) Bill 2018 to implement Australia's obligations under the Peru-Australia Free Trade Agreement, the bill amends the Customs Act 1901 to: provide preferential rates of duty for certain Peruvian originating goods; and impose certain obligations on exporters and producers of eligible goods to Peru for which a preferential rate of customs duty is claimed.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 19/9/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 19/9/18
(Home Affairs portfolio)
Amends the Customs Act 1901 to: streamline the way in which product specific rules of origin of the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement, the Agreement Establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area, the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement and the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement are given effect domestically; and align the Act with certain free trade agreement provisions which have not yet been given force in domestic legislation.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 19/9/18
- Passed 16/10/18
Senate:
- Introduced 17/10/18
- Passed 3/12/18
Assent: 10/12/18 (Act No. 151, 2018)
(Senator Xenophon — NXT)
Amends the Customs Act 1901 to prohibit the importation of polyethylene core aluminium composite panels.
Senate:
- Introduced 11/9/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 11/9/17, 12/2/18
(Law Enforcement and Cyber Security portfolio)
Introduced with the Customs Amendment (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation) Bill 2018 to implement Australia's obligations under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, the bill amends the Customs Tariff Act 1995 to: provide preferential rates of customs duty for all goods, excluding excise-equivalent goods, that are Trans-Pacific Partnership originating goods; provide for excise-equivalent rates of duty on certain alcohol, tobacco and fuel products; and maintain customs duty rates for certain Trans-Pacific Partnership originating goods.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 23/8/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 AG/negatived
- Passed 17/9/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 23/8/18 (SBC report 9/18); report presented out of sitting 10/10/18
- Introduced 18/9/18
- 2nd reading amendments: 1 Opp/negatived; 1 AG/negatived
- Passed 17/10/18
Assent: 19/10/18 (Act No. 128, 2018)
(Law Enforcement and Cyber Security portfolio)
Amends the Customs Tariff Act 1995 to: remove customs duty on rodenticides, fungicides, anti-sprouting products, plant growth regulators, disinfectants containing a specific range of active substances, and all herbicides and pesticides, imported from Indonesia under the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement; remove customs duty on eligible blinded clinical trial kits and placebos imported for use in clinical trials; and remove a redundant item from the table of preferential custom duty rates for the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 27/6/18
- Passed 16/8/18
Senate:
- Introduced 20/8/18
- Passed 13/9/18
Assent: 25/9/18 (Act No. 114, 2018)
(Law Enforcement and Cyber Security portfolio)
Introduced with the Customs Amendment (Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus Implementation) Bill 2018 to implement Australia's obligations under Chapter 3 of the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations Plus, the bill amends the Customs Tariff Act 1995 to: provide free rates of customs duty for certain goods, excluding excise-equivalent goods, that are Pacific Islands originating goods; provide for excise-equivalent rates of duty on certain alcohol, tobacco and fuel products; and maintain customs duty rates for certain Pacific Islands originating goods.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 16/8/18
- Passed 22/8/18
Senate:
- Introduced 23/8/18
- Passed 13/9/18
Assent: 25/9/18 (Act No. 113, 2018)
(Home Affairs portfolio)
Introduced with the Customs Amendment (Peru-Australia Free Trade Agreement Implementation) Bill 2018 to implement Australia's obligations under the Peru-Australia Free Trade Agreement, the bill amends the Customs Act 1901 to: provide preferential rates of customs duty for all goods, excluding excise-equivalent goods, that are Peruvian originating goods; provide for excise-equivalent rates of duty on certain alcohol, tobacco, fuel and petroleum products; and maintain customs duty rates for certain Peruvian originating goods.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 19/9/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 19/9/18
(Attorney-General's portfolio)
Implements certain recommendations of the Review of Defence Support to National Counter-Terrorism Arrangements by amending the Defence Act 1903 to: permit states and territories to request that the Commonwealth call out the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in a wider range of circumstances; enable call out orders to authorise the ADF to operate in multiple jurisdictions, as well as the offshore area; authorise the ADF to respond to incidents that cross a border into a jurisdiction that has not been specified in an order in certain circumstances; allow the ADF to be pre-authorised to respond to land and maritime threats, in addition to aviation threats; increase the requirements for the ADF to consult with state and territory police where it is operating in their jurisdictions; simplify, expand and clarify the power of the ADF to search and seize, and to control movement during an incident; remove the distinction between general security areas and designated areas; for the purposes of expedited call out, clarify that acting ministers are to be treated as substantive ministers and add the Minister for Home Affairs as an alternative authorising minister; and make technical amendments. Also makes a consequential amendment to the Defence Reserve Service (Protection) Act 2001.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/6/18
- Passed 22/10/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 28/6/18 (SBC report 7/18); report presented out of sitting 3/9/18
- Introduced 12/11/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 AG/negatived
- Passed 27/11/18
Assent: 10/12/18 (Act No. 158, 2018)
(Senator Lambie — JLN)
Amends the Defence Act 1903 to link annual wage increases for members of the Australian Defence Force to whichever is the higher of increases in parliamentary allowance or the consumer price index.
Senate:
- Introduced 16/8/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 16/8/17
(Senator Patrick — CA)
Amends the Defence Act 1903 to provide that the Commonwealth may only enter into an agreement with an entity for the building of certain vessels for use by the Royal Australian Navy if the vessel is to be constructed in Australia by an Australian shipbuilder.
Senate:
- Introduced 9/5/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 9/5/18
- Bill referred to Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee 28/6/18 (SBC report 7/18); extensions of time to report 15/10/18, 26/11/18; report due last sitting day in the first sitting week in February 2019 (14/2/19)
(Ms McGowan MP — Ind)
Provides for the posthumous promotion of the late General Sir John Monash to rank of Australian Field Marshal in the Australian Regular Army on 1 January 1931, the date of his return to the Active Duty List.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 22/10/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 22/10/18
(Defence portfolio)
Amends the: Defence Force Discipline Act 1982 to: make changes in relation to the selection, remuneration and termination of members of the Judge Advocates' Panel (JAP); make changes in relation to the selection and termination of the Chief Judge Advocate; establish and provide for the selection and remuneration of the position of Deputy Chief Judge Advocate; make minor amendments in relation to the statutory offices of Registrar of Military Justice and Director of Military Prosecutions; and make other minor technical amendments; and Defence Reserve Service (Protection) Act 2001 to: move the complaint, investigation and mediation scheme from regulations into the Act; make changes to the scheme, including to reduce the formality of complaint handling and investigations, vest certain powers in the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF), clarify the ability to provide certain information to various parties and introduce the option of a 'compulsory conference' as an alternative dispute resolution measure; and require the CDF to prepare annually a report in relation to the administration and operation of the Act.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 5/12/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 5/12/18
(Senator Ludlam — AG)
Amends the: Defence Act 1903 to provide for parliamentary approval of overseas service by members of the Australian Defence Force; and Air Force Act 1923 and Naval Defence Act 1910 to make consequential amendments.
Senate:
- Introduced 4/3/15
- 2nd reading adjourned 4/3/15
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 31/8/16
- 2nd reading adjourned 9/2/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 PHON/pending
(Senator Di Natale — AG)
Amends the: Sex Discrimination Act 1984 to remove the exemption for religious educational institutions to discriminate against students and teachers on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, gender identification, marital or relationship status or pregnancy; and Fair Work Act 2009 to ensure that religious exemptions from anti-discrimination provisions do not extend to educational institutions.
Senate:
- Introduced 16/10/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 16/10/18, 17/10/18, 18/10/18
(Education and Training portfolio)
Introduced with the Student Loans (Overseas Debtors Repayment Levy) Amendment Bill 2018, the bill amends the: Higher Education Support Act 2003 and VET Student Loans Act 2016 to separate VET student loan debts from other forms of Higher Education Loan Program debts and establish VET student loans as a separate income contingent loan; and VET Student Loans Act 2016 to allow the courses and loan caps determinations made by the minister to incorporate, by reference, any matter contained in an instrument or other writing as in force from time to time. Also makes consequential and contingent amendments to 10 Acts.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Consideration in detail amendments: 16 Govt/passed
- Passed 22/8/18
Senate:
Assent: 25/9/18 (Act No. 116, 2018)
(Mr Katter MP — KAP)
Amends the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 to: prohibit the receipt of a gift which exceeds $1000 by a political party or candidate from a foreign person or a person who has not provided a statutory declaration stating that they are not a foreign person; provide that a gift received in these circumstances is a debt owing to the Commonwealth and may be recovered by the Commonwealth; and provide that a gift received in these circumstances is not unlawful if it is returned within 30 days after its receipt.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 14/8/17
- Removed from Notice Paper 27/2/18
(Previous title: Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Bill 2017)
(Finance portfolio)
Amends the: Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 to: establish public registers for key non-party political actors; require non-financial particulars, such as senior staff and discretionary government benefits, to be reported; prohibit donations from foreign governments and state-owned enterprises being used to finance public debate; require wholly political actors to verify that donations over $250 come from an organisation incorporated in Australia, or with its head office or principal place of activity in Australia, or an Australian citizen or Commonwealth elector; prohibit other regulated political actors from using donations from foreign sources to fund reportable political expenditure; limit public election funding to demonstrated electoral spending; amend the enforcement and compliance regime for political finance regulation; and enable the Electoral Commissioner to prescribe certain matters by legislative instrument; and Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984 to make consequential amendments.
Senate:
- Bill referred to Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters 6/12/17; report presented out of sitting 9/4/18; addendum presented out of sitting 10/4/18; report and addendum tabled in House of Representatives 8/5/18
- Introduced 7/12/17
- Proposed amendments referred to Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters 19/9/18; report tabled in House of Representatives and Senate 15/10/18
- 2nd reading amendments: 1 Opp/passed; 1 AG/negatived
- Committee amendments: 222 Govt/passed; 8 AG/negatived; 1 AG to Govt/negatived; 1 CA/negatived; 2 PHON/negatived; 1 AC/negatived
- Passed 15/11/18
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 26/11/18
- Consideration in detail amendments: 1 CA/negatived
- Passed 27/11/18
Assent: 30/11/18 (Act No. 147, 2018)
(Special Minister of State portfolio)
Amends the: Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 to: make completion of a qualification checklist compulsory in relation to candidate nominations; enable candidates to lodge their nominations and certain other documents electronically; and allow a senior Australian Electoral Commission staff member rather than a senior Divisional Returning Officer to be on the Redistribution Committee for the Australian Capital Territory; and Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 and Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984 to amend various aspects of voting and scrutiny processes.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 29/11/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 29/11/18
(Senator Rhiannon — AG)
Amends the Industrial Chemicals (Notification and Assessment) Act 1989 to: prohibit the developing, manufacturing, selling, advertising or importing into Australia of cosmetics, or ingredients in cosmetics, which have been tested on live animals; and make consequential amendments.
Senate:
- Introduced 18/3/14
- 2nd reading adjourned 18/3/14
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 15/9/16
(Previous title: Enhancing Online Safety (Non-consensual Sharing of Intimate Images) Bill 2017)
(Communications and the Arts portfolio)
Amends the: Enhancing Online Safety Act 2015 to: prohibit the posting of, or threatening to post, an intimate image without consent on a social media service, relevant electronic service or a designated internet service; establish a complaints and objections system to be administered by the eSafety Commissioner; provide the commissioner with powers to issue removal notices or remedial directions; establish a civil penalty regime to be administered by the commissioner; and enable the commissioner to seek a civil penalty order from a relevant court, issue an infringement notice, obtain an injunction or enforce an undertaking, or issue a formal warning for contraventions of the civil penalty provisions; and Broadcasting Services Act 1992 to make a consequential amendment.
Senate:
- Introduced 6/12/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/passed
- Committee amendments: 1 Opp/passed; 1 NXT/passed; 6 AG/negatived; 6 LDP/negatived
- Passed 14/2/18
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 15/2/18
- Consideration in detail amendment: 1 Govt/passed
- Passed 16/8/18
Senate:
- Senate agreed to House of Representatives amendment 23/8/18
Assent: 31/8/18 (Act No. 96, 2018)
(Senator Waters — AG)
Amends the: Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 to impose additional obligations on the minister in making decisions on approvals and conditions; and Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility Act 2016 to: require the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility to assess whether an entity is a suitable person for the purposes of providing financial assistance for Northern Australia economic infrastructure; and provide that, in undertaking an assessment, the facility consults with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and the Australian Crime Commission. Also provides for a review of certain existing approvals under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 in relation to the Adani group.
Senate:
- Introduced 13/6/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 13/6/17, 15/6/17, 19/10/17
- Bill referred to Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee 22/6/17 (SBC report 7/17); report tabled 14/9/17
(Senator Storer — Ind)
Amends the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 to require that any application to undertake petroleum or greenhouse gas related activity in the Great Australian Bight that is approved by the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority must be assessed a second time under the Act.
Senate:
- Introduced 29/11/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 29/11/18
(Ms Sharkie MP — CA)
Amends the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 to grant National Heritage status to the Great Australian Bight.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 3/12/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 3/12/18
(Senator Rhiannon — AG)
Amends the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 to prohibit the import of live primates for research purposes.
Senate:
- Introduced 17/9/15
- 2nd reading adjourned 17/9/15
- Bill referred to Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee 15/10/15 (SBC report 13/15); report tabled 15/3/16
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 31/8/16
(Mr Wilkie — Ind)
Establishes a stand-alone scheme for equal pay certification by employers that employ 25 or more people, to operate in addition to all current statutory requirements including the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012, the Fair Work Act 2009 and the Sex Discrimination Act 1994.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 26/11/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 26/11/18
(Act citation: Excise Levies Legislation Amendment (Honey) Act 2018)
(Agriculture and Water Resources portfolio)
Introduced with the Agriculture and Water Resources Legislation Amendment Bill 2016, the bill amends the National Residue Survey (Excise) Levy Act 1998 and Primary Industries (Excise) Levy Act 1999 to remove obsolete regulatory requirements in relation to the sale of honey.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 1/12/16
- Passed 13/2/17
Senate:
- Introduced 14/2/17
- Passed 20/9/18
Assent: 3/10/18 (Act No. 119, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Introduced with the Treasury Laws Amendment (Black Economy Taskforce Measures No. 2) Bill 2018, the bill amends the Excise Tariff Act 1921 to establish a framework to make excise duty on tobacco due and payable at the time of manufacture.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 20/9/18
- Passed 17/10/18
Senate:
- Introduced 18/10/18
- Passed 15/11/18
Assent: 29/11/18 (Act No. 137, 2018)
(Senator Rhiannon — AG and Senator Hinch — DHJP)
Amends the Export Control Act 1982 to prohibit the export of live equines for slaughter.
Senate:
- Introduced 26/6/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 26/6/18
(Agriculture and Water Resources portfolio)
Streamlines and consolidates existing legislation to create a framework for regulating the export of goods, including agricultural products and food, from Australian territory.
Senate:
- Introduced 7/12/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 7/12/17, 5/2/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/pending
(Agriculture and Water Resources portfolio)
Amends the: Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry Act 1997 and Export Control Act 1982 to increase criminal penalties and introduce new criminal offences and civil penalties for individuals and companies in relation to live-stock export standards and requirements and conduct that poses a risk to trade.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 24/5/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 24/5/18, 30/5/18, 31/5/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/pending
(Mr Bandt MP — AG)
Amends the Fair Work Act 2009 to increase the national minimum wage to at least 60 per cent of the median full-time weekly wage, as determined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 25/6/18
- Removed from Notice Paper 4/12/18
(Mr Bandt MP — AG)
Amends the Fair Work Act 2009 to: provide employees with enforceable rights to request flexible working arrangements; and provide the Fair Work Commission with the power to make flexible working arrangements orders.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 26/3/18
- Removed from Notice Paper 16/10/18
(Jobs and Innovation portfolio)
Amends the Fair Work Act 2009 to insert an entitlement in the National Employment Standards to five days of unpaid family and domestic violence leave in a 12-month period.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 13/9/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail amendments: 11 AG/negatived; 18 Opp/ruled out of order
- Passed 4/12/18
Senate:
Assent: 11/12/18 (Act No. 169, 2018)
(Senator Waters — AG)
Amends the Fair Work Act 2009 to: remove restrictions on employees' rights to disclose the amount of, or information about, their pay or earnings; and prohibit employers from taking adverse action against employees for disclosing this information.
Senate:
- Introduced 17/9/15
- 2nd reading adjourned 17/9/15
- Bill referred to Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee 15/10/15 (SBC report 13/15); report due 12/5/16
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 31/8/16
- 2nd reading adjourned 19/3/18
- Bill referred to Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee 1/9/16 (SBC report 5/16); extension of time to report 10/11/16; report tabled 30/11/16
(Mr Bandt MP — AG)
Amends the Fair Work Act 2009 to amend the National Employment Standards to enable an employee who experiences family or domestic violence to take up to 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave per year or 2 days of unpaid family and domestic violence leave for each permissible occasion.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 5/2/18
- Removed from Notice Paper 21/8/18
(Mr Bandt MP — AG)
Amends the Fair Work Act 2009 to enable the Fair Work Commission to issue a minimum entitlements order which would extend certain provisions of the Act, a modern award or an enterprise agreement to workers.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 21/5/18
- Removed from Notice Paper 23/10/18
(Senator Rhiannon — AG)
Amends the Fair Work Act 2009 to require employers to pay a base rate of pay, full rate of pay and any casual loading that is not less than the relevant award or national minimum wage for employees covered by an enterprise agreement.
Senate:
(Senator Leyonhjelm — LDP and Senator Day — FFP)
Amends the Fair Work Act 2009 to remove the requirement that certain small businesses pay penalty rates unless the work is performed on a weekend and is in addition to 38 hours of work over a seven day period, is in addition to ten hours of work in a 24-hour period, or is performed on a public holiday.
Senate:
- Introduced 13/8/15
- 2nd reading adjourned 13/8/15, 17/9/15
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 31/8/16
(Senator Cameron — ALP)
Amends the: Fair Work Act 2009 to: clarify the application of the Act to migrants; require Fair Work Information Statements to contain certain information; provide additional protection from adverse action in certain circumstances; introduce a 'reasonable person' test in determining whether an employer has engaged in sham contracting; enable the court to make orders requiring directors of phoenix companies to pay amounts owed by failed companies and orders disqualifying certain persons from managing corporations; increase maximum penalties for certain breaches of the Act; and introduce new offences for serious contraventions of the Act that involve the use of coercion or threats; and Corporations Act 2001 to make consequential amendments.
Senate:
- Introduced 15/3/16
- 2nd reading adjourned 15/3/16
- Bill referred to Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee 17/3/16 (SBC report 4/16); report due 10/5/16
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 31/8/16
(Mr Shorten MP — ALP)
Amends the Fair Work Act 2009 to: ensure that modern awards cannot be varied to reduce penalty rates or the hours to which penalties rates apply if the variation is likely to result in a reduction in the take-home pay of an employee; and provide that any such determination by the Fair Work Commission made on or after 22 February 2017 is of no effect.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 20/3/17
- Removed from Notice Paper 27/3/18
(Senator Cameron — ALP, Senator Di Natale — AG and Senator Lambie — JLN)
Amends the Fair Work Act 2009 to: ensure that modern awards cannot be varied to reduce penalty rates or the hours to which penalties rates apply if the variation is likely to result in a reduction in the take-home pay of an employee; and provide that any such determination by the Fair Work Commission made on or after 22 February 2017 is of no effect.
Senate:
- Introduced 21/3/17
- Passed 30/3/17
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 31/3/17
- Read a 1st time 31/3/17
(Mr Christensen MP — Nats)
Amends the Fair Work Act 2009 to: ensure that penalty rates in a modern award cannot be varied to make the penalty rate lower than that in force under the award on 30 June 2017; provide that any such determination by the Fair Work Commission made on or after 22 February 2017 is of no effect; and ensure that penalty rates cannot be reduced in any future greenfields or non-greenfields enterprise agreement if an employee is worse off than they would have been under the award, by virtue of the fact that the employee works only or mainly on days on which penalty rates are paid.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 19/6/17
- Bill referred to House of Representatives Employment, Education and Training Committee 22/6/17 (SC report no. 13); statement made discharging committee's obligation to report 12/2/18
- Removed from Notice Paper 13/2/18
(Ms Sharkie MP — CA)
Amends the: Fair Work Act 2009 to: allow for minimum standards under the National Employment Standards to relate to superannuation contributions; and require employers to provide information to employees in relation to employer superannuation contributions for each pay period; Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 to: clarify that amounts contributed to a superannuation fund by an employee or Retirement Savings Account under a salary sacrifice arrangement are not employer contributions; remove the current exemption for employers not to make superannuation contributions to employees who are paid less than $450 in a calendar month; remove certain restrictions on choice of superannuation fund; and provide for a review of employers' compliance with superannuation payment obligations by the Commissioner of Taxation; Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 to create a duty for trustees of superannuation entities to take reasonable steps to notify their members when it could reasonably have expected them to have received a contribution from an employer, but did not; and Taxation Administration Act 1953 to require additional information to be provided to the commissioner in annual member information statements.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 11/9/17
- Removed from Notice Paper 22/5/18
(Act citation: Fair Work Amendment (Repeal of 4 Yearly Reviews and Other Measures) Act 2018)
(Employment portfolio)
Amends the: Fair Work Act 2009 to respond to recommendations of the Productivity Commission's final report into the Workplace Relations Framework by: removing the requirement for the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to conduct 4 yearly reviews of modern awards from the beginning of 1 January 2018; and enabling the FWC to overlook minor procedural or technical errors when approving an enterprise agreement, if it is satisfied that those errors were not likely to have disadvantaged employees; and Fair Work Act 2009 and Fair Work (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Act 2009 to respond to recommendations of the Report of Inquiry into Complaints about the Honourable Vice President Michael Lawler of the Fair Work Commission and Related Matters by applying the complaint-handling powers of the Minister for Employment and the President of the FWC to FWC members who formerly held office in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission, and applying the Judicial Misbehaviour and Incapacity (Parliamentary Commissions) Act 2012 in relation to FWC members.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 1/3/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail amendments: 4 Govt/passed; 4 Opp/negatived; 3 AG/negatived
- Passed 20/6/17
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee 23/3/17 (SBC report 3/17); report presented out of sitting 22/5/17
- Introduced 22/6/17
- Committee amendments: 2 Opp/passed
- Passed 4/12/17
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives disagreed to Senate amendments 5/12/18
Senate:
- Senate did not insist on its amendments 5/12/18
Assent: 11/12/18 (Act No. 170, 2018)
(Mr Shorten MP — ALP)
Amends the Fair Work Act 2009 to: provide that modern awards cannot be varied to reduce penalty rates or the hours to which penalties rates apply if the variation is likely to result in a reduction in the take-home pay of an employee; and provide that any such determination by the Fair Work Commission made on or after 21 June 2017 is of no effect.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 25/6/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 25/6/18, 13/8/18
- Federation Chamber: Referred 15/8/18; 2nd reading adjourned 20/8/18, 10/9/18, 15/10/18, 3/12/18
(Senator Cameron — ALP)
Amends the Fair Work Act 2009 to: provide that modern awards cannot be varied to reduce penalty rates or the hours to which penalties rates apply if the variation is likely to result in a reduction in the take-home pay of an employee; and provide that any such determination by the Fair Work Commission made on or after 21 June 2017 is of no effect.
Senate:
- Introduced 14/11/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 14/11/18
(Mr Bandt MP — AG)
Amends the Fair Work Act 2009 to: provide a process for an employee who is a casual or rolling contract employee to request to move to ongoing employment on a part-time or full time basis; and provide the Fair Work Commission with the power to make a secure employment order.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 26/3/18
- Removed from Notice Paper 16/10/18
(Mr Wilkie MP — Ind)
Amends the Fair Work Act 2009 to: provide that the Fair Work Commission must not consider it appropriate to terminate an enterprise agreement if the terms and conditions of employment of any employee covered by the agreement would, immediately after the termination, be less favourable than the employee's terms and conditions of employment immediately before the termination; and invalidate any decision of the commission to terminate an agreement since 22 April 2015, if the decision would not have met the new requirements.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 11/9/17
- Removed from Notice Paper 22/5/18
(Employment portfolio)
Amends the: Fair Work Act 2009 to: prohibit terms of a modern award or an enterprise agreement requiring or permitting contributions for the benefit of an employee to be made to any fund other than a superannuation fund, a registered worker entitlement fund or a registered charity; require any term of a modern award or enterprise agreement that names a worker entitlement fund or insurance product to provide for an employee to choose another fund or insurance product; prohibit any term of a modern award, enterprise agreement or contract of employment permitting or requiring employee contributions to an election fund for an industrial association; and prohibit any action with the intent to coerce an employer to pay amounts to a particular worker entitlement fund, superannuation fund, training fund, welfare fund or employee insurance scheme; Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009 to: require registered organisations to adopt, and periodically review, financial management policies; require registered organisations to keep credit card records and report certain loans, grants and donations; require specific disclosure by registered organisations and employers of the financial benefits obtained by them and persons linked to them in connection with employee insurance products, welfare fund arrangements and training fund arrangements; and introduce a range of new penalties relating to compliance with financial management, disclosure and reporting requirements; and Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986, Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 and Taxation Administration Act 1953 to make consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 19/10/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 26/10/17
Senate:
(Employment portfolio)
Amends the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009 to: include certain serious criminal offences as a new category of 'prescribed offence' for the purposes of the automatic disqualification regime in relation to registered organisations; establish an offence for a disqualified person to continue to act as an official or in a way that influences the affairs of an organisation; allow the Federal Court to prohibit officials from holding office in certain circumstances or if they are otherwise not a fit and proper person; allow the Federal Court to cancel the registration of an organisation on a range of grounds; allow applications to be made to the Federal Court for a range of other orders; expand the grounds on which the Federal Court may order remedial action to deal with governance issues in an organisation; expressly provide that the Federal Court may appoint an administrator to an organisation or part of an organisation as part of a remedial scheme; introduce a public interest test for amalgamations of registered organisations; and make minor and technical amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 16/8/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 16/10/17
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee 17/8/17 (SBC report 9/17); interim report presented out of sitting 6/10/17; final report presented out of sitting 12/10/17
- Introduced 17/10/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 17/10/17
(Previous title: Family Assistance and Child Support Legislation Amendment (Protecting Children) Bill 2017)
(Social Services portfolio)
Amends the: A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999 and Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989 to: extend the interim period that applies for recently-established court-ordered care arrangements; and provide incentives for the person with increased care to take reasonable action to participate in family dispute resolution where a care dispute relates to an older court order, a parenting plan or a written agreement; Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989 to: allow the Child Support Registrar to take into account an amended tax assessment in an administrative assessment of child support in certain circumstances; allow courts to set aside child support agreements made before 1 July 2008; and allow all child support agreements to be set aside without having to go to court if certain circumstances change; A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act 1999, Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989 and Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988 to: align the methods for recovery of a child support overpayment from a payee with the methods for recovering a child support debt from a payer; provide that all backdated reductions to a child support assessment collected will be recoverable; and insert new backdating provisions for retrospectively creating a child support overpayment or underpayment due to a change of circumstances; and A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999 and A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act 1999 to: provide that an individual will have their FTB Part A daily rate reduced by approximately $2.02 per day if their child does not meet the health check requirements under the Healthy Start for School initiative before their fifth birthday or if they do not comply with the immunisation requirements for their child; and allow the secretary to require that requests for certain exemptions from the immunisation requirements be made in a particular form and manner, contain any information and be accompanied by any documents required by the secretary.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 14/9/17
- Consideration in detail amendments: 3 Govt/passed
- Passed 12/2/18
Senate:
- Introduced 13/2/18
- 2nd reading amendments: 2 AG/negatived
- Committee amendments: 8 Opp/negatived
- Passed 9/5/18
Assent: 22/5/18 (Act No. 36, 2018)
(Attorney-General's portfolio)
Amends the Family Law Act 1975 to: prohibit personal cross-examination where there is an allegation of family violence between the parties to the proceedings and certain circumstances are satisfied; provide that if personal cross-examination is prohibited, cross-examination must be conducted by a legal representative; and provide that, if there is an allegation of family violence and personal cross-examination is not prohibited, the court must ensure that there are appropriate protections for the party who is the alleged victim of the family violence.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/6/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 11/9/18
Senate:
Assent: 10/12/18 (Act No. 159, 2018)
(Previous title: Family Law Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Bill 2017)
(Attorney-General's portfolio)
Amends the: Family Law Act 1975 to: provide for courts to be prescribed in regulations as having the same family law parenting jurisdiction as state and territory courts of summary jurisdiction; provide for regulations to prescribe an increased total property value under which relevant courts can hear contested family law property matters without the parties' consent; provide that a court may give short-form reasons for decisions relating to interim parenting orders; provide family law courts with an explicit power to dismiss unmeritorious applications; provide judges the discretion to dispense with requirements to explain an order or injunction to a child where it would be in the best interests of the child; remove the 21 day time limit on the revival, variation or suspension of family law orders by state and territory courts in family violence order proceedings; provide that a breach of a family law injunction for personal protection is a criminal offence; remove self-induced intoxication as a defence against charges relating to family violence; provide that criminal responsibility does not extend to the person protected by an injunction for personal protection if their conduct results in a breach of the injunction; provide for state and territory courts to revive, vary or suspend an injunction for personal protection when hearing a proceeding for a breach of that injunction; and repeal a redundant provision that permits a court to make an order relieving a party to a marriage from an obligation to perform marital services or render conjugal rights; and Federal Circuit Court of Australia Act 1999 to make a consequential amendment.
Senate:
- Introduced 6/12/17
- Bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 7/12/17 (SBC report 15/17); report presented out of sitting 20/4/18
- Committee amendments: 9 Govt/passed
- Passed 13/8/18
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 15/8/18
- Passed 22/8/18
Assent: 31/8/18 (Act No. 97, 2018)
(Attorney-General's portfolio)
Amends: the Family Law Act 1975 to: establish the Parenting Management Hearings Panel as an independent statutory authority to provide self-represented litigants with an alternative to the court process for resolving parenting disputes; 11 Acts to make consequential amendments; and various Acts contingent on the commencement of the proposed Civil Law and Justice Legislation Amendment Act 2017, proposed Family Assistance and Child Support Legislation Amendment (Protecting Children) Act 2017 and proposed Family Law Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Act 2017.
Senate:
- Introduced 6/12/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 6/12/17
- Bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 7/12/17 (SBC report 15/17); report tabled 26/3/18
(Mr Wilkie MP — Ind)
Amends the Family Law Act 1975 to require the Australian Institute of Family Studies to conduct a review of government support for single parents.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 20/8/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 20/8/18
(Treasury portfolio)
Part of a package of 11 bills to fund the Commonwealth's contribution to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the bill amends the Family Trust Distribution Tax (Primary Liability) Act 1998 to increase from 47 per cent to 47.5 per cent the rate of family trust distribution tax.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 17/8/17
- Passed 25/10/17
Senate:
(Agriculture and Water Resources portfolio)
Amends the Farm Household Support Act 2014 to extend the Farm Household Allowance program from three cumulative years to four cumulative years for each recipient.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 20/6/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 27/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 27/6/18
- Passed 28/6/18
Assent: 29/6/18 (Act No. 62, 2018)
(Agriculture and Water Resources portfolio)
Amends the: Farm Household Support Act 2014 to increase the farm assets value limit to $5 million for the period 1 November 2018 to 30 June 2019; and Farm Household Support Act 2014 and Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to provide a two-part payment supplement to eligible farm household allowance recipients for the period 1 September 2018 to 1 June 2019.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 16/8/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail amendment: 1 Govt/passed
- Passed 22/8/18
Senate:
- Introduced 22/8/18
- Passed 23/8/18
Assent: 24/8/18 (Act No. 87, 2018)
(Attorney-General's portfolio)
Introduced with the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2018, the bill unifies the administrative structure of the Family Court of Australia and the Federal Circuit Court of Australia, which will be known as the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia comprised of Division 1 (which will be a continuation of the Family Court) and Division 2 (which will be a continuation of the Federal Circuit Court).
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 23/8/18
- Consideration in detail amendments: 4 Govt/passed
- Passed 27/11/18
Senate:
(Attorney-General's portfolio)
Introduced with the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia Bill 2018, the bill: amends the Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 to establish the Family Law Appeal Division in the Federal Court of Australia, and provide the Family Law Appeal Division appellate jurisdiction in relation to family law appeals from the Federal Circuit and Family Court (FCFC) as well as some appeals from the Family Court of Western Australia; amends the Family Law Act 1975 to largely remove the appellate function of the Family Court of Australia, and ensure that the Act continues to operate in the context of the FCFC; makes consequential amendments to 123 Acts and 25 court-related regulations and rules; amends various Acts contingent on the commencement of 21 proposed Acts; modifies court rules for Divisions 1 and 2 of the FCFC and amends court rules for the Federal Court of Australia and the standard rules of court for family law proceedings; provides for transitional arrangements to preserve and transition the titles and appointments of the judges and personnel to the FCFC, and in relation to family law appeals which are on foot and appeals which would be impacted by the transfer of appellate jurisdiction to the Family Law Appeal Division of the Federal Court; and repeals the Federal Circuit Court of Australia Act 1999.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 23/8/18
- Consideration in detail amendments: 127 Govt/passed
- Passed 27/11/18
Senate:
(Act citation: Financial Sector Legislation Amendment (Crisis Resolution Powers and Other Measures) Act 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the Banking Act 1959, Insurance Act 1973, Life Insurance Act 1995 and five other Acts to give the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority additional powers for crisis resolution and resolution planning in relation to regulated entities, including in relation to: statutory and judicial management; directions powers; transfer powers; conversion and write off of capital instruments; stay provisions; foreign branches; the Financial Claims Scheme; and wind-up and other matters.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 19/10/17
- Passed 12/2/18
Senate:
Assent: 5/3/18 (Act No. 10, 2018)
(Senator Xenophon — NXT and Senator Milne — AG)
Amends the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975 to: implement a national interest test to be applied against proposed foreign acquisitions of agricultural land; require any interest in agricultural land greater than five hectares to be notified to the Treasurer; require online publication of information about foreign acquisitions of interest in agricultural land; and impose penalties for not notifying the Treasurer of a proposed acquisition.
Senate:
- Introduced 24/11/10
- 2nd reading adjourned 24/11/10, 22/9/11, 28/2/13
- Bill referred to Senate Economics Legislation Committee 10/2/11 (SBC report 1/11); report tabled 16/6/11
- Lapsed due to prorogation of 43rd Parliament 11/11/13
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 10/12/13
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 31/8/16
(Treasury portfolio)
Introduced with the Treasury Laws Amendment (Reducing Pressure on Housing Affordability Measures No. 2) Bill 2018, the bill amends the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Fees Imposition Act 2015 to impose reconciliation fees on developers who sell a near-new dwelling to a foreign person under a near-new dwelling exemption certificate.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 8/2/18
- Passed 1/3/18
Senate:
(Previous title: Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Bill 2017)
(Attorney-General's portfolio)
Introduced with the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme (Charges Imposition) Bill 2017, the bill establishes the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme to: require registration by certain persons undertaking certain activities on behalf of a foreign principal; require registrants to disclose information about the nature of their relationship with the foreign principal and activities undertaken pursuant to that relationship; place additional disclosure requirements on registrants during elections and other voting periods; establish a register of scheme information and provide for certain information to be made publicly available; provide the secretary with powers to obtain information and documents; and establish various penalties for non-compliance with the scheme.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 7/12/17
- Bill referred to Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security 8/12/17; report tabled in House of Representatives 25/6/18 and Senate 26/6/18
- Consideration in detail amendments: 126 Govt/passed
- Passed 26/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 27/6/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 AG/negatived
- Passed 28/6/18
Assent: 29/6/18 (Act No. 63, 2018)
(Attorney-General's portfolio)
Introduced with the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Bill 2017, the bill imposes a charge on applications for registration or renewal of registration under the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 7/12/17
- Discharged from Notice Paper 26/6/18
(Attorney-General's portfolio)
Amends the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act 2018 (FITS Act) to require the secretary to continue to publish certain information about registered persons after they cease to be registered, including information that was published about that person before their registration ceased; and National Security Legislation Amendment (Espionage and Foreign Interference) Act 2018 to: provide that people who are liable to register under the FITS Act will be required to register within three months of the FITS Act commencing; and provide that, if election writs for either House of Parliament are issued before the end of that three month period, such persons will have to register no later than 14 days after the issuing of the writs.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/11/18
- Passed 4/12/18
Senate:
- Introduced 5/12/18
- Passed 5/12/18
Assent: 10/12/18 (Act No. 152, 2018)
(Senator Patrick — CA)
Amends the: Archives Act 1983 to require the reporting of external legal expenses incurred by the National Archives of Australia; Australian Information Commissioner Act 2010 to: ensure that the Information Commissioner holds specified qualifications; and require the separate appointment of the Australian Information Commissioner, the Privacy Commissioner and the Freedom of Information (FOI) Commissioner; and Freedom of Information Act 1982 to: enable the transfer of Information Commissioner reviewable decisions to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT); require the consistent application of exemptions by decision makers in the context of a review by the Information Commissioner; prevent the Information Commissioner from making FOI decisions if he or she does not hold specified qualifications; prevent agencies from publishing FOI information until at least 10 days after the applicant has received his or her copy of the information; and require the reporting of external legal expenses for each Information Commission or AAT FOI matter that has concluded.
Senate:
- Introduced 22/8/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 22/8/18
- Bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 23/8/18 (SBC report 9/18); report presented out of sitting 30/11/18
(Senator Leyonhjelm — LDP)
Amends the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995 to remove the ban on publications, films and computer games that offend against standards of morality, decency and propriety; and Broadcasting Services Act 1992 to: remove bans on broadcasting, datacasting and online content, with a specific focus on bans affecting services provided behind paywalls; narrow the guidance provided by government to broadcasting industries and datacasting licensees in the development of codes of practice; remove certain restrictions on subscription television broadcasters and online content services relating to programs or content that has been or would be classified as X 18+, 'category 1 restricted' or 'category 2 restricted'; and remove a ban on broadcasting electoral advertising relating to a federal, state, territory or local election on election day or on the preceding Thursday or Friday.
Senate:
- Introduced 27/6/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 27/6/18
- Bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 16/8/18 (SBC report 8/18); extension of time to report 3/12/18; report due 8/3/19
(Senator Leyonhjelm — LDP)
Amends 23 Commonwealth Acts to remove certain restrictions on insulting or offensive speech.
Senate:
- Introduced 27/6/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 27/6/18
- Bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 16/8/18 (SBC report 8/18); extension of time to report 3/12/18; report due 8/3/19
(Senator Leyonhjelm — LDP)
Amends the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979, Crimes Act 1914 and Criminal Code Act 1995 to remove certain restrictions on speech.
Senate:
- Introduced 27/6/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 27/6/18
- Bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 16/8/18 (SBC report 8/18); extension of time to report 3/12/18; report due 8/3/19
(Senator Leyonhjelm — LDP)
Amends the: Marriage Act 1961 to: define marriage as a union of two people; clarify that authorised celebrants are not bound to solemnise marriage; and remove the prohibition of the recognition of same sex marriages solemnised in a foreign country; and Sex Discrimination Act 1984 to make consequential amendments. Also includes a regulation making power so that consequential amendments can be made to other Acts.
Senate:
- Introduced 13/9/16
- 2nd reading adjourned 13/9/16
(Treasury portfolio)
Part of a package of 11 bills to fund the Commonwealth's contribution to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the bill amends the Fringe Benefits Tax Act 1986 to increase from 47 per cent to 47.5 per cent the rate of fringe benefits tax.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 17/8/17
- Passed 25/10/17
Senate:
(Finance portfolio)
Introduced with the Future Drought Fund (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2018, the bill uses uncommitted funds from the Building Australia Fund to establish the Future Drought Fund (comprised of the Future Drought Fund Special Account and the investments of the Future Drought Fund) as a dedicated investment vehicle to provide a secure revenue stream to be used for drought resilience, preparedness and response.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/11/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 28/11/18
Senate:
(Finance portfolio)
Introduced with the Future Drought Fund Bill 2018, the bill makes consequential amendments to eight Acts to: support the operation of the Future Drought Fund; and provide for transitional arrangements.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/11/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 28/11/18
Senate:
(Senator Waters — AG)
Prohibits the mining of thermal coal in the Galilee Basin in Queensland.
Senate:
- Introduced 5/12/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 5/12/18
- Bill referred to Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee 6/12/18 (SBC report 15/18); report due 13/2/19
(Act citation: Government Procurement (Judicial Review) Act 2018)
(Finance portfolio)
Enables the Federal Circuit Court of Australia or the Federal Court of Australia to grant an injunction or order payment of compensation in relation to a contravention of the relevant Commonwealth Procurement Rules, so far as those rules relate to a covered procurement.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 25/5/17
- 2nd reading amendments: 1 Opp/negatived; 1 AG to Opp/negatived
- Passed 19/9/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee 15/6/17 (SBC report 6/17); report presented out of sitting 4/8/17
- Introduced 20/9/18
- Committee amendments: 2 AG/negatived; 5 CA/negatived
- Passed 18/10/18
Assent: 19/10/18 (Act No. 129, 2018)
(Senator Hanson-Young — AG)
Prohibits mining activities, including prospecting or exploring for minerals or other geological material, in the Great Australian Bight marine area.
Senate:
- Introduced 15/9/16
- 2nd reading adjourned 15/9/16, 26/11/18
- Bill referred to Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee 13/10/16 (SBC report 7/16); report tabled 30/3/17
(Act citation: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Amendment (Authority Governance and Other Matters) Act 2018)
(Environment and Energy portfolio)
Amends the: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 to: replace the existing full-time Chairperson of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority position with a part-time Chairperson and full-time Chief Executive Officer; establish an additional part-time member position; specify the skills required for the appointment of members; limit the number of consecutive terms able to be served by an individual member; provide for termination of members by the Governor-General for underperformance; require that any other paid work undertaken by a part-time member does not conflict with the proper performance of their duties as a member of the authority; and make a minor technical amendment; and Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 to make consequential amendments.
Senate:
- Introduced 6/12/17
- Passed 8/2/18
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 8/2/18
- Passed 13/2/18
Assent: 5/3/18 (Act No. 12, 2018)
(Senator Hanson-Young — AG)
The bill: establishes the Office of the Guardian for Unaccompanied Non-citizen Children and provides for the appointment, functions and powers of the guardian, and for staff, consultants and reporting requirements; and amends the Immigration (Guardianship of Children) Act 1946 and Migration Act 1958 to make consequential amendments.
Senate:
- Introduced 16/7/14
- 2nd reading adjourned 16/7/14
- Bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 28/8/14 (SBC report 10/14); interim report presented out of sitting 5/2/15; final report tabled 9/2/15
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 15/9/16
(Senator Bernardi — AC)
Establishes for a period of five years a Halal Certification Transitional Authority that may issue halal certificates to authorise the holders to certify that certain foods within the scope of their halal certificate are halal.
Senate:
- Introduced 28/11/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 28/11/18
(Health portfolio)
Amends the Health Insurance (Approved Pathology Specimen Collection Centres) Tax Act 2000 to enable the tax payable on the grant of an approval of an Approved Specimen Collection Centre to be calculated for approvals granted for periods of more than one year.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 23/5/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 18/6/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 23/5/18; report presented out of sitting 5/6/18
- Introduced 19/6/18
- Committee amendment: 1 Govt/passed
- Passed 10/9/18
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives agreed to Senate amendment 11/9/18
Assent: 21/9/18 (Act No. 103, 2018)
(Health portfolio)
Amends the: Health Insurance Act 1973 to: introduce a shared debt recovery scheme that provides that, where contractual or other arrangements exist between a practitioner and an employer or corporate entity, both may be held responsible for the repayment of a compliance debt; and clarify that the jurisdiction of the Professional Services Review extends to officers of organisations that engage Medicare practitioners as contractors; Health Insurance Act 1973 and Dental Benefits Act 2008 in relation to record-keeping requirements, administrative penalties and debt-recovery arrangements; and National Health Act 1953 to: enable the recovery of certain statutory debts by giving a garnishee notice; and introduce requirements for pharmacists to provide documents to substantiate claims.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 23/5/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail amendments: 2 Govt/passed
- Passed 19/6/18
Senate:
Assent: 29/6/18 (Act No. 64, 2018)
(Senator Farrell — ALP)
Establishes a High Speed Rail Planning Authority to advise on, plan and develop high speed rail on the east coast of Australia.
Senate:
- Introduced 4/9/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 4/9/17, 26/3/18
(Mr Albanese MP — ALP)
Establishes a High Speed Rail Planning Authority to advise on, plan and develop high speed rail on the east coast of Australia.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 15/10/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 15/10/18
(Education and Training portfolio)
Introduced with the Higher Education Support (Charges) Bill 2018, the bill amends the Higher Education Support Act 2003 to: implement an application fee for applications for approval as higher education providers whose students are entitled to FEE-HELP assistance; and provide for the collection and administration of the annual charge on higher education providers.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 19/9/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 19/9/18
Senate:
(Ms McGowan MP — Ind)
Amends the Higher Education Support Act 2003 to: require the minister to develop a National Regional Higher Education Strategy; and revise the strategy every four years.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 26/3/18
- Removed from Notice Paper 16/10/18
(Education and Training portfolio)
Amends the: Higher Education Support Act 2003 to: provide for a student's FEE-HELP balance to be re-credited where the student incurred the VET FEE-HELP debt as a result of inappropriate conduct by VET providers or their agents, including where that conduct occurred prior to 1 January 2016; enable the Commonwealth to recover from the VET provider an amount that is equivalent to the amount remitted, in limited circumstances; and make consequential amendments; and Ombudsman Act 1976 to: provide for the VET Student Loans Ombudsman to make recommendations in relation to the re-crediting of FEE-HELP balances; and make a consequential amendment.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 20/9/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 28/11/18
Senate:
- Introduced 29/11/18
- Passed 29/11/18
Assent: 10/12/18 (Act No. 160, 2018)
(Education and Training portfolio)
Introduced with the Higher Education Support Amendment (Cost Recovery) Bill 2018, the bill amends the Higher Education Support Act 2003 to impose an annual charge on all higher education providers whose students are entitled to HECS-HELP assistance or FEE-HELP assistance.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 19/9/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 19/9/18, 4/12/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/pending
Senate:
(Education and Training portfolio)
Amends the: Higher Education Support Act 2003 to: increase the maximum student contributions by 1.8 per cent for four years from 2018; adjust the Commonwealth contribution amounts from 2018 to 2021 to reflect the increased student contribution amounts; apply an efficiency dividend of 2.5 per cent per annum to grants under the Commonwealth Grant Scheme (CGS) in 2018 and 2019; extend the medical student loading to include veterinary science and dentistry units of study from 2018; expand the demand driven funding system to include approved sub-bachelor courses at public universities from 2018; require enabling course students to pay a student contribution amount for any units of study with census dates on or after 1 January 2018; allocate enabling courses on a cyclical basis through a three-year tender process from 2019; introduce performance-contingent funding under the CGS; reduce the Higher Education Loan Program minimum repayment income to $41 999 and replace the current repayment thresholds with new ones, including additional repayment thresholds and rates; index repayment thresholds to the consumer price index rather than average weekly earnings; restructure the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program to include new student loading for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, annual performance funding and grants for a National Priorities Pool; and make minor and technical amendments; Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to make consequential amendments; and Higher Education Support Act 2003 and VET Student Loans Act 2016 to: extend access to student loans to most Australian permanent residents and most New Zealand citizens while removing their entitlement to a Commonwealth supported place from 1 January 2018; and preserve current eligibility arrangements for several cohorts.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 11/5/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail amendments: 3 Ind (McGowan)/negatived
- Passed 13/9/17
Senate:
(Education and Training portfolio)
Amends the: Higher Education Support Act 2003 to: provide a new minimum repayment income of $44 999 for the compulsory repayment of Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) debts; replace the current repayment thresholds and introduce additional repayment thresholds; index HELP repayment thresholds to the consumer price index instead of average weekly earnings; and introduce, from 1 January 2019, a combined lifetime limit on the amount a student can borrow under HELP of $150 000 for students studying medicine, dentistry and veterinary science courses, and $104 440 for other students; Social Security Act 1991 and Student Assistance Act 1973 to align repayment thresholds for the Student Financial Supplement Scheme (SFSS) compulsory repayments with the HELP thresholds from the 2019-20 financial year; Social Security Act 1991, Student Assistance Act 1973 and Trade Support Loans Act 2014 to provide that, from the 2019-20 financial year, SFSS debts will be repaid after HELP debts are discharged rather than concurrently; and VET Student Loans Act 2016 to make consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 14/2/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail amendments: 16 Govt/passed
- Passed 27/3/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee 15/2/18 (SBC report 2/18); report presented out of sitting 16/3/18
- Introduced 28/3/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 AG/passed
- Committee amendments: 12 Govt/passed; 2 AC/passed; 1 AG/negatived; 1 DHJP/negatived
- Passed 13/8/18
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives agreed to Senate amendments 14/8/18
Assent: 24/8/18 (Act No. 76, 2018)
(Previous title: Home Affairs and Integrity Agencies Legislation Amendment Bill 2017)
(Prime Minister's portfolio)
Amends the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006, Independent National Security Legislation Monitor Act 2010, Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Act 1986 and Intelligence Services Act 2001 to: give effect to the allocation of certain ministerial powers following the establishment of a new Home Affairs portfolio; and make changes relating to the Attorney-General's oversight of intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 7/12/17
- Bill referred to Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security 8/12/17; report tabled in House of Representatives 26/2/18 and Senate 20/3/18
- Proposed amendments referred to Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security 6/3/18; report tabled in House of Representatives 28/3/18 and Senate 8/5/18
- Consideration in detail amendments: 28 Govt/passed
- Passed 8/5/18
Senate:
- Introduced 9/5/18
- Committee amendments: 2 CA/negatived
- Passed 9/5/18
Assent: 9/5/18 (Act No. 31, 2018)
(Home Affairs portfolio)
Amends the Migration Act 1958 to: provide that, when an unlawful non-citizen is in the process of being removed to another country and the removal is aborted, or is completed but the person is not permitted entry into the receiving country, and as a direct result the person is returned to Australia, then that person has a lawful basis to return to Australia without a visa; provide that, when such a person does return to Australia without a visa, the person will be taken to have been continuously in the migration zone for the purposes of certain sections of the Act which bar the person from making a valid application for certain visas; and allow the department to use an online account to provide clients with certain legally required communications; Customs Act 1901 to: allow the department to make a recoverable payment to a person who is entitled to it; and make technical amendments; and Passenger Movement Charge Collection Act 1978 to insert a new head of power so that regulations can prescribe the charging and recovery of fees for, and in relation to, the payment of passenger movement charge or an amount equal to the charge.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Passed 20/8/18
Senate:
- Introduced 20/8/18
- 2nd reading amendments: 1 Govt/negatived; 1 AC/negatived; 1 UAP/negatived
- Committee amendments: 2 Ind (Storer)-AG/passed; 9 Govt/negatived; 2 Govt to Ind (Storer)-AG/negatived; 1 UAP/negatived
- Passed 6/12/18
(Home Affairs portfolio)
Pursuant to the objectives of the Intergovernmental Agreement on Identity Matching Services (IGA), agreed by COAG on 5 October 2017, the bill provides for the exchange of identity information between the Commonwealth, state and territory governments by enabling the Department of Home Affairs to collect, use and disclose identification information in order to operate the technical systems that will facilitate the identity-matching services envisaged by the IGA.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 7/2/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 7/2/18
- Bill referred to Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security 6/3/18
(Act citation: Imported Food Control Amendment Act 2018)
(Agriculture and Water Resources portfolio)
Amends the Imported Food Control Act 1992 to: require a food safety management certificate from importers of certain foods where at-border testing alone is insufficient to provide assurance of food safety; enable food to be held at the border where there is uncertainty about the safety of a particular food and where the scientific approach to verify its safety is not established; provide additional powers to monitor and manage new and emerging risks; recognise a foreign country's food safety regulatory system where it is equivalent to Australia's food safety system; establish differentiated enforcement provisions to enable a graduated approach to non-compliance; require importers of food to keep records to enable traceability of food; and make technical amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 1/6/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 7/2/18
Senate:
- Introduced 8/2/18
- Committee amendments: 17 LDP/negatived
- Passed 11/9/18
Assent: 21/9/18 (Act No. 108, 2018)
(Act citation: Imported Food Control Amendment (Country of Origin) Act 2018)
(Agriculture and Water Resources portfolio)
Amends the Imported Food Control Act 1992 to incorporate the Country of Origin Food Labelling Information Standard 2016 by reference.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 19/10/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 27/2/18
Senate:
- Introduced 19/3/18
- Passed 22/3/18
Assent: 28/3/18 (Act No. 20, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Introduced with the Treasury Laws Amendment (Making Sure Foreign Investors Pay Their Fair Share of Tax in Australia and Other Measures) Bill 2018 and Income Tax Rates Amendment (Sovereign Entities) Bill 2018, the bill amends the Income Tax (Managed Investment Trust Withholding Tax) Act 2008 to make consequential amendments to specify that the managed investment trust (MIT) withholding rate on income attributable to non-concessional MIT income is 30 per cent.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 20/9/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 20/9/18
Senate:
(Treasury portfolio)
Part of a package of 11 bills to fund the Commonwealth's contribution to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the bill amends the Income Tax Rates Act 1986 to increase from 2 per cent to 2.5 per cent the rate of tax imposed on superannuation contributions when no tax file number has been provided.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 17/8/17
- Passed 25/10/17
Senate:
(Treasury portfolio)
Introduced with the Treasury Laws Amendment (Making Sure Foreign Investors Pay Their Fair Share of Tax in Australia and Other Measures) Bill 2018 and Income Tax (Managed Investment Trust Withholding Tax) Amendment Bill 2018, the bill amends the Income Tax Rates Act 1986 to specify that sovereign entities are liable to income tax on taxable income at a rate of 30 per cent.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 20/9/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 20/9/18
Senate:
(see also Income Tax Rates Amendment (Working Holiday Maker Reform) Bill 2016 (No. 2))
(Treasury portfolio)
Part of a package of four bills in relation to tax arrangements for working holiday makers, the bill amends the Income Tax Rates Act 1986 to apply a 19 per cent income tax rate to assessable income derived by working holiday makers on amounts up to $37 000, with ordinary tax rates applying for taxable income exceeding this amount.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 12/10/16
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 17/10/16
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Economics Legislation Committee 13/10/16 (SBC report 7/16); extension of time to report 7/11/16; report tabled 9/11/16
- Introduced 7/11/16
- Committee requests for amendments: 2 JLN/passed; 2 AG/negatived
- Agreed to subject to requests 24/11/16
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives did not make Senate requests for amendments 24/11/16
Senate:
- Senate reported message from House of Representatives informing that it had not made the Senate requests for amendments 28/11/16
(Treasury portfolio)
Part of a package of 11 bills to fund the Commonwealth's contribution to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the bill amends the Income Tax (TFN Withholding Tax (ESS)) Act 2009 to increase from 47 per cent to 47.5 per cent the rate of tax imposed on employees who receive an employee share scheme (ESS) interest under an ESS and have not provided an Australian Business Number or tax file number.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 17/8/17
- Passed 25/10/17
Senate:
(Senator Wright — AG)
Amends the: Independent National Security Legislation Monitor Act 2010 to: enable the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor to review proposed counter-terrorism and national security legislation; require the monitor to consider whether counter-terrorism and national security legislation is a proportionate response to the national security threat faced; enable Legal and Constitutional Affairs Senate committees and the Human Rights Commission to refer matters to the monitor for inquiry; require all reports of the monitor to be tabled and the government to respond to any recommendations within six months; ensure that the position of monitor is a full-time position; establish the Office of the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor as a statutory agency and a listed entity; and provide for staff; and Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 to enable the Human Rights Commission to refer matters to the monitor for inquiry.
Senate:
- Introduced 3/12/14
- 2nd reading adjourned 3/12/14
- Bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 4/12/14 (SBC report 16/14); report tabled 17/6/15
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 15/9/16
(Health portfolio)
Part of a package of six bills to establish a new national regulatory scheme for industrial chemicals, the bill establishes a legislative framework for the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) by: establishing the scheme and an Executive Director; defining an industrial chemical; requiring introducers of industrial chemicals to be registered; establishing a system of risk-based categorisation of industrial chemical introductions; providing a framework for the initiation of evaluations of industrial chemicals; establishing the Australian Inventory of Industrial Chemicals; specifying certain information and reporting obligations; enabling the protection of confidential business information; enabling AICIS to monitor compliance; implementing Australian obligations under certain international agreements; and establishing the power for the minister to make rules. Also bans animal testing for new chemical ingredients of cosmetics from 1 July 2018.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 1/6/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail amendments: 9 Opp/negatived
- Passed 17/10/17
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 1/6/17; extensions of time to report 13/6/17, 15/6/17; report tabled 8/8/17
- Introduced 18/10/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 18/10/17
(Health portfolio)
Part of a package of six bills to establish a new national regulatory scheme for industrial chemicals, the bill imposes an annual charge on the registration of introducers of industrial chemicals, to the extent that it is a duty of customs.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 1/6/17
- Passed 17/10/17
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 1/6/17; extensions of time to report 13/6/17, 15/6/17; report tabled 8/8/17
- Introduced 18/10/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 18/10/17
(Health portfolio)
Part of a package of six bills to establish a new national regulatory scheme for industrial chemicals, the bill imposes an annual charge on the registration of introducers of industrial chemicals, to the extent that it is a duty of excise.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 1/6/17
- Passed 17/10/17
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 1/6/17; extensions of time to report 13/6/17, 15/6/17; report tabled 8/8/17
- Introduced 18/10/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 18/10/17
(Health portfolio)
Part of a package of six bills to establish a new national regulatory scheme for industrial chemicals, the bill imposes an annual charge on the registration of introducers of industrial chemicals, to the extent that it is neither a duty of customs nor a duty of excise.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 1/6/17
- Passed 17/10/17
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 1/6/17; extensions of time to report 13/6/17, 15/6/17; report tabled 8/8/17
- Introduced 18/10/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 18/10/17
(Health portfolio)
Part of a package of six bills to establish a new national regulatory scheme for industrial chemicals, the bill: repeals the Industrial Chemicals (Notification and Assessment) Act 1989, Industrial Chemicals (Registration Charge—Customs) Act 1997, Industrial Chemicals (Registration Charge—Excise) Act 1997 and Industrial Chemicals (Registration Charge—General) Act 1997; makes consequential amendments to the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Act 1994, Criminal Code Act 1995 and Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997; and provides for transitional arrangements.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 1/6/17
- Passed 17/10/17
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 1/6/17; extensions of time to report 13/6/17, 15/6/17; report tabled 8/8/17
- Introduced 18/10/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 18/10/17
(Health portfolio)
Part of a package of six bills to establish a new national regulatory scheme for industrial chemicals, the bill amends the Industrial Chemicals (Notification and Assessment) Act 1989 to: amend the definition of a new synthetic polymer to align it with international approaches to regulation; amend the notification requirements for new chemicals; exempt polymers of low concern from notification requirements; remove certain annual reporting requirements; and make consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 1/6/17
- Passed 17/10/17
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 1/6/17; extensions of time to report 13/6/17, 15/6/17; report tabled 8/8/17
- Introduced 18/10/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 18/10/17
(Mr Fitzgibbon MP — ALP)
Provides for the appointment of an Inspector-General of Animal Welfare and Live Animal Exports to review the operation of the Export Control Act 1982 and the Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry Act 1997 so far as they relate to the regulation of live animal exports.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 18/6/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 18/6/18, 15/10/18
(Jobs and Innovation portfolio)
Amends: the Copyright Act 1968 and Trade Marks Act 1995 to clarify the circumstances in which the parallel importation of trade marked goods does not infringe a registered trade mark; the Plant Breeder's Rights Act 1994 to allow an application for an essentially derived variety (EDV) declaration to be made in instances where the plant variety the subject of the EDV application is not a registered Plant Breeder's Right or undergoing application for Plant Breeder's Right; the Trade Marks Act 1995 to reduce from five to three years the period that must elapse before certain actions of non-use actions of trade mark can be taken; the Patents Act 1990 to remove a requirement for patentees to provide the secretary of the department with certain data relating to pharmaceutical patents with an extended term; and six Acts to: streamline and align intellectual property (IP) processes in relation to the administration of the Australian IP system; and make minor amendments. Also repeals the Patents Amendment (Patent Cooperation Treaty) Act 1979.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Passed 27/6/18
Senate:
Assent: 24/8/18 (Act No. 77, 2018)
(Foreign Affairs portfolio)
Amends the Intelligence Services Act 2001 to: enable the minister to specify additional persons outside Australia who may be protected by an ASIS staff member or agent; and provide that an ASIS staff member or agent performing specified activities outside Australia will be able to use reasonable and necessary force in the performance of an ASIS function.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 29/11/18
- Bill referred to Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security 29/11/18; report tabled in House of Representatives 4/12/18 and Senate 5/12/18
- Passed 4/12/18
Senate:
- Introduced 5/12/18
- Passed 5/12/18
Assent: 10/12/18 (Act No. 161, 2018)
(Senator Patrick — CA)
Amends the Intelligence Services Act 2001 to expand the functions of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security to include reviewing the activities of Australia's national security and intelligence agencies, subject to certain exclusions.
Senate:
- Introduced 14/8/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 14/8/18
- Bill referred to Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee 23/8/18 (SBC report 9/18); report tabled 12/11/18
(Defence portfolio)
Amends: the Intelligence Services Act 2001 to: establish the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) as an independent statutory agency within the Defence portfolio reporting directly to the Minister for Defence; amend ASD's functions to include providing material, advice and other assistance to prescribed persons or bodies, and preventing and disrupting cybercrime; require the Director-General of ASD to brief the Leader of the Opposition about matters relating to ASD; and give the Director-General powers to employ persons as employees of ASD; and 18 Acts to make consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 15/2/18
- Passed 28/2/18
Senate:
Assent: 11/4/18 (Act No. 25, 2018)
(Communications and the Arts portfolio)
Amends the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 to prohibit betting on the outcome, or a contingency that may or may not happen in the course of the conduct, of Australian and overseas lottery draws (including a keno draw).
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Passed 9/5/18
Senate:
- Introduced 9/5/18
- Passed 28/6/18
Assent: 9/7/18 (Act No. 73, 2018)
(Senator Xenophon — NXT)
Amends the: Interactive Gambling Act 2001 to: require gambling services to provide prescribed training to certain employees; enable the Federal Circuit Court of Australia to grant injunctions for the purposes of transaction blocking; place restrictions on the conduct of restricted wagering services in relation to sports betting and provide for offences and civil penalties if they are contravened; place restrictions on the broadcasting of restricted wagering service advertisements and provide for offences and civil penalties if they are contravened; provide for the compliance and enforcement of the new offences and civil penalty provisions; require the Interactive Gambling Regulator to keep a register of individuals who wish to self-exclude from restricted wagering services and provide for the administration of, and the protection of information in, the register; and provide for the appointment of the Interactive Gambling Regulator and the functions of the position; and Privacy Act 1988 to provide that Australian Privacy Principle 7 (direct marketing) does not apply to the extent that restricted wagering services provisions of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 apply.
Senate:
- Introduced 24/11/15
- 2nd reading adjourned 24/11/15
- Bill referred to Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee 26/11/15 (SBC report 15/15); extension of time to report 2/5/16; report due 20/6/16
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 31/8/16
- Bill referred to Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee 1/9/16 (SBC report 5/16); extensions of time to report 10/10/16, 28/11/16, 14/2/17; report tabled 29/3/17
(Mr Danby MP — ALP)
Based on the precedents of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act 2016 (US) and the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill 2018 (UK), the bill provides the minister with the discretion to impose certain sanctions for the purposes of compliance with United Nations obligations or other international obligations, or for the purposes of preventing or responding to gross human rights abuse or violations, or acts of significant corruption.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 3/12/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 3/12/18
(Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities portfolio)
Facilitates the closure of the Federal Interstate Registration Scheme (FIRS) by: amending the Interstate Road Transport Act 1985 to close FIRS to new entrants and re-registration by existing operators from 1 July 2018; making consequential amendments to the COAG Reform Fund Act 2008; repealing the Interstate Road Transport Act 1985 and Interstate Road Transport Charge Act 1985 on 1 July 2019; and providing for transitional arrangements for a 12-month period.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/2/18
- Passed 9/5/18
Senate:
- Introduced 9/5/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 AG/negatived
- Passed 10/5/18
Assent: 22/5/18 (Act No. 35, 2018)
(Act citation: Investigation and Prosecution Measures Act 2018)
(Attorney-General's portfolio)
Amends the: Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 and Surveillance Devices Act 2004 to make amendments consequential on the restructure of the Independent Commission Against Corruption of New South Wales; and Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1983 to extend the functions, powers and duties of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions to the laws of Norfolk Island.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 13/9/17
- Passed 13/2/18
Senate:
- Introduced 13/2/18
- Committee amendments: 2 Govt/passed
- Passed 9/5/18
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives agreed to Senate amendments 9/5/18
Assent: 22/5/18 (Act No. 37, 2018)
(Senator Leyonhjelm — LDP)
Amends the: Judiciary Act 1903 to: require the Attorney-General to issue directions applying generally to Commonwealth legal work that contain requirements for Commonwealth litigants to act as model litigants (model litigant obligations); and enable a court to order a stay of proceedings or make orders in relation to contraventions of model litigant obligations; and Ombudsman Act 1976 to: require the Commonwealth Ombudsman to investigate complaints in relation to contraventions of model litigant obligations; and provide for annual reporting requirements.
Senate:
- Introduced 15/11/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 15/11/17
- Bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 7/12/17 (SBC report 15/17); extensions of time to report 8/5/18, 26/6/18; progress report presented out of sitting 26/7/18; extensions of time to report 13/8/18, 18/9/18; final report presented out of sitting 7/12/18
(Senator Waters — AG)
The bill: provides that Australian landholders have the right to refuse the undertaking of gas and coal mining activities by corporations on their land without prior written authorisation; sets out the requirements of a prior written authorisation; provides for relief which a court may grant a land owner when prior written authorisation is not provided; prohibits hydraulic fracturing for coal seam gas, shale gas and tight gas by corporations; and provides for civil penalties.
Senate:
- Introduced 4/3/15
- 2nd reading adjourned 4/3/15
- Bill referred to Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee 5/3/15 (SBC report 2/15); report presented out of sitting 30/9/15
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 31/8/16
- 2nd reading adjourned 24/11/16
(Attorney-General's portfolio)
Amends: the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 to: provide a definition of 'sitting day'; clarify the circumstances in which a House is taken to have adjourned (in addition to the ordinary concept of adjournment); clarify that certain provisions relating to amended or re-enacted Acts apply to a provision that is re-enacted as a differently numbered provision; and clarify that an instrument may make provision in relation to a matter by applying, adopting or incorporating a matter contained in a version of a document that is no longer current at the time of its incorporation; the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 and Legislation Act 2003 to clarify that an instrument may apply, adopt or incorporate the provisions of rules of court as in force at a particular time or as in force from time to time; the Family Law Act 1975, Federal Circuit Court of Australia Act 1999, Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 and Judiciary Act 1903 to ensure that rules of the federal courts are not subject to the sunsetting framework; the Legislation Act 2003 to: clarify that legislative instruments that have not been laid before Parliament are repealed (and therefore removed from the statute book) rather than simply ceasing to have effect; clarify when a 15 sitting day period commences after an instrument is laid before a House; clarify that references to 'intergovernmental bodies or schemes' include those involving the Commonwealth and one or more territories; clarify the interaction between the disallowance, tabling and automatic repeal provisions; broaden the scope of the Attorney-General's discretion to issue certificates of deferral of sunsetting and declarations of alignment of sunsetting, and provide for greater parliamentary scrutiny of the exercise of these discretions; remove the time restriction on Parliament's power to roll over the sunsetting date of a legislative instrument; provide that a review of the sunsetting framework will be conducted in 2027; clarify that a legislative or notifiable instrument can commence before the instrument is registered despite any rule or principle of common law; and clarify the limits of the First Parliamentary Counsel's power to rectify an error on the Federal Register of Legislation and the application of the parliamentary scrutiny mechanisms to instruments that have been rectified under this power; and six Acts to make consequential and contingent amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/6/18
- Passed 15/8/18
Senate:
- Introduced 15/8/18
- Passed 16/8/18
Assent: 24/8/18 (Act No. 78, 2018)
(Mr Wilkie MP — Ind)
Amends the Australian Meat and Livestock Industry Act 1997 and Export Control Act 1982 to: permanently ban from 1 July 2021 the export of live animals for slaughter; and establish interim requirements to ensure that live animals are treated humanely after being exported.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 3/12/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 3/12/18
(Senator Rhiannon — AG)
Amends the Export Control Act 1982 to prohibit the export of live-stock for slaughter.
Senate:
- Introduced 21/6/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 21/6/17
(Ms Ley MP — LP)
Amends the Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry Act 1997, Export Control Act 1982 and proposed Export Control Act 2018 to restrict the long haul export of live sheep and lambs during the northern hemisphere summer months of July, August or September in a five year transitional period, or at any time after that period, where the voyage is by ship and of duration exceeding 10 days, and where a place in that voyage is either the Persian Gulf or the Red Sea (regardless of whether it is the final destination).
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 21/5/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 21/5/18
- Federation Chamber: Referred 30/5/18; 2nd reading adjourned 18/6/18, 26/6/18, 13/8/18, 20/8/18, 10/9/18
(Ms Sharkie MP — CA)
Amends the Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry Act 1997, Export Control Act 1982 and proposed Export Control Act 2018 to restrict the long haul export of live sheep and lambs during the northern hemisphere summer months of July, August or September in a five year transitional period, or at any time after that period, where the voyage is by ship and of duration exceeding 10 days, and where a place in that voyage is either the Persian Gulf or the Red Sea (regardless of whether it is the final destination).
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 3/12/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 3/12/18
(Senator Leyonhjelm — LDP)
Repeals 22 Acts and amends five Acts to abolish various taxes and reduce the rates of other taxes.
Senate:
- Introduced 29/11/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 29/11/18
- Bill referred to Senate Economics Legislation Committee 6/12/18 (SBC report 15/18); report due 2/4/19
(Regional Services, Sport, Local Government and Decentralisation portfolio)
Amends the Major Sporting Events (Indicia and Images) Protection Act 2014 to: provide protection against ambush marketing by association for the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup 2020; and remove historical schedules related to the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup 2015 and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.
Senate:
- Introduced 5/12/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 5/12/18
(Infrastructure and Transport portfolio)
Part of a package of three bills to enable the Australian Maritime Safety Authority to recover the costs of delivering services under the National System for Domestic Commercial Vessel Safety, the bill imposes a levy on certain domestic commercial vessels.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/2/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 28/2/18
(Infrastructure and Transport portfolio)
Part of a package of three bills to enable the Australian Maritime Safety Authority to recover the costs of delivering services under the National System for Domestic Commercial Vessel Safety, the bill provides for the collection and administration of the domestic commercial vessel levy.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/2/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 28/2/18
(Infrastructure and Transport portfolio)
Part of a package of three bills to enable the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) to recover the costs of delivering services under the National System for Domestic Commercial Vessel Safety, the bill amends the: Australian Maritime Safety Authority Act 1990 to enable the payment of the amount of the domestic commercial vessel levy to the AMSA; Marine Navigation (Regulatory Functions) Levy Collection Act 1991 to clarify that leviable domestic commercial vessels are exempt from the Marine Navigation (Regulations Functions) Levy; and Marine Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law Act 2012 to enable the AMSA to suspend or revoke certificates of survey or detain a domestic commercial vessel in response to non-payment of the domestic commercial vessel levy.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/2/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 28/2/18
(Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development portfolio)
Amends the Marine Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law Act 2012 and Navigation Act 2012 to clarify that references to 'regulations' generally include Marine Orders made under the Acts.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 20/9/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 18/10/18
Senate:
- Introduced 18/10/18
- Passed 15/11/18
Assent: 29/11/18 (Act No. 138, 2018)
(Senator Hanson-Young — AG)
Amends the Marriage Act 1961 to: define marriage as a union of two people; clarify that ministers of religion are not bound to solemnise marriage by any other law; remove the prohibition of the recognition of same sex marriages solemnised in a foreign country; and include a regulation making power so that consequential amendments can be made to other Acts.
Senate:
- Introduced 12/12/13
- 2nd reading adjourned 12/12/13, 12/11/15, 17/3/16
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 31/8/16
- 2nd reading adjourned 15/9/16
(Health portfolio)
Part of a package of three bills to increase maximum excess levels for private hospital cover, the bill amends the Medicare Levy Act 1986 to: give effect to new maximum voluntary excess levels that are permitted for a complying health insurance policy to exempt the holder from the Medicare Levy Surcharge; and remove the grandfathering provisions that provided Medicare levy surcharge exemptions for certain policies that pre-date the commencement of the Private Health Insurance Act 2007.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Passed 31/5/18
Senate:
- Introduced 18/6/18
- Bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 19/6/18; report tabled 13/8/18
- 2nd reading amendments: 1 AG/passed; 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 10/9/18
Assent: 21/9/18 (Act No. 100, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Part of a package of 11 bills to fund the Commonwealth's contribution to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the bill amends the Medicare Levy Act 1986 to increase the Medicare levy from 2 per cent to
2.5 per cent of a person's taxable income.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 17/8/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail amendments: 4 Opp/negatived
- Passed 25/10/17
Senate:
(Senator Di Natale — AG)
Amends the: Customs Act 1901 to: provide that prohibited goods intended to be used as medicinal cannabis products are, for the purpose of satisfying import conditions, taken to be drugs required for medical purposes; and provide that goods permitted to be supplied for the purposes stated in the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 for the Special Access Scheme Category B, relating to clinical trials and authorised prescribers, will also be permitted to be supplied for the Special Access Scheme Category-A, relating to seriously ill patients with a condition from which death is reasonably likely to occur within a matter of months; and Narcotic Drugs Act 1967 to allow the secretary to grant a licence to manufacture medicinal cannabis if satisfied it is to be supplied to a seriously ill person in accordance with certain regulatory and notification requirements.
Senate:
- Introduced 12/9/17
- Passed 19/10/17
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 19/10/17
- Removed from Notice Paper 19/6/18
(Immigration and Border Protection portfolio)
Introduced with the Migration Amendment (Regulation of Migration Agents) Bill 2017, the bill amends the Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Act 1997 to ensure that a migration agent who paid the non-commercial registration application charge in relation to their current period of registration, but gives immigration assistance otherwise than on a non-commercial basis, is liable to pay an adjusted charge.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 21/6/17
- Passed 28/3/18
Senate:
(Immigration and Border Protection portfolio)
Responds to the Full Federal Court decision in Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v ARJ17 [2017] FCAFC 125 by amending the: Migration Act 1958 to clarify the allocation of jurisdiction between the Federal Circuit Court and the Federal Court in relation to a migration decision; and Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975 to make consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 14/2/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 14/2/18
Senate:
(Act citation: Migration Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Act 2018)
(Immigration and Border Protection portfolio)
Amends the Migration Act 1958 to establish a sponsorship framework for the sponsored family visa program to: separate sponsorship assessment from the visa application process for family sponsored visas; require the approval of persons as family sponsors before any relevant visa applications are made; impose statutory obligations on persons who are or were approved as family sponsors and provide for sanctions if those obligations are not satisfied; facilitate the sharing of personal information between parties identified in a sponsorship application; enable the refusal of a sponsorship application and the cancellation or barring of a family sponsor in certain circumstances; enable the regulations to prescribe details for, and in relation to, the operation of the sponsorship framework; and make consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 1/9/16
- Passed 10/10/16
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 15/9/16 (SBC report 6/16); report tabled 10/10/16
- Introduced 10/10/16
- Committee amendments: 4 Govt/passed
- Passed 28/11/18
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives agreed to Senate amendments 28/11/18
Assent: 10/12/18 (Act No. 162, 2018)
(Senator Hanson-Young — AG)
Amends the Migration Act 1958 to: provide that the minister must determine that a detained minor is to reside at a specified place within the community rather than being held in a detention facility; and ensure that the minister can only designate a country as a regional processing country if the minister is satisfied that the country complies with relevant international laws, meets relevant human rights standards, is a safe and appropriate place for minors to reside and will release any detained person subsequently identified as a minor from detention.
Senate:
- Introduced 2/3/16
- 2nd reading adjourned 2/3/16
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 15/9/16
(Mr Wilkie MP — Ind, Mr Bandt MP — AG and Ms Sharkie MP — CA)
Amends the Migration Act 1958 to require the temporary transfer of children and their families from offshore detention to Australia for the purpose of medical or psychiatric assessment or treatment.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 22/10/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 22/10/18
(Immigration and Border Protection portfolio)
Amends the Migration Act 1958 to: enable the minister to determine, by legislative instrument, prohibited things in relation to immigration detention facilities; allow authorised officers and assistants to search Commonwealth immigration detention facilities without a warrant; strengthen the screening and seizure powers of authorised officers; and allow the use of dogs for screening detainees and persons about to enter a Commonwealth immigration detention facility, and for searching these facilities.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 13/9/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 7/2/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 14/9/17 (SBC report 11/17); extension of time to report 13/11/17; report tabled 16/11/17
- Introduced 8/2/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 8/2/18
(Previous title: Migration Amendment (Regulation of Migration Agents) Bill 2017)
(Immigration and Border Protection portfolio)
Introduced with the Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Amendment (Rates of Charge) Bill 2017, the bill amends the Migration Act 1958 to: remove legal practitioners from regulation by the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA); provide that the time period in which a person can be considered an applicant for repeat registration as a migration agent is set out in delegated legislation; remove the 12-month time limit within which a person must apply for registration following completion of a prescribed course; remove redundant regulatory provisions; enable the MARA to refuse an application to become a registered migration agent where the applicant does not respond to requests for further information; require migration agents to notify the MARA that they have ceased acting on a non-commercial basis and commenced acting on a commercial basis; and ensure that the definitions of 'immigration assistance' and 'immigration representations' include assisting a person in relation to a request to the minister to revoke a character-related visa refusal or cancellation decision.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 21/6/17
- Consideration in detail amendments: 32 Govt/passed
- Passed 28/3/18
Senate:
(Previous title: Migration Amendment (Skilling Australians Fund) Bill 2017)
(Immigration and Border Protection portfolio)
Introduced with the Migration (Skilling Australians Fund) Charges Bill 2017, the bill amends the Migration Act 1958 to: provide for the collection of the nomination training contribution charge; enable nominations to be accepted from persons who have applied to be an approved sponsor or have entered into negotiations for a work agreement; enable the minister to determine the manner in which labour market testing for a nominated position must be undertaken and the kinds of evidence that must accompany a nomination; and make amendments contingent on the commencement of the proposed Migration Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Act 2017.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 18/10/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail amendments: 2 Govt/passed; 2 Opp/negatived
- Passed 12/2/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee 16/11/17 (SBC report 13/17); report presented out of sitting 9/2/18
- Introduced 13/2/18
- Committee amendments: 2 Opp/passed; 2 CA/passed; 1 AG/negatived; 1 Ind (Anning)/withdrawn
- Passed 8/5/18
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives agreed to Senate amendments 9/5/18
Assent: 22/5/18 (Act No. 38, 2018)
(Home Affairs portfolio)
Amends the Migration Act 1958 to: enable the minister to specify groups of applicants who are required to provide one or more personal identifiers to have a valid visa application; render a visa application invalid if the applicant is required to provide one or more personal identifiers but does not provide them; and enable personal identifiers to be provided either by way of an identification test, or by another way specified by the minister.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 29/11/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 29/11/18
Senate:
(Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs portfolio)
Amends the Migration Act 1958 to: amend the character test by providing grounds to consider visa cancellation or refusal where a non-citizen has been convicted of offences involving violence against a person, weapons, breaching of an apprehended violence order (or similar) or non-consensual sexual acts; and make consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 25/10/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 25/10/18
Senate:
(Dr Phelps MP, Mr Wilkie MP and Ms Banks MP — Ind; Mr Bandt MP — AG; and Ms Sharkie MP — CA)
Amends the Migration Act 1958 to: require the temporary transfer to Australia of transitory persons on Manus Island or Nauru, and their families, if they are assessed by two or more treating doctors as requiring medical treatment; and require the temporary transfer of all children and their families from offshore detention to Australia for the purpose of medical or psychiatric assessment.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 3/12/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 3/12/18
(Immigration and Border Protection portfolio)
Amends the Migration Act 1958 to: establish a framework which requires certain visa holders to revalidate certain information, either within a specified period (a routine revalidation check) or if the minister determines that it is in the public interest (a public interest revalidation check); provide that certain events that cause a visa that is in effect to cease will, as a general rule, cause a visa that is held, but not in effect, to be taken to cease; and enable the use of contactless technology to clear travellers through the immigration clearance system (SmartGate).
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 19/10/16
- Passed 9/2/17
Senate:
(Act citation: Migration and Other Legislation Amendment (Enhanced Integrity) Act 2018)
(Immigration and Border Protection portfolio)
Amends the: Migration Act 1958 to: enable the publication of information in relation to sponsor sanctions; clarify the circumstances in which merits review is available for visas that require an approved nomination; and correct certain references to the Regulatory Powers (Standard Provisions) Act 2014; and Income Tax Assessment Act 1936, Migration Act 1958 and Taxation Administration Act 1953 to enable the department to collect, record, store and use tax file numbers for prescribed purposes in relation to prescribed visas.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 16/8/17
- Passed 27/2/18
Senate:
Assent: 31/8/18 (Act No. 90, 2018)
(Immigration and Border Protection portfolio)
Further to the Tribunals Amalgamation Act 2015, the bill amends the: Migration Act 1958 to: harmonise and streamline provisions in relation to the code of procedure for review of decisions by the Migration and Refugee Division (MRD) of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal; clarify the operation of certain provisions relating to the conduct of review; clarify the notification requirements in relation to oral decisions of the MRD; and make technical amendments in relation to the giving of documents and the mechanism for review of decisions by the Immigration Assessment Authority in relation to family groups; and Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975 to make consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 30/11/16
- 2nd reading adjourned 30/11/16
Senate:
(Immigration and Border Protection portfolio)
Amends the Migration Act 1958 and Migration Regulations 1994 to: prevent unauthorised maritime arrivals or transitory persons (referred to as members of the designated regional processing cohort) who were at least 18 years of age and were taken to a regional processing country after 19 July 2013 from making a valid application for an Australian visa; enable the minister to permit a member of the designated regional processing cohort, or a class of persons within the designated regional processing cohort, to make a valid application for a visa if the minister thinks it is in the public interest to do so; and prevent a member of the designated regional processing cohort from being deemed to have been granted a special purpose visa or being deemed to have applied for particular visas under the Migration Regulations 1994.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 8/11/16
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Ind (Wilkie)/negatived
- Passed 10/11/16
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 10/11/16 (SBC report 8/16); report tabled 22/11/16; corrigendum presented out of sitting 14/12/16
- Introduced 10/11/16
- 2nd reading adjourned 10/11/16
(Act citation: Migration (Skilling Australians Fund) Charges Act 2018)
(Immigration and Border Protection portfolio)
Introduced with the Migration Amendment (Skilling Australians Fund) Bill 2017, the bill imposes a nomination training contribution charge (to be known as the Skilling Australians Fund levy) on employers nominating workers under the temporary and permanent employer sponsored migration programs.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 18/10/17
- Passed 12/2/18
Senate:
Assent: 22/5/18 (Act No. 39, 2018)
(Home Affairs portfolio)
Confirms the validity of the appointment of a proclaimed port in the Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands contained in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. GN 3, 23 January 2002, by: clarifying the geographical coordinates of the area of waters within the Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands specified in the appointment; ensuring that there was a properly proclaimed port at Ashmore and Cartier Islands at all relevant times; and ensuring that things done under the Migration Act 1958 which relied directly or indirectly on the terms of the appointment are valid and effective.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 20/6/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 16/8/18
Senate:
- Introduced 16/8/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 16/8/18
- Bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 21/8/18; extension of time to report 10/9/18; report tabled 12/9/18
(Senator Milne — AG)
Amends the Fuel Tax Act 2006 and Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to abolish fossil fuel subsidies for the mining industry from 1 January 2015, including: the diesel fuel rebate; accelerated asset depreciation for aircraft, the oil and gas industry and vehicles; and immediate deductibility for exploration and prospecting expenses.
Senate:
- Introduced 27/8/14
- 2nd reading adjourned 27/8/14, 26/11/15
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 15/9/16
(Home Affairs portfolio)
Establishes a Modern Slavery Reporting Requirement to require certain large businesses and other entities in Australia to make annual public reports (Modern Slavery Statements) on their actions to address modern slavery risks in their operations and supply chains.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/6/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail amendments: 6 Opp/negatived
- Passed 17/9/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 28/6/18 (SBC report 7/18); report presented out of sitting 24/8/18
- Introduced 18/9/18
- 2nd reading amendments: 1 AG/passed; 1 Storer (Ind)/passed
- Committee amendments: 8 Govt/passed; 6 Opp/negatived
- Passed 28/11/18
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives agreed to Senate amendments 29/11/18
Assent: 10/12/18 (Act No. 153, 2018)
(Senator Milne — AG)
The bill: sets carbon emissions standards that certain manufacturers, importers or sellers of passenger vehicles and light commercial vehicles are required to meet as the average across its fleet; and provides for charges on sellers whose fleet averages exceed the vehicle carbon emissions standard.
Senate:
- Introduced 10/7/14
- 2nd reading adjourned 10/7/14
- Bill referred to Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee 20/8/15 (SBC report 10/15); interim report presented out of sitting 23/10/15; final report tabled 25/11/15
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 15/9/16
(Health portfolio)
Amends the My Health Records Act 2012 to: remove the ability of the My Health Record System Operator to disclose health information in My Health Records to law enforcement and government agencies without an order by a judicial officer or the healthcare recipient's consent; and require the system operator to permanently delete from the National Repositories Service any health information about a healthcare recipient who has cancelled their My Health Record.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 22/8/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 19/9/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 23/8/18 (SBC report 9/18); extension of time to report 19/9/18; report presented out of sitting 12/10/18
- Introduced 19/9/18
- Committee amendments: 8 Govt (2 as amended by 5 Opp)/passed; 1 AG/passed; 2 PHON/passed; 2 Opp/negatived; 3 CA/negatived; 1 AG/withdrawn
- Passed 15/11/18
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives agreed to Senate amendments 26/11/18
Assent: 10/12/18 (Act No. 154, 2018)
(Finance portfolio)
Part of a package of 11 bills to fund the Commonwealth's contribution to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the bill: repeals the Nation-building Funds Act 2008; and makes consequential amendments to five Acts.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 17/8/17
- Passed 25/10/17
Senate:
(Communications and the Arts portfolio)
Amends the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 and Special Broadcasting Service Act 1991 to require the ABC and SBS to report details of annual salaries and allowances of their employees and amounts paid to 'on-air talent', in excess of $200 000.
Senate:
- Introduced 6/12/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 6/12/17
- Bill referred to Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee 8/2/18 (SBC report 1/18); report tabled 26/3/18
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the: National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 to: establish a mandatory comprehensive credit reporting regime to apply from 1 July 2018; and expand the Australian Securities and Investments Commission's powers so it can monitor compliance with the regime; and Privacy Act 1988 to impose additional requirements as to where and how data held by a credit reporting body must be stored.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Passed 25/6/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Economics Legislation Committee 28/3/18 (SBC report 4/18); progress report presented out of sitting 23/5/18; final report presented out of sitting 5/6/18
- Introduced 25/6/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 25/6/18
(Mr Hammond MP — ALP)
Amends the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 to: impose a cap on the total payments that can be made under a consumer lease (known as rent-to-buy schemes); require small amount credit contracts (SACCs) (known as payday loans) to have equal repayments and payment intervals; remove the ability for SACC providers to charge monthly fees in respect of the residual term of a loan where a consumer fully repays the loan early; prevent lessors and credit assistance providers from undertaking door-to-door selling of leases at residential homes; introduce anti-avoidance protections; and increase penalties.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 26/2/18
- Removed from Notice Paper 16/10/18
(Ms McGowan MP — Ind)
Amends the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 to: impose a cap on the total payments that can be made under a consumer lease (known as rent-to-buy schemes); require small amount credit contracts (SACCs) (known as payday loans) to have equal repayments and payment intervals; remove the ability for SACC providers to charge monthly fees in respect of the residual term of a loan where a consumer fully repays the loan early; prevent lessors and credit assistance providers from undertaking door-to-door selling of leases at residential homes; introduce anti-avoidance protections; and increase penalties.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 22/10/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 22/10/18
(Treasury portfolio)
Part of a package of four bills to enable the Australian Securities and Investments Commission to recover its costs for specific regulatory activities, the bill amends the National Consumer Credit Protection (Fees) Act 2009 to provide that the credit fees regulations may prescribe different fees for a chargeable matter based on the type of entity.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 24/5/18
- Passed 18/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 19/6/18
- Passed 28/6/18
Assent: 28/6/18 (Act No. 56, 2018)
(Social Services portfolio)
Establishes the National Disability Insurance Scheme Savings Fund Special Account to assist the Commonwealth to meet its funding obligations in relation to the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 31/8/16
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 2/3/17
Senate:
(Ms Sharkie MP — CA)
Amends the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007 to require the publication of the quarterly report of estimates of Australia's greenhouse gas inventory within five months of the end of each quarter.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 22/10/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 22/10/18
(Act citation: National Health Amendment (Pharmaceutical Benefits—Budget and Other Measures) Act 2018)
(Health portfolio)
Amends the National Health Act 1953 to: increase the current statutory price reduction that applies when the first new brand of an existing pharmaceutical item is listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS); extend and introduce statutory price reductions applying on certain anniversaries of an F1 formulary drug being listed on the PBS; introduce ministerial discretion in relation to the application of statutory price reductions in certain circumstances; make minor amendments to price disclosure arrangements; provide new circumstances whereby a new presentation of a brand of pharmaceutical item may be listed without being subject to a new brand statutory price reduction; continue the operation of the Australian Community Pharmacy Authority and the pharmacy location rules beyond 30 June 2020; and make technical amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 18/10/17
- Passed 8/2/18
Senate:
- Introduced 12/2/18
- Committee amendment: 1 LDP/negatived
- Passed 13/2/18
Assent: 20/2/18 (Act No. 1, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation Act 2018 to: establish the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation Special Account to provide loans to the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC) to support its function of providing loans to registered community housing providers under the Affordable Housing Bond Aggregator; provide that members of the NHFIC Board collectively have particular qualifications, skills or experience in specified fields; and require a review of the operation of the Act as soon as possible after 30 June 2020.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 18/10/18
- Passed 24/10/18
Senate:
- Introduced 12/11/18
- Passed 15/11/18
Assent: 29/11/18 (Act No. 139, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Introduced with the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2018, the bill: establishes the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation (NHFIC) as a corporate Commonwealth entity to make loans and investments and issue grants, within constitutional limitations, to improve housing outcomes; provides for the appointment, functions and powers of the NHFIC Board, CEO, staff and consultants; enables and requires the minister, by legislative instrument, to give the board directions that together constitute the Investment Mandate; and specifies the arrangements for the NHFIC's final affairs in relation to maintenance of adequate capital and reserves, payment of dividends, borrowings, Commonwealth guarantee and taxation.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 15/2/18
- Passed 1/3/18
Senate:
- Introduced 19/3/18
- Bill referred to Senate Economics Legislation Committee 22/3/18 (SBC report 3/18); report presented out of sitting 7/5/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/passed
- Passed 28/6/18
Assent: 29/6/18 (Act No. 65, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Introduced with the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation Bill 2018, the bill amends the: Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977 to provide an exemption from the requirement to provide reasons for certain decisions; and Freedom of Information Act 1982 to exempt the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation from the operation of the Act in relation to documents in respect of its commercial activities.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 15/2/18
- Passed 1/3/18
Senate:
- Introduced 19/3/18
- Bill referred to Senate Economics Legislation Committee 22/3/18 (SBC report 3/18); report presented out of sitting 7/5/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/passed
- Passed 28/6/18
Assent: 29/6/18 (Act No. 66, 2018)
(Senator Milne — AG)
Establishes a National Integrity Commission as an independent statutory agency which will consist of the National Integrity Commissioner, the Law Enforcement Integrity Commissioner and the Independent Parliamentary Advisor and provide for: the investigation and prevention of misconduct and corruption in all Commonwealth departments and agencies, and in relation to federal parliamentarians and their staff; the investigation and prevention of corruption in the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Crime Commission; and independent advice to ministers and parliamentarians on conduct, ethics and matters of propriety. Also provides for the establishment of a Parliamentary Joint Committee on the National Integrity Commission; and makes consequential amendments to the Law Enforcement Integrity Commissioner Act 2006, Ombudsman Act 1976, Privacy Act 1988 and Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013.
Senate:
- Introduced 13/11/13
- 2nd reading adjourned 13/11/13, 15/5/14, 13/8/15
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 15/9/16
- 2nd reading adjourned 10/11/16, 9/2/17
(Mr Bandt MP — AG)
Establishes a National Integrity Commission as an independent statutory agency which will consist of the National Integrity Commissioner, the Law Enforcement Integrity Commissioner and the Independent Parliamentary Advisor and provide for: the investigation and prevention of misconduct and corruption in all Commonwealth departments and agencies, and in relation to federal parliamentarians and their staff; the investigation and prevention of corruption in the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Crime Commission; and independent advice to ministers and parliamentarians on conduct, ethics and matters of propriety. Also provides for the establishment of a Parliamentary Joint Committee on the National Integrity Commission; and makes consequential amendments to the Law Enforcement Integrity Commissioner Act 2006 and Ombudsman Act 1976.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 23/10/17
- Removed from Notice Paper 26/6/18
(Ms McGowan — Ind)
The bill: establishes the Australian National Integrity Commission as an independent public sector anti-corruption commission for the Commonwealth; provides for the appointment, functions and powers of the National Integrity Commissioner and commissioners; and makes consequential amendments to the Law Enforcement Integrity Commissioner Act 2006, Ombudsman Act 1976 and Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 26/11/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 26/11/18
Senate:
(Senator Waters — AG)
The bill: establishes the Australian National Integrity Commission as an independent public sector anti-corruption commission for the Commonwealth; provides for the appointment, functions and powers of the National Integrity Commissioner and commissioners; and makes consequential amendments to the Law Enforcement Integrity Commissioner Act 2006, Ombudsman Act 1976 and Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013.
Senate:
- Introduced 29/11/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 29/11/18
- Bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 6/12/18 (SBC report 15/18); report due 5/4/19
(Ms McGowan MP — Ind)
The bill: provides for statutory codes of conduct for the members of each house of parliament and their staff; creates a statutory basis for parliamentarians' registers of interests; establishes a Parliamentary Integrity Advisor to provide independent, confidential advice and guidance to Members and their staff in relation to the applicable codes of conduct; and establishes a Parliamentary Standards Commissioner to assist in the assessment, investigation and resolution of alleged breaches of the applicable codes of conduct.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 3/12/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 3/12/18
Senate:
(Social Services portfolio)
Introduced with the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2018, the bill implements the joint response of the Commonwealth Government, the government of each participating state and territory, and each participating non-government institution to recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse's Redress and Civil Litigation Report by: establishing the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse to operate for a 10-year period from 1 July 2018; providing a payment of up to $150 000 to survivors; providing access to counselling and psychological services to survivors; and providing an option for survivors to receive a direct personal response from the responsible institution.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 10/5/18
- Passed 29/5/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 10/5/18 (SBC report 5/18); report presented out of sitting 15/6/18; corrigendum presented out of sitting 29/6/18
- Introduced 18/6/18
- 2nd reading amendments: 1 DHJP-Opp-CA-AG-Ind (Storer)/passed; 1 AG/negatived
- Passed 19/6/18
Assent: 21/6/18 (Act No. 45, 2018)
(Social Services portfolio)
Introduced with the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Bill 2018, the bill amends the: Social Security Act 1991 and Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 to provide that payments made under the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse are exempt from the income test; Bankruptcy Act 1966 to ensure that payments made under the national redress scheme are quarantined from the divisible property of a bankrupt person; Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1997 to exempt decisions made under the national redress scheme from judicial review; Freedom of Information Act 1982 to exempt protected information from disclosure under the Act; Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to enable the use and disclosure of protected information if it is done for the purposes of the national redress scheme; and Age Discrimination Act 2004 to enable the exclusion of children applying to the national redress scheme if they will not turn 18 during the life of the scheme.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 10/5/18
- Passed 29/5/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 10/5/18 (SBC report 5/18); report presented out of sitting 15/6/18; corrigendum presented out of sitting 29/6/18
- Introduced 18/6/18
- 2nd reading amendments: 1 DHJP-Opp-CA-AG-Ind (Storer)/passed; 1 AG/negatived
- Passed 19/6/18
Assent: 21/6/18 (Act No. 46, 2018)
(Previous title: National Security Legislation Amendment (Espionage and Foreign Interference) Bill 2017)
(Attorney-General's portfolio)
Amends: the Criminal Code Act 1995 to: amend existing, and introduce new, espionage offences relating to a broad range of dealings with information, including solicitation and preparation and planning offences; introduce new offences relating to foreign interference with Australia's political, governmental or democratic processes; replace the existing sabotage offence with new sabotage offences relating to conduct causing damage to a broad range of critical infrastructure that could prejudice Australia's national security; introduce a new offence relating to theft of trade secrets on behalf of a foreign government; amend existing, and introduce new, offences relating to treason and other threats to national security, such as interference with Australian democratic or political rights by conduct involving the use of force, violence or intimidation; introduce a new aggravated offence where a person provides false or misleading information relating to an application for, or maintenance of, an Australian Government security clearance; eight Acts to make consequential amendments; the Crimes Act 1914 and Criminal Code Act 1995 to replace certain existing, and introduce new, offences relating to secrecy of information; 20 Acts to make consequential amendments; the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 to amend the definition of a 'serious offence' to include the offences provided for by the bill; and the proposed Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act 2017 to amend the definitions of 'electoral donations threshold', 'general political lobbying' and 'political or governmental influence'.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 7/12/17
- Bill referred to Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security 8/12/17; report presented to Senate out of sitting 7/6/18; reported tabled in House of Representatives 18/6/18
- Consideration in detail amendments: 154 Govt/passed
- Passed 26/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 27/6/18
- 2nd reading amendments: 1 AG/negatived; 1 CA/negatived
- Committee amendments: 9 AG/negatived; 4 CA/negatived
- Passed 28/6/18
Assent: 29/6/18 (Act No. 67, 2018)
(Senator Bernardi — AC)
Amends the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 and Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 to remove prohibitions on the construction or operation of certain nuclear installations.
Senate:
- Introduced 14/11/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 14/11/17, 30/11/17
(Prime Minister's portfolio)
Introduced with the Office of National Intelligence (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2018 to implement the recommendation of the 2017 Independent Intelligence Review to establish an Office of National Intelligence (ONI), the bill establishes the ONI as an independent statutory agency within the Prime Minister's portfolio reporting directly to the Prime Minister, and subsuming the role, functions and staff of the Office of National Assessments (ONA).
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/6/18
- Bill referred to Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security 28/6/18; report tabled in House of Representatives 24/10/18 and Senate 13/11/18
- Consideration in detail amendments: 4 Govt/passed
- Passed 27/11/18
Senate:
- Introduced 29/11/18
- Passed 29/11/18
Assent: 10/12/18 (Act No. 155, 2018)
(Prime Minister's portfolio)
Introduced with the Office of National Intelligence Bill 2018 to implement the recommendation of the 2017 Independent Intelligence Review to establish an Office of National Intelligence (ONI), the bill: repeals the Office of National Assessments Act 1977; amends 18 Acts to make consequential amendments; amends the Criminal Code Act 1995 to make amendments contingent on the National Security Legislation Amendment (Espionage and Foreign Interference) Act 2018; and provides for transitional arrangements.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/6/18
- Bill referred to Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security 28/6/18; report tabled in House of Representatives 24/10/18 and Senate 13/11/18
- Consideration in detail amendments: 2 Govt/passed
- Passed 27/11/18
Senate:
- Introduced 29/11/18
- Passed 29/11/18
Assent: 10/12/18 (Act No. 156, 2018)
(Industry, Innovation and Science portfolio)
Introduced with the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Regulatory Levies) Amendment Bill 2018, the bill amends the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 to: transfer regulatory responsibility for offshore greenhouse gas wells and environmental management from the minister to the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA); strengthen and clarify the powers of NOPSEMA inspectors to monitor and enforce compliance by regulated entities with their obligations under the Act and associated regulations; ensure valid designation of certain areas as 'frontier areas' for the purposes of the Designated Frontier Area tax incentive; and make minor policy and technical amendments in relation to the operation of the Act.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 28/3/18
Senate:
(Industry, Innovation and Science portfolio)
Introduced with the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Regulatory Levies) Amendment (Regulations References) Bill 2018, the bill amends the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 to remove references to specific titles of regulations, and instead enable references to the titles or provisions of regulations to be prescribed by regulations under the Act.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 5/12/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 5/12/18
(Senator Georgiou — PHON)
Amends the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 to impose certain reporting obligations on holders of petroleum retention leases and petroleum production licences and the National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator.
Senate:
- Introduced 14/8/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 14/8/18, 20/8/18
(Industry, Innovation and Science portfolio)
Introduced with the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Amendment (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2018, the bill amends the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Regulatory Levies) Act 2003 to: enable the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) to recover the costs of its oversight of well operations under greenhouse gas titles by imposing a well investigation levy, an annual well levy and a well activity levy in relation to greenhouse gas wells; impose the well activity levy on submission of a five-yearly revision of a well operations management plan and remove the levy imposed on applications for approval to commence well activities; clarify that it is a compliance investigation under the Regulatory Powers (Standard Provisions) Act 2014 in relation to which a safety investigation levy or well investigation levy may be imposed; and remove certain spent provisions.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 28/3/18
Senate:
(Industry, Innovation and Science portfolio)
Introduced with the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Amendment (Regulations References) Bill 2018, the bill amends the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Regulatory Levies) Act 2003 to remove references to specific titles of regulations, and instead enable references to the titles or provisions of regulations to be prescribed by regulations under the Act.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 5/12/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 5/12/18
(Senator Roberts — PHON)
Amends the Parliamentary Business Resources Act 2017 to enable Senators and Members to opt-out of receiving any or all of their parliamentary entitlements.
Senate:
- Introduced 12/9/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 12/9/17
(Senator Xenophon — Ind)
Amends the: Parliamentary Entitlements Act 1990 to: require an explanatory statement to be provided with certain types of travel entitlement claims by members, parliamentary office holders and ministers; and provide for penalties if claims are made in excess of entitlement; and Ombudsman Act 1976 to expand the powers of the Commonwealth Ombudsman to include the scrutiny of parliamentary entitlements claims.
Senate:
- Introduced 13/8/15
- 2nd reading adjourned 13/8/15
- Bill referred to Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee 20/8/15 (SBC report 10/15); report tabled 26/11/15
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 8/2/17
(Senator Wong — ALP)
Amends the: Intelligence Services Act 2001 to change the membership, powers and functions of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS); and Independent National Security Legislation Monitor Act 2010 and Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Act 1986 in relation to the provision of certain reports to the PJCIS.
Senate:
- Introduced 10/8/15
- 2nd reading adjourned 10/8/15, 3/3/16
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 31/8/16
- 2nd reading adjourned 13/10/16
(Senator Burston — UAP)
The bill: establishes a Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australia Fund to investigate the establishment of an Australia Fund to provide support and reconstruction for rural and manufacturing industries in times of crisis, and review bankruptcy and insolvency laws in relation to businesses in times of crisis; provides for the functions, powers and procedures of the committee; provides for the tabling of the committee's report; and provides that the committee ceases to exist after it presents its final report.
Senate:
- Introduced 14/11/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 14/11/18, 26/11/18
- Bill referred to Senate Economics Legislation Committee 6/12/18 (SBC report 15/18); report due 3/4/19
(Finance portfolio)
Amends the Parliamentary Service Act 1999 to change the deadline for publishing the post-election report of election commitments, which is prepared and published by the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO), from before the end of 30 days after the end of the caretaker period for a general election to the later of either 30 days after the end of the caretaker period for the general election to which the report relates or 7 days before the first sitting day of either or both Houses of the Parliament after the general election to which the report relates.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 5/12/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 5/12/18
(Home Affairs portfolio)
Introduced with the Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty Consequential Amendments Bill 2018 to partially implement the Treaty Between Australia and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste Establishing Their Maritime Boundaries in the Timor Sea (New York, 6 March 2018), the bill makes consequential amendments to the Passenger Movement Charge Act 1978 to remove references to the Joint Petroleum Development Area.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/11/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 28/11/18
Senate:
(Mr Katter MP — KAP)
Establishes a Commission of Inquiry to inquire into unethical, unlawful and improper conduct in the banking, financial services and related sectors.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 27/3/17
- Removed from Notice Paper 22/5/18
(Senator Anning — Ind)
Establishes a legislative framework for a national plebiscite to be held in conjunction with the next general election in relation to the level and composition of migration to Australia.
Senate:
- Introduced 26/11/18
- Negatived at 1st reading 26/11/18
(Senator Hanson — PHON)
Establishes a legislative framework for a national plebiscite to be held in conjunction with the next general election that would ask Australians "Do you think the current rate of immigration to Australia is too high?".
Senate:
- Introduced 15/8/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 15/8/18
(Senator Anning — Ind)
Establishes a legislative framework for a national plebiscite to be held in conjunction with the next general election in relation to the level and composition of migration to Australia.
Senate:
- Introduced 18/10/18
- Negatived at 1st reading 18/10/18
(Agriculture and Water Resources portfolio)
Amends the Primary Industries Levies and Charges Collection Act 1991 to: enable the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources to determine certain acts which, when performed, would make a person liable to collect and report levies and charges; enable the publishing of certain statistical information; provide for the collection of production or processing information relating to a collection product; and make amendments in relation to the disclosure of certain information.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 14/8/18
Senate:
Assent: 31/8/18 (Act No. 91, 2018)
(Act citation: Primary Industries Research and Development Amendment Act 2018)
(Agriculture and Water Resources portfolio)
Amends the Primary Industries Research and Development Act 1989 to: enable statutory research and development corporations to undertake marketing activities funded by voluntary contributions; remove the requirement that the corporations can undertake marketing only where a marketing levy is attached to the corporation; and enable corporations to undertake incidental activities such as consulting about, or planning, marketing activities.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 29/3/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 9/5/18
Senate:
- Introduced 10/5/18
- Passed 16/8/18
Assent: 24/8/18 (Act No. 79, 2018)
(Act citation: Prime Minister and Cabinet Legislation Amendment (2017 Measures No. 1) Act 2018)
(Indigenous Affairs portfolio)
Amends the: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act 2005 to remove the requirement for the Indigenous Business Australia's corporate plan to be tabled; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Amendment Act 2005 to enable the appropriate consenting authority to waive the exercise of its statutory consent power by providing written notice; Auditor-General Act 1997 to align the annual reporting requirements of the Auditor-General with his or her responsibility to the Parliament; and Royal Commissions Act 1902 to: enable commissioners to compel the provision of a written statement; increase the penalty for failure to comply with a summons or notice to produce; replace references to penalties expressed as a number of dollars with penalties expressed as a number of penalty units; and enable the Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department to be given custody of Royal Commission records by regulation. Also repeals the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (Queensland Reserves and Communities Self-management) Act 1978 and Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation Act 1991; and amends the Age Discrimination Act 2004 and Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1983 to make amendments consequential on the repeal of those Acts.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 30/3/17
- Passed 8/8/17
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee 11/5/17 (SBC report 5/17); report tabled 13/6/17
- Introduced 9/8/17
- Committee amendments: 7 LDP/negatived
- Passed 13/2/18
Assent: 20/2/18 (Act No. 2, 2018)
(Attorney-General's portfolio)
Amends the: Privacy Act 1988 to prohibit conduct related to the re-identification of de identified personal information published or released by Commonwealth entities; and Australian Information Commissioner Act 2010 to make a consequential amendment.
Senate:
- Introduced 12/10/16
- 2nd reading adjourned 12/10/16
- Bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 10/11/16 (SBC report 8/16); report tabled 7/2/17
(Senator Di Natale — AG)
Amends the Private Health Insurance Act 2007 to clarify that private health insurers may not enter into agreements or arrangements with primary care providers that provide preferential treatment to their members.
Senate:
- Introduced 27/3/14
- 2nd reading adjourned 27/3/14
- Bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 17/6/14 (SBC report 6/14); report tabled 4/9/14
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 15/9/16
(Health portfolio)
Part of a package of three bills to increase maximum excess levels for private hospital cover, the bill amends the: Private Health Insurance Act 2007 to: increase maximum excess levels for products providing an exemption from the Medicare levy surcharge; enable age-based premium discounts for hospital cover; enable private health insurers to cover travel and accommodation costs for regional Australians as part of a hospital treatment; require insurers to maintain up to date information about complying health insurance products in the form of a 'private health information statement'; require the minister to assess and determine whether or not to include a private hospital in a class of hospitals eligible for second-tier default benefits; and enable insurers to terminate products and transfer affected policy-holders to new products; Age Discrimination Act 2004 to enable age-based premium discounts to be made available to younger people; and Ombudsman Act 1976 to provide the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman with powers to conduct inspections and audits at the premises of insurers or brokers. Also includes transitional provisions relating to the treatment of benefit limitation period inclusive policies.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 31/5/18
Senate:
- Introduced 18/6/18
- Bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 19/6/18; report tabled 13/8/18
- 2nd reading amendments: 1 AG/passed; 1 Opp/negatived
- Committee amendments: 5 Govt/passed; 2 AG/negatived
- Passed 10/9/18
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives agreed to Senate amendments 11/9/18
Assent: 21/9/18 (Act No. 101, 2018)
(Act citation: Proceeds of Crime Amendment (Proceeds and Other Matters) Act 2018)
(Justice portfolio)
Amends the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to: expand the unexplained wealth regime to cover wealth that is derived or realised, directly or indirectly, from certain offences; clarify that property becomes 'proceeds' or an 'instrument' where encumbrances, securities, liabilities or improvements on the property are funded using 'proceeds' or an 'instrument' of an offence; clarify that property will only be 'lawfully acquired' in situations where the property or wealth is not 'proceeds' or an 'instrument' of an offence; and provide that 'improvements' extends to additions to, altering, repairing, restoring, structuring, restructuring or any other change to property or wealth (whether or not it results in an increase in the value of the property or wealth).
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 18/10/17
- Passed 15/2/18
Senate:
Assent: 28/3/18 (Act No. 21, 2018)
(Senator McAllister — ALP)
Amends the Productivity Commission Act 1998 to: expand the functions of the Productivity Commission to include the undertaking of research on inequality and its effects on the Australian economy and community; require the commission to have regard in the exercise of its functions to the need to mitigate the negative effects of inequality; and provide for reporting requirements.
Senate:
- Introduced 14/6/17
- Passed 12/11/18
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 26/11/18
- Read a 1st time 26/11/18
(Infrastructure and Transport portfolio)
Amends the: Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act 1983 to implement amendments to Annex V of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships by: requiring the master of a ship to have a written declaration made by the shipper in relation to the nature of the cargoes on board prior to discharging the residue of those cargoes; and updating certain references; and Protection of the Sea (Shipping Levy Collection) Act 1981 to remove the need for regulations to prescribe the manner in which a protection of the sea levy notice may be served in particular circumstances.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/2/18
- Passed 9/5/18
Senate:
- Introduced 9/5/18
- Passed 10/5/18
Assent: 22/5/18 (Act No. 40, 2018)
(Senator Whish-Wilson — AG)
Amends the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 to: set a cap on the remuneration of senior executives of Commonwealth entities or companies, inclusive of any performance payments or other bonuses, at five times the full-time adult average weekly earnings of employees of Commonwealth entities or companies; and provide for annual reporting requirements.
Senate:
- Introduced 15/11/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 15/11/17
- Bill referred to Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee 16/11/17 (SBC report 13/17); extension of time to report 22/3/18; report tabled 28/3/18
(Finance portfolio)
Amends: the Judges' Pensions Act 1968 to enable members of the Judges' Pensions Scheme to request that they be paid a lump sum amount from the scheme to meet their Division 293 tax liability; the Parliamentary Contributory Superannuation Act 1948 to: ensure that the calculation of any lump sum superannuation guarantee safety-net benefit meets the minimum superannuation guarantee requirements; enable the Parliamentary Retiring Allowances Trust to pass a resolution without a meeting; and enable an actuary other than the Australian Government Actuary to provide advice in relation to the Parliamentary Contributory Superannuation Scheme; five Acts to increase the age from which an eligible child of a deceased superannuation scheme member must be in full-time education and remove the requirement for an eligible child to not be ordinarily in employment; the Judges and Governors-General Legislation Amendment (Family Law) Act 2012 to correct a misdescribed reference; and the Governance of Australian Government Superannuation Schemes Act 2011 to reduce the size of the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation Board from 11 to 9 directors.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Passed 15/8/18
Senate:
- Introduced 15/8/18
- Passed 16/8/18
Assent: 24/8/18 (Act No. 80, 2018)
(Senators Bernardi, Abetz, Back, Bushby, Duniam, Fawcett, Macdonald, Paterson, Reynolds and Smith — LP, Senators McKenzie, O'Sullivan and Williams — Nats, Senators Burston, Culleton, Hanson and Roberts — PHON, Senator Hinch — DHJP, Senator Day — FFP and Senator Leyonhjelm — LDP)
Amends the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 to amend section 18C (which makes unlawful certain offensive acts that are done because of race, colour or national or ethnic origin) to remove the words 'offend' and 'insult'.
Senate:
- Introduced 31/8/16
- 2nd reading adjourned 31/8/16
- Bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 23/3/17 (SBC report 3/17); report tabled 9/5/17
(Senator Leyonhjelm — LDP, Senators Burston, Culleton, Hanson and Roberts — PHON, Senator Hinch — DHJP and Senator Day — FFP)
Amends the: Racial Discrimination Act 1975 to repeal Part IIA which prohibits offensive behaviour based on racial hatred; and Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 and Racial Discrimination Act 1975 to make consequential amendments.
Senate:
- Introduced 15/9/16
- 2nd reading adjourned 15/9/16, 24/11/16
(Senator Hanson-Young — AG)
Amends the Marriage Act 1961 to: remove the prohibition of the recognition of same sex marriages solemnised in a foreign country; and provide that these marriages are recognised under the laws of Australia.
Senate:
- Introduced 15/5/14
- 2nd reading adjourned 15/5/14, 4/2/16
- Bill referred to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee 15/5/14 (SBC report 5/14); report tabled 25/9/14
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 15/9/16
(Mr Wilkie MP — Ind)
Establishes the Asia Pacific Asylum Seeker Solution (APASS) as a regional framework for the Australian Government, in partnership with other countries within the Asia Pacific region, to provide for the protection and processing of asylum seekers and refugees.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 18/6/18
- Removed from Notice Paper 27/11/18
(Senator Rice — AG)
The bill: repeals the Regional Forest Agreements Act 2002; and makes consequential amendments to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Senate:
- Introduced 7/9/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 7/9/17, 8/2/18
(Act citation: Regional Investment Corporation Act 2018)
(Agriculture and Water Resources portfolio)
The bill: establishes the Regional Investment Corporation to administer farm business loans and financial assistance granted to states and territories in relation to water infrastructure projects, and any future programs prescribed by rules; provides for the corporation's functions, operating mandate, ministerial directions, board membership and appointment of a chief executive officer and staff; and provides for miscellaneous matters, including the recovery of costs, delegations, power to make rules, and an independent review of the operation of the Act before 1 July 2024.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 14/6/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail amendments: 4 Govt/passed
- Passed 17/8/17
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee 22/6/17 (SBC report 7/17); report tabled 14/8/17
- Introduced 4/9/17
- Committee amendments: 2 Govt/passed; 8 Opp/passed; 11 Opp/negatived
- Passed 6/2/18
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives agreed to Senate amendments 6/2/18
Assent: 20/2/18 (Act No. 6, 2018)
(Ms McGowan MP — Ind)
Establishes the Regional, Rural and Remote Education Commissioner to establish a national focus for education, training and research to enhance access, outcomes and opportunities in regional Australia.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 25/6/18
- Removed from Notice Paper 4/12/18
(Senator Di Natale — AG)
The bill: establishes Renew Australia as a statutory authority to oversee the transition of Australia's electricity system to one based on renewable energy and provides for its functions and powers; establishes the Board of Renew Australia and provides for its functions, members and meetings; provides for the appointment of a Chief Executive Officer and staff, consultants and committees; provides for financial arrangements; and sets out a timetable for the phased closure of coal-fired power stations.
Senate:
- Introduced 28/3/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 28/3/17
(Mr Bandt MP — AG)
Amends the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 to increase the large scale renewable energy target in each year from 2021 to 2030 to arrive at a target of 55 500 GWh in 2030.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 4/9/17
- Removed from Notice Paper 27/3/18
(Ms McGowan MP — Ind)
Amends the: Australian Renewable Energy Agency Act 2011 to: enable the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to fund the planning, development or implementation of community energy projects, and development of innovative business and financing models by the community energy sector; provide that ARENA's role in collecting, analysing, interpreting and disseminating information and knowledge extends to community energy models and advising the minister on such matters; and introduce an explicit reference to ARENA's capacity to jointly support projects with state and territory governments and other authorities; and Clean Energy Finance Corporation Act 2012 to: insert a definition of 'community energy project'; and require the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to consider investments in community joint partnerships or other community energy models.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 16/10/17
- Removed from Notice Paper 19/6/18
(Mr Katter MP — KAP)
Amends the Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000 to: provide for the regulation of renewable fuel content in fuel supplied for use in motor vehicles; provide that the ethanol volume percentage be mandated at a minimum of 5 per cent from 1 July 2019 and a minimum of 10 per cent from 1 July 2022; establish an office of Renewable Fuel Program Administrator and provide for the appointment and functions of the administrator; and include record keeping and reporting requirements.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 11/9/17
- Removed from Notice Paper 22/5/18
(Senator Leyonhjelm — LDP)
The bill: amends the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988 and Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act 1978 to remove the prohibition on legalising euthanasia; and repeals the Euthanasia Laws Act 1997.
Senate:
- Introduced 2/12/15
- 2nd reading adjourned 2/12/15, 3/3/16
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 31/8/16
- Negatived at 2nd reading 15/8/18
(Dr Leigh MP and Mr Gosling MP — ALP)
Amends the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988 and Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act 1978 to remove the prohibition on legalising euthanasia.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 20/8/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 20/8/18
- Federation Chamber: Referred 22/8/18; 2nd reading adjourned 10/9/18
(Senator Di Natale — AG and Senator Gallagher — ALP)
The bill: amends the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988 and Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act 1978 to remove the prohibition on legalising euthanasia; and repeals the Euthanasia Laws Act 1997.
Senate:
- Introduced 1/3/16
- 2nd reading adjourned 1/3/16
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 1/9/16
(Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities portfolio)
Part of a package of five bills to regulate the importation and provision of road vehicles, the bill replaces the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 by: enabling the minister to determine national road vehicle standards for road vehicles and road vehicle components; prohibiting the importation into Australia of road vehicles that do not comply with national road vehicle standards, except in limited circumstances; establishing a Register of Approved Vehicles, on which road vehicles must be entered before they are introduced to the Australian market; establishing a framework for the recall of road vehicles and approved road vehicle components; providing for criminal offences, civil penalties, injunctions, enforceable undertakings and infringement notices; and providing for administrative matters, including using computer programs, review of decisions and information sharing and delegations.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 7/2/18
- Passed 30/5/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee 28/3/18 (SBC report 4/18); report presented out of sitting 7/5/18
- Introduced 18/6/18
- 2nd reading amendments: 1 AG/passed; 1 Anning (Ind)/negatived
- Passed 27/11/18
Assent: 10/12/18 (Act No. 163, 2018)
(Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities portfolio)
Part of a package of five bills to regulate the importation and provision of road vehicles, the bill imposes charges in relation to prescribed matters connected with the administration of the proposed Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018, so far as those charges are duties of customs.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 7/2/18
- Passed 30/5/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee 28/3/18 (SBC report 4/18); report presented out of sitting 7/5/18
- Introduced 18/6/18
- 2nd reading amendments: 1 AG/passed; 1 Anning (Ind)/negatived
- Passed 27/11/18
Assent: 10/12/18 (Act No. 165, 2018)
(Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities portfolio)
Part of a package of five bills to regulate the importation and provision of road vehicles, the bill imposes charges in relation to prescribed matters connected with the administration of the proposed Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018, so far as those charges are duties of excise.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 7/2/18
- Passed 30/5/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee 28/3/18 (SBC report 4/18); report presented out of sitting 7/5/18
- Introduced 18/6/18
- 2nd reading amendments: 1 AG/passed; 1 Anning (Ind)/negatived
- Passed 27/11/18
Assent: 10/12/18 (Act No. 166, 2018)
(Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities portfolio)
Part of a package of five bills to regulate the importation and provision of road vehicles, the bill imposes charges in relation to prescribed matters connected with the administration of the proposed Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018, so far as those charges are neither duties of customs nor duties of excise.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 7/2/18
- Passed 30/5/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee 28/3/18 (SBC report 4/18); report presented out of sitting 7/5/18
- Introduced 18/6/18
- 2nd reading amendments: 1 AG/passed; 1 Anning (Ind)/negatived
- Passed 27/11/18
Assent: 10/12/18 (Act No. 167, 2018)
(Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities portfolio)
Part of a package of five bills to regulate the importation and provision of road vehicles, the bill supports the commencement of the proposed Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018, which will replace the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989, by: providing for transitional national road vehicle standards; repealing the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989; providing for transitional arrangements for the regulation of road vehicles and road vehicle components; and making consequential amendments to 10 Acts.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 7/2/18
- Passed 30/5/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee 28/3/18 (SBC report 4/18); report presented out of sitting 7/5/18
- Introduced 18/6/18
- 2nd reading amendments: 1 AG/passed; 1 Anning (Ind)/negatived
- Passed 27/11/18
Assent: 10/12/18 (Act No. 164, 2018)
(Employment portfolio)
Part of a package of three bills in relation to the Seacare scheme, the bill amends the: Seafarers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1992 to: introduce a new test to clarify coverage of the Seacare scheme; and implement amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention relating to insurance obligations of employers of seafarers; Seafarers, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 and Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 to: align workers' compensation arrangements for the Seacare and Comcare schemes with minimum benchmarks to be set by the proposed National Injury Insurance Scheme; and ensure that persons in receipt of incapacity payments can continue to receive those payments until they reach pension age; Work Health and Safety Act 2011 to clarify the application of the Act; and Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006, Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988, Seafarers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1992 and Work Health and Safety Act 2011 to make consequential amendments. Also: repeals the Financial Management and Accountability (Establishment of Special Account) Determination 2002/06, Occupational Health and Safety (Maritime Industry) Act 1993, Seafarers Rehabilitation and Compensation Levy Act 1992 and Seafarers Rehabilitation and Compensation Levy Collection Act 1992; and integrates the functions currently performed by the Seacare Authority into Comcare, abolishes the Seacare Authority and splits the functions between Comcare and the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission (SRCC), and enables an advisory group to be appointed to support the SRCC and Comcare.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 13/10/16
- 2nd reading adjourned 13/10/16
Senate:
(Employment portfolio)
Part of a package of three bills in relation to the Seacare scheme, the bill imposes a seafarers insurance levy (to support a safety net fund where an employer cannot meet its workers' compensation obligations) and a seafarers cost recovery levy (to enable the recovery of the costs of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission, Comcare and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority in performing their respective regulatory functions) on seafarer berths.
House of Representatives:
- Introduction 13/10/16
- 2nd reading adjourned 13/10/16
Senate:
(Employment portfolio)
Part of a package of three bills in relation to the Seacare scheme, the bill provides for the collection of the seafarers insurance levy and the seafarers cost recovery levy by: requiring employers of seafarers to lodge returns in relation to the number of seafarer berths aboard a prescribed vessel and make levy payments quarterly; providing for a late payment penalty; providing for the appointment of authorised persons and the manner in which authorised persons may have access to premises and books for the purpose of examining certain matters; and enabling the transfer of funds raised by the cost recovery levy to Comcare and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 13/10/16
- 2nd reading adjourned 13/10/16
Senate:
(Previous title: Security of Critical Infrastructure Bill 2017)
(Attorney-General's portfolio)
Introduced with the Security of Critical Infrastructure (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2017, the bill provides for the management of the national security risks of espionage, sabotage and coercion arising from foreign involvement in Australia's critical infrastructure by: establishing a Register of Critical Infrastructure Assets; providing the minister with a power to direct a reporting entity or operator of a critical infrastructure asset to do, or refrain from doing, an act or thing within a specified period of time; empowering the secretary to request certain information from reporting entities and operators of critical infrastructure assets; and providing that the minister can privately declare an asset to be a critical infrastructure asset in certain circumstances.
Senate:
- Introduced 7/12/17
- Bill referred to Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security 11/12/17; report presented out of sitting 15/3/18; report tabled in House of Representatives 26/3/18
- Committee amendments: 20 Govt/passed
- Passed 28/3/18
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Passed 28/3/18
Assent: 11/4/18 (Act No. 29, 2018)
(Previous title: Security of Critical Infrastructure (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2017)
(Attorney-General's portfolio)
Introduced with the Security of Critical Infrastructure Bill 2017 to provide for the management of the national security risks of espionage, sabotage and coercion arising from foreign involvement in Australia's critical infrastructure, the bill makes consequential amendments to the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979 and Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975.
Senate:
- Introduced 7/12/17
- Committee amendment: 1 Govt/passed
- Passed 28/3/18
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Passed 28/3/18
Assent: 11/4/18 (Act No. 30, 2018)
(Senator Wong — ALP)
Amends the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 to remove the capacity of bodies established for religious purposes that provide education to directly discriminate against students on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status.
Senate:
(Mr Shorten MP — ALP)
Amends the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 to remove the capacity of bodies established for religious purposes that provide education to directly discriminate against students on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 3/12/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 3/12/18
(Senator Anning — Ind)
Amends the Marriage Act 1961 and Sex Discrimination Act 1984 to: provide that authorised marriage celebrants, whether religious or non-religious, may refuse to solemnise marriages; and provide that it is not unlawful to discriminate against someone because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status, marital or relationship status in the course of providing, or offering to provide, goods, services or facilities in connection with the solemnisation of a marriage.
Senate:
- Introduced 4/12/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 4/12/18
(Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development portfolio)
Amends the Shipping Registration Act 1981 to make technical amendments necessary for the remaking of the Shipping Registration Regulations 1981, including: removing provisions requiring the regulations to prescribe the form of shipping registration certificates; removing references to prescribed forms of certificates; and clarifying an appropriate head of power for provisions in the regulations where required.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 13/9/18
- Passed 22/10/18
Senate:
- Introduced 12/11/18
- Passed 15/11/18
Assent: 29/11/18 (Act No. 140, 2018)
(Ms McGowan MP — Ind)
Establishes the Social Security Commission to advise the Parliament on the minimum levels for social security payments, such that all recipients can meet an accepted contemporary minimum standard of living, and provides for its functions, powers, membership and staffing.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 20/8/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 20/8/18
- Bill referred to House of Representatives Social Policy and Legal Affairs Committee 19/9/18 (SC report no. 31)
(Senator Storer — Ind)
Establishes the Social Security Commission to advise the Parliament on the minimum levels for social security payments, such that all recipients can meet an accepted contemporary minimum standard of living, and provides for its functions, powers, membership and staffing.
Senate:
- Introduced 3/12/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 3/12/18
(Indigenous Affairs portfolio)
Amends the: Social Security Act 1991 and Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to: provide that community development program (CDP) participants are subject to the targeted compliance framework; insert exemptions for CDP participants undertaking subsidised employment who are still in receipt of the newstart allowance, youth allowance, disability support pension, special benefit or parenting payment; create exceptions to work refusal failures for CDP participants who refuse subsidised employment and exceptions for participants undertaking subsidised employment who refuse other offers of employment; and create exceptions to unemployment failures for participants who voluntarily leave a suitable subsidised job without a valid reason, or are dismissed from a suitable subsidised job for misconduct; Farm Household Support Act 2014, Social Security Act 1991 and Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to make consequential amendments; and Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to make contingent amendments.
Senate:
- Introduced 23/8/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 23/8/18, 18/10/18
- Bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 23/8/18 (SBC report 9/18); report presented out of sitting 12/10/18
(Previous title: Social Services Legislation Amendment (Encouraging Self-sufficiency for Newly Arrived Migrants) Bill 2018)
(Social Services portfolio)
Amends the: Social Security Act 1991 to: increase the newly arrived resident's waiting period (NARWP) from 104 weeks to 156 weeks for certain social security payments and concession cards; introduce a NARWP of 156 weeks for bereavement allowance, widow allowance, parenting payment and carer allowance; and make a technical amendment; Farm Household Support Act 2014 to increase the NARWP from 104 weeks to 156 weeks; A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999 and Social Security Act 1991 to introduce a NARWP of 156 weeks for family tax benefit; and Paid Parental Leave Act 2010 to introduce a NARWP of 156 weeks for parental leave pay and dad and partner pay.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 15/2/18
- Consideration in detail amendments: 70 Govt/passed
- Passed 28/11/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 28/3/18 (SBC report 4/18); progress reports presented out of sitting 4/5/18, 18/5/18, 25/5/18, 15/6/18, 22/6/18, 29/6/18; extensions of time to report 8/5/18, 18/6/18, 25/6/28, 13/8/18, 14/8/18, 21/8/18, 19/9/18, 17/10/18; final report tabled 28/11/18
- Introduced 28/11/18
- Committee amendments: 6 Ind (Anning)/negatived
- Passed 3/12/18
Assent: 10/12/18 (Act No. 168, 2018)
(Families and Social Services portfolio)
Amends the: Social Security Act 1991 and Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 to: establish new means test rules to accommodate the development of new innovative income streams; amend the current rules for lifetime income streams; increase the Work Bonus from $250 to $300 per fortnight and extend its application to income earned from remunerative work that involves personal exertion, including self-employment and work undertaken by contractors or consultants; and expand the Pension Loans Scheme to increase the access of certain classes of persons to the scheme; and Social Security Act 1991 to make technical amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 29/11/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 29/11/18
Senate:
(Social Services portfolio)
Amends the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Simplifying Student Payments) Act 2017 to provide that the '14-month period' in the Youth Allowance regional workforce independence criteria, which commenced on 1 January 2018, is extended to apply to existing recipients who otherwise meet the regional workforce independence criteria.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 15/2/18
- Passed 28/2/18
Senate:
- Introduced 19/3/18
- Passed 22/3/18
Assent: 28/3/18 (Act No. 22, 2018)
(Social Services portfolio)
Amends the: Social Security Act 1991 to: restrict access to the relocation scholarship to students relocating within Australia and students studying in Australia; align pensioner education supplement fortnightly rates with the amount of study undertaken by eligible students; and provide that payments of the pensioner education supplement cease during semester breaks and holiday periods; and Social Security Act 1991 and Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 to align education entry payment rates with the amount of study undertaken by eligible students.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 21/6/17
- Passed 23/10/17
Senate:
(Act citation: Social Services Legislation Amendment (Cashless Debit Card) Act 2018)
(Social Services portfolio)
Amends the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to remove certain restrictions on the cashless debit card trial and thereby allow the extension of trial arrangements in current sites and to further sites.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 17/8/17
- Passed 6/2/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 17/8/17 (SBC report 9/17); extensions of time to report 13/11/17, 27/11/17; report tabled 6/12/17
- Introduced 7/2/18
- Committee amendments: 1 Govt/passed; 2 Opp/negatived
- Passed 12/2/18
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives agreed to Senate amendment 13/2/18
Assent: 20/2/18 (Act No. 3, 2018)
(Social Services portfolio)
Amends the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to: expand the cashless debit card arrangements to a further trial site, the Bundaberg and Hervey Bay area, to run until 30 June 2020; specify the class of trial participants for the area and increase the total number of trial participants overall to 15 000; provide for an exception from the restrictive trade practices provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 for merchants that implement product level blocking systems to identify that a cashless debit card is being used for payment and, if any restricted products are being purchased, decline the transaction; and limit the use of the restricted portion of a payment to prevent the portion being used to obtain cash-like products which could be used to obtain alcohol or gambling.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 30/5/18
- Passed 21/6/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 21/6/18 (SBC report 6/18); report tabled 14/8/18
- Introduced 25/6/18
- Committee amendments: 11 Govt/passed; 1 Ind (Storer)/passed
- Passed 11/9/18
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives agreed to Senate amendments 11/9/18
Assent: 21/9/18 (Act No. 110, 2018)
(Social Services portfolio)
Amends the: Social Security Act 1991 and Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to establish a two year drug testing trial in three regions for 5000 new recipients of newstart allowance and youth allowance from 1 July 2018; Farm Household Support Act 2014 to make consequential amendments; and Farm Household Support Act 2014, Social Security Act 1991 and Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to make amendments contingent on the commencement of the proposed Social Services Legislation Amendment (Welfare Reform) Act 2018.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/2/18
- Passed 13/8/18
Senate:
(Social Services portfolio)
Amends five Acts to prevent new recipients of welfare payments or concession cards from being paid the energy supplement from 20 September 2017.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 31/5/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 31/5/17
Senate:
(Senator Siewert — AG)
Amends the: Social Security Act 1991 to: increase the maximum single rates of newstart allowance, youth allowance (away from home rates only), austudy, sickness allowance, special benefit, widow allowance and crisis payment by $150 a fortnight; standardise the indexation arrangements for certain pensions and allowances; and make amendments contingent on the commencement of the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Welfare Reform) Act 2018; and Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to provide that these payments are made from monies appropriated by the Parliament.
Senate:
- Introduced 10/9/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 10/9/18, 18/10/18
(Previous title: Social Services Legislation Amendment (Housing Affordability) Bill 2017)
(Social Services portfolio)
Amends the: Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 and A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act 1999 to provide that lessors of social housing may request the secretary to deduct payments of rent and certain other costs from the social security or family tax benefit payments of tenants and certain other adult household members; Social Security Act 1991 to make consequential amendments; and National Rental Affordability Scheme Act 2008 to: clarify that the rent charged for a National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) dwelling must be at least 20 per cent lower than the market value rent on each occasion rent is charged; provide greater flexibility in how maximum vacancy periods are prescribed; provide for the variation of a condition of an NRAS allocation; and allow the regulations to provide for the transfer of an NRAS allocation to another rental dwelling in certain circumstances.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 14/9/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail amendments: 40 Govt/passed
- Passed 28/11/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 19/10/17 (SBC report 12/17); extension of time to report 27/11/17; report tabled 6/12/17
- Introduced 29/11/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 29/11/18
(Social Services portfolio)
Amends the: A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999 to: pause indexation of the end of-year Family Tax Benefit (FTB) supplements for three years from 1 July 2018; and extend the pause on indexation of the FTB Part A higher income free area and the FTB Part B primary earner income limit for a further year from 1 July 2020; and Paid Parental Leave Act 2010 to extend the pause on indexation of the Parental Leave Pay and Dad and Partner Pay income limits for a further year from 1 July 2020.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 10/5/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 10/5/18
Senate:
(Social Services portfolio)
Amends the: Social Security Act 1991 to: amend the residency requirements for the age pension and the disability support pension by changing certain timeframes which need to be met before claims will be deemed payable to eligible recipients; and increase the maximum liquid assets waiting period for youth allowance, austudy, newstart allowance and sick allowance from 13 weeks to 26 weeks; Social Security Act 1991 and Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 to cease payment of the pension supplement after six weeks temporary absence overseas and immediately for permanent departures; and A New Tax System (Family Assistance) Act 1999 to align the income test taper rates so that all income above the higher income free area is treated equally when calculating an individual's rate of family tax benefit Part A.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 21/6/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 21/6/17
Senate:
(Social Services portfolio)
Amends the Social Security Act 1991 to introduce a fixed and non-indexed family income test of $250 000 per annum for Carer Allowance and Carer Allowance (child) Health Care Card only claimants, to apply to singles and couples from 20 September 2018.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Passed 21/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 25/6/18
- Passed 28/6/18
Assent: 29/6/18 (Act No. 68, 2018)
(Mr Wilkie MP — Ind)
Amends the A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act 1999 and Social Security Act 1991 to enable social security and family assistance debts to be waived in cases of domestic or family violence.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 29/5/17
- Removed from Notice Paper 6/2/18
(Social Services portfolio)
Amends the: Social Security Act 1991 to: increase the parental income cut-off for students accessing the regional workforce independence criteria from $150 000 to $160 000, plus $10 000 for each additional child in the family; and amend the formula for determining the maintenance income test reducible amount; Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to ensure the consistent application of the maintenance income test reconciliation process for youth allowance; and Student Assistance Act 1973 to enable the minister to determine that a course, that is no longer an eligible course, is to be treated as an eligible course for specified persons in specified circumstances.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 15/8/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 23/8/18
Senate:
- Introduced 23/8/18
- Passed 13/9/18
Assent: 21/9/18 (Act No. 111, 2018)
(Social Services portfolio)
Amends the Social Security Act 1991 and Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to: tighten the eligibility criteria for mobility allowance for new claims and reduce the period for which the allowance is continued when a person ceases to be qualified; provide that the allowance will no longer be payable to individuals who transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS); and close the mobility allowance program from 1 July 2020. Also makes consequential amendments to five Acts.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 13/10/16
- Passed 21/11/16
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 13/10/16 (SBC report 7/16); extensions of time to report 21/11/16, 23/11/16; report tabled 24/11/16
- Introduced 22/11/16
- 2nd reading adjourned 22/11/16
(Act citation: Social Services Legislation Amendment (Welfare Reform) Act 2018)
(Social Services portfolio)
Amends: seven Acts to create a jobseeker payment to replace seven existing payments as the main payment for people of working age from 20 March 2020; 10 Acts to provide for the cessation of the widow B pension, wife pension, bereavement allowance, sickness allowance, widow allowance and partner allowance; the Social Security Act 1991 to: remove the ability of newstart allowance and certain special benefit recipients aged 55 to 59 to satisfy the activity test by engaging in voluntary work for at least 30 hours per fortnight; and remove certain exemptions for drug or alcohol dependence; the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to: provide that a job seeker's newstart allowance or youth allowance be payable from the date they attend their initial appointment with their employment services provider; ensure that job seekers are not able to use drug or alcohol dependency as an excuse for failing to meet their requirements; introduce a new compliance framework for mutual obligation requirements in relation to participation payments; and enable the Department of Human Services to require applicants to provide their tax file number at the time of a claim; the Social Security Act 1991 and Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to: provide that claimants receive payments from the date they lodge a complete claim; and establish a two year drug testing trial in three regions for 5000 new recipients of newstart allowance and youth allowance; the A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act 1999, Paid Parental Leave Act 2010, Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 and Student Assistance Act 1973 to enable certain information obtained in the course of an administrative action to be used in subsequent investigations and criminal proceedings; and the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 to exempt three social security laws from the operation of the Act. Also: enables the minister to make rules of a transitional nature in relation to the cessation of payments; and makes consequential amendments to the Farm Household Support Act 2014, Social Security Act 1991 and Social Security (Administration) Act 1999.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 22/6/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail amendments: 22 Govt/passed
- Passed 11/9/17
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 22/6/17 (SBC report 7/17); extension of time to report 4/9/17; report tabled 6/9/17
- Introduced 12/9/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 AG/passed
- Committee amendments: 27 Govt/passed; 38 Opp/negatived; 26 AG/negatived; 35 LDP/negatived
- Committee requests for amendments: 5 Govt/passed; 2 PHON/passed; 1 AG/negatived
- Passed 26/3/18
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives made Senate requests for amendments 26/3/18
- House of Representatives agreed to Senate amendments 27/3/18
Assent: 11/4/18 (Act No. 26, 2018)
(Jobs and Innovation portfolio)
Amends the: Space Activities Act 1998 to: broaden the current regulatory framework to include arrangements for launches from aircraft in flight and launches of high power rockets; reduce barriers to participation in the space industry by streamlining processes and insurance requirements for launches and returns; and amend the short title of the Act to the Space (Launches and Returns) Act 2018; and Customs Tariff Act 1995 to make a consequential amendment.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 30/5/18
- Passed 20/8/18
Senate:
Assent: 31/8/18 (Act No. 92, 2018)
(Prime Minister's portfolio)
Amends 15 Acts to correct technical errors.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 30/8/16
- Read a 1st time 30/8/16
(Attorney-General's portfolio)
Amends: five Acts to correct technical errors; the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006, Australian Research Council Act 2001, National Land Transport Act 2014 and National Resources Management (Financial Assistance) Act 1992 to update references to 'the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia' with references to 'Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand'; the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 to make amendments consequential on the Acts and Instruments (Framework Reform) Act 2015; 22 Acts to remove obsolete references to the Crown in right of Norfolk Island; and the Social Security Legislation Amendment (One-off Payments for Carers) Act 2005 and Telstra Corporation Act 1991 to repeal spent provisions. Also repeals 40 obsolete Acts.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Passed 9/5/18
Senate:
- Introduced 9/5/18
- Passed 10/5/18
Assent: 22/5/18 (Act No. 41, 2018)
(Act citation: Statute Update (Smaller Government) Act 2018)
(Finance portfolio)
Amends: the Product Stewardship (Oil) Act 2000 to abolish the Oil Stewardship Advisory Council; the Product Stewardship Act 2011 to abolish the Product Stewardship Advisory Group; the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority Act 2006 to abolish the Advisory Group of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority; the Plant Breeder's Rights Act 1994 to abolish the Plant Breeder's Rights Advisory Committee; the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 to abolish the Corporations and Markets Advisory Committee; and five Acts to make consequential amendments. Also repeals the: Tradespersons' Rights Regulation Act 1946 to remove the redundant Australian Recognised Trade Certificate Program; and Development Allowance Authority Act 1992 and Infrastructure Certificate Cancellation Tax Act 1994 to: abolish the Development Allowance Authority; and cease the tax exempt infrastructure borrowing concession.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 22/6/17
- Passed 13/9/17
Senate:
- Introduced 14/9/17
- Committee amendments: 3 AG/negatived
- Passed 5/2/18
Assent: 20/2/18 (Act No. 4, 2018)
(Education and Training portfolio)
Introduced with the Education and Other Legislation Amendment (VET Student Loan Debt Separation) Bill 2018, the bill amends the Student Loans (Overseas Debtors Repayment Levy) Act 2015 to provide for a levy to be imposed on a defined group of overseas debtors.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Passed 22/8/18
Senate:
Assent: 25/9/18 (Act No. 117, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Part of a package of four bills to enable the recovery of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission's costs for specific regulatory activities, the bill amends the Superannuation Auditor Registration Imposition Act 2012 to increase the cap on fees in relation to an application for registration to be a self-managed superannuation fund auditor.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 24/5/18
- Passed 18/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 19/6/18
- Passed 28/6/18
Assent: 28/6/18 (Act No. 57, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Part of a package of 11 bills to fund the Commonwealths contribution to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the bill amends the Superannuation (Excess Non-concessional Contributions Tax) Act 2007 to increase from 47 per cent to 47.5 per cent the rate at which excess non-concessional contributions tax is payable on an individual's excess non-concessional contributions.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 17/8/17
- Passed 25/10/17
Senate:
(Treasury portfolio)
Part of a package of 11 bills to fund the Commonwealth's contribution to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the bill amends the Superannuation (Excess Untaxed Roll-over Amounts Tax) Act 2007 to increase from 47 per cent to 47.5 per cent the rate at which excess untaxed roll-over amounts tax is payable on an individual's excess untaxed roll-over amounts.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 17/8/17
- Passed 25/10/17
Senate:
(Treasury portfolio)
Part of a package of four bills to enable the recovery of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission's (ASIC) costs for specific regulatory activities, the bill amends the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 to impose fees in relation to an application to vary or revoke the conditions, or cancel the registration, of an approved self-managed superannuation fund auditor.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 24/5/18
- Passed 18/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 19/6/18
- Passed 28/6/18
Assent: 28/6/18 (Act No. 58, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Introduced with the Treasury Laws Amendment (Improving Accountability and Member Outcomes in Superannuation Measures No. 1) Bill 2017, the bill amends the: Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 to require registrable superannuation licensees to have at least one-third independent directors and for the Chair of the Board of directors to be one of these independent directors; and Governance of Australian Government Superannuation Schemes Act 2011 to enable the trustee board of the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation to comply with the new independence requirements.
Senate:
- Introduced 14/9/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 14/9/17, 15/11/17, 16/11/17, 4/12/17
- Bill referred to Senate Economics Legislation Committee 14/9/17 (SBC report 11/17); report presented out of sitting 23/10/17
(Treasury portfolio)
Requires bills and regulations relating to superannuation to be accompanied by a statement of their compatibility with the defined primary and subsidiary objectives of the superannuation system.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 9/11/16
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 22/11/16
Senate:
(Previous citation: Taxation Administration Amendment (Corporate Tax Entity Information) Bill 2017)
(Senator Gallagher — ALP)
Amends the Taxation Administration Act 1953 to provide that the threshold for the public reporting of corporate entity tax information by the Australian Taxation Office for private corporate entities is $100 million.
Senate:
- Introduced 14/8/17
- Committee amendments: 2 AG/passed
- Passed 25/6/18
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 26/6/18
- Read a 1st time 26/6/18
(Treasury portfolio)
Part of a package of 11 bills to fund the Commonwealth's contribution to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the bill amends the Taxation (Trustee Beneficiary Non-disclosure Tax) Act (No. 1) 2007 to increase from 47 per cent to 47.5 per cent the rate of trustee beneficiary non-disclosure tax where a share of the net income of a trust is distributed to the trustee of a closely held trust.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 17/8/17
- Passed 25/10/17
Senate:
(Treasury portfolio)
Part of a package of 11 bills to fund the Commonwealth's contribution to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the bill amends the Taxation (Trustee Beneficiary Non-disclosure Tax) Act (No. 2) 2007 to increase from 47 per cent to 47.5 per cent the rate of trustee beneficiary non-disclosure tax where a share of the net income of a trust is distributed to the trustee of a closely held trust.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 17/8/17
- Passed 25/10/17
Senate:
(Mr Wilkie MP — Ind)
Amends the Telecommunications Act 1997 to: require owners and occupiers of land to be notified of a proposal to build or modify a telecommunications tower within 500 metres of their property; provide that notified owners and occupiers have 30 days in which to respond to the proposed development; provide that new telecommunications towers cannot be declared to be low impact; prevent the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) from considering commercial interests when determining the importance of a facility in a telecommunications network; require the ACMA, when considering developments near community sensitive sites, to be satisfied that all alternative sites are unfeasible; and enable appeals to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for review of a decision made by the ACMA to issue a facility installation permit.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 25/6/18
- Removed from Notice Paper 4/12/18
(Ms Sharkie MP — CA)
Amends the Telecommunications Act 1997 to enable the Australian Communications and Media Authority to determine an industry standard which requires that mobile base stations (mobile telephone towers) in high bushfire risk communities have at least 24 hours of standby power capability at all times.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 4/9/17
- Removed from Notice Paper 27/3/18
(Home Affairs portfolio)
Amends the: Telecommunications Act 1997 to: establish frameworks for voluntary and mandatory industry assistance to law enforcement and intelligence agencies in relation to encryption technologies via the issuing of technical assistance requests, technical assistance notices and technical capability notices; and make amendments contingent on the commencement of the proposed Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia Act 2018; Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977 to provide that certain decisions under the new arrangements for industry assistance are not subject to judicial review; Criminal Code Act 1995 to ensure providers are not criminally responsible for particular telecommunications and computer offences for any acts or things done consistent with a technical assistance request, technical assistance notice or technical capability notice; Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979 and four other Acts to: provide an additional power for Commonwealth, state and territory law enforcement agencies investigating certain federal offences to obtain covert computer access warrants under the Surveillance Devices Act 2004; and provide additional powers for law enforcement agencies in relation to the use of existing computer access powers; International Criminal Court Act 2002 and two other Acts to make amendments contingent on the commencement of the Crimes Legislation Amendment (International Crime Cooperation and Other Measures) Act 2018; Crimes Act 1914 to amend the search warrant framework to: allow law enforcement agencies to collect evidence from electronic devices under warrant remotely; increase penalties for not complying with orders from a judicial officer requiring assistance in accessing electronic devices where a warrant is in force; and increase the period during which an electronic device found while executing a warrant can be moved to another place for analysis from 14 days to 30 days; Customs Act 1901 to: provide the Australian Border Force with a new power to request a search warrant to be issued in respect of a person for the purposes of seizing a computer or data storage device; increase penalties for not complying with orders from a judicial officer requiring assistance in accessing electronic devices where a warrant is in force; and increase the timeframe for the examination of electronic devices moved under a warrant from 72 hours to 30 days; and Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979 to: provide that a person or body is not subject to civil liability where they voluntarily provide assistance to ASIO, or give information or produce a document to ASIO unsolicited, in certain circumstances; and enable ASIO to require a person with knowledge of a computer or a computer system to provide assistance that is reasonable and necessary to gain access to data on a device that is subject to an ASIO warrant.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 20/9/18
- Bill referred to Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security 20/9/18; report tabled in House of Representatives 5/12/18
- Consideration in detail amendments: 173 Govt/passed
- Passed 6/12/18
Senate:
- Introduced 6/12/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Govt/passed
- Committee amendments: 26 Opp/withdrawn
- Passed 6/12/18
Assent: 8/12/18 (Act No. 148, 2018)
(Communications and the Arts portfolio)
Amends the: National Broadband Network Companies Act 2011 to require national broadband network corporations to provide emergency service organisations with access in certain circumstances to towers and associated sites and facilities; and Telecommunications Act 1997 to enable the Minister for Communications to specify temporary towers as low-impact facilities in certain circumstances.
Senate:
- Introduced 25/6/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/passed (reference to committee—see below)
- Bill referred to Environment and Communications Legislation Committee 13/8/18; progress report presented out of sitting 28/8/18; final report tabled 10/9/18
- Committee amendments: 1 Opp/passed; 10 AG/negatived; 7 CA/negatived
- Passed 3/12/18
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 4/12/18
- Read a 1st time 4/12/18
(Previous title: Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Competition and Consumer) Bill 2017)
(Communications and the Arts portfolio)
Introduced with the Telecommunications (Regional Broadband Scheme) Charge Bill 2017, the bill amends the: Competition and Consumer Act 2010 and Telecommunications Act 1997 to: remove regulation of networks servicing small business customers; enable new superfast networks to operate on a functionally separated basis with the approval of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC); enable the ACCC to exempt small start-up networks from separation regulation; provide that all services supplied on networks that are wholesale-only or functionally separated will be subject to clear non-discrimination obligations; amend the enforcement regime, including conferring additional powers on the ACCC; and introduce a statutory infrastructure provider regime; Carrier Licence Conditions (Networks supplying Superfast Carriage Services to Residential Customers) Declaration 2014 and Legislation (Exemptions and Other Matters) Regulation 2015 in relation to sunsetting arrangements; Competition and Consumer Act 2010, Telecommunications Act 1997 and Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999 to implement the administrative arrangements for the Regional Broadband Scheme; and Telecommunications Act 1997 to extend the 'designated day' for the purposes of Telstra's structural separation to 1 January 2020. Also repeals four declarations.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 22/6/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail amendments: 13 Govt/passed
- Passed 10/5/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee 22/6/17 (SBC report 7/17); extension of time to report 8/8/17; report tabled 6/9/17
- Introduced 18/6/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 18/6/18, 13/8/18, 16/8/18, 23/8/18
(Previous title: Telecommunications (Regional Broadband Scheme) Charge Bill 2017)
(Communications and the Arts portfolio)
Introduced with the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Competition and Consumer) Bill 2017, the bill establishes an ongoing funding arrangement for fixed wireless and satellite infrastructure (the Regional Broadband Scheme) by imposing a monthly charge on carriers, including NBN Co Ltd, in relation to each premises connected to their network that has an active fixed-line superfast broadband service during the month.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 22/6/17
- Consideration in detail amendment: 1 Govt/passed
- Passed 10/5/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee 22/6/17 (SBC report 7/17); extension of time to report 8/8/17; report tabled 6/9/17
- Introduced 18/6/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 18/6/18, 13/8/18, 16/8/18, 23/8/18
(Education and Training portfolio)
Amends the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 to implement certain recommendations of the Review of the impact of the TEQSA Act on the higher education sector by: removing references to specific categories of non-threshold standards; removing unnecessary references to 'the Research Minister' and requiring that advice on new standards need only be sought from that minister in certain circumstances; requiring TEQSA to advise the minister and the Higher Education Standards Panel (the panel) before it undertakes a quality review that could have certain impacts; providing that overseas universities can offer a course of study not wholly or mainly provided from Australian premises, and use the word 'university' to represent its operations, without committing an offence; providing that a quorum for TEQSA meetings is a majority of commissioners; expanding the skill set that the minister must ensure is encompassed by the panel members; expanding the functions of the panel; providing a consent-based exception to the offence of unauthorised disclosure or use of information; allowing TEQSA to disclose certain higher education and personal information to the minister, the secretary and relevant officers; and allowing TEQSA to disclose information for research purposes and to a complainant in relation to a complaint without the consent of the body to which the information applies.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 5/12/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 5/12/18
(Act citation: Therapeutic Goods Amendment (2017 Measures No. 1) Act 2018)
(Health portfolio)
Introduced with the Therapeutic Goods (Charges) Amendment Bill 2017, the bill amends the: Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 to: introduce a new approval pathway for prescription medicines by creating a class of therapeutic good to be known as 'provisionally registered goods'; allow the minister to specify, by legislative instrument, permitted indications for use with listed medicines; establish an additional pathway for intermediate risk medicines through a new application and assessment process for sponsors of listed complementary medicines seeking to use indications that fall outside the permitted indications list; strengthen monitoring powers in relation to biologicals; implement stronger compliance and enforcement powers and graduated penalties for non-compliant behaviours; remove the distinctions between advertisements for therapeutic goods for which an approval is, or is not, required; enable the secretary to utilise the work of comparable overseas regulators in the course of making assessments of medical devices; enable the secretary to publish information in relation to Australian conformity assessment bodies; align the secretary's powers relating to conformity assessment certificates issued by Australian conformity assessment bodies and conformity assessment certificates issued by the secretary; clarify that the secretary has the power to refuse an application for including medicines, biologicals and medical devices in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods prior to evaluating the application if it does not meet the application requirements; and make minor amendments to achieve consistency of regulatory requirements between different types of therapeutic goods and make other minor changes; and Broadcasting Services Act 1992 to make consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 14/9/17
- Passed 4/12/17
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 30/11/17 (SBC report 14/17); report presented out of sitting 2/2/18
- Introduced 4/12/17
- Committee amendments: 1 Govt/passed; 6 AG/negatived; 2 LDP/negatived
- Passed 15/2/18
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives agreed to Senate amendment 15/2/18
Assent: 5/3/18 (Act No. 7, 2018)
(Health portfolio)
Amends the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 to: introduce mandatory reporting requirements for sponsors of mainly prescription medicines to report shortages of, and any decision to permanently discontinue, their products; and make miscellaneous amendments in relation to: enabling standards to adopt other documents as in force from time to time; enabling the Secretary to require priority pathway applicants to provide supporting information; streamlining of health practitioner notifications under the Special Access Scheme and certain advertising requirements; variations to registered medicines through notification; and a minor technical amendment.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/6/18
- Passed 20/8/18
Senate:
- Introduced 20/8/18
- Passed 10/9/18
Assent: 21/9/18 (Act No. 104, 2018)
(Act citation: Therapeutic Goods (Charges) Amendment Act 2018)
(Health portfolio)
Introduced with the Therapeutic Goods Amendment (2017 Measures No. 1) Bill 2017, the bill amends the Therapeutic Goods (Charges) Act 1989 to: enable regulations to be made prescribing an annual charge for a conformity assessment body determination payable by the Australian corporation that is the subject of the determination; provide that the obligation for a conformity assessment body to pay an annual charge continues during a period in which the conformity assessment body determination is suspended; and ensure that the annual charges prescribed for provisionally registered goods also apply to provisionally registered goods entered in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 14/9/17
- Passed 4/12/17
Senate:
Assent: 5/3/18 (Act No. 8, 2018)
(Resources and Northern Australia portfolio)
Introduced with the Passenger Movement Charge Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2018 to partially implement the Treaty Between Australia and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste Establishing Their Maritime Boundaries in the Timor Sea (New York, 6 March 2018), the bill amends 18 Acts to: permanently delimit the continental shelf boundary and the exclusive economic zone boundary between Australia and Timor-Leste; allow for a future adjustment of the lateral continental shelf boundaries subject to specific conditions being met; and establish the Greater Sunrise Special Regime in the Special Regime Area.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/11/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 28/11/18
Senate:
(Health portfolio)
Amends the Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011 to expand the range of persons who can be appointed as authorised officers for the purposes of undertaking compliance and enforcement activities under the Act.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 15/8/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 12/9/18
Senate:
- Introduced 12/9/18
- Committee amendment: 1 KAP/negatived
- Passed 18/9/18
Assent: 3/10/18 (Act No. 120, 2018)
(Infrastructure and Regional Development portfolio)
Amends the Aviation Transport Security Act 2004 and Maritime Transport and Offshore Facilities Security Act 2003 to: prevent the use of aviation and maritime transport or offshore facilities in connection with serious or organised crime; establish a regulatory framework to implement harmonised eligibility criteria for the aviation security identification card (ASIC) and maritime security identification card (MSIC) schemes; clarify and align the legislative basis for undertaking security checking of ASIC and MSIC applicants and holders; provide for regulations to prescribe penalties for offences; and insert an additional severability provision to provide guidance to a court as to Parliament's intention.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 31/8/16
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail amendments: 12 Opp/negatived
- Passed 13/2/17
Senate:
- Introduced 13/2/17
- Committee amendments: 12 Opp/passed; 2 LDP/passed
- Passed 27/3/17
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives disagreed to Senate amendments and agreed to 10 Govt amendments in place of Senate amendments nos 1 to 6 and 9 to 12, 30/3/17
Senate:
- Senate reported message from House of Representatives 31/3/17
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the: Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 and Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to: supplement the 'same business test' with a 'similar business test' for the purposes of working out whether a company's tax losses and net capital losses from previous income years can be used as a tax deduction in a current income year; and make consequential amendments; and Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to provide taxpayers with the choice to self-assess the effective life of certain intangible depreciating assets they start to hold on or after 1 July 2016.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 30/3/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 22/6/17
Senate:
- Introduced 23/6/17 a.m.
- Committee amendment: 1 Govt/passed
- Passed 5/12/18
(Act citation: Treasury Laws Amendment (2017 Measures No. 5) Act 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Introduced with the ASIC Supervisory Cost Recovery Levy Amendment Bill 2017, the bill amends the: Corporations Act 2001 to: establish a new licensing regime requiring administrators of designated significant financial benchmarks to obtain a benchmark administrator licence from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC); enable ASIC to make rules imposing a regulatory framework for licensed benchmark administrators and related matters; and create offences and penalties for manipulation of financial benchmarks; Productivity Commission Act 1998 to provide for the appointment of an additional commissioner to oversee the work of the Productivity Commission in relation to the evaluation of policies and programs that have an impact on Indigenous persons; and Corporations Act 2001 and Treasury Laws Amendment (2016 Measures No. 1) Act 2017 to make consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 7/9/17
- Passed 28/2/18
Senate:
- Introduced 19/3/18
- Committee amendments: 1 Govt/passed; 1 PHON/negatived
- Passed 28/3/18
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives agreed to Senate amendment 28/3/18
Assent: 11/4/18 (Act No. 27, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the: Income Tax Assessment Act 1997, Small Superannuation Accounts Act 1995, Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 and Superannuation (Unclaimed Money and Lost Members) Act 1999 to enable the Commissioner of Taxation to pay certain superannuation amounts directly to individuals with a terminal medical condition; Corporations Act 2001 to modify the notification and reporting obligations applying to certain corporations that have property in receivership or property in respect of which a controller is acting; Income Tax Assessment Act 1997, Superannuation Laws Amendment (Capital Gains Tax Relief and Other Efficiency Measures) Act 2012 and Tax Laws Amendment (2009 Measures No. 6) Act 2010 to extend tax relief for merging superannuation funds until 1 July 2020; Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Act 1998 to enable the Treasurer to take into account the ongoing cost of governing and maintaining the superannuation transaction network in determining the share of levy money that is payable to the Commonwealth; Retirement Savings Accounts Act 1997 and Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 to transfer the regulator role for early release of superannuation benefits on compassionate grounds from the Chief Executive Medicare to the Commissioner of Taxation; and Taxation Administration Act 1953, A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 and Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to require purchasers of new residential premises and subdivisions of potential residential land to make a payment of part of the purchase price to the Australian Taxation Office. Also amends 13 Acts, and repeals seven Acts, to remove inoperative and spent provisions; and amends seven Acts to make consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 7/2/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 27/2/18
Senate:
- Introduced 19/3/18
- Passed 28/3/18
Assent: 29/3/18 (Act No. 23, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the: Corporations Act 2001 and National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 to allow regulations to provide for exemptions from the Australian Financial Services Licence and Australian Credit Licence requirements for the purposes of testing financial and credit products and services under certain conditions; Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to amend the venture capital and early stage investor provisions to ensure that they operate as intended in relation to capital gains tax transactions, managed investment trusts and the early stage investor tax offset; and Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 to amend the definition of public trading trusts.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 8/2/18
- Passed 25/6/18
Senate:
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to: align the maximum penalties under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) with the maximum penalties under the competition provisions of the Act; amend the ACL to provide for a safe harbour defence to an allegation of false, misleading or deceptive conduct where a person has complied with an information standard about free range eggs; and ensure the confidentiality of supplier information obtained by the Australian Energy Regulator in performing its wholesale market monitoring and reporting functions.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 15/2/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 27/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 27/6/18
- Passed 23/8/18
Assent: 31/8/18 (Act No. 93, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends: taxation legislation to: enable the Commissioner of Taxation to issue directions to employers to pay unpaid superannuation guarantee and undertake superannuation guarantee education courses, and to disclose more information about superannuation guarantee non-compliance to affected employees; extend Single Touch Payroll reporting to all employers; require more regular reporting by superannuation funds; strengthen the commissioner's ability to collect superannuation guarantee charge and pay as you go withholding liabilities; enable the pre-filling of an individual's tax file number declaration and superannuation standard choice force form by the commissioner to the individual's employer; and enable the sharing and verification of tax file numbers between the commissioner and Commonwealth agencies; the Superannuation Legislation Amendment (MySuper Core Provisions) Act 2012 to clarify the commencement of certain provisions; the Tax Laws Amendment (Implementation of the Common Reporting Standard) Act 2016 to ensure that financial institutions report information about financial accounts held by foreign tax residents as intended; the Fuel Tax Act 2006, Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 and Taxation Administration Act 1953 to make amendments consequential on regulations; five Acts to rewrite provisions in relation to offshore information notices from the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 to the Taxation Administration Act 1953 and apply those provisions to all tax-related liabilities; 10 Acts to make miscellaneous amendments; the Superannuation (Resolution of Complaints) Act 1993 to enable the disclosure of certain information acquired in connection with a complaint made to the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal; and the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to update the list of deductible gift recipients.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Passed 25/6/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Economics Legislation Committee 10/5/18 (SBC report 5/18); report presented out of sitting 13/6/18; corrigendum presented out of sitting 22/6/18
- Introduced 25/6/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 AG/negatived
- Committee amendments: 3 Govt/passed
- Passed 5/12/18
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends: five Acts to make technical amendments to the income tax law in relation to attribution managed investment trusts (AMITs) and managed investment trust (MITs), including modifications to the AMIT primary and transitional rules, and MIT and AMIT capital gains tax and withholding tax rules; the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to: update the list of specifically listed deductible gift recipients (DGRs) to include six new entities; and provide that entities that promote Indigenous languages may be endorsed as a DGR; and the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to remove the exemption for conditional licensing or assignment of IP rights such as patents, registered designs, copyright or eligible circuit layout rights from prohibitions on restrictive trade practices.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 20/9/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 17/10/18
Senate:
- Introduced 18/10/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 18/10/18
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the: Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 and Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 to provide for a one-off 12 month amnesty to encourage employers to self-correct historical superannuation guarantee non-compliance; Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 to enable certain employees with multiple employers to apply for an employer shortfall exemption certificate which prevents their employer from having a superannuation guarantee shortfall if they do not make contributions for a period; Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977 to make consequential amendments; Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to ensure that a superannuation entity's non-arm's length income includes income where expenditure in gaining or producing it was not an arm's length expense; and Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 and Taxation Administration Act 1953 to ensure that, in certain circumstances involving limited recourse borrowing arrangements, the total value or a superannuation fund's assets is taken into account in working out individual members' total superannuation balances.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 24/5/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail amendments: 2 Opp/negatived
- Passed 20/6/18
Senate:
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 and Income Tax (Transitional Provisions) Act 1997 to extend by 12 months to 30 June 2019 the period during which small business entities can access expanded accelerated depreciation rules.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 24/5/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail amendments: 6 AG/negatived
- Passed 19/6/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Economics Legislation Committee 24/5/18; report presented out of sitting 30/5/18
- Introduced 25/6/18
- Committee amendment: 1 AG/negatived
- Passed 12/9/18
Assent: 21/9/18 (Act No. 109, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Act 1998 to enable the Governor-General to appoint a second Deputy Chair of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 24/5/18
- Passed 25/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 25/6/18
- Passed 16/8/18
Assent: 24/8/18 (Act No. 81, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the: Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 to enable the Governor-General to appoint a second Deputy Chairperson of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission; and Foreign Evidence Act 1994 to make a consequential amendment.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 9/5/18
Senate:
- Introduced 10/5/18
- Passed 10/5/18
Assent: 22/5/18 (Act No. 42, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Implements certain recommendations of the Australian Consumer Law Review Final Report by amending the: Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to: amend evidentiary requirements to allow private litigants to rely on admitted facts from earlier proceedings; clarify the operation of unsolicited services provisions and unsolicited consumer agreements in a public place; ensure that fees or charges associated with pre-selected options must be included in the single price; strengthen the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) powers to obtain information about product safety; enable third parties to give effect to a community service order; and clarify the scope of the exemption from the consumer guarantees for the transport or storage of goods; Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 and Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to: extend the unconscionable conduct protections to publicly listed companies; and enable the ACCC and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) to investigate possible unfair contract terms; and Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 to: correct inconsistent terminology for financial products that involve interests in land; and clarify the application of consumer protections to financial products.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Consideration in detail amendment: 1 Govt/passed
- Passed 27/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 13/8/18
- Passed 18/10/18
Assent: 25/10/18 (Act No. 132, 2018)
(Senator Rice — AG)
Amends the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 to remove the goods and services tax from sanitary products.
Senate:
- Introduced 9/5/18
- Passed 18/6/18
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 18/6/18
- Read a 1st time 18/6/18
(Previous title: Treasury Laws Amendment (Banking Executive Accountability and Related Measures) Bill 2017)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the: Banking Act 1959 to: establish the Banking Executive Accountability Regime (BEAR) to impose accountability, remuneration, key personnel and notification obligations on authorised deposit-taking institutions and persons in director and senior executive roles; and provide the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) with additional powers to investigate potential breaches of the BEAR and extend these powers to APRA's other supervisory functions; and Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Act 1998 and Banking Act 1959 to make consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 19/10/17
- Consideration in detail amendment: 1 Opp/passed
- Passed 5/2/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Economics Legislation Committee 19/10/17 (SBC report 12/17); report presented out of sitting 24/11/17
- Introduced 6/2/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 AG/negatived
- Committee amendments: 5 AG/negatived
- Passed 7/2/18
Assent: 20/2/18 (Act No. 5, 2018)
(Act citation: Treasury Laws Amendment (Banking Measures No. 1) Act 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the: Banking Act 1959 to: enable the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) to makes rules and directions relating to the provision of finance by non-authorised deposit-taking institution lenders which APRA has identified may materially contribute to risks of instability in the Australian financial system; remove restrictions on the use of the term 'bank'; and insert an objects provision; National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 to: require that the suitability of a credit card contract is assessed on the consumer's ability to repay the credit limit within a certain period; prohibit providers from making unsolicited credit limit offers in relation to credit card contracts and from retrospectively charging interest on credit card balances; and enable consumers to reduce credit card limits and terminate credit card contracts, including by online means; and Financial Sector (Collection of Data) Act 2001, Insurance Act 1973, Life Insurance Act 1995 and National Consumer Credit Protection (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Act 2009 to make consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 19/10/17
- Passed 7/2/18
Senate:
- Introduced 8/2/18
- Passed 15/2/18
Assent: 5/3/18 (Act No. 9, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the: Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 and Taxation Administration Act 1953 to prohibit the production, distribution, possession and use of sales suppression tools in relation to entities that have Australian tax obligations; and Taxation Administration Act 1953 to require entities that provide courier or cleaning services to report to the Australian Taxation Office details of transactions that involve engaging other entities to undertake those courier or cleaning services for them.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 7/2/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail amendment: 1 Govt/passed
- Passed 30/5/18
Senate:
- Introduced 18/6/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 AG/passed
- Committee amendment: 1 Opp/passed
- Passed 17/9/18
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives agreed to Senate amendment 18/9/18
Assent: 3/10/18 (Act No. 121, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Introduced with the Excise Tariff Amendment (Collecting Tobacco Duties at Manufacture) Bill 2018, the bill amends the: Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to remove the income tax deduction for certain payments if the associated withholding obligations have not been complied with; Taxation Administration Act 1953 to require entities providing road freight, information technology or security, investigation or surveillance services that have an ABN to report to the Australian Taxation Office information about transactions in which other entities are engaged to undertake those services on their behalf; and Excise Act 1901 and Taxation Administration Act 1953 to establish a framework to make excise duty on tobacco due and payable at the time of manufacture.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 20/9/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 17/10/18
Senate:
- Introduced 18/10/18
- Passed 15/11/18
Assent: 29/11/18 (Act No. 141, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the: Corporations Act 2001 to introduce design and distribution obligations in relation to financial products; Corporations Act 2001 and National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 to introduce a product intervention power for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission to prevent or respond to significant consumer detriment; and Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 to make consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 20/9/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 20/9/18, 24/10/18
Senate:
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the: Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 to: require the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) to consider the effects that the performance of its functions and the exercise of its powers will have on competition in the financial system; and remove the requirement for ASIC to engage staff under the Public Service Act 1999; and Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001, Business Names Registration Act 2011, Corporations Act 2001 and Mutual Assistance in Business Regulation Act 1992 to make consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Passed 27/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 27/6/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 AG/negatived
- Committee amendment: 1 AG/negatived
- Passed 17/9/18
Assent: 3/10/18 (Act No. 122, 2018)
(Previous title: Treasury Laws Amendment (Enhancing Whistleblower Protections) Bill 2017)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the: Corporations Act 2001 to consolidate and broaden the existing protections and remedies for corporate and financial sector whistleblowers; Taxation Administration Act 1953 to create a whistleblower protection regime for disclosures of information by individuals regarding breaches of the tax laws or misconduct relating to an entity's tax affairs; and Banking Act 1959, Insurance Act 1973, Life Insurance Act 1995 and Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 to make consequential amendments.
Senate:
- Introduced 7/12/17
- Bill referred to Senate Economics Legislation Committee 8/2/18 (SBC report 1/18); progress report presented out of sitting 16/3/18; extension of time to report 19/3/18; final report tabled 22/3/18
- Committee amendments: 58 Govt/passed; 1 AG/negatived
- Passed 6/12/18
(Previous title: Treasury Laws Amendment (Enterprise Tax Plan Base Rate Entities) Bill 2017)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the: Income Tax Rates Act 1986 to provide that a corporate tax entity will not qualify for the lower 27.5 per cent corporate tax rate if more than 80 per cent of its assessable income is income of a passive nature; and Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 and Income Tax Rates Act 1986 to make consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 18/10/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail amendment: 1 Govt/passed
- Passed 8/2/18
Senate:
- Introduced 12/2/18
- Passed 23/8/18
Assent: 31/8/18 (Act No. 94, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Further to the Treasury Laws Amendment (Enterprise Tax Plan) Act 2017, the bill amends the: Income Tax Rates Act 1986 to: progressively extend the lower 27.5 per cent corporate tax rate to all corporate tax entities by the 2023-24 financial year; and further reduce the corporate tax rate in stages so that by the 2026-27 financial year, the corporate tax rate for all entities will be 25 per cent; and Income Tax Assessment Act 1936, Income Tax Assessment Act 1997, Treasury Laws Amendment (Combating Multinational Tax Avoidance) Act 2017 and Treasury Laws Amendment (Enterprise Tax Plan) Act 2017 to make consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 11/5/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 8/2/18
Senate:
- Introduced 12/2/18
- Committee amendments: 36 Govt/negatived; 7 DHJP/negatived
- The question that the bill stand as printed (be agreed to) was negatived in committee of the whole
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the: Financial Sector (Shareholdings) Act 1998 to: increase from 15 per cent to 20 per cent the ownership restriction applying to life insurance and general insurance companies, authorised deposit-taking institutions (ADIs) and relevant holding companies; and create a streamlined path for owners of qualifying domestically incorporated companies with assets less than the relevant threshold applying to become a financial sector company; and Banking Act 1959 to: enable the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority to grant a new entrant to the banking sector a time limited ADI licence; and correct a drafting error.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/6/18
- Passed 21/8/18
Senate:
- Introduced 21/8/18
- Passed 15/11/18
Assent: 29/11/18 (Act No. 142, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to introduce a national regime to regulate gift cards, including requirements that: gift cards must have a minimum three year expiry period; information about the expiry of a gift card must be displayed prominently on the card itself; terms and conditions cannot allow certain post-supply fees to be charged; and certain fees cannot be charged after a gift card is supplied.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 20/9/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 17/10/18
Senate:
- Introduced 17/10/18
- Passed 18/10/18
Assent: 25/10/18 (Act No. 133, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the: Taxation Administration Act 1953 to: establish a tobacco offence regime for illicit tobacco that has been domestically manufactured or produced or for which the origin of production or manufacturing is unknown or uncertain; create new offences for possession of equipment for producing or manufacturing illicit tobacco; and adjust penalties for existing offences; Excise Act 1901 to: allow for a person who possesses illicit tobacco to be issued with an infringement notice instead of being prosecuted for the offence in certain circumstances; clarify that illicit tobacco for which the origin of production or manufacturing is unknown or uncertain can be seized and forfeited; and define tobacco to align the meaning for excise and excise-equivalent customs duty purposes; and Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 and Excise Act 1901 to make consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 15/2/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 28/2/18
Senate:
- Introduced 19/3/18
- Passed 16/8/18
Assent: 24/8/18 (Act No. 82, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Introduced with the Superannuation Laws Amendment (Strengthening Trustee Arrangements) Bill 2017, the bill amends the: Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 to: require trustees to assess on an annual basis whether the outcomes that are being delivered by MySuper products are promoting the financial interests of MySuper members; allow the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) to refuse, or cancel, an authority to offer a MySuper product if it has a reason to believe the registrable superannuation entity (RSE) licensee may fail to comply with its obligations; impose civil and criminal penalties on directors of RSE licensees who fail to execute their responsibilities to act in the best interests of members, or who use their position to further their own interests to the detriment of members; enable APRA to refuse authority for a change in ownership or control where it has concerns about the person seeking ownership or control, give a direction to a person to relinquish control of a RSE licensee and remove or suspend an RSE licensee where it is subject to the control of its owner; align APRA's directions powers in relation to the superannuation industry with its broader directions powers in the banking and insurance industries; and require RSE licensees to hold annual members' meetings; Corporations Act 2001 and Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 to require superannuation funds to disclose on a semi-annual basis investments that they hold directly or through associated entities and initial investments into non-associated entities; Financial Sector (Collection of Data) Act 2001 to provide APRA with the ability to obtain information on expenses incurred by RSE and RSE licensees in managing or operating the RSE; and Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Act 1998 to make consequential amendments.
Senate:
- Introduced 14/9/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 14/9/17, 15/11/17, 16/11/17, 4/12/17
- Bill referred to Senate Economics Legislation Committee 14/9/17 (SBC report 11/17); report presented out of sitting 23/10/17
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 to: provide that employees under workplace determinations or enterprise agreements made on or after 1 July 2018 have the right to choose their superannuation fund; and provide that amounts sacrificed under an employee salary sacrifice arrangement will not reduce an employer's mandated superannuation guarantee contributions.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 14/9/17
- Passed 23/10/17
Senate:
(Senator Storer — Ind)
Amends the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to allow landlords to claim a tax offset of up to $2000 per year during a three-year trial period for energy efficiency upgrades to rental properties leased at $300 per week or less. Also provides for an independent review to be conducted after the three-year trial period.
Senate:
- Introduced 22/8/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 22/8/18
- Bill referred to Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee 23/8/18 (SBC report 9/18); progress report presented out of sitting 19/11/18; extensions of time to report 26/11/18, 3/12/18; final report due 6/2/19
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to: remove a double benefit that can arise in relation to certain deductible liabilities held by an entity that joins a consolidated group; ensure that deferred tax liabilities are disregarded for the purposes of the operation of the entry and exit tax cost setting rules; prevent a double benefit from arising when an entity joins or leaves a consolidated group where the entity has securitised an asset; prevent non-residents churning assets between different consolidated groups to access double deductions; clarify the tax treatment of certain intra-group liabilities and assets between a continuing member of a consolidated group and an exiting member of the consolidated group; and prevent consolidated groups from accessing double deductions by shifting value across entities in the group.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 15/2/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 28/2/18
Senate:
- Introduced 19/3/18
- Passed 22/3/18
Assent: 28/3/18 (Act No. 14, 2018)
(Act citation: Treasury Laws Amendment (Junior Minerals Exploration Incentive) Act 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the: Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to replace the Exploration Development Incentive with the Junior Minerals Exploration Incentive, which will enable junior exploration companies undertaking greenfields minerals exploration to distribute their tax losses as a refundable tax offset to investors who have purchased newly issued shares; and Income Tax Assessment Act 1936, Income Tax Assessment Act 1997, Taxation Administration Act 1953 and Tax and Superannuation Laws Amendment (2014 Measures No. 7) Act 2015 to make consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 19/10/17
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 13/2/18
Senate:
- Introduced 15/2/18
- Committee amendments: 1 Govt/passed; 2 Opp/passed; 1 AG/negatived
- Committee request for amendment: 1 Govt/passed
- Passed 26/3/18
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives made Senate request for amendment 26/3/18
- House of Representatives agreed to Senate amendments 27/3/18
Assent: 28/3/18 (Act No. 15, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Brings forward tax relief for small and medium businesses by amending the Treasury Laws Amendment (Enterprise Tax Plan) Act 2017 to: reduce the corporate tax rate for corporate tax entities that derive no more than 80 per cent of their income in passive forms and have an aggregated turnover of less than $50 million (base rate entities) to 26 per cent for the 2020-21 financial year and to 25 per cent from the 2021-22 financial year; increase the small business income tax offset rate for small businesses that have an aggregated turnover of less than $5 million to 13 per cent for the 2020-21 financial year and to 16 per cent from the 2021-22 financial year; and make consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 16/10/18
- Passed 16/10/18
Senate:
- Introduced 17/10/18
- Committee amendments: 4 AC-LDP/negatived
- Passed 18/10/18
Assent: 25/10/18 (Act No. 134, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Gives effect to elements of the Government's interim response to the Productivity Commission's report Horizontal Fiscal Equalisation by amending the: Commonwealth Grants Commission Act 1973 to require the Treasurer, when framing the annual terms of reference for a Commonwealth Grants Commission (CGC) inquiry into how the goods and services tax (GST) should be distributed among the states and territories, to require the CGC to transition the horizontal fiscal equalisation system from full equalisation (equalised to the strongest state or territory) to reasonable equalisation (equalised to the stronger of New South Wales and Victoria); and Federal Financial Relations Act 2009 to: introduce a minimum GST revenue sharing relativity that may be determined by the Treasurer for any individual state or territory for a financial year; boost the annual funding pool from which GST revenue grants are made to the states and territories with additional Commonwealth financial assistance each year; and provide a guarantee, by way of additional Commonwealth financial assistance, to each state or territory that would have received a greater overall entitlement under the current distribution system as compared to the updated distribution system during the transition period. Also provides for a review of the operation of the Act by the Productivity Commission by 31 December 2026.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 18/10/18
- Passed 23/10/18
Senate:
Assent: 29/11/18 (Act No. 143, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Introduced with the Income Tax (Managed Investment Trust Withholding Tax) Amendment Bill 2018 and Income Tax Rates Amendment (Sovereign Entities) Bill 2018, the bill amends the: Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 and Taxation Administration Act 1953 to limit access to tax concessions for foreign investors by increasing the managed investment trust (MIT) withholding rate on fund payments that are attributable to non-concessional MIT income (including MIT cross staple arrangement income) to 30 per cent; Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to modify the thin capitalisation rules to prevent double gearing structures; Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 to limit access to tax concessions for foreign investors by limiting the withholding tax exemption for superannuation funds for foreign residents; and Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 and Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to limit access to tax concessions for foreign investors by codifying and limiting the scope of the sovereign immunity tax exemption.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 20/9/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 20/9/18
Senate:
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the: Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 and Tax Laws Amendment (Research and Development) Act 2015 to: permanently increase the research and development (R&D) expenditure threshold from $100 million to $150 million; link the R&D tax offset for refundable R&D tax offset claimants to their corporate tax rates plus a 13.5 percentage point premium; cap the refundability of the R&D tax offset at $4 million per annum; and increase the targeting of the R&D tax incentive to larger R&D entities with high levels of R&D intensity; Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to extend the concept of tax benefits in the general anti-avoidance rule in Part IVA of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 to include the R&D tax offset; Income Tax Assessment Act 1997, Income Tax Rates Act 1986 and Income Tax (Transitional Provisions) Act 1997 to: remake and consolidate provisions relating to clawback of R&D recoupments and feedstock adjustments; introduce a new uniform clawback rule that applies for recoupments, feedstock adjustments and balancing adjustment amounts that are included in an R&D entity's assessable income; and introduce a new catch-up rule for R&D assets; Taxation Administration Act 1953 to require the Commissioner of Taxation to publish information about the R&D activities of R&D entities claiming the R&D tax offset following a two-year delay; Industry Research and Development Act 1986 (IR&D Act) to: provide for the Board of Innovation and Science Australia (ISA) to make a determination, by notifiable instrument, about how it will exercise its powers and perform its functions and duties; and expand the existing power of the Board of ISA and its committees to delegate some or all of their functions to include certain members of the Australian Public Service; Industry Research and Development Decision-making Principles 2011 to provide that extensions of time granted under the IR&D Act may relate to certain applications; Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 and Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to: require an entity to use the value of the assets, liabilities and equity capital that are used in its financial statements; remove the ability for an entity to revalue its assets specifically for thin capitalisation purposes; and ensure that non-ADI foreign controlled Australian tax consolidated groups and multiple entry consolidated groups that have foreign investments or operations are treated as both outward investing and inward investing entities; A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 to require offshore suppliers of rights or options to use commercial accommodation in Australia to include these supplies in working out their GST turnover; A New Tax System (Luxury Car Tax) Act 1999 to remove liability for luxury car tax from cars that are re-imported following service, repair or refurbishment overseas; and Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 and Taxation Administration Act 1953 to: extend the circumstances in which an entity is a significant global entity; and amend the country by country reporting requirements to apply to a subset of significant global entities referred to as country by country reporting entities.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 20/9/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 20/9/18
Senate:
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the A New Tax System (Medicare Levy Surcharge—Fringe Benefits) Act 1999 and Medicare Levy Act 1986 to: increase the Medicare levy and Medicare levy surcharge low-income threshold amounts for individuals, families and individual taxpayers and families eligible for the seniors and pensioners tax offset; and increase the phase-in limits as a result of the increased threshold amounts.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 24/5/18
- Passed 18/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 18/6/18
- Passed 28/6/18
Assent: 29/6/18 (Act No. 69, 2018)
(Previous title: Treasury Laws Amendment (National Housing and Homelessness Agreement) Bill 2017)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the Federal Financial Relations Act 2009 to enable the Commonwealth to provide financial assistance to the states for housing, homelessness and housing affordability matters by: ceasing the National Specific Purpose Payment for Housing Services; and providing ongoing funding in accordance with a primary housing agreement, a supplementary housing agreement or a designated housing agreement.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 25/10/17
- Consideration in detail amendments: 7 Govt/passed; 1 Opp/passed
- Passed 1/3/18
Senate:
Assent: 28/3/18 (Act No. 16, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the International Tax Agreements Act 1953 to: give legislative effect to the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting; and make technical amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 14/8/18
Senate:
- Introduced 15/8/18
- Passed 16/8/18
Assent: 24/8/18 (Act No. 83, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the: Income Tax Assessment Act 1997, Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 and Taxation Administration Act 1953 to: introduce a low and middle income tax offset to reduce the tax payable by low and middle income earners that are Australian residents in the 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 financial years; and merge the low and middle income offset and the current low income tax offset into a new low income tax offset from the 2022-23 financial year; Income Tax Rates Act 1986 to progressively increase the income tax rate thresholds in the 2018-19, 2022-23 and 2024-25 financial years; and Income Tax Assessment (1936 Act) Regulation 2015 and five Acts to make consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 9/5/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail amendments: 23 Opp/negatived
- Passed 23/5/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Economics Legislation Committee 10/5/18 (SBC report 5/18); report tabled 18/6/18
- Introduced 18/6/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 2 AG/negatived
- Committee amendments: 3 Opp/passed; 31 Opp/negatived; 20 Ind (Storer)/negatived
- Passed 20/6/18
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives disagreed to Senate amendments 21/6/18
Senate:
- Senate did not insist on its amendments 21/6/18
Assent: 21/6/18 (Act No. 47, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to: prohibit certain conduct in electricity retail, contract and wholesale markets, broadly relating to retail pricing, financial contract market liquidity and conduct in wholesale spot markets; provide remedies which the ACCC may use if it reasonably believes a corporation has engaged, or is engaging, in prohibited conduct in the electricity sector; enable the Treasurer, following the receipt of a prohibited conduct recommendation from the ACCC, to issue a written order to a corporation or another body to make offers to enter into electricity financial contracts with third party entities; enable the Treasurer, following the receipt of a prohibited conduct recommendation from the ACCC, to apply to the Federal Court (the court) for a divestiture order and for the court to make related orders that a corporation or another body corporate dispose of interests in securities or assets that are part of its electricity business; set out the notice and recommendation procedures that must be followed before an order can be made in respect of a corporation or another body corporate; confer new compulsory information gathering powers on the Australian Energy Regulator (AER); allow the AER to share information with other agencies; and facilitate the conferral of functions related to the regulation of retail electricity prices on the AER.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 5/12/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail 6/12/18
Senate:
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the: Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 to: prevent trustees of superannuation funds from charging certain fees and costs exceeding 3 per cent of the balance of a MySuper or choice product annually where the balance of the account is below $6000; and prevent trustees from providing opt out insurance to new members aged under 25 years, members with balances below $6000 and members with inactive MySuper or choice accounts, unless a member has directed otherwise; and Superannuation (Unclaimed Money and Lost Members) Act 1999 to: require the transfer of all superannuation savings with a balance below $6000 to the Commissioner of Taxation if an account related to a MySuper or choice product has been inactive for a continuous period of 13 months; and enable the commissioner to consolidate amounts that have been paid as unclaimed money, inactive low-balance accounts and lost member accounts into an active superannuation account where the reunited balance would be greater than $6000; and Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 and Taxation Administration Act 1953 to make consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 21/6/18
- Passed 28/6/18
Senate:
(Act citation: Treasury Laws Amendment (Putting Consumers First—Establishment of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority) Act 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends: the Corporations Act 2001 and 12 other Acts to introduce a new external dispute resolution scheme, known as the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), to resolve disputes about products and services provided by financial firms; and five Acts to: require firms that must participate in the enhanced internal dispute resolution (IDR) framework to report their IDR activities to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) in accordance with ASIC requirements; provide ASIC with additional powers to determine the content and form of IDR reporting by IDR Firms and to publish this data at both the aggregate and firm level; and allow ASIC to specify, by legislative instrument, requirements for trustees and retirement savings account providers to provide written reasons for decisions in relation to complaints. Also repeals the Superannuation (Resolution of Complaints) Act 1993 and makes consequential amendments to 11 Acts.
Senate:
- Introduced 14/9/17
- Bill referred to Senate Economics Legislation Committee 14/9/17 (SBC report 11/17); report tabled 17/10/17
- Committee amendments: 17 Govt/passed; 3 AG/passed; 39 Opp/negatived
- Passed 6/12/17
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 7/12/17
- Passed 14/2/18
Assent: 5/3/18 (Act No. 13, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Introduced with the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Fees Imposition Amendment (Near-new Dwelling Interests) Bill 2018, the bill amends the: Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to: remove the entitlement to the capital gains tax (CGT) main residence exemption for foreign residents; and clarify that, for the purpose of determining whether an entity's underlying value is principally derived from taxable Australian real property under the foreign resident CGT regime, the principal asset test is applied on an associate inclusive basis; Income Tax (Transitional Provisions) Act 1997 to provide for transitional arrangements in relation to the main residence exemption; Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975 to require a reconciliation payment to be made by developers who sell dwellings to foreign persons under a near-new dwelling exemption certificate; and Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 and Taxation Administration Act 1953 to provide an additional affordable housing capital gains discount of up to 10 per cent.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 8/2/18
- Passed 1/3/18
Senate:
(Treasury portfolio)
Implements certain recommendations of the ASIC Enforcement Review Taskforce by amending the Corporations Act 2001, Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001, National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 and Insurance Contracts Act 1984 to: introduce a stronger penalty framework for corporate and financial sector misconduct; and make miscellaneous technical and consequential amendments.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 24/10/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail amendments: 3 Govt/passed; 23 Opp/negatived
- Passed 29/11/18
Senate:
- Introduced 3/12/18
- 2nd reading adjourned 3/12/18
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to allow primary producers to immediately deduct (rather than depreciate over three years) the cost of fodder storage assets, such as silos and hay sheds, used to store grain and other animal feed.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 13/9/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Consideration in detail amendment: 1 KAP/negatived
- Passed 19/9/18
Senate:
- Introduced 19/9/18
- Passed 20/9/18
Assent: 3/10/18 (Act No. 123, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the: Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 to provide that, when determining if the multinational anti-avoidance law applies to a scheme, supplies made and income received by a closely related trust or partnership are treated as being made or received by a foreign entity; Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to: include additional conditions that must be satisfied to apply the small business capital gains tax concessions to capital gains; and provide an income tax exemption for payments made under the Defence Force Ombudsman Scheme in relation to abuse by Australian Defence Force personnel; and Income Tax Assessment Act 1997, Taxation Administration Act 1953 and Venture Capital Act 2002 to ensure that venture capital investment tax concessions are available for investments in fintech businesses.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 10/5/18
Senate:
- Introduced 18/6/18
- Committee amendments: 2 Opp/passed; 1 Ind (Storer)/negatived
- Passed 20/9/18
House of Representatives:
- House of Representatives agreed to Senate amendments 20/9/18
Assent: 3/10/18 (Act No. 124, 2018)
Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Integrity and Other Measures No. 2) Bill 2018
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the: Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to: implement the OECD hybrid mismatch rules by preventing entities that are liable to income tax in Australia from being able to avoid income taxation, or obtain a double non-taxation benefit, by exploiting differences between the tax treatment of entities and instruments across difference countries; deny imputation benefits on franked distributions made by an Australian corporate tax entity if all or part of the distribution gives rise to a foreign income deduction; clarify the expenditure that can be claimed under the film producer offset for films undertaking principal photography overseas; and include the Melbourne Korean War Memorial Committee Incorporated as a specifically listed deductible gift recipient between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2019; and Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 and Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to: implement the OECD hybrid mismatch rules by limiting the scope of the exemption for foreign branch income and preventing a deduction from arising for payments made by an Australian branch of a foreign bank to its head office in certain circumstances; prevent certain foreign equity distributions received by an Australian corporate tax entity from being non assessable non-exempt income if all or part of the distribution gives rise to a foreign income tax deduction; and provide an income tax exemption for the International Cricket Council Business Corporation FZ-LLC (IBC) and exempt from withholding tax payments of interest, dividend and royalties made to the IBC, for a five-year period.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 24/5/18
- Consideration in detail amendment: 1 Opp/passed
- Passed 25/6/18
Senate:
Assent: 24/8/18 (Act No. 84, 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Part of a package of 11 bills to fund the Commonwealth's contribution to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the bill amends the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to increase from 3 per cent to 3.5 per cent the rate of Medicare levy and Medicare levy surcharge component of the untainting tax rate.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 17/8/17
- Consideration in detail amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 25/10/17
Senate:
(Act citation: Treasury Laws Amendment (Working Holiday Maker Employer Register) Act 2018)
(Treasury portfolio)
Amends the: A New Tax System (Australian Business Number) Act 1999 to ensure that working holiday maker employer registration information is not publicly released; and Taxation Administration Act 1953 to restrict the ability of the Commissioner of Taxation to provide certain protected information to the Fair Work Ombudsman.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 16/2/17
- Passed 9/5/18
Senate:
- Introduced 10/5/18
- Passed 19/9/18
Assent: 3/10/18 (Act No. 125, 2018)
(Environment and Energy portfolio)
Introduced with the Underwater Cultural Heritage (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2018 to replace the framework established by the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976, the bill: provides for the identification, protection and conservation of Australia's underwater cultural heritage, including submerged aircraft and human remains; implements national and international maritime heritage responsibilities; and promotes public awareness and appropriate use of Australia's underwater cultural heritage.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Passed 27/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 27/6/18
- Passed 16/8/18
Assent: 24/8/18 (Act No. 85, 2018)
(Environment and Energy portfolio)
Introduced with the Underwater Cultural Heritage Bill 2018 to replace the framework established by the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976, the bill: repeals the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976; and makes consequential amendments to the Australian Heritage Council Act 2003, Navigation Act 2012, Protection of the Sea (Powers of Intervention) Act 1981 and Sea Installations Act 1987. Also includes transitional provisions in relation to: automatically and individually declared sites and articles; notified relics; notices of possession, custody and control of articles; applications for, and issued, permits; and continuation of the Register of Historic Shipwrecks.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 28/3/18
- Passed 27/6/18
Senate:
- Introduced 27/6/18
- Passed 16/8/18
Assent: 24/8/18 (Act No. 86, 2018)
(Home Affairs portfolio)
Gives effect to the National Cooperative Scheme on Unexplained Wealth by amending the: Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to: extend the scope of Commonwealth unexplained wealth restraining orders and unexplained wealth orders to territory and state offences; enable state and territory law enforcement entities to apply for production orders and issue notices to financial institutions; ensure the continued operation of state and territory confiscation regimes; provide for the equitable sharing of recovered proceeds between Commonwealth, state, territory and foreign law enforcement entities; and provide for a review after the fourth anniversary of the commencement of the national scheme; Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 to facilitate information-sharing in relation to unexplained wealth investigations and proceedings between Commonwealth, territory and state law enforcement agencies; and Proceeds of Crime Regulations 2002 to clarify that the definition of 'unexplained wealth legislation' extends to particular provisions of the Criminal Assets Recovery Act 1990 (NSW) and the Criminal Property Forfeiture Act (NT).
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 20/6/18
- Passed 21/8/18
Senate:
Assent: 3/10/18 (Act No. 126, 2018)
(Senator Leyonhjelm — LDP and Senator Roberts — PHON)
Amends the: Airports Act 1996 to provide that the regulation of smoking at airports does not apply to the use of e-cigarettes (vaping); Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 to exclude e-cigarettes from regulation by the Therapeutic Goods Administration; and Tobacco Advertising Prohibition Act 1992 to provide that the ban on the advertising of smoking does not apply to the advertising of vaping.
Senate:
- Introduced 19/6/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 19/6/17
- Bill referred to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee 22/6/17 (SBC report 7/17); report tabled 14/9/17.
(Veterans' Affairs portfolio)
Amends the: Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 to enable the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) to make a claim for liability for a current serving Australian Defence Force member, where the member has given consent for the CDF to make the claim on their behalf for a service injury or disease; Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 to expand the existing power of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission to request certain information to include any Commonwealth, state or territory departments and authorities, and other persons; and Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 to provide that exempt lump sum determinations made by the Secretary of the Department of Social Services will apply as exempt lump sums from the income test that applies to Department of Veterans' Affairs' income support clients.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 20/9/18
- Passed 17/10/18
Senate:
- Introduced 17/10/18
- Passed 18/10/18
Assent: 25/10/18 (Act No. 135, 2018)
(Veterans' Affairs portfolio)
Amends the: Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 to: provide additional support, including childcare arrangements, brief intervention counselling, and additional household services and attendant care, to families and members and former members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) who have rendered warlike service, post 1 July 2004; and enable the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission to specify conditions and compensation for household and attendant care services for ADF members who have sustained a catastrophic injury or disease; Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 to create a Veteran Payment to provide certain veterans with early access to financial support prior to a claim for a mental health condition being determined; enable the automation of a qualifying service determination; update references to the Specialist Medical Review Council; and make technical amendments; Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 and Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 to create a Coordinated Veterans' Care mental health pilot to provide mental health support for veterans in rural and regional areas; Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 and Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 to make technical amendments in relation to defence-related claims; and Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests and British Commonwealth Occupation Force (Treatment) Act 2006 to extend the gold card eligibility for those members of the ADF who served in Japan prior to the British Commonwealth Occupation Force. Also makes consequential amendments to 16 Acts and contingent amendments to three Acts.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 15/2/18
- Passed 28/2/18
Senate:
- Introduced 19/3/18
- Passed 22/3/18
Assent: 28/3/18 (Act No. 17, 2018)
(Veterans' Affairs portfolio)
Amends the: Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 and Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 to provide former members of the Australian Defence Force with incapacity payments at 100 per cent of their normal weekly earnings where they are studying full time as part of their approved rehabilitation plan; Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 to: create a Veteran Suicide Prevention pilot aimed at providing coordinated care to veterans who have attempted suicide, have suicide ideation or are in crisis; deem a submariner's service on a submarine on a special submarine operation between 1 January 1978 and 31 December 1992 as operational service; and extend eligibility for the Long Tan Bursary scheme to the grandchildren of a veteran who has operational service in Vietnam; and Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 to: allow a wholly dependent partner up to 2 years to decide whether to take a lump sum, a pension or a combination of both as compensation for their partner's death; and enable veterans to lodge a claim for compensation orally.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 24/5/18
- Passed 18/6/18
Senate:
Assent: 29/6/18 (Act No. 70, 2018)
(Veterans' Affairs portfolio)
Amends the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 to authorise the Department of Veterans' Affairs to deduct an overpayment of a service pension, income support supplement or social security pension from a specified payment paid to the surviving partner, where the partner had the benefit of that overpayment and the overpayment was due to the death of the deceased.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 22/8/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Opp/negatived
- Passed 11/9/18
Senate:
- Introduced 12/9/18
- Passed 13/9/18
Assent: 25/9/18 (Act No. 115, 2018)
(Senator Lambie — Ind)
Amends the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 to provide that all veterans, including former members of the Defence Force and members of a peacekeeping force, who have served in war or war-like operations, are eligible for medical treatment, regardless of whether the condition or injury was caused by war or contracted during war or war-like operations.
Senate:
- Introduced 11/11/15
- 2nd reading adjourned 11/11/15, 25/2/16
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 1/9/16
(Senator Rhiannon — AG)
The bill: establishes the Office of Animal Welfare as an independent statutory authority with responsibility for advising on the protection of animal welfare in Commonwealth regulated activities; provides for the functions, appointment and terms and conditions of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and for staff and consultants; establishes the Office of Animal Welfare Advisory Committee to advise the CEO; and provides for reporting requirements.
Senate:
- Introduced 23/6/15
- 2nd reading adjourned 23/6/15
- Bill referred to Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee 25/6/15 (SBC report 8/15); report tabled 15/10/15
- Lapsed due to prorogation of first session of 44th Parliament 17/4/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 19/4/16
- Lapsed due to dissolution of 44th Parliament 9/5/16
- Restored to Notice Paper at 2nd reading 21/6/17
- 2nd reading adjourned 8/2/18
(Agriculture and Water Resources portfolio)
Amends the Water Act 2007 to: enable the minister to direct the Murray-Darling Basin Authority to prepare an amendment to the Basin Plan 2012 that is the same in effect as an amendment that has previously been disallowed by either House of the Parliament, without having to undertake consultation; and provide for transitional arrangements.
House of Representatives:
- Introduced 10/5/18
- Passed 30/5/18
Senate:
- Provisions of bill referred to Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee 10/5/18 (SBC report 5/18); report presented out of sitting 12/6/18
- Introduced 18/6/18
- 2nd reading amendment: 1 Govt/passed
- Committee amendment: 1 AG/negatived
- Passed 25/6/18
Assent: 27/6/18 (Act No. 53, 2018)
MORE INFORMATION
For further information about the consideration of legislation in the Senate:
Bills and related material can be accessed at http://www.aph.gov.au/bills
Committee reports can be accessed at http://www.aph.gov.au/committees