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8 October 2008

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SENATE COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES

This advertisement appears every second Wednesday on this page. It provides information on Senate and some joint committee activities. Senate committees encourage public involvement in their inquiries and submissions are invited from interested persons and organisations.

Community Affairs Committee

The Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs is inquiring into the following matters:

Amendments to the child support formula
The committee is inquiring into the Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (Further 2008 Budget and Other Measures) Bill 2008. In particular, the committee is examining the amendments to the child support legislation that address anomalies in relation to the child support formula reforms that commenced in July 2008. Submissions are due by 17 October and the committee is to report on 10 November.

Indigenous affairs expenditure in the Northern Territory
This inquiry will examine the levels of Federal and Northern Territory Government expenditure on Indigenous affairs and social services in the Northern Territory. Submissions are due by 22 October. The committee is to report by 4 December.

National Rental Affordability Scheme
The committee is inquiring into two bills that create a National Rental Affordability Scheme. In particular, the committee is examining whether the bills are targeted to deliver affordable housing to those in greatest need; are an efficient and effective way to deliver increased affordable housing; and will facilitate investment in social housing by not for profit community housing organisations, as well as private investors. Submissions are due by 24 October and the committee is to report on 20 November.

Protecting children from junk food advertising
The committee is inquiring into the Protecting Children from Junk Food Advertising (Broadcasting Amendment) Bill 2008. The bill proposes to encourage healthier eating habits among children and to prohibit the broadcasting of advertisements for junk food during certain times. Submissions are due by 24 October. The reporting date is 25 November.

Implementation of the Forgotten Australians and Lost Innocents reports
This inquiry will examine progress with the implementation of the recommendations in the reports by the Community Affairs References Committee, Lost Innocents: Righting the Record, a report on child migration tabled in August 2001, and Forgotten Australians, a report on Australians who experienced institutional or out-of-home care as children tabled in August 2004. Submissions are invited. The committee is due to report in March 2009.

Submissions for each inquiry can be emailed to community.affairs.sen@aph.gov.au. For further information and the full terms of reference for these inquiries visit www.aph.gov.au/Senate_ca or phone (02) 6277 3515.

Radioactive waste facility siting

The Senate Standing Committee on Environment, Communications and the Arts is inquiring into the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management (Repeal and Consequential Amendment) Bill 2008. The bill would repeal the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005, which facilitates the selection of a site in the Northern Territory for a radioactive waste facility. Submissions should be received by 31 October and may be emailed to eca.sen@aph.gov.au. For further information call (02) 6277 3526 or visit www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/eca_ctte/index.htm.

Economics Committee

The Senate Standing Committee on Economics is inquiring into the following matters:

Temporary residents' superannuation
The committee will inquire into the Temporary Residents’ Superannuation Legislation Amendment Bill 2008 and the Superannuation (Departing Australia Superannuation Payments Tax) Amendment Bill 2008. The bills seek to reduce the number of lost accounts and unclaimed money in the superannuation system which can arise when temporary residents depart Australia without taking their superannuation with them. The Temporary Residents’ Superannuation Legislation Amendment Bill requires superannuation funds to pay the unclaimed superannuation of departed temporary residents to the Tax Office. Submissions are due by 13 October.

Trade practices – unconscionable conduct
The committee is inquiring into the need to develop a clear statutory definition of unconscionable conduct for the purposes of Part IVA of the Trade Practices Act 1974 and the scope and content of such a definition. Submissions are due by 17 October.

Joint marketing arrangements on North West Shelf
The committee is inquiring into the joint marketing arrangements on the North West Shelf project and their impact on competition in the upstream gas market and on prices paid by consumers. Submissions are due by 13 October.

Submissions for each inquiry can be emailed to economics.sen@aph.gov.au. For further information on the inquiries see www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/economics_ctte/inquiries.htm or phone (02) 6277 3540.

Security and economic challenges in the Pacific

The Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade is inquiring into the major economic and security challenges facing Papua New Guinea and the island states of the southwest Pacific. The committee is due to report by 30 May 2009 and is still receiving submissions. For further information and the terms of reference phone (02) 6277 3535 or see www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/FADT_CTTE/index.htm. Submissions can be emailed to fadt.sen@aph.gov.au.

Restoring workplace rights

The Senate has referred the Building and Construction Industry (Restoring Workplace Rights) Bill 2008 to the Standing Committee on Education, Employment and Workplace Relations for report by 30 November. The bill repeals both the Building and Construction Industry Improvement Act 2005 (BCII Act) and the Building and Construction Industry Improvement (Consequential and Transitional) Act 2005 in their entirety. A consequence of the repeal of the BCII Act is the abolition of the Office of the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner (ABCC). Submissions should be emailed to eewr.sen@aph.gov.au by 10 October. For further information phone (02) 6277 3521 or see www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/eet_ctte/inquiries.htm.

Digital TV switch-over

The Senate Standing Committee on Environment, Communications and the Arts is inquiring into the Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Digital Television Switch-over) Bill 2008. The bill would allow the Government to determine a staggered, region-by-region digital television switch-over timetable. The committee is to report by 25 November. Submissions should be received by 24 October and may be emailed to eca.sen@aph.gov.au. For further information call (02) 6277 3526 or visit www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/eca_ctte/index.htm.

Health Insurance (General Medical Services Table) Regulations

The Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Public Administration is inquiring into item 16525 in Part 3 of Schedule 1 to the Health Insurance (General Medical Services Table) Regulations 2007. Payment of Medicare benefits under item 16525 apply to the management of second trimester labour for intrauterine fetal death, gross fetal abnormality or life threatening maternal disease. The inquiry will examine the terms of item 16525, the number of services and basis of payment under this item and the effects of disallowing this item. Submissions should be emailed to fpa.sen@aph.gov.au. The reporting date is 13 November. For further information visit www.aph.gov.au/Senate_fpa or phone (02) 6277 3530.

Employment services reform

The Senate Standing Committee on Education, Employment and Workplace Relations is inquiring into the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Employment Services Reform) Bill 2008 for report by 24 November. The bill will establish a framework for a new compliance system that will make job seekers more accountable for their efforts to find and keep a job. The new framework will apply to persons in receipt of newstart allowance, parenting payment (for those subject to participation requirements), youth allowance (for those who are not full-time students or new apprentices) and special benefit (for nominated visa holders). Submissions are due by 31 October and should be emailed to eewr.sen@aph.gov.au. For further information phone (02) 6277 3521 or visit www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/eet_ctte/inquiries.htm.

Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee

The Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport is inquiring into the following matters:

Management of the Murray-Darling Basin system
The committee is inquiring into the long-term sustainable management of the Murray-Darling Basin system – report date 4 December; submissions are invited.

Australian Football League
The committee is inquiring into the establishment of an AFL team for Tasmania– report date 30 June 2009; submissions due by 1 December.

For further information and full terms of reference for each inquiry see www.aph.gov.au/senate_rrat, call (02) 6277 3511 or email rrat.sen@aph.gov.au.

Other current inquiries

Submissions may still be made to the relevant Senate committee in respect of the following inquiries (for more information phone the number shown):

Income support and schooling requirements – (02) 6277 3515

Disclosure and governance regimes for charities – (02) 6277 3540

Gas explosion at Varanus Island, Western Australia – (02) 6277 3540

Skilling for climate change – (02) 6277 3521

Academic freedom – (02) 6277 3521

Space science and industry – (02) 6277 3540

National broadband network – (02) 6277 3635

Petrol sniffing and substance abuse in central Australia – (02) 6277 3515

Food production – (02) 6277 3510

Poker machine harm minimisation bill – (02) 6277 3515

Poker machine harm reduction tax – (02) 6277 3515

ATMs and cash facilities in licensed venues – (02) 6277 3515

Regional and remote Indigenous communities – 1800 728 963

Submissions

Please note that submissions to inquiries become committee documents and are made public only after a decision of the committee. Persons making submissions must not release them until they have been published by the committee. The prior publication of a submission will not be protected by parliamentary privilege.

Submissions can be posted to the relevant committee at The Senate, PO Box 6100, Parliament House, Canberra , ACT 2600.

General information and inquiries

If you have any general questions relating to Senate committees or inquiries please phone (02) 6277 3555, fax (02) 6277 3899, visit www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/index.htm or email seniorclerk.committees.sen@aph.gov.au

If you want information on:

• how to make a submission;
  
  
• guidance to witnesses appearing before committees; or
  
  
• what parliamentary privilege means,

visit www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/wit_sub or contact the general inquiries number.

Reports

Reports of Senate committees can be found online at www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/index.htm and follow the prompt to each committee. Copies of reports, submissions and Hansards are available on CD by emailing SenCteeResOff@aph.gov.au.

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