This month: sugar cane, Indigenous regional statistics and cancer in Australia. Statistics releases in February 2022 If you are interested in any of the forthcoming releases or datasets, please contact the Parliamentary Library to discuss in more detail. Statistical reports Release date ABS Lending Indicators, December 2021 1 Feb ABS Retail Trade, December 2021 1 Feb AIHW Mental Health Services in Australia 1 Feb ABS Selected... Read more...
On Friday 7 January 2022, the Health Minister made the Biosecurity (Human Biosecurity Emergency) (Human Coronavirus with Pandemic Potential) (COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Tests) Determination 2022. The Determination prohibits the non-commercial export of Rapid Antigen Test Kits (‘RATs’) out of Australia and prohibits the price-gouging of RAT tests by persons who have purchased the tests in a retail transaction. Read more...
The Statute Law Amendment (Prescribed Forms) Bill 2021 (the Prescribed Forms Bill) was introduced to the Senate on 20 October 2021. According to the Explanatory Memorandum to the Bill, the purpose of the Prescribed Forms Bill is ‘to reduce the number of provisions on the statute book that require the use of forms that are prescribed by regulations’ and ‘enhance administration and promote consistency across the Commonwealth statute book’ (pp. 2–3). Many Commonwealth Acts and subordinate instruments require specified information to be provided to the government (for example, under the Customs Act 1901), retained by the government (for example, under the Commonweal... Read more...
Recent events surrounding the cancellation of tennis player Novak Djokovic’s Temporary Activity (subclass 408) visa have highlighted the broad powers provided to the Minister (currently the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs) to cancel a person’s visa under the Migration Act 1958 (the Act). While a previous Flagpost discussed the power of the Minister to cancel a person’s visa on character grounds, this post will focus on the general power of the Minister to cancel a visa under section 116 of the Act, including the Minister’s personal power to cancel visas. Read more...
The Electoral Legislation Amendment (Candidate Eligibility) Bill 2021 (the Bill) is a Government Bill that seeks to amend the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (the Act) to modify the candidate eligibility questionnaire that was added to the candidate nomination form following the section 44 citizenship crisis. The Bill was introduced in the final sitting period of the 2021 sitting calendar, along with the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Annual Disclosure Equality) Bill 2021, which was passed at the end of that sitting period and has now received Royal Assent. Read more...
Following the defeat of the Migration Amendment (Strengthening the Character Test) Bill 2019 (the 2019 Bill) in the Senate on 20 October 2021, the Government has reintroduced the Bill with a number of changes which reflect the amendments moved by the Government in the Senate during the debate on the 2019 Bill. The focus of this Flagpost is to explain these changes and their intended effect. Read more...
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