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Latest news

13 April

Senator Brown resigns as Greens leader

Tasmanian senator Bob Brown has resigned as parliamentary leader of the Australian Greens. He will remain in the Senate until June when his successor is appointed. Senator Brown declared he wanted to make way for the 'depth of talent that there is in the party', adding that 'it is prime time to hand over the reins'.

In 1996, Senator Brown became the second Greens senator elected to federal Parliament. Today there are nine Greens in the Senate. At the last election, Greens MP, Mr Adam Bandt was elected to the House of Representatives. The Greens currently hold the balance of power in the Senate.

Tasmanian senator Christine Milne was unanimously elected as leader by the Greens parliamentary party, and Mr Adam Bandt MP replaced her as deputy leader.

Under section 15 of the Australian Constitution, if a senator retires before the end of their term, a new senator is appointed to fill the casual vacancy. The appointment is made by the parliament in the state or territory from which the retiring senator was chosen. A 1977 amendment to section 15 also requires that the new senator be nominated from the same political party or group as the previous senator.

COAG meets

The Council of Australia Governments (COAG) held its 32nd meeting at Parliament House on 13 April 2012. The meeting was chaired by the Prime Minister, the Hon Julia Gillard MP, and was attended by the state premiers, territory chief ministers and the President of the Australian Local Government Association.

A number of issues were discussed, including cutting 'green' tape to remove duplication of environmental approval processes for large developments. The COAG meeting also agreed to a skills package aimed at tackling a projected skills shortage in Australia. For details about the outcomes of the meeting, follow this link to the COAG website: http://www.coag.gov.au/coag_meeting_outcomes/2012-04-13/index.cfm

2012 marks 20 years since COAG first met in December 1992. It was established to foster cooperation between federal and state/territory governments.

Report on Immigration Detention Network released

The Joint Select Committee on Australia's Immigration Detention Network released its final report on 30 March. The committee made 31 recommendations, including that asylum seekers should spend no more than 90 days in detention. If asylum seekers were detained for more than 90 days, the Department of Immigration should publish the reasons for continued detention.

The committee received over 3500 submissions and held 11 public hearings. It also visited detention facilities on Christmas Island and in Sydney and Melbourne. The committee found 'evidence overwhelmingly indicates that prolonged detention exacts a heavy toll on people, most particularly on their mental health and wellbeing'. It backed community detention as a less costly and harmful alternative. Opposition members of the committee released a dissenting report. To read the reports, follow this link: http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate_Committees? url=immigration_detention_ctte/immigration_detention/index.htm

Sitting period: 13 – 22 March 2012

Minerals Resource Rent Tax Bill passed

The Senate passed the Minerals Resource Rent Tax Bill (MRRT) 2011 on 19 March by 38 votes to 32. The bill was passed by the House of Representatives in November last year and applies a 30% levy on iron-ore and coal projects which make 'super' profits above $75 million.  The tax will operate from 1 July 2012. To find out more about this bill, follow this link:
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation

Automatic voter enrolment

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) will automatically enrol voters if a bill currently before the Senate is passed. The Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Protecting Elector Participation) Bill 2012 would allow the Electoral Commissioner to directly enrol electors who meet eligibility criteria. Voters would have 28 days to object to the enrolment.

The bill was a key recommendation of the Joint Standing Committee on electoral matters, which examined the conduct of the 2010 federal election. Direct or automatic enrolment is used in a number of European countries including Denmark, Austria, Finland, France, Germany and Sweden.

Voting is compulsory for all Australians aged 18 years and over. However, individuals must enrol with the AEC in order to vote. The AEC estimates that 1.5 million Australians who are eligible to vote are not enrolled – this is equivalent to 10 000 people in each of the 150 federal electorates. Only 52 percent of 18 year olds are enrolled compared to about 90 percent of all Australian voters. 

Year of Enrolment launched

2012 marks 100 years since the right and responsibility to vote became law in Australia and 50 years since all Aboriginal Australians were entitled to vote in federal elections.

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) celebrated these milestones with the launch of the '2012 Year of Enrolment' at Parliament House on 19 March. The AEC will use the campaign to target the estimated 1.5 million Australians who are not on the electoral roll.

New senator sworn in

Mr Bob Carr was sworn in as a senator for New South Wales on 13 March to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Mark Arbib. In his first speech to the chamber, Senator Carr noted that he is the 548th person to become an Australian senator.

Senate committee makes recommendation on airlines

The Senate Standing Committee on Transport, Rural and Regional Affairs has recommended that airlines should only ground their fleet of aircraft for safety reasons. This was one of the recommendations made in a report tabled in the Senate on 22 March.

An airline would need to submit a safety case to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the Department of Transport and Infrastructure before grounding its fleet. The committee recommended that airlines be fined if it was found that claims of safety concerns were false. To read the committee report, follow this link: www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate_Committees?url=rrat_ctte/aircraft_crew_2011/report/index.htm

House committee says cut 'red tape' to allow overseas trained doctors to practice in Australia

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and Ageing has recommended that obstacles faced by overseas trained doctors wanting to qualify to practice in Australia be removed.

The recommendation came out of the committee's inquiry into registration processes and support for overseas trained doctors. The report on the inquiry, 'Lost in the Labyrinth', was tabled in Parliament on 19 March. While the committee recommended cutting red tape, it also said that overseas trained doctors should still meet Australia's high accreditation standards.

The inquiry received 216 submissions and heard evidence directly from 145 witnesses during 22 public hearings in 12 different cities. It found that Australia relies on overseas trained doctors to fill medical practitioner shortages, particularly in regional, rural and remote communities, where they make up about 40% of the medical workforce. To read the committee report, follow this link:
http://www.aph.gov.au/parliamentary_business/committees/ house_of_representatives_committees?url=haa/overseasdoctors/report.htm

Senate committee supports changes to social security

The Community Affairs Legislation Committee has recommended that the Senate pass the Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Income Support and Other Measures) Bill 2012. The bill would make several changes to social security, including raising the age at which unemployed youth can receive the New Start Allowance to 22 years.

At present, unemployed youth are entitled to Youth Allowance from the age of 16 to 21, and the New Start Allowance from the age of 21. The New Start Allowance is paid at a higher rate, however recipients are expected to search for jobs. Those who receive Youth Allowance can focus on study. To read the committee report, follow this link:
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate_Committees?url=clac_ctte/social_secruity_2012/report/index.htm

Sitting period: 27 February – 1 March 2012

Senate vacancy

Senator Mark Arbib from New South Wales announced his resignation from the Senate on 27 February, saying he wished to spend more time with his family. The former New South Wales Premier, Mr Bob Carr, has been nominated to fill the Senate vacancy created by his resignation.

Under section 15 of the Australian Constitution, if a senator retires before the end of their term, a new senator is appointed to fill the casual vacancy. The appointment is made by the parliament in the state or territory from which the retiring senator was chosen. A 1977 amendment to section 15 also requires that the new senator is nominated from the same political party or group as the previous senator.

Mr Carr's appointment was confirmed by a joint sitting of the New South Wales Parliament on 6 March. He was sworn-in as a senator on 13 March.

Ministerial reshuffle

The Prime Minister, the Hon Julia Gillard MP, announced a reshuffle of the federal ministry on 2 March. Mr Bob Carr has been nominated as Minister for Foreign Affairs. Under section 64 of the Constitution, a minister can be appointed from outside the Parliament but must then become a senator or member of the House of Representatives within three months.

Under the reshuffle, Mr Brendan O'Connor MP has been promoted to the Cabinet as Minister for Small Business and Minister for Housing and Homelessness. ACT senator, Kate Lundy, joins the ministry as Minister for Sport and Minister for Multicultural Affairs, while Mr David Bradbury MP has been appointed Assistant Treasurer. Senator Kim Carr moves from the Manufacturing portfolio to become Minster for Human Services.

The new ministry, except for Mr Carr, was sworn-in by the Governor-General, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC, on 5 March. Senator Carr was sworn-in on 13 March, after taking up his position in the Senate. For a full list of the new ministry follow the link on this page:
http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Members

Senate inquiry into forced adoptions

A Senate committee has recommended that the government make a national apology to mothers and children who were victims of past forced adoption practices. This was among 20 recommendations made by the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs following an inquiry into 'Commonwealth contribution to former forced adoption policies and practices'.

The 18 month inquiry found that between the 1950s and 1970s about 150 000 unmarried mothers were forced to give up their babies for adoption. The inquiry received 400 submissions.

About 100 victims of forced adoption practices watched from the Senate public gallery as the Committee chairwoman, Senator Rachael Siewert, tabled the report on 29 February. The report also recommended counselling and assistance to help families reunite. To read the report, follow this link:
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/
Senate_Committees?url=clac_ctte/comm_contrib_former_forced_adoption/report/index.htm

R 18 + category for computer games

An R 18+ restricted category would be created for computer games under a government bill introduced into the House of Representatives.  If passed, the bill would amend the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995 to bring classification categories for gaming in line with existing categories for film and television.

Under the current act, computer games are categorised as G (General), PG (Parental Guidance), M (Mature), MA 15+ (Mature Accompanied) and RC (Refused Classification). There is no category restricted to adults only. The R 18+ computer game category will indicate to consumers, parents and retailers which games are not suitable for children.

Bill to tackle cybercrime

The Senate continued to debate the Cybercrime Legislation Amendment Bill when Parliament sat from 27 February to 1 March. The bill, which was passed by the House of Representatives last year, would strengthen Australia's cyber security laws to bring them in line with the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime.

Under the bill, the Australian Federal Police and other government agencies could compel phone companies and internet carriers to preserve data, such as SMS messages and emails, belonging to customers suspected of committing a cybercrime.  This data would be kept for 90 days.

The bill also permits Australian police and intelligence agencies to give foreign countries investigating cybercrime access to phone and email records. It aims to target cybercrimes such as online fraud, child pornography, copyright offences and security breaches. The Australian Greens have proposed several amendments to the bill in the Senate.

Bill to improve gender equity at work

A bill designed to improve gender equity in the workplace has been introduced into the House of Representatives by the Minister for the Status of Women, Julie Collins MP. The Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Amendment Bill 2012 will encourage employers to remove barriers to the full and equal participation of women in the workforce.

In presenting the bill to the House, the Minister said that 'It has been estimated that closing the gap between men's and women's workforce participation could boost gross domestic product by 13 per cent'.

If passed, the bill would change the name of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999 to the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 to reflect a focus on improving conditions in the workplace for both women and men. The Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency would also be renamed the Workplace Gender Equality Agency.

In the wake of disasters

A committee inquiry into the operation of the insurance industry during disaster events has called for stronger protection for consumers. This was among 13 recommendations made by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs.

The committee presented its report, In the Wake of Disasters, to the Parliament on 27 February.  It called for the Australian Securities and Investment Commission to have the power to name insurers who breach the industry's code of practice and for the code to be strengthened and to be made compulsory. To read the report, follow this link:
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/
House_of_Representatives_Committees?url=spla/insurance/report/index.htm