On 2 September 2021 the Senate referred the provisions of the COAG Legislation Amendment Bill 2021 for inquiry and report by Thursday, 14 October 2021. On Thursday, 14 October 2021, the reporting date was extended to Tuesday, 19 October 2021.

The closing date for submissions is 20 September 2021.

This Bill would:

• update outdated references to COAG Reform Fund where it occurs in legislation with Federation Reform Fund (Schedule 1)
• update outdated references to COAG with First Ministers Council where it occurs in legislation (Schedule 2)
• retain the term ‘Ministerial Council’, but change its definition where it occurs in legislation to mean a body (however described) that consists of the Minister of the Commonwealth, and the Minister of each State and Territory, who is responsible, or principally responsible, for matters relating to a particular portfolio issue (Schedule 2)
• make clear that where Commonwealth legislation makes provisions to protect from disclosure the deliberations and decisions of the Cabinet and its committees, these provisions apply to the deliberations and decisions of the committee of cabinet known as the National Cabinet (Schedule 3)