MEDIA RELEASE

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE TO INQUIRE INTO
GOVERNMENT LEGISLATION TO ENHANCE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE NATIONAL CRIME AUTHORITY

Chairman of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the National Crime Authority, Mr Peter Nugent MP, announced today that on 7 December 2000 the Senate had directed the Committee to inquire into the National Crime Authority Legislation Amendment Bill 2000 and to report back by 1 March 2001. The Bill essentially amends the National Crime Authority Act 1984 and the Ombudsman Act 1976 to improve the operational effectiveness and efficiency of the National Crime Authority.

Mr Nugent said:

In April 1998 the then members of the Joint Committee on the National Crime Authority tabled a report entitled Third Evaluation of the National Crime Authority. The report was the result of a comprehensive review conducted by the Committee during 1997 of the operations of the NCA and involved the consideration of some 50 submissions and the conduct of 10 public hearings around Australia. The Committee's report made 30 recommendations intended to ensure that the NCA became a more effective national crime body to take on the law enforcement challenges of the new millennium.

The Government tabled its response to the Committee's report in the Parliament on 7 December 2000. On the same day, the Government introduced a Bill to implement those elements of its response which require legislative amendment and the Government has also taken the opportunity to address a number of other matters of concern to it in relation to the administration and operations of the Authority.

The Senate has directed the Committee to examine the Bill and to report back by 1 March 2001. Accordingly, on the Committee's behalf, I invite any interested individual or organisation to place a submission before the Committee for its consideration by 31 January 2001. The Committee currently plans to conduct a public hearing on the Bill in Canberra on 9 February 2001 to enable it to meet the Senate's reporting deadline.

Details of how to make a submission and information about the Bills is available from the secretariat or at www.aph.gov.au/nca.

8 December 2000

For further information contact:
Mr Peter Nugent MP, Committee Chairman, (03) 98873890
Mr Michael McLean. Committee Secretary, (02) 62773565