On 20 November 2024 the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights tabled its Report 10 of 2024, which provides an analysis of the human rights compatibility of recently introduced bills and legislative instruments.
Aged Care Bill 2024
- The committee has considered the additional information provided by the minister. It welcomes the minister’s acceptance of some of the committee’s suggested actions, reiterates the recommendations it made in Report 9 of 2024, and draws its human rights concerns to the attention of the minister and the Parliament.
Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2024
- The committee has considered the additional information provided by the minister. It reiterates its recommendations from Report 9 of 2024, and recommends that consideration be given to amending the bill to require the Australian Communications and Media Authority establish a complaints mechanism to handle complaints with respect to breaches of human rights arising from the proposed scheme.
Migration Amendment Bill and Migration Amendment (Bridging Visa Conditions) Regulations
- The bill seeks to introduce measures providing for the cessation of bridging visas, to facilitate arrangements for the removal of visa-holders to receiving countries, reverse protection findings, permit the disclosure of criminal history information (including to foreign countries), and alter the test for where the minister may remove certain bridging visa conditions. The regulations change the test for where the minister may impose visa conditions, including curfews or electronic monitoring, on a bridging visa holder. The committee notes that these measures engage and limit several human rights, and is seeking further information from the minister as to the compatibility of these measures.