Chapter 1

Introduction

1.1
The Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Amendment (Executive Remuneration) Bill (the Bill) was introduced into the Senate on 15 November 2017 by Senator Peter Whish-Wilson.1
1.2
On 16 November 2017, the Senate referred an inquiry into the Bill to the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 26 March 2018.2 On 22 March 2018 the Senate granted an extension of time to report until 28 March 2018.3

Conduct of the inquiry

1.3
Details of the inquiry were made available on the committee's website. The committee also contacted a number of organisations inviting submissions to the inquiry. Submissions were received from 5 individuals and organisations, as detailed at Appendix 1. Due to the low number of written submissions, the committee decided not to hold a public hearing.

Structure of the report

1.4
Chapter 2 outlines the Bill and the measures contained within it.
1.5
Chapter 3 considers in more detail several of the measures in the Bill raised by submitters, including:
the reasons behind the increased pay differential between senior public servants and the Average Weekly Earnings figures;
the role of the Remuneration Tribunal in setting remuneration for senior executive positions;
the efficacy of the Bill in achieving its intended purpose.

Compatibility with human rights

1.6
The Bill's statement of compatibility with human rights states that the Bill is compatible with the human rights and freedoms recognised or declared in the international instruments listed in section 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.4
1.7
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights reviewed the Bill in its twelfth report of 2017.5 The Bill did not raise any human rights concerns.

Scrutiny of Bills Committee

1.8
The Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills (Scrutiny of Bills Committee) considered the Bill in its Scrutiny Digest 14 of 2017 and had no comment.6

Acknowledgments

1.9
The committee thanks those individuals and organisations who contributed to this inquiry by preparing written submissions.
  • 1
    Senate Hansard, 15 November 2017, p. 8550.
  • 2
    Journals of the Senate, No, 71, 16 November 2017, p. 2250.
  • 3
    Journals of the Senate, No, 91, 21 March 2018, pp. 2885–2886.
  • 4
    Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Amendment (Executive Remuneration) Bill 2017, Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights, Explanatory Memorandum, p. 5.
  • 5
    Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, Report 12 of 2017, 28 November 2017, p. 96.
  • 6
    Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills, Scrutiny Digest 14/17, 29 November 2017, p. 4.

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