1.1
On 21 October 2021, and pursuant to the 12th report of the Senate Standing Committee for the Selection of Bills, the Senate referred the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Amendment (Economic Empowerment) Bill 2021 (the bill) to the Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee (the committee) for inquiry and report by 25 November 2021.
1.2
Details of the inquiry were made available on the committee's website. The committee also contacted a number of organisations and individuals inviting submissions by 5 November 2021. 67 submissions were received, as detailed at Appendix 2.
1.3
The committee held a public hearing via teleconference on 18 November 2021. The witness list for the hearing can be found at Appendix 3.
1.4
The statement of compatibility with human rights for the bill 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.
1.5
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights had no comment on the bill.
1.6
The Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills (Scrutiny committee) examined the bill in its Scrutiny Digest 15 of 2021, where it raised a number of concerns and requested further information from the Minister for Indigenous Australians. It further considered the bill in its Scrutiny Digest 16 of 2021, taking into account responses provided by the minister.
1.7
Further detail on the Scrutiny committee's consideration of the bill is contained in Chapter 2 of this report.
1.8
The explanatory memorandum (EM) to the bill states that amendments relating to the establishment of the Northern Territory Aboriginal Investment Corporation will have the following impact on underlying cash.
1.9
The EM states that the other measures contained in the bill have no financial impact.
1.10
The committee thanks those organisations and individuals who contributed to the inquiry by preparing written submissions and giving evidence at the public hearing.
1.11
Chapter 2 contains an overview of the bill and detail on the Scrutiny committee's examination.
1.12
Chapter 3 sets out the key issues raised in evidence and concludes with the committee's views and recommendation.