Chapter 1

Introduction

1.1
On 26 August 2021, and pursuant to the 10th report of 2021 of the Senate Standing Committee for Selection of Bills, the Senate referred the provisions of the Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme (Facilitation) Bill 2021 (the facilitation bill) and the provisions of the Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2021 (the consequential amendments bill) to the Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee (the committee) for inquiry and report by 14 October 2021.1

Conduct of the inquiry

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 to the inquiry. Five submissions were received, as detailed at Appendix 1.
1.3
The committee held a public hearing in Canberra on 24 September 2021. The witness list for the hearing can be found at Appendix 2.

Compatibility with human rights

Facilitation bill

1.4
The statement of compatibility with human rights for the facilitation 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 2011.2
1.5
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights (joint committee) had no comment on the facilitation bill.3

Consequential amendments bill

1.6
The statement of compatibility with human rights for the consequential amendments 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 2011.4
1.7
The joint committee had no comment on the consequential amendments bill.5

Consideration by the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills

1.8
The Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills had no comment on the facilitation bill or the consequential amendments bill.6

Financial impact statement

1.9
The explanatory memorandum for each bill stated that the Commonwealth Government has committed $378.6 million over the 2021 to 2026 financial years to establish the Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme.7

Acknowledgments

1.10
The committee thanks those organisations who contributed to the inquiry by preparing written submissions and giving evidence at the public hearing.

Structure of the report

1.11
Chapter 2 contains an overview of the bills and the proposed redress scheme.
1.12
Chapter 3 sets out the key issues raised by submitters and concludes with the committee's views and recommendation.
  • 1
    Journals of the Senate, No. 117, 26 August 2021, p. 4001; Senate Standing Committee for the Selection of Bills, Report No.10 of 2021, 26 August 2021, [p. 3].
  • 2
    Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme (Facilitation) Bill 2021, Explanatory Memorandum, p. 7.
  • 3
    Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, Report 11 of 2021, 16 September 2021, p. 61.
  • 4
    Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2021, Explanatory Memorandum, p. 7.
  • 5
    Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, Report 11 of 2021, 16 September 2021, p. 61.
  • 6
    Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills, Scrutiny Digest 14 of 2021, 1 September 2021, p. 13.
  • 7
    Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme (Facilitation) Bill 2021, Explanatory Memorandum, p. 1; Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2021, Explanatory Memorandum, p. 1.

 |  Contents  | 

Past Public Hearings

24 Sep 2021: Canberra