CHAPTER 1
The Committee's Inquiry
Reference of the Bill to the Committee
1.1 On 21 April 1999, on the recommendation of the Senate Selection of
Bills Committee, the Senate referred the Wool International Privatisation
Bill 1999 (the Bill) to the Legislation Committee for inquiry and
report by 24 May 1999 [1]. The Bill was referred to the Committee due to
its significant importance to the Australian wool industry.
1.2 The Committee reported on the Wool International Amendment Bill
1998 in December 1998.
The Committee's Inquiry
1.3 On referral of the provisions of the Bill, the Committee approached
Government, and groups and bodies associated with and representing the
interests of the wool industry and wool producers for their views on the
Bill. The Committee received 17 written submissions on the Bill. These
submissions are shown in Appendix 1 of the Report.
1.4 The Committee held a one-day public hearing on the Bill in Canberra
on Monday, 3 May 1999. The witnesses who appeared at the hearing
are shown in Appendix 2 of the report.
1.5 All submissions and the Hansard of the Committee's hearing
on the Bill are tabled with this report, together with supplementary material
provided to it following the Committee's hearing. The Hansard of
the hearing is available at the Hansard site on the Parliament House homepage
on the Internet (www.aph.gov.au).
Consideration of the Committee's Report
1.6 The Committee met on 24 May 1999 to consider its report.
Acknowledgments
1.7 The Committee acknowledges the assistance and contribution made to
its inquiry by all those who prepared written submissions on this inquiry
at short notice. The Committee also acknowledges the assistance provided
at its public hearing on the Bill by all witnesses, and the prompt provision
of supplementary information requested by the Committee. This co-operation
has allowed the Committee to prepare and present its report on time.
1.8 The Committee also acknowledges, once again, the considerable assistance
provided to it in its examination of the Bill by reference to the analysis
of the Bill by the Law and Bills Digest Group of the Parliamentary Library.
Footnotes
[1] Journals of the Senate, 21 April
1999, p. 750.