Scrutiny of Bills Alert Digest No. 16 of 1999
Senate Standing Committee for The Scrutiny of Bills
13 October 1999
ISSN 1329-668X
Members of the Committee
Senator B Cooney (Chairman)
Senator W Crane (Deputy Chairman)
Senator T Crossin
Senator J Ferris
Senator B Mason
Senator A Murray
Terms of Reference
Extract from Standing Order 24
(1) (a) At the commencement of each parliament, a Standing Committee
for the Scrutiny of Bills shall be appointed to report, in respect of
the clauses of bills introduced into the Senate, and in respect of Acts
of the Parliament, whether such bills or Acts, by express words or otherwise:
(i) trespass unduly on personal rights and liberties;
(ii) make rights, liberties or obligations unduly dependent upon insufficiently
defined administrative powers;
(iii) make rights, liberties or obligations unduly dependent upon non-reviewable
decisions;
(iv) inappropriately delegate legislative powers; or
(v) insufficiently subject the exercise of legislative power to parliamentary
scrutiny.
(b) The committee, for the purpose of reporting upon the clauses of a
bill when the bill has been introduced into the Senate, may consider any
proposed law or other document or information available to it, notwithstanding
that such proposed law, document or information has not been presented
to the Senate.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A New Tax System (Indirect Tax and Consequential Amendments)
Bill 1999 |
Australian Federal Police Legislation Amendment Bill
1999 |
Crimes at Sea Bill 1999 |
Electoral Amendment (Optional Preferential Voting)
Bill 1999 |
A New Tax System (Indirect Tax and Consequential Amendments) Bill
1999
This bill was introduced into the House of Representatives on 30 September
1999 by the Minister for Financial Services and Regulation. [Portfolio
responsibility: Treasury]
The bill proposes to amend the following Acts:
A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999, the A New
Tax System (Luxury Car Tax) Act 1999 and the A New Tax System (Wine
Equalisation Tax) Act 1999 to:
- ensure that exports are GST-free when ownership of goods passes to
an overseas purchaser, who is not registered or required to be registered,
before the goods are removed from Australia;
- provide special rules to reduce compliance costs for retailers who
sell both taxable and GST-free goods;
- confine the GST-free treatment of cow's milk to processed cow's milk;
- increase the 50 per cent market value and cost of supply tests for
the non-commercial supplies of charities to 75 per cent for supplies
of supported accommodation/community housing;
- double the existing cash accounting threshold to $1 million, and allow
the Commissioner of Taxation to make a cash accounting threshold determination
for a class of entities so as to reduce the need for entities to apply
individually;
- ensure that a return of a luxury car for repair purposes is not an
adjustment event;
- align the grouping and joint venture provisions for the luxury car
tax (LCT) and wine equalisation tax (WET) with the GST;
- clarify the rules regarding liability for LCT on taxable importations;
- correct minor technical issues to LCT value;
- provide greater certainty as to the types of products covered by WET;
- ensure that private importations of wine are subject to WET; and
- remove wine tax credit related to intended export sales and clarify
credit for sales to overseas travellers;
Customs Act 1901 to:
- allow Customs to remove from the COMPILE computer system an import
entry that has been lodged, but not acted upon, where the entry covers
goods that attract any duty, fee, charge or tax;
- ensure that regulations will allow a security or an undertaking to
be given in relation to goods that are imported on a temporary basis,
and which would otherwise be subject to GST or LCT;
- ensure that an import entry is deemed to have been withdrawn if, in
relation to the goods covered by the import entry, a fee, charge or
tax that is payable remains unpaid; and
- make consequential amendments;
Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to:
- exclude GST from income derived and, to the extent of an entity's
input tax credit entitlement, from deductible amounts;
- exclude GST from amounts taken into account in calculating assessable
income or deductions, such as disposal proceeds and cost-base elements
for capital gains tax purposes; and
- change certain terms used in income tax provisions to ensure consistency
of meaning with the GST law;
Trade Practices Act 1974 to bring forward the date of effect of
the Australian Competition and Consumer Commissioner's (ACCC) enforcement
powers so that the ACCC can exercise those powers immediately with respect
to unreasonable price rises made before the GST is introduced;
A New Tax System (Indirect Tax Administration) Act 1999 to:
- remove decisions about registration for wine tax from the list of
reviewable wine tax decisions under the WET;
- provide that each decision under the WET disallowing the whole or
part of a claim for wine tax credit is a reviewable wine tax decision;
and
- correct references to GST groups and joint ventures in the table of
reviewable GST decisions;
Taxation Administration Act 1953 to allow information relating
to alcoholic beverages to be provided to a State or Territory officer
for the purpose of any rebate, refund or other credit arrangement provided
by a State or Territory in respect of alcoholic beverages;
A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax Transition) Act 1999 and
the A New Tax System (Wine Equalisation Tax and Luxury Car Tax Transition)
Act 1999 to:
- ensure that certain rights associated with warranties, software and
options to purchase under hire-purchase agreements are not subject to
GST where they relate to payments made prior to 1 July 2000;
- ensure that the grouping provisions cannot be used to circumvent the
phasing in of credits for motor vehicles; and
- provide a concession for vehicles purchased before 2 December 1998
and used in operating leases;
Sales Tax Assessment Act 1992 and the Sales Tax (Exemptions
and Classifications) Act 1992 to enable goods imported into Australia
under the Tradex scheme to be entered free of WST, GST and WET; and
makes consequential amendments to seven Acts.
Drafting correction
Schedule 5, items 1 and 4
Item 1 of Schedule 5 to this bill proposes to repeal item 66 of Schedule
1 to the A New Tax System (Indirect Tax Administration) Act 1999.
The repealed item provided for review of a number of decisions under the
A New Tax System (Wine Equalisation Tax) Act 1999. Some of these
decisions referred to events which did not occur under the Wine Equalisation
Tax Act.
Item 4 of Schedule 5 to this bill inserts a substitute provision in the
Taxation Administration Act 1953 to clarify which decisions are
reviewable wine tax decisions.
The Committee notes that this matter was dealt with in its Eighth
Report of 1999, and that these proposed amendments give effect to
the undertakings foreshadowed by the Minister in his correspondence as
set out in that report.
In these circumstances, the Committee makes no further comment on
these provisions, and thanks the Minister for introducing the amendments.
Australian Federal Police Legislation Amendment Bill 1999
This bill was introduced into the House of Representatives on 30 September
1999 by the Attorney-General. [Portfolio responsibility: Justice and Customs]
The bill proposes to amend the Australian Federal Police Act 1979
to:
- abolish the rank based structure of the Australian Federal Police;
- abolish the statutory fixed term appointment regime;
- clarify the Commissioner's command powers as head of a disciplined
force; and
- empower the Commissioner to amend or revoke a determination in relation
to the Australian Federal Police Adjustment Scheme; and
makes consequential amendments to 24 other Acts.
Non-disallowable instruments
Proposed new section 38
Item 46 of Schedule 1 to this bill proposes to insert a new Part IV in
the Australian Federal Police Act 1979. This new Part deals with
the command powers of the Commissioner and related matters.
Proposed new Part IV includes a new section 38. This authorises the Commissioner
to issue written orders with respect to the general administration of,
and the control of the operations of, the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
Some of these orders would seem to be legislative in character
even though they are to operate only in relation to members of the AFP
but no provision has been made in this bill to make such orders
disallowable. The Committee therefore, seeks the Minister's advice
as to why section 38 orders that are legislative in character should not
be scrutinised by the Parliament.
Pending the Minister's advice, the Committee draws Senators' attention
to this provision, as it may be considered to insufficiently subject the
exercise of legislative power to parliamentary scrutiny, in breach of
principle 1(a)(v) of the Committee's terms of reference.
Abrogation of the privilege against self-incrimination
Proposed new subsections 40A(1), 40L(5), 40M(3) and 40N(5)
As noted above, Item 46 of Schedule 1 to this bill proposes to insert
a new Part IV in the Australian Federal Police Act 1979, dealing
with the command powers of the AFP Commissioner. The Explanatory Memorandum
states that the bill clarifies the Commissioner's command powers as confirmed
by the Federal Court in Anderson v Sullivan (1997) 148 ALR 633,
and specifically retains those command powers to the exclusion of the
Workplace Relations Act.
The new Part IV includes proposed subsections 40A(1), 40L(5), 40M(3)
and 40N(5). Each of these provisions abrogates the privilege against self-incrimination
for employees and special members of the Australian Federal Police in
certain circumstances. These circumstances include giving information,
answering questions and producing documents; providing information about
the employee's financial affairs; and undergoing drug testing.
Provisions which abrogate the privilege against self-incrimination are
usually a matter of concern to the Committee and, to some extent, this
issue is recognised in the bill. Proposed new subsections 40A(2) and 40L(6),
and new section 40Q, limit the circumstances in which information obtained
under compulsion may be used in evidence. For example, the results of
drug and alcohol tests may be admitted as evidence against an AFP employee
or special member only in legal proceedings relating to discipline and
probity, or by the Commonwealth as a shield in worker's compensation proceedings.
Information obtained by compulsion under other provisions may only be
used in disciplinary proceedings.
In one sense these provisions may be seen as simply forming part of the
conditions of employment of employees and special members of the Australian
Federal Police. They do not apply to members of the public generally,
and represent an attempt to reconcile the competing interests of obtaining
information and protecting individual rights.
However, in another sense, the provisions may be seen as creating a system
of control which differs markedly from that which applies to other public
servants, or to employees generally, or to members of the public. It seems
that information and testing may be compelled whether or not there is
a reasonable suspicion of misconduct (unlike the guidelines considered
in Anderson's case, which was itself concerned with compulsory
drug testing rather than compelling officers to provide personal financial
information).
Secondly, it seems that any AFP employee may be ordered to provide information,
not only officers engaged in active operations. Finally, it is unclear
what protections are available to AFP employees who consider that these
powers may have been misused, or used inappropriately, by a future Commissioner.
The Committee is conscious of the need to ensure that the highest standards
of probity and conduct apply throughout the AFP. Nevertheless the Committee
is also conscious of the need not to trespass unduly on the right and
liberties of AFP employees. The Committee therefore, seeks the Minister's
advice on the following matters:
- whether persons should be compelled to incriminate themselves in circumstances
where there is no reasonable suspicion of misconduct;
- why the provisions are expressed to apply to any AFP employee, and
are not restricted to AFP officers engaged in active operations;
- whether any protections are available to ensure that these powers
may not be misused; and
- on what basis the rights to which general members of the public are
entitled can be properly restricted in respect of those who are also
members of the AFP.
Pending the Minister's advice, the Committee draws Senators' attention
to these provisions, as they may be considered to trespass unduly on personal
rights and liberties, in breach of principle 1(a)(i) of the Committee's
terms of reference.
No reasons for dismissal
Schedule 2, item 1
Item 1 of Schedule 2 to this bill amends the Administrative Decisions
(Judicial Review) Act 1977. The effect of this amendment is that,
should the AFP Commissioner exercise his or her power to dismiss an employee
under new section 28 of the Australian Federal Police Act 1979,
the Commissioner is not required to give reasons for that dismissal.
As a matter of principle, providing reasons where the employment of an
employee is terminated is an issue of natural justice for the person dismissed,
and deters capricious action by the person terminating that employment.
Proposed new section 28 concludes with a note that the Workplace Relations
Act 1996 has rules which apply to the termination of employment. However,
proposed new section 69B of the Australian Federal Police Act 1979
(to be inserted by this bill) states that the operation of the Workplace
Relations Act is to be limited in certain circumstances, including in
relation to the termination of employment of AFP employees.
There seems to be a lack of clarity in the rules governing dismissed
AFP employees and their entitlement to be told why they are being dismissed.
There would also seem to be no provisions which prevent proposed section
28 from being used capriciously to terminate the employment of an otherwise
efficient and effective AFP employee. The Committee, therefore, seeks
the Minister's advice as to the current rights of AFP employees to
receive reasons for their dismissal, and to seek a review of such a decision,
and how the proposed amendments will affect those rights.
Pending the Minister's advice, the Committee draws Senators' attention
to this provision, as it may be considered to trespass unduly on personal
rights and liberties, in breach of principle 1(a)(i) of the Committee's
terms of reference.
Crimes at Sea Bill 1999
This bill was introduced into the House of Representatives on 30 September
1999 by the Attorney-General. [Portfolio responsibility: Justice and Customs]
The bill proposes to implement a new national, uniform, cooperative scheme
to apply Australian criminal law offshore. Under the new scheme:
- the States and Northern Territory will enact uniform Crimes at Sea
Acts applying local criminal laws to their respective offshore adjacent
areas from the coastal baseline out to 12 nautical miles;
- the criminal law of each jurisdiction applies to respective offshore
adjacent areas from 12 to 20 nautical miles (or the outer limit of the
continental shelf, which is the greater);
- criminal laws of the Jervis Bay Territory will apply to criminal conduct
beyond the area covered, on Australian ships, and in some cases, foreign
ships; and
- criminal laws of the Northern Territory will apply to criminal conduct
connected with the exploration and exploitation of petroleum resources
in Area A of the Zone of Cooperation.
Commencement
Subclause 2(3)
Subclause 2(2) of this bill states that, subject to subclause 2(3), its
substantive provisions are to commence on Proclamation. However, subclause
2(3) states that, in any event, these provisions must commence 12 months
after Royal Assent.
While the Committee generally prefers that provisions commence within
6 months after Royal Assent, the Explanatory Memorandum states that
this bill is part of a cooperative scheme between the Commonwealth and
the States and Territories, and cannot commence until the States and Territories
have passed complementary legislation. This is one of the circumstances
in which a longer commencement period is appropriate.
In these circumstances, the Committee makes no further comment on
this provision.
Electoral Amendment (Optional Preferential Voting) Bill 1999
This bill was introduced into the Senate on 29 September 1999 by Senator
Harris as a Private Senator's bill.
The bill proposes to amend the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 to
provide that optional preferential voting is the method for choosing members
of the House of Representatives.
The Committee has no comment on this bill.