Following the committee's recent inquiry into parliamentary scrutiny of delegated legislation, the committee resolved to resume its past practice of undertaking informal private briefings with ministers or senior departmental officers to obtain further information about particular legislative instruments that raise scrutiny concerns.
While the content of these briefings is private, the committee may ask the relevant minister to formally provide written information to the committee, summarising the general matters discussed during the briefing and answering any questions on notice, for publication on the committee's website.
The table below records the private briefings that the committee has conducted to date. It includes links to the correspondence which the participants have agreed to make public.
| Instrument name |
Scrutiny issue |
Date |
Attendees |
Correspondence |
| Exemptions from the operation of primary legislation in Treasury instruments |
(l) exemption from the operation of primary legislation |
10 March 2023 |
Assistant Treasurer and officials from the Department of the Treasury |
|
| Exemptions from disallowance under the Biosecurity Act 2015 |
Standing order 23(4A) exemption from disallowance |
24 March 2023 |
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Minister for Health and Aged Care and officials from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Department of Health and Aged Care |
|
| Government response to the Review of the Legislation Act 2003 |
(k) exemption from sunsetting
Standing order 23(4A) exemption from disallowance
other matters
|
22 June 2023 |
Officials from the Attorney-General's Department |
|
| Automated decision-making |
(c) automated decision-making |
24 June 2024 |
Officials from the Attorney-General's Department and Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman
|
|