Work of Committees: January 1 2004 - June 30 2004
Part One - 1 January -30 June 2004
Committee related activity in the chamber
Details of Reports tabled in the Senate and other related matters
Legislation Committees:
During the reporting period, Senate Legislation Committees tabled 54 reports (plus 1 additional report that discharged a reference). The details are as follows:
Bills
Legislation Committees tabled 30 reports (plus 1 additional report that discharged a reference) on the following Bills:
| Committee |
Bills |
Tabled |
| RRAT |
Australian Wool Innovation Limited |
12.2.04 |
| ECO |
Provisions of the Superannuation Safety Amendment Bill 2003 |
1.3.04 |
| RRAT |
The proposed importation of fresh apple fruit from New Zealand Final report |
11.3.04 |
| FADT |
Provisions of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Bill 2003 and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2003 |
22.3.04 |
| ECO |
Greater Sunrise Unitisation Agreement Implementation Bill 2004 and Customs Tariff Amendment (Greater Sunrise) Bill 2004 |
23.3.04 |
| LC |
Australian Federal Police and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2003 [2004] |
23.3.04 |
| CA |
Truth in Food Labelling Bill 2003 |
24.3.04 |
| ECITA |
Kyoto Protocol Ratification Bill 2003 [No.2] |
25.3.04 |
| ECO |
Taxation Laws (Clearing and Settlement Facility Support) Bill 2003 |
29.3.04 |
| LC |
Provisions of the Telecommunications (Interception) Amendment Bill 2004 |
30.3.04 |
| LC |
^Provisions of the Disability Discrimination Amendment Bill 2003 Interim Report |
11.5.04 |
| LC |
Provisions of the Disability Discrimination Amendment Bill 2003 Final Report |
11.5.04 |
| LC |
Provisions of the Sex Discrimination Amendment (Teaching Profession) Bill 2004 |
11.5.04 |
| LC |
Provisions of the Anti-terrorism Bill 2004 |
11.5.04 |
| ECO |
New International Tax Arrangements Bill 2003 |
12.5.04 |
| ECO |
Tax Laws Amendment (2004 Measures No.1) Bill 2004 |
12.5.04 |
| ECO |
Provisions of the Treasury Legislation Amendment (Professional Standards) Bill 2003 |
12.5.04 |
| ECO |
Provisions of the Tourism Australia Bill 2004 |
13.5.04 |
| RRAT |
Customs Tariff Amendment (Paraquat Dichloride) Bill 2004 |
13.5.04 |
| RRAT |
Administration of Biosecurity Australia Risk Analysis for Pig Meat |
13.5.04 |
| LC |
Provisions of the Surveillance Devices Bill 2004 |
15.6.04 |
| FPA |
Parliamentary Superannuation Bill 2004 and the Parliamentary Superannuation and Other Entitlements Legislation Amendment Bill 2004 |
15.6.04 |
| EWRE |
Provisions of the Workplace Relations Amendment (Award Simplification) Bill 2002; Workplace Relations Amendment (Better Bargaining) Bill 2003; Workplace Relations Amendment (Choice in Award Coverage) Bill 2004 and Workplace Relations Amendment (Simplifying Agreement-making) Bill 2004 |
17.6.04 |
| FPA |
Occupational Health and Safety (Commonwealth Employment) Amendment (Employee Involvement and Compliance) Bill 2002 |
17.6.04 |
| LC |
Provisions of the Migration Amendment (Judicial Review) Bill 2004 |
17.6.04 |
| CA |
Family and Community Services and Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Income Streams) Bill 2004 |
21.6.04 |
| ECO |
Superannuation Budget Measures Bill 2004 and Superannuation Laws Amendment Bills |
21.6.04 |
| RRAT |
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Legislation Amendment (Export Control) Bill 2004 |
21.6.04 |
| ECO |
Tax Laws Amendment (2004 Measures No.3) Bill 2004 |
22.6.04 |
| ECO |
Superannuation Budget Measures Bill 2004 and Superannuation Laws Amendment Bills |
24.6.04 |
| LC |
Provisions of the Civil Aviation Amendment (Relationship with Anti-discrimination Legislation) Bill [presented out of session] |
30.6.04 |
^Interim report that discharged a reference
Estimates reports:
During the reporting period, Senate Legislation Committees tabled 16 reports.
Annual Report reports:
During the reporting period, Senate Legislation Committees tabled 8 reports.
References Committees:
During the reporting period, Senate References Committees tabled 7 reports (plus 2 additional reports that discharged references). The details are as follows:
| Committee |
Report |
Tabled |
| ECO |
The effectiveness of the Trade Practices Act 1974 in protecting small business |
1.3.04 |
| LC |
^ State Elections (One Vote, One Value) Bill 2001 [2002] - Interim report |
1.3.04 |
| LC |
State Elections (One Vote, One Value) Bill 2001 [2002] - Final report |
3.3.04 |
| CA |
A hand up not a hand out: Renewing the fight against poverty |
11.3.04 |
| LC |
^Interim Report Capacity of current legal aid and access to justice arrangements to meet the community need for legal assistance |
15.6.04 |
| LC |
Legal aid and access to justice |
15.6.04 |
| CA |
Hepatitis C and the blood supply in Australia |
17.6.04 |
| EWRE |
Beyond Cole: The future of the construction industry: Confrontation or co-operation? [Exposure Draft Building and Construction Industry Improvement Bill, the provisions of the Building and Construction Industry Improvement Bill 2003 and the Building and Construction Industry Improvement (Consequential and Transitional) Bill 2003] |
21.6.04 |
| ECO |
Structure and distributive effects of the Australian Taxation System |
25.6.04 |
^Interim reports that discharged references
Joint Statutory/Select Committees:
During the reporting period, 8 reports (plus 2 interim reports that did not discharge a reference and 3 additional reports that discharged references) were tabled by the Joint Statutory/Select Committees.
| Committee |
Report |
Tabled |
| CFS |
Money Matters in the Bush Inquiry into the level of banking and financial services in rural, regional and remote areas of Australia |
10.2.04 |
| CFS |
^Report on the ATM fee structure |
10.2.04 |
| MED |
Second report: Medicare Plus: the future for Medicare? |
11.2.04 |
| CFS |
Report on the Corporations Amendment Regulations 2003 (Batch 6); Corporations Amendment Regulations 2003/04 (Batch 7) and Draft Regulations Corporations Amendment Regulations 2004 (Batch 8) |
24.3.04 |
| ACC |
Cybercrime |
24.3.04 |
| MINMIG |
Ministerial Discretion in Migration Matters |
31.3.04 |
| CFS |
^Report on Corporations Amendment Regulations 7.1.29A, 7.1.35A and 7.1.40(h) |
15.6.04 |
| CFS |
CLERP (Audit Reform and Corporate Disclosure) Bill 2003 Part 1 |
15.6.04 |
| CFS |
^CLERP (Audit Reform and Corporate Disclosure) Bill 2003 Part 2 |
15.6.04 |
| ACC |
Trafficking of Women for Sexual Servitude |
24.6.04 |
| NT |
*Examination of Annual Reports for 2002-03 |
24.6.04 |
| FTA |
*Interim Report |
24.6.04 |
| CFS |
Corporate Insolvency Laws: A Stocktake[presented out of session] |
30.6.04 |
*Reports that did not discharge a reference
^Additional reports that discharged references
Government Responses to Committee Reports
The following table shows 3 Government responses to Senate Committee Reports:
| Government response |
Date |
Committee |
| Inquiry into Gulf St Vincent |
11.3.04 |
ECITA (Ref) |
| Disclosure of commissions on risk products |
17.6.04 |
CFS (Joint) |
| The effectiveness of the Trade Practices Act 1974 in protecting small business |
23.6.04 |
ECO (Ref) |
A complete list of Government responses is produced in the Business of the Senate published half yearly by the Senate Table Office.
Dissenting Reports/Minority Reports/Additional Comments/Additional Comments & Points of Dissent/Comments/Supplementary Comments/Reports/Additional Remarks/Supplementary Reports
| Legislation: |
ALP |
AD |
AG |
| Additional Comments |
11 |
1 |
|
| Supplementary Comments |
|
2 |
|
| Supplementary Reports |
|
1 |
|
| Reports |
3 |
|
|
| Dissenting Reports |
9 |
8 |
3 |
| Minority Reports |
2 |
4 |
|
| Additional comments & Points of Dissent |
|
1 |
|
| |
|
|
|
| References: |
LP |
ALP |
AD |
| Reports |
4 |
|
|
| Additional Comments |
|
1 |
1 |
| Comments |
1 |
|
|
| Minority Reports |
3 |
|
1 |
| Additional Remarks |
|
|
1 |
| |
|
|
|
| Joint/Select: |
LP |
ALP |
AD |
| Minority Reports |
|
6 Senators & 6 MPs |
1 |
| Additional Comments |
|
4 Senators & 4 MPs |
|
| Supplementary Reports |
|
|
1 |
| Reports |
6 |
2 Senators & 2 MPs |
|
Extension of Time to present Reports
During the reporting period, 44 extensions of time were granted to Committees administered by the Senate Committee Office to present reports. There were 7 extensions of under a week; 6 extensions of under a month and 31 extensions of over a month.
Leave to Meet while the Senate is in session
During the reporting period, Senate Committees were granted to meet while the Senate was in session on 31 occasions.
Change of Membership of Committees
During the reporting period, there were 72 changes to membership to Committees.
Appointment of Committees
The following Select Committees were appointed:
Free Trade Agreement between Australia and the United States of America was appointed on 11 February 2004;
Lindeberg Grievance was appointed on 1 April 2004; and
Administration of Indigenous Affairs was appointed on 16 June 2004