Summary

Introduced with the National Emergency Declaration (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2020 to implement a recommendation of the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements, the bill: establishes a framework for the declaration of a national emergency by the Governor-General, on the advice of the Prime Minister; enables ministers to suspend, vary or substitute administrative requirements in legislation they administer in certain circumstances; and enables the Prime Minister to require Commonwealth entities to report on available stockpiles, assets and resources, and options and recommendations to respond to a national emergency.