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Senate Committee Activities
This advertisement appears every second Wednesday on this page. It provides information on Senate and some joint committee activities. Senate committees encourage public involvement in their inquiries and submissions are invited from interested persons and organisations.
Economics Committee inquiries
The Senate Standing Committee on Economics is inquiring into the following matters:
Bank mergers
The committee is inquiring into aspects of bank mergers, including their economic, social and employment impacts; the adequacy of trade practices legislation to deal with bank mergers; and the extent and impact of 'off‑shoring' of bank services. Submissions are due by 30 January 2009.
Tax Laws Amendment (Taxation of Financial Arrangements) Bill 2008
The bill aims to tax financial arrangements based on economic substance rather than legal form and reduce the complexity of accrual calculations. The changed rules will apply to certain types of financial institutions with turnover or assets exceeding specified thresholds. Submissions are due by 20 January 2009.
Trade Practices Amendment (Cartel Conduct and Other Measures) Bill 2008
This bill provides that a corporation commits an indictable offence if it knowingly makes or gives effect to a cartel provision, concerning price fixing, sharing or allocating a customer base, restricting supply or rigging a tender process. Submissions are due by 20 January 2009.
Uranium Royalty (Northern Territory) Bill 2008
This bill seeks to apply a uniform royalty regime to all new projects in the Northern Territory containing uranium and other designated substances. Submissions are due by 13 February 2009. The reporting date is 30 April 2009.
Tax Agent Services Bill 2008
This bill seeks to establish a national board to register and regulate tax agents so as to protect their customers and introduce a legislated code of professional conduct. Submissions are due by 12 January 2009. The reporting date is 12 February 2009.
Submissions for each inquiry can be emailed to economics.sen@aph.gov.au. For further information visit www.aph.gov.au/Senate_economics or call (02) 6277 3540.
Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Committee
The Senate Standing Committee on Education, Employment and Workplace Relations is inquiring into the following matters:
Child care in Australia
The committee will examine the provision of child care in Australia, and in particular investigate the financial, social and industry effects of the ABC Learning collapse on the provision of child care; alternative options and models for the provision of child care; the role of governments at all levels; and the feasibility of establishing a national authority to oversee the child care industry. Submissions are due by 30 January 2009. The reporting date is 12 March 2009.
Fair Work Bill 2008
The purpose of this bill is to create a new framework for workplace relations to commence on 1 July 2009. Submissions are due by 9 January 2009 and the committee is to report by 27 February 2009.
Submissions for each inquiry may be emailed to eewr.sen@aph.gov.au. For further information see www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/eet_ctte/inquiries.htm or phone (02) 6277 3520.
Gene patents
The Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs is inquiring into the impact of granting patents in Australia over human and microbial genes and non-coding sequences, proteins and their derivatives. Submissions are due by 19 March 2009 and should be emailed to community.affairs.sen@aph.gov.au. For further information and the full terms of reference visit www.aph.gov.au/Senate_ca or phone (02) 6277 3515.
Men's health
The Senate has established a Select Committee on Men's Health to inquire into general issues related to the availability and effectiveness of education, support and services for men’s health. The committee is to report by 30 May 2009. Submissions are due by 27 February 2009 and may be emailed to menshealth.sen@aph.gov.au. For further information and the full terms of reference see www.aph.gov.au/Senate/menshealth_ctte/index.htm or phone (02) 6277 3559.
Defence legislation amendments
The Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade is inquiring into the Defence Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2008. The bill addresses three distinct policy measures: to recognise a third universal emblem called a 'Red Crystal' for the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement; to enable the making of regulations covering the provision of medical and dental treatment to an ADF member or family member; and to provide that the Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap is a special Defence undertaking and a prohibited area. The reporting date is 20 February 2009. Submissions are due by 30 January 2009 and can be emailed to fadt.sen@aph.gov.au. For further information visit www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/fadt_ctte/inquiries.htm or phone (02) 6277 3535.
Environment, Communications and the Arts Committee
The Senate Standing Committee on Environment, Communications and the Arts is inquiring into the following matters:
Forestry and mining operations on the Tiwi Islands
Submissions are due by 13 March 2009 and the committee is to report on 25 June 2009.
Water Amendment (Saving the Goulburn and Murray Rivers) Bill 2008
The bill seeks to limit the taking of water from the Murray-Darling basin for uses outside the basin. Submissions are due by 30 January 2009. The committee is to report by 27 March 2009.
Submissions for each inquiry may be emailed to eca.sen@aph.gov.au. For the full terms of reference and further information call (02) 6277 3526 or visit www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/eca_ctte/index.htm
Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee
The Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs is inquiring into the following bills:
Disability Discrimination and Other Human Rights Legislation Amendment Bill 2008
This bill amends various Commonwealth acts to optimise the consistent and efficient application of definitions, requirements and powers under various human rights and anti-discrimination legislation. The reporting date is 24 February 2009.
Federal Court of Australia Amendment (Criminal Jurisdiction) Bill 2008
This bill amends the Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 to establish a procedural framework allowing the Federal Court to exercise the indictable criminal jurisdiction to be granted by the Trade Practices Amendment (Cartel Conduct and Other Measures) Bill 2008. The reporting date is 20 February 2009.
Federal Justice System Amendment (Efficiency Measures) Bill (No.1) 2008
This bill amends various Acts with the aim of improving the efficient conduct of business in the federal courts. It also aims to clarify and expand the jurisdiction of the Federal Court of Australia under the International Arbitration Act 1974. Finally, it seeks to respond to the decision of the Full Court of the Family Court of Australia in Black v Black. The reporting date is 17 February 2009.
Submissions for each bill should be received by 12 January 2009 and can be emailed to legcon.sen@aph.gov.au. For further information visit www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/legcon_ctte/index.htm or call (02) 6277 3560.
Finance and Public Administration Committee
The Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Public Administration is inquiring into the following matters:
Plebiscite for an Australian Republic Bill 2008
The purpose of this bill is to require a plebiscite on whether Australia should be a republic. Submissions are due by 6 February 2009. The reporting date is 15 June 2009.
Freedom of Information (Removal of Conclusive Certificates and Other Measures) Bill 2008
The purpose of this bill is to repeal the power to issue conclusive certificates in the Freedom of Information Act 1982 and the Archives Act 1983 for all exemption provisions where certificates are issued. Submissions are due by 7 January 2009. The reporting date is 10 March 2009.
Submissions for each bill may be emailed to fpa.sen@aph.gov.au. For further information visit www.aph.gov.au/Senate_fpa or phone (02) 6277 3530.
Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee
The Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport is inquiring into the following matters:
Public passenger transport
The committee will examine the investment of Commonwealth and State funds in public passenger transport infrastructure and services. Submissions are due by 27 February 2009. The reporting date is 18 June 2009.
Importation of Philippines bananas
The committee will inquire into issues relating to the import risk analysis (IRA) for the importation of Cavendish bananas from the Philippines. Submissions are due by 20 February 2009 and the committee is to report by 19 March 2009.
Submissions for each inquiry can be emailed to rrat.sen@aph.gov.au. For further information on either inquiry see www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/rrat_ctte/index.htm or phone (02) 6277 3511.
Other current inquiries
Submissions may still be made to the relevant Senate committee in respect of the following inquiries (for more information phone the number shown):
Personal property securities – (02) 6277 3560
Residential and community aged care – (02) 6277 3530
Security and economic challenges in the Pacific – (02) 6277 3535
AFL team for Tasmania – (02) 6277 3511
Implementation of the Forgotten Australians and Lost Innocents reports – (02) 6277 3515
Petrol sniffing and substance abuse in central Australia – (02) 6277 3515
Submissions
Please note that submissions to inquiries become committee documents and are made public only after a decision of the committee. Persons making submissions must not release them until they have been published by the committee. The prior publication of a submission will not be protected by parliamentary privilege.
Submissions can be posted to the relevant committee at The Senate, PO Box 6100, Parliament House, Canberra, ACT 2600.
General information and inquiries
If you have any general questions relating to Senate committees or inquiries please phone (02) 6277 3555, fax (02) 6277 3899, visit www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/index.htm or email seniorclerk.committees.sen@aph.gov.au
If you want information on:
- how to make a submission;
- guidance to witnesses appearing before committees; or
- what parliamentary privilege means,
visit www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/wit_sub or contact the general inquiries number.
Reports
Reports of Senate committees can be found online at www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/index.htm and follow the prompt to each committee. Copies of reports, submissions and Hansards are available on CD by emailing SenCteeResOff@aph.gov.au.
Comments to: web.senate@aph.gov.au
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