COMMITTEES › Selection of Bills Committee
Report
28 November 2024 • Australian Federal Parliament
View on Parliament WebsiteSenator URQUHART (Tasmania—Government Whip in the Senate) (11:15): I present the 14th report of 2024 of the Selection of Bills Committee. I seek leave to have the report incorporated in Hansard.
Leave granted.
The report read as follows—
Selection of Bills Committee
REPORT NO. 14 OF 2024
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE
Senator Anne Urquhart (Government Whip, Chair)
Senator Wendy Askew (Opposition Whip)
Senator Ross Cadell (The Nationals Whip)
Senator Pauline Hanson (Pauline Hanson's One Nation Whip)
Senator Jacqui Lambie (Jacqui Lambie Network Whip)
Senator Nick McKim (Australian Greens Whip)
Senator Ralph Babet
Senator the Hon. Anthony Chisholm
Senator the Hon. Katy Gallagher
Senator Maria Kovacic
Senator Matt O'Sullivan
Senator Fatima Payman
Senator David Pocock
Senator Gerard Rennick
Senator Lidia Thorpe
Senator Tammy Tyrrell
Senator David Van
Secretary: Tim Bryant 02 6277 3020
1. The committee met in private session on Wednesday, 27 November 2024 at 7.13 pm.
2. The committee recommends that—
(a) the provisions of the Future Made in Australia (Production Tax Credits and Other Measures) Bill 2024 be referred immediately to the Economics Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 30 January 2025 (see appendix 1 for a statement of reasons for referral);
(b) the provisions of the Health Legislation Amendment (Modernising My Health Record—Sharing by Default) Bill 2024 be referred immediately to the Community Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 30 January 2025 (see appendix 2 for a statement of reasons for referral);
(c) the provisions of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fairer for Families and Farmers and Other Measures) Bill 2024 be referred immediately to the Economics Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 30 January 2025 (see appendix 3 for a statement of reasons for referral); and
(d) the provisions of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Incentives and Integrity) Bill 2024 be referred immediately to the Economics Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 30 January 2025 (see appendix 4 for a statement of reasons for referral).
3. The committee recommends that the following bills not be referred to committees:
Digital ID Repeal Bill 2024
Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) Bill 2024
Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) (Consequential Provisions and Other Matters) Bill 2024
Commonwealth Entities (Payment Surcharges) Tax (Imposition) Bill 2024.
4. The committee deferred consideration of the following bills to its next meeting:
Australian Capital Territory Dangerous Drugs Bill 2023
Broadcasting Services Amendment (Ban on Gambling Advertisements During Live Sport) Bill 2023
Building and Construction Industry (Restoring Integrity and Reducing Building Costs) Bill 2024 (No. 2)
Commonwealth Workplace Protection Orders Bill 2024
Competition and Consumer Amendment (Continuing ACCC Monitoring of Domestic Airline Competition) Bill 2023
Criminal Code Amendment (Inciting Illegal Disruptive Activities) Bill 2023
Customs Amendment (Expedited Seizure and Disposal of Engineered Stone) Bill 2024
Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Reform) Bill 2024
Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Communications) Bill 2024
Electoral Legislation Amendment (Lowering the Voting Age) Bill 2023 [No. 2]
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Protecting Environmental Heritage) Bill 2024
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Regional Forest Agreements) Bill 2020
Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment (Removing Criminals from Worksites) Bill 2024
Freeze on Rent and Rate Increases Bill 2023
Health Legislation Amendment (Improved Medicare Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2024
Interactive Gambling Amendment (Ban Gambling Ads) Bill 2024
Transport Security Amendment (Security of Australia's Transport Sector) Bill 2024
Treasury Laws Amendment (Extending the FBT Exemption for Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles) Bill 2024.
Whistleblower Protection Authority Bill 2025.
5. The committee considered the following bills but was unable to reach agreement:
Competition and Consumer Amendment (Australian Energy Regulator Separation) Bill 2024
Electoral Legislation Amendment (Fair Territory Representation) Bill 2024
Migration Amendment (Prohibiting Items in Immigration Detention Facilities) Bill 2024.
(Anne Urquhart)
Chair
28 November 2024
Appendix 1
SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE
Proposal to refer a bill to a committee
Name of bill:
Future Made in Australia (Production Tax Credits and Other Measures) Bill
Reasons for referra1/principal issues for consideration:
to examine the Bill in further detail and hear from relevant stakeholders
Possible submissions or evidence from:
relevant stakeholders
Committee to which bill is to be referred:
Senate Economics Legislation Committee
Possible hearing date(s):
January 2025
Possible reporting date:
30 January 2025
(signed)
Nick McKim
SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE
Proposal to refer a bill to a committee
Name of bill:
Future Made in Australia (Production Tax Credits and Other Measures) Bill
Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:
To thoroughly examine this legislation and receive evidence from a range of stakeholders.
Possible submissions or evidence from:
Interested parties and stakeholders.
Committee to which bill is to be referred:
Economics Legislation Committee
Possible hearing date(s):
January and February 2025
Possible reporting date:
6 March 2025
(signed)
Wendy Askew
Appendix 2
SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE
Proposal to refer a bill to a committee
Name of bill:
Health Legislation Amendment (Modernising My Health Record—Sharing by Default) Bill
Reasons for referral/principal issues for consideration:
To thoroughly examine this legislation and receive evidence from a range of stakeholders.
Possible submissions or evidence from:
Interested parties and stakeholders.
Committee to which bill is to be referred:
Community Affairs Legislation Committee
Possible hearing date(s):
January and February 2025
Possible reporting date:
20 March 2025
(signed)
Wendy Askew
SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE
Proposal to refer a bill to a committee
Name of bill:
Health Legislation Amendment (Modernising My Health Record—Sharing by Default) Bill 2024
Reasons for referra1/principal issues for consideration:
Affected health practitioners have expressed·that compliance with this legislation could present a technical challenge
Concerns around low uptake of My Health Record
Possible submissions or evidence from:
Pathologists
Diagnostic Imaging providers
Health consumers/ consumer groups GPs
Nurse Practitioners
Committee to which bill is to be referred:
Community Affairs Legislation Committee
Possible hearing date(s):
28th January
Possible reporting date:
3rd February or later
(signed)
Nick McKim
Appendix 3
SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE
Proposal to refer a bill to a committee
Name of bill:
Treasury Laws Amendment (Fairer for Families and Farmers and Other Measures) Bill
Reasons for referra1/principal issues for consideration:
To examine the Bill in detail and hear from relevant stakeholders
Possible submissions or evidence from:
NFF
NFF Hort Council
AUSVEG
CHOICE
ACCC
Treasury
Committee to which bill is to be referred:
Senate Economics Legislation Committee
Possible hearing date(s):
Week of 20 January 2025
Possible reporting date:
31 January 2025
(signed)
Nick McKim
Appendix 4
SELECTION OF BILLS COMMITTEE
Proposal to refer a bill to a committee
Name of bill:
Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Incentives and Integrity) Bill
Reasons for referra1/principal issues for consideration:
to examine the Bill in further detail and hear from relevant stakeholders
Possible submissions or evidence from:
relevant stakeholders
Committee to which bill is to be referred:
Senate Economics Legislation Committee
Possible hearing date(s):
Week of 20 January 2025
Possible reporting date:
31 January 2025
(signed)
Nick McKim
Senator URQUHART: I move:
That the report be adopted.
Senator CHISHOLM (Queensland—Assistant Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Assistant Minister for Education, Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Deputy Manager of Government Business in the Senate) (11:15): I move:
At the end of the motion, add: "and the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Australian Energy Regulator Separation) Bill 2024 not be referred to committee".
Senator McKIM (Tasmania—Australian Greens Whip) (11:16): I move an amendment to the government's amendment, circulated in my name:
At the end of the motion, add:
"but, in respect of:
(a) the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Reform) Bill 2024 and the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Communications) Bill 2024 [Provisions], the bills be referred immediately to the Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 3 February 2025; and
(b) the Migration Amendment (Prohibiting Items in Immigration Detention Facilities) Bill 2024, the bill be referred immediately to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 10 February 2025".
Senator SHOEBRIDGE (New South Wales) (11:17): I wish to speak to why we need to refer the Migration Amendment (Prohibiting Items in Immigration Detention Facilities) Bill 2024 to inquiry. This is legislation that Labor opposed when it was twice presented by the opposition under the name of then Minister Peter Dutton. In 2017 and 2020, Labor seemed to have at least some kind of moral compass when it came to migration and people seeking asylum. And why did Labor oppose it, together with the Greens? We had a progressive majority to oppose that legislation in 2017 and 2020, which is the same progressive majority that would be available if Labor still had progressive views, even slightly, on migration and people seeking asylum. But the reason it was opposed in 2017 and 2020 by the same Labor Party that are now presenting it in their own name is this is a vicious attack on the rights of people who are being held in immigration detention. These are people who are being held there not because they've committed any crime or as punishment but by increasingly draconian laws that are holding more and more people in detention.
Why Labor opposed it in 2017 and 2020 and why the Greens opposed it in 2017 and 2020 is for the same reason the Greens are opposing it in 2024, as we're consistent with our principles. The reason why we oppose taking away people's mobile phones while they're in immigration detention—an immigration detention run by some of the most loathsome international corporate bottom feeders you could imagine who globally profit off holding people in detention around the world, including the likes of Serco, who are notorious for human rights abuses—is sometimes mobile phones are the only accountability measure they have.
They can take images of the abuse they're suffering. They can talk to journalists and politicians and people outside those hateful institutions that are run by private corporations and designed to be cruel. The mobile phone is their one chance to talk to the outside world and shine at least something of a light on the violence and the abuses of human rights. I think Labor want to take that away because they want to run a secretive immigration detention centre here.
Labor are taking away that accountability measure—that one lifeline that people with no other rights have in these private jails run by global jailing corporations which are notorious for human rights abuses, like Serco—and, in the same legislation, they want to empower those same private corporations to stripsearch detainees without warrants and to put dogs into the detention centres without warrants. They take away the accountability measure and then they add additional human rights abuses in the same legislation—legislation that Labor voted against twice when then minister Dutton and the coalition were in power.
The coalition must be looking at Minister Tony Burke and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. You only get one of these in your lifetime—this combination of people in high office who are willing to give these appalling powers to people in control of detention centres. They're willing to deliver more than the coalition could ever achieve in terms of cruelty and human rights abuses. The coalition are looking at the Labor Party in 2024 and saying, 'Actually, you are meaner, nastier, crueller and even less principled than the coalition.'
Do you want to know why we want to refer this off to an inquiry? It's because it stinks. It's vicious, it's mean and it's nasty. It's a betrayal of any sense of decency and principle, and it's cheap, grubby politics from Labor. If they think they can out-Dutton Dutton, they can think again. This is just the start of it. It should end here.
The PRESIDENT: Senator Roberts has indicated that he wishes the question to be split. The question now is that part (a) of Senator McKim's amendment to Senator Chisholm's amendment to the motion on the Selection of Bills Committee report be agreed to.
The PRESIDENT (11:29): The question is that part (b) of Senator McKim's amendment to the motion on the Selection of Bills Committee report be agreed to.
Senator RUSTON (South Australia—Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) (11:32): I move:
At the end of the motion, add:
"and, in respect of the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Australian Energy Regulator Separation) Bill 2024, the provisions of the bill be referred immediately to the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 6 March 2025".
The PRESIDENT: The question is that the amendment moved by Senator Ruston to Senator Chisholm's amendment to the motion on the Selection of Bills Committee report be agreed to.
The PRESIDENT (11:38): The question now is that the amendment, as moved by Senator Chisholm, to the motion on the Selection of Bills Committee report be agreed to.
Question agreed to.
Senator RUSTON (South Australia—Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) (11:39): On behalf of Senator McKenzie, I move:
At the end of the motion, add:
"and, in respect of the National Organic Standard Bill 2024, the bill be referred immediately to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 31 January 2025".
Question agreed to.
Original question, as amended, agreed to.
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AU
Anne UrquhartALP FederalMember for Braddon (TAS)
Mentions
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Australian Energy Regulator Federal
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DVDavid Van
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TT
Tammy TyrrellIND FederalSenator for Tasmania (TAS)
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LT
Lidia ThorpeIND FederalIndependent VIC Whip
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GRGerard Rennick
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DP
David PocockIND FederalIndependent ACT Whip
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FP
Fatima PaymanAV FederalIndependent Whip
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MO
Matt O'SullivanLP FederalShadow Assistant Minister for Fisheries and Forestry
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MK
Maria KovacicLP FederalShadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition
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KG
Katy GallagherALP FederalMinister for Finance
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AC
Anthony ChisholmALP FederalAssistant Minister for Regional Development
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RB
Ralph BabetUAP FederalParliamentary Leader of the United Australia Party [Palmer]
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NM
Nick McKimGRN FederalGreens Spokesperson for Economic Justice & Treasury
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JL
Jacqui LambieJLN FederalLeader of the Jacqui Lambie Network in the Senate
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PH
Pauline HansonONP FederalLeader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation
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RC
Ross CadellNAT FederalShadow Minister for Water
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WA
Wendy AskewLP FederalDeputy Chair, Publications Committee
