Legislation Committees

Katy Gallagher

I move:

That—

(1) To ensure appropriate consideration of time critical bills by Senate committees, the provisions of all bills introduced into the House of Representatives after 16 May 2024 and up to and including 6 June 2024 that contain substantive provisions commencing on or before 1 July 2024 (together with the provisions of any related bill) are referred to committees for inquiry and report by 24 June 2024.

(2) The committee to which each bill is referred shall be determined in accordance with the allocation of departments and agencies to standing committees agreed to by the Senate.

(3) A committee to which a bill has been referred may determine, by unanimous decision, that there are no substantive matters that require examination and report that fact to the Senate.

(4) This order does not apply in relation to bills which contain:

(a) no provisions other than provisions appropriating revenue or moneys (appropriation bills); and

(b) commencement clauses providing only for the legislation to commence on Royal Assent.

Larissa Waters

by leave—I move:

After subparagraph (4)(b), add:

(c) any provisions relating to the 2024-25 Budget measure—Future Made in Australia.

Question agreed to.

Original question, as amended, agreed to.

Katy Gallagher

I move:

That—

(1) To ensure appropriate consideration of bills by Senate committees, the provisions of the following bills introduced into the House of Representatives after 16 May 2024 and up to and including 6 June 2024 are referred to committees for inquiry and report by 24 June 2024:

(a) Treasury Laws Amendment (Responsible Buy Now Pay Later and Other Measures) Bill 2024;

(b) Health Insurance Amendment (Assignment of Medicare Benefits) Bill 2024;

(c) Social Security Amendment (More Support in the Safety Net) Bill 2024;

(d) National Health Amendment (Supporting Patient Access to Cheaper Medicines and Other Measures) Bill 2024; and

(e) any bills relating to provisions in the 2024-25 Budget.

(2) The committee to which each bill is referred shall be determined in accordance with the allocation of departments and agencies to standing committees agreed to by the Senate.

(3) A committee to which a bill has been referred may determine, by unanimous decision, that there are no substantive matters that require examination and report that fact to the Senate.

Jonathon Duniam

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Sue Lines

Leave is granted for one minute.

Jonathon Duniam

While the coalition supported the previous motion to ensure appropriate consideration of time critical bills by Senate committees, we do oppose this motion. It's, frankly, farcical that the government believes this motion would ensure appropriate consideration of bills by Senate committees. This motion, if passed, would allow not only those bills listed in the motion but any bill related to the 2024-25 budget to be referred to a Senate committee to report by 24 June this year. The Senate should deal with these bills and any future bills that relate to the budget in the ordinary way. When they're introduced, the Senate can then decide which bills are or are not referred to committees and when the committees will report.

Sue Lines

The question is that government business No. 3 standing in the name of Senator Chisholm and moved by Senator Gallagher be agreed to.