Mr SLIPPER (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration) (1:43 PM) —Since coming to power, the government has accorded a very high priority to reforming Commonwealth administration to maximise the provision of quality services to clients and overall value for money to the Australian taxpayer. The government's initiatives to devolve decision making to Commonwealth departments and agencies, remove prescriptive controls and provide much greater flexibility in the workplace are leading to improved productivity within the public sector and better outcomes for the community. A key part of the public sector's role in support of a stable, healthy and financially secure society is an effective regime of law enforcement to address current and emerging criminal threats to people, property and institutions.

The Australian Federal Police is the major instrument of Commonwealth law enforcement and its major responsibilities are to enforce Commonwealth criminal law and protect Commonwealth and national interests from crime in Australia and overseas. Fundamental to the government's reforms within the public sector workplace is enabling the relationship between employers and employees to be determined by the parties at agency level. Consistent with this approach, the amendments to the Australian Federal Police Act 1979 will provide for most employment arrangements in the AFP to be settled under the provisions of the Workplace Relations Act 1996. Relevant provisions of the AFP Act will continue to apply in relation to staff deployment and, quite understandably, also in relation to disciplinary matters.

This particular bill will enable the highly prescriptive employment regime deriving from the AFP act to be replaced with the framework I mentioned a moment ago, which gives much greater flexibility. The government recognises that the member for Denison has been cooperative with respect to amendments and the alterations contained in the bill before the chamber. The government and the opposition previously differed on some aspects of these amendments. However, in politics, as in life, one has to accept that the possible is what one might have to be satisfied with rather than necessarily what one would ultimately desire. That is why the government accepted amendments in the Senate to this bill. We have not accepted all the amendments but we accepted a number of them. These amendments which we are indeed processing in the parliament at the moment will ensure that the Australian Federal Police Legislation Amendment Bill 1999 achieves both the objectives outlined by the minister in her second reading speech while taking into account concerns expressed by colleagues in the other place.

The AFP legislation is very important. I am pleased that in this first week of financial sittings we will be able to dispose of it so it will be able to become law and take effect. I also want to point out that in the legislation as an anti-corruption measure and to complement the reforms to the Australian Federal Police employment framework, the Australian Federal Police Act 1979 is being amended to provide the commissioner with the power to compel AFP employees to submit financial declarations. I think that was the area that the member for Denison was commencing to traverse when the clock was so unkind to him.

AFP employees will be required by written direction to periodically give the commissioner statements about their financial affairs. The statements must be accompanied by any documents requested by the commissioner and must be provided within two months of the request being made. The regulations will provide for penalties for failing to provide a financial statement and the provision of false information will constitute the making of a false statement for which disciplinary punishment is available. A person is not excused from giving a financial statement on the grounds of self-incrimination. However, any statement given is not admissible in evidence of proceedings other than disciplinary proceedings. This is another way in which we are making sure that the Australian Federal Police, which has a world-class reputation, remains corruption free. I commend the amendments to the House.