Mr SLIPPER (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration) (2:50 AM) —I move:

The Senate tonight agreed to a number of amendments to the Superannuation Legislation (Commonwealth Employment) Repeal and Amendment Bill 2002. The main purpose of the bill is to provide for additional superannuation benefit options for Commonwealth civilian employees affected by asset sales or outsourcing as announced by the government in 1997. The bill also amends the availability of reversionary benefits in the Commonwealth Superannuation Scheme where a scheme pensioner remarries after retirement. In addition, the bill makes a number of administrative and technical changes to the CSS, including simplification of some current CSS rules.

Earlier tonight the Senate agreed to a number of government-proposed amendments to the bill. These amendments updated the commencement date of various provisions of the bill relating to simplified administration of the CSS from 1 July last year to 1 July this year to ensure the provisions operate prospectively. The members also removed provisions contained in the bill that were intended to signify the process for recognising authorities or bodies as approved authorities. The existing approved authority process will continue to apply whereby certain statutory bodies can be declared by the Minister for Finance and Administration to be approved authorities. This enables employees of those bodies to make contributions to the CSS and the Public Sector Superannuation Scheme. I commend the amendments to the House.

The SPEAKER —The question is that the amendments be agreed to.

Question agreed to.