Senator CAMPBELL (Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer) —I give notice that, on the next day of sitting, I shall move:

That the order of the Senate of 29 November 1994, relating to the consideration of legislation, not apply to the following bills:

Education Services for Overseas Students (Registration Charges) Bill 1996

Education Services for Overseas Students (Registration of Providers and Financial Regulation) Amendment Bill (No. 2) 1996.

I also table a statement of reasons justifying the need for these bills to be considered during these sittings and seek leave to have the statement incorporated in Hansard .

Leave granted.

The statement read as follows—

EDUCATION SERVICES FOR OVERSEAS STUDENTS (REGISTRATION CHARGES) BILL

EDUCATION SERVICES FOR OVERSEAS STUDENTS (REGISTRATION OF PROVIDERS AND FINANCIAL REGULATION) AMENDMENT BILL (No. 2)

The proposed Bills will impose a Provider Registration Charge upon approved providers of courses for overseas students.

The charge is a cost-recovery measure to offset the administration costs involved in maintaining and distributing the national register (the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS)) and the associated facilitation of immigration processes and the monitoring of providers against te statutory requirements, which give all providers the measure of protection for the industry they have said they want and which enable Tuition Assurance Schemes to limit their risk.

The amount payable under the Provider Registration Charge will be self-assessed by the Provider based on their enrolments of overseas students in the preceding year. If a provider fails to pay the fee a penalty will be imposed which may include suspension or cancellation of registration.

The proposed amendment is a Budget initiative that must be introduced and passed in the 1996 Spring Sittings to ensure commencement by 1 January 1997. Later commencement puts at risk funding to support enhancements to administrative and computing systems to support the CRICOS and to enable its more efficient management.

Circulated with the authority of the Minister for Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs, Senator the Hon Amanda Vanstone