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Title

COMMUNICATIONS LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL (NO. 2) 2003

In Committee

Database

Senate Hansard

Date

01-04-2004

Source

Senate

Parl No.

40

Electorate

Western Australia

Interjector

 

Page

22668

Party

ALP

Presenter

 

Status

Final

Question No.

 

Questioner

 

Responder

 

Speaker

Bishop, Sen Mark

Stage

In Committee

Type

 

Context

Bills

System Id

chamber/hansards/2004-04-01/0222


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Thursday, 1 April 2004
Page: 22668


Senator MARK BISHOP (4:59 PM) —by leave—I move Labor amendments (1) and (2) on sheet 3219:

(1) Page 1 (after line 9), after clause 2, insert:

2A Review of operation etc. of this Act

(1) Within 4 years of the day on which this Act receives the Royal Assent, the Minister, in consultation with the Attorney-General, must:

(a) cause a review to be conducted to assess the operation, effective-ness and implications of amendments made by this Act; and

(b) prepare a written report on the review.

(2) The Minister must cause a copy of the report to be laid before each House of the Parliament within 15 sitting days of that House after the day on which the report is made.

(2) Page 2 (after line 2), after clause 3, insert:

4 Cessation of operation of Act

This Act, unless sooner repealed, ceases to be in force at the end of 5 years after the Royal Assent.

These amendments relate to a review of the operation of the act and a provision for a five-year sunset clause for the bill. Amendment (1) allows for a review of the legislation four years after assent. This will allow the minister in consultation with the A-G to review the operation, effectiveness and implications of the act. It will allow for any unseen outcomes of the bill to be reconsidered after four years. It will allow for the bill to be reconsidered in the light of experience and amended if appropriate.

Amendment (2) allows for a five-year sunset clause for the bill following that review. While the bill's general provisions are justified under the current security environment, a sunset clause would allow the possible repeal or amendment of the bill should the security environment improve over the next five years. Again, it is important that this bill is considered in the light of experience.