FINANCE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFERENCES COMMITTEE—REFERENCE

Senator Xenophon, pursuant to notice of motion not objected to as a formal motion, moved business of the Senate notice of motion no. 2—That the following matter be referred to the Finance and Public Administration References Committee for inquiry and report by 30 June 2011:

The superannuation claims of former and current Commonwealth Public Service employees employed on a full-time, part-time or temporary basis prior to the introduction of compulsory superannuation in 1992, who were either not aware or correctly advised of their eligibility for Commonwealth superannuation (the Commonwealth Superannuation Scheme), with particular reference to:

 (a) the number of employees in the Commonwealth Public Service impacted, because they were not aware or correctly advised of their eligibility to Commonwealth superannuation prior to the introduction of compulsory superannuation in 1992, including, but not limited to, employees of the following Commonwealth departments and statutory authorities:

  (i) Department of the Interior (which included Transport, Forestry and Conservation, and Agriculture),

  (ii) Department of Works (later renamed the Department of Housing and Construction, and then the Department of Construction) in the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales,

  (iii) Department of Administrative Services in the Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia,

  (iv) Department of Education in the Australian Capital Territory,

  (v) Department of Supply in South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory,

  (vi) Post-Master General's Department in the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales,

  (vii) Australian Government Printing Office in the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales,

  (viii) Defence - Research Weapons Establishment in South Australia,

  (ix) Defence - Defence Science and Technology Organisation in South Australia,

  (x) Defence - Defence Research Centre in South Australia,

  (xi) Australian Broadcasting Commission in South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and New South Wales,

  (xii) Australian Atomic Energy Commission (now Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation) in New South Wales,

  (xiii) ACT Electricity Authority in the Australian Capital Territory,

  (xiv) Northern Territory Electricity Commission in the Northern Territory,

  (xv) Australian Antarctic Division in Tasmania,

  (xvi) Australian National Airlines Commission (trading as Trans Australian Airlines (TAA)) in New South Wales, and

  (xvii) Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation in the Australian Capital Territory, Queensland and Tasmania;

 (b) the impact on the retirement incomes of these employees as a result of not being aware or correctly advised of their eligibility to the Commonwealth Superannuation Scheme;

 (c) the handling of these cases by the Department of Finance and Deregulation;

 (d) what, if any, actions the Department of Finance and Deregulation has taken to notify persons who may be applicable for these claims;

 (e) consideration of cases under the Act of Grace by the Department of Finance and Deregulation; and

 (f) any other related matters.

Question put and passed.