2019-2020

 

The Parliament of the

Commonwealth of Australia

 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 

 

 

 

Presented and read a first time

 

 

 

 

National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention Bill 2020

 

No.      , 2020

 

(Attorney-General)

 

 

 

A Bill for an Act to establish the National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention, and for related purposes

   

   

   

Contents

Part 1—Preliminary                                                                                                              1

1............ Short title............................................................................................. 1

2............ Commencement................................................................................... 2

3............ Objects of this Act.............................................................................. 2

4............ Simplified outline of this Act.............................................................. 3

5............ Definitions.......................................................................................... 3

6............ Act binds the Crown........................................................................... 8

7............ Extension to external Territories.......................................................... 8

8............ Extraterritorial operation...................................................................... 8

Part 2—National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention   9

Division 1—Introduction                                                                                             9

9............ Simplified outline of this Part.............................................................. 9

Division 2—Establishment, functions and powers                                        10

10.......... National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention 10

11.......... Functions.......................................................................................... 10

12.......... General principles for the performance of the Commissioner’s functions                11

13.......... Application of finance law................................................................ 11

14.......... Arrangements relating to staff of the Department.............................. 12

15.......... Delegation by Commissioner............................................................ 12

Division 3—Terms and conditions etc.                                                               13

16.......... Appointment..................................................................................... 13

17.......... General terms and conditions of appointment................................... 13

18.......... Remuneration.................................................................................... 13

19.......... Leave of absence............................................................................... 14

20.......... Other paid work................................................................................ 14

21.......... Resignation....................................................................................... 14

22.......... Termination of appointment.............................................................. 14

23.......... Disclosure of interests....................................................................... 15

24.......... Acting appointments......................................................................... 15

Part 3—Information gathering                                                                                     17

25.......... Simplified outline of this Part............................................................ 17

26.......... Inquiries............................................................................................ 17

27.......... Hearings............................................................................................ 18

28.......... Private hearings................................................................................. 19

29.......... Consultation in relation to certain private hearing evidence............... 20

30.......... Summons.......................................................................................... 20

31.......... Evidence on oath or by affirmation................................................... 21

32.......... Commissioner may require information etc....................................... 22

33.......... Notice of likely disclosure of operationally sensitive information..... 23

34.......... Notice of likely disclosure of intelligence information...................... 24

35.......... Powers of Commissioner in relation to documents or other thing..... 24

36.......... Search warrants................................................................................. 25

37.......... Application by telephone for search warrants................................... 27

38.......... Witnesses subject to questioning....................................................... 27

39.......... Witnesses to be paid expenses.......................................................... 28

40.......... Disclosure of information to the Commissioner—Commonwealth... 28

41.......... Disclosure of information to the Commissioner—States and Territories  29

42.......... Arrangements for obtaining and protecting intelligence information. 30

43.......... Application of this Act in relation to current and former IGIS officials 31

Part 4—Offences                                                                                                                   32

Division 1—Introduction                                                                                           32

44.......... Simplified outline of this Part............................................................ 32

Division 2—Failure to attend hearing, give information or produce documents etc.     33

45.......... Failure to attend hearing, give information or produce documents etc. 33

46.......... Refusal to swear an oath, make an affirmation or answer a question 34

47.......... Failure to give written notice to the Commissioner........................... 34

48.......... Legal professional privilege.............................................................. 35

49.......... Offences relating to claims for legal professional privilege............... 36

50.......... Self-incrimination.............................................................................. 38

Division 3—Witness protections etc.                                                                   40

51.......... Dismissal etc. of witness................................................................... 40

52.......... Contempt of Commissioner.............................................................. 40

Division 4—Unauthorised publication, use or disclosure of information etc.      42

53.......... Non-publication direction.................................................................. 42

54.......... Publication in contravention of non-publication direction................. 42

55.......... Unauthorised use or disclosure of protected information.................. 43

56.......... Authorisation to disclose information (other than intelligence information)             43

57.......... Authorisation to disclose intelligence information............................. 45

58.......... No criminal or civil liability under secrecy provisions...................... 47

Part 5—Miscellaneous                                                                                                        48

59.......... Simplified outline of this Part............................................................ 48

60.......... Commissioner’s reports.................................................................... 48

61.......... Response to report by the Commonwealth........................................ 49

62.......... Reports if appropriate action not taken on Commissioner’s report.... 49

63.......... Judges............................................................................................... 49

64.......... Protection of Commissioner, legal practitioners, eligible Judges and witnesses       50

65.......... Rules................................................................................................. 50

 

A Bill for an Act to establish the National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention, and for related purposes

The Parliament of Australia enacts: