What to look out for this Parliamentary sitting week #auspol

Both the House and the Senate will return this week for the fourth week of winter sittings.

Key issues on the agenda include Social Services, the NDIS, Aged Care and Superannuation.

The government will also continue passing measures announced in last month’s budget.

House of Representatives:

Tuesday:

The House will open with debate on:

• The Fuel Security Bill 2021 and the Fuel Security (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2021 which seeks to implement minimum stockholding obligations for selected companies that manage fuels as well as additional budget measures to support fuel refineries.
• The Biosecurity Amendment (Strengthening Penalties) seeks to amend previous legislation to increase penalties for non-compliance of the Biosecurity Act.
• This will be followed by the Medical and Midwife Indemnity Legislation Amendment which seeks to ensure that claims made against all privately practising midwives are eligible under the Commonwealth’s medical and midwife indemnity schemes.
• The Social Services Legislation Amendment (Portability Extensions) amends social security laws to include a permanent discretion to provide portability extensions for pensioners who are temporarily away from their country of residence and unable to return home within 26 weeks in exceptional circumstances.
• Treasury Laws Amendment (2021 Measures No. 4) seeks to implement a range of budget measures notably amending the Fringe Benefits Tax Assessment Act 1986 to provide employers with an exemption from FBT if they provide training or education to a redundant, or soon to be redundant, employee for the purpose of assisting that employee to gain new employment.

Wednesday:

• Wednesday will begin with debate on the Farm Household Support Amendment (Debt Waiver) which seeks to waive the repayment of certain classes of debts for farm household allowance recipients arising from a reconciliation process with the government.
• National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Improving Supports for At Risk Participants) implements certain recommendations of a recent review of the regulation of supports and services provided to Ms. Ann – Marie Smith. This Bill amends the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 to expand the compliance and enforcement powers of the Commissioner of the NDIS, clarifies provider registration provisions and enables information sharing between the NDIA and the commission and the disclosure of information to relevant state and territory bodies.
• The Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (International Production Orders) Bill 2020 seeks to update previous legislation to provide a framework for Australian agencies to obtain independently authorised international production orders for interception, stored communications and telecommunications data directly to designated communications providers in foreign countries with which Australia has a designated international agreement.
• The Hazardous Waste (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Amendment Bill 2021 seeks to update previous legislation to include Australia’s international obligations in relation to plastic wastes and improve the efficiency of the act.
• The purpose of the Industry Research and Development Amendment (Industry Innovation and Science Australia) Bill 2021 is to amend the Industry Research and Development Act 1986 (IR&D Act) to rename the independent statutory board known as ‘Innovation and Science Australia’ (ISA) to ‘Industry Innovation and Science Australia’ (IISA), and to make consequential amendments to other Commonwealth legislation as a consequence of the name change.
• The final bill to be debated on Wednesday is the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Standards and Assurance) which seeks to establish a framework for the making, varying, revoking and application of National Environmental Standards. The Bill also creates the role of an Environment Assurance Commissioner who will monitor the compliance of states, territories, and the Commonwealth in relation to the bill.

Thursday:

• The final day of the sitting week will begin with debate on the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Streamlined Participation Requirements and Other Measures) which seeks to update previous social security legislation to support the New Employment Services Model which will operate from July 2022.
• The Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment (Royal Commission Response No. 1) inserts the definition of “Restrictive Practice” into the Aged Care Act 1997, as well as enables the secretary to conduct home care assurance reviews.
•  The final bill to be debated in the House this week will be the Mitochondrial Donation Law Reform (Maeve’s Law) which seeks to allow for mitochondrial donations to be introduced into Australia for research and human reproductive purposes.

Senate:

• Government business in the Senate will begin with debate on Transport Security Amendment (Serious Crime) Bill 2020. This bill seeks to prevent the use of aviation or maritime transport or offshore facilities in connection with serious crime.
•  This will be followed by resumed debate of the Online Safety Bill 2021 and the Online Safety (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Bill 2021. Both Bills aim to implement a range of reforms to protect people using the internet.
• National Radioactive Waste Management Amendment (Site Specification, Community Fund and Other Measures) Bill 2020 seeks to amend the National Radioactive Waste Management Act 2012 to allow the government to permanently dispose of low level radioactive waste and temporarily store intermediate level radioactive waste.
• The Fuel Security Bill 2021 and the Fuel Security (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2021 seeks to implement budget measures to support fuel refineries
• The Private Health Insurance Legislation Amendment (Age of Dependants) Bill 2021 seeks to change the maximum allowable age for people to be covered under a family private health insurance policy as a dependent from up to 24 years of age to up to 31 years of age; and enable people with a disability, regardless of their age, to be covered under a family private health insurance policy as a dependent.

Wednesday:

On Wednesday the government will debate a number of reforms regarding superannuation.

• Treasury Laws Amendment (Your Future, Your Super): This package contains regulations to define a ‘stapled fund’ and will rollout tie-breaker rules for determining which fund is to be an employee’s stapled fund in instances where an employee has multiple. The package will also prescribe new rules for how portfolio holdings should be disclosed to members.
• Treasury Laws Amendment (More Flexible Superannuation) Bill 2020 seeks to bring forward the non – concessional contribution cap to enable individuals aged 65 and 66 to make up to three years of non-concessional superannuation contributions under the bring forward rule.
• Treasury Laws Amendment (Self-Managed Superannuation Funds) Bill 2020 to increase the maximum number of allowable members in self – managed superfunds from four to six. This Bill also amends provisions that relate to SMSFs and small APRA funds.
• Treasury Laws Amendment (2021 Measures No. 3) which amends the Medicare Levy Surcharge Act the Medicare levy low-income thresholds for individuals and families in line with movements in the CPI.
• Debate will resume on the Biosecurity Amendment which seeks to increase the civil and criminal penalty amounts for noncompliance where noncompliance may cause significant and unacceptable risk to Australia’s biosecurity status.
• The day will conclude with debate on the National Consumer Credit Protection Amendment (Supporting Economic Recovery) Bill 2020. This Bill seeks to amend the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 to introduce additional protections for consumers wishing to access high-cost credit products and to make amendments to the lending obligations for small credit amounts.

Thursday:

• The first item of government business of Thursday is the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (International Production Orders) Bill 2020. This bill seeks to update previous legislation to provide a framework for Australian agencies to obtain independently authorised international production orders for interception, stored communications and telecommunications data directly to designated communications providers in foreign countries with which Australia has a designated international agreement.
• The Hazardous Waste (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Amendment Bill 2021 seeks to update previous legislation to improve the efficiency of the act and include Australia’s international obligations in relation to plastic wastes.
• Water Legislation Amendment (Inspector-General of Water Compliance and Other Measures) Bill 2021 which appoints an Inspector-General of Water Compliance and implements new penalties for misconduct relating to water.
•  The National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention Bill 2020 and the National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2020 establishes a National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide Prevention who will examine previous veteran deaths by suicide in order to prevent future deaths.

The sitting week will conclude with a number of non-controversial bills:

• Education Legislation Amendment (2021 Measures No. 2) Bill 2021
• Competition and Consumer Amendment (Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme) Bill 2021
• Farm Household Support Amendment (Debt Waiver) Bill 2021
• Financial Regulator Assessment Authority Bill 2021
• Financial Regulator Assessment Authority (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2021
• Higher Education Support Amendment (Extending the Student Loan Fee Exemption) Bill 2021
• Medical and Midwife Indemnity Legislation Amendment Bill 2021
• Narcotic Drugs Amendment (Medicinal Cannabis) Bill 2021
• National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Improving Supports for At Risk Participants) Bill 2021
• Private Health Insurance Amendment (Income Thresholds) Bill 2021
• Treasury Laws Amendment (2021 Measures No. 4) Bill 2021
• Social Services Legislation Amendment (Portability Extensions) Bill 2021
• Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Amendment Bill 2021