What to look out for this Parliamentary Sitting Week

Both houses of Parliament resume this week for two sitting weeks to begin the Parliamentary year. 2018 looms as a potential election year, with the Prime Minister able to call for an election to be held as early as 4 August. An election must be held by 18 May 2019.

The Federal Government’s twin focuses will turn to prosecuting its corporate tax reduction for larger businesses and implementing the National Energy Guarantee.

In scene-setting speeches last week both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition made the central political issue clear: the personal economy; with a focus on how to deliver wage growth, income tax cuts and on the cost of living pressures for key services.

The citizenship issue will continue to evolve with a by-election to be called in the electorate of Batman; and the Government’s plans to refer more Labor and independent MPs to the High Court; while not agreeing to refer some of its own.

Senator Lucy Gichuhi, initially from Family First and then an independent, has joined the Liberal Party. This will increase the Government’s numbers in the Senate to 29. On positive motions, it will require 9 of 11 cross-bench Senators where neither the ALP and Greens provide support.

House of Representatives

On Monday the Government will introduce a Treasury Laws Amendment which establishes the Banking Executive Accountability Regime (BEAR) to impose new accountability and remuneration measures on key personnel in deposit-taking institutions, while investing added powers in the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) to investigate potential breaches of the BEAR. The Treasury Laws Amendment (Banking Measures No. 1) Bill 2017 will also be introduced, increasing regulation on deposit-taking institutions’ lending practices.

Tuesday will see the Government introduce a Bill which removes restrictions on the cashless debit card trial and thereby allows the extension of trial arrangements in current sites and to further sites. The National Health Amendment (Pharmaceutical Benefits—Budget and Other Measures) Bill 2017 will also be introduced, which seeks to increase the current statutory price reduction that applies when the first new brand of an existing pharmaceutical item is listed on the PBS.

The Treasury Laws Amendment (Enterprise Tax Plan Base Rate Entities) Bill 2017 will be introduced on Wednesday to provide that companies will not qualify for the lower 27.5 per cent corporate tax rate if more than 80 per cent of its assessable income is income of a passive nature. The Government will also aim to amend the Migration Act 1958 to allow the minister to determine the manner in which labour market testing for a nominated position must be undertaken and the kinds of evidence that must accompany a nomination.

On Thursday the House will consider a Bill to establish a new external dispute resolution scheme, known as the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA), to resolve disputes about products and services provided by financial firms. The Enhancing Online Safety (Non-consensual Sharing of Intimate Images) Bill 2017 will also be introduced to outlaw the online posting of intimate images without consent.

The Government will also enable the relevant minister to determine prohibited items in relation to immigration detention facilities; amend the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 and Surveillance Devices Act 2004 to make amendments consequential to the restructure of the Independent Commission Against Corruption of New South Wales; introduce new offences for a person recklessly or intentionally representing themselves to be, or to be acting on behalf of, a Commonwealth entity; amend the Imported Food Control Act 1992 to require a food safety management certificate from importers of certain foods where at-border testing is insufficient to provide assurance of food safety; amend six acts to ensure assistance that Australia currently provides to foreign countries can also be provided to the International Criminal Court and international war crimes tribunals; and give the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority additional powers for crisis resolution and resolution planning in relation to regulated entities.

Senate

On Monday the Senate will consider a Bill which makes numerous changes to the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989, including the introduction of a new approval pathway for prescription medicines by creating a class of therapeutic goods to be known as ‘provisionally registered goods’. The Government will also table the Export Control Bill 2017 which aims to consolidate existing legislation to create a framework for regulating the export of goods from Australian territory.

Also scheduled for consideration on Monday is the Productivity Commission Amendment (Addressing Inequality) Bill 2017, sponsored by the ALP’s Jenny McAllister, which aims to add a number of economic inequality-related facets of inquiry to the Commission’s statutory remit.

Debate will resume on the Government’s Social Services Legislation Amendment (Welfare Reform) Bill on Tuesday, which creates a single jobseeker payment to replace seven existing payments as the primary payment for those of working age. 

Five pieces of non-controversial legislation will be considered by the Senate on Thursday.

The Government will also abolish numerous advisory committees; amend the Legislation Act 2003 to clarify the validity of ministerial acts; amend the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act 2005 to remove the requirement for the Indigenous Business Australia’s corporate plan to be tabled; and seek to establish the Regional Investment Corporation to administer farm business loans and financial assistance granted to states and territories in relation to water infrastructure projects.

A full list of legislation proposed for introduction in the 2018 Autumn Sittings is available here.