What to Look for this Parliamentary Sitting Week

The House and the Senate will return to Parliament today following a two-week suspension put in place after Queen Elizabeth II's death.?

In both houses, Friday will be solely dedicated to condolence motions for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.?

Key issues set for debate are amendments to the Treasury Laws and the government’s legislation to establish Jobs and Skills Australia as an independent body.?

?The Government is also expected to introduce legislation to establish a Federal? Independent Anti-Corruption Commission.?

House of Representatives?

Friday?

The Prime Minister will move the motion of condolence on Friday morning, seconded by the Opposition Leader. Both leaders will be given 15 minutes for their condolence speeches.

The Deputy Prime Minister and The Deputy Leader of the Opposition have been allocated 10 minutes on Friday Morning.?

Parliament will then sit to allow for five-minute contributions from Members of Parliament.?

Monday

The first bill set for debate on Monday is the Jobs and Skills Australia Bill. Introduced alongside the Jobs and Skills Australia (National Skills Commissioner Repeal) Bill 2022, the bill establishes a statutory body within the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, to provide advice and collect, analyse, share and publish data and other information on Australia's current and emerging labour market and its current, emerging and future skills and training needs and priorities (including in relation to apprenticeships), and the adequacy of the Australian system for providing vocational education and training (including training outcomes).

The Treasury Laws Amendment (2022 Measures No. 1) Bill 2022 is also set to be debated in the morning. The bill provides further support to small businesses impacted by Cyclone Seroja, transitional provisions for the repeal of the Superannuation (Resolution of Complaints) Act 1993, and tax exemptions for FIFA and its subsidiary FWWC2023 Pty Ltd for activities promoting the delivery of the 2023 Women’s World Cup.??

Immediately prior to Question Time, the Government will deliver a response to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide Interim Report.?

The final bill set for debate is the Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Self-Employment Programs and Other Measures) 2022. The bill aims to clarify that the Family Law Regulations 1984, Social Security Act 1991 and Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 operate in the same way in relation to payments under the Self-Employment Assistance program as payments under the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme.?

Tuesday?

Tuesday will begin with debate on the National Health Amendment (General Co-payment) Bill 2022 which aims to reduce the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) general co-payment and also give effect to the commitment that no patient would be worse off by allowing pharmacies to apply an optional discount to the PBS dispensed price.?

The Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Incentivising Pensioners to Downsize) aims to better support pensioners during the sale and purchase of a new principal home.?

Immediately preceding and proceeding Question Time, debate will continue on the Counter Terrorism Legislation Amendment (AFP Powers and Other Matters) Bill. The bill would extend for 12 months the Australian Federal Police (AFP) counter-terrorism powers that are scheduled to sunset on 7 December 2022.

The Treasury Laws Amendment (2022 Measures No. 3) strives to amend the FATA to double the maximum financial penalties for contraventions of provisions that relate only to residential land.?

Tuesday will conclude with debate on the ?Income Tax Amendment (Labour Mobility Program). The bill will reduce the tax on certain income earned by foreign resident workers participating in the Australian Agriculture Worker Program or the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme from 32.5 per cent to 15 per cent.?

Wednesday

Wednesday morning will begin with a tribute to Jack Charles.?

The Financial Sector Reform Bill and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme of Last Resort Levy ?were introduced alongside the? Financial Accountability Regime Bill. The Bills introduce a new accountability regime for the banking, insurance and superannuation industries.

This will be followed by debate on the High Speed Rail Authority. This Bill establishes the High-Speed Rail Authority as an independent body to advise on, plan and develop the high-speed rail system.?

The final bill set for debate is the Emergency Response Fund Amendment (Disaster Ready Fund) which establishes the Disaster Ready Fund to improve Australia’s disaster readiness by investing up to $200 million per annum to build resilience to, prepare for or reduce the risk of future natural disasters, and build the long-term sustainability of communities that are at risk of being affected by a future natural disaster.?

A full list of legislation scheduled in the House of Representatives can be found here.

Senate

Monday?

Monday morning will begin with the Consideration of two Private Senators’ Bills.

The Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Amendment (Benefit to Australia) Bill 2020 will require the National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator and the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority to take into account the benefit to the Australian community when granting new leases or renewing existing leases.

Parliamentary Privileges Amendment (Royal Commission Response) Bill 2022 implements a recommendation of the interim report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide to allow a royal commission, whose terms of reference require an examination of government, to analyse evidence that is subject to parliamentary privilege and draw inferences or conclusions from it.

This will be followed by the Government’s Social Security (Administration) Amendment (Repeal of Cashless Debit Card and Other Measures) Bill 2022 which aims to abolish the cashless welfare arrangements and provide for certain exiting program participants to enter alternative income management arrangements.?

The Fair Work Amendment (Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave) Bill 2022 amends the Fair Work Act 2009 to provide workers with 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave in the National Employment Standards (NES), replacing the 5 days of unpaid leave currently standing in the NES.??

Introduced alongside the Jobs and Skills Australia (National Skills Commissioner Repeal) Bill 2022, the Jobs and Skills Australia bill establishes a statutory body within the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, to provide advice and collect, analyse, share and publish data and other information on Australia's current and emerging labour market and its current, emerging and future skills and training needs and priorities (including in relation to apprenticeships), and the adequacy of the Australian system for providing vocational education and training (including training outcomes).

Tuesday?

Only two bills are set for debate on Tuesday.

The Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Lifting the Income Limit for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card). The bill amends the Social Security Act 1991 and Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 to increase the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card income test limits to $90 000 a year for a single person and $144 000 a year for couples.

The Military Rehabilitation and Compensation and Other Legislation Amendment (Incapacity Payments) Bill 2022 is also scheduled to be debated this afternoon. This Bill provides funding to continue the incapacity payments of 100% if normal weekly earnings for veterans engaged in full-time study on the proviso that recipients participate in a DVA rehabilitation program if they have the capacity to do.??

Wednesday?

Wednesday will begin with the? Treasury Laws Amendment (Electric Car Discount) which aims to exempt from fringe benefits tax the use, or availability for use, of cars made available by employers to current employees that are zero or low-emissions vehicles with a value at first retail sale below the luxury car tax threshold for fuel-efficient vehicles.

This will be followed Defence, Veterans’ and Families’ Acute Support Package which aims to extend eligibility to veterans and their family members who are at risk of or in crisis, whether or not the veteran is participating in a rehabilitation program or has rendered warlike service and expand the range of supports available to family members under the current family support package.?

The sitting week will conclude with debate on the Aged Care Amendment (Implementing Care Reform) which will require approved providers of residential care to ensure a registered nurse is onsite and on duty at all times at each residential facility operated by them. The bill will also enable the capping of prices that approved providers of home care can charge care recipients and remove the home care providers' ability to charge exit amounts and require the secretary to publish information in relation to aged care services.

A full list of legislation scheduled in the Senate can be found here.?