Hansard debates

Ordered that second-reading speech be incorporated into Hansard on motion of Mr JENNINGS (Special Minister of State).

Mr JENNINGS (Special Minister of State) — I move:

That the bill be now read a second time.

Incorporated speech as follows:

The Parliamentary Committees and Inquiries Acts Amendment Bill 2015 will amend both the Parliamentary Committees Act 2003 and the Inquiries Act 2014.

With respect to the Parliamentary Committees Act, the bill merges six existing joint investigatory committees to form three new committees. The three new committees are:

the Economic, Education, Jobs and Skills Committee, which will undertake the functions of the current Economic Development, Infrastructure and Outer Suburban/Interface Services Committee and the Education and Training Committee;

the Environment, Natural Resources and Regional Development Committee, which will undertake the functions of the current Environment and Natural Resources Committee and the Rural and Regional Committee; and

the Law Reform, Road and Community Safety Committee, which will undertake the functions of the current Law Reform, Drugs and Crime Prevention Committee and the Road Safety Committee.

Consolidating the functions of six joint investigatory committees into three will ensure that the committees operate more efficiently, and that workloads between different committees are better distributed. As the new committees will have the same functions of the committees they replace, there is no loss of coverage of the issues considered by committees. The new committees will continue any inquiries currently before the committees they replace. In addition, any members who have already been appointed to committees affected by the bill will continue as members of the relevant new committee.

With respect to the Inquiries Act, the bill clarifies that the government may amend the letters patent of royal commissions and instruments of appointment of boards of inquiry that were established before the Inquiries Act commenced.

The bill also clarifies that witnesses who are requested to give evidence to formal reviews are entitled to be reimbursed for expenses when the formal review's establishing instrument authorises this. Finally, the bill updates definitions and references to other legislation in the act.

I commend the bill to the house.

Debate adjourned on motion of Mr RICH-PHILLIPS (South Eastern Metropolitan).

Debate adjourned until Thursday, 5 March.