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This is a Bill, not an Act. For current law, see the Acts databases.
2013-2014-2015
The Parliament of the
Commonwealth of Australia
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Presented and read a first time
Charter of Budget Honesty Amendment
(Regional Australia Statements) Bill 2015
No. , 2015
(Ms McGowan)
A Bill for an Act to amend the Charter of Budget
Honesty Act 1998, and for related purposes
No. , 2015
Charter of Budget Honesty Amendment (Regional Australia
Statements) Bill 2015
i
Contents
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Short title ........................................................................................... 1
2
Commencement ................................................................................. 1
3
Schedules ........................................................................................... 2
Schedule 1--Amendments
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Charter of Budget Honesty Act 1998
3
No. , 2015
Charter of Budget Honesty Amendment (Regional Australia
Statements) Bill 2015
1
A Bill for an Act to amend the Charter of Budget
1
Honesty Act 1998, and for related purposes
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The Parliament of Australia enacts:
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1 Short title
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This Act may be cited as the Charter of Budget Honesty
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Amendment (Regional Australia Statements) Act 2015.
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2 Commencement
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This Act commences on the day this Act receives the Royal
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Assent.
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2
Charter of Budget Honesty Amendment (Regional Australia
Statements) Bill 2015
No. , 2015
3 Schedules
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Legislation that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or
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repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule
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concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect
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according to its terms.
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Amendments Schedule 1
No. , 2015
Charter of Budget Honesty Amendment (Regional Australia
Statements) Bill 2015
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Schedule 1
--Amendments
1
2
Charter of Budget Honesty Act 1998
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1 After subclause 2(3) of Schedule 1
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Insert:
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Regional Australia statements
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(3A) The Treasurer is to publicly release and table a regional Australia
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statement together with each budget economic and fiscal outlook
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report and each mid-year economic and fiscal outlook report (see
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Part 5A).
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2 After Part 5 of Schedule 1
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Insert:
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Part 5A--Regional Australia statements
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19A Public release and tabling of regional Australia statements
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(1) The Treasurer is to publicly release and table a regional Australia
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statement together with:
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(a) each budget economic and fiscal outlook report; and
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(b) each mid-year economic and fiscal outlook report.
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(2) A regional Australia statement for a report may be incorporated in
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the report.
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19B Purpose of regional Australia statements
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The purpose of a regional Australia statement is to provide
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information to allow the assessment of the impact of the
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Government's decisions on regional Australia.
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Schedule 1 Amendments
4
Charter of Budget Honesty Amendment (Regional Australia
Statements) Bill 2015
No. , 2015
19C Contents of regional Australia statements
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(1) A regional Australia statement for a budget economic and fiscal
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outlook report is to contain information about:
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(a) the likely impacts on regional Australia of key Government
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initiatives, or significant changes to such initiatives,
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announced:
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(i) since the last mid-year economic and fiscal outlook
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report was released; or
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(ii) in connection with the budget; and
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(b) progress made since the last mid-year economic and fiscal
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outlook report was released in implementing key
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Government initiatives that are likely to have an impact on
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regional Australia.
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(2) A regional Australia statement for a mid-year economic and fiscal
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outlook report is to contain information about:
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(a) the likely impacts on regional Australia of key Government
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initiatives, or significant changes to such initiatives,
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announced:
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(i) since the budget; or
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(ii) in connection with the report; and
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(b) progress made since the budget in implementing key
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Government initiatives that are likely to have an impact on
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regional Australia.
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(3) A regional Australia statement is to be prepared having regard to
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the following:
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(a) the economic, social, cultural and environmental impacts of
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Government initiatives;
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(b) the economic drivers of regional communities;
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(c) the disproportionate effect that Government initiatives may
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have in regional communities due to a lack of infrastructure,
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including:
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(i) mobile phone coverage; and
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(ii) reliable internet connections; and
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(iii) access to public transport;
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Amendments Schedule 1
No. , 2015
Charter of Budget Honesty Amendment (Regional Australia
Statements) Bill 2015
5
(d) the lack of access that people living in regional communities
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have to government services due to cost, and long travel
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distances and times;
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(e) the effect that lack of competition in regional communities
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has on:
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(i) the cost of living and doing business in regional
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communities; and
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(ii) the cost and difficulty involved in complying with
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regulatory requirements for people and businesses in
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regional communities.
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(4) A regional Australia statement does not have to include
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information that the Treasurer considers should not be included
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because:
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(a) it is confidential commercial information; or
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(b) its disclosure in the report could prejudice national security.
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19D Commonwealth bodies to provide information to help prepare
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regional Australia statements
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(1) To help the Treasurer to prepare a regional Australia statement, the
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Treasurer may request a Commonwealth body to provide
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information.
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(2) A Commonwealth body is to comply with a request in time to
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allow the information to be taken into account in the preparation of
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the statement, unless it is not practicable for the body to do so. The
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body does not have to provide information if doing so would
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contravene another law of the Commonwealth.
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