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2002-2003
THE PARLIAMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
SENATE
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY SERVICES LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (AUSTRALIANS WORKING TOGETHER AND OTHER 2001 BUDGET MEASURES) BILL 2002
FURTHER SUPPLEMENTARY EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
Amendments to be moved on behalf of the Government
(Circulated by the authority of the
Minister for
Family and Community
Services,
Senator the Hon Amanda
Vanstone)
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY
SERVICES LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (AUSTRALIANS WORKING TOGETHER AND OTHER 2001
BUDGET MEASURES) BILL 2002
OUTLINE AND FINANCIAL IMPACT STATEMENT
These amendments provide changed commencement dates
for most of the measures in the Bill due to the continuing delay in passage of
the Bill. The date for evaluation of certain measures is also being changed to
reflect the changed commencement
dates.
Changed commencement
dates
The delay in the passage of the
Bill has already resulted in changed commencement dates for some of the measures
in the Bill. These changed dates were provided by a Government amendment that
was agreed to by both chambers of the Parliament in December
2002.
The continuing delay in passage means
that the proposed commencement dates (including those amended already) for most
of the measures in the Bill are now not achievable. Accordingly, new
commencement dates are being provided for most measures. Upon enactment, these
new commencement dates will prevail over the dates provided by the earlier
Government amendment.
The new commencement
dates are:
Schedule 1 (Parenting Payment
Participation Agreements – was to commence on 1 July
2003)
Commencement: 20 September
2003
Schedule 2 (Language, literacy and
numeracy supplement – was to commence on 20 September
2002)
Commencement: 20 September
2003
Schedule 3 (Personal Support
Programme)
No change – commencement
remains at the 28th day after Royal
Assent.
Schedule 4 (Closure of access to
mature age allowance and partner allowance – was to commence on 1 July
2003)
Commencement: 20 September
2003
Schedule 5 (Flexible participation
requirements for mature age newstart allowees – was to commence on 1 July
2003)
Commencement: 20 September
2003
Schedule 6 (Working credit – was
to commence on 28 April
2003)
Commencement: 20 September
2003
Schedule 7 (Miscellaneous
amendments)
No change – commencement
remains at the day of Royal
Assent.
Financial
implications
The total resourcing is as follows:
|
Total resourcing - measures commencing
on 20 September 2003
|
|||||
|
|
2002-03
$m. |
2003-04
$m. |
2004-05
$m. |
2005-06
$m. |
Total
$m. |
|
Parenting Payment Participation
Agreements
|
-4.3
|
19.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
14.7
|
|
Language, Literacy and Numeracy
Supplement
|
-5.2
|
-1.1
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
-6.3
|
|
Closure of access to Mature Age Allowance and Partner
Allowance
|
-0.1
|
2.1
|
0.2
|
0.0
|
2.2
|
|
Flexible participation requirements for Mature Age
Newstart Allowees
|
-0.3
|
10.8
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
10.5
|
|
Working Credit
|
-19.1
|
4.9
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
-14.2
|
|
Total $m.
|
-29.0
|
35.7
|
0.2
|
0.0
|
6.9
|
Note: Participation planning for widow allowees is a
non-legislative AWT measure, linked to the legislative measures shown
above, which is also being delayed until 20 September 2003. The financial
implications of this are:
|
|
2002-03
$m. |
2003-04
$m. |
2004-05
$m. |
2005-06
$m. |
Total
$m. |
|
Total resourcing
|
-0.2
|
0.5
|
0.3
|
0.0
|
0.6
|
Changed evaluation
date
An amendment has been made to the
AWT Bill during passage, and agreed by all parties, to provide for an evaluation
of the participation requirements for parents and mature age newstart allowees.
The amendment as it stands requires that evaluation to be tabled by 30 June
2005. However, the delay in the Bill’s passage, and the consequential
delayed commencement of the measures, means that there will not be enough data
in the system with which to conduct that evaluation by that date. Accordingly,
the latest date for tabling the evaluation is now to be 30 June
2006.
Commencement: Royal
Assent
Financial
implications: Nil
NOTES ON AMENDMENTS
Amendment
1
This amendment omits the current clause
in the Bill that contains the commencement provisions and substitutes a new
clause that incorporates the changed commencement dates that are necessary due
to the continuing delay in passage of the Bill. The measures in the Bill for
which the commencement dates will change, and the new dates, are described in
detail under Outline and Financial Impact Statement
above.
Amendment
2
This amendment amends the proposed
evaluation provision to achieve the delay of one year in the date by which the
evaluation of the measures in Schedules 1 and 5 must be tabled. That date will
now be 30 June 2006.