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2002-2003
THE PARLIAMENT OF THE
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES
EXPLANATORY
MEMORANDUM
(Circulated
by authority of the Prime Minister, the Hon John Howard MP)
GOVERNOR-GENERAL AMENDMENT BILL 2003
The Bill proposes an amendment to the Governor-General Act 1974 to
set the official salary for the next Governor-General, Major-General Michael
Jeffery, AC, CVO, MC, prior to his swearing-in on 11 August 2003.
Section
3 of the Constitution provides that the salary of the Governor-General shall not
be altered during his continuance in office. The Bill amends the
Governor-General Act 1974 to change the sum payable for the salary of the
Governor-General from $310,000 to $365,000. The proposed salary has been set so
that it moderately exceeds the estimated average salary of the Chief Justice of
the High Court of Australia over the notional three year term of the appointment
of the Governor-General. This is consistent with the convention that has
applied since 1974. The amendment will take effect on Royal Assent.
This Bill will result in increased expenditure of approximately $48,700
in 2003-04 and $55,000 in 2004-05 and subsequent financial years. However, the
net financial impact of the new arrangements is unquantifiable as it is not
possible to estimate the exact taxation liabilities or retirement allowances,
which will depend on the individual financial circumstances of the
Governor-General. The overall impact, however, is expected to be
negligible.
NOTES ON CLAUSES
This clause provides for the Act to be cited as the Governor-General
Amendment Act 2003.
This clause provides for the Act to commence on Royal Assent.
This clause provides that an Act specified in the Schedule to this Act is
amended or repealed as set out in the Schedule, and that any other item in the
Schedule operates according to its terms.
Section 3 of the Governor-General Act 1974 provides that the
annual sum payable for the salary of the Governor-General shall be
$310,000.
Item 1 omits the annual sum of $310,000 and substitutes a new
annual sum of $365,000.