Queensland Consolidated Acts

ACTS INTERPRETATION ACT 1954 - SECT 33

33 References to Ministers

(1) In an Act—

(a) a reference to a Minister is a reference to a Minister of the State; and

(b) a reference to a particular Minister by title, or to
"the Minister" without specifying a particular Minister by title, includes a reference to another Minister, or member of the Executive Council, who is acting for the Minister.

(2) In a provision of an Act, a reference to
"the Minister" without specifying a particular Minister by title is a reference to—

(a) the Minister administering the provision; or

(b) if, for the time being, different Ministers administer the provision in relation to different matters—

(i) if only 1 Minister administers the provision in relation to the relevant matter—the Minister; or

(ii) if 2 or more Ministers administer the provision in relation to the relevant matter—any 1 of the Ministers; or

(c) if paragraph (b) does not apply and, for the time being, 2 or more Ministers administer the provision—any 1 of the Ministers.

(3) If a provision of an Act refers to a Minister and specifies the Minister merely by reference to the fact that the Minister administers a specified Act or enactment, subsection (2) applies as if references in paragraphs (a) to (c) to the provision were references to the specified Act or enactment.

(4) If an Act defines the expression ‘Minister’ or ‘the Minister’ for the purposes of the Act or a provision of the Act in a way that does not specify a particular Minister by title, subsections (2) and (3) apply to the provision despite that definition of the expression.

(5) In an Act, a reference to a specified Minister who no longer exists—

(a) is a reference to the Minister specified by notification by the Governor in Council; and

(b) includes another Minister, or a member of the Executive Council, who is acting for the specified Minister.