Senate Economics Legislation Committee, , 8:29:49 to 8:34:12
Discussion on the prioritization of Treasury bills and the impact of Senate processes on the delivery of government tax measures.
Topics: Law reform, Integrity
Speakers: Senator Dean Smith, Erin Wells, Hon Tim Ayres, Katrina Di Marco, Senator Lisa Darmanin
Thank you, Senator. Um I don't have that particular breakdown before me, but if helpful um in this term of government we have introduced 27 bill packages and Around 77 measures through the Parliament and an additional approximately 400 subordinate instruments or regulations have also been delivered by the that is very very powerful data.
It just makes this particular matter look more criminal. This does make that data just makes this matter look more.
Well, Senator, as I said, at any one time we've got 300 measures on our programme. And that there is that is subject to prioritization.
But Treasury bills often have various um I've often a Treasury Law Amendment bill will have various elements to it, various measures to it. So why has it why is it that this particular measure has not been able to be included into a Treasury amendment bill?
Senator, I'm as I said, um that that is a decision of government. Um it's subject to the PPC.
On notice, can you advise me what other budget measures have been outstanding, outstanding from being incorporated in legislation and introduced to the Parliament for a period of two and a half years plus? So this particular measure has been waiting, sitting idly on the government's perspective for two and a half years. What is the explanation for that? Di Marco, do you have a.
Senator, we're happy to take the data that you want on notice. In relation to the specific measure, I'm not in a position to explain it. What I will say, and what Mills Ms. Wells has already, I think articulated a couple of times, things are always subject to a rigorous prioritization process.
So this is not a priority?
Senator, there are always things that come up that are a priority. We constantly are re-evaluating those priorities, but those priorities are a matter for government.
So how do you explain this to stakeholders? It's not a priority. Is the how does the government respond, Senator recent media reporting that this particular delay could cost up to a thousand jobs, a thousand film jobs?
Well, it's hard to see how legislation that will be retrospective offsets that will apply from one July 2024 can be anything but good news for the sector.
Um but but it is um but the suggestion from about a thousand film, the suggestion about the potential loss of a thousand film jobs didn't come from a politician, it came from a screen producer. They would know better than us.
Well, uh the the measures are there, they are in place and they support an industry that um that is of real value to uh to Australia.
It's also curious to me that other measures or other items that were announced in the 2024 budget that appeared on the same page have actually been legislated.
You're at nine minutes.
What can the Senate do to elevate this issue in the minds of the Treasurer and the Assistant Treasurer and get it incorporated into uh I'll
I'll take your outline as a commitment to vote for it, uh Senator, and we'll uh we'll show that the Treasurer's I think you can listen.
I think I'm not the manager, but I'll go so far as to say if you wanted to bring it forward on the 16th of November, uh we would embrace it enthusiastically.
Expeditious Senate inquiry about what what means we make the most efficient progress in legislative terms.
Thank you very much, Chair.
Thank you. Senator McDonald.