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1999
THE PARLIAMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH
OF AUSTRALIA
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
(Circulated by authority of the
Minister of Finance and
Administration,
the Honourable John Fahey MP)
ISBN: 0642 392277
COMMONWEALTH GRANTS COMMISSION AMENDMENT BILL 1999
OUTLINE
This Bill represents a necessary step to give effect to the Government’s election commitment to work with the indigenous community and ATSIC to develop and adopt appropriate arrangements to improve the allocation of funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The amendments to the Commonwealth Grants Commission Act allow the Government to ask the Commonwealth Grants Commission to develop measures of relative disadvantage that could be used to target resources for the indigenous community more effectively to the areas of greatest need.
FINANCIAL IMPACT STATEMENT
There are no current financial consequences of this Bill.
The cost of holding a subsequent inquiry will depend on the scope and terms of reference of that inquiry.
NOTES ON CLAUSES
Section 1 — Short title
1. Provides for the Act to be cited as the Commonwealth Grants Commission Amendment Act 1999.
2. Provides that the Act shall come into operation on the day it receives the royal assent.
THE SCHEDULE
Item 1 — Title
3. Inserts in the title of the Act reference to the Commission’s role in making recommendations concerning the financing of works and services relating to indigenous persons.
Item 2
4. Inserts a definition of the term indigenous person into Section 4 of the Act.
Item 3
5. Inserts, after Section 17, a new Section 18 allowing the Minister of Finance and Administration to ask the Commission to make recommendations on matters relating to works and services in respect of indigenous persons, provided or funded by the Commonwealth through its own agencies or through specific purpose payments to the States and Territories.
Item 4
6. Inserts into subsection 25(1) provision to enable the Minister to table in each House of Parliament reports of the Commission on inquiries conducted under the new Section 18.
7. Inserts into subsection 25(2) a requirement for the Minister to table in each House of Parliament a report of the Commission on an inquiry conducted under the new Section 18 before a law relating to that inquiry is introduced.