1st Dec 2020, 1:23 PM – Senate Australia's Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) Bill 2020 and another - Second Reading - Withdraw bill and consult

The majority voted against an amendment to the usual second reading motion, which is "that the bills be reads for a second time" (parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bills). This means the amendment failed.

Amendment text

Omit all words after "That", insert:

", the bill be withdrawn; and

(a) The Senate notes that:

(i) the bill as drafted creates a significant new scheme with wide-ranging implications;

(ii) no public consultation process was undertaken on an exposure draft bill and there was no regulatory impact statement prepared prior to the introduction of the bill; and

(iii) stakeholders have raised a range of concerns about lack of consultation, the compliance burden and impact of this bill; and

(b) The Senate calls on the Government to undertake more extensive consultation with the wide range of stakeholders impacted by this proposed legislation".

What do these bills do?

According to the bill homepage, the Australia’s Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) Bill 2020 was:

Introduced with the Australia’s Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2020, the bill establishes a legislative scheme for Commonwealth engagement with arrangements between State or Territory governments and foreign governments, and their associated entities.