12th May 2021, 12:04 PM – Senate Mutual Recognition Amendment Bill 2021 - Second Reading - Change wording

The same number of senators voted for and against the amendment, which means it failed. The amendment would have changed the wording of the usual second reading motion, which is “that the bill be read a second time” (parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill).

Amendment text

Omit all words after 'That", substitute "the Bill be referred to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 9 June 2021, with particular reference to concerns raised by the Scrutiny of Bills Committee, and whether the legislation will:

a) act as a disincentive to states and territories harmonising rules and regulations relating to occupational registration and/or licensing of occupations where significant jurisdictional variation exists,

b) restrict existing licensing and registration authorities from adequately performing their functions, and

c) reduce consumer protections, public safety and the work health and safety of workers by replacing existing mutual recognition arrangements of occupations that require licensing and/or registration with the proposed automatic mutual recognition arrangements".