Premier & Cabinet

Type:
Premier's Memorandum
Identifier:
M1993-26
Status:
Archived

M1993-26 Statute Law Revision Program

Detailed Outline

Long-standing Cabinet approval exists for a program of regular statute law revision. TO date, 20 Acts have been passed under the program. The program is recognised as a cost effective and efficient method of making minor, policy-neutral amendments to statutes.

The following will apply in relation to the statute law revision program:

Frequency of Bills

(a) Two Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bills will usually be prepared each year - one in the Autumn sittings of
Parliament, and the other in the Budget sittings. A third Bill can be prepared if warranted.
Contents

(b) The Bills will continue to contain three kinds of matters only:

(i) minor amendments proposed by government agencies;
(ii) minor amendments by way of pure statute law revision, proposed by the Parliamentary Counsel;
(iii) repeals of obsolete or unnecessary Acts, proposed by government agencies or the Parliamentary Counsel.

(c) The contents of a Bill must be non-controversial.

Procedures

(d) Amendments proposed by government agencies should be endorsed by the responsible Minister.

(e) Requests for matters to be included in the Bill should be initiated by a letter to the Parliamentary Counsel. Requests should be sent as soon as possible after the need for the amendment is identified, but in any case by 14 February or 1 August for inclusion in the then current Bill. Requests received after these dates will as a rule be considered in connection with a later Bill.

(f) Each matter will be assessed initially by the Parliamentary Counsel's Office and then by the Cabinet Office. A matter
considered unsuitable for inclusion will not be included in the Bill. Memoranda to Ministers about the Bills and fixing closing dates will no longer be regularly issued. This information will be administratively provided to agencies.

(h) An in-principle Cabinet Minute for each Bill will be prepared for Cabinet's consideration as soon as possible after each closing date. The Minute will be prepared under the Premier's direction, but agencies may be requested to provide further information about proposed amendments. The completed Bill will be reported back to Cabinet in the usual way.

John Fahey
Premier

Overview

Compliance

Not Mandatory

AR Details

Date Issued
Jul 17, 1993
Review Date
Jul 17, 2003
Replaces
Replaced By

Contacts

Contact
Contact us
Phone
02 9228 5555
Publishing Entity
Department of Premier and Cabinet
Issuing Entity
Premier