To assist in the forward planning of the Government’s Legislative Program, it is necessary for the Department of Premier and Cabinet to collate from Ministers the details of any legislative matters that they currently anticipate bringing to Parliament in 2012.

Ministers are therefore requested to provide details of any items of legislation that they intend to bring forward in 2012 using the attached form.

A separate form should be completed for each piece of legislation. (A form does not need to be completed for bills that have already been introduced into Parliament even if they have not yet passed all stages.)

Forms should be returned addressed to Cabinet Secretariat by no later than Friday, 13 January 2012.

In order to allow for the efficient scheduling of the Cabinet and Parliamentary agenda, as well as for the planning and allocation of drafting resources, Ministers are requested to ensure that Cabinet Minutes seeking in-principle approval for the drafting of legislation are lodged as early as possible.

The deadlines for legislation proposed for introduction into Parliament in the 2012 Autumn (Budget) Sittings are as follows:

• Any outstanding Cabinet Minutes seeking in-principle approval to draft legislation should be lodged with Cabinet Secretariat before the commencement of the sitting period on 14 February 2012 if possible and, in any event, must be lodged by Friday, 27 April 2012 at the very latest.
• Ministers should instruct the relevant agencies to provide drafting instructions to the Parliamentary Counsel’s Office within five working days of Cabinet’s in-principle approval.
• All Bills should be drafted and approved for introduction into Parliament by the Cabinet Standing Committee on Legislation no later than the week commencing Monday, 28 May 2012.

Matters that do not comply with these deadlines will not be able to be included in the parliamentary program for the 2012 Autumn (Budget) Sittings unless Ministers are able to make out a case for urgency and obtain the formal approval of the Premier.

Any enquiries should be directed to the Branch Manager, Cabinet Secretariat on
(02) 9228 4636.