Page 3253 - Week 12 - Thursday, 19 November 1992
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declaring that good to be exempt from mutual recognition for up to 12 months if genuine health, safety or environmental pollution grounds exist. This will trigger consideration of the standard applying to that good by the relevant ministerial council, and the result at the end of 12 months will be either a uniform standard, a permanent exemption or the full operation of mutual recognition.
Consideration of the requirements for registration of a particular occupation by the relevant ministerial council can also be triggered by mutual recognition. This, I think, addresses Mrs Carnell's difficulty. All decisions of local registration authorities in relation to the operation of mutual recognition of occupations are appealable to the Commonwealth Administrative Appeals Tribunal. The AAT can make temporary declarations that occupations are not equivalent on the basis of health, safety or environmental pollution considerations.
I think that, clearly, the example Mrs Carnell raised would fall into that category. Like the temporary exemptions for goods, these declarations have effect for 12 months, during which time mutual recognition will not operate, and the ministerial council having responsibility for that occupation is required to determine whether or not to develop uniform registration requirements for that occupation.
The intergovernmental agreement to which we are a party also enables jurisdictions to refer the question of standards applying to particular goods or occupations even if these temporary exemptions or declarations are not involved. Heads of government have agreed to apply majority voting rules to decisions of relevant ministerial councils on uniformity which are made as a result of mutual recognition. I think that is an important commitment by jurisdictions in the interests of the nation as a whole.
Madam Speaker, the prospect of mutual recognition has, in fact, accelerated work towards uniformity which is already under way in many areas. An example of this in the goods area includes national food standards, occupational health and safety standards, therapeutic goods, and agricultural and veterinary chemicals. In the occupations area, the most notable developments have occurred in relation to doctors and other health professionals.
Madam Speaker, I hope that that has addressed the issues raised by other speakers on this Bill. I welcome the bipartisan support and I think that we can be proud that we are but the second jurisdiction to be addressing this legislation. I foreshadow that at a later stage in the consideration of the Bill I will be moving an amendment which I did refer to in introducing it. I alert members to the fact that that amendment has been circulated.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
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