Page 2235 - Week 07 - Thursday, 16 June 1994

MADAM SPEAKER, THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THIS BILL IS TO CLARIFY AND

STREAMLINE SOME OF THE PROCEDURES OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS

TRIBUNAL. THE BILL ALSO PROVIDES FOR MEDIATION AND A CODE OF

PRACTICE TO SET MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR NOTICES OF DECISIONS AND

RIGHTS OF REVIEW.

THE BACKGROUND TO THE AMENDMENTS IN THIS BILL CAN BE FOUND IN

EVENTS WHICH HAVE OCCURRED AT THE COMMONWEALTH LEVEL IN

RESPECT OF THE COMMONWEALTH TRIBUNAL.

BETWEEN OCTOBER 1990 AND NOVEMBER 1991 THE OPERATIONS OF THE

COMMONWEALTH TRIBUNAL WERE REVIEWED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF

THE COMMONWEALTH TRIBUNAL, THE COMMONWEALTH

ATTORNEY-GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT AND THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE.

THE REPORT ARISING FROM THIS REVIEW MADE A NUMBER OF

RECOMMENDATIONS.

MADAM SPEAKER, WHEN THE TRIBUNAL WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1989 IT WAS

MODELLED ON THE EXISTING COMMONWEALTH TRIBUNAL. NOT

SURPRISINGLY, A NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE REPORT OF THE

REVIEW OF THE COMMONWEALTH TRIBUNAL HAVE EQUAL IMPORTANCE

AND RELEVANCE TO OUR BODY. THIS BILL WILL IMPLEMENT THOSE

RECOMMENDATIONS.

2235