Bill
Coronavirus Economic Response Package Omnibus Bill 2020
passed, as at 2020-03-24. Treasury portfolio.
- Sponsor
- Not recorded
- Portfolio
- Treasury
Recorded stages
- introduced — 2020-03-23
- second reading — 2020-03-23
- second reading — 2020-03-23
- second reading — 2020-03-23
- committee — 2020-03-23
- third reading — 2020-03-23
- introduced — 2020-03-23
- second reading — 2020-03-23
- second reading — 2020-03-23
- second reading — 2020-03-23
- committee — 2020-03-23
- third reading — 2020-03-23
- other — 2020-03-23
- passed — 2020-03-23
- royal assent — 2020-03-24
Divisions
- The majority voted to disagree with the [amendment](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/debate/?id=2020-03-23.18.1) below being added to the usual [second reading motion](https://peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/how-parliament-works/bills-and-laws/making-a-law-in-the-australian-parliament/) "*that the bills be read for a second time*". Reading a bill for a second time is parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill. Because this amendment was unsuccessful, the words below will not be added. It was introduced by Whitlam MP [Stephen Jones](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/representatives/whitlam/stephen_jones) (Labor). ### What do these bills do? These bills [were introduced to](https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:legislation/billhome/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22legislation%2Fems%2Fr6521_ems_84ea9dda-1a44-44b8-878b-68c376cbed56%22;rec=0) "*implement the Government’s economic response to the spread of the Coronavirus, which the Government announced between 12 and 22 March 2020.*" You can find a copy of the bills' text on the bills' homepages by clicking on the bill hyperlinks provided on this page (each bill has its own hyperlink), or read about the Government's intentions with the bill on the [explanatory memorandum](https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:legislation/billhome/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22legislation%2Fems%2Fr6521_ems_84ea9dda-1a44-44b8-878b-68c376cbed56%22;rec=0). Due to the speed with which the bills went through parliament, there is currently no bills digest. ### Amendment text > *That the following words be added after paragraph (7):* > > *"(8)(a) every Australian deserves a dignified retirement;* > >> *(b) Australians are proud of our world-class superannuation system;* >> >> *(c) drawing down on superannuation when the market is at historic lows will have negative implications for most Australians, and should only be an option of last resort; and* >> >> *(d — 2020-03-23, House of Representatives: affirmative, ayes 49, noes 38
- The majority voted to disagree with the [amendment](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/debate/?id=2020-03-23.14.1) below being added to the usual [second reading motion](https://peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/how-parliament-works/bills-and-laws/making-a-law-in-the-australian-parliament/) "*that the bills be read for a second time*". Reading a bill for a second time is parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill. Because this amendment was unsuccessful, the words below will not be added. It was introduced by Watson MP [Tony Burke](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/representatives/watson/tony_burke) (Labor). ### What do these bills do? These bills [were introduced to](https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:legislation/billhome/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22legislation%2Fems%2Fr6521_ems_84ea9dda-1a44-44b8-878b-68c376cbed56%22;rec=0) "*implement the Government’s economic response to the spread of the Coronavirus, which the Government announced between 12 and 22 March 2020.*" You can find a copy of the bills' text on the bills' homepages by clicking on the bill hyperlinks provided on this page (each bill has its own hyperlink), or read about the Government's intentions with the bill on the [explanatory memorandum](https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:legislation/billhome/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22legislation%2Fems%2Fr6521_ems_84ea9dda-1a44-44b8-878b-68c376cbed56%22;rec=0). Due to the speed with which the bills went through parliament, there is currently no bills digest. ### Amendment text > *That the following words be added:* > > *''(6) there is no conditionality on assistance measures to business to keep workers employed; and* > > *(7) calls on the Government to legislate for a mechanism that provides sufficient incentive for employers to keep employees in work''* — 2020-03-23, House of Representatives: affirmative, ayes 46, noes 38
- The majority voted in favour of keeping the usual [second reading motion](https://peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/how-parliament-works/bills-and-laws/making-a-law-in-the-australian-parliament/) unchanged. The usual second reading motion is "*that the bills be read for a second time*", which is parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill. The proposal to change the usual text and replace it with the [amendment](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/debate/?id=2020-03-23.10.1) below was introduced by Rankin MP [Jim Chalmers](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/representatives/rankin/jim_chalmers) (Labor). The purpose of the amendment was to draw attention to the starting date of the measures included in the bill (see below). ### What do these bills do? These bills [were introduced to](https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:legislation/billhome/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22legislation%2Fems%2Fr6521_ems_84ea9dda-1a44-44b8-878b-68c376cbed56%22;rec=0) "*implement the Government’s economic response to the spread of the Coronavirus, which the Government announced between 12 and 22 March 2020.*" You can find a copy of the bills' text on the bills' homepages by clicking on the bill hyperlinks provided on this page (each bill has its own hyperlink), or read about the Government's intentions with the bill on the [explanatory memorandum](https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:legislation/billhome/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22legislation%2Fems%2Fr6521_ems_84ea9dda-1a44-44b8-878b-68c376cbed56%22;rec=0). Due to the speed with which the bills went through parliament, there is currently no bills digest. ### Amendment text > *That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:* > > *"whilst not declining to give these bills a second reading, the House calls on the Government to more quickly implement the measures it is proposing, noting that under the current proposa — 2020-03-23, House of Representatives: affirmative, ayes 49, noes 38
- The majority voted in favour of disagreeing with the [opposition amendments](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/debate/?id=2020-03-23.91.1), which were introduced by Whitlam MP Stephen Jones (Labor). This means that the amendments failed. ### What did the amendments do? Mr Jones [explained the purpose of the amendments](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/debate/?id=2020-03-23.91.1), which relate to provisions that give workers early access to funds from their superannuation. Mr Jones argued that the provisions are "poorly implemented": > *We are advised by the government that 1.6 million applicants are expected to take avail of the new provisions within this schedule. Those 1.6 million applicants will make their application to access superannuation through the myGov portal. [...]* > > *We are deeply concerned because of the mechanisms around which this schedule will operate. The 1.6 million applicants go to myGov, they make their applications through myGov and myGov sends it through to the regulator, who, in this instance, is the ATO—and the ATO is the assessing authority. Most people will think, 'Well, if the ATO is the approving authority, a payment can be easily issued from the ATO'—but this is not the case. The ATO sends a notice to the trustees of the member's superannuation fund, saying, 'Please pay this money into this member's bank account.' That sounds reasonable. The only problem is the superannuation accounts don't have that information. With all the goodwill in the world, the minister might wish they did and the parliament may wish they did, but the simple fact of the matter is they don't. They don't have that information.* > > *[...] Labor's amendments ... ensure that, when the ATO contacts the superannuation fund, and says, 'This fund member is eligible to receive early relief,' the ATO must provide the superannuation fund with all the information that they have that will enable the superannuation fund to make an early release of the funds.* Deakin MP [Mic — 2020-03-23, House of Representatives: affirmative, ayes 49, noes 38
Plain-language summary
No machine-written summary in this export.
Sources
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em supp
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billhome
frl act