Finance and Administration Committee

The Finance and Administration Committee examined the bill and recommended it be passed. The bill sought supplementary appropriation of $2.411 million for unforeseen expenditure by the Legislative Assembly and Parliamentary Service in 2016-17, primarily for the Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis Select Committee, salary increases following the Queensland Independent Remuneration Tribunal's determination, lift upgrades in the Parliamentary Annexe, and IT system upgrades. No submissions were received and no fundamental legislative principle issues were identified.

The Finance and Administration Committee examined the bill following the independent Best Practice Review of Workplace Health and Safety Queensland. The committee received 29 submissions and held a public hearing with extensive stakeholder participation, including families affected by workplace fatalities. The committee was unable to reach agreement on whether the bill should be passed. Government members strongly supported the bill, while non-government members rejected it entirely.

The Finance and Administration Committee examined the bill and recommended it be passed, with several additional recommendations. The bill addressed workers' compensation reforms for coal workers with pneumoconiosis (black lung disease), including new lump sum payments, the ability to reopen statutory claims where disease progresses, and provisions for medical examinations. The government accepted most recommendations, including amending the bill to ensure coal workers do not bear travel costs for medical examinations, but did not support legislating cost apportionment for medical examinations across multiple employers.

The Education, Employment and Small Business Committee examined the bill over six weeks, receiving eleven submissions and holding a public hearing with legal and union stakeholders. The committee unanimously recommended the bill be passed, finding it appropriately implements twelve recommendations from the Peetz review of the workers' compensation scheme. Key areas of scrutiny included changes to psychological injury definitions, early intervention requirements for insurers, rehabilitation and return to work obligations, and the extension of workers' compensation coverage to unpaid interns.

The Economics and Governance Committee examined the 2021-22 budget estimates for its portfolio areas covering Premier and Cabinet, Treasury and Investment, and Tourism Industry Development, Innovation and Sport. The committee conducted a public hearing on 16 July 2021 and considered questions on notice from three Ministers. The committee recommended that the proposed expenditures be agreed to by the Legislative Assembly without amendment. LNP members filed a Statement of Reservation agreeing with passing the budget but criticising the Government's approach to health, business support during COVID lockdowns, housing, crime, and tourism funding cuts.

The Economics and Governance Committee examined the 2021-22 budget estimates for the Legislative Assembly and Parliamentary Service, which totalled $106.3 million. The committee conducted a question on notice process and a public hearing on 16 July 2021, taking evidence from the Speaker and parliamentary officers. The committee recommended that the proposed expenditure be agreed to without amendment. LNP members filed a Statement of Reservation agreeing with the budget but raising broader concerns about health, crime, tourism, and government accountability.

The Finance and Administration Committee examined the bill over two months, receiving 41 submissions and holding a public hearing. The bill proposed a licensing scheme to regulate the provision of labour hire services and protect workers from exploitation. The committee was unable to agree that the bill be passed. Government members strongly supported the bill, citing evidence of widespread exploitation in the labour hire industry. Non-government members opposed it, arguing it was unnecessary and would primarily serve to empower the union movement.

The Finance and Administration Committee examined the bill, which implements recommendations from the Mickel Review of trading hours in Queensland. The committee made three recommendations: to include the Cairns CBD as a defined tourist area, to correct shopping centre addresses, and to exclude motor vehicle and caravan retailers from the extended trading hours. All three recommendations were accepted by the government. Non-government members filed a Statement of Reservation and were unable to recommend the bill be passed.

The Finance and Administration Committee examined the State Penalties Enforcement Amendment Bill 2017, which introduced work and development orders (WDOs) allowing people experiencing genuine hardship to satisfy SPER debts through unpaid work or courses. The committee recommended the bill be passed and also recommended adding a catch-all eligibility provision for WDOs. The government supported both recommendations, noting the eligibility criteria would be comprehensive enough without a legislative catch-all.

The Finance and Administration Committee examined this Private Member's Bill concurrently with the government's Farm Business Debt Mediation Bill 2016. The committee recommended that the Rural and Regional Adjustment (Development Assistance) Amendment Bill 2016 not be passed, instead favouring the government's alternative bill which introduced a farm business debt mediation scheme. The committee made 22 recommendations in total, most relating to improvements to the government bill.

The Finance and Administration Committee examined the Industrial Relations Bill 2016, receiving 44 submissions and holding public hearings. The committee was unable to reach a majority decision on a motion to recommend passage, and the motion therefore failed. Government members supported the bill, while non-government members filed a statement of reservation recommending the bill be returned for further consultation.

The Finance and Administration Committee examined the Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2016, which sought parliamentary approval for $390.126 million in supplementary appropriation for unforeseen expenditure incurred by eight departments in the 2015-16 financial year. The bulk of the unforeseen expenditure ($296.985 million) was for Queensland Treasury to pay down debt under the government's enhanced Debt Action Plan. The committee recommended the bill be passed, noting the Acting Auditor-General had issued an unmodified opinion on the Consolidated Fund Financial Report.

The Finance and Administration Committee examined this Private Member's Bill alongside the Government's North Stradbroke Island Protection and Sustainability and Other Acts Amendment Bill 2015. The committee unanimously recommended that this Private Member's Bill not be passed, though government and non-government members disagreed on the reasons. The committee was also unable to agree on whether the companion Government Bill should be passed. The inquiry received extensive submissions and held public hearings on the economic, environmental, and Indigenous land rights impacts of phasing out sand mining on North Stradbroke Island.

The Finance and Administration Committee conducted an inquiry into the introduction of four-year terms for the Queensland Parliament, considering this bill alongside the companion Constitution (Fixed Term Parliament) Referendum Bill 2015. The committee's Report No. 16 was tabled on 9 November 2015. No report text is available for detailed analysis.

The Finance and Administration Committee examined the bill and recommended it be passed. The committee found that stakeholders were generally supportive of establishing the Queensland Productivity Commission as an independent economic advisory body. Key issues examined included the time allowed for ministerial responses to Commission reports, the handling of competitive neutrality complaints, and enforcement of Commission recommendations. The committee also identified minor drafting errors and noted that the explanatory notes lacked sufficient detail.

The Finance and Administration Committee examined the bill and recommended it be passed. The bill sought supplementary appropriation of $2.934 million for unforeseen expenditure by the Legislative Assembly and Parliamentary Service in 2014-15, primarily related to one-off expenses from the 2015 state general election, the fire protection system at Parliament House, and financial system upgrades. No submissions were received and no fundamental legislative principle issues were identified.

The Finance and Administration Committee examined the bill over approximately five weeks, holding a public departmental briefing with Queensland Treasury. The committee recommended the bill be passed, noting it authorises the lowest amount of unforeseen expenditure ($9.11 million) over the past 18 years. The bill also makes a technical amendment to the Financial Accountability Act 2009 to allow departments to enter into finance leases with the private sector, since Queensland Treasury Corporation has exited the leasing business.

The Finance and Administration Committee examined the bill over two months, receiving 32 submissions, holding two public departmental briefings and a public hearing. The committee could not reach agreement on whether to recommend the bill be passed. Government members supported passage while non-government members considered significant amendments would be required before they could support it. The committee made one recommendation regarding improving employer notification systems.

The Finance and Administration Committee was unable to reach agreement on whether to recommend the bill be passed. The bill had two components: moving the Labour Day public holiday from October back to May and the Queen's Birthday from June to October, and implementing online applications for high-risk work licences. The committee agreed on the HRW licence amendments but split along party lines on the public holiday changes, with government members supporting the move and non-government members opposing it.

The Finance and Administration Committee examined this bill, which introduced 'deemed disease' workers' compensation provisions for firefighters diagnosed with certain cancers linked to their work. The committee was unable to reach agreement on whether to recommend the bill be passed. Government members accepted the bill should pass with amendments, while non-government members considered the bill should not pass unless significant amendments were made. The committee made six recommendations focusing on removing the 150 exposure incidents threshold for volunteer rural firefighters, establishing an independent panel to assess claims, and improving record-keeping.

The Finance and Administration Committee examined this bill alongside the government's alternative Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2015. The committee was unable to reach agreement on whether to recommend the bill be passed and made no formal recommendations. Non-government members supported passage with amendments, while government members raised grave concerns about drafting deficiencies and the scientific basis for volunteer firefighter coverage.

The Finance and Administration Committee examined this Government bill, which sought to reverse changes made by the previous government to Queensland's industrial relations framework. The committee was unable to reach agreement on whether to recommend the bill be passed. Government members accepted the bill should pass with amendments, while non-government members considered the bill should not pass unless significant amendments were made. The committee made two specific recommendations relating to redundancy pay entitlements and dispute resolution clauses.

The Finance and Administration Committee examined this omnibus revenue bill covering payroll tax rebates for apprentices and trainees, transfer duty concessions for mining farm-in agreements, and amendments to the Plumbing and Drainage Act. The committee made five recommendations, focusing on improving industry education about the farm-in concession, publishing public rulings for taxpayer certainty, and clarifying legislative provisions. The government accepted three recommendations and considered but declined to act on the other two, finding existing provisions adequate.

The Finance and Administration Committee examined the Parliament of Queensland and Other Acts Amendment Bill 2015, which proposed reforms to the Committee of the Legislative Assembly (CLA) including adding cross bench representation and strengthening the Speaker's role. The committee did not make a clear recommendation for or against passage, instead framing its two recommendations as amendments that should be made 'should the Bill reach the second reading stage'. Both recommendations concerned how cross bench members would be represented on the CLA.