Senator DUNIAM (Tasmania—Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries and Assistant Minister for Regional Tourism) (16:04): I give notice that, on the next day of sitting, I shall move: That the provisions of paragraphs (5) to (8) of standing order 111 not apply to the following bills, allowing them to be considered during this period of sittings: Broadcasting Services Amendment (Regional Commercial Radio and Other Measures) Bill 2020 Education Legislation Amendment (2020 Measures No. 1) Bill 2020 National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment (Governance and Other Matters) Bill 2020 Therapeutic Goods Amendment (2020 Measures No. 1) Bill 2020 Treasury Laws Amendment (2020 Measures No. 2) Bill 2020 Treasury Laws Amendment (2020 Measures No. 3) Bill 2020 Treasury Laws Amendment (More Flexible Superannuation) Bill 2020. I also table statements of reasons justifying the need for the bills to be considered during these sittings and seek leave to have the statements incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The statements read as follows— BROADCASTING SERVICES AMENDMENT (REGIONAL COMMERCIAL RADIO AND OTHER MEASURES) BILL 2020 Purpose of the Bill The purpose of this Bill is to amend the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 to provide regional commercial radio broadcasters, and regional and remote commercial television broadcasters, with immediate regulatory relief to long-standing issues. Reason for U rgency Introduction and passage in the 2020 Winter parliamentary sittings is necessary for the Australian Government to fulfil its commitment to reduce regulatory red tape for broadcasters. In light of the financial pressures upon regional commercial radio broadcasters, it is preferable that the new arrangements in the Bill be in place by 1 July 2020 to enable regional commercial radio broadcasters to take advantage of the new reporting arrangements for FY20. If this Bill is not passed in the Winter parliamentary sittings, regional commercial radio broadcasters, and regional and remote commercial television broadcasters, will continue to carry the operational costs associated with onerous regulatory arrangements and the uncertainty arising from continual delays in progressing these legislative reforms. (Circulated by authority of the Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts) EDUCATION LEGISLATION AMENDMENT (2020 MEASURES NO. 1) BILL Purpose of the Bill The bill provides an exemption from the 25% loan fee for undergraduate students receiving FEE-HELP loans for units of study with census dates between 1 April 2020 and 30 September 2020. The bill also: makes it compulsory for all higher education students to have a unique student identifier (USI) in order to receive Commonwealth assistance – this will strengthen the integrity of Commonwealth education funding systems by ensuring students have a single student identifier across the higher education sector amends the VET Student Loans Act 2016 to require vocational education and training (VET) students to have a USI when applying for a VET student loan (VSL) from 1 January 2021 allows the Secretary of the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (department) to determine that certain students who, due to having multiple Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Numbers, have exceeded the HELP loan limit, and are able to repay the resulting excess debt amount through the taxation system clarifies that the date a student's HELP balance is taken to be reduced under section 128-15 is immediately after the census date for HECS-HELP assistance, FEE-HELP assistance and VET FEE-HELP assistance, and immediately after the census day for VSL contains miscellaneous measures to update references, definitions and improve clarity and the operation of the Higher Education Support Act 2003. Reasons for Urgency With respect to the FEE-HELP loan fee exemption, it is critical that this bill be passed by 30 June 2020 to enable the department to apply the loan fee exemption to eligible students to provide confidence for current and prospective students (the loan fee exemption is to apply to units of study with census dates between 1 April 2020 and 30 September 2020) that they will not be subject to the loan fee and will be encouraged to continue or commence study in this period. This measure comes in direct response to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and is part of the Government's COVID-19 Higher Education Relief Package. (Circulated by authority of the Minister for Education) NATIONAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING REGULATOR AMENDMENT (GOVERNANCE AND OTHER MATTERS) BILL Purpose of the Bill The National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment (Governance and Other Matters) Bill amends the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011 (NVETR Act) to reform the Australian Skills Quality Authority's (ASQA) governance structure to ensure it is fit for purpose and aligned with changes to its regulatory practice. Changes to ASQA's governance would clarify its roles and responsibilities, improve accountability, achieve efficiency of resources, and improve focus on strategic direction and performance. A key element of the new governance structure is the independent expert Advisory Council. The Advisory Council would provide ASQA with expert advice regarding its functions. The bill also contains amendments to improve information sharing under the NVETR Act. Reasons for Urgency The bill is urgent and requires passage in the 2020 Autumn sitting period. Recent reviews have recommended improvements to the regulation of Australia's vocational education and training system. (Circulated by authority of the Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) THERAPEUTIC GOODS AMENDMENT (2020 MEASURES NO. 1) BILL 2020 Purpose of the B ill The Bill aims to improve access to new medical devices and promising new medicines for Australians, improves understanding about what is required for successful applications for marketing approval for new prescription medicines and encourages innovation for assessed listed medicines. Reasons for Urgency It is desirable for this Bill to be passed in the 2020 Winter Sittings to implement a range of measures that support the health and well-being of Australians and to provide predictability for the medicines and medical device industry. (Circulated by authority of the Minister for Health) TREASURY LAWS AMENDMENT (2020 MEASURES NO. 2) BILL 2020 Purpose of Bill This Bill will: provide clarity around the integrity of the hybrid mismatch rules; enhance the information collected by the ATO through Single Touch Payroll; introduce a new deductible gift recipient general category for Community Sheds and amends the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to list eight organisations as deductible gift recipients from 1 July 2019; provide authorisation to the Treasurer to subscribe to the World Bank shares allocated to Australia under the capital increase package endorsed by Governors (including Australia) in 2018; and amend ATO secrecy provisions to permit information sharing with the Fair Work Ombudsman and Fair Work Commission in relation to the JobKeeper Payment. Reasons for Urgency Introduction and passage of the Bill in the 2020 Winter sittings is critical to give certainty to tax payers, industry participants and enable compliance activities associated with the JobKeeper Payment. (Circulated by the authority of the Treasurer) TREASURY LAWS AMENDMENT (2020 MEASURES NO. 3) BILL 2020 Purpose of the Bill The purpose of this Bill is to: facilitate changes to Australia's temporary resources (New Arrangements to Borrow (NAB) and Bilateral Borrowing Arrangements (BBA); provide for a loan to the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Trusts to provide rapid support to low-income countries; amend tax legislation so that eligible businesses can immediately deduct the cost of eligible assets each costing less than the instant asset write-off threshold; make the following entities a deductible gift recipient: – Friends of Myall Creek Memorial Incorporated – Toy Libraries Australia Inc – Samuel Griffith Society Inc; temporarily vary the GDP adjustment factor to zero, which effectively suspends the increase in quarterly tax instalments calculated by the amount method; ensure that Australia can provide financial assistance to countries in support of a program of the IMF; and address administrative issues in relation to the Boosting Cash Flow for Employers (Coronavirus Economic Response Package) Act 2020. Reasons for Urgency Urgent passage of the Bill is required to: provide certainty to taxpayers regarding the extension of the instant asset write-off and provide as much time as possible for taxpayers to obtain the benefit; allow the ATO to make required system changes by 20 June 2020 to vary the GDP adjustment factor in order for the PAYG instalments 'Start of Year' process (scheduled to run between 6 and 10 July 2020) to be implemented in time; and provide clarity for taxpayers and the ATO about the treatment of withholding related to personal services income under the cash flow boost. (Circulated by authority of the Treasurer) TREASURY LAWS AMENDMENT (MORE FLEXIBLE SUPERANNUATION) BILL 2020 Purpose of the Bill The purpose of this bill is to improve flexibility of superannuation for older Australians to assist them to save for their retirement. Reasons for Urgency Introduction and passage in the 2020 Winter sittings is critical to provide certainty for superannuation funds and their members, and to ensure that members do not miss out due to their age on the opportunity to benefit in 2019-20. (Circulated by authority of the Treasurer)