House of Representatives

Explanatory Memorandum

(Circulated by authority of the Attorney-General, the Hon Daryl Williams AM QC MP)

Notes on clauses

Clause 1 - Short title

1. This is a formal clause which specifies that the amending Bill, if enacted, will be known as the Abolition of Compulsory Age Retirement (Statutory Officeholders) Act 2001.

Clause 2 - Commencement

2. This clause provides that the Bill, if enacted, will commence on the 28th day after it receives Royal Assent.

3. If the Administrative Review Tribunal (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2001 (which is currently before the Parliament) is enacted and commences before the Bill commences, then the amendments proposed by Items 6 to 8 of Schedule 1 of the Bill to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975 (the AAT Act) will not be made. The Administrative Review Tribunal (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill proposes to repeal the AAT Act and will therefore remove the age retirement provisions it contains.

4. If the Snowy Hydro Corporatisation Act 1997 (an Act which was passed by the Parliament but is yet to commence) commences before the Bill commences, then the amendments proposed by Item 86 of Schedule 1 of the Bill to the Snowy-Mountains Hydro-Electric Power Act 1949 will not be made. Once it commences, the Snowy Hydro Corporatisation Act will repeal the Snowy-Mountains Hydro-Electric Power Act and will therefore remove the age retirement provisions set out in that Act.

Clause 3 - Schedules

5. This clause provides that the Items in the Schedule to the Bill amend the acts specified in the Schedule.