Standing Committee on Constitutional Affairs
STANDING COMMITTEE ON CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS TRANSCRIPT OF EVIDENCE TAKEN AT PERTH, WEDNESDAY, 24 MAY 2000 SESSION 1 OF 12 Hon M.D. Nixon (Chairman) Hon Ray Halligan Hon Ken Travers <1>O/4 Committee met at 9.30 p.m. THOMPSON, MR ROBERT WILLIAM, Secretary, Australian Milk Producers Association, PO Box 5, Walpole, examined: PALMER, MR KINGSLEY, Treasurer, Australian Milk Producers Association, Railway Road, Waterloo, examined: GREEN, MR ARTHUR, Director, Australian Milk Producers Association, Box 138, Bunbury, examined: CHAIR—Good mornng, ladies and gentlemen. As you are aware, this is a meeting of the Constitutional Affairs Standing Committee of the Legislative Council. You are probably also aware that under the standing orders, the committee deals with two sets of matters. One is petitions and, also under Standing Order 230, it is required to review any uniform legislation. That is legislation which has to be passed by all States in accordance with the Commonwealth Act. The committee automatically had this bill referred to it because it is part of a piece of uniform legislation. Also under our standing orders, the committee must report back within 30 days. The only exception is when parliament is not sitting; we can then report to the President or at the next meeting of parliament. The committee is under a deadline to report back to the parliament by 20 June. The committee has a very difficult job to cover in that time what you are all aware is a rather controversial piece of legislation. I must go through a few formalities, while also trying to keep the matters as informal as we can.
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