EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Issued by the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Amendment Act 2005
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Amendment Act 2005 (the Act) amended the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Act 1989. All the provisions of the Act, other than Schedules 1, 2, 3 and 4 commenced on the day on which the Act received the Royal Assent. The Act received the Royal Assent on 22 March 2005.
Subsection 2(1) of the Act provides that Schedules 1 and 2 to the Act commence on a day to be fixed by proclamation. However, if any of the provisions of Schedules 1 and 2 do not commence within six months of the date the Act received the Royal Assent, then those provisions would commence on the first day after the end of that six month period.
The purpose of the Proclamation is to fix 24 March 2005 as the day on which Schedules 1 and 2 to the Act commence.
Schedule 1 to the Act provides for the abolition of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, consequential amendments and transitional and saving arrangements. Schedule 2 provides for amendments and transitional and saving arrangements relating to the Office of Evaluation and Audit. Schedule 3 provides for the abolition of the Regional Councils, consequential amendments and transitional and saving arrangements. The proposed commencement date for Schedule 3 is 1 July 2005. Schedule 4 provides for amendment of other Acts and transitional and saving arrangements. The commencement date for Schedule 4 is at the same time as Schedules 1 and 2.
The Proclamation is a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.
There was no consultation undertaken in relation to the Proclamation..