EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Statutory Rules 1986 No. 308
Issued by the authority of the Minister of State for Social Security
Subject Compensation (Commonwealth Government Employees) Act 1971
Compensation (Commonwealth Government Employees) Regulations (Amendment)
The purpose of the proposed Statutory Rules is to give effect to the proposals of the Government to -
• extend the application of the Act to employees of the Australian National University, a prescribed authority of the Commonwealth which is currently exempt from the application of the Act by virtue of a regulation made pursuant to sub-section 7(1) of the Compensation (Commonwealth Government Employees) Act 1971;
• extend the application of the Act to persons who are the holders of or who are acting in offices established by the Australian National University Act 1946, being persons to whom the Act does not currently apply by virtue of a regulation made pursuant to sub-section 7(2) of the Compensation (Commonwealth Government Employees) Act 1971; and
• extend cover under the Act, by regulation pursuant to sub-section 7(5) of the Compensation (Commonwealth Government Employees) Act 1971, to persons such as casual staff who assist in the running of the Governor-General’s households.
Regulation 1 of the proposed Statutory Rules defines “Principal Regulations” to mean the Compensation (Commonwealth Government Employees) Regulations.
Regulation 2 of the proposed Statutory Rules amends Regulation 9 of the Principal Regulations by omitting from sub-regulation 9(1) the words “The Australian National University”. Accordingly, the Australian National University will, from the date of notification of the proposed Statutory Rules in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, be a prescribed authority of the Commonwealth for the purposes of the Compensation (Commonwealth Government Employees) Act 1971.
Regulation 3 of the proposed Statutory Rules amends Regulation 10 of the Principal Regulations by omitting “Australian National University Act 1946-1971” from sub-regulation 10(1). Accordingly, the holders of, or persons acting in, offices established by that Act will, from the date of notification of the proposed Statutory Rules in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, be persons to whom and in relation to whom the Compensation (Commonwealth Government Employees) Act 1971 applies.
Regulation 4 of the proposed Statutory Rules amends Regulation 11 of the Principal Regulations by adding to the class of persons in the first column of the table in sub regulation 11(1) the words “Persons employed to assist in the households of the Governor-General who are employed otherwise than on a regular basis”, and to the class of acts in the second column of that table the words “Acts performed in the course of that employment”. Accordingly, casual staff who are employed to assist in the running of the Governor General’s households will, from the date of notification of the proposed Statutory Rules in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, be persons to whom and in relation to whom the Compensation (Commonwealth Government Employees) Act 1971 applies.