Economic Research Act 1929

Legislation au C1929A00009 Not in force Act

Legislation content

ECONOMIC RESEARCH.

 

No. 9 of 1929.

An Act relating to the Establishment of a Bureau of Economic Research.

[Assented to 22nd March, 1929.]

BE it enacted by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Economic Research Act 1929.

Commencement.

2. This Act shall commence on a date to be fixed by Proclamation.

Definitions.

3. In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears—

“the Bureau” means the Bureau of Economic Research

“the Director” means the Director of Economic Research.

The Bureau of Economic Research.

4. There shall be a Bureau of Economic Research consisting of the Director and such officers as are appointed for the purposes of this Act.

Appointment of Director.

5.—(1.) The Governor-General may appoint a Director of the Bureau, and on the happening of any vacancy in the office of Director of the Bureau the Governor-General may appoint a person to the vacant office.

(2.) The term for which any such appointment shall be made shall be not more than seven years, and any person so appointed shall, at the expiration of the term of office, be eligible for re-appointment.

(3.) In case of the illness, suspension or absence of the Director, the Governor-General may appoint a person to act as Deputy-Director during the illness, suspension or absence, and the Deputy shall, while so acting, have all the powers and perform all the duties of the Director.


(4.) If an officer of the Public Service of the Commonwealth is appointed Director, the Officers' Rights Declaration Act 1928 shall apply as if this Act and Section had been specified in the Schedule to that Act.

(5.) If an officer of the Public Service of a State is appointed Director, he shall have the same rights as if he had been an officer of a Department transferred to the Commonwealth and had been retained in the service of the Commonwealth.

Remuneration and allowances.

6.—(1.) The Director shall be paid such remuneration as the Governor-General from time to time determines.

(2.) Travelling expenses as prescribed shall be paid to the Director on account of his expenses in travelling in the discharge of his office.

Suspension of Director.

7.—(1.) The Minister may at any time suspend the Director or his deputy from office for incapacity, incompetence or misbehaviour.

(2.) The Minister shall, within seven days after the suspension, if the Parliament is then sitting, or if the Parliament is not then sitting, within seven days after the next meeting of the Parliament, cause to be laid before both Houses of the Parliament a full statement of the grounds of suspension.

(3.) If within twenty-one days after the statement has been laid before the Parliament, an address is presented to the Governor-General by the Senate and the House of Representatives praying for the restitution to office of the Director or the Deputy, as the case may be, he shall be restored accordingly but if no such address is so presented, the Governor-General may confirm the suspension, and declare the office of the Director, or the Deputy, as the case may be, to be vacant, and the office shall thereupon be and become vacant.

Vacation of office.

8. The Director shall be deemed to have vacated his office if he—

(a) becomes bankrupt or insolvent, or applies to take the benefit of any Act for the relief of bankrupt or insolvent debtors, or compounds with his creditors, or makes an assignment of his salary or remuneration for their benefit;

(b) absents himself from duty for a period of fourteen consecutive days, or for twenty-eight days in any twelve months, without leave granted by the Governor-General

(c) becomes permanently incapable of performing his duties or

(d) resigns his office by writing under his hand addressed to the Governor-General.

Staff.

9.—(1.) The appointment of officers for the purposes of this Act shall be subject to the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1922–1928:

Provided that if, in the opinion of the Governor-General, it is necessary that the person to be appointed to any office under this Act should possess professional or technical qualifications, the


Governor-General may declare that the provisions of the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1922–1928 shall not apply to that office, and thereupon the Governor-General may appoint a person to the office upon such terms and conditions as are prescribed.

(2.) The Director shall have all the powers and functions of a Permanent Head under the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1922–1928 in relation to officers employed for the purposes of this Act.

Director to devote whole time to duties.

10. The Director shall, except to the extent (if any) to which the Minister otherwise allows, devote the whole of his time to the performance of his duties under this Act and shall not accept or hold any paid employment outside the duties of his office as Director, or be a director of a company.

Powers and functions of Bureau.

11. The powers and functions of the Bureau shall be—

(a) to carry out economic research in respect of—

(i) Primary industries;

(ii) Secondary industries;

(iii) Marketing;

(iv) Transport;

(v) Customs and Excise Tariffs;

(vi) Bounties;

(vii) Industrial Matters;

(viii) Taxation;

(ix) Finance and Currency; and

(x) Such other matters as are prescribed;

(b) to investigate and report to the Minister on—

(i) the granting of assistance for the promotion of economic research

(ii) co-operation in economic research with academic and other bodies in Australia and elsewhere and

(iii) the establishing and awarding of economic research studentships and fellowships and

(c) to publish from time to time results of economic investigations carried out by the Bureau.

Annual report.

12. As soon as may be after the thirtieth day of June in each year the Director shall submit to the Minister for presentation to the Parliament a report on the work of the Bureau during the financial year just closed.

Regulations.

13. The Governor General may make regulations, not inconsistent with this Act, prescribing all matters which by this Act are required or permitted to be prescribed, or which are necessary or convenient to be prescribed, for giving effect to this Act.

Overview

The Economic Research Act 1929 was enacted to establish a Bureau of Economic Research within the Commonwealth of Australia. This Act was introduced to address the need for a dedicated body to conduct comprehensive economic research, thereby providing the government and other stakeholders with critical data and insights to inform policy decisions and economic strategies. The Act was assented to on 22nd March 1929 and was enacted by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia. The primary objective of this legislation was to facilitate informed economic planning and decision-making by establishing an authoritative body focused on economic research and analysis. The Bureau of Economic Research, as outlined in the Act, is tasked with conducting research on various economic sectors and matters, including primary and secondary industries, marketing, taxation, and finance, among others. Additionally, the Bureau is responsible for publishing the results of its investigations and submitting an annual report to the Minister for presentation to the Parliament.

Scope and Application

The Economic Research Act 1929 applies to the establishment and operation of the Bureau of Economic Research, which includes the appointment and management of the Director and other officers. The Bureau is tasked with carrying out economic research across a broad range of areas, including primary and secondary industries, marketing, transport, customs and excise tariffs, bounties, industrial matters, taxation, and finance and currency, as well as any other matters prescribed by regulation. The Act applies nationally across the Commonwealth of Australia and encompasses the appointment, remuneration, suspension, and vacation of office for the Director and other staff, who are subject to the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1922-1928 unless otherwise declared by the Governor-General. The Director must devote their whole time to the duties of the Bureau and cannot hold any paid employment outside of this office or be a director of a company. The Act also provides for the publication of economic research findings and the submission of an annual report to the Minister for presentation to Parliament. The Governor-General has the authority to make regulations to implement the provisions of the Act.

Key Provisions

The Economic Research Act 1929 (section 4) establishes a Bureau of Economic Research, comprising the Director and other officers appointed for the purposes of the Act. The Director, who is appointed by the Governor-General under section 5, is responsible for overseeing the Bureau's activities and ensuring its objectives are met. The Director's term is limited to a maximum of seven years, but they are eligible for reappointment upon the expiration of their term (section 5(2)). The Act also provides for the appointment of a Deputy-Director in cases of the Director's illness, suspension, or absence (section 5(3)). If the Director is an officer of the Public Service of the Commonwealth, the Officers' Rights Declaration Act 1928 applies, and if they are an officer of a State Public Service, they are granted equivalent rights as if they had been transferred to the Commonwealth service (section 5(4) and (5)). The Act imposes several obligations and requirements on the Director and the Bureau. The Director is required to devote their whole time to the duties of their office, barring any exceptions made by the Minister, and must not hold any paid employment outside of their duties as Director or be a director of a company (section 10). The Bureau, under the Director's guidance, is mandated to conduct economic research across various sectors, including primary and secondary industries, marketing, transport, customs and excise tariffs, bounties, industrial matters, taxation, finance, and currency (section 11(a)). Additionally, the Bureau must investigate and report to the Minister on the granting of assistance for economic research, cooperation with academic and other bodies, and the establishment and awarding of economic research studentships and fellowships (section 11(b)). The Bureau is also tasked with publishing the results of its economic investigations (section 11(c)). Each year, the Director must submit an annual report on the Bureau's activities to the Minister for presentation to Parliament (section 12). Under the Economic Research Act 1929, the Minister has the authority to suspend the Director or Deputy-Director from office for reasons of incapacity, incompetence, or misbehaviour (section 7(1)). The Minister must present a full statement of the suspension grounds to both Houses of Parliament within seven days of the suspension, either during a parliamentary sitting or at the next meeting if Parliament is not sitting (section 7(2)). If Parliament does not request the Director's or Deputy-Director's reinstatement within 21 days of the statement being laid, the Governor-General may confirm the suspension and declare the office vacant (section 7(3)). The office of the Director also becomes vacant under certain conditions, including bankruptcy, absence from duty without leave, permanent incapacity to perform duties, or resignation (section 8). The appointment of officers for the Bureau is subject to the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1922–1928, although the Governor-General may make exceptions if professional or technical qualifications are deemed necessary (section 9(1)). The Director has the same powers and functions as a Permanent Head under the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1922–1928 in relation to officers employed for the purposes of this Act (section 9(2)).

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.