Governor‑General Amendment (Salary) Act 2019
No. 31, 2019
An Act to amend the Governor‑General Act 1974, and for related purposes
Contents
1 Short title
2 Commencement
3 Schedules
Schedule 1—Amendments
Governor‑General Act 1974
Governor-General Amendment (Salary) Act 2019
No. 31, 2019
An Act to amend the Governor‑General Act 1974, and for related purposes
[Assented to 5 April 2019]
The Parliament of Australia enacts:
1 Short title
This Act is the Governor‑General Amendment (Salary) Act 2019.
2 Commencement
(1) Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.
Commencement information |
Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
Provisions | Commencement | Date/Details |
1. The whole of this Act | The day after this Act receives the Royal Assent. | 6 April 2019 |
Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally enacted. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this Act.
(2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this Act. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this Act.
3 Schedules
Legislation that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.
Schedule 1—Amendments
Governor‑General Act 1974
1 Section 3
Omit “$425,000”, substitute “$495,000”.
2 Application
The amendment made by this Schedule does not have effect during the continuance in office of the person holding office as Governor‑General immediately before the commencement of this Schedule.
[Minister’s second reading speech made in—
House of Representatives on 14 February 2019
Senate on 2 April 2019]
Overview
The Governor-General Amendment (Salary) Act 2019 was enacted to address the need for an adjustment in the salary of the Governor-General of Australia. This Act amends the Governor-General Act 1974 by increasing the remuneration of the Governor-General from $425,000 to $495,000. The changes, however, do not apply to the individual currently serving as Governor-General at the time of the Act's commencement. Enacted by the Parliament of Australia, the Act aims to ensure the office of Governor-General remains adequately compensated in line with the responsibilities and duties associated with the role. This adjustment reflects the legislative intent to provide appropriate remuneration for the Governor-General, considering the evolving nature of the role and associated costs.
Scope and Application
The Governor-General Amendment (Salary) Act 2019 is an Act of the Commonwealth of Australia aimed at amending the Governor-General Act 1974. Specifically, it adjusts the salary of the Governor-General, increasing it from $425,000 to $495,000 per annum. The Act applies to the office of the Governor-General, who is the representative of the Crown in Australia and is involved in various ceremonial and constitutional duties. However, the salary adjustment does not take effect until after the term of the Governor-General who was in office before the commencement of this Act. The Act commenced on 6 April 2019, the day after receiving Royal Assent, and its amendments are detailed in Schedule 1 of the Act. The jurisdictional reach of this Act is limited to the Commonwealth of Australia, and there are no stated exclusions or exemptions within the provided text. The Act itself does not extend or restrict its application through subordinate instruments.
Key Provisions
The Governor-General Amendment (Salary) Act 2019 (C2019A00031) introduces changes to the Governor-General Act 1974 by amending the salary of the Governor-General of Australia. Specifically, section 1 of the Schedule to this Act changes the monetary figure from $425,000 to $495,000 (Schedule 1, item 1). This change reflects an update to the remuneration package for the office of the Governor-General. Notably, this amendment does not apply to the current Governor-General who was in office before the commencement of the Act (Schedule 1, item 2).
The Act imposes an obligation on the Commonwealth to adjust the salary of the Governor-General to the new amount specified, which is now $495,000. This obligation takes effect from the day after the Act receives Royal Assent, which was on 6 April 2019 (section 2). The Act also stipulates that this new salary structure will apply to any future Governor-General appointed after the commencement date.
For breaches or non-compliance with the provisions of this Act, there are no explicit penalties stated within the text provided. However, the failure to adhere to the mandated salary could potentially lead to legal challenges or disputes regarding the terms of the Governor-General's employment contract. The Act itself does not outline specific penalties but leaves the interpretation and enforcement to the judicial system if such issues arise. The overall impact is a formal recognition and adjustment of the Governor-General’s salary, ensuring it aligns with current remuneration standards.