EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1985 NO 382
MATERNITY LEAVE (COMMONWEALTH EMPLOYEES) REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT)
Issued with the authority of the Public Service Board
Section 15 of the Maternity Leave (Commonwealth Employees) Act 1973 (the Act) enables the Governor-General to make regulations prescribing all matters which are required or permitted to be prescribed.
The Act applies, inter alia, to staff of prescribed authorities. Sub-section 3(1) of the Act defines ‘prescribed authority’ to mean, insofar as is relevant, a body corporate that is established for a public purpose by a law of the Commonwealth and is declared by the regulations to be a body corporate in relation to which the Act applies.
The Australian Trade Commission was established by section 7 of the Australian Trade Commission Act 1985. The Commission is a body corporate incorporated for a public purpose by an Act of the Commonwealth.
The regulation inserted the Australian Trade Commission into the list of statutory authorities which the regulations declare to be ‘prescribed authorities’ for the purposes of the Act so that staff of the Commission will be subject to the provisions of the Act.