Second Reading Speech
Mr WYATT (Hasluck-Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care and Minister for Indigenous Health)I move:
That this bill be now read a second time.
Today I am pleased to introduce the supporting bill, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2018.
This bill is a companion bill to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Bill 2018.
This bill will repeal the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency Act 2013 and the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency (Transitional Provisions) Act 2013 when the new Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission comes into effect on 1 January 2019. In addition it will make consequential amendments to the Aged Care Act 1997 and associated principles to replace references to:
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- the CEO of the Aged Care Quality Agency;
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- the Aged Care Quality Agency; and
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- the Aged Care Complaints Commissioner;
with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner.
More importantly this bill provides for the administrative matters required to transfer the functions and operations of the two existing authorities into the new Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. Importantly, this bill provides for the continuation of the appointments of members of the existing Aged Care Quality Advisory Council, as members of the new Aged Care Quality and Safety Advisory Council. This will enable the new advisory council to commence operations immediately, and will provide stability and expertise in the advice being provided to the commissioner and to government.
Finally, the bill also provides a degree of flexibility to make adjustments to the new arrangements or prescribe other matters of a transitional nature in the rules.
Debate adjourned.