House of Representatives

Excise Tariff Amendment (Crude Oil) Bill 2001

Explanatory Memorandum

(Circulated by authority of the Treasurer, the Hon Peter Costello, MP)

Chapter 2 - Minor technical amendments

Outline of chapter

2.1 This chapter explains minor technical amendments to the Excise Tariff Act 1921 (Excise Tariff Act) that replace outdated Minister of State references.

2.2 Items 25 and 26 of Schedule 1 to this bill alter subsections 3(1) and 3A(1) of the Excise Tariff Act.

Context of amendments

2.3 The Excise Tariff Act currently contains outdated references to a Minister of State in a number of crude oil provisions.

2.4 On 15 August 2001, the Government announced changes to the Excise Tariff Act to encourage oil exploration and production both onshore and offshore. The changes will reduce the rates of excise duty for old and new crude oil, and streamline current legislation.

2.5 The opportunity is to be taken to include the minor technical amendments to outdated references as part of the streamlining of crude oil provisions.

Summary of new law

2.6 The Excise Tariff Act will be amended by replacing outdated references to a Minister of State with current references.

Comparison of key features of new law and current law
New law Current law
The references to the Minister in subsections 3(1) (definition of intermediate area) and 3A(1) will be amended to read the Minister for Industry, Science and Resources. The Minister referred to in subsections 3(1) (definition of intermediate area) and 3A(1) is the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy.

Detailed explanation of new law

2.7 The Excise Tariff Act contains outdated references to a Minister of State. Although these references are presently reinterpreted under the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 , the actual text remains outdated.

2.8 The current reference to the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy will be omitted and substituted with the Minister for Industry, Science and Resources in the following provisions of the Excise Tariff Act:

the definition of intermediate area under subsection 3(1); and
subsection 3A(1).

Application and transitional provisions

2.9 The amendments to be made by this bill will commence on the date of Royal Assent.


Copyright notice

© Australian Taxation Office for the Commonwealth of Australia

You are free to copy, adapt, modify, transmit and distribute material on this website as you wish (but not in any way that suggests the ATO or the Commonwealth endorses you or any of your services or products).