It’s that weird gap between Budget Night and Parliament’s winter break, when things tend to be routine. And indeed, we have a bunch of Treasury work.
Here’s what I noticed since the previous edition on 2 June:
- The big thing this week was Treasury’s Strategic Plan for Australia’s Payments System, with the headline in so much media coverage being that cheques will be phased out by 2030. Surely that was happening organically anyway.
- There was also a Government statement in response to the Statutory Review of the Consumer Data Right. This was reported by The Mandarin as pausing the plans for expansion.
- Treasury also launched consultations into Reforms to the Payment Systems (Regulation) Act 1998, with submissions closing 7 July, and Licensing of payment service providers – payment functions, with submissions closing 19 July.
- “Global consulting giants McKinsey and Boston Consulting Group will be paid $3.4 million for seven weeks work to support the independent review of the troubled modernising business registers program.”
- “The National Disability Data Asset will act as a single source of information to help public servants deliver better outcomes.”
“The Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Prohibited Hate Symbols and Other Measures) Bill will be introduced into parliament next week, outlining a ban on symbols related to Nazis or the SS, including on flags, armbands, T-shirts in public and online, with a maximum penalty of up to 12 months’ imprisonment.” - And finally, we have a new organisation chart for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Please let me know if I’ve missed anything, or if there’s any specific items you’d like me to follow.
Despite what I said last time, Parliament actually returns this Tuesday 13 June for two weeks, and we already have the draft legislative programs for the Senate and the House of Representatives.
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[Photo: Australia’s Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services Stephen Jones.]