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      (1B) The Commission must comply with a direction.

      (2) Any direction given to the Commission under subsection (1) shall be in writing and the Minister shall cause a copy of the direction to be published in the Gazette as soon as practicable after the direction is given.

      (3) If either House of the Parliament or a Committee of either House, or of both Houses, of the Parliament requires the Commission to furnish to that House or Committee any information concerning the performance of the functions of the Commission under this Act, the Commission shall comply with the requirement.

      Part IIA The National Competition Council

      29A Establishment of Council

      The National Competition Council is established by this section.

      29B Functions and powers of Council

      (1) The Council’s functions include:

      (a) carrying out research into matters referred to the Council by the Minister; and

      (b) providing advice on matters referred to the Council by the Minister.

      (2) The Council may:

      (a) perform any function conferred on it by a law of the Commonwealth, or of a State or Territory; and

      (b) exercise any power:

      (i) conferred by that law to facilitate the performance of that function; or

      (ii) necessary or convenient to permit the performance of that function.

      (2A) The Council must not, under subsection (2):

      (a) perform a function conferred on it by a law of a State or Territory; or

      (b) exercise a power that is so conferred;

      unless the conferral of the function or power is in accordance with the Competition Principles Agreement.

      (2B) Subsection (2) does not apply to a State/Territory energy law.

      Note: Section 29BA provides that a State/Territory energy law may confer functions or powers, or impose duties, on the Council.

      (3) In performing its functions, the Council may co-operate with a department, body or authority of the Commonwealth, of a State or of a Territory.

      29BA Commonwealth consent to conferral of functions etc. on Council

      (1) A State/Territory energy law may confer functions or powers, or impose duties, on the Council for the purposes of that law.

      Note: Section 29BC sets out when such a law imposes a duty on the Council.

      (2) Subsection (1) does not authorise the conferral of a function or power, or the imposition of a duty, by a State/Territory energy law to the extent to which:

      (a) the conferral or imposition, or the authorisation, would contravene any constitutional doctrines restricting the duties that may be imposed on the Council; or

      (b) the authorisation would otherwise exceed the legislative power of the Commonwealth.

      (3) The Council cannot perform a duty or function, or exercise a power, under a State/Territory energy law unless the conferral of the function or power, or the imposition of the duty, is in accordance with an agreement between the Commonwealth and the State or Territory concerned.

      29BB How duty is imposed

      Application

      (1) This section applies if a State/Territory energy law purports to impose a duty on the Council.

      Note: Section 29BC sets out when such a law imposes a duty on the Council.

      State or Territory legislative power sufficient to support duty

      (2) The duty is taken not to be imposed by this Part (or any other law of the Commonwealth) to the extent to which:

      (a) imposing the duty is within the legislative powers of the State or Territory concerned; and

      (b) imposing the duty by the law of the State or Territory is consistent with the constitutional doctrines restricting the duties that may be imposed on the Council.

      Note: If this subsection applies, the duty will be taken to be imposed by force of the law of the State or Territory (the Commonwealth having consented under section 29BA to the imposition of the duty by that law).

      Commonwealth legislative power sufficient to support duty but State or Territory legislative powers are not

      (3) If, to ensure the validity of the purported imposition of the duty, it is necessary that the duty be imposed by a law of the Commonwealth (rather than by the law of the State or Territory), the duty is taken to be imposed by this Part to the extent necessary to ensure that validity.

      (4) If, because of subsection (3), this Part is taken to impose the duty, it is the intention of the Parliament to rely on all powers available to it under the Constitution to support the imposition of the duty by this Part.

      (5) The duty is taken to be imposed by this Part in accordance with subsection (3) only to the extent to which imposing the duty:

      (a) is within the legislative powers of the Commonwealth; and

      (b) is consistent with the constitutional doctrines restricting the duties that may be imposed on the Council.

      (6) Subsections (1) to (5) do not limit section 29BA.

      29BC When a State/Territory energy law imposes a duty

      For the purposes of sections 29BA and 29BB, a State/Territory energy law imposes a duty on the Council if:

      (a) the law confers a function or power on the Council; and

      (b) the circumstances in which the function or power is conferred give rise to an obligation on the Council to perform the function or to exercise the power.

      29C Membership of Council

      (1) The Council consists of the Council President and up to 4 other Councillors.

      (2) Each Councillor is to be appointed by the Governor-General, for a term of up to 5 years.

      (3) The Governor-General must not appoint a person as a Councillor or Council President unless the Governor-General is satisfied that:

      (a) the person qualifies for the appointment because of the person’s knowledge of, or experience in, industry, commerce, economics, law, consumer protection or public administration; and

      (b) a majority of the States and Territories that are parties to the Competition Principles Agreement support the appointment.

      29D Terms and conditions of office

      (1) A Councillor may be appointed to hold office on either a full-time or a part-time basis.

      (2) A Councillor holds office on such terms and conditions (if any) in respect of matters not provided for by this Act as the Governor-General determines.

      29E Acting Council President

      (1) The Minister may appoint a Councillor to act as the Council President:

      (a) if there is a vacancy in the office of Council President, whether or not an appointment has previously been made to the office; or

      (b) during any period, or during all periods, when the Council President is absent from duty or absent from Australia or is, for any reason, unable to perform the duties of the office.

      (2) Anything done by or in relation to a person purporting to act under this section is not invalid merely because:

      (a) the occasion for appointment had not arisen;

      (b)

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