Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2018

Mr HAWKE (Mitchell—Assistant Minister for Home Affairs) (12:17): I want to thank members for their contributions to the second reading debate on the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2018. The bill will amend several provisions in the Migration Act 1958, the Customs Act 1901 and the Passenger Movement Charge Collection Act 1978. Amendments to the Migration Act 1958 in the bill will ensure that, when an unlawful noncitizen is in the process of being removed to another country under section 198 of this act and the removal is aborted, or completed but the person is not permitted entry into the destination country and, as a direct result, is returned to Australia, that person has a lawful basis to return to Australia without a visa. It will also allow the Department of Home Affairs to use an online account, such as an ImmiAccount, to provide clients with certain legally required communications and ensure that documents provided in this way are taken to be received at the end of the day on which they are made available through their ImmiAccount.

The bill also amends the Customs Act 1901 to insert a new provision similar to section 15C of the Taxation Administration Act 1953 to allow the Department of Home Affairs to make a recoverable payment to a person to whom it is entitled under the law of customs. It will also ensure that section 58A operates as originally intended to control the movement of persons and goods between sea installations installed in an adjacent area and coastal area of Australia or a resources installation attached to the Australian seabed and an external place. It will also ensure that section 208DA operates as originally intended in relation to the disposal of narcotic-related goods other than narcotic goods.

The bill will also amend the Passenger Movement Charge Collection Act 1978 to insert a new head of power so that regulations can prescribe the charging and recovery of fees for and in relation to the payment of the passenger movement charge or an amount equal to the charge. These amendments will improve systems and processes to benefit the Department of Home Affairs and its clients. I trust this bill will have the support of members, and I commend it to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Message from the Governor-General recommending appropriation announced.