Parliamentary (Disclosure of Interests) Regulations 2017

Parliamentary (Disclosure of Interests) Regulations 2017

I, the Lieutenant-Governor in and over the State of Tasmania and its Dependencies in the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Executive Council, make the following regulations under the Parliamentary (Disclosure of Interests) Act 1996 .

A. M. BLOW

Lieutenant-Governor

By His Excellency's Command,

WILLIAM E. F. HODGMAN

Premier

1.   Short title

These regulations may be cited as the Parliamentary (Disclosure of Interests) Regulations 2017 .

2.   Commencement

These regulations take effect on 1 December 2017.

3.   Interpretation

In these regulations –

Act means the Parliamentary (Disclosure of Interests) Act 1996 .

4.   Form of registers

(1)  For the purposes of section 17 of the Act, a register is to –

(a) comprise, in alphabetical order, the returns lodged by Members within the previous 8 years; and

(b) be divided into 2 parts, one for primary returns and one for annual returns.

(2)  A register may comprise multiple electronic files on a website.

5.   Inspection of registers

For the purposes of section 18(1) of the Act, the relevant Clerk is to make a hard copy of the register available for inspection by any person at the Parliamentary Library during its normal business hours.

6.   Publication of registers

(1)  For the purposes of section 20 of the Act, the relevant Clerk is to cause to be published online any part of a register that is tabled before the relevant House after the commencement of these regulations.

(2)  A part of a register required to be published online under subregulation (1) is to be published within 7 days after it is tabled.

(3)  Any part of a register published online is to –

(a) be uploaded in a file format that cannot be edited and has sufficient security features so as to restrict the copying of information contained in it; and

(b) have a watermark applied across each page; and

(c) have removed any other information deleted in accordance with section 21 of the Act.

7.   Clerk may seek information

In forming an opinion under section 21(ca) of the Act, the Clerk may –

(a) seek confidential advice from a third party; and

(b) ask a Member to provide reasons as to why the publication of information would unreasonably compromise the privacy or safety of a person.

8.   Clerk to update register

If a return is amended in accordance with section 22 of the Act, the Clerk is to amend the register accordingly as soon as possible.

Displayed and numbered in accordance with the Rules Publication Act 1953.

Notified in the Gazette on 29 November 2017