Otherwise known as “Omnibus Bills”, these are a means of making a number of minor amendments and repeals that do not affect the substance of the law. They reduce the number of Bills that would otherwise be needed to make these minor amendments and repeals, and therefore save Parliamentary time.
However, there are strict limits on the kinds of amendments and repeals that can be included in these Omnibus Bills. They are not to be used to implement a change in Government policy or deal with an issue that may be controversial or contentious for legal or other reasons. Omnibus Bills are introduced into the Legislative Council and referred to the Standing Committee on Uniform Legislation and Statutes Review for scrutiny. That Committee strictly enforces the limits on the Bill’s contents.
Process
Government agencies who wish to have a matter included in an Omnibus Bill must follow the process set out in the Guideline, which clarifies what types of matters are suitable and provides helpful supplementary advice with respect to each stage of the process.
Proposals must be emailed to repeals@justice.wa.gov.au
Note: Omnibus Bills are an internal Government mechanism and this email address is only open to Government agencies. Emails sent from members of the public or private organisations will not be responded to.
