Crimes and Other Legislation Amendment (Omnibus No. 1) Bill 2026

Senator CASH (Western Australia—Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (11:45): by leave—I move amendments (1) and (2) on sheet 3803 together: (1) Clause 2, page 2 (table item 1), omit "Sections 1 to 3", substitute "Sections 1 to 4". (2) Page 2 (after line 12), after clause 3, insert: 4 Review of amendments made by Schedule 4 (1) The Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, or such other committee constituted under a resolution of the Senate, must: (a) begin an inquiry into the operation of the amendments made by Schedule 4 to this Act, and any other related matters, before the end of the period of 2 years beginning on the day the Schedule commences; and (b) report the Committee's recommendations to the Senate as soon as practicable after completing the inquiry.

(2) Without limiting subsection (1), the inquiry must consider: (a) the operational effect of restricting the execution of arrest warrants issued under the Extradition Act 1988 and the Crimes Act 1914 to certain hours, noting that search warrants issued under the Crimes Act 1914 and search and seizure warrants issued under the Extradition Act 1988 are not subject to the same restrictions; and (b) any unintended consequences of the amendments.

I indicated in my second reading speech that I had one or two questions in relation to schedule 3 of the bill, which inserts a new section, section 31A, into the DPP Act 1983 to provide an ability for the Attorney-General to authorise a senior person to exercise all powers and functions ordinarily exercised by the CDPP director when the director is unable to exercise those powers and functions 'due to an actual, perceived or potential conflict of interest'.

In relation to the CDPP, has this legislation—and this particular part of the legislation in particular—been created to address a specific conflict of interest?