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Call for Submissions

Submissions closed on Friday, 17 January 2014.

Objectives of the Bill

The objectives of the Bill are to:

1. Provide for the repeal and split of the Property Agents and Motor Dealers Act 2000 (PAMD Act) into four separate Acts. The Bill is one of the four Acts that will split the PAMD Act. The Bill will provide a system for regulating debt collectors and their employees, and a way of protecting consumers against particular undesirable practices associated with debt collection, repossession and process serving activities. The Bill adopts the term debt collectors for the purpose of describing persons performing debt collection, repossession and process serving activities.
2. Simplify and reduce the level of red tape and regulation the PAMD Act currently imposes on the debt collection industry.
3. Improve the operation of the legislation regulating the debt collection industry and clarify particular provisions.

Other Information

The Debt Collectors (Field Agents and Collection Agents) Bill 2013 and Explanatory Notes are available from the Office of the Queensland Parliamentary Counsel at www.legislation.qld.gov.au.

The Hansard transcript of the introductory speech for the Bill can be accessed here.

Public Briefing

The Committee held a public briefing on this Bill, and a number of other Bills, with the Department of Justice and Attorney-General at Parliament House, Brisbane on Thursday 12 December 2013.

The briefing was broadcast live on the Queensland Parliament website.

Copies of the final transcript can be accessed here or at Related Publications.

Reasons for the Bill

Further information, including the reasons for the Bill, appear in the Explanatory Notes which can be viewed here.

Referral

On 20 November 2013 the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, the Honourable Jarrod Bleijie MP, introduced the Debt Collectors (Field Agents and Collection Agents) Bill 2013 into the Queensland Parliament.  In accordance with Standing Order 131 of the Standing Rules and Orders of the Legislative Assembly, the Bill was referred to the Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee (the Committee) for detailed consideration.

By motion of the Committee of the Legislative Assembly, the Committee is required to report to the Parliament by 24 February 2014.

Report

On 24 February 2014, the Committee tabled its Report No. 53, Debt Collectors (Field Agents and Collection Agents) Bill 2013. A copy of the report is available here or can be accessed at Related Publications.

The Government tabled its response to the Committee's report on 6 May 2014. A copy of the Government Response is available here or can be accessed at Related Publications.

The Debt Collectors (Field Agents and Collection Agents) Bill 2013 was passed, with amendment, by the Legislative Assembly on 6 May 2014.