#14190 - Fcl Brain Storm - Brain Storm For Federal Constitutional Law Exam

Powers * Legislative Power * * * Appropriation and Spending: * * * * * * * Exercise duties: s 90 Freedom of Interstate Trade: s 92 Cigamatic Discrimination against residents of other States: s 117 IFPC Restriction of Commonwealth Law: * * * * * * Appropriation: s 81+s 83 (must have an appropriation legislation) Spending: (generally, must have a spending legislation also) * Nationhood power: s 61+s 51(xxxix) * Grants power: s 96 Restriction of State Law: * * Subject Matter Power * Trade and Commerce Power: s 51(i); * Corporation Power: s 51(xx); * Race Power: s 51(xxvi) * Acquisition power: s 51(xxxi) Purpose Power * External Affairs Power: s 51(xxix) * Defence Power: s 51(vi) Freedom of Interstate Trade: s 92 Melbourne Corporation Doctrine. Acquisition power: s 51(xxxi) IFPC Freedom of religion: s 117 Inconsistency: s109 and severance. Powers Interaction Between Power * s 51(i) is affected by s 92, interstate trade and commerce thus needs to be absolutely free: ANA Case. * s 51(ii) * * Laws made under s 51(ii) cannot deal with other matter: s 55 State taxation law cannot impose exercise and customs duties: s 90. * s 51(vi) is subject to this Constitution, for example s 92 (Gratwick), s 51(xxxi) (Dalziel). * s 96 * * * Not subject to s 99 (Federal Roads Case); s 51(ii) and s 51(iii) (Moran) But subject to s 116 (DOGS); s 51(xxxi) (ICM v Cth) s 51(xxxi) * s 51(xxxi) does not apply to s 51(ii) (taxation power) (Ninendo); s 51(xvii) (bankruptcy law) and social security law (Schmidt); s 51(xviii) (Copy rights). s 51(i) Trade and Commerce (9) * Sufficient connection test. * Meaning of Trade & Commerce * * * Limitations * * * Can regulate activities Including all mutual communings, the negotiations, the bargain, the transport and the delivery of the sale of goods and services: W&A McArthur. Can regulate intangible goods and service: Bank Nationalisation Case With other countries or among the States, not within the States: W&A McArthur. Need to be harmonised with s 92: ANA Case. Incidental Powers * * * To protect against danger of physical interference with the interstate and international trade: Second Airline Case. Extend to all matters which may beneficially or adversely affect the export trade of Australia, including packing, get-up, description, labelling, handling: O'Sullivan. But commercial consideration, like efficiency, competitive and profitability is not permitted: AG(WA) v ANA. s 51(xx) Corporation Power (11) * Sufficient Connection test. * * * * Scope of Corporation Power: Work Choices * * * * * * Examine its current activity rather than the original purpose: Adamson's Case. Trading and financial activity must be a substantial proportion of a corporation's total activity: SSB v TBC. Non-active corporation determined by its purpose: Fencott. Regulation of the activities, functions, relations and business of a constitutional corporation --- (including preliminary activities: Tasmanian Dam) Creation of rights and privilege belonging to a constitutional corporation Imposition of obligation on a constitutional corporation. Regulation conduct of employee, shareholder, etc. Regulation of those conduct is capable of affecting the corporation's activities, functions, relations or business. Limitations: * * * * Limited to foreign corporations and trading or financial corporations. Not extend to corporations constituted for municipal, mining, manufacturing, religious, scholastic, charitable, scientific and literary purposes: Huddart. Law operating on the conduct of outsider invalid unless the conduct has significance of trading, financial or foreign corporations: Re Dingjan. Creation of corporation cannot be relied on corporation power: Incorporation Case. s 51(xx) Taxation Power (13) * Sufficient connection test. * Element of Taxation: Matthews v CMB * * * * Not a tax: fines or penalty; charges for the acquisition or use of the property; fees for privilege; breach of statutory obligation; payment for service rendered; substitution of non-custodial parent's debts Air Caledonie * * Compulsory For public purposes * Money paid to CRF indicates it is for public purpose: ATMA v Cth; but not necessarily mean it is a tax: Luton * For public interests is enough: ATMA v Cth - direct/indirect benefits to general community: Luton. * Not necessary be extracted by public authority: ATMA v Cth. * Private benefit will not rule out public purposes: ATMA v Cth. * An object of raising revenue is significant but not decisive: AA v CAI. * Irrelevant if raising revenue being secondary purpose: NSGCRT v Cth. -(employee training). Enforceable by law Fee for Services: payable by person receiving the service; proportionate: Harper Other possible issue: Refund can be a tax, sufficient connection required: Pape. s 51(xxvi) Race Power (17) * Sufficient connection test. * Special Law * * * * * Deemed necessary * * * Basically a parliamentary issue: Kartinyeri. But courts retain some supervisory jurisdiction: Kartinyeri. People of any race * * * Focus on consequence rather than motive: Tasmanian Dam. A law protects all races is not a 'special law': Koowarta. Must has special connection with the people of a race: Tasmanian Dam. May confers a benefit generally, provided the benefit is of special significance or importance to the people of a particular race: WA v Cth. Can support a law for a sub-group of a particular race: Kartinyeri. Now includes Aboriginal people: Tasmanian Dam. Must for the benefit * * No conclusive answer: Kartinyer. But can withdraw a statutory benefit granted: Kartinyer. s 51(xxix) External Affairs Power (19) * Merely geographic externality is sufficient: Horta. * * * * Including matters affecting Australia's relations with other countries: XYZ v Cth. Whether it is necessary is decided by the Parliament: Polyukhovich. Sufficient connection arguably required: Polyukhovich. For the purpose of implementing treaties: Tasmanian Dam * * * * * * Irrelevant if the matters wholly within Australia: Tasmanian Dam Not limited to those known obligations, extend to reasonably apprehended obligations: Richardson. Requirement for the Implementation: * The implementation of treaty must be 'bona fide': Burgess. * Cth is free to devise its own 'appropriate' means: Second Airlines Case. * It is a purposive power, proportionality test required. Requirement for the treaty: * Treaty must be made bona fide: Tasmanian Dam. * Treaty must embody precise obligations, not vague aspirations: Industrial Relations. * Validity irrelevant to whether the treaty itself is void or unlawful: Horta. Recommendation can be relied on only if the terms of the recommendation can be regarded as appropriate and adapted to give effect to the terms of the treaties: Industrial Relations. Requirement for the Legislation: * Legislation must adhere sufficiently to the convention or treaty: Burgess. * The law must be 'sufficiently stamped': Industrial Relations * Partial implementation is valid: Tasmanian Dam.