What it does
This Act provides the legal machinery by which the Tasmanian Crown may restructure, privatise or reallocate Government Business Enterprise (GBE) activities. It creates three broad procedural pathways: (a) sale of a whole or part of a prescribed GBE’s business to a private purchaser (Part 2, s 7); (b) formation of a company limited by shares to carry on a GBE’s business and transfer of that business to the company (Part 3, ss 14-17); and (c) transfer of remaining business to the Crown where a part has been sold or a company formed (Part 4, s 35). The Treasurer is the central decision-maker: powers to sell, form companies, direct Boards, publish transfer notices, and determine disputes are concentrated in that office (ss 7, 14, 17, 35, 8). Where companies are formed, the Treasurer is the sole initial member and holds issued shares in trust for the Crown (ss 15-16). The Act treats transferred contracts, proceedings and property as transferring to the purchaser, company or Crown by default, unless the Treasurer and the purchaser otherwise agree in writing (ss 9(1), 17(5), 35(5)).
The Act also sets out employee arrangements on sale or transfer: the Treasurer may order transfers of employment or terminate employment on conditions (ss 10, 18, 36). Transferred employees retain accrued entitlements and service continuity for most purposes, subject to awards, agreements and specific statutory limits (for example, long service leave rules and superannuation exceptions, ss 10(7), 11, 28). The Crown is insulated from company liabilities unless the Treasurer gives a guarantee or indemnity; those guarantees are payable from Parliamentary appropriations (ss 21-22). Financial flows from disposals are prescribed: sale proceeds are paid into the Public Account and the Treasurer may, without further appropriation, approve payments from the Public Account to meet sale expenses and certain liabilities (s 38). The Act prevails over inconsistent provisions of the Government Business Enterprises Act 1995 (s 6). Regulations may be made to support the Act, can authorise Ministerial determinations and may create offences with fines up to 50 penalty units (s 40).
