7Priorities

7 Priorities

(1) Where at any time there are in force two or more orders (whether or not made in the one State or Territory) directed to the Commonwealth or a Commonwealth authority by virtue of this Act in respect of maintenance orders against the one person, then, on any occasion on which moneys to which the orders are applicable become payable by the Commonwealth or the Commonwealth authority to that person, the Commonwealth or the Commonwealth authority: (a) shall comply with those orders according to the respective dates on which they came into force and shall disregard any order until an earlier order has been complied with in relation to those moneys; and (b) shall comply with any order as if any earnings (within the meaning of the order) to which the order relates were the residue of those earnings after the making of any payment out of those earnings under any earlier order. (2) Where by virtue of the Third Schedule to the Matrimonial Causes Act 1959‑1966, an attachment of earnings order under that Schedule directed to the Commonwealth or a Commonwealth authority has priority over an attachment of earnings order directed to the Commonwealth or that Commonwealth authority by virtue of this Act, the Commonwealth or the Commonwealth authority shall comply with the order made by virtue of this Act as if any earnings (within the meaning of the order) to which the order relates were the residue of those earnings after the making of any payment out of those earnings in accordance with the order under the Third Schedule to the Matrimonial Causes Act 1959‑1966. (3) For the purposes of this section, where a variation of an order has come into force, the order shall be deemed to have come into force as so varied on the day upon which the order came into force.