COMMONWEALTH PUBLIC SERVICE.

No. 18 of 1917.

An Act to amend the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1902-1916.

[Assented to 28th August, 1917.]

BE it enacted by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—

Short title and citation.

1.—(1.) This Act may be cited as the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1917.

(2.) The Commonwealth Public Service Act 1902-1916 is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.

(3.) The Principal Act, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1902-1917.

Amendment of s.2.

2. Section two of the Principal Act is amended by adding at the end thereof the following sub-section:—

“(2.) References in this Act to persons who have served in any Expeditionary Force raised under the provisions of the Defence Act 1903-1915 shall be deemed to include members of the Army Medical Corps Nursing Service accepted or appointed by the Director-General of Medical Services for service outside Australia and members of the Naval Forces who have been on active service outside Australia or on a ship of war.”

3. After section twenty-one of the Principal Act the following section is inserted:—

Appointments of returned soldiers to positions in Clerical Division.

“21a. Notwithstanding anything contained in the last preceding section any person who has served with satisfactory record in any Expeditionary Force raised under the provisions of the Defence Act 1903-1915 and who is eligible for appointment to the Clerical Division may be appointed to such class and subdivision as the Commissioner determines.”

Amendment of s. 27.

4. Section twenty-seven of the Principal Act is amended by inserting, after paragraph (c), the following words:—”and may empower the Commissioner to specify that any particular examination for admission to the Clerical Division is only for persons who have served with satisfactory record in any Expeditionary Force raised under the provisions of the Defence Act 1903-1915.”

5. After section twenty-nine of the Principal Act the following section is inserted:—

Meaning of prescribed examination.

“29a. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act the Governor-General may by regulation prescribe that any person who has served with satisfactory record in any Expeditionary Force raised under the provisions of the Defence Act 1903-1915 and who has passed a prescribed examination conducted by a University or other public examining body in any part of the British Dominions, notwithstanding that that examination is not competitive, shall be deemed to have passed a prescribed examination conducted by examiners appointed under this Act.”

Amendment of s. 32.

6. Section thirty-two of the Principal Act is amended by adding at the end of sub-section (1.) thereof the following proviso:—

“Provided that any person who has served with satisfactory record in any Expeditionary Force raised under the provisions of the Defence Act 1903-1915, and whose age at his last birthday previous to appointment was not more than fifty years and who has passed, whether before or after the commencement of this proviso, the prescribed examination may be appointed to the clerical division.”

Amendment of s. 40.

7. Section forty of the Principal Act is amended by inserting after sub-section (4.) the following sub-section:—

“(4a.) The employment of a person who has served with satisfactory record in any Expeditionary Force raised under the provisions of the Defence Act 1903-1915 and who has been temporarily employed for six months may, upon a report from the Permanent Head that he has satisfactorily performed his duties and that temporary assistance is still required, be extended from time to time by the Commissioner for such periods as he thinks fit.”

Amendment of s. 58.

8. Section fifty-eight of the Principal Act is amended by inserting after the word “shall” the words “subject to the regulations”.

Amendment of s. 70a

9.—(1.) Section seventy a of the Principal Act is amended—

(a) by inserting in sub-section (1.) after the words “ Defence Act 1903-1915” the words “or has entered into an agreement with the Minister of State for Defence to serve as a munitions worker whether within or beyond Australia,”;

(b) by adding at the end of that sub-section the words “or as a munitions worker, as the case may be”;

(c) by omitting from sub-section (2.) the words “not exceeding twelve months” and inserting in their stead the words “which shall not, unless the Governor-General otherwise directs, exceed twelve months”; and

(d) by adding at the end of that sub-section the words “or on active service in the Naval Forces”.

(2.) This section shall be deemed to have commenced on the first day of August, One thousand nine hundred and fourteen.

Preservation of eligibility of members of the Forces for appointment.

10.—(1.) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Principal Act or the Regulations thereunder, any person who has successfully passed any prescribed examination to which this section applies and has served with satisfactory record in any Expeditionary Force raised under the provisions of the Defence Act 1903-1915 shall be eligible for appointment to the Public Service at any time before he has attained the age of fifty-one years.

(2.) This section applies to any examination for admission to the Public Service for which the maximum age fixed for candidates at the date of examination exceeds sixteen years.