Chief Executive Centrelink v The Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund Pty Ltd [2016] FCAFC 153

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Chief Executive Centrelink v The Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund Pty Ltd [2016] FCAFC 153 Appeal from: Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund Pty Ltd v Chief Executive Centrelink [2016] FCA 769

File number: QUD 533 of 2016

Judges: PERRAM, GRIFFITHS AND MORTIMER JJ

Date of judgment: 11 November 2016

Catchwords: SOCIAL SECURITY – Centrepay service – automatic deduction of funeral insurance premiums from social security benefits – whether able to be terminated

Legislation: Acts Interpretation Act 1901 (Cth), ss 2(2), 33(1) Commonwealth Services Delivery Agency Act 1997 (Cth) Human Services (Centrelink) Act 1997 (Cth), ss 3, 7, 8, 8(1), 8(1)(ba), 8(1)(d), 8(3), 8(5), 8(6), 8(10), 8(11), 8(12), 8A, 8A(a), 8A(b), 12(3), 13, 15, 16, 39 Legislation Act 2003 (Cth), s 13, 13(1)(a) Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 (Cth), ss 36, 41, 55, 55(4), 234(2) Human Services (Centrelink) Regulations 2011 (Cth), regs 9, 10, 10(1), 10(2), 10(3)(e), 10(5), 11, 11(1), 11(1)(a), 11(1)(b), 11(1)(c), 11(2), 11(2)(b), 11(2)(e), 11(2)(g), 11(2)(h), Sch 1 Item 1, 2 and 3

Cases cited: Alcan (NT) Alumina Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Territory Revenue (Northern Territory) [2009] HCA 41; 239 CLR 27 Brown v West [1990] HCA 7; 169 CLR 195 Carltona Ltd v Commissioners of Works [1943] 2 All ER 560 Commissioner of Taxation v Cripps & Jones Holdings Pty Ltd (1987) 17 FCR 55 Johns v Australian Securities Commission [1993] HCA 56; 178 CLR 408 Kabourakis v The Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria [2006] VSCA 301 Lawrie v Lees (1881) 7 App Cas 19 Minister for Aboriginal Affairs v Peko-Wallsend Ltd (1986) 162 CLR 24 Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Kurtovic (1990) 21 FCR 193 Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs v Gray (1994) 50 FCR 189 Moore v Attorney-General (Irish Free State) [1935] AC 484 Noy v Tapgnuk (1997) 138 FLR 205 Parkes Rural Distributions Pty Ltd v Glasson (1986) 7 NSWLR 332 Plaintiff M61/2010E v Commonwealth of Australia [2010] HCA 41; 243 CLR 319 Project Blue Sky v Australian Broadcasting Authority [1998] HCA 28; 194 CLR 355 R v Bevan; Ex parte Elias and Gordon [1942] HCA 12; 66 CLR 452