David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to amend general business of motion No. 617 relating to taxpayer funding to One Community.

Leave granted.

At the request of Senator Birmingham, I move the motion as amended:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that the South Australian Labor Government provided $757 000 of taxpayer funding to One Community for advocacy purposes, including during the 2016 federal election;

(b) notes that the South Australian Auditor-General investigated the allocation of $757 000 by the South Australian Labor Government to One Community;

(c) notes that the South Australian Auditor-General found this funding supported activity which "included messages a reasonable person could interpret as being designed to influence support for a political party"; and

(d) calls on the South Australian branch of the Australian Labor Party to refund to South Australian taxpayers the monies that were used for a political purpose.

Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Labor opposes this motion, which is a blatant stunt. The Auditor-General has found the grant to One Community met the guidelines and was spent for the intended purpose. The South Australian Labor government should be applauded for standing up against your plan to cut funding to South Australian schools by $210 million in 2018 and 2019. The minister has let schools in South Australia down and would love to silence those who speak up for South Australian principals, teachers, parents and students. Unlike those opposite, Labor believes every school should be a great school and that every school should receive its fair level of funding. That is why federal Labor has committed to reversing your cuts in full.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that general business notice of motion No. 617, as amended, be agreed to.