Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

in reply—In rising to sum up debate on the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Amendment Bill 2007 I want to turn to the points raised by the honourable speakers. Firstly, I want to thank the members on the opposition benches for their support—the member for Fraser and the member for Wills—and in particular I want to thank the members on the government side: the member for Barker and the member for O’Connor, who set out very clearly what it is that the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research brings to Australia. It is engaged in a process that has ‘dual benefits’, which I understand is the term that the member for Barker used. That process is very simple: by fostering and encouraging global agricultural research in areas, whether it is rice, wheat, corn, dairy, beef or any of the other core staples of Australia’s and the international community’s agricultural base, it gives enormous developmental benefits to the underprivileged. It also brings extraordinary benefits back to Australian farmers.

Internationally, what ACIAR does is very simple: it helps promote and develop some of the most needed, highest quality and most effective agricultural research anywhere in the world. It does that through a coordinating process, whether it is at home in Australia or abroad, and then it helps bring those results back to Australian farmers. In particular, I know there is work that I have been doing with the executive of ACIAR in trying to calculate the volume of water saved annually by Australian farmers as a direct consequence of the work of ACIAR. I believe that, once we have those figures finally established, they will show an extraordinary windfall in water savings for Australian farmers on an annual basis.

Against that background, this bill helps to establish and put forward an administrative structure and future for ACIAR for the coming generation. Firstly, in terms of the background, the bill is a response to the Uhrig review, as it is known, or the Review of the Corporate Governance of Statutory Authorities and Office Holders, undertaken by Mr John Uhrig. The fundamental action that was recommended in that and the principal purpose of the amendments is to change the governance arrangements of ACIAR from a board of management to an executive management structure involving a chief executive officer and a seven-member commission. As has been set out in the second reading speech, there are a number of specifics that help implement that essential change. It is about administrative efficiency—the ability to make fast decisions and to work with the executive of the government to that effect.

I understand that that action has the support of industry, the bureaucracy and, in particular, both sides of this House. Its effect is very simple. It is non-controversial. It is unlikely to have any financial impact. The mandate and functions of ACIAR will not be affected, but it will allow for a form of collective decision making and expert policy advice suitable for an agency such as ACIAR.

All of the members of the House who spoke to this deserve to be thanked for their support. I particularly thank the executive of ACIAR, the board of management members, who have served so capably to date, and those who are likely to take up the positions on the seven-member commission. I also thank the officers involved at either a departmental or an institutional level. I am delighted to commend this bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Message from the Governor-General recommending appropriation announced.

See this speech in context