Debate resumed from 19 June, on motion by Mr McGauran:

That this bill be now read a second time.

upon which Mr Crean moved by way of amendment:

That all words after “That” be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:“the House:

(1)

notes:

(a)

the proposed legislative measures in the Wheat Marketing Amendment Bill arise directly from the Australian Wheat Board’s role in the now infamous ‘Wheat for Weapons Scandal’;

(b)

the Government should be held accountable for the fact that it:

(i)

failed to act on at least 34 substantial warnings about the role of the AWB in the scandal;

(ii)

failed to utilise the clear mechanism available to insist that the AWB reveal all information in its possession regarding its role in the AWB scandal;

(iii)

failed to adopt practical and sensible measures to oversee the role of the AWB during the period of the ‘Wheat for Weapons Scandal’;

(c)

the Government limited the terms of reference of the Cole Inquiry to such an extent that it was unable to meaningfully evaluate the culpability of the Government in the ‘Wheat for Weapons Scandal’; and

(2)

calls on the Government to split the bill so as to separate:

(a)

the provisions relating to the extension of the temporary veto power of the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry over non-AWB (International) Ltd bulk exports, from

(b)

the remaining provisions of the bill, which should be referred to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry for inquiry and report”.

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