Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources) Share this | Hansard source

I ask the minister a few questions about the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute. Does he agree with the new CEO of that institute, Brad Page, who said in the press on the weekend in regard to the seed capital of $100 million a year being given to the institute that it 'was more than it knew how to spend' and said further:

It's actually impossible to spend that amount of money responsibly.

Does the minister agree with that statement? If he does not agree with that statement, can he explain to the House exactly what control he and his department have over the expenditure of the institute, which according to an article written by Lenore Taylor—who I am sure the minister has respect for because Lenore gets things right—describes a lavish lifestyle of that committee as it travelled first-class around the world having meetings at exorbitantly expensive venues. The questions are: does he agree with Brad Page that it is actually impossible to spend that amount of money responsibly, and can he explain what control he has over the institute to stop it wasting money?

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