Gary Gray (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service and Integrity) Share this | Hansard source

Before making remarks specifically on this appropriation bill, I think it is worth reflecting in general on a budget that returns to surplus at a time when global markets are in a doubtful condition and a time when caution and prudence in our budget management are important parts and hallmarks of the Australian way of managing budgets. But it is also important that we look at our budget in detail and see that spending as a share of GDP falls to 23.5 per cent in 2012-13 and remains below 24 per cent over the forward estimates. It is the longest sustained period below 24 per cent since the 1980s. The tax to GDP ratio in 2012-13 is 22.1 per cent and forecast to remain below 23 per cent across the forward estimates—again, sustainably low and substantially below the rates of the former government.

You cannot achieve this without a fantastic finance department. I thank the Department of Finance and Deregulation and in particular Secretary David Tune for the outstanding work that they have done in helping to support ministers and to frame this budget.

In 2012-13, the Finance and Deregulation portfolio will receive appropriations of $655.9 million from Appropriation Bill (No. 1) for the ordinary annual services of the government. This will include departmental capital budget funding of $18.9 million, $7.6 million in departmental supplementation and administered capital funding of $3.2 million. A number of new measures were announced in the 2012-13 budget for the finance portfolio. Further information on these is, of course, contained in Budget Paper No. 2. The government will provide $4 million over two years for finance to develop a second-pass business case for the remediation of sections 32, 34 and 41 of the Cox Peninsula in the Northern Territory and, in so doing, assist the Northern Territory in the resolution of a long-outstanding land claim and provide a fantastic business opportunity for the Larrakia people in developing that land outside of Darwin.

The government will also provide $6.9 million over four years to support the government's deregulation agenda, including oversight of the Seamless National Economy reforms and establishing and supporting COAG cross-jurisdictional task forces. Importantly, the government is delivering again on cross-jurisdictional issues, making life simpler, making cross-jurisdictional accreditations simpler and, of course, dealing with complex matters such as occupational health and safety.

The government will provide savings from a reduction to the fire services levy payments made to state and territory governments. Savings from this measure will be directed to support substantial other government priorities. The government will also find an additional $8 million over two years to undertake work related to the transfer of parts of the Malabar Headland to the government of New South Wales for the creation of a permanent national park in Malabar Head for the benefit of the people of Sydney, New South Wales and Australia. The government will provide $7.4 million in 2011-12 to meet legal and other costs associated with the Commonwealth's legislation against the stamp duty assessment issued by the New South Wales Office of State Revenue on the sale of the Commonwealth share of Sydney Airport Corporation Ltd.

The Commonwealth will provide $26.4 over five years to allow the Moorebank Project Office to progress the development of the Moorebank site as an intermodal terminal. This is a particularly substantial measure, as it will provide a logistics hub at Moorebank for container traffic flow from Port Botany through Sydney, creating an interstate connection but also better managing traffic and container flows through the greater Sydney area, benefiting the East Coast in general, Sydney specifically and delivering substantial productivity benefits for Australia.

The government will provide $559.4 million over four years to the Department of Finance and Deregulation for the relocation of the Department of Defence facilities at the Moorebank site to a modern and purpose-built facility through the development of the Holsworthy Barracks site. That is important to creating the land opportunity at Moorebank in order to create the terminal for the intermodal capacity at Moorebank. The government will also provide $339 million over seven years to construct a new Commonwealth operated post-entry quarantine facility.

The government will also provide nearly $1 million over four years to establish a whole-of-Australian government information management system for parliamentary workflow. I know the shadow minister appreciates the complexity that comes from differential systems operating across different ministers' offices and portfolios. This workflow program is designed to improve that. (Time expired)

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