Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

No, I am not, and he knows full well that this side of the House understands the importance of spending on defence. He understands the importance of making sure that infrastructure is so important at places such as Forest Hill and Kapooka. Labor never worried about it, but we are.

The Department of Employment receives just over $115 million, primarily for increased payments to providers following an increase in the number of successful job placements and to implement the new employment services 2015 contracts.

The Department of Agriculture receives $90 million for concessional loans under the Drought Recovery Concessional Loans Scheme. These funds will be used to provide support to eligible primary production businesses in Queensland and New South Wales that are experiencing financial difficulties resulting from the impacts of severe and prolonged drought conditions, or as a result of the combined effects of drought.

The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service would be provided with just under $35 million for additional counter-terrorism activities and to repurpose the Australian Defence Vessel Ocean Shield for transition of its ownership from the Department of Defence to the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.

Finally, the Department of Parliamentary Services would receive additional appropriations to enable it to enhance the security of the Australian Parliament House, including the enhancement and upgrade of closed-circuit television equipment and access systems. It will also cover additional Parliamentary Protective Service staff. The total of the appropriations being sought through these three appropriation bills is just over $1.7 billion. I commend this bill to the House.

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