Alex Hawke (Mitchell, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister to the Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

It also gives me great pleasure to join with the Prime Minister in congratulating the member for Boothby on an excellent speech. The member for Boothby started with a reference to ancient Rome. There was a great ancient Roman called Cincinnatus, who really models what the member for Boothby said. He was a citizen soldier who had served as consul for a long time, retired and gave up his position of power voluntarily, saying, 'I'm not a soldier; I am a farmer.'

The member for Boothby, thousands of years later, reflects that great spirit by giving up power voluntarily, relinquishing his role in this place and saying to his electorate, to this parliament and to the Australian population that he is not a politician; he is a doctor. That is a fine profession, and it is a fine contribution that he has made here over his two decades. I want to pay tribute to him and all the work that he has done for his electorate and, indeed, to the great friendship that he has brought to this place and to the contribution that he has made as a great economic liberal and a great social conservative.

In summing up the Primary Industries Levies and Charges Collection Amendment Bill 2016, I would just say that this bill makes changes to the ability of the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources to distribute levy payer information. I want to thank the entire parliament for their contribution and for the many great points that were made on both sides. The bill is an important step in strengthening the ability of rural research and development corporations to connect directly with those who fund their work. The amendment allows the department to provide levy payer information to the RDCs for the purpose of developing levy pay registers. The information that will be provided is the name, address, contact details and ABN of any person who has paid or is liable to pay a levy or charge. The information may also include details of the amount of levy or charge that the person has paid or is liable to pay, or the leviable commodity.

Levy payer registers will allow RDCs to identify and consult directly with the levy payers who fund the research and development R&D system and ensure accuracy in the allocation of the voting entitlements. As it stands, the Primary Industries Levies and Charges Collection Act 1991 only permits the distribution of levy payer information to the wool and dairy RDCs. This bill remedies this by allowing the government to provide levy payer information for the purposes of a levy payer register to 13 other RDCs. Recognising that each agricultural industry is different in its structures, the distribution of levy payer information to an RDC for a levy payer register will only occur where an RDC, in consultation with industry, requests its distribution and the request is approved by the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources.

The bill sets out the purpose for which the levy payer information can be used. This includes matters relating to the development and maintenance of levy payer registers, the ability to make public any statistical, de-identified information and for any functions required of the recipient under Commonwealth laws or under a funding agreement between the RDC and the Commonwealth. RDCs will also be able to levy—

(Quorum formed) I want to thank the member for Fowler for his strong interest in primary industry levies and the charges that apply in this amendment bill. He has a great agricultural background and a big rural seat! I know he has brought in people to listen to this. The farmers of Fowler will be very interested in this presentation!

The bill sets out the purposes for which levy payer information can be used. This includes matters relating to the development and maintenance of the levy payer registers, the ability to make public any statistical de-identified information—as I was saying—and for any functions required of the recipient under Commonwealth laws or under a funding agreement between the RDC and the Commonwealth. This bill provides for levy payer information to be distributed to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. This is consistent with the government's public data policy statement, which commits to secure sharing of data between the Australian government entities to improve efficiencies and to inform policy development and decision making for Australia's agricultural industries.

The bill also allows the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources to provide for any other information relating to the production and processing of the commodity to be given to an eligible recipient. The bill does not permit secondary disclosure of information included in the levy payer register, except where expressly permitted by the secretary in writing.

The government will continue to work with industry and RDCs to ensure that Australia's R&D system remains transparent and consultative and delivers tangible benefits to Australia's agricultural industries into the future.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

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