Gary Nairn (Eden-Monaro, Liberal Party, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

Appropriation Bill (No. 4) provides additional funding to agencies for:

• expenses in relation to grants to the states under section 96 of the Constitution and for payments to the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory; and
• non-operating purposes such as equity injections and loans.

The total additional appropriation being sought in Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2005-06 is almost $1.37 billion.

The principal factors contributing to the additional requirement since the 2005-06 budget include $744.4 million in additional payments to the states and territories, such as:

• $346.3 million in GST compensation payments;
• an additional $304.3 million to support primary producers in regions that have been declared eligible for exceptional circumstances assistance—which includes parts of my electorate, which continues to be eligible as it is still recovering from the devastating drought;
• $18 million under the Tasmanian Community Forest Agreement to fund additional plantation establishment and productivity improvements in existing plantations and native forests;
• $16.3 million for mental health under the Australian health care agreements; and
• an additional contribution of up to $10 million to Victoria to enhance and extend the scope of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.

Bill 4 also proposes $333.8 million in additional appropriation for non-operating expenses, including:

• $131 million to the Department of Health and Ageing to purchase and store antivirals, vaccines, intravenous antibiotics and protective equipment for the national medical stockpile, in preparation for a potential pandemic influenza;
• $27.9 million will be allocated to the Department of Defence to fund a Special Forces Task Group to Afghanistan, and a further $27 million will be provided to deploy helicopters and support elements in Afghanistan. These increases have been fully offset by savings arising in the department’s non-operating budget;
• a total of $34.3 million to the Australian Federal Police to fund the Joint Airport Intelligence Group and to implement phase 1 of community policing at airports;
• $40.9 million to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations to implement the workplace relations reform package; and
• $11.4 million to the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation to fund additional temporary accommodation;

Finally, $290.5 million has been re-appropriated to the Department of Transport and Regional Services as a new administered expense for the Roads to Recovery program to facilitate the direct payment of these funds to local councils. I commend the bill to the House.

Debate (on motion by Mr Crean) adjourned.