Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

During the second reading debate on this bill, Minister, you referred to a committee recommendation that ‘an independent cost-benefit analysis of the Accredited Client Program be undertaken which takes into account the removal of the duty deferral mechanism’ from the proposed program. You said:

It is considered a poor use of public money to fund a cost-benefit analysis of the revised Accredited Client Program when the outcome is already known ...

If that is the case, can the minister confirm the budget savings associated with moving from duty deferral to the revised program? What in fact are the savings to Customs when you move from duty deferral to the now revised proposal?