Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Whether it has been in the last six months, Senator Marshall, or over the last six years really does not matter. You are in government. It is a whole new ball game. It is a new chapter. You are responsible and you need to stand accountable. Do not just say, ‘This is what it was like years ago.’ You know full well that these businesses are propping up the government by providing these services for free, and there is no accountability. And even if it is for free, you should at least know what the costs are to Quarantine, Immigration and Customs. To what extent are they benefiting from the taxpayer?

Finally, on behalf of the Liberal senators, I have indicated that the government should adopt similar transparency and accountability principles to those outlined by the Board of Airline Representatives of Australia. A lot of key points have been made, and we hope that the government will listen either now, in the second reading debate, or in the committee stage, and actually answer some of the questions that have been put to the departmental officials. I can see that at least some of the departmental officials are here in the advisers box, and I hope that the government will take the opportunity to seek their advice, get answers to some of these questions and provide those answers in this second reading debate, or in the committee stage, so that we know exactly where we stand and there is transparency with respect to this. In conclusion, moving from $38 to $47 is a huge increase in the passenger movement charge, commonly referred to as the departure tax. That is a 24 per cent increase in one hit, and industry does not like it. We certainly express sincere and legitimate concern for them and on their behalf, and on behalf of the travelling public in Australia. I thank the Senate for that opportunity and I know that Senator Macdonald and others on this side of the chamber have similar concerns.