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

I give notice that, on the next day of sitting, I shall move:

That the provisions of paragraphs (5) to (8) of standing order 111 not apply to the Nation-building Funds Bill 2008, the Nation-building Funds (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2008 and the COAG Reform Fund Bill 2008, allowing them to be considered during this period of sittings.

I also table a statement of reasons justifying the need for these bills to be considered during this sittings and seek leave to have the statement incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The statement read as follows—

Purpose of the Bills

The Nation-building Funds Bill 2008 establishes:

• the Building Australia Fund (BAF), to provide a financing source for future investment in critical economic infrastructure in transport, communications, energy and water;
• the Education Investment Fund (EIF) to provide a financing source for future infrastructure priorities in higher education, vocational education and training, and research institutions; and
• the Health and Hospitals Fund (HHF) to provide a financing source for future health infrastructure priorities.

The Nation-building Funds (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2008 deals with consequential matters relating to the establishment of the BAF, EIF and HHF, including amendments required to the Future Fund Act 2006 and Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999 and the repeal of the Higher Education Endowment Fund Act 2007.

The COAG Reform Fund Bill 2008 establishes the COAG Reform Fund, which will receive contributions directly from the Commonwealth Budget as well as from the BAF, EIF and HHF.  Where the investments are to be undertaken by the States, and the Commonwealth has agreed to fund these, the funding will be provided through the COAG Reform Fund in the form of National Partnership payments.

Reasons for Urgency

In the 2008-09 Budget the Government announced the establishment of the BAF, EIF and HHF by 1 January 2009.  The Government has also announced that these Funds are part of its nation-building agenda to help shield Australians from the global financial crisis.  This package of bills gives effect to those decisions.

It is highly desirable that this package of bills be passed as soon as possible to ensure that the Government meets its publicly stated commitment to establish and accelerate the implementation of the Funds by 1 January 2009.  Passage of the bills will permit funds to be invested and made available for critical infrastructure priorities in the areas of transport, communications (including the National Broadband Network), energy, water, education and health.

If the bills are not passed in the 2008 Spring sittings, the Funds and their governance structures will not be established, delaying critical infrastructure funding and investment.

(Circulated by authority of the Minister for Finance and Deregulation and the Treasurer)

Senator Hanson-Young to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes:

(i)

the recent announcement by receiver McGrathNicol that 386 of the ABC Learning’s 1042 centres are ‘subject to further operational review’, with no guarantee that they would remain open in 2009, and

(ii)

ABC Learning accounts for more than 100 000 long day-care places;

(b)

recognises that there are less than 30 days remaining until the Government’s $22 million ‘prop-up’ of ABC Learning expires; and

(c)

calls on the Minister for Education (Ms Gillard) to immediately table the Government’s contingency plan for beyond 31 December 2008.

Senator Bob Brown to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate notes that Australia’s native forests and woodlands are a vital carbon bank and biodiversity habitat which should be conserved.