Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Greens also support Senator Xenophon’s amendments.

Question agreed to.

We have had some extensive debate on the important amendment from the Australian Greens which would put a cap on salaries of $1 million for those who are to benefit out of the loans arrangements that are facilitated by this legislation. The minister has said that our amendments do not go far enough in terms of restricting what the Prime Minister has described as obscene take-home payments. I want to be more direct with the minister about this. The Greens will not be supporting this legislation if the government does not agree either to the amendment that we have put forward or to an alternative which satisfies us that the government is taking action, as have many similar countries around the world. The debate on this legislation is now going to go into the next period of sittings. I expect that the Prime Minister will engage in discussions with the Greens to come up with a provision which at least deals with the potential for CEOs of development organisations to have millions of dollars going to them in one way or another in take-home moneys from corporations which have at-risk loan arrangements guaranteed through the government.

I hope that the government understands clearly how important this measure is as far as the Greens are concerned. I make this offer to the government that we have serious negotiations about how to bring in an amendment, if the government cannot support this amendment, which does put a cap on those beneficiaries of the loan arrangements that are in here at the taxpayer’s expense. It is a serious matter and we want it taken seriously. We want action on it. I can do no more than make this public appeal, having written to the Prime Minister a number of times to get some action from the government on the matter.

Progress reported.