Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

The clause that the minister just read out is labelled 27A, which suggests it was an afterthought—an insertion. The minister should be open and say to the Australia people that the clause was inserted into the bill in response to the coalition amendment. He has come some of the way in relation to recognising the need for this transparency. The minister says, ‘This is a government decision and initiative and we are going to be so much better off,’ but let him admit—and I am sure the minister will not admit it—that the record will show that that amendment was put into the legislation as a result of the coalition going public with three proposed amendments, two of which the government accepted to an extent that we were happy with. The third one has not been met sufficiently, we believe.

If the total amounts of capped and uncapped assistance are provided, I assume that will indicate two figures. I would like the minister confirm that in the annual report, despite 193 different grants potentially being made, only two figures will be stated. As a result, in relation to 27A(b), which relates to the details of the progress of the Australian automotive industry, we will be just given generalised statements rather than details of the real successes where some dollars were spent with a lot greater benefit and return than in other areas. That is what the community wants to know. When you know that sort of detail, you can rejig the scheme to provide and drive even greater productivity, greater efficiencies, greater job security, greater export markets and all the things that we wish for this sector.

So I ask the minister whether I am correct to say that the total amounts disclosed will in fact be two amounts. If not, how many amounts will be disclosed?