Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move the amendment that, hopefully, has been circulated recently:

At the end of the motion, add ", subject to the following modifications to the resolution proposing the appointment of a joint select committee on Northern Australian:

Paragraph 2 (b)(II) after "regulatory", insert "taxation".

After paragraph 2 (c), insert:

(ca) present to the Parliament its recommendation for a white paper which would detail government action needed to be taken to implement the committee's recommendations, setting out how the recommendations were to be implemented, by which government entity they were to be implemented, a timetable for implementation and how and when any government funding would be sourced.

Paragraph 3, omit "June", substitute "May".

Paragraph 4, omit "September", substitute "July".

Senator Ludwig interjecting—

I had given the Australian Labor Party, the Democratic Labour Party, the Greens and Senator Xenophon notice of this on Monday, and I would have hoped that the ALP whip would have made you aware of it, Senator Ludwig. Being a Queenslander, it is something you may well have been interested in. I appreciate the government indicating they will be supporting the amendments and I would hope that other parties in the chamber would also support not only my amendments but the move to set up the committee.

I indicate that it should not have been necessary for me to have to move amendments to a government motion, but I will indicate the background to this. I do not believe that the terms of reference, which I eventually discovered almost by accident last Friday week, were appropriate and in the best interest of Northern Australians or in accord with or facilitating the adoption of the coalition's policy, which the establishment of this committee is supposed to be doing. Senators will know that there was little or, I suspect, no consultation with Senators generally or particular politicians who have a special interest in the north.

Senators will be aware that, as they were busy in estimates from 9 am until 11 pm Monday to Thursday in the last sitting week of the House of Representatives, the House of Representatives agreed to the terms of reference for the establishment of this committee without any debate. Almost by accident, as I said, I discovered the terms of reference. I was particularly disappointed as my many inquiries to the Prime Minister's office, which seems to have an almost obsessive centralised control phobia over this and every other aspect of parliament, responded to me when I kept inquiring with, 'We will let you know when the terms of reference are eventually decided.'

Because I was not elected to this parliament by the Prime Minister's office but by the Liberal-National Party of Queensland and by the voters of Queensland, particularly those in the north, I was incensed that the two things that are perhaps of most importance to Queenslanders were missing from the terms of reference. They were: a reference to look at the zoned tax system, which had been promised by the coalition prior to the election; and some definitive program towards the sustainable development of Northern Australia. Now, what you see in the terms of reference submitted by the government may be the Prime Minister's office's version of what it was all about, but I have to advise them and my constituents that I will not have unelected advisers in the Prime Minister's office telling elected politicians, who are actually in touch with their constituencies, what should and should not be done.

Can I go further into the background of this whole issue? Prior to 2001, as Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government, I initiated a number of northern Australian forums. There were significant meetings held across the north of Australia, looking at ways to develop northern Australia. As a result of that process significant volumes of findings and suggestions were released by the government in 2001. Unfortunately, a federal election then ensued and after the election I was moved to another ministerial portfolio and my successor, who was from Tasmania, had little interest in the north. The process towards development of northern Australia then faltered.

Six years ago, in opposition as the shadow parliamentary secretary for northern and remote Australia, I proceeded again with very wide consultations right across the North, which resulted in a policy which was taken to the 2010 election. Following the 2010 election more intense and serious consultations took place, and with the assistance of others in the shadow ministry we succeeded in producing a policy document entitled 'The coalition's 2030 vision for developing northern Australia'. This was launched by Mr Abbott at James Cook University in Townsville in June 2013. Mr Deputy President, I seek leave to table a copy of that policy.