Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 186 standing in my name for today relating to the Perth Freight Link.

Leave granted.

I move the motion as amended:

That the Senate—

(a) notes:

  (i) the Abbott-Turnbull election commitment that infrastructure projects attracting more than $100 million of federal funding would require a full cost benefit analysis,

  (ii) that the Abbott-Turnbull Government has committed funding now worth $1.2 billion to the Perth Freight Link for which no business case has ever been provided, for which Stages 2 and 3 have not even been planned or assessed, and which does not reach the Port,

  (iii) that it is important that Federal money granted to a state be spent in a manner that represents value for money and that the Senate has an oversight obligation in this regard, and

  (iv) public interest immunity in response to Senate orders for the production of documents must not just be asserted, rather established;

(b) rejects the grounds for public interest immunity made in relation to six previous Senate orders for production of documents relating to the project, concerning the release of the business case, and specifically those made by the Minister for Finance on 19 April and 1 September 2016;

(c) orders that the full business case and cost benefit analysis for the Perth Freight Link be laid on the table by the Minister for Finance by no later than 12.30 pm on 14 February 2017;

(d) resolves that, if the documents specified in paragraph (c) are not laid on the table by 9 February 2017, the Minister for Finance be suspended from the sittings of the Senate except for attendance in divisions but not for any other purpose, until the documents are produced or by 9 May 2017, whichever occurs earlier; and

(e) calls on the Government not to effect any transfer of funds for the Perth Freight Link until such time as paragraph (c) is met.

Statement by leave: The Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister (Senator McGrath), by leave, made a statement relating to the motion.

Documents: Senator McGrath tabled the following documents:

Transport—Western Australia—Perth Freight Link—Extracts from Hansard, and documents previously tabled concerning related orders for the production of documents.

Question put.