Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources) Share this | Hansard source

First of all, a point of clarification on the opening remarks at the start of that question by Senator Brown. You said that we were not consulting. I quite clearly said that we were consulting. I said we weren't consulting specifically on the operating mandate—just to be very clear about that. The bill sets out what can be included in the operating mandate: the objectives to pursue in administering farm loans and the national water infrastructure facility; the government's expectations in relation to the strategies and policies to be followed by the corporation; the eligibility criteria for those loans; and the management of funding in other matters. These will all be outlined in the operating mandate. As I said, it is currently in the process of development. It will not be finalised until after the passage of the bill. However, after the passage of the bill, it will be tabled in the parliament, but not as a disallowable instrument.