Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Shoebridge, for your amendment. The bill already provides the parliamentary joint committee with a broad function to review the commission's budget and finances. This includes reporting to the parliament on whether the commission's resources are sufficient to perform its functions effectively and whether its budget should be increased. The powers and proceedings of the committee would be determined by resolution of both houses of the parliament. If both houses of the parliament provide the parliamentary joint committee with the powers to call witnesses and to require the production of documents, the committee could require the commission to provide information on the commission's budget and finances, and request a response within a given time frame. No amendment to the bill is required to achieve this. For that reason, the government does not support the amendments.