Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a first time.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a first time.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question now is that the amendment on sheet 8848, circulated by the Australian Greens, be agreed to.

Australian Greens circulated amendment—

(1) Page 10 (after line 5), at the end of the Bill, add:

Schedule 5—Inquiries by the Productivity Commission

Farm Household Support Act 2014

1 After section 104

Insert:

104A Effectiveness of measures to address drought—Inquiries by the Productivity Commission

(1) By the day after this section commences, and afterwards at intervals of no longer than 3 years, the Productivity Minister must, under Part 3 of the Productivity Commission Act 1998, refer to the Productivity Commission for inquiry the following matters:

(a) the appropriateness, effectiveness and efficiency of business and income support measures, in particular the Farm Household Allowance, provided by Commonwealth, state and territory governments to help farmers, farm businesses and farm dependent rural small businesses manage drought;

(b) the extent to which the measures mentioned in paragraph (1) (a) assist farmers, farm businesses and farm dependent rural small businesses to respond to the impact of the climate emergency on drought;

(c) any impediments to farmers, farm businesses and farm dependent rural small businesses improving their preparedness for periods of financial difficulty;

(d) the most appropriate, effective and efficient measures to help build the self-reliance and preparedness to manage drought of farmers, farm businesses and farm dependent rural small businesses;

(e) any related matters.

(2) In referring a matter to the Productivity Commission for inquiry under this section, the Productivity Minister must:

(a) under paragraph 11(1) (a) of the Productivity Commission Act 1998, require the Productivity Commission to hold hearings for the purposes of the inquiry; and

(b) under paragraph 11(1) (b) of that Act, specify the period ending 12 months after the inquiry commences as the period within which the Productivity Commission must submit its report on the inquiry; and

(c) under paragraph 11(1) (d) of that Act, require the Productivity Commission to make recommendations in relation to the matters referred to in subsection (1).

Note: Under section 12 of the Productivity Commission Act 1998, the Productivity Minister must cause a copy of the Productivity Commission's report to be tabled in each House of the Parliament.

(3) The Productivity Minister must not withdraw a reference under this section before the Productivity Minister has received the report.

(4) For the purposes of paragraph 6(1) (a) of the Productivity Commission Act 1998, the matters mentioned in subsection (1) are taken to be matters relating to industry, industry development and productivity.

(5) In this section, Productivity Minister means the Minister administering the Productivity Commission Act 1998.

Question negatived.