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Wednesday, 2 November 2011
Page: 12433

Mr ALBANESE (Grayndler—Leader of the House and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) (10:21): I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The Telecommunications (Industry Levy) Bill 2011 is one of three bills that together will reform the delivery of universal service and other public interest services. The other bills in the package are the Telecommunications Universal Service Management Agency Bill 2011 and the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Universal Service Reform) Bill 2011. The Telecommunications (Industry Levy) Bill 2011 works with the provisions in the Telecommunications Universal Service Management Agency Bill 2011, which set out a scheme for determining who must pay the levy, and for administering and enforcing that scheme. The Telecommunications (Industry Levy) Bill imposes the levy. Section 99 of the Telecommunications Universal Service Management Agency Bill 2011 determines who is subject to a levy. These are telecommunications carriers or, if the minister has made a legislative instrument to that effect, carriage service providers. Under the Telecommunications Universal Service Management Agency Bill 2011, there is also provision for the minister to exempt particular persons from being considered liable to pay levy.

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy recently established a $25 million eligible revenue threshold for levy contributions, and it is the government's policy that this important red tape reform will continue under the new legislative arrangements.

I commend the bill to the House.

Debate adjourned.