Senator BOB COLLINS(10.55 a.m.) —The bill amends the Air Navigation Act 1920, the Airports Act 1996 and corrects a typographical error in the Airports (Transitional) Act 1996. Fundamentally, the purpose of the legislation is to provide a new set of arrangements under which charter flights may operate and enable regulations to be made to establish a register of unencumbered aircraft operated by Airservices Australia. The reason I highlight these two examples is that the opposition thinks these are sensible provisions. We will be supporting the legislation.

On what is going to be a long day, in order to save the time of the Senate by not unnecessarily going over the magnificent record that we had on aviation policy and the appalling record that the government has on aviation policy, I will let all that go through to the keeper, on today's occasion, anyway, and indicate that we will be moving a number of amendments to the legislation, as I understand it, and I know that amendments will also be moved by the Greens and the Democrats.

For the advice of the Senate, we will not be supporting on this occasion the Greens' or Democrats' amendments. There are a number of amendments relating to airport noise that I think the Greens will be moving, parts of which were supported by us during the committee stages in a previous debate but which will not be supported on this occasion. The simple reason is that, as a result of the sales process now being well advanced, we do not think it is reasonable or proper at this stage to start changing the rules. The question of noise is a major one in terms of potential purchases and we do not think it is reasonable or proper, at this point in time, having had that matter determined at an earlier time, to attempt to change it again. The bottom line is that we will be supporting this legislation. I understand that the government has agreed to support our amendments but we will not be supporting the amendments to be moved by the Greens and the Democrats.