Senator FAULKNER (Leader of the Opposition in the Senate)(6.14 p.m.) —I move:

(7)   Clause 21, page 11 (lines 26 and 27), omit paragraph (2)(b).

Let me outline the strong case that the opposition has in support of this amendment. This amendment in effect removes the reference in the bill which allows the minister to allocate funds to any project which he believes is relevant. I must say that I thought this was a clause that the minister had slipped in—no doubt to ensure that the reserve could be used for whatever political purposes this minister sees fit. As far as the opposition is concerned, we would argue very strongly that this clause should be removed to ensure that the reserve is allocated to projects which meet strict selection criteria. The case for this amendment is strong. I commend it to the Senate.