The DEPUTY PRESIDENT —I inform the Senate that the President has received the following letter, dated 25 June, from Senator Cook:

Dear Madam President

Pursuant to standing order 75, I give notice that today I propose to move:

"That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:

The need to secure the future of the Australian sugar industry and to create an environment which supports our sugar exports, noting in particular;

(a)   the Government's election commitment not to reduce the sugar tariff below the present level of $55 per tonne, as Australia had already met its current obligations under the World Trade Organisation agreement;

(b)   the fact that Australia's Uruguay Round obligation for sugar is a tariff of $70 per tonne by the year 2000, and Australia's current tariff, at $55 per tonne, sits comfortably within that obligation;

(c)   the fact that many of our export destinations have sugar tariffs massively higher than Australia, which suggests that there is no reason for Australia to go it alone on the sugar tariff for example the USA with a 100% tariff level, Thailand with a 104% tariff and the European Union with a 170% tariff level;

(d)   the fact that, despite the above, the Government has decided to abolish the sugar tariff effective from 1 July 1997;

(e)   the fact the abolition of the tariff will mean job losses and a loss of $27 million for Australian sugar growers; and

(f)   the fact that the Government has no plans to bring this measure before the Parliament for debate before it comes into effect on 1 July this year."

Yours sincerely

PETER COOK

Is the proposal supported?

More than the number of senators required by the standing orders having risen in their places—