Senator LIGHTFOOT (3:08 PM) —The Leader of the Opposition in the Senate can say what he likes about the Federation Fund. The fund has worked remarkably well. It is such a great achievement by the coalition government to think it could implement a fund of that nature that had such a wide positive effect across Australia that I would have thought there would be applause from the other side. But evidently the other side is as hollow on this issue as it is on many other issues. The Federation Cultural and Heritage Projects program, otherwise known by the acronym FCHP, is absolutely administered in a most impeccable way. Senator Faulkner on the other side is saying, `We don't really know what's going on, but you tell us.' That is like saying that you are guilty until you are proven innocent.

Senator Conroy —What about the Auditor-General's guidelines?

Senator LIGHTFOOT —Thank you. I appreciate Senator Conroy interjecting. The Auditor-General did find that there was something radically wrong with the whiteboard system of the distribution of money, and the minister paid the price. But there is nothing wrong with the distribution of funds in this one; in fact it was an initiative of the government, which the other side opposed, that made the money available in the first place. I have to say that I am concerned when a socialist party—the major opposition party on the other side—

Senator Conroy —Pardon?

Senator LIGHTFOOT —the socialist party—does not support—

Senator Conroy —Ross!

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT —Order! Senator Conroy!

Senator LIGHTFOOT —Senator Conroy, yours is hardly a conservative party.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT —Order! Senator Lightfoot, address the chair please and ignore Senator Conroy's interjections.

Senator LIGHTFOOT —He is absolutely incorrigible, Madam Deputy President. It is a worry when you have a socialist party that does not support an initiative of this kind which adds to the quality of rural and regional areas as well as the heritage value of urban areas. I thought it was one of those things that we would have bipartisan support on from both the major parties. I really thought that this was one of those rare occasions when we could have bipartisan support. Instead of that, you are bellyaching, carping and fishing—

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT —Order! Would you please address the chair.

Senator LIGHTFOOT —I am addressing the chair, Madam Deputy President; I do not know what else I can do.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT —I think you had better read what you have said.

Senator LIGHTFOOT —They are carping and they are bellyaching and they are on a fishing expedition to try and get us to say that it was somehow improper as to how this money was distributed.

Senator Carr interjecting—

Senator Conroy interjecting—

Senator LIGHTFOOT —Perhaps it is our fault that you did not have any country members in the areas where these places were and where this money was spent because you simply did not get anyone into parliament. Look at yourselves, please! This is a great initiative. It does give some credit to Australia, in which you share. Don't keep pursuing something as ideologically stupid as this is. You know as well as I do that, particularly with salt affected land reclamation and the planting of millions of trees throughout Australia, you could not possibly find anything wrong. Be honest with yourselves! It is a great program that you all should have embraced. You will not get a comparison between this and the appalling whiteboard episode. That is a different thing altogether. The Auditor-General found that was wrong and of course the particular senator paid the price.

Senator Carr —Senator?

Senator LIGHTFOOT —The particular minister paid the price. You said initially that you had 16 problem areas and I think you amended that to 12.

Senator Conroy —It's the other way around.

Senator LIGHTFOOT —In any case, what happened has been fully explained and I am not going to go through the questions.

Senator Carr interjecting—

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT —Order! Senator Carr!

Senator LIGHTFOOT —My colleague spoke about departmental figures. You cannot not blame anyone, but that does not make the issue any less valid than it is. You bring these issues up, you know they are spurious, you envy what we do and you try and take it down because you know that the people of Australia embrace totally what this government is doing with respect to conservation. The Federation Cultural and Heritage Projects are commendable from any angle and the opposition should embrace those initiatives fully.