Senator HARRIS (12:49 PM) —I want to place very briefly on the record—mainly because these bills were debated last week—One Nation's concerns in relation to the bills before the Senate. They arise from an unease about how the resources from the Greater Sunrise field and the other areas will be divided between Australia and East Timor. One Nation is concerned about where the sea boundaries should be. Again, I place on record a verbal commitment from Senator Abetz to look at ways of ensuring that a greater proportion of the revenue from the area that is presently determined as Australia's jurisdiction goes to East Timor. On the figures that I have, over the life of the field that would equate to something like $8.9 billion.

As I said last week, if 90 per cent of that were to go to East Timor, it would underpin East Timor's economy. It would allow them to improve their standards of living and increase the services that they provide to the East Timor people without having to encumber themselves to entities like the International Monetary Fund or through government bonds that the East Timor government may be required to enter into to provide what we would agree are basic services. The minister made that commitment, and I thank the minister for that. One Nation will most certainly take that into consideration in relation to its support for the legislation.

We are addressing the second amendment to the bill moved by Senator Brown, which seeks to insert the words:

I believe the amendment has merit. It requires the Australian government to negotiate with the East Timor government and to resolve those issues. The boundary it refers to is the northern boundary. Agreeing on a permanent northern boundary will not alter to any great degree the division of the resources, but I still believe it is in the best interests of Australia and East Timor. One Nation will support that Greens amendment.