Senator Gibbs to move, on the next day of sitting:

That the following matters be referred to the Finance and Public Administration References Committee for inquiry and report by 31 March 1999:

(a) the extent and cost of all market research undertaken by all government departments and agencies in the period 11 March 1996 to 3 October 1998;

(b) whether on all occasions a full and open tender process was observed; and

(c) what steps were taken to avoid the use of such market research for party-political purposes.

Senator Tambling to move, on the next day of sitting:

(1) That estimates hearings by legislation committees for the first half of 1999 be scheduled as follows:

1998-99 additional estimates:

Monday, 8 February, Tuesday, 9 February and, if required, Friday, 19 February (initial hearings—Group A )

Wednesday, 10 February, Thursday, 11 February and, if required, Friday, 12 February (initial hearings—Group B )

Tuesday, 4 May and, if required, Thursday, 6 May (supplementary hearings—Group A )

Wednesday, 5 May and, if required, Thursday, 6 May (supplementary hearings—Group B ).

1999-2000 budget estimates:

Monday, 31 May to Thursday, 3 June (initial hearings—Group A )

Monday, 7 June to Thursday, 10 June (initial hearings—Group B ).

(2) That the committees meet in the following groups:

Group A:

Community Affairs

Legal and Constitutional

Finance and Public Administration

Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport.

Group B:

Employment, Workplace Relations, Small Business and Education

Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts

Economics

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade.

(3) That the committees report to the Senate by the following dates:

9 March 1999 in respect of the 1998-99 additional estimates

22 June 1999 in respect of the 1999-2000 budget estimates.

(4) That the following documents be referred to committees for examination and report:

Particulars of Proposed Additional Expenditure in relation to the Parliamentary Departments in respect of the year ending on 30 June 1999

Particulars of Proposed Additional Expenditure for the Service of the year ending on 30 June 1999

Particulars of Certain Proposed Additional Expenditure in respect of the year ending on 30 June 1999

Advance to the Minister for Finance—Statement of Heads of Expenditure and the amounts charged thereto pursuant to section 36A of the Audit Act 1901 for the year ended 30 June 1998

Provision for Running Costs Borrowings—Statements and supporting applications of issues, dated March, April, May and June 1998 (tabled on 23 June, 30 June and 11 November 1998)

Final Budget Outcome 1997-98 (presented out of session on 18 September 1998 and tabled on 10 November 1998).

(5) That the committees consider the proposed expenditure, expenditure under the Advance to the Minister for Finance, the Provisions for Running Costs Borrowings and the Final Budget Outcome 1997-98 in accordance with the allocation of departments to committees agreed to on 11 November 1998.

(6) That consideration of the Advance to the Minister for Finance for the year ended 30 June 1998 in committee of the whole be an order of the day for the day on which legislation committees report on their examination of the Advance.

Senator Tambling to move, on the next day of sitting:

That legislation committees not hold supplementary estimates hearings on the 1998-99 budget estimates.

Senator Tambling to move, on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate sit from Monday, 7 December to Thursday, 10 December 1998.

Senator O'Brien, at the request of Senator Conroy, to move, on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate views, with deep concern:

(a) the Federal Government's callous disregard and total lack of interest in ensuring that the community has access to both affordable and accessible banking services, as evidenced by the fact that under the Howard Government over 484 bank branches were closed in 1997-98; and

(b) the failure of the Government to:

(i) formally monitor bank fees, and

(ii) rule out a goods and services tax being applied to bank service charges.

Senator Knowles to move, on the next day of sitting:

That the Community Affairs Legislation Committee be authorised to hold a public meeting during the sitting of the Senate on Monday, 30 November 1998, from 12.30 pm to 1 pm, to take evidence for the committee's inquiry into the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Bill 1998 and 2 related bills.

Senator O'Brien to move, on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) following persistent demands for action by the Opposition, the Government finally, and reluctantly, launched an inquiry into the impact of pig meat imports on the Australian pork industry, including an investigation of action under the safeguard provisions of the World Trade Organization (WTO),

(ii) the Productivity Commission has now completed that inquiry,

(iii) the commission found that the Australian pork industry has suffered and is suffering serious injury as a result of prices to producers being consistently, and appreciably, below average production costs during 1998,

(iv) the commission found that serious injury during 1998 has been caused primarily by imports,

(v) the commission report states that safeguard measures can be justified under the WTO rules,

(vi) the commission's findings contradict claims by both the former Minister for Primary Industries and Energy (Mr Anderson) and the Minister for Trade (Mr Fischer) that pig meat imports were not the primary cause of the industry's problems, and

(vii) the Productivity Commission's report took 140 days to prepare, was based upon wide-ranging evidence from all interested parties and included a number of public hearings;

(b) calls on the Government to act quickly to put in place the WTO safeguard measures recommended by the Productivity Commission rather than further delay assistance to this key industry by embarking on another extensive round of consultations; and

(c) urges the Government to consider the application of a tariff at a rate that provides effective short-term protection to the Australian pork industry.

Senator Lundy to move, on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate notes:

(a) the Coalition's failure to actively address issues relating to access and equity in relation to the internet, in that only 13.5 per cent of Australians have internet access and that the single most cited reason for not having a connection is the prohibitive costs; and

(b) that, in the context of converging information technologies, internet access will, in the future, be the key for citizens to access fundamental information.

Senator Woodley to move, on the next day of sitting:

That the time for the presentation of the report of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee on the provisions of the Wool International Amendment Bill 1998 be extended to 2 December 1998.