Senator TAMBLING (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Aged Care.) (8:31 PM) —I table a revised explanatory memorandum relating to the bill and move:

I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The speech read as follows—

The purpose of this bill is to amend the Passenger Movement Charge Act 1978 (as amended) to increase the rate of the Passenger Movement Charge by $8, to $38, with effect from 1 July 2001. The increase was announced by the Treasurer in the 2001-02 Budget and will fund increased passenger processing costs as part of Australia's response to the threat of the introduction of exotic pests and diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease.

The Passenger Movement Charge, which is imposed on the departure of a person from Australia, is collected by airlines and shipping companies at the time of ticket sales and then remitted to the Commonwealth in accordance with arrangements entered into under section 10 of the Passenger Movement Charge Collection Act 1978.

Because of the nature of the airline industry, where tickets for travel are sold up to twelve months in advance, the increase in the Charge will not apply to a departure of a person from Australia on or after 1 July 2001 where the person departs using a ticket or an equivalent authority and the ticket or authority was sold or issued before 1 July 2001.