Senator ALLISON (5:56 PM) —I move the second reading amendment on sheet 2960 standing in my name:

(a) oversee the operation of a Commonwealth-state agreed global budget for Medicare;

(b) carry out the allocation of annual funds to states and Commonwealth to ensure that Medicare-funded health services as agreed in the Commonwealth-state health agree-ment are available to all Australians in a clinically appropriate time at a benchmark standard of quality;

(c) re-allocate, within the global budget as agreed, annual funding where the mix of services across Commonwealth-state boundaries changes so as to significantly affect cost structures;

(d) collect and disseminate cost and quality information on state, territory and federally funded health services;

(e) recommend global budget changes for future Commonwealth-state agreements;

(f) table in federal Parliament information on the performance of governments in meeting service and quality objectives”.

The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT —The question is that the amendment be agreed to.

Question negatived.

The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT —The question is that the bill be read a second time.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.