REGIONAL FOREST AGREEMENTS BILL 2002

Order of the day read for the further consideration of the bill in committee of the whole.

In the committee

Consideration resumed of the bill—and of the amendment moved by Senate Brown:

 Page 5 (after line 4), after clause 5, insert:

 5A Parliamentary scrutiny of RFAs

  (1) The Minister must not enter into an RFA on behalf of the Commonwealth except in accordance with this section.

  (2) Where a Minister has already entered into an RFA on behalf of the Commonwealth the Minister must cause a copy of that RFA to be tabled in each House of the Parliament within 15 sitting days of the commencement of this section whereupon it becomes subject to this section.

  (3) Before signing an RFA on behalf of the Commonwealth, the Minister must cause a copy of the proposed RFA to be tabled in each House of the Parliament.

  (4) Either House of the Parliament, within 15 sitting days of that House after an RFA or a proposed RFA has been tabled, may, under motion upon notice, pass a resolution disapproving of the RFA or the proposed RFA in whole or in part.

  (5) Where:

   (a) a notice referred to in subsection (4) is given with respect to an RFA or a proposed RFA; and

   (b) at the expiration of the period during which a resolution disapproving of the RFA or a proposed RFA would have been passed:

    (i) the notice has not been withdrawn and the relevant motion has not been called on; or

    (ii) the relevant motion has been called on, moved and seconded and has not been withdrawn or otherwise disposed of;

   the RFA or the proposed RFA is deemed to have been disapproved of.

  (6) If:

   (a) either House of the Parliament passes a resolution in accordance with subsection (4); or

   (b) a proposed RFA is deemed to have been disapproved of under subsection (5);

   the Minister must not enter into the proposed RFA on behalf of the Commonwealth.

  (7) If:

   (a) neither House of the Parliament passes a resolution in accordance with subsection (4); and

   (b) a proposed RFA is not deemed to have been disapproved of under subsection (5);

   the Minister may enter into the RFA on behalf of the Commonwealth on or after the day immediately following the last day on which a resolution disapproving of the proposed RFA could have been passed.

  (8) In this section:

   RFA includes an amended RFA.

Debate resumed.

Question—That the amendment be agreed to—put and negatived.

Senator Brown moved the following amendment:

 Clause 6, page 5 (lines 7 and 8), omit subclause (1), substitute:

 (1) RFA wood is not prescribed goods for the purposes of the Export Control Act 1982except if it is:

 (a) roundwood, whole logs or sawlogs; or

 (b) plantation wood, unless the RFA was entered into having regard to an assessment of the availability of plantation wood in the region and in Australia.

Debate ensued.

The Minister for Forestry and Conservation (Senator Ian Macdonald) moved—That the committee report progress and ask leave to sit again.

Question put and passed.

The Acting Deputy President (Senator Bartlett) resumed the chair and the Temporary Chair of Committees reported that the committee had considered the bill, made progress and asked leave to sit again.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer (Senator Ian Campbell) moved—That the committee have leave to sit again at a later hour.

Debate ensued.

Question put and passed.

Declaration of urgency: Senator Ian Campbell declared the Regional Forest Agreements Bill 2002 an urgent bill and moved—That this bill be considered an urgent bill.

Question put.

Declarations of interest: Senators Watson, Crane, Lightfoot and Barnett each declared an interest in relation to the bill.

The Senate divided—

AYES, 40

Senators—

Barnett

Bishop

Boswell

Brandis

Buckland

Calvert (Teller)

Campbell, George

Campbell, Ian

Carr

Colbeck

Collins

Cook

Cooney

Crane

Crossin

Crowley

Denman

Eggleston

Forshaw

Herron

Hogg

Hutchins

Knowles

Lightfoot

Ludwig

Lundy

Macdonald, Ian

Macdonald, Sandy

Mason

McLucas

O'Brien

Patterson

Payne

Ray

Schacht

Scullion

Tchen

Tierney

Watson

West

NOES, 10

Senators—

Allison

Bartlett

Bourne (Teller)

Brown

Cherry

Greig

Lees

Murray

Ridgeway

Stott Despoja

Question agreed to.

Allotment of time: Senator Ian Campbell moved—That the time allotted for consideration of the remaining stages of the Regional Forest Agreements Bill 2002 be as follows:

 Commencing no later than 4 pm:

 Committee of the whole—

  (a) all remaining Australian Greens amendments 2hours

  (b) all remaining Australian Democrats amendments 2hours

  (c) all remaining amendments to be moved by Senator Murphy 2hours

  (d) all remaining opposition amendments 2hours

 All remaining questions 10 minutes.

Debate ensued.

Question put.

The Senate divided—

Question agreed to.