4641 -

REVISED 1

2004-2005

 

The Parliament of the

Commonwealth of Australia

 

THE SENATE

 

 

 

Higher Education Legislation Amendment (2005 Measures No. 3) Bill 2005

 

 

(Amendment to be moved by Senator Evans on behalf of the Opposition and Senator Stott Despoja on behalf of the Australian Democrats in committee of the whole)

(1)     Page 5 (after line 11), after clause 3, insert:

4  Accountability for advertising expenditure

             (1)  Money must not be expended for any public education or advertising project in relation to any programs or matters arising out of this Act, where the cost of the project is estimated or contracted to be $100,000 or more, unless a statement has been presented to the Senate in accordance with this section.

             (2)  The statement must be presented by the minister to the Senate or, if the Senate is not sitting when the statement is ready for presentation, to the President of the Senate in accordance with the procedures of the Senate.

             (3)  The statement must indicate in relation to the proposed project:

                     (a)  the purpose and nature of the project; and

                     (b)  the intended recipients of the information to be communicated by the project; and

                     (c)  who authorised the project; and

                     (d)  the manner in which the project is to be carried out; and

                     (e)  who is to carry out the project; and

                      (f)  whether the project is to be carried out under a contract; and

                     (g)  whether such contract was let by tender; and

                     (h)  the estimated or contracted cost of the project; and

                      (i)  whether every part of the project conforms with the Audit and JCPAA guidelines; and

                      (j)  if the project in any part does not conform with those guidelines, the extent of, and reasons for, the non-conformity.

             (4)  In subsection (3), Audit and JCPAA guidelines means the guidelines set out respectively in Report No. 12 of 1998-99 of the Auditor-General, entitled Taxation Reform: Community Education and Information Programme , and Report No. 377 of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit, entitled Guidelines for government advertising .

[accountability in government advertising]