NATION-BUILDING FUNDS BILL 2008E NATION-BUILDING FUNDS (CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS) BILL 2008E COAG REFORM FUND BILL 2008

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

In the committee

NATION-BUILDING FUNDS BILL 2008—

Consideration resumed of the bill, as amended—and on the amendment moved by Senator Milne (see entry no. 34).

Debate resumed.

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

Senator Milne moved the following amendments together by leave:

 Clause 120, page 93 (after line 9), after subclause (1), insert:

  (1A) The BAF evaluation criteria must include criteria in relation to:

 (a) climate change mitigation and adaptation and biodiversity conservation;

 (b) preparation for the global oil production peak and expected decline in oil production.

 Clause 120, page 93 (after line 9), after subclause (1), insert:

  (1B) The BAF evaluation criteria must require Infrastructure Australia to include assessments of the greenhouse gas emission and oil consumption implications of a matter in any advice prepared under subsection 116(1), 117(1), 118(1) or 119(1).

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

Senator Milne, also on behalf of the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate (Senator Minchin), moved the following amendment:

 Page 204 (after line 9), at the end of the bill, add:

Schedule 1—Amendment of other Acts

Infrastructure Australia Act 2008

 1 At the end of section 5

  Add:

  (6) On receiving any advice or other document prepared by Infrastructure Australia under subsection (1) or (2), the Minister must cause a copy of the advice or other document, as the case may be, to be laid before each House of the Parliament within 3 sitting days of that House after the day on which the Minister receives the advice or other document, as the case may be.

Debate ensued.

Senator Milne moved the following amendment to the proposed amendment:

 At the end of Schedule 1, add:

 2 At the end of subsection 8(2)

  Add:

 ; and (f) 2 members are people with specific expertise and experience in one or more of the following fields:

 (i) climate change mitigation and adaptation;

 (ii) the global oil production peak and expected decline in oil production.

Debate ensued.

Question—That Senator Milne's amendment to the proposed amendment be agreed to—put and negatived.

Senator Minchin moved the following amendment to the proposed amendment:

 At the end of Schedule 1, add:

Productivity Commission Act 1998

 2 At the end of Part 4

  Add:

Division 3—Nation-building Funds projects

  (1) The Commission must, as soon as practicable after the end of each financial year, prepare and give to the Minister a report on the projects approved during that financial year under the Nation-building Funds Act 2008.

  (2) A report under subsection (1) must include but is not limited to:

 (a) the productivity benefits expected to result from the projects; and

 (b) any cost-shifting by a State or Territory that is expected to result from the projects; and

 (c) any other matter connected with the projects to which, in the opinion of the Productivity Commission, attention should be directed.

  (3) The Minister must cause a copy of a report prepared under subsection (1) to be tabled in each House of the Parliament within 15 sitting days of that House after the day on which the Minister receives the report.

Debate ensued.

Question—That Senator Minchin's amendment to the proposed amendment be agreed to—put.

The committee divided—

Question negatived.

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

Bill, as amended, agreed to.

NATION-BUILDING FUNDS (CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS) BILL 2008—

Bill taken as a whole by leave.

On the motion of Senator Minchin the following amendment was agreed to:

 Schedule 2, page 16 (line 11), omit "Telstra Corporation Act 1991".

Question—That the bill, as amended, be agreed to—divided in respect of Schedule 2, items 51 to 56.

Question—That Schedule 2, items 51 to 56 stand as printed—put and negatived.

Bill, as amended, agreed to.

COAG REFORM FUND BILL 2008—

Bill taken as a whole by leave.

Senator Milne moved the following amendment:

 Clause 7, page 4 (line 21), at the end of subclause (2), add "and should ensure that, where relevant, grants require:

 (a) national infrastructure priorities to be addressed;

 (b) high benefits to be demonstrated and effective use of resources;

 (c) climate change mitigation and adaptation and biodiversity conservation;

 (d) preparation for the global oil production peak and subsequent decline in oil production;

 (e) infrastructure needs to be efficiently addressed;

 (f) demonstrable achievement of established standards in implementation and management.".

Debate ensued.

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

Bill agreed to.

The Nation-building Funds Bill 2008 and the Nation-building Funds (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2008 to be reported with amendments and the COAG Reform Fund Bill 2008 to be reported without amendments.

The Deputy President (Senator Ferguson) resumed the chair and the Temporary Chair of Committees (Senator Parry) reported accordingly.

On the motion of the Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law (Senator Sherry) the report from the committee was adopted and the bills read a third time.