2002-05-144012REPS199902002-05-14—————The SPEAKER (Mr Neil Andrew) took the chair at 2.00 p.m., and read prayers.Business1999Mr ABBOTT (Warringah—Leader of the House) (2.01 p.m.)—by leave—I move:That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the routine of business for: (a) this sitting, being as follows, unless otherwise ordered:1. Address of Condolence moved by the Prime Minister in connection with the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.Sitting to be suspended for 1 hour.2. Questions without notice.Sitting to be suspended until 7.30 p.m.3. Government business.4. Presentation of papers.5. Motions relating to committee appointments.6. Referral of Bills to the Main Committee.7. Presentation of committee reports and related motions; and(b) Standing order 48A (adjournment and next meeting) be suspended for the sitting on Thursday, 16 May 2002, to facilitate the Leader of the Opposition's response to the Budget speech.Question agreed to.Condolences1999199914:02:001999Howard, John, MPMr HOWARDZD4BennelongLPPrime Minister10—I move:That:An Address to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the following terms be agreed to:YOUR MAJESTY: We, the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia received with great sorrow the news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. On behalf of the Australian people, we express deep sympathy to Your Majesty and other members of the Royal Family, and give thanks for a remarkable life dedicated to service, duty, support and her family.When someone who reaches the age of 102 dies, and when that person has lived a very full life and has a personality of great exuberance, it is not a tragedy. Although there is inevitable sadness for the people immediately bereaved by that death, it is an occasion to mark and celebrate not only a long life but, in the case of the late Queen Mother, a quite remarkable life. It was a life that spanned the entire history to date of the federated Commonwealth of Australia—a period of time that saw the reigns of six monarchs, 25 Australian prime ministers and all of the great traumatic events which have shaped the world that we live in and the life that we experience. Born the Hon. Elizabeth Angela Marguerita Bowes-Lyon on 4 August 1900, during the reign of Queen Victoria, she was the youngest daughter and ninth child of Lord Glamis and, ultimately, she became the last surviving Victorian. World War I broke out on the Queen Mother's 14th birthday and Glamis was to become a convalescent hospital for the sick and wounded. It was that facility that brought her first into contact with many Australian soldiers who had been wounded in the battles on the Western Front.The late Queen Mother married the Duke of York, as he then was—the second son of King George V—on 26 April 1923 at Westminster Abbey—the first royal wedding to take place there, I understand, for more than 500 years. They had two children: the present Queen, born in April 1926 and later their daughter Princess Margaret, who predeceased the Queen Mother by a small number of weeks. 1936, as students of history will know, became the year of three kings: George V died; Edward VIII assumed the throne and was soon to abdicate; and then, in December, Prince Albert, ascendant of the throne, became George VI and his wife became the Queen. So it was that Elizabeth unexpectedly became Queen and eventually the longest lived of all of Britain's royals to carry the title of Queen. Her coronation took place in May 1937. George VI, who was a much loved monarch of the United Kingdom and of the other nations that recognised him as head of state, died unexpectedly in his sleep after a long illness in 1952. After a period of withdrawal from public life, it was at the urging of the then British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, that the Queen Mother returned to public duties. She entered what was a second and quite remarkable phase of her life and an opportunity of influence on her family and her people.To many Australians, the most impressive part of the long life of the Queen Mother was the role she played beside her late husband, King George VI, during the darkest days of the Nazi assault on Britain in World War II. Under the political leadership of Winston Churchill, Britain was also rallied by the king and queen. Her refusal to leave London during the Blitz is now legendry and served as a great example of courage for the British people. The most memorable of her utterances was in response to a suggestion that she and the children should leave Britain and go to Canada. Her very memorable response was: `The children will never leave without me, and I will never leave without the king, and the king will never leave.' Those remarks and the spirit that they represented had a powerful impact on the British people in their darkest days of despair and encirclement. She spent nights in air-raid shelters and took revolver lessons in the grounds of Buckingham Palace. She is well remembered for her visits to the East End of London during the Blitz. Thirty thousand Londoners were killed during the war. Of the Blitz and the carnage, she said:The destruction is so awful, and the people so wonderful they deserve a better world.She was a source of hope, encouragement and inspiration to the British people at that time. Hitler was said to have remarked that she was the most dangerous woman in Europe, having observed a newsreel clip of her laying a poppy on a First World War memorial.On the death of King George VI exactly 50 years ago, Sir Winston Churchill said of the king and queen during the war that the fate and fortunes of the whole nation and of his realms were centred not only in his office but in his soul—that was an ordeal which he could not have endured without the strong and loving support of his devoted and untiring wife and consort. Appropriately, our own Prime Minister at the time, Robert Menzies, in February 1952 said:All those who saw England under daily and nightly attack in the great battles of 1940 and 1941 were stirred by the spectacle of an embattled nation normally not unacquainted with internal divisions and hostilities, in which there was unity, cheerfulness, courage and a common resolution which ran through factory and farm, which made the King and his humble subject feel a deep and human brotherhood.King George VI and his Queen Elizabeth were among the great architects of that brotherhood. The Queen Mother's life was governed by her sense of commitment to her family, to her nation, to a way of life and attitudes and values which many would regard today as quaint and old-fashioned, but she held to those values and attitudes in the constancy of her loyalty and her commitment. Those attitudes and values earned her very great respect. She was a person with an immense sense of fun; she was a great lover of racing. It is not surprising that the Racing Post, a British horse racing publication, at the time of her death said:The Queen Mother should be wished a sunny day with the going good.The Queen Mother's connection with Australia was very regular. She visited here in 1927 with her husband, the then Duke of York, to open the first and temporary Parliament House. She returned to Australia in 1949, 1958 and 1966.The Queen Mother had an immense influence on her family and, as she grew older, her esteem and affection in the hearts of people all around the world grew. I had the privilege to represent Australia at the Queen Mother's funeral, along with, amongst others, the prime ministers of the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand. The lying in state in the Hall of Westminster was salutary and significant. As thousands of people filed by, they represented all generations and a very wide cross-section of the British people. They were not all elderly; they were of all ages. They came from different backgrounds and different races, and they came to honour a quite remarkable life. It is an extraordinary achievement alone to live to the age of 102, but to have lived through the experiences that she had—to have adjusted her life at various stages, despite the obvious privileges and comfort of having been born into the circumstances in which she was born—nonetheless demonstrated great strength of character and flexibility, a capacity to respect and keep what was good of one's history and one's past whilst, at the same time, demonstrating a capacity to adapt and be contemporary and relevant to current circumstances. She was a well loved member of the royal family, a deeply revered lady around the world and a gracious and impressive person.I know the House will join me in extending our condolences to the Queen and to the other members of her family in marking, as we appropriately do in this place, a great life that touched this country and lived through extraordinary events that continue to shape us to this day.Honourable members—Hear, hear!14:13:002001Crean, Simon, MPMr CREANDT4HothamALPLeader of the Opposition00—I join the Prime Minister in support of this motion before the House and, in doing so, on behalf of the opposition express our deepest sympathies to the Queen and her family on the death of the Queen Mother. The death of the Queen Mother, of course, was a double tragedy for the Queen, who also lost her sister, Princess Margaret, earlier this year. This was supposed to have been a year of celebration for her, as indeed it will be, because it is her Golden Jubilee. What should have been a year of great celebration for the royal family has been tinged with sadness.The Queen Mother was a much loved and admired figure. She passed away peacefully after a long and full life—a life which spanned, as the Prime Minister has indicated, the entire history of Australia as a federation. She was born on 4 August 1900, five months before we became a sovereign nation. When the Australian troops stormed Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 she was 14 years of age. She was 26 when she and her husband, the then Duke of York and the future King George VI, participated in the opening of Parliament House here in Canberra and the true birth of our nation's capital. It is interesting that the 75th anniversary of that event was celebrated just last week.She was in her thirties during the Great Depression and the bodyline series when popular sentiment about our relationship with England began to be transformed. And during the battle of Australia in 1941-42, when Australia's destiny began to move away from the empire, she was already in her forties and five years the Queen of England. Prior to that, of course, she had helped to rally the people of Great Britain during the Battle of Britain and the Blitz. With the outbreak of war in 1939 there was some suggestion that the queen and her daughters should evacuate to North America or Canada, something that the Prime Minister has referred to. That famous quote finishing with the words `the king will never leave' showed the stoicism with which she became noted. She did, in the process, expose herself to real danger, having been in Buckingham Palace when it was bombed during the Blitz.It would have been easy for someone who was already in her sixties when the Beatles first toured Australia to have been completely out of step with the times, but that was not her way. The Queen Mother was always very accessible. She took her public duties seriously right until the end, not only with dignity but with a great sense of humour. She knew how to charm an audience. Her 100th birthday was celebrated with great panache.Her Majesty was patron or president of some 350 organisations. She was commandant-in-chief of the women's services of the Army and Air Force and for women in the Royal Navy. She also held other significant service appointments. For many years she was President of the British Red Cross Society and she was Commandant-in-Chief of the Nursing Division of the St John Ambulance Brigade. She was also colonel-in-chief or honorary colonel of many UK and overseas regiments and Commandant-in-Chief of the Royal Air Force Central Flying School.Her reign and our federation have seen the profound transformation of the monarchy. The Queen Mother was the last English monarch to have the title of the Empress of India. When she was young it was still common for people to hold her and the monarchy in awe, but today we are a much more egalitarian and democratic society. The monarchy has been transferred into the first family, but it is the first among equals, worthy of respect but a respect which must now be earned. The Queen Mother did earn that respect and for that we honour her.We do acknowledge still the monarchy as the symbolic head of our Constitution, but the loyalty we once invested directly in the royal family now, of course, rests where it should properly rest: in our own institutions through the directly elected Australian parliament through which governments are formed. We are proud of these developments and of the independence that we assert through them. But we can also respect traditions and the processes that have evolved in them over the century since Federation. So it is against that background, on behalf of the opposition, that I convey my deepest condolences to the royal family and to all Australians who, like me, had a great respect for the Queen Mother.Honourable members—Hear, hear!14:19:002002Anderson, John, MPMr ANDERSON4K4GwydirNPDeputy Prime Minister10—Mr Speaker, I rise to support the address moved by the Prime Minister and, with your indulgence, to note the presence in the gallery of the British High Commissioner, Sir Alastair Goodlad. I trust that he will convey the thoughts and spirit of today's motion to the people of his homeland.Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother was a symbol of stability in a tumultuous century. She lived through the collapse of empires, desperate wars and rapid technological change. At the time that she was born the motor car was a quaint toy, by law—even in this country—required to be preceded by a man waving a red flag. Even in those days, fortunately, it was not often enforced. The Wright Brothers had not made their inaugural flight. The war to end all wars was yet to come. Nuclear bomb technology was beyond imagination. Terrorism of the sort that we now confront was beyond anybody's comprehension.She became an immensely popular figure in the 1920s, particularly after the birth of Princess Elizabeth, and was loved by the British and the Australian people in particular, and more generally by many others, for the whole of her very long life. She was born on 4 August 1900, the last year of the 19th century. Her family's principal seat was Glamis Castle, the oldest inhabited home in Britain. Shakespeare wrote about it in Macbeth. There was a time when the thanes of Glamis fielded their own armies. During the First World War, Glamis was turned into a convalescent home for wounded soldiers while the 14-year-old Lady Elizabeth assisted with managing the castle and, indeed, she ran it by herself after her mother fell ill in 1918.In 1923 she married Prince Albert, the second son of King George V. It proved to be a happy, stable and successful union. Prince Albert, as has been referred to many times in recent documentaries and media stories, was a shy and reserved man. Lady Elizabeth was an outgoing and strong woman who brought out his best, certainly his very great courage. She made her first visit to Australia in 1927, as has been referred to here, as the Duchess of York. The duke opened our first Parliament House, now celebrating its 75th anniversary. Her strength, of course, was to be greatly tested in 1936, the year of the three kings. It began with the death of the old king, George V, and it ended with the abdication of Edward VIII and the accession of Prince Albert to the throne as George VI.The king and queen did indeed become symbols of hope and resistance during World War II when they remained in Buckingham Palace throughout the Blitz. Queen Elizabeth famously, as has been noted in this place, rejected proposals to evacuate Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret to Canada. She said, `The princesses will never leave without me, I will not leave without the king and, of course, the king will never leave.' The Luftwaffe bombed Buckingham Palace on 13 September 1940 and she subsequently told a policeman—again words that have echoed down through the years—`I'm glad we have been bombed. It makes me feel I can look the East End in the face.'The Queen Mother retreated briefly from public life after the death of the king in 1952, but then resumed her public duties as well as becoming a key adviser to the Queen and to Prince Charles. The Queen Mother was patron or president of some 350 organisations, colonel-in-chief or honorary colonel of many United Kingdom and overseas regiments, Chancellor of London University for 25 years. For many years too, she was President of the British Red Cross Society. As has been noted again in this place, she particularly enjoyed horseracing and was a leading owner of steeplechasers. The Queen Mother was officially mourned with all of the ceremony of British royalty. However, her most important memorial is not to be found in the 40-gun salutes or the glittering symbols of empire; the pomps of this world crumble quickly and we are all, in time, to the dust returned. As she herself might well have seen it, her greatest memorial was her family. I am reminded of the sad eulogy of Prince Charles, her grandson, who said:She was quite simply the most magical grandmother you could possibly have and I was utterly devoted to her.I commend the address to the House.10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—As is evident from the statements made by all speakers, this House is joined in the motion of condolence to the Queen on the death of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. The statements have also had an underlying note of celebration as we recognise a remarkable life lived to the full. All previous speakers have also commented on the remarkable link between Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, this institution and its home in that she was present 75 years ago last Thursday when her husband, in his role as the then Duke of York, declared the provisional Parliament House open. I invite all members, as a mark of respect to the memory of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to rise in their places and so pass the motion moved by the Prime Minister. Question agreed to, honourable members standing in their places.10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—As a mark of respect to the memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, the sitting is suspended. The sitting will be resumed in one hour.Sitting suspended from 2.25 p.m. to 3.25 p.m.Ministerial Arrangements200315:25:002003Howard, John, MPMr HOWARDZD4BennelongLPPrime Minister10—Mr Speaker, I inform the House that the Treasurer will be absent from question time today due to budget commitments. I will answer questions on the Treasurer's behalf. I also inform the House that the Minister for Trade will be absent from question time today and for the remainder of the week. The minister is visiting a number of European capitals for WTO trade negotiations, to represent Australia at the OECD Ministerial Council meeting, and for bilateral discussions. The minister will also visit Bangkok for trade discussions with the Thai Prime Minister and the Minister of Commerce. In his absence, the Minister for Foreign Affairs will answer questions on his behalf.Questions Without Notice2003200315:26:002003Crean, Simon, MPMr CREANDT4HothamALPLeader of the Opposition00—My question is to the Prime Minister. Is the Prime Minister aware of concerns widely reported of changes to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme? Prime Minister, is it not the case that, if reports in today's paper are correct, a family whose three children get sick at the same time will be forced to pay $85.80, or an increase of $18.60, from their family budget for just three lots of medicine? Prime Minister, will you rule out putting Australian families under more financial pressure when their kids get sick?2003Howard, John, MPMr HOWARDZD4BennelongLPPrime Minister10—I could be wrong, but I suspect that the question is, in part, based on budget speculation.Opposition members interjecting—ZD4Mr HOWARD—No, there is another part of my answer. I would invite the Leader of the Opposition to turn up at 7.30 tonight. He will learn a lot, and he will hear an excellent budget speech. Could I also take the opportunity to remind the Leader of the Opposition that the family with three children for which he professes such concern and compassion is infinitely better off now than it was six years ago.200415:28:002004Smith, Anthony, MPMr ANTHONY SMITH00APGCaseyLP10—My question is to the Minister for Education, Science and Training. Could the minister outline for the House the state of the review of higher education, and is the minister aware of other policies in this area?2004Nelson, Dr Brendan, MPDr NELSONRW5BradfieldLPMinister for Education, Science and Training10—A number of things will determine the future of our country: contrary to popular belief, it is not always the things that we know but so often the things that we do not. What is clear in examining Australia's future is that Australian higher education—Australian universities—will play a critical role in terms of our future. For that reason, on behalf of the government I have announced that there will be a review of Australian higher education. To that end, I have released the first of what will be a series of six discussion papers to inform public debate on these issues. I have also established a specialist unit within the Department of Education, Science and Training, to which has been seconded Mr Bob Goddard, from the Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee. I have also had seconded from the Business Council of Australia a person who will work with the secretariat, because it is increasingly important for us to understand that one of the many issues facing Australian higher education is the extent to which we can see more private sector or business investment in Australian universities. Further to that, I have established a reference group which will guide me directly throughout the process of the review.The member for Casey has a longstanding interest in, and commitment to, Australian universities. On this side in particular we realise—and in fact I think it is important for all of us as Australians, whatever side of the House we are on in the parliament, whatever our politics or wherever we live, to realise—that we have a number of key issues we need to look at in relation to universities. What defines, in the 21st century, a university, in terms of research, teaching and scholarship? Who is going to university and why are they going there? Why are drop-out rates, for example, as high as four out of 10 in some cases and for Aboriginal students nearly 60 per cent? Why can't we get more business sector or private sector investment and engagement in Australian universities? How can we put a stronger floor under our regional institutions, to recognise the complex and demanding community service obligations that they are meeting? We also need to be looking at the commercialisation of ideas, of intellectual property in Australian universities. Amongst other things, I have also said to the secretary of my department, who is doing an outstanding job, that I think we need to get the Commonwealth government out of the extent to which it regulates and controls Australian universities. I remain to be convinced that the level of accounting, red tape and reporting which comes to me is absolutely necessary for the good functioning of Australian higher education. In relation to the review—in concluding—you should know that the Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee president, Professor Deryck Schreuder, said:... this significant document will set the scene for addressing the urgent financing and structural needs of Australia's universities.In a balanced way, the paper outlines the problems and issues currently facing Australia's universities. We are very keen to be a part of the process ...I might also say that the Group of Eight of Australia's leading universities, as they describe themselves, have declared their support for the review and commended the government for:... recognising the crucial part that universities will play in determining economic and social well-being for Australians in the twenty-first century. There has been another comment, by the member for Jagajaga and Senator Kim Carr. I should give some publicity to this release, because nobody else did. It said:Brendan Nelson's Report Higher Education at the Crossroads released today is a blueprint for increasing fees for students and reducing the number of university places.It needs to be said that there are some issues that are so important that they should rise above the day-to-day mediocrity that comes from the opposition, and one of them is thinking about our future in terms of higher education.PG6Macklin, Jenny, MPRW5Dr NELSON—I have not criticised the opposition for these facile remarks, but the member for Jagajaga and others on the other side know that there are critical policy issues to be considered in relation to higher education, and it is extremely important. I will keep my door open, so if the opposition choose to engage themselves in this public policy debate there is an opportunity to do so—or, as with so many other things, you can leave yourselves behind.200515:33:002005Crean, Simon, MPMr CREANDT4HothamALP00—Mr Speaker, my question is again to the Prime Minister. I refer to comments he made in the `Great Debate' on 14 October last year when he said:... the coast guard proposal, as outlined by the Opposition, will do serious damage to the Royal Australian Navy and that's why I'm against it.Prime Minister, given the media report in today's Daily Telegraph entitled `Government to spend $200m to build Beazley's boats' why do you now support the coastguard?2005Howard, John, MPMr HOWARDZD4BennelongLPPrime Minister10—Mr Speaker, the budget is still at 7.30, and I suggest the Leader of the Opposition come along. As for spending money in relation to things associated with the member for Brand, we have spent a lot more than a few hundred million dollars fixing up some submarines.200515:34:002005Washer, Dr Mal, MPDr WASHER84FMooreLP10—My question is addressed to the Minister for Ageing.Opposition member—Bring him out, Mal.84FDr WASHER—Absolutely. Would the minister inform the House of the progress of the federal government's National Strategy for an Ageing Australia? In particular, could the minister update the House on the measures the government is taking to address the issues associated with an ageing population?2005Andrews, Kevin, MPMr ANDREWSHK5MenziesLPMinister for Ageing10—I thank the member for Moore for his question. I had the pleasure of being in his electorate for a community meeting around the issues of a national ageing strategy just a week ago. It is interesting that the electorate of Moore has nine per cent of its population over the age of 65, which is below the national average of 12 per cent, but about a third of the population are aged between 40 and 65, which means they will be part of this great movement through the population over the next 20 years. This series of community meetings which I have conducted in Pinjarra, in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, in Echuca, in Colac, in the member for Grey's electorate, in Glenelg and elsewhere around Australia has given Australians an opportunity to participate in the way in which we develop a national ageing strategy and continue to put the policies and programs in place which will be part of this massive demographic change in the Australian population. As part of identifying the needs of an ageing population, the Treasurer this evening will be releasing, as part of the budget, an intergenerational report. This benchmark report will set out the expected demographic changes over the next 40 years and indicate some of the consequences of those changes, based on current policy projections. What we will be doing, as a government, is building upon this work which has been undertaken for the Intergenerational Report, to look at where we want to be as a nation in two to three decades time and what policy changes we will put in place to achieve that outcome.200515:36:002005Crean, Simon, MPMr CREANDT4HothamALP00—My question is again to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm the statement by the government's own Sex Discrimination Commissioner that the government is currently costing options for paid maternity leave? If so, will the government release those costings and the assumptions underlying them? Does the government now support Labor's policy to introduce paid maternity leave for all working Australian women?2005Howard, John, MPMr HOWARDZD4BennelongLPPrime Minister10—The government is examining this, including—as part of that examination obviously—the cost implications of the recommendations that are contained in the Sex Discrimination Commissioner's report. I met her and the head of the Office of the Status of Women 10 days ago to discuss that issue and matters relating to it. I think any government needs a range of policies to deal with issues relating to the balance of work and family. I do not think there is any one single answer to the falling fertility rate in this country; I think there are a combination of reasons for that. I think policies in this area have got to be designed not only to try and address that but also, importantly, to relieve some of the pressure on family budgets, particularly when the first child comes along, which, from the experience of those on both sides of the House, is often the most expensive time of all. That is of course why we introduced the baby bonus—in order to recognise that.It is no secret that we are examining that report, and we are engaging in discussion on it. It is also no secret that the government hold a view that there should not be unreasonable burdens placed on small business in relation to this matter because that could be counterproductive for the target group of any such measure. If the Leader of the Opposition is interested in this issue—the whole issue—I would welcome any thoughts he has. I always study what he says very carefully. It is always a great font of information. I would be very happy to examine it, but I just remind the Leader of the Opposition and all of those who are interested in this debate that we should reject the sort of one size fits all approach to family policies. You have got to have a mix; you have to recognise that there are different groups in the community who have different needs. I will welcome any contribution the Leader of the Opposition makes to the debate.I conclude my remarks by saying that the position of Australian families in terms of support from the government, low interest rates, higher real wages, and greater opportunities and choice for women, in particular, has vastly improved over the last six years.200615:40:002006Forrest, John, MPMr FORRESTNV5MalleeNP10—My question is addressed to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The minister would be aware of the overnight signing of the US farm bill by the United States President. My question is: what is the response of the Australian government to the decision by the US Congress to entrench farm subsidies which do so much harm to the grain and horticultural producers of the electorate of Mallee and so much of rural Australia?2006Truss, Warren, MPMr TRUSSGT4Wide BayNPMinister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry10—I thank the member for Mallee for his question. Certainly all Australians are dismayed at the signing of the new US farm bill by the President. It entrenches a regime of subsidies in the US farm system which will guarantee that US farmers are, in more than 50 per cent of cases, more dependent on government welfare assistance and subsidies than they are on the real worth of their labours. That kind of approach clearly undermines the competitiveness of US agriculture and breeds complacency and inefficiencies in their agricultural production.The nature of their farm bill program provides increased subsidies in circumstances where prices are low. As a result, instead of market signals demonstrating to US farmers that they should be cutting their production because the world does not need their product, they are actually encouraged to grow more. So the mountains get higher, that product is then dumped on world markets and that has an impact on Australian farmers endeavouring to sell our unsubsidised product into that kind of marketplace. The reality is that this new farm bill has been widely condemned by farmers around the world—not just from Australia but from our Cairns Group partners, all of whom are horrified by the example that the United States are setting as we move into an important new round of world trade talks.It is also interesting to note that it is not just Australia and some other countries that are appalled at the behaviour of the United States in relation to its farm bill. I was interested in some of the comments by US congressmen themselves. For instance, representatives John Boehner from Ohio and Cal Dooley from California said that they regarded this farm bill as a giant leap backwards in US agricultural policy and they even suggested that it could violate US trade commitments.VU5Griffin, Alan, MPMr Griffin—So what are you going to do?10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—The member for Bruce!GT4Mr TRUSS—What about Pennsylvanian Republican, Pat Toomey—VU5Griffin, Alan, MP10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—The member for Bruce defies the chair!GT4Mr TRUSS—who said that this farm bill—VU5Griffin, Alan, MP10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—The member for Bruce is warned!GT4Mr TRUSS—represents `a step toward Soviet style agriculture'? He said that the US was in danger of turning its farmers into serfs dependent upon communal subsidies. So there is widespread recognition in the United States that this is inappropriate policy. Subsidies start at 10 per cent and they help a few people, but then there is a demand for 20 per cent or 30 per cent. Why stop at 50, 100 or 200 per cent? The reality is that subsidies do not work. They fail to achieve levels of efficiency, they fail to achieve improvements in agricultural lifestyle and in fact they end up delivering waste and inefficiency.The government has been strong and active in pursuing the US administration in an endeavour to ensure that their farm subsidies are delivered in a way that affects in as least possible a manner those who trade fairly and freely around the world. We have received certain assurances, but a lot more needs to be done. Our policy and our efforts contrast sharply with the incompetence of the opposition in regard to these matters. They cannot make up their mind what they want. In fact, some members of the opposition, including somebody who masquerades as a trade spokesman, are actually suggesting that we should now break off discussions with the United States, particularly in relation to negotiating a fairer trade deal, because somehow or other this bill destroys the need for that kind of activity. The reality is that it makes it even more important for us to endeavour to negotiate a satisfactory arrangement. That is what we will be setting as our task: achieving the best possible arrangements for Australian farmers in the very worst possible circumstances. I deplore the US farm bill. But we will not just talk; we will act and get on with the business of ensuring that Australian farmers get the very best possible deal in these hopeless circumstances.200715:45:002007Plibersek, Tanya, MPMs PLIBERSEK83MSydneyALP00—My question is to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs representing the Minister for Family and Community Services. Is the minister aware of the Commonwealth government's refusal to pay its fair share of the wage increase awarded to disability carers and others in the community sector in New South Wales? Is the minister aware of the case of Charley—a nine-year-old boy suffering from the rare and debilitating disease angelman syndrome—who was featured on the Alan Jones program recently and who may lose access to his four hours a week respite care from 1 July if the Commonwealth does not pay its fair share?10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—The member for Sydney will come to her question.83MMs PLIBERSEK—Minister, will you now give an assurance to this lovely boy Charley and to thousands of other children with disabilities and their families that the services they rely on will not be cut after 1 July?2007Anthony, Larry, MPMr ANTHONYXJ6RichmondNPMinister for Children and Youth Affairs10—I assume you are referring to the SACS Award.BV5Adams, Dick, MP10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—If the member for Lyons can find a standing order that covers that I will accommodate him. Since he ought to know more about the standing orders than most others in this chamber I expect a greater level of responsibility from him.XJ6Mr ANTHONY—It is important to recognise that, as the Treasurer stated to Michael Egan last year, the Commonwealth's position is very clear. Under many state-Commonwealth agreements—the major one is the Commonwealth-State Disability Agreement—the funding increases that we have put through, through indexation increases, have been passed on now for a number of years.83MPlibersek, Tanya, MPMs Plibersek—A one per cent indexation for a 10 per cent wage increase!XJ6Mr ANTHONY—That was, of course, to recognise future wage increases.83MPlibersek, Tanya, MP10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—The member for Sydney!XJ6Mr ANTHONY—We believe that the increases that we put through on indexation were to the benefit of the New South Wales government and helped compensate for the increases in wages that were brought down by the industrial commission last November. It is very clear. Perhaps the pressure that you should put in place should be upon your colleagues in the New South Wales government because of the increased revenue that they are getting through the GST, stamp duty and gambling taxes.83MPlibersek, Tanya, MP10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—The member for Sydney is defying the chair!XJ6Mr ANTHONY—When it comes to young children, particularly those who have disabilities, and children in the mainstream, I want to ensure that they are adequately catered for. But it is very disingenuous of you and the New South Wales government to try to shift blame onto the Commonwealth.10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—The chair was having difficulty recognising the member for Kalgoorlie, but it is appropriate under the circumstances that he be extended the opportunity to ask a question.200815:48:002008Haase, Barry, MPMr HAASE84TKalgoorlieLP10—I thank you, Mr Speaker, and the children affected by leukaemia thank you also. My question is to the Minister for Employment Services. I refer to the government's highly successful Work for the Dole scheme, which has been responsible for some very valuable and worthwhile projects in my electorate of Kalgoorlie. Can the minister advise the House of any projects of national significance currently being undertaken through the Work for the Dole scheme?2008Brough, Mal, MPMr BROUGH2K6LongmanLPMinister for Employment Services10—I thank the honourable member for his question. I had the pleasure of being out in his electorate of Kalgoorlie. There is a lot of fine work being conducted out there, as there is in electorates right across Australia. I am pleased to inform the member for Kalgoorlie and the parliament that Work for the Dole has gone another step forward by providing significant work opportunities for people in Perth, in a pilot project of national significance which commenced on 29 April. With the National Archives we are going to work with old handwritten records, dating back as far as 1898, which record the ships that arrived in Australia with the new migrants—migrants obviously make up a large proportion of Australia's population today—and record all of the details provided right through to the present day.This will provide a valuable record for future generations in Australia as they will be able to go back through the archives electronically and look at the databases and find family, friends and significant persons. They will be able to find out when those people arrived in this country, how they arrived, their port of embarkation et cetera. This is significant because we have unemployed people who are making a contribution not only today in their community but also into the future, for future generations—something for which they can hold their heads up very proudly and speak of the contribution they have made to their nation. This is another important, positive step forward, both for the unemployed and for the Work for the Dole program. It goes to show that the work that these people can undertake is valuable in their communities and will continue to be so. This government remains very committed to the Work for the Dole program and those who participate in it.200815:51:002008Ellis, Annette, MPMs ELLIS5K6CanberraALP00—My question is to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs representing the Minister for Family and Community Services. Minister, I refer you to a report in this morning's Sydney Morning Herald of an additional $100 million for the Commonwealth-State Disability Agreement. Minister, would this be the same $100 million already committed to existing programs to meet unmet needs identified as long ago as 1997 and as announced by you in July 2000? Minister, is it not the case that this is simply maintaining existing funding levels?2009Anthony, Larry, MPMr ANTHONYXJ6RichmondNPMinister for Children and Youth Affairs10—Former senator Jocelyn Newman, when she was responsible for family and community services, managed to secure that $100 million for unmet need—a proud record. If you want to learn more about the disability agreement and the budget, I encourage you to be patient and to come back here at 7.30 p.m.200915:52:002009Panopoulos, Sophie, MPMs PANOPOULOS00AMUIndiLP10—My question is addressed to the Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government. On 12 July 2002 the National Australia Bank will be closing its Violet Town agency in my electorate. What action is the Howard government taking to ensure that those people living in Violet Town and the surrounding region have access to the services and facilities so vital to rural communities in north-east Victoria?2009Tuckey, Wilson, MPMr TUCKEYSJ4O'ConnorLPMinister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government10—I thank the member for Indi for that question and her demonstration of raising issues in this place which directly affect the people she represents. It is a fact that country people take very seriously and with great concern the closure of any institution within their community, particularly the closure of a bank. As a consequence, the government has taken a number of measures to which I will refer in a moment. In addition, since I have been appointed to this position I have actually had direct consultation with very senior banking officials to see how we can improve the arrangements and give better services to people in every area.In those discussions, I can inform the member, the National Australia Bank advised me that, consistent with their decisions and their arrangements on recent announced closures, in every case—including Violet Town—they have made arrangements with the local post office agent to commence providing a full service as compared to the existing agency service, which the member clearly indicated in her question. The Violet Town bank was not open continuously; it was only open on the odd days or for odd hours, and in fact the new service will be continuous. But it is not my intention to accept that as the perfect solution. I see all of these bank closures as work in progress to get better outcomes for the people.Nevertheless, the government implemented the rural transaction centre policy for the purpose of replacing services that were lost in small communities. I thank the Prime Minister for opening one the other day.84HZahra, Christian, MP10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—The member for McMillan is warned!SJ4Mr TUCKEY—In many circumstances I have been in communities that lost a bank and have recovered a banking service, a Centrelink service, a Medicare service and other services they have never had. This can be sophisticated. I am looking forward to coming back into this House in a reasonably short period to announce other measures which will not lead to the reduction of services in these communities but measures which will increase the services, be they financial or be they the sorts of services that our government will continue to provide. We have good members who do not exploit their constituents to make a political point. They get on with the job of helping their constituents.200915:56:002009Swan, Wayne, MPMr SWAN2V5LilleyALP00—My question without notice is directed to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, do you recall your election promise of 24 October last year, when you said:I re-state the assurances I have previously made: Nobody's benefit will be cut as a result of changes to the social security system.Prime Minister, are you aware that the Treasurer would not repeat this assurance on Sunday, promising only this:What we'll be doing is we'll be making sure that everybody who is disabled has access to income support.Prime Minister, will you now repeat your commitment or is the Treasurer already treating you as a lame duck?10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—The Prime Minister may not be aware but because I had not called him I was about to ask the Prime Minister to respond to the question, ignoring what I thought was the unnecessary tail that the member for Lilley had placed on the question. For the Prime Minister to be recorded on Hansard he will need to now respond to the question.2010Howard, John, MPMr HOWARDZD4BennelongLPPrime Minister10—Come along tonight.201015:57:002010Farmer, Patrick, MPMr FARMER00AMOMacarthurLP10—My question without notice is to the Minister for Small Business and Tourism. Can the minister please inform the House of any plans to develop Australia's tourism potential? Why are such plans necessary? What does it mean to tourism growth in regional Australia, especially outlying areas of my electorate of Macarthur?2010Hockey, Joe, MPMr HOCKEYDK6North SydneyLPMinister for Small Business and Tourism10—I would like to thank the member for Macarthur, who is a renowned tourist, having travelled right around Australia on foot. He knows many parts of Australia that I think most members in the House would not be aware of. He also has an electorate that has a budding interest in tourism. In fact, we were out there recently for the launch of the Macarthur tourism forum. It was one of the more professional presentations from a community, which was coming together to promote the Macarthur area as a region for weekend tourism or overnight stays just outside Sydney.As the member for Macarthur knows, tourism has a very important role to play in the development of all parts of Australia, particularly regional Australia, and as the member for Macarthur knows it is a vital employer out there. More than half a million Australians are directly employed in the tourism industry. It represents nearly five per cent of the Australian economy and is in fact one of our largest exports. That is why the Prime Minister asked me to develop in consultation with the industry a 10-year plan for the future of the tourism industry. The discussion paper, which we released at an Australian tourism export conference—8I4Martin, Stephen, MPDK6Mr HOCKEY—That is right; the member for Cunningham has it. We released it in Adelaide, and it was pleasing to see that more than nine members of the coalition, including three parliamentary secretaries, were at that conference representing their interests. All of the members are about promoting tourism in their region and they all have a keen interest in the 10-year plan.When tourism does go through difficult times—as it did after the September 11 terrorist attacks and also after the collapse of Ansett on September 14—this government has shown that it is prepared to stand up for the industry, and will continue to do so. The development of the 10-year plan leading to a white paper for tourism is the most significant step forward for the tourism industry in some years. It importantly represents an opportunity for the tourism industry to develop risk management strategies and to put in place investment strategies that ensure that they can access the $600 billion of superannuation funds, which have a very low level of investment in tourism infrastructure today. It also means an opportunity to help to use aviation and other forms of transport as better means of improving tourism access to regional Australia and, significantly, it means that we can work out exactly where we want the tourism industry to go, in partnership with government, over the next 10 years. That is important because over the next 10 years the number of inbound tourists to Australia will double from its current five million people a year to 10 million people. Of the 10 million, more than 50 per cent will come from non-Japan Asia, which means we need to ask whether we have the language skills in Australia, and whether we have the talent and the capability, to be able to respond and provide appropriate services to those people who may be coming to visit our shores.PG6Macklin, Jenny, MPDK6Mr HOCKEY—Despite the cries from the Acting Leader of the Opposition, I do welcome the fact that the member for Cunningham indicated in front of 500 people at this conference that the opposition was prepared to offer bipartisan support for this plan. I see that as an important step forward, because we are in this place all determined to try and help the tourism industry to grow, to employ more young Australians and, importantly, to help develop regional Australia to the capacity that we all know it has.201116:02:002011Hall, Jill, MPMs HALL83NShortlandALP00—Can the Prime Minister confirm that an Auditor-General's report released on Friday found that National Textiles remains the only company that has met the criteria for a bailout from the Regional Assistance Program? Prime Minister, who will bail out your brother Stan when you retire in 433 days time?10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—The Prime Minister will respond to the first part of the question.2011Howard, John, MPMr HOWARDZD4BennelongLPPrime Minister10—I am very happy to answer the question. The reality is that the people who were bailed out jointly by the federal government and the New South Wales Labor government, at the behest of state members from your region of New South Wales, were the workers of National Textiles.201116:03:002011Hartsuyker, Luke, MPMr HARTSUYKER00AMMCowperNP10—Can the Deputy Prime Minister advise the House on representations he made to the French government during his recent overseas trip regarding plans to build an airport on land occupied by Australian war graves in France? Were those representations, which included a letter of protest from the citizens of my electorate, the electorate of Cowper, effective? What further evidence did the Deputy Prime Minister find of the continuing regard for the Anzac tradition among young Australians in particular?2011Anderson, John, MPMr ANDERSON4K4GwydirNPDeputy Prime Minister10—I thank the honourable member for his question and acknowledge his real interest in this subject, an interest that I think is shared by many people in this place and indeed in the broader Australian community. I did have the opportunity to meet with the then French Secretary of State for Veterans Affairs, Mr Floch, in Paris. I told him of our very strong view that it would be very preferable for those war graves not to be disturbed should the French determine that they need another airport in that part of France. Indeed, he assured me that they were at that time some time away from making any definitive decisions about the airport and where it would go.He undertook to consult very closely; firstly, at the level of the War Graves Commission—and I must say our commissioners do a very fine job of representing our interests in that regard—and, secondly, at ambassadorial level, not only with Australia but with other countries that might be affected. The Battle of the Somme, for example, was not simply a battlefield as you and I might think of it—it was a very large front. There are graveyards scattered over a very wide area indeed of that part of France, reflecting the tragedies of many conflicts in days gone by. He also undertook to consult properly at a government to government level. For that, we are genuinely appreciative. The new French transport minister said last week that the project itself might well have to be fully reconsidered. He was himself not convinced of the need to build an airport in that region. My view is that we will need to remain vigilant. We will need to continue to stay in close consultation with the French on this matter and continue to press our strong views.I should say to the House—and I say this very sincerely—that I was struck, as indeed were so many Australians that I met subsequently at Anzac Cove, by the genuine respect of the French people for the contribution that Australians made in securing their freedom in both the first war and the second war. That respect is certainly alive and well amongst the thousands of Australians, in particular young Australians, who attend Anzac Day services in Gallipoli itself. I had the privilege of attending—along with some other members of this House from both sides—the service this year. The Governor-General was present; he spoke very eloquently on behalf of all Australians. I was greatly sobered, as I think all who have been there are, by the experience of being present.I saw some comment—I am not sure it was well-advised comment—about the behaviour of some young Australians. I make the observation that I was not present prior to the main ceremony, the dawn service, and it seems not unreasonable to assume that some people enjoying the spirit of the moment might have been `enthusiastic', I suppose you could say. Every Australian can be very proud about the way their representatives—young, old; male, female; country, city—behaved, their dignity and the quiet sense of respect that they displayed at the services this year in Gallipoli.As so many young people have written to me—in the way they do now, via email—it is a very moving experience, particularly for young Australians seeking to understand what it is to engage in the great privilege of being Australian and to understand what our forebears went through for us.201216:08:002012Macklin, Jenny, MPMs MACKLINPG6JagajagaALP00—My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to his budget eve press release on Wooldridge House. Prime Minister, given that you knew about the Wooldridge House secret deal from October last year, why did you do nothing about it until the details of the deal were exposed four months later by Labor? If the deal was so right when it was a secret, why is it so wrong now after you have been sprung? Why should taxpayers still have to pay to extract your government from a deal that should never have been done?10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—I point out to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition that, while I will allow her question to stand, it is framed in such a way as to advance an argument when it could have been framed in such a way as not to advance an argument.2012Howard, John, MPMr HOWARDZD4BennelongLPPrime Minister10—I have not issued any press release on Wooldridge House.201216:09:002012Randall, Don, MPMr RANDALLPK6CanningLP10—My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations representing the Special Minister of State. Could the minister outline to the House the attempts that have been made by this government to improve the integrity of the electoral roll? Will the minister also inform the House why the government has sought to make these reforms? Is the minister aware of any attempts to block these reforms?2012Abbott, Tony, MPMr ABBOTTEZ5WarringahLPMinister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service10—I thank the member for Canning for his question. I acknowledge the presence in the House of the Acting Leader of the Opposition. If question time today was so important to the opposition, why isn't the Leader of the Opposition here in question time today?10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—The minister will come to the question.EZ5Mr ABBOTT—Obviously, the integrity of the electoral roll is vital to the functioning of any healthy democracy. Unfortunately, the roll, as things stand, is not entirely tamper proof. Unfortunately, it is not fraud proof. The sad truth is that as things stand it is easier to get onto the electoral roll of this country than it is to sign up at the local video store. The government are very keen to try to change this situation. Last year we tabled regulations providing that new enrollees produce at least one piece of documentary ID and requiring that new enrollees have their applications signed.I am sorry to tell the House that this very day in the Senate the opposition are moving a disallowance motion against these regulations. They are doing it today, the busiest day in the parliamentary year, in the hope that no-one will notice. They are doing this like thieves in the middle of the night. We have noticed, and the Australian people will notice too.As the Shepherdson inquiry revealed last year, members opposite belong to a party which believes that whole families should inhabit a single post-office box. That is the standard of members opposite. Where is the evidence of change that was supposed to take place under the leadership of the new Leader of the Opposition? On the basis of what the opposition are doing today, the best you can say about them is that they may not be the perpetrators of fraud, but they are certainly the protectors of fraud. I call on the Leader of the Opposition to come back into this chamber and stand up for democratic principles.2V5Swan, Wayne, MPMr Swan—Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Under standing order 75, members on this side find those remarks offensive and we ask that they be withdrawn.10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—As the member for Lilley will be aware, remarks are withdrawn when they are directed to an individual, not to a group. The remarks I heard used by the minister were not remarks that would normally be required to be withdrawn.2V5Swan, Wayne, MPMr Swan—Mr Speaker, I have a further point of order. If that is to be the standard then order in this House will degenerate rapidly. Under standing order 75, I ask you to get the member to withdraw those remarks that members on our side of the House are involved in fraud.10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—I stand by my earlier ruling. I will undertake, however, to check the Hansard and, if I feel I have erred, to consult the member for Lilley and report to the House. I believe my ruling is entirely consistent with previous rulings from the chair.201316:15:002013Gibbons, Steve, MPMr GIBBONS83XBendigoALP00—My question is directed to the Prime Minister. I ask: are you aware that Australian Defence Industries, Bendigo, announced on Friday, 15 February that another 95 jobs were being made redundant, bringing the total number of job losses at Bendigo to 245 since you privatised ADI? Prime Minister, do you recall your comments—10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—The member for Bendigo! I am not aware of having taken any action to privatise ADI. I ask the member for Bendigo to continue his question but bear in mind that the reference to `you' is inappropriate.83XMr GIBBONS—Prime Minister, are you aware that this brings the number of job losses to 245 since ADI in Bendigo—and in fact all over Australia—was privatised? Do you recall your comments at this media conference—10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—The member for Bendigo will return to his question.83XMr GIBBONS—Do you recall your comments at a media conference in Bendigo on 14 February 1996 when you said, `No, no and no, we have no plans to privatise ADI'? Prime Minister, isn't this just another case of you saying one thing before an election and then the opposite after the election?10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—Before I recognise the Prime Minister, if the member for Bendigo cares to come to the Speaker's office, I will give him a little assistance with the construction of questions.2013Howard, John, MPMr HOWARDZD4BennelongLPPrime Minister10—Can I say in reply to the member for Bendigo that the ADI establishment is important to the people of his electorate, and I am aware of the significance of industries of that kind to regional communities. I will examine what he said and I will check the remarks that I made. If there is anything further I should add, I will.201316:17:002013Ley, Sussan, MPMs LEY00AMNFarrerLP10—My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and relates to the US farm bill, which is of great concern to the electorate of Farrer. In light of the US farm bill, can the minister update the House on Australia's commitment to a free trade agreement with the United States? Is the minister aware of any alternative approaches?2013Downer, Alexander, MPMr DOWNER4G4MayoLPMinister for Foreign Affairs10—First of all, can I just take the opportunity of saying what an excellent job I think the member for Farrer is doing. People speak very highly of her as a local member. Not surprisingly, she is concerned about an issue like the US farm bill, and rightly so. First of all, I confirm what the—K26Latham, Mark, MPMr Latham—The dark horse.Opposition members interjecting—4G4Mr DOWNER—Mr Speaker, they love me over there and I can understand that. The bourgeois Left jabbering away, lost in the wilderness—Opposition members interjecting—4G4Mr DOWNER—They are off again! It is easy to rev up the bourgeois Left!10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—The minister will come to the question or resume his seat.4G4Mr DOWNER—The US farm bill is something that this government strongly objects to, and the minister for agriculture has, in a very articulate way, explained our objections. There is no doubt that over the years this government and its predecessors have frequently been confronted by problems with US agricultural policy and, as you will have noticed recently, with the steel sector as well. I think the government did very well to get the concessions we did get for our steel industry, but that is not to say that we regard the US steel decision as being an appropriate decision for international trade.Opposition member interjecting—4G4Mr DOWNER—As one member interjects, we did not do so well on the US farm bill. Of course, nor did the previous Keating and Hawke governments do very well on this issue either. I was the shadow minister for trade at the time: I remember it only too well. One of the solutions in relation to the farm bill—and there are many approaches to this—is to look at our options in the World Trade Organisation. Another very significant issue for this government is that we believe that many of the trade obstacles we have with the United States can be put to rest once and for all by negotiating successfully a free trade agreement with the United States. Some time ago I believe the Australian Labor Party supported a free trade agreement with the United States. On 23 January the member for Cunningham said that the Prime Minister, who was on his way to the United States at that time, had to return from the United States `with Bush's signature on an FTA if the trip was in any way to be considered a success' and that it was `a test of the alliance'. Then on 13 February the member for Cunningham accused the government of having no real commitment to an FTA with the US because it was too difficult. But then, on 7 March—so we have now gone to the third month of the year—the member for Cunningham said, `To continue these FTA negotiations with the US while Australian steel makers are desperately trying to avoid job losses would be demeaning for Australia, and send the wrong signal internationally.' So we said, `Oh, the Labor Party has changed its position on the FTA with the United States.' The member for Cunningham then stood up and took a personal explanation in the parliament.8I4Martin, Stephen, MP4G4Mr DOWNER—And he is about to take another one. We will be interested to hear what it is because, on 14 March, he said in a personal explanation that he supported a free trade agreement with the United States. But last week he said, `Labor is not inclined to support the Howard government's proposed FTA with the US. Only the WTO can help Australia now.' Three positions—four months. It sums up the Labor Party, you know. First of all, you have no idea what you think. You have not got any idea what is in your own heads. Secondly, you play footsy with the—Opposition members interjecting—10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—The minister will resume his seat. The member for Prospect is being of no assistance to the chair at all, or to the member for Griffith.83TRudd, Kevin, MPMr Rudd—Mr Speaker, consistent with your ruling in relation to the member for Bendigo, standing order No. 80 says that no member may refer to any other member by name—10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—The member for Griffith will resume his seat! Has the Minister for Foreign Affairs concluded his answer?4G4Downer, Alexander, MPMr Downer—Yes.10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—I point out to the member for Griffith that he has made a perfectly valid point of order, and the only reason I interrupted him was that I was about to make that very point to the minister when the member for Griffith rose.201416:23:002014Windsor, Antony, MPMr WINDSOR009LPNew EnglandIND00—My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. In light of the New South Wales Farmers Association city-country snapshot report showing the growing divide between city and country and of the new US farm bill, will the government consider the adoption of zonal taxation proposals as put forward by the National Farmers Federation, the Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Australian Local Government Association as a way of overcoming the population drift, economic decline and inequity of services in country Australia?2014Howard, John, MPMr HOWARDZD4BennelongLPPrime Minister10—I thank the member for his question. When you are looking at the interface of city and country, you never rule anything out completely and you are always open to new ideas and new suggestions. From what I have seen of the zone taxation proposals, I do not see them as being the cure-all for what has been identified as the difficulties, the higher costs and challenges of rural living.I point out to the honourable member that it is not all doom and gloom in the bush. The honourable member is very familiar with the city of Tamworth. My understanding is that the city of Tamworth is growing. It is the case that you really have a number of currents that work in non-metropolitan Australia. You have the challenge of declining very small country towns. I visited one of those not so long ago. In fact, only last week I was in the electorate of the member for Riverina, and I went into the wonderful community of Ganmain, which has a population of 250. I opened a rural transaction centre and, after moving around and talking to the folk at that particular gathering, it was very obvious that in that part of New South Wales there have been better seasons. People are getting better prices. I find that an almost universal refrain as I go around rural Australia is how grateful people are that interest rates are now down from the levels they were a few years ago. One thing that country people hate more than anything else is high interest rates.I say to the honourable member that, as well as the challenge of the small country towns, you have the phenomenon, which I know he would be aware of, of the growth in population of the large hub cities in non-metropolitan Australia. We have to find policies which address all of the challenges. I do not rule things out, but I am unpersuaded by some of the arguments that are being advanced in relation to further boosting zonal taxation. We do have some zonal taxation arrangements now. Clearly, because the amounts have not been altered dramatically over the years, they are not as valuable as they used to be. There are horrendous difficulties in trying to define the boundaries. Where do you stop? Where do you start? What do you do with the people who feel that they are left out of the zone? You will have endless arguments in relation to that.Our view is that if you can run strong generic economic policies, have a highly competitive exchange rate (which I think Australia does have a the present time), have industrial relations policies superior to those we used to have 10 years ago (which we certainly do have now), have dramatically lower interest rates than we had 10 years ago (which is certainly the case), have much lower inflation than we had 10 years ago (which is certainly the case), have the greatest asset of all that the bush has—that is, extremely efficient farmers and producers— then Australia is positively facing its challenges in rural and regional Australia. And I add my voice of criticism to the US farm bill. The US farm bill is a kick in the shins for the efficient farmers of Australia. There is the behaviour of both the United States and the European Union. Whenever you are criticising restrictive and anticompetitive agricultural policies, never exclude the European Union, because the European Union's predatory trading behaviour is infinitely worse than that of other countries.I say to all of those in the House who are concerned about the future of country Australia that this government will retain an open mind about policy options. Quite apart from cost, there are problems with a dramatic expansion of existing zone taxation arrangements. The problems of demarcation are principal amongst those problems, but I can assure the honourable member that we will keep an open mind about policies. Rural Australia is now doing somewhat better than was the case a few years ago. I hope the drought being experienced in some parts is relieved because country people certainly deserve the better seasons and the better prices they are now getting. They have had some very tough years, and my sympathies continue to lie very much with the people of country Australia.201516:28:002015Hunt, Gregory, MPMr HUNT00AMVFlindersLP10—My question is addressed to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage. Can the minister advise the House on the success of the Natural Heritage Trust that has allowed the creation of projects such as the upgrading of Warringine Park in Hastings? Would the minister outline prospects for the Australian Government Envirofund, and is he aware of any alternatives?2015Kemp, Dr David, MPDr KEMPBT4GoldsteinLPMinister for the Environment and Heritage10—I thank the honourable member for Flinders for his question. I welcome the very great interest in local and national environmental issues that he brings to this chamber. The Natural Heritage Trust has already achieved probably the greatest mobilisation of Australian communities on behalf of the environment that this country has ever seen. Over 400,000 people have been involved in some 12,000 local community projects through the first phase of the Natural Heritage Trust. Volunteers have planted some 29 million seedlings, and some 780,000 hectares of native vegetation have been replanted or protected. Nearly eight million hectares have been added to the national parks estate.That is a quite remarkable record, and I do not believe any program of any federal government has ever gone so far to mobilise local communities and focus them on the need to build the foundations for a sustainable Australia at the local level. As part of the second phase of the Natural Heritage Trust—the additional $1 billion that the government has put in to the Natural Heritage Trust from consolidated revenue, in addition to the $1.5 billion resulting from the sale of the first tranche of Telstra—the government has now announced a $20 million Australian Government Envirofund. It was launched in April, and its aim is to provide local community groups with the opportunity to undertake local environmental projects; groups can be funded up to some $30,000 per project. Applications close on 5 June, with the aim of notifying successful applicants as soon as possible. I urge all those groups to take advantage of the expressions of interest that have been put out and to complete the application form.This government's commitment to the environment is in dramatic contrast to that of the Labor Party. Every year, this government spends more than twice as much as the Labor Party spent during its last year in office. The Labor Party has no known policy whatever to secure sustainability for this country. This government is putting in place an unprecedented commitment which, year by year, is transforming environmental management in Australia.ZD4Howard, John, MPMr Howard—Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.Questions to the Speaker2016201616:32:002016Murphy, John, MPMr MURPHY83DLoweALP00—Mr Speaker, on 13 February this year I put question No. 1 on the Notice Paper to the Prime Minister, as well as questions Nos 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 11—10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—The member for Lowe—83DMr MURPHY—to the Prime Minister, dealing with cross-media ownership laws—a very important question—and I would like an answer. I also put questions Nos 20 and 34 to the Minister for Transport and Regional Services; questions Nos 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 46, 47 and 48 to the Treasurer; questions Nos 58, 59 and 60 to the Minister for Finance and Administration; question No. 69 to the Minister for Health and Ageing and question No. 74 to the Minister for Ageing. It is now some 90 days since those questions—10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—I point out to the member for Lowe—83DMr MURPHY—first appeared on the Notice Paper and I would like you to facilitate answers under standing order 150. I have to keep going, Mr Speaker, because—10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—I interrupt the member for Lowe for one moment—83DMr MURPHY—I am very happy to be interrupted.2016SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER10000PON/A10—The member for Lowe will resume his seat, if he is being interrupted. I point out to the member for Lowe that, while I have allowed him to continue drawing my attention to this matter and I will take action under standing order 150, in fact the suspension of standing orders that was moved earlier today—as the clerk has pointed out to me—did not accommodate this facility. I have allowed the member for Lowe to continue and I would invite him to very quickly return to the issues that he wants addressed under standing order 150 because we are both—he and I—outside the standing orders.83DMr MURPHY—I am always grateful for your accommodation, Mr Speaker, and so I will be very brief and will not even name the ministers. It has been some 83 days since question No.167 appeared on the Notice Paper; 64 days for questions Nos 187,188 and 191; 63 days for question No. 211; and, finally, 61 days for questions Nos 229 and 230. I thank you for facilitating my request.Personal Explanations201716:34:002017Dr MARTIN,MPDr MARTIN8I4CunninghamALP00—Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?8I4Dr MARTIN,MPDr MARTIN—Yes.10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—Please proceed.8I4Dr MARTIN,MPDr MARTIN—In question time today both the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, in responding to questions in respect of a decision taken by the United States with regard to steel tariffs and the US farm bill, which had negative impact on Australian producers and exporters, said that I had rejected the proposed FTA with the United States. Mr Speaker, that is not true. What I said and what the Minister for Foreign Affairs did not read out fully in his response was that Labor is not inclined to support the FDA if the United States government continues to take decisions adverse to Australia's trade interests. Mr Speaker, Labor will stand up for Australia's exporters even if the government will not.10000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—The member for Cunningham has indicated that he has been misrepresented.Sitting suspended from 4.35 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.Bills2017R15402017Message from the Governor-General transmitting particulars of proposed expenditure and recommending appropriation announced.Bill presented by Mr Costello, and read a first time.201719:32:002017Costello, Peter, MPMr COSTELLOCT4HigginsLPTreasurer10—I move:That this bill be now read a second time.Mr Speaker, the past year has again reminded us all that world events can move dangerously and unpredictably.Last year when I delivered the Budget we did not know that four months later our world would change in such a devastating way.The terrorist attacks of 11 September shocked us all and showed that terrorism can strike even the most powerful of nations. We cannot take our security for granted. Tonight I will announce measures to upgrade Australia's security. Tonight I will announce measures to secure Australia's borders.But developments in other parts of the world do not just affect our physical security. They can affect our economic security as well. Through last year country after country fell into recession. The events of 11 September made things worse. Our trading partners: Japan, the United States and Europe all turned down. Australia found itself in a very difficult economic environment.We were not untouched by the global slowdown. But tonight I can report to the House that Australia is strong. Last year other countries went into recession but our economy grew.The hard work of the last six years helped to shield our country and keep people in work. It gave us the capacity to respond swiftly with measures to stimulate the economy like the additional First Home Owners Grant. It allowed us to respond swiftly with a major contribution to the War Against Terrorism.But we must continue strong economic policy if we want to be able to respond to unpredictable events in the future. Strong economic policy has been the hallmark of this government. By the end of this coming financial year we will have repaid $61 billion of the Labor Government's debt. Our Budget for the year is in surplus, a surplus of $2.1 billion.The Budget will lay out a programme, not always easy, but fair, to sustain important health and welfare services into the future.This year we will fund measures to upgrade security, to secure our borders, to strengthen our defence forces and deliver the Government's election commitments in full, on time, and on budget.STRONG DEFENCEMr Speaker, last year I announced the largest and most comprehensive upgrade of our defence capabilities for any Australian government in over 25 years. Under that plan set out in a White Paper an additional $1 billion is included in the 2002-03 defence Budget. And the Government has decided to add to that programme to fund the deployment of troops in the War Against Terrorism.The deployments are being carried out as part of our contribution to the American-led operation against international terrorism and the Gulf blockade in support of UN sanctions against Iraq. They involve around 1,100 Australian Defence personnel and comprise land, sea and air operations. The initial deployment includes:· an Australian special forces task force group participating in operations in Afghanistan against the Taliban and Al Qaida networks;· a naval task group of an amphibious landing ship (until mid 2002) and a frigate, and the continued presence of a guided missile frigate in the Persian Gulf to support the Multinational Maritime Interception Force; and· Air Force B707 tanker aircraft to support air-to-air refuelling operations and F/A-18 aircraft deployed to Diego Garcia to support air defence of coalition forces.The composition of the deployment is subject to strategic requirements and is continuously under review.The additional funding over the base funding and over the White Paper for this deployment in 2001-02 and 2002-03 is around $524 million.UPGRADING DOMESTIC SECURITYBut as we have seen terror and crime can also strike at home. Our Government's first responsibility is to defend our citizens and our national security assets. We must do it in a careful way hoping for the best, but preparing against the worst. In this Budget we are allocating an additional $1.3 billion over five years to upgrade security within Australia.Australia's airport security will be upgraded. Armed, plain clothed, Protective Service officers now travel on selected flights. Additional Protective Service officers provide heightened security at Australia's airports with enhanced capacity for detecting explosives.The Budget provides an additional $539 million to the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Protective Service and Australian intelligence agencies to assist in identifying potential security threats. There will be increased screening of imported goods, enhanced cooperation with overseas law enforcement agencies, and improvements in screening arriving and departing international passengers.The Government is also investing in the development of leading edge technology that has the potential to significantly improve passport verification. If successfully developed, a biometric identifier could record individual features on a magnetic strip on passports and provide distinctive matching at airports and other points of entry. This will be funded by an increase in the Passport Fee.The Government will be improving the secure communications system of the Department of Defence and taking measures to protect our critical information infrastructure from attack.The Government will double the Australian Federal Police strike team capability, allowing for the rapid deployment of more than 200 federal agents around Australia dealing with crimes such as terrorism and politically motivated violence.We will establish a permanent Australian Defence Force Tactical Assault Group on the east coast of Australia, in addition to the existing group on the west coast. The Tactical Assault Group is a special forces unit with specialised counter-terrorist training, including hostage recovery.We will establish within the Australian Defence Force a permanent Incident Response Regiment. This will be a highly trained group able to respond to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive incidents. To support our capacity to respond to such an incident—one we hope will never occur—the Government has authorised a national stockpile of chemical antidotes and vaccines.SECURING AUSTRALIA'S BORDERSMr Speaker, Australia operates a substantial immigration programme which in the coming year will offer permanent migration places at a base level of 105,000 people. In addition we offer around 12,000 places under the humanitarian category for refugees. This is one of the largest offshore humanitarian programmes of any country in the world.But to maintain the integrity of that programme humanitarian places should be reserved for those assessed as genuine refugees and those who have complied with Australia's offshore processing requirements. The Government does not intend to allow people smugglers to determine the intake under this programme.Last Budget we proposed spending $1.6 billion over five years on border security. The measures we have taken since, together with the measures I am announcing tonight, will increase that expenditure to $2.8 billion.This will include $219 million to construct and maintain a purpose built Reception and Processing Centre on Christmas Island which will allow downsizing of other centres at Curtin and Woomera. The Government has allocated $455 million over the next four years for receiving and processing asylum seekers at the new facility on Christmas Island and, if necessary Cocos Island.Mr Speaker, the Government has decided to double National Marine Unit surveillance, it has increased Coast Watch surveillance, and it has allocated additional funding to the Australian Defence Force to patrol our northern waters to deter unauthorised boat arrivals.Mr Speaker, it is also important to take steps to reduce the flow of unauthorised immigrants to these Australian waters. To this end, the Government has committed $75 million to fighting people smuggling through the interception of unauthorised migrants in transit countries.· The Government is increasing the capacity of authorities and international organisations in transit countries to detect and intercept illegal people movement.· The Government is also increasing support to international organisations, such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organisation for Migration, to help in the detention, processing and subsequent removal of people in transit countries.There is evidence that these comprehensive measures are showing results.In August last year arrival numbers surged, with some 1,212 unauthorised boat arrivals arriving in the first three weeks of August alone.Since the introduction of the Government's strategy to secure our borders, there has been a dramatic slowdown in unauthorised arrivals. There have been no unauthorised boat arrivals to Australia since December of last year.INTERGENERATIONAL REPORTMr Speaker, tonight, as part of the Budget, I am releasing the landmark Intergenerat-ional Report. This is the first report of its kind and the first time any attempt has been made in the Budget to look across the generations and identify the challenges which lie ahead for our children, our society and our governments. What challenges will our children and their children have to confront in forty years time? What shape will Australia's finances be in in 2042? What should we do now to prepare for the generations ahead?One of the big changes to our society will be that the number of older people will increase, and with falling birthrates, the number of younger ones will not grow. The ratio of old to young in our society will increase.Increases in medical science will make more and more treatments available and prolong our capacity to live longer.Our strong Budget position means we are better placed than most other advanced societies to cope with these changes. But we must start now to put in place measures which will sustain a decent health system and a decent aged care system into the future. If we ignore moderate changes now the challenges will only get greater, the decisions will only get harder, and the solutions will slip outside our grasp.MAKING THE PHARMACEUTICAL BENEFITS SCHEME MORE SUSTAIN-ABLEThe cost of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is growing rapidly as medical science improves and we have a greater ability to treat more conditions. Since 1991 the cost of this scheme has nearly quadrupled from $1.2 billion to $4.2 billion. The Intergenerational Report projects that the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme could be the most significant area of pressure in the health budget and in forty years time grow to around $60 billion in today's terms.So the Government is taking some small steps to help put the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme on a more sustainable basis so it can deliver access to medicines at affordable prices over the longer term. These measures will ensure that consumers, industry, doctors and pharmacists all contribute to containing the rate of increase in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.From 1 August this year, co-payments for concession cardholders such as pensioners and Seniors Health cardholders will rise by $1 to $4.60. Co-payments for others will rise by $6.20 to $28.60 per prescription. While a concession cardholder will only pay $4.60 for a prescription this is only a small part of the cost of many Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme medicines.· Humulin NPH, widely used in the treatment of insulin dependent diabetes costs $229.13 per prescription.· Avonex, a drug used for the treatment of multiple sclerosis costs $1,090.81 per prescription.· Zyban, used for the treatment of nicotine addiction, costs $238.85 per prescription.New drugs with high costs are coming on to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme all the time.Notwithstanding the cost the co-payment will only be $4.60 for concession cardholders.Safety net arrangements will continue to protect people who need a large number of medicines. Consistent with the current arrangements, once concession cardholders have paid for 52 Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme prescriptions in the year, they will receive further medicines free for the rest of the year. Non concession cardholders who pay $874.90 in a year for their Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme medicines will be eligible for further medicines at the concessional rate for the rest of the year.The Government is also introducing changes to ensure medicines are used appropriately.By making the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme more sustainable, the Government can continue to fund the listing of new, highly effective, but expensive medicines.ASSISTING JOB SEEKERSMr Speaker, the Government has a policy of equipping our young people in the best possible way for the workforce. That is why we invested in improving literacy and numeracy in the education system. That is why we revived the apprenticeship system. And in this Budget we will focus that further with an extra incentive of $750 to employers willing to take on a new apprentice while he or she is still at school, and a bonus of $750 to keep the apprentice after they have completed Year 12.We will offer an incentive of $1,100 to employers to take on a new apprentice in information technology. For mature age people we will offer training assistance of up to $500 to attain basic skills in computers and information technology. One of the great barriers for mature age workers getting back into the workforce is lack of computer skills. This training will be available to 11,500 people per year.Our policy is to encourage people to get job ready so that as the growing economy creates more jobs, they have a chance to get those jobs and move into the mainstream of the Australian workforce.The Government's Work for the Dole Scheme has been a very successful programme to develop work skills. At a cost of $81.5 million over three years we will fund 8,500 additional Work for the Dole places.NEXT STEPS IN WELFARE REFORMMr Speaker, in last year's Budget I announced a programme to reform our welfare system called Australians Working Together.We now want to take the next step in this programme. There are many people who are out of work and on a Disability Support Pension who have no support or encouragement to get back into employment. Since 1990, the number on Disability Support Pension has doubled.We want to take measures to encourage those who are capable of work, including part time work of more than 15 hours a week, to get back into the workforce. This will improve their esteem and self-reliance. At present eligibility for Disability Support Pension is assessed as the incapacity to work 30 hours per week. This will be reduced to 15 hours. Disability Support Pension rates and the means test are unchanged.To provide people with greater opportunity to improve their work capacity 73,000 new training and work programme places will be created for those who are currently on Disability Support Pension. This will cost additional money, but in giving people access to these services it is expected more people will re-enter the workforce and in the longer term it will save the taxpayer.The new measure will apply to all new Disability Support Pension applicants from 1 July next year. Those currently on Disability Support Pension (except those severely disabled with no work capacity or those who are within five years of Age Pension age) will be assessed under the new criteria within five years of implementation.The Government will continue its commitment to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged citizens in our society. A new five year Commonwealth State Disability Agreement is proposed with the Commonwealth providing the States an extra $547.5 million over five years for unmet need. This Agreement funds the States and Territories to deliver Specialist disability services such as accommodation, community support and respite. This means the Commonwealth will allocate $2.7 billion to the new Agreement—$743 million more than the previous Agreement.For their part, the States and Territories must at least match the Commonwealth's increase. They must also provide better accountability, quality, efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of their services. Over the same period the Commonwealth intends to spend another $2 billion in support of its responsibilities for employment support for people with disabilities.SUPPORTING AUSTRALIAN FAMIL-IESWhen Labor left office the home mortgage interest rate was 10½ per cent. Today it is 4¼ percentage points lower. Low interest rates have supported Australian families giving them reductions on their mortgage repayments and helping them to make ends meet.The First Home Owners Scheme has helped many young Australians to buy their first home. This grant which continues at $7,000 from 1 July will help thousands of young Australians buy a home for the first time. The grants are expected to total $784 million in the budget year.And the Government is going to introduce new measures to help those starting a family. This is in addition to the higher payments of Family Tax Benefits which were introduced back in July 2000.One of the financial pressures facing those who are starting a family is that they generally lose their second income as the mother goes out of the workforce to have the child. Our baby bonus is going to allow mothers who are out of the workforce with their first child to claim back tax they paid while they were in the workforce. The amount they can claim is up to $2,500 per year for five years depending on the amount of tax they paid before leaving the workforce. There is a minimum payment of $500 per year for five years for low income parents.It is expected that around 245,000 families will benefit from the baby bonus in the first year, and 600,000 Australian families will eventually benefit.Mr Speaker, we also know that access to health services is a major concern for families—particularly the families in the outer suburbs of our major cities.That is why the Government has a plan to encourage an additional 150 doctors to work in the outer-metropolitan areas of the six State capital cities. Under this plan, doctors who agree to work in a designated outer-metropolitan area and register on an alternative pathway to achieve vocational registration will be eligible for higher Medicare rebates. Specialist trainees will be able to access Medicare provider numbers if they work in outer-metropolitan areas. In addition, doctors in the `general stream' of GP vocational training will undertake a supervised placement in an outer-metropolitan area. This is an $80 million plan for more doctors for the families of the outer suburbs of our major cities.And we want to make our public places safe for our children. So the Government will fund a strategy for the introduction of retractable needle and syringe technology into Australia. This means that exposed needles cannot be left lying around in public places or anywhere else where children's lives could be at risk from needle stick injuries.HEALTH CARE IN THE REGIONSIn the Budget two years ago I announced a Regional Health Package designed to make a practical difference in improving health services to the regions and the bush. This year we want to add some practical, on the ground, services in regional Australia.We want to build six new facilities, outside the capital cities, to improve patient access to radiation oncology services. A programme of $72.7 million over four years to do this will include training staff to international best practice to operate these local services.Another of the services that need improvement in rural areas is the provision for aged care. Older Australians do not want to move away from their local communities in their twilight years. This Budget has a programme to upgrade or replace high care homes in rural, remote and urban fringe areas and also includes funding to encourage more people to take up aged care nursing, with 250 aged care nursing scholarships at rural and regional university campuses.BETTER CARE FOR OLDER AUSTRA-LIANSOur Intergenerational Report shows that aged care will require increasing attention as the proportion of older people in the community increases. Again this year there are new measures to provide better care for older Australians.· Subsidies for residential aged care will be increased to allow better pay rates to be offered to aged care nurses so providers can attract and retain more aged care nurses.The Government's aged care policy is, whenever possible, to improve and expand community care services to enable older Australians to choose to stay at home and live as independently as possible in the community.· The Government will provide an additional 6,000 Community Aged Care Packages over four years. These packages are tailored to meet the needs of frail older Australians who want to remain in their own homes, and can do so if they receive home help, laundry, meals and bathing.· The Government will also provide funding to support the carers of older Australians, carers of people with dementia, and ageing carers of people with disabilities.This Budget will also aim to improve the standard of palliative care offered in the community. Funding of $55 million over four years will be provided for better coordination between hospital and community care; improved education and further support for general practitioners; and further assistance for families of people who choose to spend their final years in their home setting.VETERANSMr Speaker, over the years this Government has taken major decisions to recognise the contribution made by our veterans. Tonight, we want to go further. The Government is extending eligibility for the war veterans' Gold Card (which provides comprehensive, free health care) to Australian veterans aged 70 years and over who have qualifying service from post World War II conflicts. This will allow those veterans to access the Gold Card's comprehensive, free health care.In this Budget we are also introducing twice-yearly indexation of the ceiling rate of the Income Support Supplement for War Widows. The ceiling rate will be increased by the same percentage as the age or service pension. This increase in income support for our war widows is expected to cost $85 million over four years.SUSTAINABLE REVENUESThe Budget surplus announced tonight has not required any major new tax initiatives nor an increase in the overall tax burden. The Government's tax reforms have secured the tax base, providing one of the keys to the strength of Australia's economic foundations.The Government remains committed to its tax reform strategies and will press ahead with the business tax reform agenda, including a review of international tax arrangements.ECONOMIC OUTLOOKThe Australian economy is expected to continue its strong performance in the year ahead, with robust economic growth forecast at around 3¾ per cent for 2002-03. This is higher than forecast growth for any of the major developed economies of the world and reflects Australia's sound economic fundamentals.Business investment is expected to grow very strongly in the next budget year, to be a key driver of overall economic growth. Household consumption is also expected to remain strong.In line with the outlook for robust economic growth, the unemployment rate is forecast to decline gradually to 6 per cent by June next year. An unemployment rate below 6 per cent would be achievable over the next couple of years, provided that economic growth remains strong and progress is maintained on labour market and welfare reforms. Since the Government came to office over 900,000 jobs have been created in Australia. We expect over one million jobs to have been created by Christmas.With only moderate increases in wage costs and continued strong productivity growth, inflation is expected to be around 2¾ per cent in 2002-03 within the medium-term inflation target band. Largely reflecting the strength of the domestic economy, the current account deficit is expected to increase slightly to around 4 per cent of GDP, which is below the average over the 1990s.CONCLUDING COMMENTSMr Speaker, the last year has been difficult in an uncertain world, with a global economic downturn. But Australia has emerged much stronger than comparable countries.This Budget is designed to meet the continuing challenges of today, and to project forward so we can set ourselves a path that will address the challenges of the future.This is a Budget to keep Australia safe, to keep our borders secure, and to keep our economy strong.I commend this Budget to the House.Debate (on motion by Mr Swan) adjourned.Miscellaneous202320:01:002023Costello, Peter, MPMr COSTELLOCT4HigginsLPTreasurer10—I present the following papers in connection with the budget:Budget strategy and outlook 2002-03 (Budget paper No. 1).Budget measures 2002-03 (Budget paper No. 2).Federal financial relations 2002-03 (Budget paper No. 3).Agency resourcing 2002-03 (Budget paper No. 4).Intergenerational report 2002-03 (Budget paper No. 5).Ordered that the papers be printed.Ministerial Statements202320:01:002023Costello, Peter, MPMr COSTELLOCT4HigginsLPTreasurer10—I present ministerial statements as listed in the document now being circulated to honourable members in the chamber. Details of the statements will be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings.Bills2024R15412024Message from the Governor-General transmitting particulars of proposed expenditure and recommending appropriation announced.Bill presented by Mr Slipper, and read a first time.202420:02:002024Slipper, Peter, MPMr SLIPPER0V5FisherLPParliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration10—I move:That this bill be now read a second time.It is with great pleasure that I introduce Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2002-03, which, with Appropriation Bill (No.1) 2002-03, is one of the most important pieces of legislation underpinning the first budget of the third term of the coalition government.Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2002-03 provides funding for agencies to meet:· expenses in relation to grants to the states under section 96 of the Constitution and for payments to the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory; · administered expenses for new outcomes; · departmental equity injections, loans and previous years' outputs; and· to create or acquire administered assets and to discharge administered liabilities.Appropriations totalling $6,120.8 million are sought in Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2002-03.Details of the proposed appropriations are set out in schedule 2 to the bill, the main features of which were outlined in the budget speech delivered by my colleague the Treasurer just a short while ago. It is with a great deal of pleasure that I commend the bill to the House.Debate (on motion by Mr Swan) adjourned.Bills2024R15422024Message from the Governor-General transmitting particulars of proposed expenditure and recommending appropriation announced.Bill presented by Mr Slipper, and read a first time.202420:06:002024Slipper, Peter, MPMr SLIPPER0V5FisherLPParliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration10—I move:That this bill be now read a second time.The purpose of the Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2002-03 is to provide funding for the operations of the five parliamentary departments.The total amount sought is $166.1 million. Details of the proposed expenditure are set out in the schedule to the bill.I commend the bill to the House.Debate (on motion by Mr Swan) adjourned.Bills2024R15432024Bill presented by Mr Slipper, and read a first time.202420:07:002024Slipper, Peter, MPMr SLIPPER0V5FisherLPParliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration10—I move:That this bill be now read a second time.This bill amends the Medicare Levy Act 1986 and the A New Tax System (Medicare Levy Surcharge-Fringe Benefits) Act 1999 to increase the Medicare levy low income thresholds for individuals, married couples and sole parents in line with movements in the consumer price index. The individual low income threshold for Medicare levy surcharge purposes is similarly increased. This means that more people will be exempt from the levy and surcharge.The bill also increases the Medicare levy low income threshold for pensioners below the age pension age to ensure that where those pensioners do not have a tax liability they will also not have a Medicare levy liability.There are also minor technical amendments to the Medicare Levy Act 1986 and the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 relating to the Medicare levy.The increases in the Medicare levy low income thresholds will apply to the 2001-02 year of income and later years of income. The technical amendment to the Medicare Levy Act 1986 will apply to the 2000-01 year of income and later years of income. The technical amendment to the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 will apply to the 1997-98 year of income and later years of income.Full details of the measures in this bill are contained in the explanatory memorandum.I commend the bill to the House and present the explanatory memorandum.Debate (on motion by Mr Swan) adjourned.Documents2025FRAN BAILEY (McEwen—Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence) (8.10 p.m.)—Papers are tabled as listed in the schedule circulated to honourable members. Details of the papers will be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings and I move:That the House take note of the following papers:Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade—Australia's trade—Outcomes and objectives statement 2002.Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade—Joint Standing Committee—Rough Justice? An investigation into allegations of brutality in the Army's parachute battalion—Government response, March 2002.Debate (on motion by Mr Swan) adjourned.Committees20252025202510000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—I have received advice from the Chief Government Whip and the Chief Opposition Whip nominating members to be members of certain committees.FRAN BAILEY (McEwen—Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence) (8.11 p.m.)—by leave—I move:(1) Mr Cadman be appointed a member of the Standing Committee on Education and Training for the purpose of the committee's inquiry into the education of boys; and(2) Mr Quick be discharged from the Standing Committee on the Ageing and that, in his place, Ms Corcoran be appointed a member of the committee.Question agreed to.Miscellaneous202510000SPEAKER, TheThe SPEAKER—I advise the House that the Deputy Speaker has fixed Wednesday, 15 May 2002, at 9.40 a.m., as the time for the next meeting of the Main Committee, unless an alternative day or hour is fixed.Miscellaneous2025Mr LLOYD (Robertson) (8.12 p.m.)—by leave—I move:That the following bills be referred to the Main Committee for consideration:Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Amendment Bill 2002Disability Discrimination Amendment Bill 2002Horticulture Marketing and Research and Development Services (Amendment) Bill 2002Question agreed to.Committees20252025202520:12:002025Plibersek, Tanya, MPMs PLIBERSEK83MSydneyALP00—by leave—In accordance with the provisions of the Public Accounts and Audit Committee Act 1951, the committee is required to make recommendations to both houses of parliament and to the Prime Minister on the draft budget estimates of the Australian National Audit Office. The committee, having considered the draft budget estimates for 2002-03 submitted by the Auditor-General, is able to advise parliament that it is satisfied that the estimates are sufficient to enable the Auditor-General to properly exercise his functions and powers under the Auditor-General Act 1997. The estimates specifically refer to the provision of assurance audit services, performance audit services and information services.The budget allocation the ANAO is seeking for 2002-03 is $53.34 million determined in accordance with the outputs/outcomes budget framework and parameters specified by the Department of Finance and Administration. The Auditor-General told the committee that the ANAO's financial position had been prudently managed so that there were sufficient cash reserves to meet ongoing liabilities and to fund future capital acquisitions. However, last year's foreshadowed possibility of being able to return $1 million to the budget in 2002-03 and 2003-04, based on financial projections at the time, will not be met, and the 2002-03 budget figures and forward estimates have been adjusted accordingly.Since last financial year, there have been some unforeseen increases in the ANAO's financial statement responsibilities, primarily in relation to the Telstra group. Further, ANAO's recruitment and work force planning initiatives to recruit and retain the required staff for the audit program have resulted in a growth in the work force within the planning framework, with a commensurate increase in ongoing employee expenses. ANAO's financial strategy also involves maintaining cash reserves sufficient to meet future liabilities as they accrue and the required asset replacement program. Future liabilities which are not fully funded through annual appropriations include employee leave liabilities and the increasing cost of the Centenary House lease.The increased budget appropriation for 2002-03 reflects the need to meet ANAO's additional financial statement audit responsibilities and the increased level of resources necessary to deliver the performance audit program, including some capacity to meet requests for particular audits from the parliament and ministers, as has been occurring in recent years.The Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit, in line with its statutory responsibilities as audit committee of the parliament, will continue to monitor closely the demands placed on the Auditor-General's resources by way of ad hoc audit requests. This will ensure that the Audit Office's wider scheduled performance of audits is not compromised.I seek leave to present a copy of my statement.Leave granted. 2026202620:16:002026Moylan, Judi, MPMrs MOYLAN4V5PearceLP10—On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present the 65th annual report of the committee.Ordered that the report be printed.4V5Moylan, Judi, MPMrs MOYLAN—by leave—In accordance with section 16 of the Public Works Committee Act 1969, I present the 65th annual report of the Joint Statutory Committee on Public Works. This report gives an overview of the work undertaken by the committee during 2001.The reporting year was a very busy one for the committee. Fourteen reports were tabled, one more than last year, even though the committee ceased to exist on 8 October 2001, when the House of Representatives was dissolved for the general election. The committee had also commenced preliminary work on the proposed Christmas Island common-use infrastructure items. However, this reference lapsed with the dissolution of the House. The value of the works inquired into by the committee amounted to over half a billion dollars.During the year, the committee hosted the Annual Conference of Australian Parliamentary Public Works Committees. The conference brought together parliamentarians and key staff from public works committees throughout Australia. This annual event provides a unique opportunity for members of Australian legislatures and staff involved in public works to explore issues of mutual interest.The annual report I am tabling today canvassed a number of issues of continuing committee focus. These relate to energy conservation, heritage and environmental issues and the Public Works Committee Act. Heritage and environmental issues remain a specific interest. The committee is keen to ensure that items of significant heritage value are preserved for future generations and expects agencies to consult with the Australian Heritage Commission before bringing their reference before the committee. The same situation applies to environmental matters. Agencies are reminded that the current Environment Act leaves the onus on them to raise issues of environmental concern with Environment Australia.In relation to energy management, the committee is aware that the Commonwealth is committed to best practice to assure ecologically sustainable development and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The committee received evidence from the Australian Greenhouse Office on a number of projects that detailed the extent of compliance with the Commonwealth's energy policy. The committee believes that energy conservation issues will become increasingly important and intends to pursue them in future inquiries.The committee confirmed the importance of greenhouse issues by inviting Ms Cathy Zoi, Executive Director, New Energy, to address the conference of public works committees. The focus of her speech was `Sustainability in buildings'. Ms Zoi made the point that, through the parliamentary committee processes, committees are unique-ly placed to assist in ensuring increased application of sustainability in buildings.In this regard, the committee considered an extension of its role in oversighting energy conservation in relation to Commonwealth public works projects and general energy usage by the Commonwealth. Representatives of the Australian Greenhouse Office raised the possibility of the committee conducting an annual review of energy use based on the annual report of the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources titled Energy use in Commonwealth operations. However, under the current Public Works Committee Act, the committee is unable to review this report.The Public Works Act, as it stands, is providing increasing challenges for the committee in this current environment of highly devolved public works and property functions. The committee has been conscious for some time of the need to review the act, as it was more applicable in a time when the Commonwealth operated a large and highly centralised property and public works system, with in-house delivery of works programming, building design and project management.I should stress the point that the committee strongly believes in the importance of public scrutiny of works projects that involve large public expenditures. It is because of this strong view that the committee considers the current act should be reviewed. This would ensure that the process of parliamentary scrutiny is not marginalised. The Public Works Committee Act 1969 was last reviewed and amended in 1989.Last year saw the departure from the Public Works Committee and the parliament of Mr Colin Hollis, a former member for Throsby. Mr Hollis was a long-serving member of the committee, having served continuously from February 1985 until October 2001. I echo the sentiments of past and current Public Works Committee members by paying tribute to the substantial contribution made by Mr Hollis to the work of the committee, both as chair and as an active member. Mr Hollis always worked in a bipartisan manner, with the aim of ensuring that the expenditure on public works was necessary and that the Commonwealth was obtaining value for money. We wish Mr Hollis well in his retirement, and we will miss his good humour and camaraderie.I wish to take this opportunity to thank all of the members of the committee for their support during a very busy period last year. They worked in a spirit of cooperation to ensure that the references that came before the committee were reported upon before the House was dissolved. I would also like to record the committee's appreciation for the support provided by the staff of the secretariat during a very busy period.I commend the report to the House.2027202720:21:002027McArthur, Stewart, MPMr McARTHURVH4CorangamiteLP10—On behalf of the chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on ASIO, ASIS and DSD, the member for Fadden, I present the committee's interim advisory report on the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Legislation Amendment (Terrorism) Bill 2002.Ordered that the report be printed.VH4McArthur, Stewart, MPMr McARTHUR—by leave—The interim report that I have just presented was originally sent to the Speaker on 3 May during the non-sitting period in accordance with the resolution of the House on 21 March this year. As many honourable members would be aware, the chair of the committee, the member for Fadden, is away on committee business and hence unable to present this report today. The report is an unfinished inquiry report and needs to be presented to the House to meet the requirements of standing order 360.During its inquiry into the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Legislation Amendment (Terrorism) Bill 2002, the committee received 140 submissions and conducted public hearings in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne. The measures proposed in the bill are contentious and have provoked significant public interest in the review. The committee agrees that the complexity of the issues and the contentious nature of the provisions in the bill require a longer reporting period.2028202820:23:002028Bailey, Fran, MPFRAN BAILEYJT4McEwenLPParliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence10—by leave—I move:That the time for the Parliamentary Joint Committee on ASIO, ASIS and DSD to present its advisory report on the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Legislation Amendment (Terrorism) Bill 2002 be extended to 11 June 2002.Question agreed to.2028202820:24:002028Causley, Ian, MPMr CAUSLEY4K6PageNP10—I present the report of the Selection Committee relating to the consideration of committee and delegation reports and private members' business on Monday, 27 May 2002. The report will be printed in today's Hansard, and the items accorded priority for debate will be published in the Notice Paper for the next sitting.The report read as follows—Report relating to the consideration of committee and delegation reports and private Members' business on Monday, 27 May 2002Pursuant to standing order 331, the Selection Committee has determined the order of precedence and times to be allotted for consideration of committee and delegation reports and private Members' business on Monday, 27 May 2002. The order of precedence and the allotments of time determined by the Committee are as follows:COMMITTEE AND DELEGATION REPORTSPresentation and statements1 PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION TO THE TENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASIA PACIFIC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM, HONOLULU, 6-9 JANUARY 2002: Report of the Parliamentary Delegation to the Tenth Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum, Honolulu, 6-9 January 2002.The Committee determined that statements on the report may be made — all statements to conclude by 12.40 p.m.Speech time limits —Each Member — 5 minutes.[Proposed Members speaking = 2 x 5 mins]PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESSOrder of precedenceNotices1 MS GEORGE to move:That this House:(1) condemns the decision of the Bush Administration to impose tariffs and quotas on Australian steel imports;(2) welcomes the recent backdown on the import of hot rolled coil;(3) recognises that the US decision makes a mockery of the Administration's free trade rhetoric; and(4) indicates deep concern about the impact of the decision on:(a) employment levels within the steel industry and in the coal and iron ore sectors; and(b) the dumping of increased volumes of surplus steel. (Notice given 12 March 2002.)Time allotted — 30 minutes.Speech time limits —Mover of motion — 10 minutes.First Government Member speaking — 10 minutes.Other Members — 5 minutes each.[Proposed Members speaking = 2 x 10 mins, 2 x 5 mins]The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day.2 MR HAASE to move:That this House:(1) recognises and acknowledges the contribution made to the Australian economy by people working in remote areas of Australia;(2) recognises the disparity of services and increased cost of living faced by people working and living in remote areas of Australia;(3) encourages and compensates people choosing to live and work in remote areas of Australia by increasing the taxation zone rebate to an adequate level; and(4) discourages the practice of fly-in, fly-out employment by restricting the payment of taxation zone rebate to permanent residents in remote areas of Australia. (Notice given 18 February 2002.)Time allotted — remaining private Members' business time prior to 1.45 p.m.Speech time limits —Mover of motion — 10 minutes.First Opposition Member speaking — 10 minutes.Other Members — 5 minutes each.[Proposed Members speaking = 2 x 10 mins, 2 x 5 mins]The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day.3MR McARTHUR to move:That this House:(1) registers its concern about the escalating cost of public liability insurance, especially for smaller non-profit community groups; (2) notes that a number of sporting and community groups indicate that further premium increases will curtail or end their activities in both urban and regional Australia; and(3) calls on the Government to co-ordinate with State Governments urgent measures to cap claims and act against the litigious culture that contributes to high insurance premiums. (Notice given 14 May 2002.) Time allotted — 30 minutes.Speech time limits —Mover of motion — 5 minutes.First Opposition Member speaking — 5 minutes.Other Members — 5 minutes each.[Proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day.4MS J. I.BISHOP to move:That this House:(1) recognises the need for additional funding for the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to be allocated specifically for research into various forms of muscular dystrophy;(2) notes the various forms of muscular dystrophy include Duchenne, Becker limb girdle, congenital, facioscapulohumeral, myotonic, oculopharyngeal, distal and Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophies;(3) acknowledges that Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is the most common lethal genetic disorder of childhood, characterised by a rapidly progressive muscle weakness which almost always results in death usually by 20 years of age, and affects approximately 1 in every 3500 boys worldwide;(4) acknowledges the urgency of the need for further research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy; and(5) urges the Government to provide additional opportunities to enable medical scientists in Australia to undertake further research into muscular dystrophy. (Notice given 14 May 2002.) Time allotted — remaining private Members' business time.Speech time limits —Mover of motion — 10 minutes.First Opposition Member speaking — 10 minutes.Other Members — 5 minutes each.[Proposed Members speaking = 2 x 10 mins, 2 x 5 mins]The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day.2030203020:25:002030Bishop, Julie, MPMs JULIE BISHOP83PCurtinLP10—On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties I present the following reports, incorporating dissenting reports, together with the minutes of proceedings: Report 44, Four Nuclear Safeguards treaties tabled in August 2001; and Report 45, The Statute of the International Criminal Court.Ordered that the reports be printed.83PBishop, Julie, MPMs JULIE BISHOP—by leave—Tonight I present two reports to the parliament that contain the results of inquiries conducted by the Treaties Committee. Both reports complete the committee's scrutiny of treaties tabled late in the 39th Parliament. The first report relates to four nuclear safeguards treaty actions that were tabled in August 2001: an agreement with the Argentine Republic, an exchange of notes with the USA relating to an agreement on transfers of nuclear material to Taiwan, and agreements with the Czech Republic and the Republic of Hungary on cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy and the transfer of nuclear material. In our report, the majority of the committee expresses its support for each of these treaty actions. There is a dissenting report from one senator.Consistent with Australia's interest in preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons, the proposed agreement with Argentina will ensure that the transfers of nuclear material, equipment or technology between Australia and Argentina are subject to nuclear safeguards and appropriate controls. This includes the provision of an appropriately safeguarded option, if required, for the conditioning in Argentina of irradiated fuel from the replacement research reactor at Lucas Heights which is being constructed by an Argentinean company.The purpose of the proposed agreement between Australia and the United States of America is to facilitate the sale of Australian uranium for use in nuclear power reactors in Taiwan, under conditions consistent with Australia's longstanding uranium export policy and nuclear nonproliferation commitments. Since Australia does not recognise Taiwan as a state, it is not possible to negotiate a bilateral safeguards agreement directly with Taiwan, as Australia's uranium export policy usually requires.However, Australia recognises that Taiwan has legitimate energy needs and that it has chosen nuclear power as part of its energy supply mix. The proposed agreement with the United States provides for Australian uranium to be enriched in the United States, after which it would be transferred to Taiwan. In this way, Australian uranium will be covered by nuclear safeguards agreements between Australia and the United States, and between the United States, Taiwan and the International Atomic Energy Agency.The primary purpose of the proposed agreements with the Czech Republic and Hungary is to facilitate the sale of Australian uranium for use in those countries, consistent with Australia's longstanding uranium export policy and nonproliferation commitments. Australia's uranium export policy provides assurances that exported uranium and its derivatives are used solely for peaceful purposes and cannot be diverted to nuclear weapons or other military programs. These two proposed agreements resemble closely the 15 bilateral safeguards agreements already in place. This network of agreements creates a framework for cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology between Australia and the other signatories. They bring into operation the safeguards applied by the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office, which supplement International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.The second report, Report 45, onthe Statute of the International Criminal Court, contains the results of an examination by the Treaties Committee of the Statute of the International Criminal Court tabled on 10 October 2000. It also incorporates scrutiny of the exposure drafts of the implementing legislation, which were referred to the committee in August 2001. It is intended that the International Criminal Court will stand as a `third pillar' beside the United Nations and the International Court of Justice in global efforts to promote peace and security. It will complement the United Nations and provide a permanent mechanism to call to account those individuals who commit the most serious crimes of international concern. The crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and—should a definition be agreed in the future—the crime of aggression will be the concern of this court.Australia has played an active role in the development of the statute as leader of the like-minded group of nations. Australia signed the statute on 9 December 1998. On 11 April 2002, the statute entered into force when the 60th nation ratified the agreement. Australia is not a foundation member but still has the opportunity, if it is able to complete all legal technicalities before 1 July 2002, to participate in the inaugural meetings of the states which are party to the statute.The committee received a large number of submissions from the public, a number expressing their opposition to Australia ratifying the statute on grounds such as that it would be unconstitutional; it would result in a loss of Australian sovereignty; Australian citizens would be adversely affected by `vague' definitions of crimes that come within the jurisdiction of the court; ratification would affect negatively the operations of the Australian Defence Force; or that there could be problems associated with the role of the prosecutor and the accountability of the court. Perhaps the greatest concern centred on the complementarity principle, which many thought would be unworkable and could undermine Australia's national and legal sovereignty. This principle is the cornerstone of the statute and emphasises that the jurisdiction of the court will be complementary to national criminal jurisdictions. It recognises that it is the duty first and foremost of every state to exercise its national criminal jurisdiction over those responsible for international crime.The committee has considered carefully all these concerns. The doubts are understandable, but the cause is worthy, and thus the committee has concluded that it is in Australia's interest to ratify the statute. In making this decision, we have recommended a number of changes to the proposed legislation. It is important that Australia's primacy of jurisdiction be emphasised in the legislation and in a written declaration by the government to be included in the ratification documents. As a major additional protection, the committee has recommended that the operation of the International Criminal Court be the subject of an annual report by the government to parliament, followed by a public review of the report by the treaties committee assisted by a panel of eminent experts. This monitoring of the International Criminal Court should be particularly focused on the jurisprudence that may be developed by the court and its potential impact on the Australian legal system and citizens of Australia.Australia will join with at least 66 nations, including Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, New Zealand and the Netherlands, amongst others, in ratifying this treaty. I urge both houses to progress the proposed implementing legislation as quickly as possible to ensure that all the legal requirements are in place to meet the 1 July deadline for Australia's ratification. It is particularly important to assure Australia's participation in the inaugural meetings of the states party to the statute, at which the officials, the judges and the prosecutors, the rules of procedure and elements of crimes to be covered by the court will be put in place. On behalf of the committee, I thank all those who made oral and written submissions for their assistance, and I extend our thanks and gratitude to the secretariat, particularly Mr Bob Morris, who have ably assisted the committee in both the 39th and the 40th parliaments. I commend the reports to the House.20:33:002031Wilkie, Kim, MPMr WILKIE84GSwanALP00—by leave—This is the first opportunity I have had since the opening of this parliament to speak on the activities of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties. I would like to thank the other committee members for electing me to the position of deputy chair, and congratulate my fellow Western Australian Julie Bishop, the member for Curtin, on her appointment as the chair of that committee.The report, Four Nuclear Safeguards Treaties, tabled in August 2001, endorses treaties which will facilitate the export of uranium and nuclear science technology to Argentina, Taiwan via the United States of America, Hungary and the Czech Republic. The treaties adopt a commonsense approach, providing measures for safely disposing of nuclear waste, for benefiting from the trade in nuclear technology and for preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons. A lot of comments have already been made by the chair, and I do not intend to go over a lot of the ground that has already been covered.The second report makes recommendations on whether Australia should sign the treaty establishing the International Criminal Court. I am profoundly disappointed, although not surprised, by the manner in which the government has dealt with this matter. This report should not be being tabled at this time, buried from media and public scrutiny during budget week with only minimal time for committee members to speak. A government with any courage would not succumb to the jitters of its backbench and bury this report. It would not waste 18 months of hard work by the parliament and several government agencies to reach this point in the process.As a result of the concerns already expressed in a number of submissions to the committee, a number of recommendations have been made which I believe provide an excellent framework for ratification. For example, one recommendation provides a review process allowing for yearly reporting to the parliament and scrutiny of the operations of the court by the treaties committee. This will ensure the actions of the court are in Australia's national interest, whilst fulfilling our international obligations.The treaties committee has quite rightly recommended signing the treaty so that Australia can be an inaugural member of the court when it is established on 1 July 2001. But for this to occur, Australia must ratify the treaty prior to 1 July 2002. However, the government has stated that it will not ratify the treaty unless the implementing legislation that is required has been passed by the parliament. The progress of this legislation, given that nearly four years have elapsed since the Rome conference on the establishment of the International Criminal Court, is a shameful indictment of the legislative priorities of this government. Here we are on only sitting day 15 of the parliament—it has been more than six months since the November 2001 election and there will only be 18 more sitting days before July 2002, when the court is established.As a consequence, it is unlikely the implementing legislation will be passed prior to the establishment of the court. At present, it is not even listed for consideration during the autumn or winter sittings. This means Australia does not look like it will have a seat at the table when the party states first meet in September 2002. This will be profoundly disappointing and embarrassing for Australia. Representatives from other nations who are signatories attending the first meeting in September would surely comment on Australia's absence. As I said, this would be embarrassing enough for Australia, yet the circumstances resulting in our absence—government incompetence—would only compound this embarrassment. Therefore, I support the committee's recommendation to urge the government to bring forward the enabling legislation as a matter of urgency, as recommended.The most significant impact of not being able to participate in this first meeting would be the lost opportunity to contribute to the court from its inception. The judges and prosecutors, the processes and standards of the court, will all evolve over time from the contributions of signatory nations. Few other nations have such a revered legal system which could influence the court in such a positive way as does Australia. Again, the best way to influence the development of the court is to participate in its operations, and the more nations which participate the more the court will truly be international.As Amnesty International stated in its submission to the committee, the international character of the court is fundamental. For the International Criminal Court to bring international accountability to the actions of governments, armies and individuals it must be supported by as many nations as possible. If this is achieved there will be a lasting mechanism for dealing with perpetrators of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity and it will be a permanent deterrent to those who would commit similar crimes in the future.After nearly a century of talking about an international criminal court, the world is a few months away from achieving this goal through its formation. Australia must afford greater priority to becoming a signatory to the court. To do otherwise betrays the memory of those who have suffered in the last century in appalling acts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. I commend the report to the House, and thank the committee secretariat for their outstanding work and commitment in an environment of ever shrinking resources.20:38:002033Bartlett, Kerry, MPMr BARTLETT0K6MacquarieLP10—by leave—The International Criminal Court will come into effect from 1 July this year. It has already been ratified by 66 nations, including most of the world's Western democracies. The reason for the overwhelming support is widespread understanding and acceptance that a permanent international court is necessary to effectively prosecute the most heinous crimes—that is, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.It clearly has been far too difficult in the past to bring to justice perpetrators of the most atrocious crimes in countries such as Rwanda, Cambodia, East Timor, Serbia, Kosovo, Zimbabwe and many others. If we are to have any chance of bringing the worst war criminals to trial there needs to be a permanent process and forum in which this can occur. It was the view of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties that Australia needs to support this approach. We need to play our part in bringing such criminals to account and, hopefully, reducing the incidence of such atrocities. We must also ensure that Australia's national interest is not compromised in the process.Many of the submissions and much of the evidence received over the past 18 months of public inquiry strongly supported ratification. However, other people also expressed their opposition. Their concerns, particularly regarding Australia's sovereignty, have been noted and applied in our recommendations. For this reason, the recommendation that Australia ratify is highly qualified. As indicated in the main report, and further in the additional comments on the committee's inquiry, the reservations of a number of people involve three main areas of concern. Those of us who added those comments endorsed the principles and intent of the International Criminal Court, but we do have reservations involving three interrelated areas. Firstly, the lack of precision in the definition of some crimes, particularly crimes against humanity, creates the possibility that the ICC's jurisdiction might become broader than was intended. Rather than focusing on the most serious international crimes it could start to pursue cases which are properly within the jurisdiction of the domestic courts of member states.Secondly, the pattern of jurisprudence that develops will partly depend on the composition of the court and the elected panel of judges. Thirdly, a combination of these two creates the possibility that the operation of the International Criminal Court might evolve in a way that is inconsistent with Australia's national interest. The possibility exists that the principle of complementarity, rather than providing protection for member states, could, in extreme cases, lead to intervention by the ICC in some cases where the executive or judicial processes of member states have resulted in a failure to prosecute, the dismissing of an action or an acquittal.As a consequence, our support for the majority view of the committee recommending ratification is highly qualified. Specifically, it is conditional upon the adoption of all other recommendations. Firstly, it is conditional on the adoption of recommendations 2, 3 and 4, which declare the primacy of Australia's jurisdiction—that is, the ICC's action is only complementary to Australian jurisdiction and in no way supplants the primacy of Australia's jurisdiction. Secondly, it is conditional upon the adoption of recommendation 4, the interpretation of crimes strictly according to the definitions in the International Criminal Court (Consequential Amendment) Bill, removing any ambiguity in the interpretation of those crimes. Thirdly, it is conditional on the adoption of recommendation 6, the establishment of a process to regularly monitor and report to parliament on the operations of the ICC. The chair, the member for Curtin, has already elaborated on that process.With regard to recommendation 6, it is further recommended that Australia's continued participation in the ICC be conditional on the sound development of the ICC's jurisprudence and practice. The review process, already outlined, must be satisfied that the ICC is not evolving in a way which is contrary to Australia's national interest—specifically, that the interpretations of the listed crimes remain consistent with those defined by Australian legislation—and that the application of the principle of complementarity does not, in any way, compromise Australia's sovereignty over its domestic criminal jurisdictions and social policy. As a consequence, it is further recommended that, if such developments occur, Australia exercise its right of withdrawal under article 127.It is important that Australia is part of the efforts of the world community to bring to justice the perpetrators of the most heinous atrocities. It is equally important that our own national interest is in no way compromised in this process. The very specific qualified recommendations in this report will best ensure that these twin objectives are achieved.Ms JULIE BISHOP (Curtin) (8.44 p.m.)—I move:That the House take note of each of the reports.I seek leave to continue my remarks later.Leave granted; debate adjourned.20:45:002034House adjourned at 8.45 p.m.Notices2034The following notices were given:7K6Entsch, Warren, MPMr Entsch to present a bill for an act to amend the Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act 1967, and for other purposes.XJ6Anthony, Larry, MPMr Anthony to present a bill for an act to amend the Export Market Development Grants Act 1997, and for related purposes.VH4McArthur, Stewart, MPMr McArthur to move:That this House:(1) registers its concern about the escalating cost of public liability insurance, especially for smaller non-profit community groups;(2) notes that a number of sporting and community groups indicate that further premium increases will curtail or end their activities in both urban and regional Australia; and(3) calls on the Government to co-ordinate with State Governments urgent measures to cap claims and act against the litigious culture that contributes to high insurance premiums.009LPWindsor, Antony, MPMr Windsor to move:That in light of the NSW Farmers Association City-Country Snapshot Report showing the growing divide between city and country and the new 10 year discriminatory US Farm Bill, this House discusses as a matter of urgency the adoption of zonal taxation proposals as put forward by the National Farmers Federation, the Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Local Government Association as a way of overcoming the population drift, economic decline and inequity of services in country Australia.00AMVHunt, Gregory, MPMr Hunt to move:That this House:(1) endorses actions taken by the Australian Government to improve the spread of share ownership in Australia and to make shares available to Australians who had not previously owned shares; and(2) deplores actions that have been taken which limit the spread of shares more generally to all Australians.SD4Cadman, Alan, MPMr Cadman to move:That this House endorses the support given to the Howard Government by the aspirational voters of Australia.SD4Cadman, Alan, MPMr Cadman to move:That this House calls on the Office of Film and Literature Classification to recognise community standards in approving films for distribution.83PBishop, Julie, MPMs Julie Bishop to move:That this House:(1) recognises the need for additional funding for the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to be allocated specifically for research into various forms of muscular dystrophy;(2) notes the various forms of muscular dystrophy include Duchenne, Becker limb girdle, congenital, facioscapulohumeral, myotonic, oculopharyngeal, distal and Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophies;(3) acknowledges that Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is the most common lethal genetic disorder of childhood, characterised by a rapidly progressive muscle weakness whichalmost always results in death usually by 20 years of age, and affects approximately 1 in every 3500 boys worldwide;(4) acknowledges the urgency of the need for further research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy; and(5) urges the Government to provide additional opportunities to enable medical scientists in Australia to undertake further research into muscular dystrophy.Answers to Questions in Writing2036The following answers to questions were circulated:2036(Question No. 12)122036Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) How many major roads statements were made by him for projects exceeding $100 million in 2000-2001.(2) How many major rail or urban public transport statements were made by him regarding projects committed to proceed exceeding $100 million in 2000-2001.2036Anderson, John, MPMr Anderson4K4GwydirNPMinister for Transport and Regional Services10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) Statements were made in 2000-01 in relation to the Roads to Recovery program, the Western Sydney Orbital, the Albury bypass, upgrading of the Newell Highway and announcements in relation to the roads program in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia in the Budget context.(2) Major rail statements were made in Media Releases in 2000-01; that the Commonwealth is prepared to provide $111 million to the ARTC in the form of an equity injection that will enable it to fund rail initiatives in NSW when it reaches agreement on suitable access arrangements and develops a sustainable business case supporting that investment; and the financial close for the Alice Springs to Darwin Railway.2036(Question No. 13)132036Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) Is revenue from Sydney Airport's car parks forecast to increase in future years; if so, will a proportion of that revenue be dedicated to mitigating against air toxic emissions impacts; if so, what proportion and by what means.(2) What percentage of anticipated proceeds from the sale of Sydney Airport will be spent on upgrading the Sydney Airport aircraft noise insulation project so as to comply more closely with the Australian Standard AS2021, and what amount has been set aside to mitigate against adverse health impacts of airport-associated air toxic emissions.(3) Have taxpayers agreed to fund further mitigation of noise and air toxic emissions impacts, if so, to what extent; if not, will the private operator of Sydney Airport be made responsible for such costs.(4) Will taxpayers bear all or part of the environmental cost of the privately operated airport, or will all or part of such costs be socialised and passed on to the community in the form of unmitigated environmental impacts.2036Anderson, John, MPMr Anderson4K4GwydirNPMinister for Transport and Regional Services10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1)-(4) I refer the honourable member to the answers to questions 2845 (Hansard, 18 September 2001, page 30925) and 2846 (Hansard, 24 September 2001, page 31349).The proceeds of the sale of Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport will be applied to reduce Commonwealth debt. Costs of the noise insulation programme are recoverable from jet aircraft operators via the aircraft noise levy.2036(Question No. 14)142036Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) Can Sydney Airport's environmental management plan be considered to be world class practice until the environmental impacts are dealt with in the Master Plan for Sydney Airport, as indicated by Schiphol Group in the Sydney Airport Environment Strategy document.(2) Does the Master Plan for Sydney Airport address impacts outside the airport perimeter, including aircraft noise and its mitigation, road traffic congestion and airport-related air toxic emissions and its mitigation.(3) Will the Master Plan for Sydney Airport be released for public scrutiny before or after privatisation and will there be provision for public consultation and remedial action if the Master Plan should exclude environmental impacts of significant concern to the public.2037Anderson, John, MPMr Anderson4K4GwydirNPMinister for Transport and Regional Services10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) Successful development of Sydney Airport's Environmental Management System consistent with the ISO 14001 standard would result in world class practice for the scope of issues for which Sydney Airport is required by the Airports Act 1996 to manage.(2) There is currently no master plan for Sydney Airport. However, under the Airports Act 1996 the airport lessee is required to specify in the master plan (amongst other things):· proposals for land use and related development of the airport site, where the proposals embrace airside, landside, surface access and land planning/zoning aspects;· forecasts for noise exposure levels;· plans, developed in consultation with the airlines and local government bodies, for managing aircraft noise intrusion in areas forecast to be subject to exposure above the significant ANEF levels;· assessment of environmental issues that might reasonably be expected to be associated with the implementation of the plan; and· plans for dealing with the environmental issues, including plans for ameliorating or preventing environmental impacts.(3) The master plan for Sydney Airport is to be completed by 31 January 2003. Under the Airports Act 1996 the airport lessee is required to make the draft master plan available for public comment for 90 days prior to submission to the Minister. In addition to consultation requirements set out in the Act for the preparation of a master plan, the airport lessee must make copies of the final master plan available to the public after the Minister has approved it.The airport lessee may also vary the plan. A minor variation must be available for public comment for 30 days. A major variation to the plan will require the airport lessee to prepare a replacement master plan.2037(Question No. 15)152037Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) Further to the answer to part (3) of question No. 2667 (Hansard, 20 August 2001, page 29771), is Sydney Airport to revert to parallel runway modes in order to achieve 80 movements per hour; if not, is Sydney Airport unable to achieve 80 movements per hour.(2) If so, has he made this point clear to prospective bidders for the Sydney Airport lease; if not, why not.(3) Further to the answer to part (4) of question No. 2667, what is the projected number of non-jet aircraft movements for the years 2002 to 2006 inclusive.(4) Will he answer part (4) of question No. 2667 which sought future projected non-jet aircraft movements and not a historical record for 2000.2037Anderson, John, MPMr Anderson4K4GwydirNPMinister for Transport and Regional Services10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) I refer the Honourable Member to my answer to parts (2) & (3) of question No. 2667.(2) The implementation of LTOP is a matter for Airservices Australia.(3) & (4) Forecasts for non-jet movements at Sydney Airport for the years 2002 to 2006 are not routinely prepared, therefore, this information is not available.2038(Question No. 16)162038Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) Further to his reply to part (1) of question No. 2661 (Hansard, 20 August 2001, page 29770) on which he seeks clarification, can he identify and quantify the impacts and financial costs of long-term exposure to aircraft noise and toxic air emissions associated with Sydney Airport on community health, safety and schools.(2) Further to his reply to part (4) of question No. 2661, does the Minneapolis St Paul (MSP) International Airport website at http://www.mspairport.com contain the answer to the specific question asked of him and referred by him to me; if so, will he answer the original question.(3) Further to his reply to part (4) of question No. 2661, what are the details of all visits ever made by Australian Government representatives to MSP International Airport.(4) Further to his reply to part (5) of question No. 2661, does the MSP International Airport website, in conjunction with the Federal Aviation Administration capacity enhancement plans at http://www.faa.gov/ats/asc/publications/CAPACITY/MSP.pdf and Airports Council International 1997 traffic data at http://www.airports.org, show that (a) MSP International Airports two parallel runways are of similar length and separation to the parallel runway layout at Sydney Airport, (b) during 1997, with annual aircraft movements of nearly 500,000 and annual passenger movements of over 30 million, the percentage usage of the two parallel runways at MSP International Airport was in the order of 48% movements to the northwest and 49% to the southeast, or in other words, parallel operations were used almost 100% of the time, at rates of around 120 movements an hour in peak hour, regardless of weather conditions, (c) removal of smaller, slower aircraft from the primary airport to surrounding reliever airports is a component of the MSP International Airport capacity enhancement plan, (d) six reliever airports within the metropolitan area of MSP are involved in the capacity enhancement plan for the primary airport and (e) the precision runway monitor system is a component of the MSP International Airport capacity enhancement plan.2038Anderson, John, MPMr Anderson4K4GwydirNPMinister for Transport and Regional Services10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) I am not aware of any studies that provide this information.(2)&(3) Information relating to possible visits of Australian Government representatives to Minneapolis St Paul (MSP) International Airport is not available.Detailed questions regarding the operation of Minneapolis St Paul (MSP) International Airport should be directed to the relevant authorities in the United States.2038(Question No. 17)172038Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) With regard to Sydney and Bankstown airports land use, are Aircraft Noise Exposure Forecast (ANEF) contours required to be updated every five years.(2) Has it been more than five years since the last ANEF was prepared for (a) Sydney Airport and (b) Bankstown Airport.(3) What is the latest ANEF contour for (a) Sydney Airport and (b) Bankstown Airport.(4) Is it Government policy not to add extra housing into certain airport noise affected zones; if so, from which ANEF contour zones is the addition of new housing prohibited and how is this enforced.(5) Has any additional housing development inside 20 ANEF and 25 ANEF contours surrounding (a) Sydney Airport and (b) Bankstown Airport been approved as a result of the lack of valid ANEF documentation; if so, could such development have been prevented if a valid ANEF document had been in place.(6) When will new ANEFs be prepared for (a) Sydney Airport and (b) Bankstown Airport.2039Anderson, John, MPMr Anderson4K4GwydirNPMinister for Transport and Regional Services10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) Airservices Australia's advice is that ANEFs are regarded as being valid for a period of five years at which time they should be replaced.(2) (a) Yes.(b) Yes.(3) (a) The 2010 ANEF was prepared in 1994.(b) The 1990 ANEF was prepared in 1984.(4)&(5) Any development inside ANEF contours is a matter for the State and local governments.(6) (a)&(b) A new ANEF will be prepared when a new owner commences the preparation of a new Master Plan.2039(Question No. 18)182039Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:Further to his reply to part (1) of question No. 2669 (Hansard, 6 August 2001, page 29254), what studies have been done on (a) Sydney Airport and (b) Bankstown Airport to assess current and future health risks associated with long term exposure to (i) benzene and (ii) 1-3 butadiene.2039Anderson, John, MPMr Anderson4K4GwydirNPMinister for Transport and Regional Services10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:I am unaware of any specific studies on the effects of these compounds.2039(Question No. 19)192039Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) Further to his replies to parts (1) to (7) of question No. 2310 (Hansard, 23 May 2001, page 26959) and part (2) of question No. 2669 (Hansard, 6 August 2001, page 29253), have no comprehensive studies been conducted of the health risks associated with long-term exposure to specific toxic transport emissions, including benzene and 1-3 butadiene, anywhere in the Sydney basin, particularly adjacent to and downwind of the ports area in the eastern half of the basin.(2) Can he say whether any environmental impact assessment to date has established what order of negative health risks due to long-term exposure to toxic transport emissions pertain to communities living downwind of airports, and whether increases in health risks are likely to arise from the realisation of the Government's planned capacity expansions at (a) Sydney Airport and (b) Bankstown Airport.2039Anderson, John, MPMr Anderson4K4GwydirNPMinister for Transport and Regional Services10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) I am unaware of any such studies. The Honourable Member may wish to check with the NSW EPA and/or the NSW Department of Health.(2) I am unaware of any studies that specifically address the Honourable Member's question. The EIS mentioned in my answer to part (3) of question 2669 will address the health risks question for Bankstown. For Sydney Airport, the Master Plan will assess environmental issues that are reasonably expected to be associated with the implementation of the Master Plan.2039(Question No. 21)212039Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) Further to the answer to part (4) of question No 2667 (Hansard, 20 August 2001, page 29811), did the LTOP road show video stipulate whether there would be any expiry date for the validity of its statement that 40% of the aircraft will be propellers which use a different path to jets.(2) Approximately how many people viewed the video at each of the six road show presentations.(3) Further to the answer to part (5) of question No 2667, why (a) will he not produce a copy of the LTOP road show video or its transcript and (b) has it not been possible to readily locate the requested information.(4) Is the LTOP road show video of crucial importance to the public because future flight path and runway usages make it unlikely that full implementation of LTOP, as advertised, would or could ever be achieved in a growing airport situation.(5) Will he immediately locate the LTOP road show video and related transcripts.(6) What period of time elapsed between the public screenings of the LTOP road show video and the Governments announcement that it intended to relocate regional aircraft away from Sydney Airport.(7) When and how was the public advised of subsequent departures from the LTOP plan that were advertised in the LTOP road show video.(8) Did the Government have prior knowledge that it would not be able to honour the LTOP promises which were advertised in the LTOP road show video.2040Anderson, John, MPMr Anderson4K4GwydirNPMinister for Transport and Regional Services10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) (4),(7)&(8) I understand that the proposals presented in the LTOP road show video were in draft form and that the point of the consultative meetings was to allow feedback on the presentation for consideration and ultimately inclusion in the LTOP report and the Department of Transport and Regional Services' Proponent Statement.(2) The following are the locations and approximate attendances at the six public meetings:Willoughby Civic Centre 350Marrickville Town Hall 350Randwick Town Hall 900Drummoyne Civic Hall 300South Hurstville RSL Club 250Cronulla Leagues Club 450(3) I refer the Honourable Member to the answer to part (5) of question No 2667.(5) See my answer to question 3.(6) There has been no announcement by the Government to relocate regional aircraft away from Sydney Airport.2040(Question No. 22)222040Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:Further to his replies to part (1) of question No. 2310 (Hansard, 23 May 2001, page 26959), part (2) of question No. 2666 (Hansard, 6 August 2001, page 29253) and part (2) of question No. 2669 (Hansard, 6 August 2001, page 29254), will he put a moratorium on further expansion of Sydney Airport, together with an air quality capacity constraint on emissions, until a comprehensive study of health risks from long-term exposure to toxic transport emissions, including benzene and other known carcinogens, clarifies the risk situation; if not, why not.2040Anderson, John, MPMr Anderson4K4GwydirNPMinister for Transport and Regional Services10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:No. I refer the Honourable Member to my answer to question 2845 (Hansard, 18 September 2001, page 30925).2040(Question No. 23)232040Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) Further to his reply to parts (1), (2), (3) and (5) of question No. 2670 (Hansard, 20 August 2001, page 29771), will the removal of small aircraft from Sydney Airport allow for greater increases in the total number of jet movements, in movement frequencies and road traffic volumes than were covered by the environmental impact statement for runway 16L/34R at Sydney Airport; if so, will such increases be quantified in a fresh environmental assessment.(2) What assurances can he give that significant negative health or educational implications will or will not arise from further expansion of Sydney Airport.(3) Can he back up his claims with solid scientific evidence; if not, how can he convince the public that their concerns about health implications of airport noise and toxic transport emissions are groundless.(4) Further to his reply to part (4) of question No. 2670, on what scientific basis did the Government decide not to expand the noise insulation program when it announced that it would increase the average size of aircraft at Sydney Airport, and expand Bankstown airport into a reliever airport, instead of building a major new airport for Sydney.2041Anderson, John, MPMr Anderson4K4GwydirNPMinister for Transport and Regional Services10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) The Government has no plans to remove small aircraft from Sydney Airport.(2) and (3) Neither myself nor my Department have conducted any studies in that regard.(4) The Government has made no decision not to expand the noise insulation program. The need for changes to the program in the future will be assessed on the basis of changes in aircraft noise exposure.2041(Question No. 24)242041Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) Further to his reply to parts (1) and (3) of question No. 2716 (Hansard, 20 August 2001, page 29772), will he specifically clarify the LTOP targets, including runway usage percentages, projected aircraft mix percentages, jet flight paths versus propeller plane flight paths, non-reciprocal flight paths, long-haul take off paths for planes destined for North America and compliance with SIDs, and identify any divergences from the information provided to the public in the LTOP road show video and associated LTOP glossy presentation materials.(2) Will he issue a new public information package detailing changes to the advertised LTOP.2041Anderson, John, MPMr Anderson4K4GwydirNPMinister for Transport and Regional Services10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) and (2) I understand that the proposals presented in the LTOP road show video were in draft form and that the point of the consultative meetings was to allow feedback on the presentation for consideration and ultimately inclusion in the LTOP report and the Department of Transport and Regional Services' Proponent Statement.2041(Question No. 26)262041Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) Further to the answer to question No. 2898 (Hansard, 17 September 2001, page 30801), will he recommend that the sale of the long-term lease of Sydney Airport not be sold until after the Long Term Operating Plan (LTOP) is fully implemented.(2) What statutory or other legal protection does the LTOP have in respect to its ongoing implementation in the management of Sydney Airports aircraft noise problems.(3) Will he recommend that the targets and other objectives included in the LTOP be given statutory effect by enacting legislation that ensures the preservation of the LTOP targets and further regulates against commercial pressure to increase aircraft movements at Sydney Airport.2041Anderson, John, MPMr Anderson4K4GwydirNPMinister for Transport and Regional Services10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) I refer the Honourable Member to my answer to part (5) of question no. 2898.(2) and (3) The implementation of the Long Term Operating Plan (LTOP) is the result of a Ministerial Direction given by the then Minister for Transport and Regional Development, the Hon John Sharp MP, in July 1997 under subsection 16(1) of the Air Services Act 1996. The Sydney Airport Demand Management Act 1997 came into effect in November 1997 and limits the number of planned runway movements to 80 per hour.2042(Question No. 27)272042Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) Further to the answer to question No. 2879 (Hansard, 17 September 2001, page 30800), is it a fact that the Long Term Operating Plan (LTOP) has not yet been fully implemented.(2) On what date was the Ministerial Direction for the LTOP made.(3) How many years have elapsed since the Ministerial Direction was given for the LTOP.(4) Is the duty to implement the LTOP a public duty in the hands of the Chief Executive of Airservices Australia, Mr Bernie Smith.(5) Is the time that has elapsed between the date of the Ministerial Direction for the LTOP and now a reasonable time in which the LTOP should have been fully implemented; if not, what is a reasonable time for the LTOP to be fully implemented.(6) Is the on-going tender process for the sale of the long term operating lease for Sydney Airport a well founded reason to ensure that the LTOP is fully implemented prior to the completion of the sale.(7) Is it in the commercial interests of the prospective bidders of Sydney Airport that they have the benefit of examining the economic impact of the full implementation of the LTOP before the lease agreement is concluded and the price paid. (8) Will he (a) initiate an application in the Federal Court against the Chief Executive of Airservices Australia for an application for a prerogative writ of mandamus in that Mr Smith, through Airservices Australia, has failed to fully implement the LTOP within a reasonable time and (b) compel completion of the full implementation of the LTOP before the sale of Sydney Airport is concluded.(9) Does he agree that the sale of Sydney Airport must be postponed until after the LTOP has been fully implemented.(10) Will he recommend to the Minister for Finance and Administration that the sale of Sydney Airport should be stopped until the LTOP is fully implemented; if not, why not.2042Anderson, John, MPMr Anderson4K4GwydirNPMinister for Transport and Regional Services10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) (4)-(7), (9)-(10) The Long Term Operating Plan (LTOP) has been substantially implemented with the exception of a small number of elements. For example, the restructuring of the arrival airspace has yet to be implemented. This includes implementation of the “trident” and “power-off” approaches. A number of complexities associated with safety and operational constraints have impinged on the implementation of this part of the Plan.The lease of the Airport will have no effect on the Direction given to Airservices Australia by the then Minister for Transport and Regional Development, the Hon John Sharp MP, in July 1997 to implement LTOP. Accordingly the answer to Questions 8(b), 9 and 10 is no.(2) and (3) The Ministerial Direction for the LTOP was made on 30 July 1997.(8) No.2042(Question No. 28)282042Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 13 February 2001:Further to the answer of the Minister for Finance and Administration to part (2) of question No. 2436 (Hansard, 4 June 2001, page 27231) and his reply to part (2) of question No. 2307 (Hansard, 23 May 2001, page 26958), (a) has the number of houses now requiring insulation from increased aircraft noise resulting from management changes increased the number of noise insulation project eligible households and (b) was the environmental assessment of 1995 for the second Sydney Airport wholly defective in light of the two-site selection of Badgerys Creek and Holsworthy.2043Anderson, John, MPMr Anderson4K4GwydirNPMinister for Transport and Regional Services10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(a) No.(b) No. The environmental studies commenced in 1995 led to the announcement in January 1996 that an Environmental Impact Statement would be carried out into the proposed airport development at Badgerys Creek.2043(Question No. 32)322043Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) Further to the answer to part (1) of question No. 2414 (Hansard,17 September 2001, page 30802), will the re-opening of the East-West Runway and the commissioning of the Sydney West Airport Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) alone fulfil the Coalition's promise that Sydney Airport would not be sold until that airport's aircraft noise problems had been solved.(2) Have these two actions alone solved Sydney Airport's aircraft noise problems.(3) Has the commissioning of the Second Sydney Airport EIS, together with the Coalition's 1996 Aviation Policy, created a legitimate expectation in the minds of the community that Sydney West Airport would be built as part of the solution to Sydney Airport's Aircraft Noise problems; if not, what purpose does the Second Sydney Airport EIS serve in its relation to the Coalition Policy to solve Sydney Airport's aircraft noise problems.2043Anderson, John, MPMr Anderson4K4GwydirNPMinister for Transport and Regional Services10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1)-(3) The Government has introduced several measures to mitigate aircraft noise. The Long Term Operating Plan (LTOP) introduced a regime of noise sharing. The Plan introduced significant reductions in noise exposure for those areas most heavily impacted under Labor's noise concentration regime.The Sydney Airport Curfew Act 1995 provides for the restriction of landings and take-offs only to specific types of aircraft over Botany Bay between 11pm and 6am.The Sydney Airport Demand Management Act 1997 which came into effect in November 1997 limits the number of planned runway movements to 80 per hour.After lengthy and careful consideration to finding the best way to cater for Sydney's future aviation needs, the Government concluded that Sydney Airport will be able to handle the air traffic demand over the next ten years and that Bankstown Airport will be made available as an overflow airport for Sydney that will, over time, become an attractive alternative for some airline services.The Government will further review Sydney's airport needs in 2005.2043(Question No. 33)332043Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) Has the aircraft noise enquiry line for Sydney Airport been recently changed from 1800 802 584 to a toll fee national number 1300 302 240: if so, when did this change occur and what is the cost of a call to this number.(2) Was the 1800 802 584 telephone number a toll free, seven days per week service, operating from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.(3) Does the new 1300 302 240 number operate from 6.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturdays only; if not, what are the operating times of the new number.(4) Why do people now have to pay to complain about aircraft noise associated with Sydney Airport.2043Anderson, John, MPMr Anderson4K4GwydirNPMinister for Transport and Regional Services10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) The 1800 802 584 toll free number was changed to local call cost number 1300 302 240 on the 18 of October 2001.(2) Yes.(3) Yes.(4) The free call 1800 number has been replaced by a local call 1300 number because it has become apparent in recent times that a small number of persons have been abusing the free call facility by lodging hundreds of calls each month. Other members of the public have objected to this behaviour as they believe it can give a distorted picture of how the noise is actually distributed between the suburbs.2044(Question No. 45)452044Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Prime Minister, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:Do the terms of reference for the HIH Royal Commission cover (a) the HIH policy of underpricing their insurance premiums against the premiums of their competitors and its contribution to the HIH collapse, (b) the HIH practice of under-provisioning for their policyholders claims and its contribution to the HIH collapse, (c) the HIH policy of litigating claims where claimants did not accept the HIH standard offer of 40% settlement and its contribution to the practice of under-provisioning for policyholders claims, (d) the role of the HIH Board committees in the corporate governance of HIH and of their contribution, by negligence or otherwise, to the collapse of the company, (e) the role of HIH senior management in the corporate governance of HIH and of their contribution, by negligence or otherwise, to the collapse of the company, (f) the role of HIH internal and external auditors in assessing whether the policies of HIH in relation to the pricing of its policies and its provisioning for claims were adequate for on-going solvency of HIH and in the best interests of policyholders, (g) the role of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) in assessing whether the policies of HIH in relation to the pricing of its policies and its provisioning for claims were adequate for the on-going solvency of HIH and in the best interests of policyholders and the insurance industry generally and (h) a future role for APRA in determining the minimum actuarial standards for the level of provisioning by insurance companies to meet claims for each class of insurance.2044Howard, John, MPMr HowardZD4BennelongLPPrime Minister10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:The terms of reference for the HIH Royal Commission are broad and direct the Royal Commissioner to inquire into `the reasons for and the circumstances surrounding the failure of HIH'. The terms of reference also direct the Commissioner to inquire into a number of particular matters, including: (i) whether, and if so the extent to which, decisions or actions of HIH, or any of its directors, officers, employees, auditors, actuaries, advisers, agents, or of any other person contributed to the failure of HIH or undesirable corporate governance practices; (ii) the appropriateness of the manner in which powers were exercised and responsibilities and obligations were discharged under Commonwealth laws; (iii) the adequacy and appropriateness of arrangements for the regulation and prudential supervision of general insurance.The conduct of the Royal Commission is independent of the government. It is a matter for the Royal Commissioner to determine whether particular matters are covered by the terms of reference and warrant investigation. 2044(Question No. 49)492044Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Treasurer, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:Will he [the Treasurer] introduce legislation to require superannuation funds to fully disclose on the annual superannuation statements forwarded to members the total fees, charges and commissions paid to funds managers and consultants; if so, when; if not, why not.2044Costello, Peter, MPMr CostelloCT4HigginsLPTreasurer10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:A number of reforms related to disclosure of fees and charges have already been implemented under the Financial Services Reform Act 2001 (the Act). The Act requires disclosure of fees and charges related to a financial product to occur at a number of stages throughout the life of a financial product. The legislation includes a requirement for issuers of financial products (including superannuation funds) to disclose amounts paid by holders of financial products in periodic statements. This includes disclosure of fees, charges and commissions paid by a member of the superannuation fund and any deducted from a common fund. Section 1017D of the Act and regulation 7.9.75 of the Corporations Amendment Regulations 2001 (No.4) details these particular requirements. 2045(Question No. 54)542045Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, upon notice, on 12 February 2002:(1) Did he issue a media release dated 20 September 2001, saying that over 90 per cent of workers who lose their entitlements when their companies become insolvent will receive 100 per cent of their entitlements under the new General Employee Entitlements and Redundancy Scheme (GEERS).(2) Does GEERS enable the Government to pay advances to terminated employees and later recover those funds in the event of a distribution of assets by the liquidator of the insolvent employer; if not, how does GEERS enable the Government to so recover such funds.(3) Has his attention been drawn to (a) the insolvency of Traveland Pty Limited on 26 November 2001 and now under administration, (b) the subsequent termination of 550 employees of Traveland on 4 December 2001 and (c) the fact that those 550 former employees had worked the whole of November 2001 without being paid their monthly wages and (d) the fact that, since 4 December 2001, those 550 former employees have received no further payments.(4) Were the 550 former Traveland employees excluded from the Special Employee Entitlements Scheme for Ansett Group Employees as a result of Traveland's primary assets, including its employee contracts, being sold by the Administrator of the Ansett Group, which included Traveland Pty Limited, on 23 September 2001 to Internova Travel Pty Limited, notwithstanding widespread speculation at the time that Internova Travel did not have sufficient capital to operate a national travel agency network.2045Abbott, Tony, MPMr AbbottEZ5WarringahLPMinister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) Yes.(2) Yes.(3) (a) Yes. (b) I am advised that approximately 540 employees were terminated from Internova Travel Pty Ltd (trading as Traveland) between 29 November 2001 and 4 December 2001. (c) and (d) The administrator for Internova Travel has advised my Department that some employees have unpaid wages, however, the extent is unconfirmed.(4) The former employees of Traveland were made redundant as a result of the insolvency of Internova Travel Pty Ltd. Internova Travel Pty Ltd is not an Ansett group company and consequently the former employees are not eligible for assistance under the Special Employee Entitlements Scheme for Ansett group employees (SEESA).2045(Question No. 55)552045Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister for the Environment and Heritage, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) Is he able to say whether gasoline station pumps in California, USA, bear a California Health and Safety Code gasoline health warning label which states “Harmful or fatal if swallowed. Long term exposure to vapor has caused cancer in laboratory animals. Chemicals known to the state to cause cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm are found in gasoline, crude oil and other petroleum products and their vapor or result from their use. Read and follow label directions and use care when handling all petroleum products.”(2) Do benzene and 1-3 butadiene precursors occur in higher percentages in Australian unleaded and leaded fuels than in Californian unleaded and leaded fuels.(3) What percentage of benzene is, on average, in Australian unleaded and leaded petrol and what is the maximum amount of benzene that may occur.(4) Will he introduce health-warning labels for all Australian petrol bowsers; if not, why not.2046Kemp, Dr David, MPDr KempBT4GoldsteinLPMinister for the Environment and Heritage10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) I understand that gasoline (petrol) station proprietors in California may use warnings such as this to avoid violation of Section 25249.6 of the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986.(2) In most cases yes. The Californian regulations for gasoline are complex, providing a number of alternative compliance mechanisms. As an indication of average content, flat limits specified by the Reformulated Gasoline Regulations that currently apply to gasoline sold in California are 1% for benzene, 25% for aromatic hydrocarbons and 6% for olefins (all percentages by volume). These components are precursors for emissions of benzene and 1,3-butadiene.The Australian averages in 1999, according to the latest figures available from the Australian Institute for Petroleum for petrol refined in Australia, were, for benzene: 2.9% for leaded petrol, 2.5% for regular unleaded petrol, and 3.4% for premium unleaded petrol. The average content of aromatics in 1999 in leaded petrol was 23.32% mass, 28.2% in regular unleaded petrol, and 38.7% for premium unleaded petrol (based on reports to the AIP from 6 refineries). (3) The average benzene content in 1999 was 2.9% for leaded petrol, 2.5% for regular unleaded, and 3.4% for premium unleaded. The Fuel Standard (Petrol) Determination 2001 prescribes a maximum permitted benzene content for all grades of petrol of 1% volume by volume from 1 January 2006. Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia currently prescribe maximum permitted levels of benzene for petrol. These standards operate concurrently with the Fuel Standard (Petrol) Determination 2001.(4) No. The Government is reducing the health and environmental risks of petrol use through standards to be implemented under the Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000.2046(Question No. 56)562046Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Attorney-General, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) Further to the answer to part (3) of question No. 2622 (Hansard, 25 September 2001, page 31235), has no further medical examination occurred in respect of Dr Colston's medical condition and hence fitness to stand trial.(2) Further to the answer to part (4) of question No. 2622, is the conclusion of Dr Colston's life expectancy being months based on two medical reports by two eminent specialists compiled on 14 and 19 May 1999; if so, are these reports now over two years and four months old.(3) Are the reports referred to in the answer to part (5) of question No. 2622 based on the same medical examinations performed by the two eminent specialists of 14 and 19 May 1999.(4) Is it a fact that, in relation to Dr Colston's capacity to stand trial on twenty-eight charges of defrauding the Commonwealth through travel rorts, no medical examination of Dr Colston has taken place since 19 May 1999.(5) Further to the answer to part (13) of question No. 2622 and the prediction that Dr Colston's life expectancy of months is now disproved, will he recommend to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) that Dr Colston should be medically re-examined; if so, when will he recommend that re-examination.(6) Further to the answer to part (14) of question No. 2622, was the review of Dr Colston's medical condition based on a paper review of the pre-existing medical reports of 14 and 19 May 1999, without obtaining fresh medical evidence.(7) What evidence was relied upon by the DPP in making his review, in addition to the two medical reports of May 1999.(8) Will he now reconsider his decision not to assess whether Dr Colston is now capable of standing trial on twenty-eight charges of defrauding the Commonwealth through travel rorts; if not, why not.2046Williams, Daryl, MPMr Williams7V5TangneyLPAttorney-General10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) Further medical evidence was obtained. (2) Yes.(3) Yes, and further medical evidence. (4) See part (3).(5) No. I refer to my answer to Question on Notice 2622 part (14).(6) No.(7) Further medical evidence and independent expert medical advice.(8) No. I refer to my answer to Question on Notice No. 2622 part (14).2047(Question No. 57)572047Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Attorney-General, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) How many marriages were registered in Australia in 2001.(2) How many divorce orders were made by the Family Court of Australia in 2001.(3) What action is the Government taking to address the significant percentage of divorces occurring in Australia each year.(4) What action is the Government taking to address the number of contraventions of Family Court orders.2047Williams, Daryl, MPMr Williams7V5TangneyLPAttorney-General10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) I am advised that the Australian Bureau of Statistics will not be publishing the statistics for the relevant period until August 2002.(2) I am advised that the Australian Bureau of Statistics will not be publishing the statistics for the relevant period until August 2002.(3) The Government's primary objective in family policy is to assist people to develop and maintain healthy relationships. My Department receives an administered appropriation for grants to Family Relationship Support Organisations, commonly known as Family Relationships Services Program (FRSP). The FRSP is jointly funded by my Department and the Department of Family and Community Services (FaCS). Under the FRSP, approximately 100 community-based organisations are contracted to provide a range of family support services. The total appropriation in 2001-2002 is $57.3 million.Through my Department, community-based organisations are funded to provide a range of services aimed at assisting couples and families to resolve issues around separation and divorce. These services include family relationships counselling, family and child mediation and children's contact services. The appropriation in 2001-2002 is $26.1 million.The responsibility of services provided by FaCS lies with the Minister for Family and Community Services. Through FaCS, community-based organisations are funded to provide a range of services aimed at assisting couples and families to maintain and enhance their existing relationships. These services include family relationships counselling, family relationships education, family skills training, men and family relationships services and adolescent mediation and family therapy. The appropriation in 2001-2002 is $27.6 million.FaCS currently provides $3.6 million per annum to 46 Family Relationships Education (FRE) organisations. These services provide preventative programs which focus on providing information and skills to foster positive stable relationships. Trained educators provide guidance and support to assist couples to understand themselves and their partner better with the aim of promoting and sustaining healthy relationships.FaCS is responsible for providing a preventative service known as Family Relationships Skills Training (FRST), which promotes positive parenting and non-violent problem solving by providing families with parenting and family functioning skills. FRST services target low income families, sole parents, locationally disadvantaged families and families of children with disabilities. Some also target indigenous families and those from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.FaCS also administers the Men and Family Relationships Initiative, a pilot service specifically targeting men and fathers. The aim is to assist men to manage a range of relationship difficulties with partners and ex-partners, children and step-children and to help organisations develop more sensitive and responsive approaches to working with male clients. A total of 54 projects in rural, regional and metropolitan Australia have been funded under this initiative. Many are generalist services that include counselling, relationship education and parenting skills programs but they are all designed to be attractive to men and to take men's particular help-seeking and problem solving strategies into account. The initiative has been allocated a total of $18 million over four years.Further, FaCS administers Men's Line Australia, a national 24 hour telephone counselling information referral service. With a budget of more than $1.6 million over three years, Men's Line Australia seeks to provide relevant and accessible telephone counselling and referral services to men who are seeking to manage their relationships with partners, ex-partners and children, especially following divorce and separation. The primary target groups for the service are men facing separation and men experiencing difficulties managing their relationships with ex-partners and children. Other target groups include men seeking assistance with their partner relationships, but not facing or dealing with separation, and men experiencing difficulties in parenting children or step-children.(4) The Government is aware of concerns about contraventions of orders of the Court. In response to these concerns amendments to the Family Law Act came into effect in 2000. The new arrangements utilise:· preventative measures in the first instance (to encourage parents to seek assistance to improve communication between them and to assist their understanding of their joint parenting responsibilities);· remedial measures if the first step is not effective (such as relationships programs to assist the parents to resolve conflicts about parenting); and · punitive action as a final resort if the first two tiers are unsuccessful. The Family Law Act 1975, under Part IV, section 70 NG, provides sanctions for breach of parenting orders including directing the person to attend an appropriate post-separation program or counselling; imprisonment; community service orders and bonds. Statistics pre and post amendments are not yet available. An evaluation of the current programs will take place in 2003.2048(Question No. 67)672048Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) Has the Minister's attention been drawn to the coverage in the print media on the growing acquisition by private healthcare corporates of independent medical practices, particularly in a series in The Australian newspaper entitled “The Health Revolution”.(2) Is there any Commonwealth agency which monitors and records the ownership and the change in ownership of medical general practices by private healthcare corporates such as Mayne Nickless, Foundation Healthcare, Endeavour Healthcare, Medical Care Services and Primary Healthcare.(3) Is there any requirement for changes in the ownership of medical general practices to be advised to any Commonwealth agency, either prior to or after any acquisition of independent medical general practices by a private healthcare corporate.(4) Is the Minister able to say whether the Foreign Investment Review Board is required to be advised by the private healthcare corporates with substantial foreign ownership prior to any acquisition by them of independent medical general practices.(5) Is the Health Insurance Commission or any other Commonwealth agency in possession of any information regarding the comparative (a) cost of medical services provided and (b) rates of referral to downstream ancillary services such as pathology and radiology, by independent and corporate general practices.(6) What are the comparative imposts of the independent and corporate (a) general practices and (b) downstream ancillary services practices and their relationship to the Health Budget.(7) What measures will the Commonwealth put in place to protect patients of independent and corporate medical general practices in relation to their servicing practices and conduct.(8) What measures will the Commonwealth put in place to protect a patient's right to choose either an independent or a corporate general practice in a patient's given locality, and have these rights been eroded or even eliminated by the complete acquisition of independent general practices by private healthcare corporates.2049Andrews, Kevin, MPMr AndrewsHK5MenziesLPMinister for Ageing10—The Minister for Health and Ageing has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:(1) Yes. (2) No.(3) No.(4) Acquisitions by medical corporations that meet the foreign interest criteria applied by the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) may be notifiable and subject to review by the FIRB.(5) The Health Insurance Commission (HIC) does not maintain any comparative national information about the cost of medical services provided, nor rates of referral to ancillary services, by independent and corporate general practices. However, the HIC did undertake a limited analysis of services rendered and ordered in the 1999-2000 financial year by a sample of incorporated and unincorporated general practices in Western Australia.(6) This information is not available. (7) The HIC routinely monitors doctors' service and referral patterns and undertakes enforcement action when required. These mechanisms apply to all doctors, no matter what type of practice they work in. In addition, in 2001 the Government worked closely with large corporate medical service providers, the AMA and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners to develop a voluntary code of conduct to protect doctors' clinical autonomy and independence, and ensure that patients continue to receive appropriate, high quality services. The voluntary code was launched on 1 November 2001. It complements mechanisms already in place to detect and address over-servicing under the Health Insurance Act 1973. (8) I am not aware of evidence that any patient's right to choose to attend either an independent or corporate general practitioner has been eroded by recent developments in corporate medicine. 2049(Question No. 71)712049Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) Does Australia have a reciprocal arrangement with the British Government for her Department to act as the contact agent in facilitating health requirements for ex-British servicemen and servicewomen who have accepted war related disabilities; if so, what are the details.(2) Does the Australian Government invoice the British Government for each departmental client; if not, does the Australian Government negotiate a lump-sum each year for estimated costs of attending to ex-British servicemen.(3) Can she describe how a person may peruse the accounting transaction referred to in part (2).2049Vale, Danna, MPMrs ValeVK6HughesLPMinister for Veterans' Affairs and Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) My Department has an arrangement with the British Government whereby DVA acts as an agent on behalf of the British War Pensions Agency. Under this arrangement, British ex-servicemen and women who have a disability accepted by the British War Pensions Agency as war-caused, are issued with a Repatriation Health Card - For Specific Conditions (White Card). The White Card allows British ex-service personnel access to the Repatriation Commission's health care arrangements for their accepted disabilities, which includes services such as:· medical and specialist services;· hospitalisation;· allied health services, including dental and community nursing;· rehabilitation aids and appliances;· pharmaceuticals; and· hearing services.Since the treatment policies of the United Kingdom are not necessarily the same as those applying to veterans of the Australian forces, prior authorisation from the British War Pensions Agency is required for some services, such as hospital admission.(2) The Australian Government invoices the British Government for the cost of services used by British ex-service personnel. These invoices are for the total amount of services provided to British ex-service personnel and are not issued on an individual basis. Invoices are issued monthly in arrears. (3) The accounting transaction referred to in part 2, is set out in the Department of Veterans' Affairs Portfolio Additional Estimates 2001-02, Page 67, Table 3.6-Note of Budgeted Administered Financial Performance. The amount of $2,939,797,000.00 under Other Goods and Services includes an amount of $4,173,454.53, which is the total amount received from the British Government in financial year 2000-2001. This information can also be found in the Department of Veterans' Affairs Annual Report 2000-2001, Appendix 1, Page 325, listed under the Expenses from Ordinary Activities and adding the Health Care Payments & Other. 2050(Question No. 72)722050Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:When will the Government grant a Gold Card to ex-servicemen and women who served in the Australian Armed Forces within Australia during World War II and who do not have qualifying service.2050Vale, Danna, MPMrs ValeVK6HughesLPMinister for Veterans' Affairs and Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:Qualifying service during World War II is one of the essential criteria for eligibility for the Gold Card. The Government believes priority for the Gold Card should be given to veterans who rendered qualifying service, that is those who incurred danger from hostile forces of the enemy and were exposed to the unique hardships and deprivations of combat.However, because of concerns in some sections of the veteran community, including some World War II veterans, that some ex-servicemen and women may be missing out on entitlements because of perceived anomalies in the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA), the Government has appointed a Committee to undertake an independent review of these perceived anomalies.The Review of Veterans' Entitlements will specifically examine the historical context and current interpretation of the provisions for qualifying service and consider perceived anomalies with eligibility for access to VEA benefits and qualifying service that might be raised by some World War II veterans, veterans of the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces in Japan, Australian participants in British atomic testing in Australia, Australian service personnel engaged in counter terrorist and special recovery training and other interested parties.The Committee report is due to be submitted in mid-November 2002.2050(Question No. 75)752050Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister representing the Minister for Family and Community Services, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) Were persons employed under the Social and Community Services New South Wales Award granted a salary increase with effect from 28 November 2001 by the NSW Industrial Relations Commission when it handed down its determination on 16 November 2001. (2) Do the Commonwealth and the NSW Governments jointly fund the cost of the salaries of the majority of Community Services' employees covered by this award.(3) Has the NSW Government committed to fully fund its share of the salary increase awarded by the Commission.(4) Will the Commonwealth fully fund its share of the salary increase awarded by the Commission; if so, when; if not, why not.2050Anthony, Larry, MPMr AnthonyXJ6RichmondNPMinister for Children and Youth Affairs10—The Minister for Family and Community Services has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:(1) This is an issue for the New South Wales Government.(2) The Commonwealth already funds organisations for changes in wage costs it therefore does not need to provide additional funding. In most cases, additional funding for increased wage costs is already provided to States and service providers through indexation of their grants. Funding covered by the Commonwealth-State Disability Agreement, for example, is indexed according to a composite index of wage costs and general price increases.(3) This is an issue for the New South Wales Government.(4) The Commonwealth already funds organisations for changes in wage costs it therefore does not need to provide additional funding. In most cases, additional funding for increased wage costs is already provided to States and service providers through indexation of their grants. Funding covered by the Commonwealth-State Disability Agreement, for example, is indexed according to a composite index of wage costs and general price increases.This form of indexing is likely to have been to the advantage of recipients over the last five years, since indexation was increased, while the wage costs associated with the Social and Community Services Award have remained unchanged. 2051(Question No. 86)862051McClelland, Robert, MPMr McClellandJK6BartonALP00 asked the Attorney-General, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) Is he aware of the decision of the Full Court of the Family Court of Australia in T and S [2001] FamCA 1147, in particular the comments by Nicholson CJ that the case highlights a serious problem affecting the administration of justice in family law proceedings and that women who have suffered serious domestic violence may be unable to present their cases unaided in family law proceedings.(2) Should a women who has suffered domestic violence be required to personally cross-examine the perpetrator of that violence in family law proceedings.(3) What steps is the Commonwealth taking to ensure that women who have suffered domestic violence are properly represented in family law proceedings.(4) Does he agree with the view of Chief Justice Nicholson presented in his judgement that the denial of legal aid in the circumstances seen in the present case appears to infringe the practical enjoyment of rights which are meant to be assured under both the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women 1981 and the Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons 1975.2051Williams, Daryl, MPMr Williams7V5TangneyLPAttorney-General10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) Yes I am aware of the decision of the Full Court of the Family Court of Australia in T and S [2001] FamCA 1147 and the comments made by Chief Justice Nicholson.(2) See the answer to part (3).(3) Women who are victims of domestic violence and who seek protection in the Family Court of Australia can receive legal aid using Commonwealth funds. Under the current legal aid agreements, the Commonwealth Government is quite clear about where its priorities lie. Each agreement states that “protecting the safety of a child or spouse who is at risk is to be accorded the highest priority in making grants of aid in family law”. The Commonwealth Government's commitment in this regard could not be clearer.Guidance for legal aid commissions in relation to the handling of domestic violence considerations is contained in Part 1 of the Commonwealth legal aid guidelines. The intention of the latter is to ensure consistency of treatment for domestic violence matters, whether State/Territory or Commonwealth, rather than to pick up matters which are properly classed as State or Territory matters. Additionally, a specific provision which addresses domestic violence considerations in the context of family law property matters has also been included. However, others in the justice system also have responsibilities if we are to protect women and children.(4) The Commonwealth Government is committed to complying with its obligations under international law. To this end, the Government considers that its administration of the Commonwealth Legal Aid Program is consistent with its international law obligations, including its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, a Convention that Australia signed in 1980 and ratified in 1983. Although a Declaration made by the United Nations is not binding in its own right, the Commonwealth Government is committed to ensuring that its practices are consistent with the requirements set out in the Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons (1975). The legal aid policies of the Commonwealth are evidence of that commitment. Therefore, the Commonwealth Government is of the view that the practical enjoyment of the rights covered by the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and referred to in the Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons are being observed.2052(Question No. 87)872052McClelland, Robert, MPMr McClellandJK6BartonALP00 asked the Attorney-General, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) Are there any precedents for a party or parties appearing before a Royal Commission to receive legal assistance from the Commonwealth; if so, in respect of which Royal Commissions was such assistance provided.(2) Is it contemplated that the Commonwealth will provide legal assistance to any party or parties in respect of the HIH Royal Commission or the Royal Commission in respect of the building industry unions.2052Williams, Daryl, MPMr Williams7V5TangneyLPAttorney-General10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) The Attorney-General's Department administers (under delegation from the Attorney-General) a scheme for legal and financial assistance called the Commissions and Inquiries Scheme (the Scheme). Under the Scheme assistance may be available where the Attorney-General has ministerial responsibility for the subject matter of the Commission or Inquiry, or where, in a specific instance, the Government has determined that the Attorney-General will be responsible for the provision of financial assistance.In the last 10 years, legal assistance has been provided to various parties appearing before the Commission of Inquiry into the Relations between the Civil Aviation Authority and Seaview Air (the `Seaview Inquiry') and the Paedophile Inquiry.(2) A scheme of financial assistance for legal and related costs before the HIH Royal Commission and the Royal Commission into the Building and Construction Industry has been established.This scheme is administered by the Legal Assistance Branch of the Attorney-General's Department.Guidelines for the provision of financial assistance before the Royal Commissions have been developed. Consistent with the approach for other Commissions and Inquiries, assistance may be available where:personal interests could be exposed to prejudice;the person is a central figure in the proceedings; orcross examination of the person is likely to assist the Commission.As at 12 March 2002, assistance has been granted to 14 parties appearing before the Royal Commission into the Building and Construction Industry.As at 12 March 2002, assistance has been granted to 15 parties appearing before the Royal Commission into HIH. There exists a long-standing practice, endorsed by successive Attorneys-General, to treat applications for financial assistance in confidence. This practice extends to neither confirming nor denying that particular applications have been received in accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act1988.2052(Question No. 102)1022052Ferguson, Martin, MPMr Martin FergusonLS4BatmanALP00 asked the Prime Minister, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) Further to his answer to question No. 2259 (OfficialHansard, 23 May 2001, page 26950) concerning the appointment of a wine consultant for Kirribilli House, what is the brand name of each of the 58 dozen bottles purchased and what was the cost of each dozen.(2) What is the full detail of the strategy/cellar plan used by the consultant on the advice of his Department.(3) What arrangements apply with respect to the purchase of wine for The Lodge.(4) Do any other Ministers have an entitlement to purchase wine at public expense; if so, which Ministers and what is their entitlement.(5) Why were no wines purchased from Queensland.2053Howard, John, MPMr HowardZD4BennelongLPPrime Minister10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:I am advised by my department as follows:(1) Mr Peter Bourne was contracted to identify and recommend suitable Australian wines for use at the official residences. The specific recommendations made by Mr Bourne comprise information with a commercial value to him, which would be diminished if the information were publicly available. On that basis, I have nothing further to add to my response to question No. 2259.(2) I have nothing further to add to my response to question No. 2259, which detailed the specification of requirements issued by my department for the development and implementation of the strategy/cellar plan.(3) The contract with Mr Bourne is for the identification and recommendation of suitable Australian wines for use at both official residences.(4) Ministers are responsible for any official hospitality they wish to provide, with costs being met by home departments. The procedures to be followed are matters for Ministers and their departments.(5) No Queensland wines were recommended by Mr Bourne. My department has discussed this matter with Mr Bourne and Queensland wines will be fully considered in any future recommendations.2053(Question No. 106)1062053Ferguson, Martin, MPMr Martin FergusonLS4BatmanALP00 asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) What sum did the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) pay per day for the services of Mr A. Shand QC and Mr Ian Harvey to represent the organisation in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal matter involving Whyalla Airlines.(2) What was the total cost incurred by CASA for the proceedings in relation to Whyalla Airlines and what is the detail of those costs, including internal CASA legal costs.(3) What is the total sum paid by CASA for external legal services in each of the past five years.(3) Is CASA paying a retainer to any barrister or solicitor; if so (a) who and (b) what sum is being paid.2053Anderson, John, MPMr Anderson4K4GwydirNPMinister for Transport and Regional Services10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has provided the following advice:(1) It has been the practice of consecutive Governments not to disclose information about the daily or hourly rates for individual counsel on the basis that arrangements between the Commonwealth and individual counsel are treated as confidential to protect the Commonwealth's financial interests. The counsel were briefed in accordance with the Legal Services Directions issued by the Attorney-General under section 55ZF of the Judiciary Act 1903.(2) The total estimated cost incurred by CASA in responding to the action taken by Whyalla Airlines in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal is $111,655.80. This comprises the following:External legal costs of $66,450 (see 1 above).Internal legal costs of $45,205.80 made up of: · $39,120 (excluding tax and superannuation costs) for staff hours used in preparation for appearance at the AAT (this is based on an estimated 326 staff hours multiplied by an indicative hourly rate of $120 per hour); and $6,085.80 for acquisition of the hearing's transcripts.(3) 1996-1997 $221,576.001997-1998 $353,192.001998-1999 $489,644.001999-2000 $546,328.002000-2001 $445,356.71(4) The Civil Aviation Safety Authority does not retain any Barrister or Solicitor.2054(Question No. 109)1092054Ferguson, Martin, MPMr Martin FergusonLS4BatmanALP00 asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) Does the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act or the Airports Act guarantee that Bankstown Airport will have an Environmental Impact Statement for any airport expansion proposals, such as new passenger terminals, runway extensions and handling of larger aircraft like Boeing 737 aircraft; if so, which sections provide that guarantee and what is the impact of the proposed privatisation on those sections.(2) Does the Airports Act require the completion of a Masterplan for Bankstown Airport, if so, has it been completed.(3) If a Masterplan has not been completed as required, why not and when will it be completed.(4) Has Bankstown Airport established a consultative committee as it was required to do by April 2000 in accordance with the Environment Strategy for the airport, if not, why not.(5) Will that consultative body be empowered to discuss, analyse and provide solutions to noise and pollution impacts from aircraft arriving, departing, taxiing and overflying residents and who will be on that consultative body.2054Anderson, John, MPMr Anderson4K4GwydirNPMinister for Transport and Regional Services10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) Any proposal for upgrading the facilities and operational status of Bankstown Airport will be subject to the assessment and consultation requirements of the Airports Act 1996 and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Proposals to build a new or enlarged terminal and to extend the runway would trigger the Major Development Plan (MDP) requirements of the Airports Act. These requirements include a formal 90 day public consultation period and consideration of the proposal by the Minister for Transport and Regional Services. The EPBC Act requires that the advice of the Minister for the Environment must be sought and considered before an MDP, or a plan for aviation airspace management involving aircraft operations with a significant impact on the environment, is approved or implemented. In forming this advice, the Minister for the Environment may require an environmental assessment in one of the forms set out in the EPBC Act. I will be recommending that the private sector lessee should be required to do a full environmental impact statement into the upgrading of Bankstown Airport. (2 & 3) The Airports Act 1996 requires that for each leased federal airport, there is to be an approved Master Plan. Given the impending sale of Bankstown Airport, I have extended the deadline for the submission of a draft Master Plan for Bankstown Airport to 30 September 2003 or no later than 12 months after the transfer of the lease to a new private operator. (4) To date, Bankstown Airport Limited has demonstrated a solid commitment to implementing its Environment Strategy and, in my view, is progressing well in achieving its objectives. On the matter of the proposed Bankstown Airport Community Advisory Committee, I note the Airport's plan for an advisory forum comprising key airport tenants and operators, government agencies, industry associations and community representatives. I have asked my department to liaise with Bankstown Airport on implementing this arrangement at the earliest practicable opportunity. (5) The terms of reference for the Committee are a matter for the management of Bankstown Airport. However, I would anticipate the Committee providing advice to the Airport and other aviation authorities on the abatement of aircraft noise and related environmental issues at Bankstown Airport, as well as consultation and information flows to the community about the Airport's operations. 2054(Question No. 117)1172054Ferguson, Martin, MPMr Martin FergusonLS4BatmanALP00 asked the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) Where, and in which electoral divisions, are Migrant Resource Centres located.(2) How many clients has each Centre assisted in each of the last 10 years.(3) When was each centre established and how is the ongoing need for a Centre in a particular location regularly assessed.(4) Is the Government considering the closure or opening of any Centre.(5) How many refugees were assisted by each Centre over each of the last 10 years.2055Hardgrave, Gary, MPMr HardgraveCK6MoretonLPMinister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs10—The answer to part (3) of Question No. 117 (Hansard, 13 March 2002, pages 1289-1291) provided incorrect establishment dates for the South Metro Migrant Resource Centre in Fremantle and the Northern Suburbs Migrant Resource Centre in Mirrabooka. The correct dates of establishment are 1981 for the South Metro Migrant Resource Centre in Fremantle, and 1994 for the Northern Suburbs Migrant Resource Centre in Mirrabooka. 2055(Question No. 125)1252055Ferguson, Martin, MPMr Martin FergusonLS4BatmanALP00 asked the Minister for Ageing, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:(1) Further to the answer to question No. 2284 (Hansard, 25 June 2001, page 27009) and the Turkish Association of Victoria's loss of funding under the Government's Community Settlement Services Scheme at the same time as the Australian Greek Welfare Society and Co.As.It Victoria, were any requests made at the same time as the Australian Greek Welfare Society and Co.As.It Victoria for funding assistance under the Ethnic Aged Care Framework.(2) Why were the grants transferred from the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs to the Department of Health and Aged Care not also transferred to the Turkish Association of Victoria.(3) Was the Turkish Association offered encouragement to apply for funding from other sources; if not, why not.(4) Does his Department provide any grants to the Turkish community in any other States and Territories; if so, what is the nature of those grants.2055Andrews, Kevin, MPMr AndrewsHK5MenziesLPMinister for Ageing10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) No.(2) The only grants transferred from the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs to the Department of Health and Ageing were for the Australian Greek Welfare Society and Co.As.It Victoria.(3) Not applicable, as grants for the Turkish community were not involved.(4) No.2055(Question No. 134)1342055Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister representing the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, upon notice, on 14 February 2002:(1) Is the Minister aware of the Australian Communication Authority's (ACA) determination made under subsection 99(1) of the Telecommunications Act 1997 titled Telecommunications (Service Provider-Identity Checks for Pre-paid Public Mobile Telecommunications Services) Determination 2000.(2) Does Part 3 of the determination make provision for the collection of information and verification of identity at point of sale of pre-paid mobile telecommunications services.(3) Does paragraph 3.1 state that the Part sets out the rules that a carriage service provider must comply with if the carriage service provider chooses to collect information about, and, if necessary, verify the identity of, the purchaser of a pre-paid public mobile telecommunications service at the point of sale of the service.(4) Is the operation of paragraph 3.1 at the discretion of the carriage service provider if it chooses to collect the information prescribed in Schedule 1 of the determination.(5) Does the operation of paragraph 3.1 determine the operation of paragraphs (a) 3.2 (Requirements to be satisfied before service is activated), (b) 3.3 (Information to be collected about purchaser), (c) 3.4 (Verification of identity of purchaser - payment otherwise than by credit card or debit card) and (d) 3.5 (Verification of identity of purchaser - non-cash payment).(6) Does Part 4 of the determination make provision for the post-sale collection of information and verification of identity of pre-paid mobile telecommunications services.(7) Does paragraph 4.1 state that the Part sets out the rules that a carriage service provider must comply with if the carriage service provider chooses to collect information about, and, if necessary, verify the identity of, the end-user using the service that is automatically diverted to the carriage service provider after the completion of the sale of the service.(8) Is the operation of paragraph 4.1 at the discretion of the carriage service provider if it chooses to collect the information prescribed in Schedule 1 of the determination.(9) Does the operation of paragraph 4.1 determine the operation of paragraphs (a) 4.2 (Requirements to be satisfied before service is activated), (b) 4.3 (Information to be collected about end-user), (c) 4.5 (Obtaining identifying information about end-user) and (c) 4.7 (Procedures if required amount of identifying information cannot be verified).(10) Do these discretionary powers in the hands of the carriage service provider or its agent, constitute industry self-regulation; if so, upon what policy rationale is this discretionary power in the hands of the carriage service providers based.(11) What is the standing of the determination as an legal instrument enforceable by law.(12) For the purposes of Part 5 of the determination, what value do such records have as a written record of pre-paid public mobile telecommunications service, in light of the discretionary provisions in Parts 3 and 4 of the determination which do not require collection of information.(13) Is the quality and quantity of the written records prescribed in Part 5 determined by the quantity and quality of data that is discretionarily collected under Parts 3 and 4.(14) Is the operation of Part 5 therefore dependent on the discretionary operation of Parts 3 and 4 of the determination.(15) What procedures are in place to ensure that carriage service providers and agents of service providers as described in the Act, fulfil their statutory obligations under the determination, in particular the carriage provider's or agent's obligation in the supply of pre-paid public mobile telecommunications services in conformance with paragraph 2.2 of the determination.(16) What criteria, if any, does the ACA use to determine whether a carriage service provider has properly exercised its discretionary power in fulfilling its obligations under paragraphs 3.1 and 4.1 of the determination.(17) Has the ACA the power to compel a carriage service provider to collect information of the kind prescribed in Schedule 1.(18) What evidence can be provided to show that the present scheme prescribed in the determination provides full and accurate data regarding the purported owners and true identity of pre-paid public mobile telecommunications services.2056McGauran, Peter, MPMr McGauranXH4GippslandNPMinister for Science10—The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question, based on advice received from the Australian Communications Authority and the Department for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts:(1) Yes.(2) Yes.(3) Yes.(4) No. If a carriage service provider chooses to collect information and verify the identity of a purchaser at the point of sale, the carriage service provider must collect information about the purchaser in accordance with 3.3. The only discretion that exists is whether the information is collected and verified using the process outlined in Part 3, or using the process outlined in Part 4.(5) Yes.(6) Yes.(7) Yes.(8) No. A carriage service provider has the discretion to implement a post sale information collection and verification process. If a carriage service provider chooses to implement a post sale process it must collect and verify information about the purchaser in accordance with Schedule 1.(9) Yes.(10) The carriage service provider's choice is whether to provide a point of sale verification process (Part 3) or a post sale verification process (Part 4). In the time since the determination was made in 2000, no reliable, accurate and complete database has been available to carriage service providers to conduct the post sale verification process. Accordingly each carrier has determined that the only implementation method available to carriage service providers is point of sale verification. The discretion that is provided for by the determination, enabling the carriage service provider to implement either a point-of-sale or a post-sale information collection and verification process, is a mechanism designed to foster the self-regulation of this particular and competitive segment of the telecommunications industry. That in turn is a reflection of the regulatory policy specified in section 4 of the Telecommunications Act 1997 that telecommunications be regulated in a manner that: promotes the greatest practicable use of industry self-regulation; and does not impose undue financial and administrative burdens on participants in the Australian telecommunications industry.(11) The determination is subordinate legislation made under section 99 of the Telecommunications Act 1997 and is a disallowable instrument.(12) Part 3 requires the carriage service provider to collect and if necessary verify information about the purchaser of a pre-paid service in accordance with the determination. Part 4 requires the carriage service provider to collect and if necessary verify the identity of the end user of a pre-paid service in accordance with the determination. The carriage service provider is not required to keep copies of the documents (e.g. photocopy of passport) but they must note what documents were provided to satisfy the requirements. Part 5 requires the carriage service provider to keep records of the information (as opposed to copies of the actual documents). Part 5 also requires carriage service providers to make arrangements with its agents to ensure the record keeping requirements under section 5.1 are kept.The carriage service provider is required to record the information provided by the purchaser under either the point of sale process (Part 3) or the post sale process (Part 4). The records kept under Part 5 include: the name of the carriage service provider; the number issued by the carriage service provider for the services; for Part 3, the information collected under 3.3; and if applicable the kind of document seen by the carriage service provider under section 3.4 or 3.5; and in the case of a service purchased by credit or debit - details of the card, recorded in a way that can be linked to the number issued by the carriage service provider for the service.Under Part 4 (not currently being used by any carriage service provider) the information to be collected includes the information collected under 4.3 and if the carriage service provider obtained and verified information about the end user under 4.5 and 4.6, the item numbers in column 1 of Schedule 3 that relate to the identifying information obtained and verified and the total number of points allocated to the identifying information; and if applicable the details of the kind of document seen by the carriage service provider under 4.6.(13) The nature of the records kept by the carriage service provider under Part 5 are determined by whether the carriage service provider is operating a point of sale verification process (as all carriage service providers currently operate) or a post sale verification process. The carrier must record the requisite information in Part 5 depending on whether they implement a point of sale or post sale process. Records are required for each activated service.(14) The discretionary power of carriage service providers is limited to whether they choose to operate a point of sale or post sale process. The record keeping obligations that relate to both parts are not discretionary.(15) The Australian Communications Authority liaises regularly with law enforcement agencies and carriers through the forum of its Law Enforcement Advisory Committee regarding compliance with the determination.(16) The ACA has recently convened a Working Group under the auspices of the Law Enforcement Advisory Committee to identify options for improving compliance with, and the operation of, the pre-paid mobile determination.(17) A carriage service provider has the discretion to choose between a point of sale information verification process and a post sale verification process. All mobile carriers currently implement a point of sale process because of the reasons outlined in the answer to question 10. This issue will be considered as part of the Working Group process referred to in the answer to question 15.(18) A carriage service provider must collect the information in Schedule 1 if it is activating a service under either section 3.3 or 4.3 of the determination. Failure to collect this information may be regarded as a breach of the determination which can result in the ACA issuing a formal warning, remedial direction, or commencing civil penalty proceedings (leading to a possible penalty of up to $10 million per contravention).The ACA is currently investigating the operation of the determination in light of concerns expressed by law enforcement agencies to improve the pre-paid mobile telecommunications market from both the agency and carrier perspective.However, it should be noted that the purchaser of a pre-paid mobile service is often not the end-user and advice from law enforcement agencies suggests that identity fraud is a significant enforcement concern in all areas of criminal investigation including those that relate to the purchasing of pre-paid mobiles. Law enforcement agencies have advised that in comparison with overseas jurisdictions, particularly in Europe and Scandinavia, the Australian pre-paid market is well regulated. The Law Enforcement Advisory Committee Working Group is investigating options to further improve identification and verification processes in the Australian pre-paid market.2058(Question No. 135)1352058Bevis, Arch, MPMr BevisET4BrisbaneALP00 asked the Attorney-General, upon notice, on 14 February 2002:(1) How many notifications of dangerous goods being sent through the mail were received by the appropriate authorities for each month in 2001.(2) For each notification, how many were revealed by investigation to be hoaxes. 2058Williams, Daryl, MPMr Williams7V5TangneyLPAttorney-General10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) Generally, no central register is maintained for the number of dangerous goods being sent through the mail. However, the Protective Security Coordination Centre within my Department activated the Watch Office in the early hours of 12 September 2001 in response to the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. The Watch Office started to receive reports from State and Territory police services of suspicious packages received in Australia during the months immediately following the Anthrax mail incidents in the United States on 18 September 2001. As at 31 October 2001, the Watch Office had received reports of 1895 incidents of suspicious packages. At the end of November the number had grown to 2738. Most police services stopped reporting such incidents in late November 2001. The Watch Office ceased maintaining consolidated lists of suspect packages on 4 December 2001. At that time, about 3000 suspect packages had been reported.(2) Police reporting of, and the compilation of national statistics on suspect packages has proved to be inconsistent and has been complicated by definitional issues relating to the term `hoax'.However, of the 1,895 incidents reported to the Watch Office as at 31 October 2001, 721 were classified as hoaxes. At the end of November 2001 this number had grown to 948 from a total of 2,738 incidents. None of the suspicious packages reported proved to be of genuine concern. As noted above, most police services stopped reporting such incidents in late November 2001 and when the Watch Office ceased maintaining consolidated lists of suspect packages on 4 December 2001, approximately one third of the 3000 suspect packages reported were designated as hoaxes.2059(Question No. 136)1362059Bevis, Arch, MPMr BevisET4BrisbaneALP00 asked the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, upon notice, on 14 February 2002:(1) Which Defence properties are either presently listed for sale or being evaluated for possible sale during the course of the next three years.(2) For each property, (a) when will the sale occur and (b) what consultations have occurred, or are planned to occur, with the local Members of Parliament and local community groups.2059Vale, Danna, MPMrs ValeVK6HughesLPMinister for Veterans' Affairs and Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence10—The Minister for Defence has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:(1)— PROPERTY NAMESTATEANTICIPATED YEAR OF DISPOSALTRANSMITTING STATION, GUNGAHLINACT2002/2003TRANSMITTING STATION, LAWSON/BELCONNENACT2003/2004WERRIWA DEPOT CANBERRAACT2004/2005BATHURST LOGISTICS DEPOT (Part)NSW2002/2003BOGAN GATE STORES DEPOTNSW2002/2003COOTAMUNDRA - VACANT LANDNSW2002/2003DUBBO, RAAF Stores DepotNSW2002/2003GAN GAN TRAINING CAMPNSW2002/2003NEWNES JUNCTIONNSW2001/2002PORT KEMBLA TRAINING DEPOT - HILL 60NSW2003/2004RAAF CADETS WOLLONGONG, (Mt St. Thomas)NSW2003/2004STOCKTON RIFLE RANGENSW2002/2003TRAINING DEPOT ALBURY - BUNA BARRACKSNSW2002/2003TRAINING DEPOT COFFS HARBOUR (Part)NSW2002/2003ENDEAVOUR HOSTELNSW2002/2003ERMINGTON (RYDALMERE)NSW2002/2006HMAS PLATYPUS (NEUTRAL BAY)NSW2003/2004HOLSWORTHY - EAST HILLS BARRACKS (VOYAGER POINT)NSW2001/2002HOLSWORTHY - KOKODANSW2002/2004HOLSWORTHY - MOOREBANK RDNSWTBAINGLEBURN ARMY BASENSW2003/2006LADY GOWRIE HOUSENSW2002/2003MOOREBANK - AMIENSNSW2002/2003MOOREBANK - YULONGNSW 2002/2004MOOREBANK (excluding DNSDC)NSW2004/2006RADIO STATION LONDONDERRYNSW2003/2004RANDWICK (Bundock Street)NSW2002/2006REGENTS PARKNSW2002/2004SCHOFIELDS AERODROME NSW2002/2003THORNTON PARK - STORES DEPOT PENRITHNSW2002/2004TRAINING DEPOT DUNDAS - Part NSW2001/2003TRAINING DEPOT GLADESVILLENSW2001/2002TRAINING DEPOT HABERFIELDNSW2002/2003TRANSMITTING STATION BRINGELLYNSW2003/2004WERRINGTON, STORES DEPOT KINGSWOODNSW2002/2004DARWIN RIVER QUARRYNT2003/2004KOWANDI NORTH (Part)NT2001/2002RADAR SITE LEE POINT NT2003/2004RECEIVING STATION LEE POINT NT2003/2004TRANSMITTING STATION BERRIMAH (11 MILE)NT2003/2004COMMUNICATIONS STATION ACACIA RIDGEQLD2002/2003DUCKWORTH ST/DALRYMPLE RD, TOWNSVILLEQLD2001/2002MANN ST, CAIRNS - Vacant LandQLD2002/2003ROCKHAMPTON - ARCHER STQLD2003/2004STORES DEPOT BANYOQLD2002/2003TRAINING DEPOT NORTH WARD, Mitchell StQLD2002/2003WACOLQLDTBAWITTON BARRACKS, INDOOROOPILLY QLD2003/2004SALISBURYSA2001/2005SMITHFIELD MAGAZINE AREASA2002/2003TRANSMITTING STATION, TRAINING DEPOT - ELIZABETH NORTHSA2005/2006BRIGHTON ARMY BARRACKSTAS2002/2003FORT DIRECTIONTAS2003/2004AFTON STVIC2003/2004BROADMEADOWSVIC2002/2003CROWS NESTVIC2003/2004MARIBYRNONGVIC2003/2004PORTSEA, NORRIS BARRACKS - PORT NEPEANVIC2002/2004RAAF POINT COOKVIC2003/2004SOMERTONVIC2002/2003TRAINING DEPOT BAIRNSDALEVIC2003/2004TRAINING DEPOT KORUMBURRAVIC2003/2004TRAINING DEPOT KORUMBURRA - VACANT LANDVIC2004/2005TRAINING DEPOT WANGARATTAVIC2003/2004WATERFORD GREENVIC2002/2003ARTILLERY BARRACKS FREMANTLEWA2001/2002BUSHMEAD-RIFLE RANGE AND BUSHLANDWA2003/2004COMMUNICATIONS CENTRE CAVERSHAMWA2002/2005FUEL DEPOT FREMANTLEWA2002/2003Properties identified for possible sale and leaseback are: PROPERTY NAMESTATEANTICIPATED YEAR OF DISPOSALCAMPBELL PARK OFFICESACT2001/2002DEFENCE COLLEGE WESTON CREEKACT2002/2003RUSSELL HILL OFFICES ACT2002/2003DNSDC MOOREBANKNSW2002/2003REVY BUILDING, PYRMONT (Partial Leaseback) NSW2002/2003WAVERTONNSW2003/2004LOGISTICS FACILITY WINNELLIENT2002/2003LOGISTICS BASE MEEANDAHQLD2002/2003(2) (a) Due to the nature of property transactions the specific date when a property will be sold is difficult to forecast. The above list of properties is scheduled to be divested from Commonwealth ownership over the next three years, noting the sale of some of the properties extend over a longer period of time.(b) In developing a disposal strategy for a Defence property, consultation is a key element. The standard procedure is to advise or brief local Members of Parliament on the disposal of the property early in the disposal process, together with the provision of a departmental contact to provided for on-going consultation. The extent of consultation with the appropriate local council, interest groups and the community varies depending on the issues associated with the individual property.2061(Question No. 138)1382061Mossfield, Frank, MPMr MossfieldMK6GreenwayALP00 asked the Minister for Ageing, upon notice, on 14 February 2002:(1) How many (a) nursing homes, (b) nursing home beds, (c) hostels, (d) hostel beds and (e) in home care packages were there in the electoral division of Greenway in (i) 2001, (ii) 1996 and (iii) 1990.(2) How many of these are or were (a) publicly owned, (b) owned by not-for-profit religious organisations and (c) privately owned.(3) Have there been any complaints made to him, his predecessor or his Department regarding the standard of care provided in any of these facilities or programs since 1996; (a) if so; what are the details of each complaint and (b) what action did his Department take in responding to those complaints.(4) Under the recently completed accreditation program, were any nursing homes or hostels in the electoral division of Greenway required by his Department to undertake work in order to be granted accreditation; if so, what are the details.2061Andrews, Kevin, MPMr AndrewsHK5MenziesLPMinister for Ageing10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) The number of aged care homes, places and community aged care packages in the electorate of Greenway are shown in the table below:YearTotal Number of HomesTotal Number of Residential Care PlacesTotal Number of Community Aged Care PackagesTotal Number of Residential Care Places and Community Aged Care Packages2000-01(a)127231068291995-96(b)12701217221989-90(c)8459-459One of the Aged Care Reforms in October 1997 was to cease the distinction between nursing homes and hostels.(a) In 2000-01, five homes were predominantly low care, and seven were predominantly high care.(b) In 1995-96, five homes were hostels, and seven were nursing homes.(c) In 1989-90, four homes were hostels, and four were nursing homes.(2) Nine of the 12 aged care homes in the electorate of Greenway are owned by religious organisations, and three are privately owned.(3) The nature of the complaints and action taken is protected information under the Aged Care Act 1997.(4) An accreditation decision is made by the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency (the Agency). Reports on the accreditation audits of these homes are available on the Agency's website at www.accreditation.aust.com.2061(Question No. 142)1422061Latham, Mark, MPMr LathamK26WerriwaALP00 asked the Prime Minister, upon notice, on 18 February 2002:Has the Governor-General issued instructions to his Department and the media that the Governor-General is to be known by the title Dr Hollingworth; if so, what is the basis of this title.2061Howard, John, MPMr HowardZD4BennelongLPPrime Minister10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:I am advised by the Official Secretary to the Governor-General that Government House makes available to all who wish to know that the Governor-General's formal title is “His Excellency the Right Reverend Dr Peter Hollingworth, AC OBE”I am further advised that the basis of the Governor-General's use of the title “Doctor” is his receipt of a Lambeth Doctorate of Letters from the Archbishop of Canterbury on 22 May 2001. Lambeth degrees are not regarded as honorary degrees. The long-standing practice is that recipients of Lambeth degrees use the title “Doctor”.2062(Question No. 143)1432062Latham, Mark, MPMr LathamK26WerriwaALP00 asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 18 February 2002: Has the Government now finalised the planning study it commenced in 1997/98 on the need for additional ramps on the F5 Freeway between Casula and Campbelltown; if so (a) what are the study's findings and recommendations and (b) what progress has been made in implementing the study.2062Anderson, John, MPMr Anderson4K4GwydirNPMinister for Transport and Regional Services10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(a) and (b) The planning study is being undertaken by the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) and has not yet been finalised. The Department of Transport and Regional Services recently asked the RTA to review certain elements of the economic evaluation and traffic modelling that was undertaken by the RTA's consultant, before finalising the report. The RTA is expected to respond shortly.2062(Question No. 146)1462062Latham, Mark, MPMr LathamK26WerriwaALP00 asked the Minister representing the Minister for Justice and Customs, upon notice, on 18 February 2002:(1) Further to the Minister's answer to question No. 2586 (Hansard, 6 August 2001, page 29234) concerning the Peter Tomson case, (a) was the magistrate's decision that a prima facie case had been established based on averments sworn by the Australian Customs Service (ACS) to initiate the proceedings and (b) were these averments subsequently shown to be false. (2) How many officers that provided evidence before the Midford inquiry were also involved in the Tomson case and what positions did they hold within the ACS. (3) What are the terms of reference for the review of the Tomson case by Counsel. (4) What guarantee can the Minister give to the independence of a review Commissioned by Customs itself. (5) Can the Minister guarantee that all relevant ACS information will be placed before Counsel. (6) Will Mr Tomson be interviewed by Counsel. (7) When does the Minister expect Counsel's review to be completed. 2062Williams, Daryl, MPMr Williams7V5TangneyLPAttorney-General10—The Minister for Justice and Customs has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:(1) (a) The transcript of the proceedings indicates that the Court found a prima facie case “... on the evidence contained in the documents and the evidence from .. (not transcribable) ...” The documents available to the Magistrate included averments sworn by officers of the Australian Customs Service. It appears clear that the Magistrate's decision that there was a prima facie case was not based on averments alone. (b) No. Before finding a prima facie case existed, the Magistrate had ruled that some of the Customs averments dealt with questions of law not of fact and required them to be amended or disregarded. (2) Two, a Director and a Chief Inspector.(3) Customs advises that the instructions to Counsel were: “It would be appreciated if you would consider the material submitted by Messrs Barwick, Boitano Lawyers and the other material enclosed. Customs seeks your advice whether there is any substance in the allegations made and if further examination is warranted.” (4) The request for review of material was made to Customs by Barwick, Boitano Lawyers on behalf of Mr Tomson. In view of allegations made in the material provided by Barwick, Boitano Lawyers, Customs considered it prudent that the material be independently examined and a report be forwarded to Customs. Counsel had no previous involvement with this matter and his independence and integrity are not in question.(5) Customs advises that all the material placed before the Court in the Tomson matter along with the associated case files was made available to Counsel. (6) Counsel did not indicate any need to interview Mr Tomson. (7) Counsel provided his report to Customs on 24 September 2001. On the basis of the available material and the absence of further information from Mr Tomson's solicitors, Counsel concluded that the allegations were baseless and incapable of being particularised. On 7 December 2001 Customs advised Mr Tomson's legal representatives of Counsel's conclusions and provided a copy of a summary of those conclusions.2063(Question No. 149)1492063Bevis, Arch, MPMr BevisET4BrisbaneALP00 asked the Prime Minister, upon notice, on 18 February 2002:Did any staff from his office or his Department visit Christmas Island between 25 August and 10 November 2001; if so, for each visit (a) who visited, (b) on which days did the visits take place, (c) what was the official business conducted on those visits, (d) who instructed those persons to undertake the visits and (e) to whom did they report.2063Howard, John, MPMr HowardZD4BennelongLPPrime Minister10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) I am advised that no officers of my Department or my office visited Christmas Island in any official capacity between 25 August and 10 November 2001.2063(Question No. 151)1512063Brereton, Laurie, MPMr Brereton5T4Kingsford-SmithALP00 asked the Attorney-General, upon notice, on 18 February 2002:On how many occasions in (a) 1997-1998, (b) 1998-1999, (c) 1999-2000 and (d) 2000-2001 did the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation seek and obtain disclosures of information or documents from carriers, carriage service providers or number database operators under the provisions of section 283 of the Telecommunications Act 1997.2063Williams, Daryl, MPMr Williams7V5TangneyLPAttorney-General10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:Consistent with the practice of successive Australian Governments, the information sought by the Honourable Member is not available publicly on national security grounds.2063(Question No. 152)1522063Brereton, Laurie, MPMr Brereton5T4Kingsford-SmithALP00 asked the Attorney-General, upon notice, on 18 February 2002:On how many occasions in 2001 did Australian Federal Police officers certify under section 282 of the Telecommunications Act 1997 that the disclosure of information on documents by carriers, carriage service providers or number database operators was reasonably necessary for the enforcement of the criminal law.2063Williams, Daryl, MPMr Williams7V5TangneyLPAttorney-General10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:In 2001, the AFP sought the disclosure of information or documents pursuant to section 282 of the Telecommunications Act 1997 on 24,903 occasions. The total is comprised of 19,402 subscriber requests and 5,861 call charge record requests.2063(Question No. 153)1532063Wilkie, Kim, MPMr Wilkie84GSwanALP00 asked the Minister for Small Business and Tourism, upon notice, on 19 February 2002:(1) Of the $5 million provided to the travel industry as part of the travel industry subsidy scheme, what is the breakdown of the allocation paid to each Australian State and Territory.(2) What were the destination details of those who received a subsidy.2064Hockey, Joe, MPMr HockeyDK6North SydneyLPMinister for Small Business and Tourism10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) At the close of the program, rebates were received by travellers resident in States and Territories as follows: State/TerritoryRebate AmountsACT $64,200NSW$1,712,400QLD$621,450SA$448,200TAS$45,300VIC$1,217,400WA$263,100NT$18,750TOTAL$4,390,800The actual current payout figures to each State and Territory amounted to $3.4 million as at 1 March 2002. This is somewhat less than total authorisations as not all travel agents have lodged their claims as yet.(2) Destination details of those who received a subsidy are not available.2064(Question No. 161)1612064Ferguson, Laurie, MPMr Laurie Ferguson8T4ReidALP00 asked the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, upon notice, on 20 February 2002:(1) Since September 1994, how many (a) adults and (b) children are estimated to have lost their Australian citizenship due to the operation of section 17 of the Citizenship Act.(2) What were the new countries of nationality or citizenship that triggered the loss of Australian citizenship.(3) How many of the people referred to in part (1) have to date (a) applied for and (b) obtained a resumption of their Australian citizenship under section 23 of the Act.2064Hardgrave, Gary, MPMr HardgraveCK6MoretonLPMinister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) Since September 1994, 2549 adults have been recorded as having lost their Australian citizenship due to the operation of section 17 of the Australian Citizenship Act 1948. In the same period, 363 children are recorded as having lost their Australian citizenship under section 23 of the Australian Citizenship Act 1948 as a result of their parents having lost under section 17. (2) The loss of Australian citizenship is triggered by section 17 of the Australian Citizenship Act 1948. Section 17 provides that an adult Australian will lose their Australian citizenship if they do “any act or thing” which results in the acquisition of the citizenship of another country. By acquiring the citizenship of any country, a citizen will automatically lose their Australian citizenship. The Department does not collect statistics on which countries Australian citizens apply to for citizenship.(3) Figures for financial years 1994/95 and 1995/96 are recorded only as the total number of people who have resumed. That is, there is no data break up for adults and children and no data on the number of applications lodged for resumption of Australian citizenship. In 1994/95 the total number of people who resumed their Australian citizenship was 292 and 424 in 1995/96.Since financial year 1996/97, 2753 adults and 177 children have applied to resume their Australian citizenship. Of these, 2382 adults and 159 children have obtained a resumption of their Australian citizenship under sections 23A, 23AA and 23B of the Australian Citizenship Act 1948. Departmental data on resumption does not record the means by which the applicant lost Australian citizenship. The adults and children referred to above as having resumed citizenship may have lost their citizenship either by renunciation (section 18 of the Australian Citizenship Act 1948) or through the operation of sections 17 and 23 of the Act.2065(Question No. 164)1642065Ferguson, Martin, MPMr Martin FergusonLS4BatmanALP00 asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 20 February 2002:(1) With respect to the issue of road safety, is there a clear link between speed and serious accidents.(2) Does the Government accept that speed advertising contradicts the primary road safety measure that speed kills.(3) Has the Government considered the advertising code of the United Kingdom on automotive advertising and speed.(4) Is he able to say whether the current Toyota Corolla television advertisement, the Mitsubishi VRX speeding bullet advertisement; the Holden Ute kicking up a storm advertisement; the Ford Ute wake-boarding ad and the Honda dreams would be unlikely to be permitted in the UK or other countries with similar advertising codes.2065Anderson, John, MPMr Anderson4K4GwydirNPMinister for Transport and Regional Services10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) Yes, research has shown a clear link between speed and road safety. Speed affects the risk of involvement in a crash, crash severity and the probability of serious injury or death. Speed increases of just a few kilometers per hour have been shown to result in a significant increase in the risk of a serious crash.(2) Road safety messages that seek to discourage excessive speed are an important part of road safety campaigns conducted by both government and non-government agencies throughout Australia. The Federal Government is concerned that vehicle advertising featuring an excessive emphasis on speed and power and aggressive and/or illegal driving has the potential to undermine these important safety messages. My Parliamentary Secretary, Senator Boswell, issued a media release on these concerns in December 2001.(3) In the United Kingdom, three independent regulators enforce separate Codes of Practice for advertising: the Independent Television Commission, the Advertising Standards Authority and the Radio Authority. Each includes specific sections relating to motor vehicles, providing much more detailed guidance for advertisers than Australia's current Advertiser Code of Ethics. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau, in my Department, recently made a written submission to the Australian Association of National Advertisers, drawing on input from safety bodies around Australia. The main proposal put forward by the ATSB in the submission is for the development of more comprehensive and specific guidance for manufacturers and advertisers, within the current framework of self-regulation.The Australian Transport Safety Bureau considered the advertising codes of a number of other countries, including the UK and New Zealand, when developing its proposal for more comprehensive guidance.Similar to the UK, New Zealand has a Code for Road Safety in Advertising which provides guidance to advertisers. The New Zealand Code lists specific unacceptable elements, including glorifying excessive speed and unsafe driving practices. In correspondence with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, the New Zealand Land Transport Safety Authority noted that a number of advertisements originating in Australia were banned in New Zealand on the basis that they were considered to glorify excessive speed.(4) Whether particular advertisements would be permitted in the UK or other countries is entirely a matter for those countries. I do not intend to speculate on how other countries might apply their own codes. There is a growing number of advertisements of potential concern in addition to those cited in the question, and the Government is seeking action by advertisers and the vehicle industry as a matter of priority.2065(Question No. 173)1732065Edwards, Graham, MPMr Edwards83RCowanALP00 asked the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, upon notice, on 11 March 2002:Are Australian special forces on active service in Afghanistan (a) being tasked appropriately with those military operations they are specifically trained to performed, (b) operating with like special forces and (c) being resourced and supported to the same levels as those special force counterparts. 2066Vale, Danna, MPMrs ValeVK6HughesLPMinister for Veterans' Affairs and Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence10—The Minister for Defence has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:(a) Yes, Australian Special Forces personnel are performing in a Special Forces role. These tasks typically include:· Operating in small teams for extended periods in extremely rugged terrain;· Accessing remote locations to observe al Qaeda and Taliban activities, which in this operation is beyond the scope of conventional Australian forces; and· Conducting long-range patrols, beyond the range and scope of conventional Australian forces.(b) Other coalition members do have Special Forces deployed within Afghanistan and Australian Special Forces are at times required to operate closely with them.(c) Yes, Australian Special Forces personnel are being resourced and supported in line with their coalition counterparts. Prior to their deployment, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) procured a significant amount of special equipment to kit out the Australian Special Forces detachment for operations within Afghanistan. This included extreme cold weather equipment (special sleeping bags, tents, boots and other personal equipment), numerous all terrain vehicles, and special weapons and munitions. To maintain an appropriate level of support to the Special Forces detachment the ADF conducts a weekly sustainment flight to the Middle East. In addition, coalition members provide the Australian Special Forces detachment with aeromedical evacuation and health support as well as fuel, water and fresh food. 2066(Question No. 177)1772066McClelland, Robert, MPMr McClellandJK6BartonALP00 asked the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, upon notice, on 11 March 2002:(1) Which organisations funded by the Minister's Department will face an increased salary bill as a result of the decision of the Industrial Commission of New South Wales in the social and community services employees (State) Award case matter no. IRC 5544 1998.(2) Is it the case that the NSW Government has offered to increase grants to those organisations to assist in meeting those increased salaries.(3) Will the Federal Government similarly increase grants to those organisations to assist them to cope with the increased salary commitment.2066Ruddock, Philip, MPMr Ruddock0J4BerowraLPMinister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Reconciliation10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) The Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs cannot readily determine the number of funded organisations in NSW which face increased salary costs as a result of the recent Social and Community Services (SACS) Award increase. - While funded organisations are required to adhere to relevant awards and conditions the Department is not involved in the negotiation of salaries or the employment of staff by funded organisations. - The Department does not monitor the salary arrangements of funded organisations. - Some funded organisations currently pay salaries that are higher than the new Awards rates, so the increase will not necessarily impact on all organisations funded by the Department.NSW and ACT organisations and agencies currently receiving program funding by my Department appear in the table below.(2) Yes. According to Hansard transcripts of 6 December 2001 the NSW Treasurer announced that the NSW Government “...is paying the full amount of its share to enable the non-government organisations to pay the increase to their staff.” (3) Funds for this financial year are fully committed. Applications for funding in upcoming rounds for the Community Settlement Services Scheme (CSSS) and Living in Harmony (LIH) program are expected to reflect the new salary costs and should be costed appropriately.Core funding to Migrant Resource Centres (MRCs)/Migrant Service Agencies (MSAs) does not contain a specific amount for salaries. MRC/MSA management committees manage their budget, expenditure and employment of staff independently, and make their own operational decisions. On average, approximately 2 percent indexation per annum is applied to core funding to MRCs/MSAs.Organisations in NSW and the ACT currently in receipt of funding from the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. Organisation DIMIA funding programArts North West Inc.LIHAustralian Theatre for Young PeopleLIHBasketball Association Of NewcastleLIHBomaderry PreschoolLIHCanterbury City CouncilLIHCasino Neighbourhood Centre Inc.LIHCentral West Youth Support GroupLIHInformation and Cultural Exchange (ICE)LIHMulticultural Disability Advocacy Assoc of NSWLIHNambucca Shire CouncilLIHNorthside Community Service IncLIHUniting Church in Australia Property Trust (NSW) Board of EducationLIHInner West Migrant Resource Centre (MRC)MRC/MSA Core Funding / CSSSAuburn MRCMRC/MSA Core FundingBlacktown MRCMRC/MSA Core Funding / CSSSFairfield MRCMRC/MSA Core FundingMacarthur MRCMRC/MSA Core Funding / CSSSCanterbury-Bankstown MRCMRC/MSA Core Funding / CSSSBotany MRCMRC/MSA Core FundingNewcastle and Hunter Region MRCMRC/MSA Core Funding / CSSSMigrant Network Services (Migrant Service Agency) MRC/MSA Core Funding / CSSSLiverpool MRCMRC/MSA Core Funding / CSSSBaulkham Hills/ Holroyd/Parramatta MRCMRC/MSA Core Funding / CSSSSt George MRCMRC/MSA Core Funding / CSSSIllawarra MRCMRC/MSA Core Funding / CSSSCanberra MRC & Queanbeyan Multilingual CentreMRC/MSA Core Funding / CSSSAfghan Community Support Association of NSW Inc.CSSSAl Zahra Muslim Women's Association Inc.CSSSAlbury Wodonga Multicultural Resource Centre Inc.CSSSAsian Women at Work Inc.CSSSAssociation of Bhanin El Minieh - Australian Arabic Community Welfare Centre Inc.CSSSAssyrian Australian AssociationCSSSAuburn Migrant Resource CentreCSSSAustralia Alevi Cultural CentreCSSSAustralia-Korean Welfare AssociationCSSSAustralian Arabic Communities Council Inc.CSSSAustralian Bosnian and Hercegovina Cultural Association Inc.CSSSAustralian Chinese Community Association of NSW Inc.CSSSAustralian Islamic Cultural Centre Inc.CSSSAustralian Kurdish AssociationCSSSAustralian Lebanese Christian Federation Inc.CSSSAustralian Lebanese Welfare GroupCSSSAustralian Philippine Association Inc.CSSSAustralian Turkish Social and Cultural Trust Inc.CSSSAustralian Turkish and Kurdish Community Services Co-opCSSSBathurst Information & Neighbourhood CentreCSSSBelconnen Community Service Inc.CSSSBosnia Herzegovina Project IncorporatedCSSSBroken Hill Multicultural Women's Resource & Information CentreCSSSCabramatta Community CentreCSSSCambodian-Australian Welfare Council of NSW Inc.CSSSCherrybrook Chinese Community Association Inc.CSSSChinese Australian Services Society Co-operative LtdCSSSChinese Migrant Welfare Association Inc.CSSSChristian Community Aid Service Inc.CSSSCo.As.It. Italian Association of AssistanceCSSSCoffs Harbour Neighbourhood Centre Inc.CSSSCoptic Orthodox Church NSWCSSSCroatian Australian Welfare CentreCSSSCroatian Community Welfare Centre Inc.CSSSDiocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Australia & New ZealandCSSSDubbo Community Services & Information Centre Inc.CSSSECHO Bondi Junction Neighbourhood Centre Inc.CSSSEthnic Communities Council of Wagga Wagga Inc.CSSSEthnic Communities' Council of New South Wales Inc.CSSSFriends of Refugees from Eastern EuropeCSSSGreek Orthodox Community NSW LtdCSSSGreek Welfare CentreCSSSGriffith Multicultural Community Council Inc.CSSSGymea Community Aid and InformationCSSSIndonesian Welfare Association Inc.CSSSInstitute of the Sisters of Mercy of AustraliaCSSSIranian Community OrganisationCSSSIslamic Council of NSWCSSSItalian Social Welfare OrganisationCSSSJewish CareCSSSKhmer Community of NSW IncorporatedCSSSLa Valette Social Centre Inc.CSSSLao Community Advancement (NSW) Co-op LtdCSSSLao-Australian Group Community Services Association Inc.CSSSLebanese Community Council of NSWCSSSLebanese Moslems AssociationCSSSLightning Ridge and Region Transcultural Community Council Inc.CSSSLismore Neighbourhood Centre Inc.CSSSMacedonian Australian Welfare Association of Sydney Inc.CSSSMacedonian Welfare Association Inc.CSSSManning Valley Neighbourhood Services Inc.CSSSMaronite Catholic Society Inc.CSSSMay Murray Neighbourhood Centre Inc.CSSSMelkite Catholic Eparchy CorporationCSSSMountains Community Resource Network Inc.CSSSMt. Druitt Ethnic Communities AgencyCSSSNSW Indo-China Chinese Association Inc.CSSSNSW Spanish and Latin American Association for Social Assistance Inc.CSSSNepean Migrant Access Inc.CSSSNorth Sydney Community Service LtdCSSSNorthern Beaches Neighbourhood ServicesCSSSPhilippine-Australian Community Services Inc.CSSSPolish Welfare and Information Bureau Inc.CSSSPortuguese Welfare CentreCSSSRandwick Information and Community CentreCSSSRussian Ethnic Communities Council Inc.CSSSSalvadorean Association In Australia Inc.CSSSSamoan Advisory Council Sydney Inc.CSSSSerbian Orthodox Welfare Association of NSW Inc.CSSSSouth Coast Portuguese AssociationCSSSSt George Lebanese Joint CommitteeCSSSSt Vincent De Paul SocietyCSSSSydney Anglican Home Mission Society CouncilCSSSThai Welfare Association Inc.CSSSThe Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (NSW ) - Board of Mission (Pacific Islands Council)CSSSTimorese Australian Council Inc.CSSSTurkish Welfare Association Inc.CSSSUkrainian Welfare Association Inc.CSSSUnited Muslim Women AssociationCSSSVietnamese Australian Welfare Association NSW Inc.CSSSVietnamese Community in Australia - NSW Chapter Inc.CSSSVietnamese Women's Association in NSW Inc.CSSSWoden Community Service Inc.CSSSWoolgoolga Neighbourhood Centre Inc.CSSSWyoming Community Centre Inc.CSSSYouth Action and Policy Association NSW Inc.CSSS2069(Question No. 178)1782069McClelland, Robert, MPMr McClellandJK6BartonALP00 asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, upon notice, on 11 March 2002:(1) Which organisations funded by the Minister's Department will face an increased salary bill as a result of the decision of the Industrial Commission of New South Wales in the social and community services employees (State) Award case matter no. IRC 5544 1998.(2) Is it the case that the NSW Government has offered to increase grants to those organisations to assist in meeting those increased salaries. (3) Will the Federal Government similarly increase grants to those organisations to assist them to cope with the increased salary commitment.2069Anthony, Larry, MPMr AnthonyXJ6RichmondNPMinister for Children and Youth Affairs10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) Organisations that deliver the following FaCS programs that may be affected by the SACS award are:- Disability Services - directly funded employment support and Commonwealth/State Disability Agreement (funding from FaCS to state government) and Carers- Reconnect, Family Support Services, Youth Services and some Stronger Families and Communities Strategy Projects.- Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP). Funding from FaCS to state government.(2) This is an issue for the New South Wales Government.(3) No. The Commonwealth already funds organisations for changes in wage costs, it therefore does not need to provide additional funding. In most cases, additional funding for increased wage costs is already provided to States and service providers through indexation of their grants. Funding covered by the Commonwealth-State Disability Agreement, for example, is indexed according to a composite index of wage costs and general price increases.2069(Question No. 179)1792069McClelland, Robert, MPMr McClellandJK6BartonALP00 asked the Minister for Ageing, upon notice, on 11 March 2002:(1) Which organisations funded by the Minister's Department will face an increased salary bill as a result of the decision of the Industrial Commission of New South Wales in the social and community services employees (State) Award case matter no. IRC 5544 1998.(2) Is it the case that the NSW Government has offered to increase grants to those organisations to assist in meeting those increased salaries. (3) Will the Federal Government similarly increase grants to those organisations to assist them to cope with the increased salary commitment. 2070Andrews, Kevin, MPMr AndrewsHK5MenziesLPMinister for Ageing10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) It is not the Commonwealth's role to become involved in matters associated with State awards.(2) This is a question that should be addressed to the NSW Government. (3) The Commonwealth Government provides cost indexation for all its community care programmes funded through this portfolio.2070(Question No. 180)1802070McFarlane, Jann, MPMs Jann McFarlane83CStirlingALP00 asked the Minister representing the Minister for Family and Community Services, upon notice, on 11 March 2002:(1) How many families in the electoral division of Stirling received a Family Tax benefit debt letter?(2) How many families residing in the postcode areas of (a) 6018, (b) 6019, (c) 6020, (d) 6021, (e) 6022, (f) 6029, (g) 6060, (h) 6061 and (i) 6062 received the Family Tax Benefit debt letter?(3) What measures is the Government taking to ensure that people on commission based jobs and families where mothers return to the workforce are not penalised by the current Family Tax Benefit regime.2070Anthony, Larry, MPMr AnthonyXJ6RichmondNPMinister for Children and Youth Affairs10—The Minister for Family and Community Services has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:(1) As at 31 January 2002, 2890 families in the electoral division of Stirling received a Family Tax Benefit debt letter.(2)— PostcodeNumber of families who received a FTB debt letter as at 31 January 2002(a) 6018590(b) 6019261(c) 6020377(d) 6021351(e) 6022148(f) 602943(g) 6060395(h) 6061999(i) 6062868NB. It should be noted the information provided by postcode relates to the entire postcode and not just the electorate of Stirling.(3) Eligibility for Family Tax Benefit is based on current year taxable income with full reconciliation of entitlement against actual income at the end of the tax year. This ensures that families receive the same entitlement whether they claim fortnightly payment, a lump sum or through the taxation system, and that families in comparable circumstances receive an equal amount of FTB in respect of any tax year. Families can choose to receive their assistance either as fortnightly payments or through the taxation system. The Government recognises that some people, such as those working on commission and mothers returning to the workforce, may have difficulty in estimating their income and introduced strategies to assist these families.People receiving fortnightly payments can revise their income estimate at any time, and payment is adjusted from the date the new estimate is received. The Family Assistance Office keeps in touch with families through telephone calls, letters and publicity to remind families to keep their income estimates up-to-date.Families that have particular difficulty in providing a forward estimate of their income are able to claim assistance as a lump sum at the end of the tax year. In addition, if a family receiving fortnightly payments earns less income than they had estimated, the Family Assistance Office tops up their Family Tax Benefit at the end of the tax year. Well over 200,000 Australian families have already benefited from these top ups which were not available under the previous arrangements. Of course people who start work part of the way through the tax year and add to the taxable income on which their Family Tax Benefit is based, are still financially better off than had they not worked. They will gain valuable work experience, and will benefit from access to the tax-free threshold on their own income and from tax cuts.2071(Question No. 182)1822071Andren, Peter, MPMr AndrenKL6CalareIND00 asked the Minister for Education, Science and Training, upon notice, on 11 March 2002:(1) Can the Common Youth Allowance actual means test be applied along with the Socio-Economic Status (SES) measurement to measure more accurately the eligibility of non-government schools for Federal assistance; if not, why not.(2) Is he satisfied that in all cases, the SES measurement will deliver equitable outcomes, and will not result in some schools receiving more or less funding vis-a-vis schools of similar socio-economic status; if so, why.(3) Is he satisfied that the SES measurement will, in all cases, not unfairly advantage some students and some schools over others of equal or greater need; if so, why.2071Nelson, Dr Brendan, MPDr NelsonRW5BradfieldLPMinister for Education, Science and Training10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) Adding an actual means test to the socio-economic status (SES) model to measure the eligibility of non-government schools for Commonwealth assistance has many practical difficulties. The application of a means test (such as the Youth Allowance) would require assessment of about one million children in non-government schools adding considerable complexity to the funding scheme.In contrast to the Youth Allowance and other family payments, the focus of Commonwealth recurrent funding is schools not individual students.The SES model does not set out to measure the wealth of any individual or household but rather to obtain a relative measure of the socio-economic status of each school's community and to rank non-government schools in relation to each other.The SES Index is comprised of three dimensions, education, occupation and income, which contribute equally to measure social advantage as well as disadvantage. This measurement provides a good proxy for parental income without the intrusiveness and administrative complexity inherent in means-testing parents more directly.(2) Schools serving similar socio-economic communities will generate similar SES scores. However, the Government was concerned to provide security of funding for schools that would otherwise have their funding reduced by the move to the new funding system. The funding maintenance provisions ensure that no school will be financially disadvantaged.(3) The SES model assesses the need of non-government schools for Commonwealth recurrent funding based on a measure of the socio-economic status of their school communities. Schools serving the neediest communities are funded at 70 per cent of the average cost of educating a child in a government school, whereas schools serving the wealthiest communities receive only 13.7 per cent of that cost.2071(Question No. 183)1832071Melham, Daryl, MPMr Melham4T4BanksALP00 asked the Prime Minister, upon notice, on 11 March 2002:(1) What are the names and positions of the (a) men and (b) women who hold dormant commissions as Administrators of the Commonwealth of Australia.(2) What are the texts of their commissions.2071Howard, John, MPMr HowardZD4BennelongLPPrime Minister10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) Under the authority of section 4 of the Constitution, each State Governor holds a Commission from The Queen to administer the government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The Commissions are activated when required in the event of the absence, death, incapacity or removal of the Governor-General, in order of the Governors' seniority of appointment to State office.(2) The Commission reads as set out in the attached document.COMMISSIONpassed under the Royal Sign Manual and the Great Seal of Australia, appointingFULL NAME WITH POST NOMINALS,to administer the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia in the event of the absence, etc., of the Governor-GeneralELIZABETH THE SECOND, by the Grace of God Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth: To [title and name with post nominals in full], Governor of the State of [State], Greeting:WE DO, by this Our Commission under Our Sign Manual and the Great Seal of Australia, appoint you, [title and name], in the event of the absence out of Australia, or the death, incapacity or removal, of Our Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia for the time being, to administer the Government of the Commonwealth, upon a request in that behalf being made to you in accordance with Our Letters Patent relating to the office of Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia.AND WE DO hereby declare that this Our present Commission shall remain in force during Our pleasure.Given at Our Courtat on by Her Majesty's Command,Prime Minister2072(Question No. 185)1852072Melham, Daryl, MPMr Melham4T4BanksALP00 asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, upon notice, on 11 March 2002:(1) What is the rationale behind spraying passengers and cabin areas of planes entering Australia, given that insects and bacteria are likely to lodge in books and paper.(2) Is the spray designed to reach those sections of the cabin.(3) Are non-passenger areas sprayed.(4) What is the spray and how powerful is it.(5) What sum does the process cost.(6) How is the spray's effectiveness measured.2072Truss, Warren, MPMr TrussGT4Wide BayNPMinister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry10—The answer to the honourable member's questions is as follows:(1) The `Report of the Informal Consultation on Aircraft Disinsection' commissioned by the World Health Organisation (WHO) 1995, states that `there is abundant evidence that vectors (of human diseases) can be transported internationally in both cargo and passenger carrying craft.'The `Report into Aircraft Disinsection' (Naumann and McLachlan 1999), commissioned by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) concluded that:· there is a significant risk that insects do occur in the cabins and holds of international aircraft bound for Australia from overseas;· surveys have shown conclusively that disease outbreaks have been traced to this source; and· disinsection kills these insects.In response to this potential quarantine risk, Australia and some 43 other countries require that all arriving international aircraft are disinsected in order to help prevent the entry of a range of serious human health diseases such as Yellow Fever, Dengue Fever and Japanese Encephalitis. Aircraft disinsection spraying has the additional effect of killing other insects that may pose a threat to Australia's agricultural industries and unique natural environment.(2) Yes.(3) Yes.(4) There are two World Health Organisation (WHO) endorsed chemicals used in AQIS approved disinsection arrangements. These chemicals are:· D-phenothrin—a `knock down' insecticide effective against a broad range of insect pests; and· Permethrin—a contact insecticide effective against a broad range of pests, having good residual activity against crawling or flying insects. D-phenothrin and permethrin are synthetic pyrethroids. (5) The cost of aircraft disinsection is managed and paid for directly by international airlines flying into Australia.(6) The effectiveness of residual disinsection treatments is audited using live-fly bioassays. This involves the measurement of fly knock down rates of specially bred flies that are placed in pre-determined locations within an aircraft.Additionally AQIS managed vector monitoring programs monitor for the presence of exotic mosquitoes in and around international ports, consistent with the International Health Regulations.2073(Question No. 186)1862073Melham, Daryl, MPMr Melham4T4BanksALP00 asked the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, upon notice, on 11 March 2002:(1) When was the incoming passenger card last reviewed for readability.(2) Is there any evaluation or monitoring process in place for ensuring the card is easy to read and complete, particularly for non-English speakers.(3) Is any support in completing the card provided to those people for whom English is not a first language.2073Ruddock, Philip, MPMr Ruddock0J4BerowraLPMinister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Reconciliation10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) The design of the incoming passenger card is regularly reviewed in consultation with other organisations which have a particular interest in it, including the Australian Customs Service, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent review of the card was undertaken in March 2002. Readability factors are taken into consideration as part of this regular review process.(2) Feedback from users of the card is taken into account in the on-going refinement of the passenger cards design. (3) As an aid to those whose first language is not English, the incoming passenger card is available in the following translations:Arabic;Chinese Simplified;Chinese Traditional;Greek;Indonesian;Italian;Japanese;Korean;Malay;Spanish;Thai; andVietnamese.2074(Question No. 192)1922074Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister for Ageing, upon notice, on 11 March 2002:(1) Has he seen reports from the Australian Nursing Homes and Extended Care Association requesting the Federal Government to change its aged care bed allocation system.(2) Will he act on that report: if so, how; if not, why not.2074Andrews, Kevin, MPMr AndrewsHK5MenziesLPMinister for Ageing10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1)-(2) I have seen a report by the Australian Nursing Homes and Extended Care Association (ANHECA) on the Two Year Review of Aged Care Reforms an Industry Response. This paper makes no recommendations.2074(Question No. 193)1932074Lawrence, Dr Carmen, MPDr LawrenceXS4FremantleALP00 asked the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, upon notice, on 11 March 2002:(1) How many women and children are held in Immigration Detention Centres around Australia.(2) How many women and children have husbands and fathers already in Australia on Temporary Protection Visas.(3) In each case, how long have these women and children been detained.2074Ruddock, Philip, MPMr Ruddock0J4BerowraLPMinister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Reconciliation10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows: (1) As at 19 March 2002 there were 207 women and 221 children accommodated in Immigration Detention Centres around Australia.(2) As at 15 February 2002, there were nine (9) women in an Australian Detention Centre where Departmental records identify them as the partners/spouse of someone who has been released on a 785 TPV. It should be noted that the data available is indicative only and subject to qualification, as it depends on families identifying partners to DIMIA staff. Departmental systems do not always report on family links if they are not part of the same application.As at 15 February 2002, there were 20 children or step-children currently in Australian Detention Centres that have recorded through Departmental records an association with fathers released into the community on TPVs. It should be noted that the data available is indicative and subject to qualification, as it depends on families identifying partners to DIMIA (departmental systems do not always report on family links if they are not part of the same application).(3) Partner/spouseNo of childrenDays in Detention at 15/2/02Female 13170Female 23176Female 32176Female 45176Female 53180Female 63180Female 70181Female 80181Female 912512074(Question No. 194)1942074Price, Roger, MPMr PriceQI4ChifleyALP00 asked the Minister representing the Minister for Family and Community Services, upon notice, on 11 March 2002:(1) When was the Mature Age Allowance instituted.(2) How many recipients have there been on this allowance.(3) What has been the average duration for people receiving the allowance.(4) How many recipients of the allowance have resided in the electoral division of Chifley.(5) What is the breakdown by State of recipients of the allowance for the last full year of operation.(6) In what year will the allowance be phased out.(7) What was the cost of the scheme in its last full year of operation and how many persons were in receipt of the allowance in that year.2075Anthony, Larry, MPMr AnthonyXJ6RichmondNPMinister for Children and Youth Affairs10—The Minister for Family and Community Services has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:(1) Mature Age Allowance (MAA) was introduced in March 1994 as an interim measure to assist older long term unemployed people facing difficulties obtaining work in a tight labour market. Since 1 July 1996, recipients of MAA as at 30 June 1996 continue to receive MAA under pension conditions. New grants of MAA since 1 July 1996 are assessed under the allowance income and assets tests, rather than under the pension income and assets tests. (2) The average number for each month of June of recipients of this allowance since its inception was: PeriodJune-95June-96June-97June-98June-99June-00June-01Customer number 38,86645,93153,38650,77145,25341,84039,149(3) The average duration for people on MAA is: Year1998-991999-002000-01Average number of weeks on MAA203229277(4) For the fortnight ending 15 June 2001, there were 383 Mature Age Allowance customers who resided in the electoral division of Chifley. (5) The following table outlines the distribution of MAA customers by State for the fortnight ending 15 June 2001. StateNumber of MAA customersACT242NSW12,326NT206QLD8,237SA3,511Tas1,374Vic9,711WA3,354Unknown8TOTAL38,969(6) There will be no new recipients of MAA after 30 June 2003. (7) In its last full year of operation, $352,596,000 was spent on MAA. At 15 June 2001 the number of MAA customers was 38,969.2075(Question No. 195)1952075Crosio, Janice, MPMrs Crosio7T4ProspectALP00 asked the Minister representing the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, upon notice, on 11 March 2002:(1) Is the Minister able to say whether the Australian Radio Network (ARN) owns the radio stations The Edge (formerly One FM), Mix FM and WS FM.(2) Under broadcasting legislation, is a radio operator only permitted two radio stations per market.(3) Is it a fact that (a) One FM and WS FM were both western Sydney based radio stations which delivered quality radio broadcasting services to a western Sydney population of almost 1.5 million, including local news and local content and (b) One FM and WS FM provided a cost effective communications medium for local western Sydney businesses to advertise and to reach new local customers.(4) Is it a fact that the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) approved ARN's purchase of One FM in 1998 on the basis that the three stations were in separate geographical regions, namely The Edge in Penrith, WS FM in Seven Hills and Mix FM in Neutral Bay.(5) Is it a fact that when 2WS-FM was launched on 23 November 1978 it had a specific charter to provide a service for Sydney's growing western region.(6) Are ARN's two western Sydney stations, The Edge and WS FM, now located in North Ryde with ARN's third station, Mix FM, also based in North Ryde.(7) What implications does the decision of the three radio stations to relocate to North Ryde have on (a) the ABA's 1998 decision to allow the ARN to purchase a third station on basis that they were in different geographical regions and (b) the western Sydney based content and the western Sydney based news which was formerly broadcast on One FM located in Penrith and 2WS FM located in Seven Hills.(8) What commitment can the Federal Government give to ensure that the 1.5 million people of western Sydney have a western Sydney based radio station that provides local content and local news stories while also providing an advertising medium for local businesses.2076McGauran, Peter, MPMr McGauranXH4GippslandNPMinister for Science10—The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:(1) Yes.(2) Yes. Under section 54 of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (the BSA), a person must not be in a position to exercise control of more than 2 commercial radio broadcasting licences in the same licence area.(3) (a) One FM is licensed to broadcast into the Katoomba licence area (population 267 970) covering the Blue Mountains area west of Sydney and includes Penrith, Richmond and Windsor on the western outskirts of Sydney.WS FM is licensed to broadcast into the Western Suburbs Sydney licence area (population 1 391 462) extending roughly from Parramatta and Liverpool in the east to the foot of the Blue Mountains in the West.The ABA has advised that both services continue to provide local news and content. (b) Both services are licensed only to serve their respective licence areas. The ABA has advised that both services continue to provide advertising targeted to and focussed on western Sydney.(4) It is not a requirement for the ABA to approve the acquisition of radio licences. Under section 63 of the BSA a person who comes into a position to exercise control of a licence must notify the ABA of that fact within 7 days. ARN is understood to have complied with this obligation.If the ABA finds that a person is in a position to exercise control of more than 2 commercial radio licences in the one licence area it is empowered under the BSA to take appropriate enforcement action. ARN's acquisition on One FM is understood to not have breached any provision of the BSA.(5) 2WS-FM is licensed to serve the Western Suburbs Sydney licence area. Each commercial radio broadcasting licence is subject to the following condition at subclause 8(2)(c) of Schedule 2 of the BSA:“the licensee will not provide commercial radio broadcasting services under the licence outside the licence area of the licence unless the provision of those services outside the licence area occurs accidentally or as a necessary result of the provision of commercial radio broadcasting services within the licence area.”(6) The three stations are understood to operate out of facilities located in North Ryde.(7) (a) There is no requirement for the ABA to approve the purchase of radio licences. ARN's acquisition of One FM is understood to not have breached any provision of the BSA. (b) The WS FM, One FM and Mix FM services are licensed only to serve their respective licence areas. The geographical location of ARN's broadcast facilities does not alter this requirement. WS FM and One FM are understood to continue to distinguish themselves as radio services for the people of western Sydney and the Blue Mountains, respectively.(8) WS FM is licensed to serve the Western Suburbs Sydney licence area and One FM the Katoomba licence area. The ABA is empowered under the BSA to impose additional conditions on broadcasting licences as necessary.2077(Question No. 198)1982077Sciacca, Con, MPMr Sciacca6J4BowmanALP00 asked the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, upon notice, on 11 March 2002:(1) How many tenders were received to scuttle the decommissioned HMAS Brisbane at the Sunshine Coast.(2) What was the decision making process for the tender and what criteria were applied to select the successful tender. (3) Was a full and independent study done of the environmental and economic impact of each tender.(4) Were the safety implications of each tender considered.(5) Did the decision making process involve a survey of the effect of each tender on Queensland tourism.2077Vale, Danna, MPMrs ValeVK6HughesLPMinister for Veterans' Affairs and Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence10—The Minister for Defence has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:(1) No tenders were received. Following representation from the Queensland State Government, the Government agreed that the ex HMAS Brisbane be gifted to the people of Queensland as a dive site off Point Cartwright on the Sunshine Coast.(2) The Minister for Defence is responsible for approving disposal decisions for major equipment such as the ex HMAS Brisbane. Selection of a suitable bid is based on cultural factors, such as historical or heritage links, and the ability of the bidder to successfully meet the financial and management outcomes of the bid. In this instance, the ex HMAS Brisbane has heritage links with the State of Queensland. Also, the Queensland State Government has advised their intention to develop a business plan and to manage implementation of their proposal for the ex HMAS Brisbane to be sunk as a dive site off the Sunshine Coast.(3) No. The decision making process did not consider environmental and economic impacts. In this case, the environmental and economic impact of the project is the responsibility of the Queensland State Government. The Premier of Queensland, the Hon Peter Beattie, has advised that a detailed business plan will be developed to support the implementation of the proposal. The Queensland State Government commissioned Sinclair Knight Mertz to conduct preliminary site investigations that included environmental assessment of potential sites. The National Centre for Tourism was engaged to examine potential economic benefits of the project. (4) No. The decision making process did not consider safety implications. These considerations are the responsibility of the Queensland State Government.(5) No. The decision making process did not consider the effects on Queensland tourism. However, the Queensland State Government commissioned the National Centre for Tourism to examine the potential economic benefits of the project.2077(Question No. 199)1992077Ferguson, Laurie, MPMr Laurie Ferguson8T4ReidALP00 asked the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, upon notice, on 11 March 2002:(1) In the last 5 years what was the total number of (a) humanitarian/refugee stream migrants and (b) family stream migrants born in English Proficiency (EP) group 3 and 4 countries who settled in (i) each local government area in metropolitan Sydney, (ii) the Hunter and Illawarra regions, (iii) rural NSW, (iv) each local government area in metropolitan Melbourne, (v) rural Victoria, (vi) Queensland, (vii) WA, (viii) SA, (ix) Tasmania, (x) the ACT and (xi) the NT.(2) What research, if any, has the Government commissioned since 1996 on the factors that influence the initial settlement location of humanitarian/refugee stream migrants and their subsequent movement patterns.(3) Does the Government offer any incentives to smaller States or individual councils that wish to accept larger numbers of humanitarian/refugee stream migrants; if so, what are the details; if not, is the Government willing to consider any such proposals positively.2078Hardgrave, Gary, MPMr HardgraveCK6MoretonLPMinister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) Tables (i) to (xi) below contain the data requested on humanitarian and family stream arrivals. Data is sourced from the Department's Settlement Data Base and pertain to Family Stream and Humanitarian Stream arrivals over the five years from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2001.Data on state or territory of settlement comes from a variety of sources, and is available for about 97%-98% of arrivals. Tables (vi)-(xi) which pertain to migrant settlement totals for whole states or territories are likely to be accurate within a few percent of actual numbers.Data on location of settlement at a finer geographic level is based on migrants' intended addresses, provided to the Department voluntarily. This information is not available for about 25% of arrivals. As a consequence, Tables (i)-(v) (marked with an asterisk), which pertain to settlement in Local Government Areas and Statistical Divisions, are likely to understate actual numbers more significantly.(2) No research has been commissioned since 1996 on factors influencing the initial settlement location of humanitarian entrants. The initial location of humanitarian entrants is determined by factors that assist entrants to settle into the community. These include an adequate local presence of: contractors delivering services through the Integrated Humanitarian Settlement Strategy; Adult Migrant English Program services; employment opportunities; communities of similar background that can help support new arrivals; and appropriate medical services and schools.(3) Incentives are not offered by the Government to smaller States or individual councils to accept larger numbers of Humanitarian entrants. There are no plans to provide such incentives. However, requests for larger intakes from states and territories, such as by Tasmania, are accommodated to the extent possible.Table (i), Sydney Statistical Division* MIGRATION STREAM FAMILYLGA of residence EP3 EP4 TotalAshfield 193474667Auburn 7009951695Bankstown 10289521980Baulkham Hills422274696Blacktown 6713381009Blue Mountains35944Botany 227126353Burwood 171267438Camden 31233Campbelltown 297148445Canterbury 138916693058Concord 8061141Drummoyne 7547122Fairfield 129526633958Gosford 9144135Hawkesbury 36642Holroyd 551383934Hornsby 399291690Hunter's Hill 9615Hurstville 4639011364Kogarah 163178341Ku-ring-gai 228107335Lane Cove 7069139Leichhardt 14546191Liverpool 8584511309Manly 12129150Marrickville 395569964Mosman 511566North Sydney 23989328Parramatta 8388311669Penrith 22162283Pittwater 721789Randwick 697240937Rockdale 7795411320Ryde 511393904South Sydney 334171505Strathfield 202274476Sutherland Shire 254119373Sydney 129164293Warringah 255163418Waverley 19851249Willoughby 236207443Wollondilly 11112Woollahra 18838226Wyong 442266Sydney (unspec) 15580235Total 155571458330140MIGRATION STREAM HUMANITARIANLGA of residence EP3 EP4 TotalAshfield 8221103Auburn 13161331449Bankstown 26949318Baulkham Hills2258233Blacktown 1540521592Blue Mountains538Botany 1519160Burwood 481866Camden 99Campbelltown 1704174Canterbury 582103685Concord 527Drummoyne 22Fairfield 32222373459Gosford 32234Holroyd 66829697Hornsby 1097116Hurstville 22026246Kogarah 65469Ku-ring-gai 10515Lane Cove 1111Leichhardt 1717Liverpool 2923282951Manly 1717Marrickville 10388191Mosman 516North Sydney 19827Parramatta 1104261130Penrith 1164120Pittwater 6767Randwick 17711188Rockdale 30423327Ryde 2635268South Sydney 671279Strathfield 421658Sutherland Shire83386Sydney 11718Warringah 2453248Waverley 70272Willoughby 33336Wollondilly 11Woollahra 56258Wyong 1010Sydney (unspec) 3737Total 1450995615465Table (ii), Hunter and Illawarra regions* MIGRATION STREAM FAMILY Stat Division of ResidenceEP3 EP4 TotalHunter 22184305Illawarra 48957Total 26993362MIGRATION STREAM HUMANITARIAN Stat Division of ResidenceEP3 EP4 Total Hunter 1583164Illawarra 000Total 1583164Table (iii), Rest of NSW* Migration stream EP3 EP4 Total FAMILY 407173580HUMANITARIAN 14614160Total 553187740Table (iv), Statistical Division of Melbourne* Migration Stream FamilyLGA of residence EP3 EP4 TotalBanyule 267145412Bayside 11529144Boroondara 290273563Brimbank 61110041615Cardinia 16521Casey 351199550Darebin 4965551051Frankston 13140171Glen Eira 438233671Gr Dandenong 72916482377Hobsons Bay 261133394Hume 466502968Kingston 270268538Knox 129134263Manningham 293289582Maribyrnong 345654999Maroondah 10674180Melbourne 246168414Melton 7345118Monash 403502905Moonee Valley 363317680Moreland 6513871038Mornington Pen. 451257Nillumbik 32436Port Phillip 394111505Stonnington 188124312Whitehorse 275601876Whittlesea 423218641Wyndham 13148179Yarra 183535718Yarra Ranges 712192Melbourne (unspec) 7426100Total 8866930418170Migration Stream HumanitarianLGA of residence EP3 EP4 TotalBanyule 2402242Bayside 29130Boroondara 16114175Brimbank 1198971295Cardinia 77Casey 41814432Darebin 80039839Frankston 222222Glen Eira 18313196Gr Dandenong27111442855Hobsons Bay 2764280Hume 88737924Kingston 19411205Knox 9898Manningham 1518159Maribyrnong 69678774Maroondah 64165Melbourne 33811349Melton 4545Monash 39020410Moonee Valley 65313666Moreland 70941750Nillumbik 22Port Phillip 1396145Stonnington 1043107Whitehorse 16614180Whittlesea 2459254Wyndham 1141115Yarra 13330163Yarra Ranges 33Melbourne (unspec) 3232Total 1140861112019Table (v), Rest of Victoria* Migration stream EP3 EP4 TOTALFAMILY 532225757HUMANITARIAN 6198627TOTAL 11512331384Table (vi), Queensland Migration stream EP3 EP4 TOTAL FAMILY 404916055654HUMANITARIAN 3507883595TOTAL 755616939249Table (vii), Western Australia Migration stream EP3 EP4 TOTAL FAMILY 355313314884HUMANITARIAN 47071584865TOTAL 826014899749Table (viii), South Australia Migration stream EP3 EP4 TOTAL FAMILY 168810642752HUMANITARIAN 3295823377TOTAL 498311466129Table (ix), Tasmania Migration stream EP3 EP4 TOTAL FAMILY 22152273HUMANITARIAN 5733576TOTAL 79455849Table (x), Australian Capital Territory Migration stream EP3 EP4 TOTAL FAMILY 630307937HUMANITARIAN 42020440TOTAL 10503271377Table (xi), Northern Territory Migration stream EP3 EP4 TOTAL FAMILY 41081491HUMANITARIAN 2361237TOTAL 646827282083(Question No. 200)2002083Ferguson, Laurie, MPMr Laurie Ferguson8T4ReidALP00 asked the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, upon notice, on 11 March 2002:(1) In the latest year for which data is available, how many eligible clients received Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) (a) classroom/community based formal tuition and (b) Home Tutor Scheme assistance in (i) southern Sydney, (ii) western Sydney, (iii) south-western Sydney, (iv) Illawarra, (v) inner city and eastern Sydney, (vi) Burwood, (vii) Hornsby, (viii) Newcastle and (ix) rural NSW. (2) In the same year how many eligible clients received tuition in NSW under the AMEP Distance Learning Program.(3) Are eligible clients in Sydney entitled to attend AMEP classes outside their region of residence and; if so, what proportion of clients actually do so. (4) Have concerns been expressed that potential clients in some regions of NSW are not being referred to the AMEP Distance Learning Program; if so, what action has his Department taken in response to these concerns.(5) What is the estimated total annual value of Commonwealth funding for AMEP service provision in NSW for 2001-2002. 2083Hardgrave, Gary, MPMr HardgraveCK6MoretonLPMinister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) The Department collects AMEP data on the basis of the five contract regions in NSW which are as follows: (i) South Sydney and Illawarra, (ii) Western Sydney, (iii) South Western Sydney, (iv) Inner City and Eastern, (v) Burwood, Hornsby, Newcastle and Rural NSW. The latest year for which data is available is for the calendar year 2001. The number of clients who have received classroom/community based tuition and assistance from a Home Tutor in the five regions in 2001 is as follows: Classroom/community based tuitionHome Tutor(i) South Sydney and Illawarra3,934123(ii) Western Sydney3,025139(iii) South Western Sydney2,98848(iv) Inner City and Eastern 2,661199(v) Burwood, Hornsby, Newcastle and Rural NSW2,154159(2) In 2001 a total of 977 clients received tuition in NSW under the AMEP Distance Learning Program. (3) AMEP clients may attend classes outside their region of residence. Currently approximately 15% of all clients in NSW are attending classes in a contract region outside of the region in which they live. (4) The possibility that potential clients in some regions of NSW are not being referred to the AMEP Distance Learning Program has been suggested to the Department however no substantive evidence has been provided to support the claim. The two Providers for AMEP services in NSW have a protocol of procedures in place for the referral of clients to the Distance Learning program. Promotional material and information on the Distance Learning program is made available by both Providers. Potential clients can also call a toll free course information telephone number. Client participation in the various learning options available under the AMEP is monitored through the Contract Management process. If it were found that clients were not being referred to the Distance Learning program the matter would be addressed by the Department with the relevant Service Provider. (5) The estimated total value for AMEP service provision in NSW for 2001-2002 is expected to be approximately $44.5 million. 2084(Question No. 201)2012084Ferguson, Laurie, MPMr Laurie Ferguson8T4ReidALP00 asked the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, upon notice, on 12 March 2002:(1) Between 1964 and 2000 is he able to say whether the Government of Malta required young people of Maltese descent to renounce their Australian citizenship before their 19th birthday in order to retain their Maltese citizenship; if so, how many Australians took formal action to renounce their Australian citizenship during this period.(2) What loss of Maltese entitlements did these young people face if they did not renounce their Australian citizenship in accordance with this requirement. (3) What specific requirements must those referred to in part (1) meet in order to have Australian citizenship restored to them.(4) How many of those referred to in part (1) have formally applied to resume Australian citizenship and of these, how many applications (a) have been approved, (b) have been rejected and (c) are still under consideration.2084Hardgrave, Gary, MPMr HardgraveCK6MoretonLPMinister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) It is my understanding that prior to 10 February 2000 a person who held Maltese citizenship by descent and the citizenship of a foreign country were required by Maltese law to make a choice as to which citizenship they wished to retain. This choice had to be made between their eighteenth and nineteenth birthday. If the person did not renounce their foreign citizenship they automatically lost their Maltese citizenship.The Department's database, which collects statistics on renunciation of Australian citizenship, does not contain complete information on the nationalities of each applicant who has renounced their Australian citizenship. The number of Maltese who renounced their Australian citizenship is therefore not available.(2) I understand that Maltese citizens were entitled to the following services, which Australian citizens living in Malta prior to 2000 were not entitled:· Free tertiary education and a stipend from the government of Malta.· Access to employment in occupations such as the public service, banks, armed forces and legal professions. Foreign passport holders were required pay a fee each year to obtain a licence to work.· Ability to purchase any property. Foreign passport holders are required to obtain a permit to purchase property and may only purchase property above a minimum value.· Ability to own more than one property at any time.· Eligible to apply for less expensive house and land packages.· Eligible to apply for subsidised rental or purchase of property.· Entitled to have more than one bank account and not required to identify the source of each deposit of funds into that account.· Easier access to credit card facilities.· Easier access to bank loans, a longer period over which to pay off the loan and access to a lower interest rate on the loan, and· Access to social security benefits for themselves and their foreign passport holder spouse. (Foreign passport holders who are not married to Maltese citizens are not eligible for some social security benefits).My Department does not possess details of any variations to these entitlements, which only Maltese citizens were able to claim, which may have occurred over the period 1964 and 2000. (3) Adults who have renounced Australian citizenship in order to retain another citizenship, such as the case with those people who held Maltese citizenship, can apply to acquire Australian citizenship by grant. They must wait at least 12 months from the time they lost their Australian citizenship to apply to acquire it and must meet the criteria for grant of Australian citizenship. That is:· be of good character;· possess a basic knowledge of English;· have an adequate knowledge of the responsibilities and privileges of Australian citizenship; and if granted citizenship,· be likely to reside or continue to reside in Australia or to maintain a close and continuing association with Australia. While they must have been present in Australia as a permanent resident for 12 months in the two years immediately before lodging their application for the grant of citizenship they are not required to meet the two years in Australia in the past 5 years provision.Under the Australian Citizenship Act 1948 there is currently no provision for a person who renounced their Australian citizenship in order to retain another citizenship to apply to resume their Australian citizenship.However, following the passage of the Australian Citizenship Legislation Amendment Bill 2002 through both houses of parliament, from the date of proclamation, those people who renounced their Australian citizenship in order to retain another citizenship will have the capacity to apply to resume their Australian citizenship up to the age of 25 years. The criteria for resumption in this circumstance is the same as the current resumption provisions with the exception that applicants are not required to state that they did not know that they would lose their Australian citizenship.The current provisions for resumption of Australian citizenship for an adult who has lost Australian citizenship by taking some action to acquire another citizenship are as follows.The first requirement is that the person:· did not know that they would lose Australian citizenship; or· would have suffered significant hardship or detriment had they not acquired the other citizenship or, if the significant hardship or detriment were of an economic nature, the circumstances that caused them to take out foreign citizenship must be compelling.The other requirements are that the person:· has been lawfully resident in Australia for a total of at least two years in their life; and· states that they intend to continue to reside in Australia or intend to commence residing in Australia within three years; and· have maintained a close and continuing association with Australia.A child under 18 years of age may be able to resume Australian citizenship by being included in a parent's application for resumption.(4) Schedule 2 of the Australian Citizenship Legislation Amendment Bill 2002 will be proclaimed on 1 July 2002. There have, therefore, been no applications from Maltese citizens, seeking to resume their Australian citizenship under these new provisions.No statistics are kept on those Maltese citizens who have reacquired their Australian citizenship by grant between 1964 and 2001 after previously renouncing their Australian citizenship. It is, however, estimated that approximately 37,000 Maltese citizens were granted Australian citizenship between January 1965 and June 2001. 2085(Question No. 203)2032085Hoare, Kelly, MPMs Hoare83YCharltonALP00 asked the Minister representing the Minister for Family and Community Services, upon notice, on 12 March 2002:(1) How many organisations applied for funding under the International Year of Volunteers Small Equipment Grants Program in 2001 in the electoral division of Charlton.(2) How many organisations applied for funding under the International Year of Volunteers Small Equipment Grants Program in 2001 in each federal electoral division in NSW.(3) Which organisations in each federal electoral division in NSW were granted funding and what sum did each organisation receive.2086Anthony, Larry, MPMr AnthonyXJ6RichmondNPMinister for Children and Youth Affairs10—The Minister for Family and Community Services has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:(1) 76 organisations applied for funding under the International Year of Volunteers Small Equipment Grants Program in 2001 in the electoral division of Charlton.(2) The following table shows the number of organisations that applied for funding under the International Year of Volunteers Small Equipment Grants Program in 2001 in each federal electoral division in NSW. Federal ElectorateNumber of ApplicationsBanks30Barton20Bennelong53Berowra57Blaxland27Bradfield45Calare142Charlton76Chifley24Cook40Cowper168Cunningham54Dobell76Eden-Monaro190Farrer212Fowler25Gilmore147Grayndler43Greenway26Gwydir210Hughes36Hume151Hunter130Kingsford-Smith28Lindsay56Lowe41Lyne145Macarthur66Mackellar51Macquarie69Mitchell52New England173Newcastle84North Sydney53Page193Parkes294Parramatta43Paterson120Prospect26Reid56Richmond230Riverina213Robertson130Shortland62Sydney105Throsby46Warringah40Watson36Wentworth21Werriwa47(3) The following table shows the organisations in each federal electoral division in NSW that were granted funding and what sum each organisation received. ElectorateOrganisation NameAmount of grantBanksCanterbury Bankstown District Baseball Club Inc$5,000BanksChildren's Festival Organisation Inc$1,114BanksEast Hills Girls Technology High School P & C Association$4,690BanksPeakhurst South Public School P & C Association$1,358BanksPenshurst Fire Brigade$3,924BanksPicnic Point Public School P & C$5,000BanksPublic School Canteen Milperra$3,295BanksRenown United Sports Club Inc$5,000BanksRoselands Swim Club$1,037BanksSailability NSW Inc Rushcutters Bay Branch$4,026BanksSouth East Sydney Parents & Friends Association$825BanksSouth West Enviro Centre Inc$4,295BanksSydney Winter Baseball League Inc$1,868BanksThe Lions Club of Lugarno Inc$5,000BartonBald Face Public School P & C Association$3,811BartonFriends of the Towra Point Nature Reserve$3,480BartonKogarah State Emergency Service$3,673BartonLions Club of Oatley Inc$2,355BartonMetropolitan Southern Zone Rugby Union$4,976BartonRockdale Musical Society Inc$4,917BartonSans Souci Amateur Swim Club Inc$4,699BartonSouthern NSW Sabot Sailing Association$4,980BartonSt George Junior Rugby Football League Inc$5,000BartonSt Mary & St Minas Coptic Orthodox College Parents & Friends Association$4,579BennelongAustralian Breastfeeding Association Northwest Metro Region$3,755BennelongBushland Management Working Group$358BennelongComputer Pals for Seniors Epping Inc$3,729BennelongComputer Pals for Seniors West Ryde Inc$4,009BennelongEastwood Heights Public School P & C Association$4,982BennelongEpping Bullets Amateur Swimming Club$5,000BennelongESL Groups St Phillips Anglican Church Eastwood$5,000BennelongFriends of Fagan Park$3,314BennelongGladesville Public School P & C Association$572BennelongHunters Hill Senior Support Group$3,000BennelongLady of Grace Fraternity Inc$2,079BennelongMacquarie Community Garden$1,619BennelongMacquarie Swimming Club Inc$3,692BennelongMental Illness Education Australia Inc$4,955BennelongRiding for the Disabled Ryde Centre$4,010BennelongRyde Lantern Club$814BennelongSolace Association Inc NSW$3,847BennelongVolunteer Bush Regenerators Network Ryde$4,689BennelongWeekends Away$732BerowraApex Club of Berowra Inc$4,535BerowraBrooklyn Public School P & C Association$2,757BerowraCherry Brook Girl Guides$2,389BerowraEighteenth Battalion Memorial Rifle Club Inc$3,257BerowraEpping West P & C Association School Band$2,740BerowraFrank Windeyer Memorial Scout Camp$3,700BerowraGalston High Partnership$4,423BerowraGalston Public School Combined Parents Association$1,284BerowraHomebirth Access Sydney Inc$3,100BerowraHornsby & District Lantern Club$729BerowraHornsby PCYC Sailing Club$4,350BerowraMundowie Festivals Inc$4,913BerowraNormanhurst West Public P & C Association$5,000BerowraRotary Club of Berowra Incorporated$4,983BerowraSt John Ambulance Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Division$3,467Blaxland2nd Bankstown Scout Group$4,138BlaxlandAustralian Baton Twirling Association Inc$3,097BlaxlandAustralian Korean Senior Citizens Association$4,163BlaxlandBankstown West Public School P & C Association$3,264BlaxlandBass Hill Public School P & C Association$5,000BlaxlandChester Hill Public School Parents Association$4,507BlaxlandComputer Pals for Seniors Bankstown Inc$4,332BlaxlandCondell Park Public School P & C Association$4,999BlaxlandLansdowne Rural Fire Brigade$4,694BlaxlandYagoona Girl Guides$2,413BlaxlandVietnamese Community in Australia$4,008Bradfield1st Lindfield Scout Group$3,660Bradfield1st Turramurra Scout Group$3,463BradfieldComputer Pals for Seniors ( Ku-ring-gai) Inc$3,000BradfieldDeafness Council of NSW Inc$4,889BradfieldEasy Care Gardening Inc$2,980BradfieldFriends of Lane Cove National Park$4,954BradfieldGBC Cross Cultural Friendship Centre$2,751BradfieldHoly Spirit Parish$729BradfieldInner Wheel Australia Inc$2,690BradfieldKillara High School P & C Association$4,045BradfieldKu-ring-gai Bat Conservation Society Inc$4,000BradfieldKu-ring-gai Amateur Swimming Club Inc$1,000BradfieldLindfield East Public School Canteen$4,829BradfieldLinking Hands$1,447BradfieldPymble Public School P & C Association$1,800BradfieldRoseville Rugby Union Club Inc$988CalareAnglican Opportunity Shop$357CalareBathurst and District Historical Society Inc$1,679CalareCumnock Bush Fire Brigade$4,448CalareFusion Australia Ltd$1,554CalareKandos Public School Parents and Citizens$4,842CalareOberon Junior Rugby League$3,420CalareOberon Pony Club Inc$4,746CalareOlinda Community Association Inc$1,832CalareOrange Christian Book Centre Inc$239CalarePeel Volunteer Bush Fire Service$1,729CalareRylstone Hospital Auxiliary$426CalareRylstone Kandos & District Volunteer Search & Rescue Organisation Inc$4,932CalareThe Bicentennial National Trail Ltd$4,527Charlton1st Toronto Scout Group$3,839CharltonCardiff and District Little Athletics Inc$1,000CharltonCardiff Public School P & C Association$1,639CharltonEdgeworth Heights Public School P & C Association$3,650CharltonGlendale Technology High School P & C Association$3,690CharltonLake Macquarie & District Historical Society Inc$2,515CharltonLions Club of Toronto Inc$4,956CharltonMaryland Public School P & C Association Inc$4,796CharltonSir William Dobell Memorial Committee Inc$4,901CharltonToronto Senior Citizens and Pensioner Club Inc$3,497CharltonWarner Bay Public School Parents & Citizens Association$4,780ChifleyBlackett Public School P & C Association$4,398ChifleyCompanions Offering Grief Support Inc$4,937ChifleyEastern Creek Public P & C Association$4,414ChifleyGlendenning Public School Parents & Citizens$1,172ChifleyOur Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church Catechist$5,000ChifleyPublic School P & C Association Rooty Hill$3,634CookArncliffe Scots Junior Rugby League Football Club Inc$5,000CookBurraneer Rugby Club Inc$4,214CookCaringbah P School P & C Association$4,447CookCronulla South Public School Canteen$1,000CookEndeavour Seniors Computer Club Inc$3,250CookKogarah Bay Sailing Club Inc$3,960CookMiranda Public School P & C Association$1,292CookSecond Chance Opportunity Shop$435CookSt Andrews Op Shop$1,215CookTaren Point Roller Skating Club$4,973CowperBack to Bowra Committee$4,710CowperBellingen Primary P & C Association$895CowperBostobrick Rural Fire Brigade$4,909CowperCoffs Harbour Historical Society and Museum Inc$3,000CowperCountry Club Rural Fire Brigade$2,329CowperDorrigo Mountain Top Landcare Group Inc$283CowperDorrigo Public School P & C Association Inc$622CowperDorrigo Tourist Association Inc$748CowperFernmount Volunteer Rural Fire Brigade$2,076CowperNambucca District Combined Services Museum Inc$4,981CowperRoyal Volunteer Coastal Patrol$4,284CowperSanctuary Refugee Support Group Inc$4,105CowperScouts Australia NSW North Coast Region$4,963CowperSoccer Club Sawtell & District$1,716CowperSouth West Rocks Rural Fire Service$4,036CowperTemagog Volunteer Rural Fire Service$1,647CowperTrial Bay Triathalon$3,450CowperUnited Hospital Auxiliary Of NSW Inc Kempsey$1,652CowperWoolgoolga Committee Bushcare Nursery$348CunninghamBulli Public School P & C Association$3,040CunninghamCorrimal Amateur Swimming Club Inc$1,897CunninghamCorrimal Junior Rugby League Football Club Inc$3,303CunninghamCorrimal Public School P & C Association$1,548CunninghamFigtree Primary School P & C Association$2,867CunninghamIllawarra Cancer Carers Inc$1,079CunninghamIllawarra Environment and Heritage Centre$1,369CunninghamNew South Wales Volunteer Rescue Association$3,950CunninghamNorthern Districts Tigers Junior AFL Club$309CunninghamOlder Women's Network Illawarra$2,500CunninghamPara Meadows SSPP & C Association$1,234CunninghamRoyal Volunteer Coastal Patrol Wollongong$4,377CunninghamSchool for Children with Autism P&F Committee$2,295CunninghamSouth Coast Athletics NSW$2,500CunninghamVikings Rugby Club Inc$4,980DobellGorokan High School P & C Association Inc$4,577DobellGorokan Public School Parents & Citizens Association Inc$4,038DobellGorokan Seniors Computer Club Inc$5,000DobellHolgate Public School P & C Association$3,615DobellMingara Rebels Baseball Club Inc$4,950DobellNiagara Park Public School P & C Association$2,700DobellNorth Entrance Surf Life Saving Club Ltd$1,813DobellNSW Rural Fire Service Wyong District$4,972DobellScout Association of Australia NSW Branch$3,854DobellShelly Beach Surf Lifesaving Club Inc$2,133DobellTerrigal Uniting Centre Playgroup$3,000DobellTerrigal Uniting Church Kids Club$852DobellThe Entrance Amateur Swimming Club$809DobellThe Entrance Junior Cricket Club$4,124DobellValley View Public School P & C Association$4,928DobellWarnervale Public School P & C Association$2,309DobellWyong Amateur Swimming Club Inc$3,494Eden-MonaroBatemans Bay Little Athletics Club$4,297Eden-MonaroBatemans Bay Meals on Wheels Association Inc$760Eden-MonaroBega Athletics Club Inc$2,025Eden-MonaroBraidwood Polocrosse Club Inc$2,186Eden-MonaroBraidwood Urban Landcare Group$1,050Eden-MonaroBungendore Community Aid$2,810Eden-MonaroCathcart School of Arts Committee$824Eden-MonaroCobargo Public School Parents & Citizens$1,609Eden-MonaroDalgety Branch Australian Red Cross$1,389Eden-MonaroDry River Landcare Group$1,799Eden-MonaroEurobodalla Access Radio Inc$3,300Eden-MonaroGuises Creek Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade$2,399Eden-MonaroFar South Coast Soccer Association Inc$1,228Eden-MonaroLegacy Club of Queanbeyan$4,267Eden-MonaroMoruya Meals on Wheels$3,525Eden-MonaroNumeralla P & C Association$1,799Eden-MonaroQueanbeyan Senior Citizens Association$2,310Eden-MonaroRotary Club of Jerrabomberra$3,165Eden-MonaroRoyal Volunteer Coastal Patrol Eden Division$1,920Eden-MonaroRural Fire Service - Cathcart$1,129Eden-MonaroRural Fire Service Tuross Head Brigade$4,350Eden-MonaroTourism Tallaganda$1,088Eden-MonaroUnited Hospital Auxiliary of NSW Inc / Moruya District Hospital Auxiliary Branch$4,915Eden-MonaroUpper Snowy Landcare Committee Inc$2,000Eden-MonaroWyndham Pony Club Inc$564FarrerBalranald Shire Council$2,364FarrerCulcairn Landcare Group Inc$3,852FarrerDeniliquin and District Historical Society Inc$923FarrerFinley Pistol Club Inc$4,945FarrerEchuca Moama Little Athletics$1,481FarrerFriends of Inland Botanic Gardens$1,500FarrerGuides Association NSW Albury District$550FarrerGuides Association NSW Berrigan District$4,975FarrerKoondrook Barham Football and Netball Club Inc$1,000FarrerLockhart Hospital Auxiliary$2,982FarrerMt Gwynne Ladies Hospital Auxiliary$860FarrerOaklands War Memorial Baths$2,732FarrerRural Care Link Jindera$4,948FarrerSt Josephs School Auxiliary$1,885FarrerWirraminna Environmental Education Centre$1,194FowlerBusby Parents Teacher Group$2,322FowlerFairfield NSW Group ABA$619FowlerHeckenberg Public School P & C Association$4,434FowlerLiverpool Amateur Swimming Club$4,663FowlerNature Reserve Management Committee Elouera$4,235FowlerSerenity House$2,475FowlerThe City of Liverpool and District Historical Society Inc$2,686Gilmore1st Callala Sea Scouts$4,950GilmoreBannister Bush Track Bushcare Group$430GilmoreBawley Point Volunteer Bushfire Brigade$3,779GilmoreBomaderry Community Centre Hall Committee$771GilmoreFrogs Hollow Bomaderry Bush Care Group$441GilmoreKiama Art Society Inc$3,450GilmoreKiama Older Women's Network$3,334GilmoreKiama Public School Parents & Citizens Association$1,250GilmoreKioloa Rural Fire Service$1,088GilmoreMilton Rainforest Regeneration Group$998GilmoreMilton Rural Landcare Group Inc$1,537GilmoreMilton-Ulladulla Little Athletics Inc$1,243GilmoreMoss Vale Landcare Group Inc$770GilmoreMoss Vale Rural Fire Service$4,117GilmoreOriginal Lake Wollumboola Support Group/Jervis Bay Regional Alliance Inc$286GilmoreRoyal Volunteer Coastal Patrol Kioloa Division$3,160GilmoreRoyal Volunteer Coastal Patrol-Sussex Inlet$1,896GilmoreSanctuary Point Foreshores Bushcare Group$373GilmoreSCYC Nowra Gymnastics Inc$775GilmoreShoalhaven Heads Rural Fire Brigade$3,994GilmoreShoalhaven Little Athletics Centre Inc$4,999GilmoreShoalhaven Palliative Care Services Inc$3,616GilmoreSt Vincent de Paul Society$3,640GilmoreSutton Forest Parents & Citizens Association$2,209GilmoreTabourie Lake Rural Fire Service$4,811GilmoreUlladulla Public School P & C Association$4,735GilmoreZone 22 Pony Club Association of NSW$2,000GrayndlerAshfield Public School Parent Community Group$4,382GrayndlerCallan Park Bushcare Group$3,370GrayndlerCamperdown Dragons Junior Rugby League$1,799GrayndlerDisadvantaged and Welfare Recipients of NSW Inc$2,375GrayndlerFort Street High School P&C Uniform Shop$4,145GrayndlerHome Education Association Inc$4,937GrayndlerInner West Environment Group$1,292GrayndlerInner West Family Services$3,406GrayndlerKegworth Public School Parents & Citizens Association$4,931GrayndlerLien Hoa Women's Buddhism Meditation Centre$4,000GrayndlerMarrickville Community History Group$1,871GrayndlerMarrickville South Sydney Bicycle Group$4,675GrayndlerSt Lukes Concord Cricket Club$2,495GrayndlerWilkinson Swimming Club$4,998Greenway1st Kings Langley Scout Group$3,538Greenway2nd Kings Langley Scout Group$3,629GreenwayBlacktown Branch Country Women's Association NSW$500GreenwayGirl Guide Association$1,000GreenwayGrantham High School P & C Association$2,125GreenwayMarayong Heights PS P & C Association$1,528GreenwayMarayong Public School P& C Association$2,525GreenwayQuakers Hill Junior Rugby League Club Inc$908GreenwayRoyal Institute for the Deaf and Blind Children auspicing Jack Chant$3,248GreenwayShelly Primary School P & C Association$4,400GreenwayThe Rotary Club of Blacktown City Inc$1,686GreenwayWilliam Dean Public School Community Club$3,633GwydirAboriginal Corporation Enterprising Services$3,620GwydirAustralian Breastfeeding Association Mudgee Group$1,547GwydirBaradine Multi Purpose Service Activity Group$556GwydirBarneys Reef Landcare Inc$900GwydirBoggabri Peoples Welfare Committee Inc$1,870GwydirBurrendong Rescue Squad Inc$1,880GwydirCoolah Preschool Kindergarten Inc$518GwydirCountry Women's Association of NSW Tooraweenah Branch$950GwydirCountry Women's Association of NSW$461GwydirCurrabubula Hall & Reserve Committee$862GwydirDelungra Golf Club Inc$4,800GwydirDelungra Recreation Reserve Trust Management Committee$1,984GwydirGoodagah Relief Aboriginal Corporation Endeavour$4,689GwydirGulargambone Branch United Hospital Auxiliaries of NSW Inc$3,834GwydirLions Club of Barraba Inc$3,460GwydirManilla Amateur Swimming Club$4,046GwydirMudgee Headquarters Rural Fire Brigade$3,017GwydirNarrabri Youth Committee$2,209GwydirRotary Club of Boggabri$4,500GwydirWalgett Primary School Parents & Citizens Association$2,300GwydirWarialda Girl Guides$700GwydirWarrumbungle Community Broadcasting Association Inc$4,627GwydirWellington Netball Association Inc$3,090GwydirYetman Hall and Town Improvement Committee$1,200HughesAngelman Syndrome Association Inc$2,356HughesAustralian Barefoot Waterski Club (NSW Division)$2,930HughesBuneena Bush Fire Brigade$3,575HughesCarers Task Force Australia Inc$2,500HughesEngadine Dragons Cricket Club Inc$3,876HughesEngadine West P & C Association$4,864HughesHeathcote Headquarters Rural Fire Brigade$4,289HughesHolsworthy Public School P & C Association$2,499HughesMenai Public School P & C Association$2,300HughesMilitary Heritage Engineering Company$2,449HughesOtford Public School P & C Association$5,000HughesSLC Aquadot Swim Team Inc$4,995HughesSt John Bosco Baseball and Softball Club$600HughesSutherland Communications Rural Fire Brigade$4,945HughesSutherland Shire Bushcare Volunteers$4,113HughesSutherland Shire Junior Water Polo Association$4,700HughesSutherland Shire Learning Difficulties Support Group Inc$4,950HughesTiny Time Inc$876HughesWoronora Life Saving and River Patrol Club$4,745HughesWoronora Rural Fire Brigade$4,899HughesYoung Christopher Robin Committee$3,087HumeAdelong Community Transport Service Inc$475HumeBoorowa & District Historical Society Inc$1,150HumeBowning Public School P & C Association$613HumeCootamundra Retirement Village Auxiliary$844HumeLaggan & District Rural Fire Brigade$1,822HumeMurrumburrah High School P&C Committee$1,690HumeMurrumburrah Public School Parents & Citizens$1,450HumeOoma Creek Landcare Group Inc$3,620HumeParkesbourne Rural Fire Service$4,883HumePeelwood Limerick and Tuena Landcare Group Inc$3,554HumePerthville/Georges Plains Rural Fire Service$2,263HumeTemora Swimming Club Inc$3,036HumeThe Grenfell Henry Lawson Festival of Arts Inc$2,840HumeTumut & District Soccer Club Inc$1,041HumeTumut Adelong Region Catchment Management Group$3,560HumeTumut Amateur Basketball Association Inc$530HumeWombat Public School P & C Association$3,500HumeYoung Tennis Club Inc$3,923HunterBeresfield and District Meals On Wheels Inc$743HunterCessnock - Kurri Kurri Pink Lady Volunteer Service$2,239HunterCessnock Public School P & C Association Inc$4,979HunterCessnock West Primary School P&C$2,679HunterCountry Women's Association of NSW Quirindi Branch$1,378HunterFrancis Greenway High School P & C Association$4,441HunterKurri Kurri Swimming Club$1,991HunterLambs Valley Landcare$4,995HunterMurrurundi Jnr Rugby League$964HunterNulkaba Public School P & C Association$3,153HunterQuirindi District Rescue Squad$2,318HunterQuota International of Quirindi Inc$147HunterRouchel Public School P & C Association$1,060HunterScone Swimming Club Inc$3,303HunterSingleton Hospital Auxiliary$1,849HunterState Emergency Service Denman Unit$4,950HunterThree Valleys Landcare Group Inc$2,891HunterWeston Heritage and Tidy Town Committee$5,000HunterWoodberry Public School P & C Association$2,671Kingsford-SmithCommunity Visitors Scheme$4,075Kingsford-SmithDaceyville Public School P & C Association$4,782Kingsford-SmithEastern Suburbs Swimming Association Inc$4,600Kingsford-SmithKensington Public School Organisation$4,863Kingsford-SmithMalabar Public School Parents & Citizens Association$2,878Kingsford-SmithMatraville Parents & Citizens Association$4,554Kingsford-SmithRandwick District Surf Lifesaving Sydney Branch Offshore Rescue Boat Group$3,059Kingsford-SmithTourette Syndrome Association of Australia$5,000LindsayAnglo Indian Association NSW Inc$5,000LindsayAutism and Aspersers Support Group Inc$4,567LindsayBlue Mountains Commuter Transport Users Association$3,396LindsayCastlereagh Public School P & C Association$2,570LindsayFoundation for Creative Enterprise Inc$1,816LindsayKingswood High School P & C Association$1,023LindsayKingswood Primary School P & C Association$1,419LindsayLapstone Public School P & C Association$935LindsayLlandilo Volunteer Rural Fire Brigade$3,499LindsayMulgoa Valley Landcare Group$923LindsayPartners of Veterans Association Inc$5,000LindsayPenrith Older Women's Network Inc$4,946LindsayPenrith Rural Fire Service Communications$3,087LindsayPenrith South Public School P & C Association$1,394LindsayRiverland Harmony Chorus Inc$3,222LindsayThe Training Group NSW Rural Fire Service Penrith$4,730LindsayThis Is Us Bipolar Support Group$1,275LindsayVictoria Street Community Cottage$2,520LindsayWerrington Elderly Care$3,500LoweComputer Pals for Seniors - Concord$930LoweDobroyd Point Parents & Citizens Association$3,155LoweDragon Boats NSW Inc$5,000LoweEthnic Craft Group Inc$1,614LoweFive Dock Public School P & C Association$398LoweFive Dock RSL Junior Rugby League$3,499LoweHomebush West Public Parents & Citizens Association$4,994LoweMeteora Thessalias Benevolent Society Inc$4,209LoweMortlake & Cabarita Parents & Citizens Association$4,931LoweNSW Amputee Sporting Association Inc$4,085LoweRTS Tingira Guides NSW Water Activities Training Centre$4,659LoweStrathfield North Parents & Citizens Association$1,300LoweStrathfield South Public School Parents & Citizens Association$4,392LoweWests Junior Rugby Club$4,605LyneBeechwood Parent & Citizens Association$4,260LyneBundaleer Gardens Hostel Volunteers$3,854LyneBurrell Creek Youth & Community Association$495LyneCamden Haven Sea Rescue Squad Inc$928LyneComboyne Public School P & C Association$1,761LyneDiamond Beach Rural Fire Brigade$1,028LyneGhinni Ghinni P & C Association$3,600LyneHastings Choristers Inc$1,500LyneKendall Community Centre$990LyneKrambach Rural Fire Brigade$417LyneManning Valley Historical Society$528LyneMid North Coast Maritime Museum Inc$3,800LyneNabiac Landcare$4,819LyneNorth Haven Landcare Group Inc$990LyneOxley Island Literary Institute$1,370LyneRainbow Flat Bushfire Brigade$279LyneRoyal Volunteer Coastal Patrol Forster - Tuncurry Division$3,992LyneTacking Point Public School P & C Association Inc$4,070LyneTinonee Soccer Club Inc$3,129LyneUpper Wallamba Landcare Group Inc$1,400MacarthurBerrima District Volunteer Rescue Organisation$4,170MacarthurBowral Water Polo Inc$4,850MacarthurBowral Urban Landcare Group Inc$1,030MacarthurBowral Vietnam Memorial Walk Trust Inc$4,800MacarthurBringelly Public School P & C Association$3,563MacarthurChevalier College Show Cattle and Rural Youth$2,293MacarthurCobbitty Public School Parent and Citizens Association$2,232MacarthurColo Vale Bush Fire Brigade$4,814MacarthurCurrans Hill Public School P & C Association$3,500MacarthurHilltop Community and Recreation Centre Management Committee$999MacarthurMary Brooksbank P & C Association$4,161MacarthurMount Alexandra Reserve Bushcare Group$828MacarthurMount Annan Care$3,404MacarthurNSW Neighbour Aid Association$3,524MacarthurNSW Wildlife Info & Rescue Service Inc Wingecarribee Branch$3,299MacarthurPicton High School P & C Association$5,000MacarthurRosemeadow Public School P & C Association$2,810MacarthurSouthern Highlands Computer Users Group$2,649MacarthurTouch Association Inc Campbelltown$975MacarthurVoluntary Pupil Aid Association of the Oaks Public School$768MackellarAustralian Floorball Association$5,000MackellarBelrose and Terrey Hills Computer Pals for Seniors Inc$2,300MackellarBungan Beach Surf Life Saving Club Inc$4,977MackellarCoal and Candle Volunteer Rural Fire Brigade$1,870MackellarCollaroy Plateau Junior Rugby Club Inc$3,410MackellarCreative Leisure War Veterans Computer Group$400MackellarFood-Share Australia Dee Why Host Site$400MackellarManly Warringah Basketball Association LTD$5,000MackellarManly Warringah Media Cooperative$4,771MackellarNewport Bushlink$2,940MackellarNewport Surf Lifesaving Club Inc$2,321MackellarPittwater Natural Heritage Association$1,590MackellarScotland Island Volunteer First Aid Team$4,014MackellarScouts Australia 2nd Narrabeen Group Committee$2,810MackellarSt Rose School Parents and Friends Association$4,908MackellarTerrey Hills Public School P & C Association$5,000MackellarWarringah Concert Brass Inc$3,460MackellarWarringah Pittwater Rural Fire Service Volunteer Catering Unit$2,500MacquarieAustralian Breastfeeding Association - Springwood$4,512MacquarieBaptist Church Foodbarn Windsor District$2,698MacquarieBilpin Public School Parents and Citizens$2,441MacquarieBilpin Rural Fire Service$2,591MacquarieBlaxland East P & C Association (Canteen Committee)$1,250MacquarieBlue Mountains Artists Network Inc$3,298MacquarieBlue Mountains Lantern Club$625MacquarieBlue Mountains Public Broadcasting Society$4,994MacquarieBlue Mountains Region of the Australian Breastfeeding Association$2,461MacquarieBlue Mountains Vietnam Veterans Associated Forces Inc$3,137MacquarieColo Heights Rural Fire Brigade$1,200MacquarieHazelbrook P & C Association$2,993MacquarieHazelbrook Rural Fire Brigade$4,787MacquarieIst Kurrajong Scout Group$2,641MacquarieKurrajong Heights Rural Fire Brigade$4,817MacquarieKurrajong North Public School P&C$1,609MacquarieLawson Amateur Swimming Club Inc$2,899MacquarieLower Portland Rural Fire Service$5,000MacquarieMegalong Valley P & C Association$711MacquarieNavua Community Group Inc$628MacquarieRiding for the Disabled Blue Mountains$3,236MacquarieTeam Skatel Artistic Roller Skating Club Inc$2,750Mitchell1st Oakville Scouts$4,752MitchellAnnangrove Public School P&C$3,400MitchellApex Club of the Hills District$469MitchellCastle Hill Public School P & C Association$859MitchellComputer Pals for Seniors - The Hill Inc$4,527MitchellCountry Women's Association NSW Castle Hill Branch$618MitchellGirl Guides Association NSW Castle Hill District$2,468MitchellGlenorie Horse & Pony Club Inc$472MitchellGreater Sydney Conference Association$4,950MitchellGuides NSW Crestwood District$2,850MitchellHills Chamber of Commerce Inc$4,979MitchellHills United Soccer Club Inc$5,000MitchellHillside Public School P & C Association$960MitchellLions Club of Baulkham Hills Inc$957MitchellMaroota Public School P & C Association$578MitchellNorwest Community Sports Club Inc$4,920MitchellPolish Educational Society in New South Wales Inc$5,000MitchellSt John Ambulance Hill Division$5,000MitchellThe Hills Rugby Union Football Club inc$4,963MitchellWicen NSW Inc$5,000MitchellWisemans Ferry & Districts Age & Community Care Inc$2,133MitchellWisemans Ferry Public School P & C Association$1,104New England189th NSW West Tamworth Boys Brigade$3,409New EnglandCo-Care Inc$4,545New EnglandCountry Women's Association of NSW Guyra Branch$579New EnglandGlen Gallop Committee Inc$512New EnglandInverell Transport Museum Inc$4,984New EnglandLions Club of Tenterfield 14C$600New EnglandMingoola Public School P & C Association$849New EnglandNew England Zone Athletics$4,650New EnglandSouth Inverell Residents Association Inc$2,690New EnglandTamworth & District War Widows Guild Club$195New EnglandTenterfield Rugby League Inc$4,995New EnglandThe Legacy Club of Armidale Inc$1,687New EnglandThe Rotary Club of Glen Innes Inc$4,448New EnglandThe Salvation Army Red Shield Family Store$5,000New EnglandWestdale Public School P & C Association Inc$2,550NewcastleAssociation of Independent Retirees Inc$990NewcastleBetter Hearing Australia Newcastle Inc$4,801NewcastleCameron Park SSP P & C Association$4,324NewcastleFriends of East Timor Newcastle$519NewcastleHunter Brain Injury Group Inc$677NewcastleHunter U3A Inc$2,548NewcastleLifeline Newcastle & Hunter$4,956NewcastleOctapod Association Inc$4,348NewcastleScout Association Australia Hunter and Coastal Region$4,260NewcastleTotally & Permanently Disabled Soldiers Association of Australia$1,634NewcastleWandiyali Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Inc$5,000North Sydney1st Lane Cove Scout Group$3,499North SydneyAustralian Mental Health Suicide Consumer Alliance Inc$4,971North SydneyBirds Australia Southern NSW & ACT Group$3,637North SydneyFabrys Support Group Inc$1,478North SydneyFriends of Lane Cove Community Aid Services$2,800North SydneyGreenwich Sailing Club Inc$4,845North SydneyHomenetmen Scout Group$2,421North SydneyLane Cove Women's Action & Information Group Inc$4,966North SydneyNexus Australian Youth Network$3,929North SydneyNorthern Suburbs Rugby Football Club Ltd$1,756North SydneyPrimrose Park Art and Craft Centre Inc$4,621North SydneySt Ignatuis College Parents & Friends Association$5,000North SydneyVibewire Youth Services Inc$4,998North SydneyWilloughby Public School P & C Association$2,325PageBattlers Boutique$2,545PageBonalbo Committee on Trust$701PageBrushgrove Cowper Community and Sports Association$2,735PageCommunity Radio Coraki Association Inc$3,282PageCopmanhurst District Catering Unit$3,060PageCoraki Environmental Carers$2,077PageCoraki Round Table Community Group$3,521PageDrake Cricket Club$3,246PageGlenreagh Mountain Railway Incorporated$1,318PageLions Club of Yamba Inc$4,613PageLismore Cancer Care Palliative Care Volunteer Patient Support Group$830PageMulgum Creek Landcare Group Inc$508PageNimbin School of Arts Inc$368PageNymboida Community Groups Inc$1,382PageNymboida Public School P & C Association$632PageSouth Grafton Primary School Parent & Citizen Association$4,258PageThe Channon Landcare Group$475PageThe Clarence Environment Centre Inc$4,943ParkesAnglican Women of Aust Condobolin Branch$1,937ParkesAnglicare Parkes$820ParkesBallimore and District Progress Association$2,628ParkesBroken Hill Junior Baseball League$4,066ParkesCondobolin Community Centre Inc$999ParkesCountry Women's Association Lake Cargelligo Branch$3,748ParkesCountry Women's Association of NSW - Dubbo Branch$2,295ParkesCountry Women's Association of NSW Cobar Branch$2,877ParkesDubbo Base Hospital Auxiliary$1,768ParkesDubbo Catholic Museum Memorabilia Rooms$2,648ParkesDubbo Macquarie Lions Club$3,857ParkesEremeran Rural Fire Brigade$3,996ParkesForbes Family History Group Inc$4,624ParkesLake Cargelligo & District Care for the Aged Association Inc$499ParkesLegacy Clubs of Adelaide Inc Broken Hill Group$4,022ParkesLions Club of Parkes Clarinda & District$999ParkesMount Hope Community Association Inc$4,836ParkesNarromine District Cricket Council Inc$2,581ParkesNarromine P & C Association$1,042ParkesNarromine Playgroup$490ParkesSt John Ambulance Australia NSW Broken Hill Division$2,494ParkesSt Johns Trangie Parents and Friends$4,523ParkesSt Vincent de Paul Society - Nyngan$2,995ParkesSt Vincent de Paul Society Condoblin branch$2,350ParkesTottenham Swimming Club Inc$1,490ParkesTrundle Amateur Swimming Club$921ParkesVietnam Veterans Club Broken Hill$3,990ParkesWarren RSL Sub-Branch$1,800Parramatta1st Rydalmere Scout Group$1,496ParramattaCatholic Women's League Aust Diocese of Parramatta Inc$400ParramattaDundas Public School P&C Uniform Committee$2,448ParramattaDundas United Recreation Club Inc$3,000ParramattaNational Association of Watch & Clock Collectors First Australian Chapter No 72$4,772ParramattaNational Seniors Association Hills Branch$795ParramattaNorth Rocks Uniting Church Preschool Kindergarten Parent Group$1,252ParramattaParramatta Little Athletics Centre Inc$3,698ParramattaParramatta Memorial Amateur Swimming Club Inc$2,422ParramattaRowland Hassall School P & C Association$753ParramattaRyde Water Polo Club Inc$3,099ParramattaSpecial Olympics NSW$3,500ParramattaToongabbie Public School P & C Association$1,300ParramattaToongabbie Swim Club Inc$3,751PatersonAnna Bay Public School Parents & Citizens Association$2,056PatersonCoomba Park and District Senior Citizens Association Inc$816PatersonFingal Bay Parks and Reserves Committee$1,826PatersonGloucester Shire Council State Emergency Service Unit$3,708PatersonGresford Rural Fire Service$4,350PatersonGresford School P & C Association$4,954PatersonGresford Vacy Soccer Club Inc$3,083PatersonLemon Tree Passage Parks, Reserves, and Tidy Town Committee$1,758PatersonMaitland Grossmann High P & C Association$1,337PatersonMedowie Tennis Club Inc$3,661PatersonMetford Public School P & C Association$4,985PatersonNSW Rural Fire Brigade Service Medowie Brigade$1,499PatersonNSW Sports Council for the Disabled Hunter Region$4,376PatersonPacific Palms Community Association Inc$2,500PatersonPindimar Bundabah Community Association$279PatersonPort Stephens Historical Society$160PatersonRaymond Terrace Amateur Swimming Club Inc$3,900PatersonRiding for the Disabled - Hunter Valley Vaulting Centre$1,364PatersonRutherford High School Canteen Committee$4,175PatersonStroud and District Historical Society Inc$259PatersonStroud Public School P & C Association$2,304PatersonTenambit Public School P & C Association$3,191PatersonThe Salvation Army Raymond Terrace Corps$2,595PatersonWards River Bush Fire Brigade$1,719ProspectAustralian Climbing Gyms Association$4,931ProspectAustralian Soccer Referees NSW Division$4,394ProspectBlacktown Workers Baseball Club$5,000ProspectChaldean Australian Culture Society Inc$3,886ProspectFairfield Girl Guides Support Group$435ProspectFairfield West Public School P & C$2,660ProspectFairvale Public School P & C Association$4,708ProspectPrairievale Public School P & C Association$4,872ProspectSmithfield Amateur Swimming Club Inc$780ProspectWestfield Sports:Hockey - Parents Support Group$5,000ProspectWetherill Park Cricket Club Inc$1,557Reid1st Blaxcell Scout Group$1,280ReidAuburn Breakers Netball Club$4,995ReidAuburn Public School Parents & Citizens Association$2,970ReidAustralian Arabic Palestinian Support Association$4,935ReidCardinal Gilroy Village Computer Club$1,226ReidEverley Park Little Athletics Club$4,823ReidGranville Historical Society Inc$4,622ReidLidcombe Public School P & C Association$3,672ReidNGA Kohanga Reo O Poihakena Inc$875ReidParents Without Partners NSW Inc$5,000ReidParramatta Eagles Junior Soccer$4,371ReidParramatta Junior Rugby Union$4,491ReidSherwood Grange P & C Association$3,035ReidSouthern Highlands Occasional Orienteers$880ReidSunny Corner Toy Library Inc$1,449ReidSydney Aquatic Centre Seals Swimming Team Inc$4,995ReidTe Aranganui Inc$4,211ReidTrustees of the Presentation Sisters Wagga$1,517ReidWestmead Public School P & C Association$3,761Richmond1st Brunswick Heads Scout Group$4,064RichmondAmaroo Nursing Home Blue Care$1,375RichmondAustralian Red Cross Murwillumbah Branch$4,672RichmondBangalow Park Trust Committee of Management$485RichmondBanora Point Soccer Club Inc$2,530RichmondBilambil Community Pre School Inc$1,500RichmondBlind and Vision Impaired Support Group NSW FNC Inc$2,215RichmondByron Bay Preschool Inc$260RichmondCentaur Primary School P & C Association$4,976RichmondCountry Women's Association, Mullumbinby$908RichmondHabitat Studio Multi Media Youth Training$1,022RichmondIsland Quarry Association Inc$3,149RichmondLennox Head Residents Association Inc$4,736RichmondLions Club of Kingscliff Inc$194RichmondMullumbimby Little Athletics Association Inc$750RichmondMullumbimby Showground Trust$4,995RichmondMurwillumbah Rural Fire Brigade$2,558RichmondNational Federation of Australian South Sea Islanders$428RichmondNational Speech Communication Day$999RichmondNewrybar Rural Fire Service$1,240RichmondOcean Shores Baptist Community Centre$808RichmondOcean Shores Tidy Town$1,893RichmondPottsville Community Association Inc Dune Care$2,398RichmondPottsville Fishing Club$1,847RichmondRotary Club of Kingscliff Inc$1,531RichmondSave Wollumbin Forest Campaign$4,844RichmondShores United Junior Soccer Club Inc$1,741RichmondTerranora Lakes Cricket Club (Juniors) Inc$4,307RichmondTintenbar Playgroup$374RichmondTumbulgum Parents & Citizens Association$784RichmondTweed Heads Branch Australian Red Cross NSW$178RichmondTweed Landcare Inc$2,899RichmondTwin Towns Branch of Little Athletics Centre Inc$4,095RichmondTwin Towns Friends Association$1,660RichmondTyalgum Branch Australian Red Cross$300RichmondUki Hall and Recreation Trust$1,377RiverinaAustralian Shearers Hall of Fame Inc$1,512RiverinaBishops Lodge Management Committee$3,318RiverinaDiabetes Association Wagga Wagga Branch$2,860RiverinaGriffith Centre Riding for the Disabled$2,265RiverinaGriffith Junior Rugby Union Club$2,272RiverinaGriffith Netball Association Inc$1,735RiverinaGriffith Suicide Prevention and Support$4,796RiverinaHanwood Public School P & C Organisation$1,977RiverinaHay Amateur Swimming Club INC$2,123RiverinaHay and District Cricket Association Inc$3,785RiverinaHay Public School P&C Canteen$671RiverinaHay Trees on Plains Landcare Group Inc$3,363RiverinaJunee Headquarters Rural Fire Brigade$4,110RiverinaJunee Show Society$3,985RiverinaLeeton Branch Royal Far West Health Scheme$4,980RiverinaLeeton Pony Club Inc$516RiverinaLeeton Scout Group$1,899RiverinaLeeton Tidy Towns Committee$2,102RiverinaLions Club of Ardlethan$940RiverinaMangoplah Parents & Citizens Association$4,682RiverinaMurrami Country Women's Association$1,430RiverinaMurrumbidgee Lachlan Group Country Womens Association$1,196RiverinaNaradhan P & C Association$911RiverinaPresbyterian Women's Association Hay Branch$1,883RiverinaRiverina Swimming Association Inc$2,240RiverinaSt Peters Anglican Women's Fellowship$1,579RiverinaThe Craft Cottage$3,560RobertsonAustralian-German Friendship & Welfare Society Inc$3,645RobertsonGosford Stingrays Swimming Club Inc$4,996RobertsonInner Wheel Club of Gosford North$677RobertsonMangrove Mountain District Country Fair$1,565RobertsonMooney Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade$2,280RobertsonMountain District Soccer Club Inc$4,830RobertsonMulti Arts Confederation & Friends of Caroline Bay$2,995RobertsonRadio Yesterday Inc$4,377RobertsonThe Bays Bush Fire Brigade$1,903RobertsonUniting Church in Australia Gosford$1,810RobertsonUpper Popran Creek Land Care Group$3,900RobertsonWoy Woy Little Theatre Inc$4,297ShortlandCaves Beach Public School P & C Association$1,108ShortlandCharlestown Public School Parent and Citizens$3,020ShortlandCoast Guard NF20 Tuggerah Lakes Inc$3,499ShortlandEastern District Polish Association Melbourne$3,149ShortlandGirl Guide Association NSW Budgewoi District$999ShortlandGlencare Special Needs Association Inc$2,990ShortlandGwandalan Public School Landcare Group$382ShortlandHunter Breast Cancer Foundation Inc$3,068ShortlandKahibah Public School P & C Association Inc$2,065ShortlandLakeside Gymnastics Academy$3,268ShortlandLakeside Netball Association Inc$2,698ShortlandNorah Head Search and Rescue Boat Club Inc$5,000ShortlandRedhead Landcare Inc$1,840ShortlandSt Marys Parish Toukley$1,499ShortlandSt Vincent de Paul Soc Belmont$5,000ShortlandSummerland Point Gwandalan Tidy Town & Landscape Sub Committee of Summerland Point Progress Association$3,700ShortlandValentine Public School P & C Association$4,906ShortlandWindale Girl Guides Trefoil Guild$2,603SydneyAustralian Association of Bush Regenerators$507SydneyAustralian Seniors Computer Clubs Association$4,893SydneyBalmain Boomers Baseball Club$1,950SydneyBourke Street Public School Parents & Citizens Association Inc$4,800SydneyCafé Cana$4,465SydneyCentral Sydney Region Public Tenants Council Inc$1,944SydneyConservatorium High School P & C Association$4,180SydneyEco Design Foundation Inc$3,428SydneyFrontier Services NSW Support Group$3,850SydneyGoodwill Charity Card Shop Inc$999SydneyItalian Ladies Craft Group Surry Hills$924SydneyJudo Federation of Australia - Glebe$4,950SydneyLeichhardt Junior Rugby League Football Club Inc$4,399SydneyLilyfield Playgroup$3,459SydneyNSW Ski Association NSW Alpine Committee$4,936SydneyPeople for Nuclear Disarmament NSW Inc$2,952SydneyPost Polio Network NSW Inc$4,959SydneyRoyal Australian Armoured Corps Association - NSW Branch$4,898SydneySouth Sydney Heritage Society Incorporated$4,850SydneySuicide Prevention Australia Inc$5,000SydneyUniversity of Sydney Rockclimbing & Mountaineering Club$4,749Throsby169th NSW Dapto Girls Brigade$4,998ThrosbyAlbion Park Anglican Church Cemetery Trust$4,500ThrosbyAlbion Park Rural Fire Brigade$3,872ThrosbyAlbion Park Soccer Club Inc$4,912ThrosbyAll Saints Play Centre$4,599ThrosbyArthritis Foundation Warrilla Shellharbour Branch$1,100ThrosbyBerkeley Amateur Swimming Club Inc$3,000ThrosbyOak Flats Senior Citizens Club Inc$2,546ThrosbyOaks Flats Rural Fire Brigade$2,028ThrosbyOlder Women's Network Shellharbour City$4,534ThrosbyToddler Time$4,255WarringahBalgowlah North Public School P & C Association$946WarringahFirst Aid Surf Team Response Group Inc$4,894WarringahManly Croquet Club Inc$2,500WarringahManly Swimming Club Incorporated$4,300WarringahManly Village Public School Parents & Citizens Association$2,000WarringahNew South Wales Small Bore & Air Rifle Association Inc$3,500WarringahQueenscliff Ladies Amateur Swimming Club Inc$1,375WarringahRoos Rugby Football Club (Manly) Inc$4,620WarringahSailability NSW Inc Manly North Sydney$1,293WarringahSacred Heart Parents & Friends Association$400WarringahSeaforth Public School P & C Association$5,000WarringahWarringah Printmakers Studio Inc$2,860WatsonAlexandra Football/Netball Club$2,695WatsonAustralian Lebanese Taekwondo Association$4,887WatsonChinese Parents Association - Children with Disabilities$3,970WatsonDisabled Surfers Association of Aust Inc$3,080WatsonEarlwood Saints JRLFC Inc$5,000WatsonHurstville United Junior Rugby League Football Club Inc$5,000WatsonItalian Craft Group Rockdale$1,168WatsonKingsgrove High School Parents & Citizens Association$269WatsonKingsgrove Public School P & C Association$255WatsonNorthern NSW Touch Association Inc$1,866WatsonOur Lady of Lourdes Parents & Friends Association$4,720WatsonPacific Island Women's Advisory & Support Service In Corp$4,849WatsonPenshurst RSL Junior Rugby League Football Club$5,000WatsonRockdale Amateur Swimming Club Inc$4,572WatsonThe Canterbury City Computer Club for Seniors Inc$1,095WatsonThe Hydrocephalus Support Association Inc$4,994WatsonThe Samoan Advisory Council$4,241WatsonWolli RSL Day Care Club$249WentworthAnkylosing Spondylitis Group of NSW$1,369WentworthAustralian & NZ Association of Bell Ringers$4,995WentworthAustralian Literacy & Numeracy Foundation$4,747WentworthAustralian Multiple Birth Association$3,380WentworthAustralian Speak Easy Association NSW/ACT Branch$4,835WentworthBNEI Akiva Sydney$4,993WentworthBondi Junction Group of the Australian Breastfeeding Association$1,114WentworthEcho Bondi Junction Neighbourhood Centre$300WentworthGirl Guides Association of NSW East Metropolitan Region$2,828WentworthHalliwick Swimming Club for Adults with a Disability Inc$250WentworthMindfields ABI$4,324WentworthRandwick I Playgroup$3,057WentworthSaints Junior Rugby Union Football Club Inc$4,977WentworthTamarama Surf Life Saving Club Inc$1,634Werriwa1st Kentlyn Scout Group$5,000WerriwaCampbelltown Camden District Cricket Club Inc$4,994WerriwaCampbelltown District Netball Association Inc$2,500WerriwaCampbelltown District Softball Association$4,750WerriwaClaymore Public School P & C Association$2,358WerriwaEschol Little Athletics and Athletics Centre Inc$2,433WerriwaEschol Park Public School P & C Association$1,045WerriwaGadigal Men's Group$4,717WerriwaGlobal Village Group Inc$4,719WerriwaIngleburn Magpies Baseball & Softball Club$4,424WerriwaMacarthur Indoor Amateur Swimming Club Inc$4,087WerriwaMinto Public School Canteen$407WerriwaNano Nagle Camps$1,868WerriwaSt Andrews Public School Parent Body$3,880WerriwaSt John Ambulance Australia, Miller Cadet Division$1,041WerriwaSt Vincent De Paul Claymore Community Laundromat & Coffee Shop$1,960WerriwaSt Vincent De Paul Society Minto Conference$2,2992107(Question No. 204)2042107Martin, Stephen, MPDr Martin8I4CunninghamALP00 asked the Minister for Trade, upon notice, on 12 March 2002:(1) Did the US International Trade Commission (ITC) recommend to President Clinton on 27 March 1999 that higher tariffs and import quotas be applied to lamb imports.(2) What were the import quotas and tariffs on lamb announced by President Clinton on 7 July 1999.(3) Between 27 March and 7 July 1999, how many times did the Prime Minister and he discuss the ITCs recommendations and the potential for quota imposition and tariff increases on lamb with their US counterparts.(4) How many times did the Prime Minister and he discuss the new lamb import restrictions with their US counterparts after 7 July 1999.(5) How many (a) written and (b) oral representations did Australian Embassy staff in Washington make to Clinton Administration officials on the lamb import restrictions between 27 March and 7 July 1999.(6) How many (a) written and (b) oral representations did departmental staff in Canberra make to the US Embassy on the lamb import restrictions between 27 March and 7 July 1999.(7) Did the ITC recommend to President Bush on 19 December 2001 that higher tariffs and import quotas be applied to steel imports.(8) How many times did the Prime Minister and he discuss the ITCs recommendations and the potential for quota imposition and tariff increases on steel with their US counterparts between 19 December 2001 and 5 March 2002, when President Bush announced he would impose import quotas and higher tariffs on steel.(9) How many times have the Prime Minister and he discussed the new steel import restrictions with their US counterparts since 5 March 2002.(10) How many (a) written and (b) oral representations did Australian Embassy staff in Washington make to Bush Administration officials on the steel import restrictions between the handing down of the ITCs decision and the announcement of the import quotas and higher tariffs by President Bush.(11) How many (a) written and (b) oral representations did departmental staff in Canberra make to the US Embassy on the steel import restrictions between the handing down of the ITC decision and the announcement of the quotas and higher tariffs by President Bush.2108Vaile, Mark, MPMr VaileSU5LyneNPMinister for Trade10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:The Government mounted vigorous lobbying campaigns when the United States considered and imposed unreasonable safeguard measures restricting imports of both Australian lamb and Australian steel. In the case of lamb, Australia initiated and won a World Trade Organization action and negotiated a speedy end to the import restrictions. In the case of steel, the Government made urgent representations with the result that between 70 and 85 per cent of Australia's current steel exports will not be affected (the range is attributable to volume/value differences). The Government reserves the right to take further action on steel.2108(Question No. 205)2052108Vamvakinou, Maria, MPMs Vamvakinou00AMTCalwellALP00 asked the Attorney-General, upon notice, on 12 March 2002:On the most recent data, what is the incidence of reported crime by type in (a) Victoria and (b) the postcode areas of (i) 3036, (ii) 3037, (iii) 3038, (iv) 3043, (v) 3046 (vi) 3047, (vii) 3048, (viii) 3049, (ix) 3059, (x) 3060, (xi) 3061, (xii) 3064, (xiii) 3427 and (xiv) 3428. 2108Williams, Daryl, MPMr Williams7V5TangneyLPAttorney-General10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(a) I am advised that according to the most recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of victims by offence category, for offences recorded by Police, in Victoria for 2000 was as follows:Homicide and related offences - 169 victims. These can be broken down as follows:(i) Murder - 55.(ii) Attempted Murder - 51.(iii) Manslaughter - 12.(iv) Driving causing death - 51.Assault - 16,541 victims.Sexual assault - 2,474 victims.Kidnapping - 106 victims.Robbery - 3,326 victims. This can be broken down as follows:(i) Armed robbery - 1,785.(ii) Unarmed robbery - 1,541.Blackmail/extortion - 69 victims.Unlawful Entry with Intent - 78,774 victims. These can be broken down as follows:(i) Property Theft - 62,654.(ii) Other - 16,120.Motor vehicle theft - 36,591 victims.Other theft - 141,219 victims.Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Recorded Crime: Australia 2000.(b) I am advised that the Australian Bureau of Statistics does not produce data on the incidence of recorded crime by local area in Victoria, including by postcode. However, I am advised that such information may be available from the Victorian Police.2108(Question No. 206)2062108Vamvakinou, Maria, MPMs Vamvakinou00AMTCalwellALP00 asked the Minister representing the Minister for Family and Community Services, upon notice, on 12 March 2002:(1) On the most recent data, how many Newstart allowance recipients reside in (a) Victoria and (b) thepostcode areas of (i) 3036, (ii) 3037, (iii) 3038, (iv) 3043, (v) 3046 (vi) 3047, (vii) 3048, (viii) 3049,(ix) 3059, (x) 3060, (xi) 3061, (xii) 3064, (xiii) 3427 and (xiv) 3428.(2) On the most recent data, how many Family Payment Greater than Minimum recipients reside in (a)Victoria and (b) the postcode areas of (i) 3036, (ii) 3037, (iii) 3038, (iv) 3043, (v) 3046 (vi) 3047,(vii) 3048, (viii) 3049, (ix) 3059, (x) 3060, (xi) 3061, (xii) 3064, (xiii) 3427 and (xiv) 3428.(3) On the most recent data, how many disability support pension recipients reside in (a) Victoria and (b)the postcode areas of (i) 3036, (ii) 3037, (iii) 3038, (iv) 3043, (v) 3046 (vi) 3047, (vii) 3048, (viii)3049, (ix) 3059, (x) 3060, (xi) 3061, (xii) 3064, (xiii) 3427 and (xiv) 3428.(4) On the most recent data, how many age pension recipients reside in (a) Victoria and (b) the postcode areas of (i) 3036, (ii) 3037, (iii) 3038, (iv) 3043, (v) 3046 (vi) 3047, (vii) 3048, (viii) 3049, (ix) 3059, (x) 3060, (xi) 3061, (xii) 3064, (xiii) 3427 and (xiv) 3428.(5) On the most recent date, how many parenting payment single recipients reside in (a) Victoria and (b) the postcode areas of (i) 3036, (ii) 3037, (iii) 3038, (iv) 3043, (v) 3046 (vi) 3047, (vii) 3048, (viii) 3049, (ix) 3059, (x) 3060, (xi) 3061, (xii) 3064, (xiii) 3427 and (xiv) 3428.2109Anthony, Larry, MPMr AnthonyXJ6RichmondNPMinister for Children and Youth Affairs10—The Minister for Family and Community Services has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:(1) (a) At 8 March 2002, 134,445 Newstart Allowance recipients resided in Victoria. (b) At 8 March 2002, the numbers of Newstart Allowance recipients residing in the postcode areas listed in the question are: PostcodeNumber(i)303694(ii)3037745(iii)3038668(iv)3043512(v)30461146(vi)30471270(vii)30481131(viii)3049256(ix)3059135(x)3060557(xi)3061395(xii)3064727(xiii)342782(xiv)342827Total7745(2) (a) At 8 March 2002, 243,509 customers receiving Family Tax Benefit Part A* at more than the base rate on a fortnightly basis through Centrelink resided in Victoria. (b) At 8 March 2002, the numbers of customers receiving Family Tax Benefit Part A at more than the base rate on a fortnightly basis through Centrelink who resided in the postcode areas listed in the question are: PostcodeNumber(i)3036193(ii)30371825(iii)30381442(iv)30431018(v)30461913(vi)30472140(vii)30482260(viii)3049547(ix)3059390(x)3060875(xi)3061519(xii)30642127(xiii)3427157(xiv)342834Total15440* The question asks about Family Payment Greater than Minimum. Family (Tax) Payment no longer exists. The answer assumes the question is about Family Tax Benefit Part A at more than base rate which is the payment that most closely relates to the former Family (Tax) Payment. (3) (a) At 8 March 2002, 153,597 Disability Support Pension recipients resided in Victoria. (b) At 8 March 2002, the numbers of Disability Support Pension recipients residing in the postcode areas listed in the question are: PostcodeNumber(i)3036102(ii)3037636(iii)3038758(iv)3043651(v)30461354(vi)30471399(vii)30481198(viii)3049273(ix)3059249(x)3060606(xi)3061393(xii)3064666(xiii)342777(xiv)342817Total8379(4) (a) At 8 March 2002, 462,255 Age Pension recipients resided in Victoria. (b) At 8 March 2002, the numbers of Age Pension recipients residing in the postcode areas listed in the question are: PostcodeNumber(i)3036498(ii)3037702(iii)30381347(iv)30431540(v)30464987(vi)30472284(vii)3048806(viii)3049495(ix)3059304(x)30602502(xi)3061557(xii)3064773(xiii)3427101(xiv)342834Total16930(5) (a) At 8 March 2002, 95,015 Parenting Payment Single recipients resided in Victoria. (b) At 8 March 2002, the numbers of Parenting Payment Single recipients residing in the postcode areas listed in the question are: PostcodeNumber(i)303666(ii)3037550(iii)3038383(iv)3043394(v)3046728(vi)3047839(vii)3048729(viii)3049226(ix)305955(x)3060269(xi)3061118(xii)3064692(xiii)342766(xiv)342812Total51272111(Question No. 207)2072111Vamvakinou, Maria, MPMs Vamvakinou00AMTCalwellALP00 asked the Minister for Education, Science and Training, upon notice, on 12 March 2002:What sums were provided to (a) government and (b) non-government schools in (i) 2000-2001 and (ii) 2001-2002 in the postcode areas of (A) 3036, (B) 3037, (C) 3038, (D) 3043, (E) 3046 (F) 3047, (G) 3048, (H) 3049, (I) 3059, (J) 3060, (K) 3061, (L) 3064, (M) 3427 and (N) 3428 and what was the (I) expenditure on, (II) location of and (III) purpose of, each grant.2111Nelson, Dr Brendan, MPDr NelsonRW5BradfieldLPMinister for Education, Science and Training10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:Funding provided by the Department of Education, Science and Training is not allocated or reported on the basis of postcodes or electorates.However, information on Capital Grant funding for government and non-government schools and General Recurrent Grants funding and Establishment Grant funding to non-government schools has been compiled on the basis of data available at the postcode level.CAPITAL FUNDING (Non-Government Schools)Commonwealth capital grants for schools are provided to improve educational outcomes by assisting in the provision of school facilities, particularly in ways that contribute most to raising the overall level of educational achievement of Australian school students.Between 2000-02 the following non-government schools in the above listed postcodes received Capital funding: PostcodeSchool NameLocationYearAmountProject Description3037Gilson CollegeTaylors Hill2000$325,000Construction of: science room, library/resource centre and amenities. Associated services. Site works. Furniture and equipment.3047Isik CollegeBroadmeadows2000$302,000Construction of: library and administration areas. Associated services. Site works. Furniture and equipment.3059Aitken CollegeGreenvale2000$160,000Construction of: 4 general learning areas, science and art rooms. Associated services. Site works. Furniture and equipment.3060Darul Ulum College of VictoriaNorth Fawkner2000$401,709Construction of: administration areas, science and art rooms. Refurbishment of: 4 general learning areas. Associated services. Site works. Furniture and equipment.3037Gilson CollegeTaylors Hill2001$220,000Construction of: 4 general learning areas. Associated services. Site works. Furniture and equipment.3038Catholic Regional CollegeSydenham2001$465,000Construction of: 3 art rooms, store rooms, photography room, dark room and staff/work preparation area.3038Emmaus Catholic Primary SchoolSydenham2001$546,911Construction of: 6 general learning areas, pupils' amenities and travel.3047Ilim College of AustraliaBroadmeadows2001$70,000Refurbishment of: student amenities. Associated services and site works.3047Isik CollegeBroadmeadows2001$15,000Upgrade of: building structure and services.3048St Mary's Coptic Orthodox CollegeCoolaroo2001$450,000Construction of: library and administration area. Refurbishment of: 2 general learning areas. Associated services. Siteworks. Furniture and equipment.3059Aitken CollegeGreenvale2001$50,000Construction of: 4 general learning areas, science and art rooms. Associated services. Site works. Furniture and equipment.3059Aitken CollegeGreenvale2001$500,000Construction of: 4 general learning areas, science, art and music. Extension of: library. Associated site works. Services. Furniture and equipment.3060Darul Ulum College of VictoriaNorth Fawkner2001$98,291Construction of: administration areas, science and art rooms. Refurbishment of: 4 general learning areas. Associated services. Site works. Furniture and equipment.3060Darul Ulum College of VictoriaNorth Fawkner2001$313,850Construction of: general learning area, administration and canteen. Associated services. Site works. Furniture and equipment.3064Good Samaritan Catholic Primary SchoolRoxburgh Park2001$905,000Construction of: 8 general learning areas and associated areas.3064Our Lady's Primary SchoolCraigieburn2001$765,000Construction of: library, administration area, staff facilities and associated areas.3037Gilson CollegeTaylors Hill2002$500,000Construction of: 3 general learning areas, administration, amenities and information technology. Associated services. Site works. Furniture and equipment.3038Emmaus Catholic Primary SchoolSydenham2002$163,089Construction of: 6 general learning areas, pupils' amenities and travel.3047Holy Child Primary SchoolDallas2002$590,000Construction of: administration areas. Reconstruction of: student amenities. Refurbishment of: library and administration areas.3047Isik CollegeBroadmeadows2002$15,000Construction of: shade structure. Associated site works.3047Isik CollegeBroadmeadows2002$270,000Construction of: art room and amenities. Associated services. Site works. Furniture and equipment.3059Aitken CollegeGreenvale2002$430,000Construction of: vce centre (5 general learning areas, offices, amenities, common room, storage and study areas). Associated services. Site works. Furntiure and equipment.3060Darul Ulum College of VictoriaNorth Fawkner2002$334,250Construction of: library. Conversion to create: 2 general learning areas. Associated services. Siteworks. Furniture and equipment.CAPITAL FUNDING (Government Schools)Between 2000-02 government schools in the above listed postcodes received the following Capital funding. The allocation for the capital programme for non-government schools in Victoria for 2002 is $53,379,000. Not all this funding has yet been allocated. PostcodeSchool NameLocationYearAmountProject Description3059Greenvale Primary SchoolGreenvale2000$520,000Construction of: new general purpose classrooms and staff administration areas. Upgrade of: library.3038Copperfield College - Sydenham Junior CampusSydenham2000$2,276,000Construction of: new school.3038Copperfield College - Sydenham Junior CampusSydenham2001$500,000Construction of: new school - stage 2.3038Copperfield College - Sydenham Junior CampusSydenham2002$700,000Provision of: new school - stage 3.3038Mackellar Primary SchoolDelahey2001$300,000Construction of: general purpose classrooms and library.3038Keilor Downs Primary SchoolKeilor Downs2001$300,000Construction of: general purpose classrooms. Upgrade of: library and staff administration area.3038Taylors Lakes Primary SchoolTaylors Lakes2002$450,000Provision of: general purpose classrooms, library and staff workspace.3064Craigieburn Primary SchoolCraigieburn2000$1,700,000Construction of: new replacement school.3064Roxburgh Park Primary SchoolRoxburgh Park2001$1,341,000Construction of: new school.3064Roxburgh Park Secondary CollegeRoxburgh Park2002$2,000,000Provision of: new school - stage 1.3046Box Forest Secondary College - Glenroy Kode CampusGlenroy2000$66,000 Demolition of: buildings. Upgrade of: heating and security facilities.GENERAL RECURRENT GRANTS FUNDING (Non-Government Schools) PostcodeSchool NameLocationYearAmount3036Overnewton Anglican Community CollegeKeilor2000$5,560,8943047Ilim College of AustraliaBroadmeadows2000$666,2003047Isik CollegeBroadmeadows2000$1,827,5033048St Mary's Coptic Orthodox CollegeCoolaroo2000$1,704,1023059Aitken CollegeGreenvale2000$1,547,9933060Darul Ulum College of VictoriaNorth Fawkner2000$805,4183036Overnewton Anglican Community CollegeKeilor2001$6,021,4183046Glenvale SchoolGLENROY2001$126,6043046Glenvale SchoolGLENROY2001$7,7503047Ilim College of AustraliaBroadmeadows2001$991,0463047Isik CollegeBroadmeadows2001$2,237,1433048St Mary's Coptic Orthodox CollegeCoolaroo2001$2,085,4993059Aitken CollegeGreenvale2001$2,460,1803060Darul Ulum College of VictoriaNorth Fawkner2001$1,111,9163046Glenvale SchoolGLENROY2002*$7,7503036Overnewton Anglican Community CollegeKeilor2002*$6,021,4183046Glenvale SchoolGLENROY2002*$126,6043047Ilim College of AustraliaBroadmeadows2002*$1,051,1063047Isik CollegeBroadmeadows2002*$2,371,7183048St Mary's Coptic Orthodox CollegeCoolaroo2002*$2,209,8063059Aitken CollegeGreenvale2002*$3,103,1003060Darul Ulum College of VictoriaNorth Fawkner2002*$1,183,360* Estimated EntitlementThe specific objective for the General Recurrent Grants programme is to help schools with the recurrent costs of school education so that they can offer students educational programmes directed towards the achievement of the Commonwealth's priorities for schooling.ESTABLISHMENT GRANTS FUNDING (Non-Government Schools) PostcodeSchool NameLocationYearAmount*3046Glenvale SchoolGLENROY2001$7,7503046Glenvale SchoolGLENROY2002$3,875* Paid to dateThe specific objective for the Establishment Grants programme is to assist new non-government schools with costs incurred in their formative years and to enable them to be more competitive with existing schools.2114(Question No. 210)2102114Vamvakinou, Maria, MPMs Vamvakinou00AMTCalwellALP00 asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, upon notice, on 12 March 2002:(1) On most recent data, how many Child Support Agency clients reside in (a) Victoria and (b) the postcode areas of (i) 3036, (ii) 3037, (iii) 3038, (iv) 3043, (v) 3046 (vi) 3047, (vii) 3048, (viii) 3049, (ix) 3059, (x) 3060, (xi) 3061, (xii) 3064, (xiii) 3427 and (xiv) 3428.(2) On the most recent data, how many youth allowance recipients reside in (a) Victoria and (b) the postcode areas of (i) 3036, (ii) 3037, (iii) 3038, (iv) 3043, (v) 3046 (vi) 3047, (vii) 3048, (viii) 3049, (ix) 3059, (x) 3060, (xi) 3061, (xii) 3064, (xiii) 3427 and (xiv) 3428.2114Anthony, Larry, MPMr AnthonyXJ6RichmondNPMinister for Children and Youth Affairs10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) (a) The number of Child Support Agency (CSA) clients residing in Victoria as at December 2001 is 276,220. (b) The number of CSA clients for each selected postcode as at December 2001 is: Postcode No. of payersNo. of payeesTotal clients30361071022093037480591107130385256451170304349952810273046974894186830471045993203830488339101743304925331456730599610019630603703317013061252139391306478094917293427108962043428281947TOTAL6350661112 961(2) (a) The number of Youth Allowance recipients in Victoria as at the 15 of February 2002 is 89,412. (b) The number of Youth Allowance recipients for each selected postcode as at the 15 of February is;PostcodeRecipients30363037733037457303853430433233046616304773330487023049185305911530602393061228306445234273834284Total46992115(Question No. 212)2122115Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs, upon notice, on 12 March 2002:(1) How many Australian manufactured pianos are located in Australia's overseas missions and posts.(2) Is he able to say whether Overs and Stuart pianos are (a) the only manufacturers of pianos in Australia and (b) highly regarded quality musical instruments.(3) Will he take steps to ensure that Overs and Stuart pianos are placed in overseas missions where and when opportunities arise.2115Downer, Alexander, MPMr Downer4G4MayoLPMinister for Foreign Affairs10—The answer to the honourable member's questions is as follows:(1) None.(2) (a) and (b) I am aware that Overs and Stuart pianos are highly regarded musical instruments.(3) I understand, from information the Department obtained directly from Stuart & Sons in May 2000, that the grand pianos produced by Stuart & Sons are custom made and cost in the vicinity of A$160,000 to A$185,000 with a construction time of approximately 12 months. Posts are not in the business of producing large scale or frequent professional music recitals. The Government seeks to promote the purchase of Australian items for its offices and residences overseas wherever possible in keeping with the purchasing guidelines issued by the Competitive Tendering and Contracting Authority (CTCA) which emphasise the need to obtain value for money. As Overs and Stuart pianos are specialist and costly instruments, the performance standards of which significantly exceed the Department's modest requirements implementation, of a purchasing policy dictating purchase of Australian made pianos would be at odds with the CTCA guidelines.2116(Question No. 214)2142116Thomson, Kelvin, MPMr Kelvin ThomsonUK6WillsALP00 asked the Minister for the Environment and Heritage, upon notice, on 14 March 2002:Did the Senate Estimates response show that estimated monies in the Natural Heritage Trust on 31 December 2000 totalled $691m, and that disbursements from the Trust since then for the period 1 January to 30 June 2001 were $167m; if so, what remaining money has been disbursed since then.2116Kemp, Dr David, MPDr KempBT4GoldsteinLPMinister for the Environment and Heritage10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:Yes, these figures were given in response to a Budget Estimates question asked by Senator Bolkus on 5 June 2001 (Question no. 176 Senate Environment, Communications, Information Technology & the Arts Legislation Committee).In the period 1 July 2001 to 28 February 2002, $139m has been disbursed. 2116(Question No. 215)2152116Thomson, Kelvin, MPMr Kelvin ThomsonUK6WillsALP00 asked the Minister for the Environment and Heritage, upon notice, on 14 March 2002:Did the Greenhouse Allies Grant Arrangements for 1999-2000 include (a) $30,000 to the Australian Industry Group, (b) $30,000 to the South Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation and (c) $6205 for the Northern Territory Chamber of Commerce and Industry; if so, how was this money spent and what greenhouse gas abatement was achieved as a result.2116Kemp, Dr David, MPDr KempBT4GoldsteinLPMinister for the Environment and Heritage10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:Yes, the Greenhouse Allies Grant Arrangements for 1999-2000, included payments of $30,000 to the Australian Industry Group, $30,000 to the South Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation and $6205 for the Northern Territory Chamber of Commerce and Industry.Under the terms of their individual grants, these organisations promoted the benefits of greenhouse gas abatement and acted as `Partners' in mentoring and assisting groups of small enterprises, known as `Allies', to develop and implement cost effective energy efficiency and waste minimisation practices. The Australian Industry Group directly assisted 11 organisations to implement cost effective environmental best practice measures that achieved greenhouse gas abatement of 13,264 tonnes. The South Australian Wine & Brandy Corporation program focused on raising awareness, developing an `Australian Wine Environment Strategy' and linking greenhouse gas emission to other significant environmental issues impacting upon the wine industry. It is not possible to quantify savings at this time as abatement for the participating enterprises will not be realised and reported until after the 2002 Vintage. The Northern Territory Chamber of Commerce and Industry Program provided assistance through energy audits, development of action plans and education to 30 small to medium sized enterprises within the service and manufacturing sectors. The program delivered abatement of 258 tonnes that equates to a percentage greenhouse gas reduction of between 7-14 % for the participating enterprises.2116(Question No. 216)2162116Thomson, Kelvin, MPMr Kelvin ThomsonUK6WillsALP00 asked the Minister for the Environment and Heritage, upon notice, on 14 March 2002:(1) What sum was left in the Greenhouse Challenge program as of 1 June 2001.(2) What sum from the program remains unspent.2116Kemp, Dr David, MPDr KempBT4GoldsteinLPMinister for the Environment and Heritage10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) The Greenhouse Challenge appropriation in the 2001-2002 financial year was $7.475m and the estimate for 2002-2003 is $5.779m.(2) $2.446m of the 2001-2002 appropriation remains unspent as of 31 March 2002. The estimate for 2002-2003 remains unchanged. 2117(Question No. 217)2172117Thomson, Kelvin, MPMr Kelvin ThomsonUK6WillsALP00 asked the Minister for the Environment and Heritage, upon notice, on 14 March 2002:Has the Australian Greenhouse Office advised that it will be able to accurately report on emissions abatement compared to year 2004 forecast after all progress reports covering the 2000-2001 financial year are received; if so, (a) have all reports been received, (b) can the Australian Greenhouse Office now report on comparative emissions abatement and (c) will it make that data publicly available.2117Kemp, Dr David, MPDr KempBT4GoldsteinLPMinister for the Environment and Heritage10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:All Greenhouse Challenge reports to date relate to member companies' year 2000 forecasts of the anticipated results of their abatement actions. No forecasts have been requested for year 2004.Greenhouse Challenge members have the option to report on any 12 month cycle that fits with their other business requirements. As a result, some data relating to the 2000 calendar year forecast will be included in reports which predominately cover 2001, and some of these reports are only now becoming due. Only after all of these reports have been received will the Australian Greenhouse Office be able to accurately report on actual emissions abatement in 2000 compared to the 2000 aggregate forecast.The answers to the honourable member's sub questions are as follows:(a) No. As explained above, some data relating to year 2000 is still to be received.(b) No. The Australian Greenhouse Office will not be able to report on comparative emissions abatement until all relevant data has been received, analysed and aggregated.(c) Yes. Aggregated data will be made available when relevant data has been received, processed and analysed by the Australian Greenhouse Office.2117(Question No. 218)2182117Thomson, Kelvin, MPMr Kelvin ThomsonUK6WillsALP00 asked the Minister for the Environment and Heritage, upon notice, on 14 March 2002:(1) Of the 550 members of the Greenhouse Challenge were there 90 corporate progress reports overdue as at 4 June 2001, including 13 from large companies.(2) How many reports are now overdue, and how many of those are from large companies.2117Kemp, Dr David, MPDr KempBT4GoldsteinLPMinister for the Environment and Heritage10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) Yes.(2) As at 27 March 2002, Greenhouse Challenge membership totalled 719. Of these, 72 members had overdue progress reports, of which only 8 were from large companies. None of the 8 currently overdue reports from large companies were among those reported as overdue at 4 June 2001. All of those reports have been received. The Australian Greenhouse Office is continuing to work with all other members with overdue progress reports to overcome any difficulties and facilitate finalisation of their reports as soon as possible.2117(Question No. 219)2192117Thomson, Kelvin, MPMr Kelvin ThomsonUK6WillsALP00 asked the Minister for the Environment and Heritage, upon notice, on 14 March 2002:Was the availability of Australian Greenhouse Office Grants to the building sector for voluntary initiatives ever publicly announced or the program's existence made known to the broader community.2117Kemp, Dr David, MPDr KempBT4GoldsteinLPMinister for the Environment and Heritage10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:After extensive consultation with the building sector it was determined that the most effective strategy in addressing greenhouse gas emissions in buildings was through key market intermediaries such as peak industry bodies.As a result, all relevant peak bodies in the building sector were informed of the availability of grants under the Voluntary Building Industry Initiatives Program (VBIIP) by way of extensive consultation and the provision of information on the program.VBIIP grants were available only to peak bodies in the building sector. Since the grants were not offered to the public their availability was not publicly announced.Once the grants were committed the recipients and details of their respective projects were made known to the broader community through a range of communications mechanisms, including industry journals, industry web sites, the Australian Greenhouse Office Newsletter `Greenhouse News' and the Australian Greenhouse Office web site www.greenhouse.gov.au.2118(Question No. 220)2202118Thomson, Kelvin, MPMr Kelvin ThomsonUK6WillsALP00 asked the Minister for the Environment and Heritage, upon notice, on 14 March 2002:Did a Senate Estimates response indicate that grant funds available under the National Reserve System Program, but unspent as at 1 July 2001 totalled $17.649m; if so, what sum has since been spent.2118Kemp, Dr David, MPDr KempBT4GoldsteinLPMinister for the Environment and Heritage10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:Yes, this information was provided in response to a question at Senate Estimates. Expenditure on grants under the National Reserve System Program in the period 1 July 2001 to 31 March 2002 was $11.752m.2118(Question No. 221)2212118Thomson, Kelvin, MPMr Kelvin ThomsonUK6WillsALP00 asked the Minister for the Environment and Heritage, upon notice, on 14 March 2002:(1) Was the application for Natural Heritage Trust funding in 2002 titled “Patchwork: Adopt a Patch (Stage 2) - Building Community Partnerships in Local Bushland” rejected by the former Minister in September 2001.(2) Was the project rated seventh out of 95 projects submitted by the Tasmanian State Assessment Panel.(3) How many projects from Tasmania were funded.(4) Were projects ranked lower than 7th by the Assessment Panel funded.(5) Has all money from this program been allocated.(6) Was all the money spent.(7) Did the project (a) involve primary students from no fewer than 62 schools, (b) attract involvement from the Tasmanian Education Department and Greening Australia (Tasmania) and (c) involve two schools that have won National Awards as a result of their Adopt a Patch work; if so, why did the Government think this project was not value for money.2118Kemp, Dr David, MPDr KempBT4GoldsteinLPMinister for the Environment and Heritage10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) Yes.(2) Not all projects submitted by the State Minister for Commonwealth consideration were ranked. One hundred and sixty-four projects were submitted to Ministers Hill and Truss through the One Stop Shop for consideration following advice from the State Assessment Panel. Of the 164 projects, 95 were ranked. The “Adopt a Patch” proposal was ranked 7th out of the 95 ranked projects. (3) 153 projects were funded from the One Stop Shop submission. (4) Yes.(5) The “Adopt a Patch” project was submitted for funding from the Bushcare Program. The funding from this program is fully allocated. (6) The Commonwealth has provided $4,129,747 to Tasmania for approved projects. A further $1,580,751 is contracted to be paid in June 2002.(7) (a) No. 53 schools (including primary school, high schools and colleges) have been funded over three years through the first “Adopt a Patch” project. The 2001-2002 “Patchwork; Adopt a Patch (Stage 2) - Building Community Partnerships in Local Bushland” project application indicated that a further 10 schools would be funded from Natural Heritage Trust funds. (b) Yes. Greening Australia and the Department of Education were the project proponents. (c) The project application indicates that one school had won a State landcare education award, and this school and one other were finalists in the Readers Digest Environment Award. The Natural Heritage Trust primarily funds on-ground environmental action, particularly projects conducted as part of wider regional and national strategies that act to reverse damage done, protect what remains, and restore Australia's natural environment. While education and awareness activities are significant components of the Trust, school-based projects (where the primary aim is environmental education) are not a priority for the Trust, given the focus on local on-ground works. A January 2001 evaluation of the “Adopt a Patch” project indicated that the project was regarded “as an educational one first and foremost with on-ground outcomes secondary”, and that the “On-ground outcomes are not regarded by staff [educational staff] as being particularly good.”The Commonwealth Government considered that the strategic value of on-ground activities by schools in the “Adopt a Patch” project was less than optimal. This was taken into account when assessing the “Adopt a Patch” project against Commonwealth strategic priorities, within funding available for Bushcare projects in Tasmania. 2119(Question No. 222)2222119Ferguson, Laurie, MPMr Laurie Ferguson8T4ReidALP00 asked the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, upon notice, on 14 March 2002:(1) How many Migrant Resource Centres (MRCs) or MRC outposts are currently funded by the Government.(2) How many of these centres were first approved for funding after March 1996.(3) In respect of the new centres funded referred to in part (2), in which (a) location and (b) federal electoral division is each centre located.(4) Have any centres had their funding withdrawn since March 1996; if so, in which (a) location and (b) electoral division did each centre previously operate.(5) What specific criteria are used in assessing the need for MRCs to be established, or to remain, in particular locations.2119Hardgrave, Gary, MPMr HardgraveCK6MoretonLPMinister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) The Government currently funds 30 Migrant Resource Centres and 4 Migrant Service Agencies. Two of the Migrant Resource Centres operate outreach services.(2) Eight centres were first approved for funding after March 1996. (3) The Department does not collect data by electorate. Using information provided on the Australian Electoral Commission's website, a table providing the location and relevant electorate for the centres referred to in part (2) has, however, been prepared and is below. The electorate has been identified on the basis of the organisation's postcode. The service provision catchment area may extend across electoral boundaries.(4) The Department has ceased funding two MRCs since March 1996. In both cases appropriate alternative services were established and service delivery in the area was not diminished. A table providing (a) location and (b) electoral division for each centre is provided in the table below.(5) The establishment of a new MRC/MSA or the relocation of an existing MRC/MSA would be considered on a case by case basis. Factors that would be taken into consideration include: an identified need for settlement services not currently available in the relevant area; significant changes in the locations where new arrivals are settling; a shift in settlement patterns by existing migrant communities. Data from the ABS Census, community feedback and information from the Department's Settlement Database are also relevant sources of information in this process.In the course of assessing the annual budget bids by MRCs/MSAs, the department considers a number of criteria, including:changing demographics in relation to catchment areas of each MRC/MSA; andidentified settlement needs.Part (2): MRCs/MSAs first approved for funding after March 1996 Part (3): MRC/MSA Location and Electorate StateMRC LocationElectorateDate EstablishedNSWInner West Migrant Resource Centre (Ashfield)Grayndler1996Auburn Migrant Resource Centre (Auburn)Reid1996Migrant Network Services (Hornsby)Berowra1999Baulkham Hills/Holroyd/Parramatta MRC (Parramatta)Parramatta1996VICMigrant Information Centre (Mitcham)Deakin1998QLDMulticultural Development Agency (Stones Corner)Griffith1998Migrant Settlement Services (Cairns)Leichhardt1999Logan & Beenleigh (Woodridge)Rankin1996Part (4): MRCs/MSAs that had their funding withdrawn since March 1996 StateMRC LocationElectorateFunding withdrawnQLDBrisbane Brisbane1998CairnsLeichhardt19982120(Question No. 231)2312120Rudd, Kevin, MPMr Rudd83TGriffithALP00 asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs, upon notice, on 14 March 2002 :(1) What are the names and positions of the Australians who will attend the International Conference on Financing for Development and World Summit on Sustainable Development: Attendees to be held in Monterey, Mexico, between 18 and 22 March 2002.(2) What are the names and positions of the Australians who will attend the World Summit on Sustainable Development to be held in Johannesburg between 26 August and 4 September 2002.2120Downer, Alexander, MPMr Downer4G4MayoLPMinister for Foreign Affairs10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows : (1) The names and positions of the members of the Australian delegation to the International Conference on Financing for Development and World Summit on Sustainable Development: Attendees are:The Hon Chris Gallus MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs.Mr John Dauth, Ambassador to the United Nations.Mr Graeme Wilson, Ambassador to Mexico.Mr Rod Smith, Assistant Secretary , International Organisations Branch, DFAT.Ms Frances Lisson, Acting Assistant Secretary, Trade Policy Issues and Industrials Branch, DFAT.Dr Robert Glasser, Assistant Director General, Corporate Policy Branch, AusAID.Mr Alan March, Director, Development Banks Section, AusAID.Ms Tristen Slade, Departmental Liaison Officer, AusAID.Ms Michelle Stone, Acting Manager, Development Banks Unit, Department of Treasury.Mr Guy O'Brien, Second Secretary, Australian Mission to the UN, New York.Ms Shampa Sinha, Second Secretary, Australian Embassy, Mexico City.Mr Brett Parris, representative of the Australian Council for Overseas Aid.(2) The agenda for the WSSD is not expected to be finalised until early June. A decision on the names and positions of the members of the Australian delegation to the Summit will be taken after that time. 2121(Question No. 232)2322121Danby, Michael, MPMr DanbyWF6Melbourne PortsALP00 asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs, upon notice, on 14 March 2002:(1) Is the Government aware of the 1993 US Congressional investigation, titled October Surprise Taskforce, into the veracity of claims made regarding the Iran-Contra affair.(2) Is he aware of the conclusions reached by the Taskforce regarding the allegations and veracity of Mr Arie Ben-Menashe.(3) What is the Australian Government's view of the allegations by Mr Ben-Menashe as to major money laundering into Western Australia a decade ago.(4) Will the Government support the initiative of Senator Murray to bring Mr Ben-Menashe to Australia to testify to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters.2121Downer, Alexander, MPMr Downer4G4MayoLPMinister for Foreign Affairs10—The answer to the honourable member's questions are as follows:(1) The Government is aware of the report of the October Surprise Taskforce, established in 1992 to investigate issues related to the release of American hostages held in the US Embassy in Tehran in 1979. I am not aware of any direct connection between this report and the Iran-Contra affair, which refers to the sale of arms to Iran during the mid-1980s. (2) See my answer above.(3) This question is not within my portfolio responsibility.(4) This question is not within my portfolio responsibility.2121(Question No. 235)2352121Jenkins, Harry, MPMr JenkinsHH4ScullinALP00 asked the Attorney-General, upon notice, on 14 March 2002:On the most recent data, what is the incidence of reported crime by type in (a) Victoria and (b) the postcode areas of (i) 3074, (ii) 3075, (iii) 3076, (iv) 3082, (v) 3083, (vi) 3087, (vii) 3088, (viii) 3089, (ix) 3090, (x) 3091 and (xi) 3752.2121Williams, Daryl, MPMr Williams7V5TangneyLPAttorney-General10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(a) I am advised that according to the most recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of victims by offence category, for offences recorded by Police, in Victoria for 2000 was as follows:Homicide and related offences - 169 victims. These can be broken down as follows:(i) Murder - 55.(ii) Attempted Murder - 51.(iii) Manslaughter - 12.(iv) Driving causing death - 51.Assault - 16,541 victims.Sexual assault - 2,474 victims.Kidnapping - 106 victims.Robbery - 3,326 victims. This can be broken down as follows:(i) Armed robbery - 1,785.(ii) Unarmed robbery - 1,541.Blackmail/extortion - 69 victims.Unlawful Entry with Intent - 78,774 victims. These can be broken down as follows:(i) Property Theft - 62,654. (ii) Other - 16,120.Motor vehicle theft - 36,591 victims.Other theft - 141,219 victims.Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Recorded Crime: Australia 2000.(b) I am advised that the Australian Bureau of Statistics does not produce data on the incidence of recorded crime by local area in Victoria, including by postcode. However, I am advised that such information may be available from the Victorian Police.2122(Question No. 236)2362122Jenkins, Harry, MPMr JenkinsHH4ScullinALP00 asked the Minister representing the Minister for Family and Community Services, upon notice, on 14 March 2002:On the most recent data, how many Newstart allowance recipients reside in (a) Victoria and (b) the postcode areas of (i) 3074, (ii) 3075, (iii) 3076, (iv) 3082, (v) 3083, (vi) 3087, (vii) 3088, (viii) 3089, (ix) 3090, (x) 3091 and (xi) 3752.2122Anthony, Larry, MPMr AnthonyXJ6RichmondNPMinister for Children and Youth Affairs10—The Minister for Family and Community Services has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:(a) At 8 March 2002, 134 445 Newstart Allowance recipients resided in Victoria.(b) At 8 March 2002, the numbers of Newstart Allowance recipients residing in the postcode areas listed in the question are: PostcodeNumber(i)30741017(ii)3075958(iii)3076505(iv)3082680(v)3083532(vi)3087148(vii)3088413(viii)3089107(ix)309013(x)309119(xi)375296Total44882122(Question No. 237)2372122Jenkins, Harry, MPMr JenkinsHH4ScullinALP00 asked the Minister representing the Minister for Family and Community Services, upon notice, on 14 March 2002:On the most recent data, how many Family Payment Greater than Minimum recipients reside in (a) Victoria and (b) the postcode areas of (i) 3074, (ii) 3075, (iii) 3076, (iv) 3082, (v) 3083, (vi) 3087, (vii) 3088, (viii) 3089, (ix) 3090, (x) 3091 and (xi) 3752.2122Anthony, Larry, MPMr AnthonyXJ6RichmondNPMinister for Children and Youth Affairs10—The Minister for Family and Community Services has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:(a) As at 8 February 2002, the number of customers in Victoria receiving Family Tax Benefit Part A at more than the base rate on a fortnightly basis through Centrelink was 243,509.(b) As at 8 February 2002, the number of customers receiving Family Tax Benefit Part A at more than the base rate on a fortnightly basis through Centrelink in the postcodes mentioned was so stated in the following table:PostcodeNumber of customers receiving FTB Part A at more than the base rate on fortnightly basis through Centrelink(i) 3074 1651(ii) 3075 1532(iii) 3076 1406(iv) 30822068(v) 3083 1140(vi) 3087418(vii) 3088 1033(viii) 3089434(ix) 309036(x) 309141(xi) 37523142123(Question No. 238)2382123Jenkins, Harry, MPMr JenkinsHH4ScullinALP00 asked the Minister representing the Minister for Family and Community Services, upon notice, on 14 March 2002:On the most recent data, how many disability support pension recipients reside in (a) Victoria and (b) the postcode areas of (i) 3074, (ii) 3075, (iii) 3076, (iv) 3082, (v) 3083, (vi) 3087, (vii) 3088, (viii) 3089, (ix) 3090, (x) 3091 and (xi) 3752.2123Anthony, Larry, MPMr AnthonyXJ6RichmondNPMinister for Children and Youth Affairs10—The Minister for Family and Community Services has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:(a) As at 8 March 2002, the numbers of Disability Support pension recipients residing in Victoria was 153 597. (b) Number of Disability Support pension recipients as at 8 March 2002 by postcode:(i) 3074 - 1494(ii) 3075 - 1374(iii) 3076 - 632(iv) 3082 - 940(v) 3083 - 939(vi) 3087 - 282(vii) 3088 - 530(viii) 3089 - 120(ix) 3090 - 13(x) 3091 - 19(xi) 3752 - 87.2123(Question No. 240)2402123Jenkins, Harry, MPMr JenkinsHH4ScullinALP00 asked the Minister representing the Minister for Family and Community Services, upon notice, on 14 March 2002:On the most recent date, how many parenting payment single recipients reside in (a) Victoria and (b) the postcode areas of (i) 3074, (ii) 3075, (iii) 3076, (iv) 3082, (v) 3083, (vi) 3087, (vii) 3088, (viii) 3089, (ix) 3090, (x) 3091 and (xi) 3752.2123Anthony, Larry, MPMr AnthonyXJ6RichmondNPMinister for Children and Youth Affairs10—The Minister for Family and Community Services has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:(a) At 8 March 2002, 95015 Parenting Payment Single recipients resided in Victoria.(b) At 8 March 2002, the numbers of Parenting Payment Single recipients residing in the postcode areas referred to in the question are:Totalb)Postcode(i)3074499(ii)3075486(iii)3076488(iv)3082626(v)3083391(vi)3087190(vii)3088415(viii)3089161(ix)30909(x)30913(xi)3752101Total33692124(Question No. 241)2412124Jenkins, Harry, MPMr JenkinsHH4ScullinALP00 asked the Minister for Education, Science and Training, upon notice, on 14 March 2002:(1) What sums were provided to (a) government and (b) non-government schools in (i) 2000 and (ii) 2001 in the postcode areas of (A) 3074, (B) 3075, (C) 3076, (D) 3082, (E) 3083 (F) 3087, (G) 3088, (H) 3089, (I) 3090, (J) 3091 and (K) 3752 and what was the (I) expenditure on, (II) location of, and (III) purpose of, each grant.(2) Using the criteria referred in part (1), what are the allocations for 2002.2124Nelson, Dr Brendan, MPDr NelsonRW5BradfieldLPMinister for Education, Science and Training10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) Funding provided by the Department of Education, Science and Training is not allocated or and reported on the basis of postcodes or electorates.(2) However, information on Capital Grant funding for government and non-government schools and General Recurrent Grants funding and Establishment Grant funding to non-government schools has been compiled on the basis of data available at the postcode level.CAPITAL FUNDING (Non-Government Schools)Commonwealth capital grants for schools are provided to improve educational outcomes by assisting in the provision of school facilities, particularly in ways that contribute most to raising the overall level of educational achievement of Australian school students.Between 2000-02 only one non-government school in the above listed postcodes received Capital funding: PostcodeSchool NameLocationYearAmountProject Description3076St Monica's College (Dalton Road Campus)Epping2001$550,000Construction of: 2 technology rooms, 2 art and design rooms, offices, store and travel areas.3076St Monica's College (Dalton Road Campus)Epping2001$500,000Construction of: food technology centre.3076St Monica's College (Dalton Road Campus)Epping2002$142,937Construction of: food technology centre.CAPITAL FUNDING (Government Schools)Between 2000-02 government schools in the above listed postcodes received the following Capital funding.The allocation for the Capital Grants programme for non-government schools in Victoria for 2002 is $53,379,000. Not all this funding has yet been allocated. PostcodeSchool NameLocationYearAmountProject Description3074Thomastown Primary SchoolThomastown2001$270,000.00Construction of: general purpose classrooms and staff administration.3076Lalor North Secondary CollegeEpping2001$300,000.00Construction of: general purpose classrooms, lecture room, staff administration, student lounge and locker space.3082Mill Park Primary SchoolMill park2001$300,000.00Construction of: general purpose classrooms and staff workspace.3087Watsonia North Primary SchoolWatsonia2001$150,000.00Construction of: new physical education, music, canteen and student amenities.3082Mill Park Heights Primary SchoolMill park2001$270,000.00Construction of: general purpose classrooms and library.3074Thomastown Meadows Primary SchoolThomastown2002$270,000.00Provision of: general purpose classrooms, music facilities and staff administration.GENERAL RECURRENT GRANTS FUNDING (Non-Government Schools) PostcodeSchool NameLocationYearAmount3089Plenty Valley Montessori SchoolDiamond Creek2000$132,120.003083Northside Christian CollegeBundoora2000$575,904.003083Maharishi School of the Age of EnlightenmentBundoora2000$68,572.003075Open House Christian SchoolLalor2000$88,672.003089Plenty Valley Montessori SchoolDiamond Creek2001$179,922.003083Northside Christian CollegeBundoora2001$657,478.003083Maharishi School of the Age of EnlightenmentBundoora2001$71,220.003075Open House Christian SchoolLalor2001$61,383.003089*Plenty Valley Montessori SchoolDiamond Creek2002$191,945.003083*Northside Christian CollegeBundoora2002$690,186.003083*Maharishi School of the Age of EnlightenmentBundoora2002$71,640.003075*Open House Christian SchoolLalor2002$64,092.00* Estimated EntitlementThe specific objective for the General Recurrent Grants programme is to help schools with the recurrent costs of school education so that they can offer students educational programmes directed towards the achievement of the Commonwealth's priorities for schooling.ESTABLISHMENT GRANTS FUNDING (Non-Government Schools)The specific objective for the Establishment Grants programme is to assist new non-government schools with costs incurred in their formative years and to enable them to be more competitive with existing schools. No schools in the above postcodes received, or are expected to receive, establishment grant assistance between 2000-02.2125(Question No. 247)2472125Jenkins, Harry, MPMr JenkinsHH4ScullinALP00 asked the Minister for Children and Youth Services, upon notice, on 14 March 2002:On most recent data, how many Child Support Agency clients reside in (a) Victoria and (b) the postcode areas of (i) 3074, (ii) 3075, (iii) 3076, (iv) 3082, (v) 3083, (vi) 3087, (vii) 3088, (viii) 3089, (ix) 3090, (x) 3091 and (xi) 37522125Anthony, Larry, MPMr AnthonyXJ6RichmondNPMinister for Children and Youth Affairs10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(a) The number of Child Support Agency (CSA) clients who reside in Victoria as at December 2001 is approximately 276,200. (b) The number of CSA clients for each selected postcode, as at December 2001 is: PostcodeNo. of payersNo. of payeesTotal clients3074626585121130756176361253307655973512943082615869148430834725601032308725230155330884756171092308919327246530902092930912720473752119152271Total3975475687312126(Question No. 248)2482126Jenkins, Harry, MPMr JenkinsHH4ScullinALP00 Mr Jenkins asked the Minister for Children and Youth Services, upon notice, on 14 March 2002:On the most recent data, how many youth allowance recipients reside in (a) Victoria and (b) the postcode areas of (i) 3074, (ii) 3075, (iii) 3076, (iv) 3082, (v) 3083, (vi) 3087, (vii) 3088, (viii) 3089, (ix) 3090, (x) 3091 and (xi) 3752.2126Anthony, Larry, MPMr AnthonyXJ6RichmondNPMinister for Children and Youth Affairs10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(a) The number of Youth Allowance recipients in Victoria as at the 15 March 2002 is 89 826. (b) The number of Youth Allowance recipients for each selected postcode as at the 15 March is:PostcodeRecipients30746463075544307642030826903083532308713930883953089132309022309114375262Total3,5962126(Question No. 251)2512126Ferguson, Martin, MPMr Martin FergusonLS4BatmanALP00 asked the Minister for the Environment and Heritage, upon notice, on 20 March 2002:(1) What impact does the switch of new car buyers from passenger vehicles to the All Terrain Wagon Category vehicle potentially have on fuel consumption and the environment.(2) Has the Government given any consideration to the impact on the environment of higher fuel consumption due to switching to All Terrain Wagon Category vehicles and passenger vehicles that are larger and more powerful.2127Kemp, Dr David, MPDr KempBT4GoldsteinLPMinister for the Environment and Heritage10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) According to the Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics, as a proportion of new light vehicle sales, the All Terrain Wagons have increased from less than 3% in 1979 to nearly 15% by 2001, and the rising trend is expected to continue (BTRE 2002). As this category comprises vehicles that are generally heavier, four-wheel driven and more powerful than their counterpart `passenger cars', the All Terrain Wagons have a higher fuel consumption compared to vehicles in the Passenger Cars category. (2) The Government has in place a range of measures designed to help reduce the overall fuel consumption of the Australian passenger vehicle fleet and thereby reduce the greenhouse intensity and environmental impact of passenger vehicles, including All Terrain Wagons. The Commonwealth enacted the Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000 to tighten vehicle emission standards and improve the quality of petrol and diesel. Mandatory fuel consumption labelling was introduced on 1 January 2001 for new passenger vehicles up to 2.7 tonnes gross vehicle mass and is being extended to cover heavier passenger vehicles, including All Terrain Wagons. The Department of Transport and Regional Services together with the Australian Greenhouse Office is developing a `Green Vehicles' guide to inform consumers about both air quality and greenhouse issues.2127(Question No. 262)2622127Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister representing the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, upon notice, on 20 March 2002:(1) Further to the answer to part (1) of question No 166, is it a fact that (a) the Chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA), Professor David Flint, chaired the “Cash-for-Comment” inquiry involving the conduct of Radio 2UE broadcaster John Laws and (b) during the “Cash-for-Comment” inquiry, Professor Flint went on the Radio 2UE John Laws' program to argue the “No” case in the referendum on the Republic; if so, does Professor Flint's appearance on the Radio 2UE John Laws' program constitute a conflict of interest; if not, why not. (2) Will he sack Professor Flint from the ABA; if not why not. (3) Further to the answer to part (1) of question No 166; did the Government tell the people of Australia before the last Federal election that, in relation to its “commitment to reform Australia's media ownership rules”, the government would legislate to allow a media owner to own newspapers, television stations and radio stations in the one licence area; if so, is the Minister able to say when and where this was reported in the media; if not, why not. (4) Does the Government believe that it has a mandate to legislate to allow a media owner to own newspapers, television stations and radio stations in the one licence area; if so, why. (5) Is the existence of a diverse media crucial to the future of Australia's democracy; if not, why not. (6) Is commercial media ownership in Australia dominated by the Murdoch family's News Limited and the Packer family's Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (PBL); if not, why not. (7) How can diversity of media opinion in Australia be truly guaranteed if News Limited and PBL are allowed to own, in addition to their existing national and international media interests, newspapers, television stations and radio stations in the one licence area. (8) Is the Minister aware of media research demonstrating that, in terms of access to news and information which affects the way people vote, most people still get such news and information from newspapers, television stations and radio stations.(9) Does he still intend to legislate to allow News Limited and PBL to own newspapers, television stations and radio stations in the one licence area; if so, why. (10) Further to his reply to question No. 133, would changes to foreign ownership laws potentially provide more competition to Australia's existing media owners and greater diversity of media opinion; if so, how; if not, why not. 2128McGauran, Peter, MPMr McGauranXH4GippslandNPMinister for Science10—The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:(1) The Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) has provided the following advice: (a) “The Chairman of the ABA, Professor David Flint chaired an investigation in to the commercial radio industry in 1999 from 15 July 1999 until 8 November 1999. The inquiry related to a number of radio stations, and began with Radio 2UE. (b) “Professor Flint appeared on the John Laws programme on 1 November 1999, not to argue the “No” case in the referendum, but to exercise a right of reply to a statement by Mr Bob Hawke that Professor Flint was lying when he stated that were Australia to become republic, unanimous approval of all members of the Commonwealth would be required for Australia to remain in the organisation. The right of reply was exercised for the reason that it would be heard by precisely the same audience which had heard Mr Hawke's statement, thus mitigating the damage suffered by Professor Flint.“In standing down from the inquiry on 8 November 1999, Professor Flint responded to concerns expressed about `apprehension of bias' and the threat of an action by the Communications Law Centre (not a party to the proceedings) to take the issue of `apprehension of bias' to the Federal Court. Professor Flint did not stand aside from the inquiry because of any issue relating to `conflict of interest', nor was this argued by the Communications Law Centre.“After Professor Flint stood down from the inquiry, he immediately re-constituted the inquiry panel (in accordance with s. 193 of the BSA). Accordingly, the inquiry continued that day with only a minimal interruption and Professor Flint took no further part in the inquiry. Professor Flint also absented himself from all ABA discussion of the Panel's report, and from all meetings where the recommendations of the inquiry dealing with the condition on 2UE's licence were discussed.”(2) No. Such action would not have been justified. (3) The Government made an election commitment to reform Australia's anachronistic media ownership laws. As part of this commitment, the Government informed the Australian public that it supported a system of `exemptions' from existing cross media rules if specific conditions relating to the maintenance of diversity of opinion and information were met. A press release announcing this election commitment was issued on 23 October 2001 and was covered extensively in the media. (4) Yes, subject to certain existing and proposed regulatory requirements, because the Government made an election commitment to that effect.(5) Yes. (6) No. There are a number of media owners in Australia, including News Limited and PBL.(7) Under the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Media Ownership) Bill 2002, the ABA may grant exemptions from existing cross-media rules provided that certain strict conditions are met. A primary objective of these conditions is to ensure that a diversity of opinion and information is maintained in Australian media. Any person or organisation seeking an exemption from cross-media rules will be required to demonstrate the existence of separate editorial policies; appropriate organisational charts; and separate editorial news management, news compilation processes and news gathering and interpretation capabilities. (8) Yes. (9) See answer to part (7) above. (10) Yes. The removal of Australia's media-specific foreign ownership laws will provide more competition to Australia's existing media owners and greater diversity of media opinion by allowing, subject to the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975, for the entry of new organisations into the market.2128(Question No. 267)2672128Beazley, Kim, MPMr BeazleyPE4BrandALP00 asked the Minister for Trade, upon notice, on 21 March 2002:(1) What estimates has his Department made of the economic and employment impact resulting from the US decision to impose a 30 per cent tariff on iron ore exports from WA to North-East Asia.(2) What estimates has his Department made of the down-stream economic and employment impact on the fabrication and mining related supply industries in WA.(3) What estimate has his Department made of the impact of greater global oversupply of steel on the iron ore industry in WA.2129Vaile, Mark, MPMr VaileSU5LyneNPMinister for Trade10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows :(1) It is assumed that this question relates to the impact on the Western Australian iron ore industry of the US safeguard measure on steel, through its impact on the steel industries of North-East Asia, which import Australian ore.As outlined by the Ministers for Trade, Industry, Tourism and Resources and Justice and Customs, following their summit with the steel industry on 19 March, the Government is concerned at the possible impact of the United States' import restrictions on Australia's upstream exports. The Government is maintaining regular contact with the steel industry and is monitoring closely developments in key markets to ensure that it is able to respond effectively, in concert with the Australian industry, to any major disruptions in ore and other commodity markets. The precise impact of the United States' restrictions will depend on a range of factors, including the responses of other countries to the restrictions. Because those responses are not yet known, at this stage it is not possible to provide a firm estimate of the type referred to in the question. To put it in context, it is estimated that the United States' restrictions will result in approximately 5% of global steel exports being diverted from the United States market. Steel exporters in the European Union are likely to be most heavily affected by the restrictions. Both Japan and the Republic of Korea are significant exporters of steel to the United States and are also expected to experience some export losses. Whether or not these are translated into steelmaking reductions - and therefore reductions in demand for Australian ore - will depend in part on whether these countries can find alternative markets for their steel. In that context, it is a matter of concern to Australia that a number of countries, most notably the European Union, Malaysia and Mexico, have introduced their own import restrictions to address the risk of import surges into their markets. On 28 March I called on steel trading nations to show maximum restraint in responding to the US decision. Developments in China's steel production are also expected to have a significant bearing on developments in the market for ore and other commodities. At this stage, advice received by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade from the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources and the Australian iron ore industry suggests that industry is confident of its capacity to address any challenges in the near term.(2) For the reasons mentioned in the answer to (1) it is not possible to provide firm estimates at this stage. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is monitoring developments closely and in cooperation with other relevant agencies, including the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources, the Department is aiming to develop as comprehensive a picture as possible of the likely impact on Australian interests. This information will be used as a basis for advice and recommendations to Ministers on appropriate policy responses, including actions to be pursued though the Ministerial Task Force on steel, which was established after the steel industry summit in March 2002. (3) The extent of global oversupply of steel depends in large part on steel making capacity, the extent to which that capacity is being used and the level of global demand for steel. Latest estimates from the OECD indicate that between 124-128 million tones of steel-making capacity will be closed as the result of restructuring in the global industry between now and 2005. This amounts to about 11% of current global capacity, but the closures may not have a significant impact given that much of this capacity may already be idle. Global demand for steel depends most importantly on overall global economic growth, which is expected to strengthen over the course of this year. Given these variables, it is not yet clear that the global oversupply of steel will be significantly greater in the coming period. In addition, the factors mentioned in the answer to (1) mean that it is not possible to provide firm estimates of the type referred to in the question at this stage.2129(Question No. 268)2682129Latham, Mark, MPMr LathamK26WerriwaALP00 asked the Minister for Education, Science and Training, upon notice, on 21 March 2002:(1) Does his Department publish each year a Job Guide reference book for students which provides descriptions of many different occupations and shows the education and training pathways to access these jobs. (2) Prior to 2002, how has the Job Guide been distributed.(3) Has each Year 10 student been issued with a Job Guide.(4) Has the distribution changed for the 2002 Job Guide.(5) Will only a set number of books and CD-ROM versions of the Job Guide be distributed to each school.2130Nelson, Dr Brendan, MPDr NelsonRW5BradfieldLPMinister for Education, Science and Training10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) The Department publishes the Job Guide each year. It is provided on the Internet, on CD ROM and as a State/Territory book.(2) Prior to 2002, each school received one copy for each Year 10 student, a resource set of 20 books and a set of floppy disks. It has been available on the Internet for several years. Job Guide was also distributed to, amongst others, Centrelink, public, university and TAFE libraries, correctional institutions and DEST programme providers.(3) By mid May 2002 each school should have received a Job Guide for every Year 10 student.(4) Job Guide distribution to schools for 2002 will be:· Job Guide on the Internet;· 10 CD ROMS for each school as resource sets; and· sufficient books for each Year 10 student.Job Guide will also be distributed to, amongst others, Centrelink, public, university and TAFE libraries, correctional institutions and DEST programme providers.(5) See answer to 4 above.2130(Question No. 273)2732130McFarlane, Jann, MPMs Jann McFarlane83CStirlingALP00 asked the Minister for Employment Services, upon notice, on 21 March 2002:(1) What “Work for the Dole” projects located in the electoral division of Stirling have been funded over the past two years.(2) What agency was responsible for each project.(3) What funding was provided by the Commonwealth for each project.(4) What is the present status of each project.(5) How many (a) males and (b) and females are or were employed on each project.2130Brough, Mal, MPMr Brough2K6LongmanLPMinister for Employment Services10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:Work for the Dole activities are recommended to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations by Community Work Coordinators (CWCs) who are contracted to develop and manage activities in geographical areas called Employment Service Areas (ESAs). ESAs do not align with electorate boundaries. However, based on the specified location of activities the following table has been produced.The table details the Work for the Dole activities that have been funded in the electorate of Stirling since April 2000. The table includes detail on the current status of each activity, the CWC and sponsor organisation and the number of males and females that commenced on each activity. Funding of individual activities is commercial-in-confidence. However, total funding approved for activities in the Stirling electorate is $701 359.07.Electorate of Stirling Activity TitleCWC NameSponsor NameActivity DescriptionFemales CommencedMales CommencedStatusLIFESKILLSANGLICAN HEALTH AND WELFARE SERVICES INCINTEWORK INC.PARTICIPANT ASSISTED PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS OF THE LIFESKILLS PROGRAM WHICH AIMS TO ALLOW CLIENTS TO OBTAIN AND MAINTAIN LIFE RELEVANT SKILLS (E.G. CO-ORDINATION, MONEY HANDLING, INVOLVEMENT IN INTERESTS, RELATIONSHIPS AND SELF- ESTEEM).1CompletedWINTER STORM NORTH METROMISSION AUSTRALIA (WA)MISSION AUSTRALIA MIRRABOOKATHE PROJECT PROMOTED STORM DAMAGE PREVENTION AND ASSISTED THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY NOT ABLE TO SECURE THEIR PREMISES TO PREVENT PERSONAL INJURY AND PROPERTY DAMAGE. 13CompletedPRIME PLACEMENTMISSION AUSTRALIA (WA)MISSION AUSTRALIA MIRRABOOKAWIDE RANGE OF OFFICE EXPERIENCES, DEVELOPING COMMUNICATION & INTERPERSONAL SKILLS, DEALT WITH PEOPLE FROM A VARIETY OF TRADES. WORKED IN A BUSY RECEPTION AREA FOR AN ORGANISATION, WHICH PLACES PEOPLE IN APPRENTICESHIPS.1CompletedCOMMUNITY SPIRITMISSION AUSTRALIA (WA)MISSION AUSTRALIA MIRRABOOKATWO DISCRETE PLACES, ONE IN THE OFFICE AND ONE IN THE GROUNDS AND BUILDING. 1 PARTICIPANT UNDERTOOK PAINTING, CLEANING, SOME GARDENING AND GENERAL UPKEEP. THE OTHER UNDERTOOK OFFICE DUTIES INCLUDING COMPUTER USE & CUSTOMER SERVICE.12CompletedRIDING FOR LIFEMERCY COMMUNITY SERVICES INCRIDING FOR THE DISABLEDEQUINE CARE, GROUND PREPARATION, HELPED PROVIDE THERAPEUTIC RIDING ACTIVITIES FOR DISABLED, GROOMING, FEEDING, EXERCISING HORSES, VETERINARY CARE.711CompletedTAFE VARIOUS PROJECTSMERCY COMMUNITY SERVICES INCWEST COAST COLLEGE OF TAFEMINOR REPAIRS, STORES, KILN WORK, ADMINISTRATION FOR TAFE INSTITUTE. 35CompletedBALGA PCYC PROJECTWESTNET EMPLOYMENT SERVICES INCBALGA PCYCTHE PROJECT WORKED WITH YOUNG PEOPLE TO DEVELOP ADMINISTRATION, MARKETING & CLERICAL SKILLS 34CompletedBALGA PCYC GROUNDS MAINTENANCE PROJECTWESTNET EMPLOYMENT SERVICES INCBALGA PCYCTHE PROJECT AIMED TO MAINTAIN AND ENHANCE THE PCYC ENVIRONMENT INCLUDING LANDSCAPING, GROUNDS MAINTENANCE, PAINTING.2CompletedTAOIST DEVELOPMENT PROJECTWESTNET EMPLOYMENT SERVICES INCTAOIST MARTIAL ARTS ACADEMY INCCONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE, ADMIN AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES. PARTICIPANTS INVOLVED IN WELDING, PLUMBING, ADMINISTRATION, STOCKTAKING, CARPENTRY, PAINTING, LANDSCAPING AND ASSISTING CRECHE SUPERVISOR.1218CompletedPRIME PLACEMENT-2MISSION AUSTRALIAMISSION AUSTRALIATHE PROJECT PROVIDED A BROAD RANGE OF OFFICE EXPERIENCES FOR THE PARTICIPANT & ASSISTED IN DEVELOPING THEIR INTERPERSONAL & COMMUNICATION SKILLS.2CompletedSCARBOROUGH/TRIGG BEACH “CONSERVATION & MAINTENANCE 2'MISSION AUSTRALIASTIRLING SKILLS TRAINING INCCONTINUED THE ACTIVITIES OF PARTICIPANTS INVOLVED IN BEACHFRONT CONSERVATION & MAINTENANCE OF THE SCARB TO TRIGG BEACH COMMUNITY WALK ACCESS AREA.133CompletedCOMMUNITY HELPERSMERCY COMMUNITY SERVICESNORTHERN SUBURBS RESOURCE CENTRETHE PROJECT INVOLVED UPGRADING THE MIGRANT CENTRE TO INCREASE LEVELS OF SERVICE DELIVERY AS WELL AS PROVIDE CULTURALLY DIVERSE WORK EXPERIENCE TO WFD PARTICIPANTS212CompletedABILMPICS ROUND THREEMERCY COMMUNITY SERVICESABILYMPICSLEARNT THE DAY TO DAY RUNNING OF A CHARITY, HELP PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO TAKE PART IN EVERY DAY LIFE4CompletedTAOIST PROGRESS PROJECTWESTNET EMPLOYMENT SERVICESTAOIST MARTIAL ARTS ACADEMY INCDEVELOPED A RANGE OF SKILLS TO ENHANCE THEIR EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND ALSO IMPROVED THE ASSOCIATIONS SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY. TASKS INVOLVED ADMINISTRATION, STOCKTAKING, PURCHASING, BASIC CLERICAL AND BOOK KEEPING, DATA ENTRY, MARKETING, INTERNET RESEARCH, DEVELOPING ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS.109CompletedSPORTS GROUNDS PROJECTWESTNET EMPLOYMENT SERVICESOSBORNE PARK BOWLING CLUBTHE PROJECT AIMED TO IMPROVE THE GROUNDS, GARDENS AND FACILITIES AT OPBC BY UNDERTAKING A RANGE OF HORTICULTURAL & MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES12CompletedINTEWORK LIFESKILLS SUPPORTMERCY COMMUNITY SERVICESINTEWORK INCPARTICIPANTS WERE PLACED WITH INTEWORKS OVER SIX MONTHS TO LEARN OR UPDATE SKILLS IN COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND CLERICAL/ADMIN DUTIES.41CompletedVIP-DISABILITY HELPERSMERCY COMMUNITY SERVICESVALUED INDEPENDENT PEOPLE INCWORKED WITH DISABLED YOUNG PEOPLE TO HELP THEM ENJOY A FULL LIFE 6CompletedCOMMUNITY SPIRIT- 2MISSION AUSTRALIAMISSION AUSTRALIAPARTICIPANTS ASSISTED IN 2 AREAS, ONE IN GENERAL BUILDING MAINTENANCE & THE OTHER IN GENERAL OFFICE & ADMINISTRATION22CompletedPRINT 2001MISSION AUSTRALIAAIFF INCPROVIDED TRAINING/WORK EXPERIENCE & UPSKILLING IN OFFICE ADMINISTRATION & INVOLVEMENT IN PRODUCTION/EDITING OF NEWSPAPER AND JOURNALISM TRAINING FOR INTERNET.614CompletedRIDING FOR LIFEMERCY COMMUNITY SERVICESRIDING FOR THE DISABLED ASSOC OF WAPERFORM A RANGE OF TASKS TO ASSIST RIDING FOR THE DISABLED WHICH HELPS PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO GET A QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGH THERAPEUTIC RIDING86CompletedCOMMUNITY HELPERSMERCY COMMUNITY SERVICESNORTHERN SUBURBS RESOURCE CENTREUP GRADE OF THE RESOURCES OF NSMR CENTRE PROVIDED SKILLS TO PARTICIPANTS IN A CULTURALLY DIVERSE CENTRE211CompletedBUSINESS STUDIES ADMINISTRATIONMERCY COMMUNITY SERVICESWEST COAST COLLEGE OF TAFE (BALGA)THE PROJECT PROVIDED A CHANCE TO LEARN OR UPGRADE OFFICE SKILLS WHILST ASSISTING IN THE PROVISION OF TRAINING FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY32CompletedINTERWORK LIFESKILLS SUPPORTMERCY COMMUNITY SERVICESINTEWORK INCWORKED WITH LIFESKILLS TO HELP PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES LIVE A FULL AND REWARDING LIFE32CompletedPCYC SCARBOROUGHMERCY COMMUNITY SERVICESKENSINGTON POLICE & CITIZENSSUPPORTED THE MANAGEMENT AND DELIVERY OF PCYC ACTIVITIES13CompletedOFFICE STARTMISSION AUSTRALIAMISSION AUSTRALIAASSISTED WITH GENERAL ADMINISTRATION IN A BUSY OFFICE IN A CAMPUS LOCATION. EXPERIENCE INCLUDED KEYBOARDING, RECEPTION AND CLERICAL.11CompletedADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORTLADY GOWRIE CENTRE WA INCSAVE THE CHILDREN FUNDPARTICIPANT PROVIDED MUCH NEEDED ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT FOR THE BUSY OFFICE.1CompletedADMIN ADVANCEMENTMISSION AUSTRALIAMISSION AUSTRALIAADMINISTRATION SUPPORT IN AN OFFICE ENVIRONMENT WHICH PROVIDED ASSISTANCE TO UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE AS PART OF THE JOB LINK NETWORK.1CompletedMIRRABOOKA PRIMARY COMMUNITY ASSISTANCEMERCY COMMUNITY SERVICESMIRRABOOKA PRIMARY SCHOOLASSISTED IN THE MAINTENANCE OF THE BUSH RESERVE AND ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY THROUGH ADMINISTRATIVE AND MANUAL WORK.31CompletedGARDEN AND GROUNDS MAKEOVERMERCY COMMUNITY SERVICES INCORPORATEDUNITING CHURCH HOMESCREATED THEME COURTYARDS THAT WERE HARMONIOUS AND RESTORATIVE TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE HOME15CompletedRIDING FOR DISABLED STAGE THREEMERCY COMMUNITY SERVICES INCORPORATEDRIDING FOR THE DISABLED ASSOC OF WAPROVIDED A SERVICE TO YOUNG DISABLED PEOPLE BY ALLOWING THEM TO RIDE HORSES AND TO GET A QUALITY LIFE EXPERIENCE56CompletedMIRRABOOKA PRIMARY COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE IIMERCY COMMUNITY SERVICES INCORPORATEDMIRRABOOKA PRIMARY SCHOOLASSISTED IN THE MAINTENANCE OF THE BUSH RESERVE AND ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY VIA ADMINISTRATIVE AND MANUAL WORK.13CompletedREDECORATION ABD GARDEN MAGIC PROGRAMMERCY COMMUNITY SERVICES INCORPORATEDCHRYSTAL HALLIDAY HOMES FOR THE AGEDINTERIOR PAINTING, DESIGN WORK, EXTERIOR GARDEN DESIGNS IN COURTYARDS 18CompletedHELPING HANDS 4ANGLICAN HEALTH AND WELFARE SERVICESCEREBRAL PALSY ASSOCIATIONPARTICIPANTS WILL LEARN OR UPDATE THEIR SKILLS IN OFFICE, MAINTENANCE, GARDENING AND TRANSPORT BY BEING INVOLVED IN FILING, WORD PROCESSING, PHOTOCOPYING AND FAXING. ASSIST TRADESPERSONS WITH CLEANING DUTIES, PAINTING, LANDSCAPING, WEEDING, PRUNING, AND GENERAL MAINTENANCE OF VEHICLES AND DELIVERY OF DOCUMENTS.12CurrentPCYC COMMUNITY ARTS PROJECTWESTNET EMPLOYMENT SERVICESBALGA POLICE & CITIZENS YOUTH CLUBENHANCE THE INTERIOR OF THE PCYC BY INVOLVING YOUNG PEOPLE IN A RANGE OF ART ACTIVITIES.51CurrentPCYC RECREATION PROJECTWESTNET EMPLOYMENT SERVICESBALGA POLICE & CITIZENS YOUTH CLUBENHANCE THE INTERIOR OF THE PCYC BY INVOLVING YOUNG PEOPLE TO ASSIST IN THE RECREATIONAL PLANNING OF THE CENTRE.613CurrentPCYCMISSION AUSTRALIAKENSINGTON POLICE & CITIZENSPARTICIPANTS WILL SUPPORT THE MANAGEMENT AND DELIVERY OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE SCARBOROUGH PCYC BY ASSISTING WITH FILING, WORD PROCESSING, DATA ENTRY AND FRONT COUNTER SERVICE, ASSIST GYM AND GAMES COACHES, SETTING UP AND DISMANTLING OF APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT, GENERAL CLEANING AND PAINTING IN AND AROUND THE CENTRE, BLUE LIGHT DISCO MONTHLY EVENT.24CurrentVIP - DISABILITY HELPERSMERCY COMMUNITY SERVICES INCORPORATEDVALUED INDEPENDENT PEOPLE INCWORKING WITH DISABLED YOUNG PEOPLE. ACTIVITIES INCLUDE ASSISTING WITH FOOD PREPARATION AND MEAL TIMES, MANUAL HANDLING, ASSISTING WITH RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, GENERAL CARE AND SOME CLERICAL ADMINISTRATION.1CurrentCOMMUNITY HELPERSMERCY COMMUNITY SERVICES INCORPORATEDNORTHERN SUBURBS MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTREUPGRADING THE RESOURCES OF NSMR CENTRE, PROVIDE SKILLS TO PARTICIPANTS IN A CULTURALLY DIVERSE ENVIRONMENT INCLUDING OFFICE DUTIES, PAINTING, MINOR BUILDING WORK AND PREPARING ART WORK FOR A FLOAT.37CurrentREDECORATION AND GARDEN MAGIC PROGRAMMERCY COMMUNITY SERVICES INCORPORATEDCHRYSTAL HALLIDAY HOMES FOR THE AGEDINTERIOR PAINTING, DESIGN WORK, EXTERIOR GARDEN DESIGNS IN COURT YARDS16CurrentRIDING FOR DISABLED STAGE FOURMERCY COMMUNITY SERVICES INCORPORATEDRIDING FOR THE DISABLED ASSOC OF WAPROVIDING A SERVICE TO YOUNG DISABLED PEOPLE BY ALLOWING THEM TO RIDE HORSES AND TO GET A QUALITY OF LIFE25CurrentSTIRLING CONSERVATION & MAINTENANCE STAGE 2MISSION AUSTRALIASTIRLING SKILLS TRAINING INCTHE PROJECT WILL CONTINUE THE ACTIVITIES AS IN STAGE 1 - IE CONSERVATION & MAINTENANCE OF BEACHFRONT ACCESS & AMENITIES210CurrentABILYMPICS ROUND FOURMERCY COMMUNITY SERVICES INCORPORATEDABILYMPICSLEARN THE DAY TO DAY RUNNING OF A CHARITY, HELP PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES2CurrentPRINT 2002MISSION AUSTRALIAAIFF INCTO PROVIDE HANDS ON TRAINING/UP SKILLING IN OFFICE ADMINISTRATION & IN THE PRODUCTION & EDITING OF A NEWSPAPER24CurrentA STIRLING PROJECTMISSION AUSTRALIASTIRLING SKILLS TRAINING INCRESTORATION OF THE EASTERN REGION BUSINESS ENTERPRISE & ART CENTRE BUILDING. ERBEAC IS A LOCAL COMMUNITY NOT FOR PROFIT ORGANISATION.3CurrentMAYLANDS/BAYSWATER BUSH & CREEK STAGE 5COMMUNICARE (JNM)CREATIVE LINKS FOUNDATION INCFOCUS ON THE DIVERSE TASKS INVOLVED IN MANAGING URBAN BUSHLAND AND STREAM SYSTEMS OF BAYSWATER CATCHMENT.23CurrentCOMMUNITY OFFICE SKILLS CAREER PLACEMENT (NORTH)MISSION AUSTRALIASTIRLING SKILLS TRAINING INCPARTICIPANTS WILL GAIN WORK EXPERIENCE WITHIN COMMUNITY & NOT FOR PROFIT ORGANISATIONS WITHIN THE METRO AREA. TASKS WILL INCLUDE CLERICAL & RECEPTION DUTIES, DATA ENTRY, FILING & WAREHOUSING. 46CurrentSTARWORKS 5FREMANTLE EDUCATION CENTREFREMANTLE EDUCATION CENTREPARTICIPANTS WILL WORK IN SCHOOLS TO SUPPLEMENT WORK DONE BY SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS22CurrentVINNIES - WAREHOUSE AND RETAILMERCY COMMUNITY SERVICES INCORPORATEDSOCIETY OF ST VINCENT DE PAULRECEIVING, WAREHOUSING AND DISTRIBUTING HOUSEHOLD GOODS TO THE NEEDY212CurrentCAREER OPTIONS 2AMA SERVICES (WA) PTY LTD (JNM)NORTHERN SUBURBS CAREER OPTIONS INC.OFFICE SUPPORT AND RECEPTION ASSISTANCE INCLUDING CALL CENTRE EXPERIENCE.21CurrentSALVATION ARMY RETAIL SUPPORTMISSION AUSTRALIASALVATION ARMY FAMILY STORESPARTICIPANTS WILL PROVIDE SUPPORT IN A RETAIL ROLE IN THE FAMILY STORES WHICH PROVIDE CLOTHING TO THE COMMUNITY42Current2139(Question No. 274)2742139McFarlane, Jann, MPMs Jann McFarlane83CStirlingALP00 asked the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, upon notice, on 21 March 2002:(1) How many Special Purpose visas have been granted to the crew of ships holding single voyage permits in (a) 1996, (b) 1997, (c) 1998, (d) 1999, (e) 2000, (f) 2001 and (g) 2002 to date.(2) How many Special Purpose visas have been granted to the crew of ships holding continuous voyage permits in (a) 1996, (b) 1997, (c) 1998, (d) 1999, (e) 2000, (f) 2001 and (g) 2002 to date.(3) Are these visas issued automatically to the crew of ships issued with (a) a single voyage permit and (b) continuous voyage permits.(4) What procedure is undertaken by his Department in issuing Special Purpose visas to ship crews.(5) What background checks are made on individual crew members issued Special Purpose visas to ensure they are not members of (a) international organised crime networks and (b) suspected international terrorist organisations.(6) Have there been any instances where Special Purpose visas have been revoked due to a crew member being involved in (a) organised crime or (b) international terrorism.(7) Does his Department keep records of the names and other details of all the crew members issued with Special Purpose visas.(8) In light of the increased danger of a terrorist attack on Australia has he made any changes to the issuing of Special Purpose visas to visiting seafarers. (9) In relation to the issuing of Special Purpose visas for the crew of ships with continuous voyage permits what is (a) the average life of visas issued and (b) the longest period of time a foreign seafarer has worked in Australian waters on a Special Purpose visa.(10) Do foreign seafarers issued with a Special Purpose visa on ships holding a continuous voyage permit fall under the residency requirements of paragraph 6(1)(a) of he Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 and pay tax when they work in Australian waters for over six months.2139Ruddock, Philip, MPMr Ruddock0J4BerowraLPMinister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Reconciliation10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) Special Purpose Visas (SPV's) come into effect through operation of law. No applications are required and no grants are recorded. “Single Voyage Permits” are issued to ships by the Department of Transport and Regional Services and details of the crew on those ships are held by the Australian Customs Service (ACS), which undertakes the seaport processing function on behalf of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA).(2) Refer to (1) above. The same information applies to “Continuing Voyage Permits”.(3) Special Purpose Visas come into effect for listed crew when their ship, if it is engaged in commercial trade or carriage of passengers, enters Australia at a proclaimed port. Some such ships are subsequently issued with a “Single” or “Continuing Voyage Permit” by the Department of Transport and Regional Services. In general, the crew of such ships will already hold SPV's by virtue of their being on the crew list. (4) The visas come into effect through operation of law. Provided a crewmember is listed on a ship engaged in commercial trade or carriage of passengers that enters Australia at a proclaimed port, the crewmember will be taken to hold a Special Purpose Visa.(5) At least 48 hours before arriving in Australia crew lists are transmitted to the Australian Customs Service, which undertakes alert checking against ACS and DIMIA alert lists. If a crewmember is recorded on an alert list, DIMIA is advised and a declaration can be made to the effect that the crewmembers' entry is undesirable. If such a declaration is made, a SPV does not come into effect and the crewmember is confined on board the ship during its stay in Australian waters.(6) There are no instances recorded of a Special Purpose Visa being revoked because of connections with organised crime or international terrorism.(7) ACS holds copies of crew lists for a period of seven years and these are available to DIMIA if required. Details of crewmembers who sign off and on ships at Australian ports are copied to DIMIA to be recorded on DIMIA systems as arriving or departing.(8) Yes, a number of proposed changes are currently before Parliament. The Migration Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2002 seeks to provide power to immediately detain a crewmember whose SPV has been ceased because their entry is undesirable. The Border Security Legislation Amendment Bill 2002 seeks to amend the Migration Act 1958 to require airline and ship operators to provide advance passenger and crew information to DIMIA. (9) Because of the way Special Purpose Visas operate it is not possible to provide an average visa life. Most ships visit Australia only briefly as part of an international voyage and the crew of such ships will hold Special Purpose Visas. Some ships on international voyages are subsequently granted “Single Voyage Permits” and some are granted “Continuing Voyage Permits”, both of which are limited by time. Special Purpose Visas held by crew on ships covered by these permits will be in effect for a longer period. (10) This is a matter on which it would be best for the Commissioner of Taxation to advise.2140(Question No. 277)2772140Crosio, Janice, MPMrs Crosio7T4ProspectALP00 asked the Minister for Children and Youth Services, upon notice, on 21 March 2002:(1) Has he sent letters to constituents in the electoral division of Prospect requesting repayments of the family tax and child care benefit; if so, how many letters have been sent. (2) What is the average overpayment which has been made to families in the electoral division of Prospect.(3) What time frame do individuals have to pay back their overpayments.2140Anthony, Larry, MPMr AnthonyXJ6RichmondNPMinister for Children and Youth Affairs10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) The only information available is the number of customers in your electorate who were overpaid as at 31 January 2002. For the electoral division of Prospect 3,606 family tax benefit customers and 735 child care benefit customers received notification that they incurred a debt as a result of the income reconciliation process. However, only customers who incurred a debt over $1,000 would need to repay.(2) The average overpayment in the electoral division of Prospect, for family tax benefit is $934 and $280 for child care benefit. To assist families adjust to the new tax system, the government introduced the transitional measure that resulted in the first $1,000 of each debt being waived therefore many of these customers will not have to repay.(3) Customers were given a range of flexible repayment options that allowed them to tailor the recovery to suit their individual circumstances.2140(Question No. 278)2782140Crosio, Janice, MPMrs Crosio7T4ProspectALP00 asked the Minister for Children and Youth Services, upon notice, on 21 March 2002:(1) Was evidence given to a Senate estimates committee on 21 February 2002 that tens of millions of dollars have been over paid to child care services; if so, (a) which child care services in the electoral division of Prospect were overpaid and (b) what sum will each child care service in the electoral division of Prospect be requested to repay.(2) What is the procedure for debt recovery if a child care provider is unable to repay its overpayment.2140Anthony, Larry, MPMr AnthonyXJ6RichmondNPMinister for Children and Youth Affairs10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) A listing of all child care service in the electorate of Prospect and their Childcare Assistance overpayment amounts finalised as at 10 April 2002 are outlined below. SERVICE IDNAMECA OVERPAYMENT555002462CABRAMATTA FAMILY DAY CARE SCHEME$25,998.00555010035GREENFIELD VILLAGE CHILD CARE CENTRE$24,312.00555001594FAIRFIELD NURSERY SCHOOL$23,323.00555004390DO-RE MI CHILD CARE CENTRE$21,623.00555000474KINDILAN PRE-SCHOOL$19,805.00555000204FAIRFIELD FAMILY DAY CARE$18,415.00555002422SMITHFIELD CHILD CARE CENTRE$14,212.00555001382RAGAMUFFINS CHILD CARE CENTRE$11,392.00555001170TASMAN PARADE CCC FAIRFIELD WEST$10,925.00555000247GREYSTANES UNITING CHURCH CHILD CARE CENTRE$10,719.00555003444KINDILAN PRE SCHOOL 2$7,182.00555003925FAIRFIELD HEIGHTS LDC & PRESCHOOL$5,765.00555001849WETHERILL PARK TAFE CHILDRENS CENTRE$5,547.00555001917WENTY CHILDREN'S CENTRE$5,481.00555000318ERSKINE PARK CHILDREN'S CENTRE$5,189.00555001176WETHERILL PARK PRE-SCHOOL$5,176.00555001872COOK PARADE CHILDREN'S CENTRE$5,130.00555001143JOY REID CHILD CARE CENTRE$5,025.00555000323KINDANA CHILDREN'S CENTRE$4,853.00555001054WETHERILL PARK CHILD CARE CENTRE$4,755.00555010761ST CLAIR VACATION CARE$4,290.00555011311GREYSTANES PRE-SCHOOL KINDERGARTEN$3,694.00555006986ERSKINE PARK AFTER SCHOOL CARE$3,010.00555006672ST CLAIR BEFORE SCHOOL CARE$2,374.00555010230RINGROSE OSHC VACATION CARE$2,214.00555000843JANICE CROSIO CHILD CARE CENTRE$2,183.00555006756COOWARRA COTTAGE AFTER SCHOOL CARE$1,993.00555002370STRAUSS ROAD CHILDREN'S CENTRE$1,824.00555006868KINDANA AFTER SCHOOL CARE$1,669.00555011626SMITHFIELD WEST BEFORE SCHOOL CARE$1,502.00555011312CUDDLY BEAR PRE-SCHOOL LONG DAY CARE $1,182.00555010736EDENSOR PARK VACATION CARE$1,125.00555010820COOWARRA OSHC VACATION CARE$823.00555007217FAIRFIELD CITY WEST VACATION CARE$516.00555001207THE PARKS OCCASIONAL CHILD CARE CENTRE$508.00555010831SMITHFIELD WEST VACATION CARE$455.00555001408BLINKY BILL PRESCHOOL KINDERGARTEN$397.00555006805FAIRFIELD CITY WEST AFTER SCHOOL CARE$290.00555006798ST CLAIR AFTER SCHOOL CARE$282.00555007114RINGROSE BEFORE SCHOOL HOURS CARE$207.00555006755COOWARRA COTTAGE BEFORE SCHOOL CARE$184.00555006692MARCONI AFTER SCHOOL CARE CENTRE$85.00555003276FAIRFIELD CITY WEST BEFORE SCHOOL CARE$65.00555006632GREYSTANES UNITING BSC$64.00555006837GREYSTANES UNITING ASC$64.00555006867SMITHFIELD AFTER SCHOOL HOURS CARE$0.00555001513AARONS CHILD CARE CENTRE & KINDERGARTEN$0.00555002814OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY BEFORE SCHOOL CARE$0.00555002815OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY AFTER SCHOOL CARE$0.00555007037EDENSOR PARK AFTER SCHOOL CARE$0.00555007115RINGROSE AFTER SCHOOL HOURS CARE$0.00555007342OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY VACATION CARE$0.00555014634EDENSOR PARK BEFORE SCHOOL CARE$0.00406010515FAME KINDERGARTEN FAIRFIELD HEIGHTSNYF406027874FAME KINDERGARTENNYF406948106VIVIAN'S CHILD CARE CENTRENYF406974750FOXDALE PRE-SCHOOL KINDERGARTENNYF555000194FOXDALE PRE-SCHOOL KINDERGARTENNYF555001533JENNIFER-LEE CHILD CARE CENTRENYF555002101STEPPING STONES CHILDREN'S LEARNING CENTRENYF555002831FAIRFIELD HEALTH SERVICE CHILD CARE CENTRENYF555002934FAME KINDERGARTEN (PRAIRIEWOOD)NYF555003428FAME KINDERGARTEN (FAIRFIELD HEIGHTS)NYF555006903KINDANA BEFORE SCHOOL CARENYF555006904GUMBIRRA BEFORE SCHOOL CARENYF555006905GUMBIRRA AFTER SCHOOL CARENYF555006987ERSKINE PARK BEFORE SCHOOL CARENYF555011627SMITHFIELD WEST AFTER SCHOOL CARENYF555011727CRAYONS CHILD CARE CENTRENYF555013060HAMPTON COTTAGENYFTOTAL$239,829.00NYF = Not Yet Finalised(2) Services have always received payments in advance. The Childcare Assistance over-advances are the result of the on-going advance/acquit cycle which ensures services have enough money up front to operate. Services have always been required to reconcile payments with actual usage and have benefited from the use of this money for some time.Services have the option to either repay the Childcare Assistance overpayment in full within one month of receiving their CA finalisation letter. Alternatively, they may choose to have the overpayments deducted from future monthly Child Care Benefit advances at a maximum rate of 25%. Finalisation letters also advise services that they may re-negotiate the recovery rate to a lower percentage if repayment is likely to cause severe financial hardship.Finalisation letters to services provide two contact numbers - one to discuss the actual Childcare Assistance overpayment, the other to discuss/re-negotiate repayment arrangements.2142(Question No. 279)2792142Hoare, Kelly, MPMs Hoare83YCharltonALP00 asked the Prime Minister, upon notice, on 21 March 2002:(1) Has the Prime Minister committed any members of the Australian Defence Force to be deployed in assisting the US in its proposed war against Iraq or any of the other countries considered to be harbouring terrorists.(2) Did the Prime Minister pledge further assistance to the US in its war against terrorism in return for the US decision to remove tariffs from 85 per cent of Australia's steel exports.2143Howard, John, MPMr HowardZD4BennelongLPPrime Minister10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) No, with the exception of the commitment of forces publicly announced in relation to operations in Afghanistan.(2) No. 2143(Question No. 282)2822143Andren, Peter, MPMr AndrenKL6CalareIND00 asked the Prime Minister, upon notice, on 21 March 2002:(1) Is he aware that following the Sydney bushfires of 1994 at least 10 cases of SES volunteers in logistical and other support roles were provided with financial assistance under the scheme initiated by then Prime Minister Keating and then Premier Fahey to compensate volunteer fire fighters for loss of income.(2) In light of his statement to Premier Carr that he is strictly following the agreement struck between their respective predecessors in 1994, why has he decided not to extend assistance to all volunteers, fire-fighters, logistics and support alike, for loss of income as a result of the NSW Christmas 2001- 2002 bushfire emergency.(3) How does he explain this contradiction in the treatment of volunteers from the 1994 bushfires compared with volunteers in the 2001-02 bushfire emergency, when the same guidelines are apparently being applied in relation to the granting of financial assistance for loss of income.2143Howard, John, MPMr HowardZD4BennelongLPPrime Minister10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) I am advised by my department that, for the period from 3 January to 14 January 1994, the NSW bushfires were declared a `major disaster' under the Social Security Act 1991. According to the terms of the Act, Disaster Relief Payments (DRP) were therefore available to people who suffered severe damage to their principal residence, and/or a significant interruption to their normal source of income as a result of the disaster. Volunteer firefighters who lost income while firefighting for seven days or more were eligible for DRP under the second criterion. The then government decided that, in addition to DRP, it would make available ex gratia payments to volunteer firefighters who lost income while firefighting for up to seven days. To be eligible for these payments, claimants had to demonstrate that they were members of recognised volunteer firefighting services, that they had been involved in fighting the bushfires, and that they had lost income because of this involvement. State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers were not eligible for the ex gratia payments targeted at firefighters. However, if they met either of the criteria for the DRP they would have been eligible, like all members of the public, for the DRP. It is possible that a number of SES volunteers may have been paid the DRP in this way in 1994.(2) The 2001-02 NSW bushfires did not meet the criteria of a `major disaster' according to the Social Security Act 1991. This meant that the DRP was not paid. However, following the precedent set by the policy of the government in 1994, the current government has made ex gratia payments available to volunteer firefighters who lost income while fighting the bushfires. Extending eligibility for the ex gratia payments beyond volunteer firefighters, would go beyond the precedent established in 1994.(3) There is no contradiction between the treatment of volunteers during the 1994 bushfires compared with volunteers during the 2001-02 bushfires. In 1994, the government offered ex gratia payments specifically to volunteer firefighters who lost income while fighting the fires, quite separate from the payments made under the DRP arrangements. In 2001-02, the government has similarly offered ex gratia payments specifically to volunteer firefighters who lost income while firefighting.2143(Question No. 283)2832143Murphy, John, MPMr Murphy83DLoweALP00 asked the Minister representing the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, upon notice, on 21 March 2002:(1) Did the Minister see an article titled “MPs rebel over media shake-up” by Aaron Patrick on page 1 of The Australian Financial Review, dated 20 March 2002.(2) In view of the apparent disquiet by ten coalition members over the proposed changes to Australia's cross-media and foreign ownership laws as revealed by Mr Patrick, will the Minister refer the draft legislation to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications, Information Technology and the Arts for its consideration, review and recommendation to the Parliament; if not, why not.2144McGauran, Peter, MPMr McGauranXH4GippslandNPMinister for Science10—The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:(1) Yes.(2) On 21 March 2002 the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Media Ownership) Bill was referred to the Senate Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts Legislation Committee for inquiry and report.2144(Question No. 285)2852144Ferguson, Laurie, MPMr Laurie Ferguson8T4ReidALP00 asked the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, upon notice, on 21 March 2002:(1) How many firms are currently approved for (a) standard business sponsorships and (b) pre-qualified business sponsorship for the purposes of temporary long-stay business entrants in respect of the (i) construction industry, (ii) finance and insurance industry, and (iii) retail trade industry. (2) How many long-stay business visas (subclass 457) were issued in (a) 2000-2001 and (b) 2001-2002 to date in respect of the (i) construction industry, (ii) finance and insurance industry, and (iii) retail trade industry.(3) Are sponsors required to comply with Australian industrial relations laws, levels of remuneration and conditions of employment (including superannuation contributions) and to deduct appropriate income tax instalments.(4) If an individual or organisation believes that a business sponsor is not meeting its obligations, as referred to in part (3), what is the process for submitting a complaint to his Department and what investigations does his Department conduct as a result.(5) How many alleged breaches of sponsorship obligations did his Department investigate in 2000-2001 and what was the outcome of these investigations.2144Ruddock, Philip, MPMr Ruddock0J4BerowraLPMinister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Reconciliation10—The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:(1) The table below provides the number of pre-qualified (PQBS) and standard (SBS) business sponsorships approved for these three industries in 2000-01 and the first six months of 2001-02. The PQBS approval is for two years. The SBS approval is for one year, or until the positions have been approved.Subclass 457 Sponsorship ApprovalsIndustry2000-0101/07/01 - 31/12/01PQBSSBSPQBSSBSConstruction43562193Finance and Insurance173088135Retail Trade55982349(2) Occupations of subclass 457 visa holders are based on data collected from nomination applications completed by the Australian employer. Every (primary) subclass 457 visa applicant must have an approved nomination before they can be granted a visa. The occupations for nominations approved indicates the number of visas granted in the period for the occupations requested. These are provided in the following table:*Estimate (primary) Subclass 457 Visa Grants by IndustryIndustry2000-0101/07/01 - 1/12/01Construction551232Finance and Insurance1,590697Retail Trade678434*Note: Based on nomination approvals during the period.(3) All Australian employers sponsoring overseas employees are required to abide by Australian laws applicable to Australian employees. Conditions of employment are set out in the relevant state or federal legislation, state or federal award, industry sector award, collective agreement or Australian Workplace Agreement under which an employee is covered. Temporary residents employed under an award or an agreement are subject to the conditions of that award or agreement.Australian sponsors are required to register all overseas employees sponsored under the 457 visa subclass in accordance with Australian superannuation laws and make the appropriate superannuation deductions and payments.All employees in Australia are subject to Australian taxation legislation. An assessment of the tax status of temporary residents is made by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) under their Residency Tests. Sponsors must sign an undertaking to accept responsibility for obligations to the Commonwealth for sponsored persons, including ensuring that tax instalments are deducted from salary or wages.(4) If individuals believe employers are not complying with Australian laws, they can contact the relevant State or Commonwealth authority responsible for the enforcement of the particular legislation.If individuals or organisations believe that a sponsoring company is breaching its sponsorship obligations, they can also bring those concerns to the attention of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) Business Centre. DIMIA officers pass information to the appropriate enforcement authority for investigation. DIMIA will investigate breaches of the Migration Act and Regulations.(5) The table below provides information concerning 14 allegations of exploitation of subclass 457 visa holders investigated by my Department in 2000-01. SUMMARY OF CASES OF ALLEGED EXPLOITATION INVOLVING 457 VISA HOLDERS 2000/01Case/employerStateSummary of allegationDepartmental actionTiling employer/sub-contractorNSWAllegation that employer/subcontractor had assaulted a Korean tiler.Inquiries into this matter were made with the police. Assault is a criminal matter outside DIMIA portfolio responsibility. However, latest advice from the police is that no outcome has yet been reached. The company involved continues to be monitored closely including site visits to ensure no breaches of immigration rules or undertakings occur.RestaurantNSWSri Lankan chef claimed to have been exploited by employer: worked 51 hours per week but only paid for 38, payment below the award rate ($546 net per week), employer did not meet full cost of medical insurance. Interview conducted at new place of employment. Employer listed on departmental systems as client of concern but has no current sponsorship. The chef has ceased employment with the sponsor and there are no other visa holders sponsored by the company. Appropriate notations made to departmental systems to ensure any future applications are closely vetted in light of allegations.HotelNSWAllegation that Indonesian and Hong Kong housekeeping staff were being employed at below award rates.Department contacted hotel management and referred details to DEWR for advice on whether the employer was in breach of the relevant award. DEWR confirmed the employer was in breach. On 7 June 2001 the Hotel made an undertaking to employ and pay visa holders at the correct level (retrospectively), to meet their obligations. The Hotel also undertook to put in place procedures to ensure future sponsored employees would be paid at appropriate Australian award rate. Monitoring of company is ongoing.Temple workersNSWEmployer of 8 temple workers had employed workers in breach of relevant award, Australian conditions of employment and OH&S legislation. Workers were housed in sub-standard accommodation. Interviews held with workers and employer. Details referred to NSW DIR and ATO. Letter sent to employer asking why sponsorship standing should not be revoked. Agreement has been reached between parties and all workers have now departed Australia. Site visited by DIMIA compliance officers on 27 March 2002 to ensure no illegal workers on site. Officers confirmed visa and immigration conditions being adhered to by workers and sponsor at this time. Close monitoring is continuing.HairdresserQLDIn November 2000 a hairdresser complained of being exploited re wages. He was not prepared to make a formal complaint and left A/a shortly afterwards. Sponsor has been noted on departmental systems in case of further sponsorships. No further applications have been lodged.RestaurantQLDAllegation received from 4 Indian chefs that they had been paid less than agreed salary and had been threatened and intimidated by employer. Employer also alleged to have held passports of workers. Interviews held with chefs and sponsor. Sponsor asked to demonstrate that he met sponsorship undertakings. Details referred to ATO and Qld Dept of Industrial Relations. Employer sought to sponsor 4 new chefs. The applications were refused as had not provided satisfactory documentation in regard to remuneration, tax and superannuation for prospective employees. Restaurant subsequently closed.RestaurantSAChef applying to change employer made significant allegations against his previous employer in Sydney.Matter has been investigated. Details of allegations referred where appropriate to relevant agencies. Site visit made to business premises to assess first hand remuneration records and other conditions of work. After lengthy enquiries a new sponsorship has been approved. However, company is being monitored closely to ensure all obligations and undertakings are met.RestaurantSAMalaysian chef alleged exploitation by his sponsor. Matter has been investigated. No further action taken against employer. However, company activities are being closely monitored.RestaurantSAChef stated he was overworked, underpaid, medical treatment not provided, charged an “immigration bond” by the employer. Details of alleged bond referred to SA police who are investigating. A change of employer application for the visa holder to remain in Australia has been approved.Religious SocietySAGeneral allegation of underpayment/adverse employment conditions.Matter resolved by employees departing Australia or changing employer. Details of employer recorded on departmental systems as “Client of Concern”. RestaurantSAGeneral allegation of underpayment/adverse employment conditions.Matter resolved by employees departing Australia or changing employer. Details of employer recorded on departmental systems in case further applications lodged. RestaurantSAGeneral allegation of underpayment/adverse employment conditions.Matter resolved by employees departing Australia or changing employer. Details of employer recorded on departmental systems in case further applications lodged. Tunnel diggersTASAllegation that the company was not paying the award rate. Site visit was undertaken in September 2000 with a member of CFMEU . Unable to substantiate claims at the time. A further site visit was undertaken in March 2001 and were informed that the work was completed in December 2000 and the workers had departed Australia. No further action requiredTemple WorkersACT Allegation that workers at a temple site may be working for below award wages.Departmental officers visited the site on 6 March 2001 and spoke to management and workers. The workers indicated that they were satisfied with their pay and conditions.