COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SENATE Official Hansard TUESDAY, 8 OCTOBER 1996 THIRTY-EIGHTH PARLIAMENT FIRST SESSION—FIRST PERIOD BY AUTHORITY OF THE SENATE CANBERRA CONTENTS TUESDAY, 8 OCTOBER Representation of New South Wales ......................... 3627 Questions Without Notice— Treasurer: Visit to the United States of America ............... 3627 Taxation ........................................... 3627 Treasurer: Visit to the United States of America ............... 3628 Family Tax Initiative .................................. 3629 Media Ownership ..................................... 3630 Aboriginal Children: Separation from Parents ................. 3631 Port Hinchinbrook Development Project ..................... 3632 Aboriginal Children: Separation from Parents ................. 3633 Gun Control ........................................ 3634 Women in Parliament .................................. 3635 Aboriginal Children: Separation from Parents ................. 3636 Distinguished Visitors ................................... 3637 Questions Without Notice— Environment: Wilderness Areas ........................... 3637 Superannuation ...................................... 3637 Indigenous Education .................................. 3638 Aviation: Emergency Locater Beacons ...................... 3639 Media Ownership ..................................... 3641 Aboriginal Children: Separation from Parents ................. 3644 Days and Hours of Meeting ............................... 3647 Petitions— Industrial Relations .................................... 3647 Industrial Relations .................................... 3648 Industrial Relations .................................... 3648 Higher Education Contribution Scheme ...................... 3648 Gun Control ........................................ 3649 Head of State ........................................ 3649 Australian Broadcasting Corporation ........................ 3649 Australian Broadcasting Corporation ........................ 3649 Industrial Relations .................................... 3649 Australian Broadcasting Corporation ........................ 3649 Child Care .......................................... 3650 Higher Education ..................................... 3650 Notices of Motion— Austudy Regulations ................................... 3650 Aboriginal Reconciliation ............................... 3650 Nobel Prize for Medicine ............................... 3650 Nuclear Warships ..................................... 3651 Economics Legislation Committee ......................... 3651 Higher Education ..................................... 3651 Austudy Regulations ................................... 3651 Order of Business— Disallowance of Regulations ............................. 3651 Community Affairs Legislation Committee ................... 3651 Aboriginal Reconciliation ............................... 3651 BHP Petroleum ...................................... 3652 East Timor ......................................... 3652 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty ........................... 3652 D’entrecasteaux National Park Protection Bill 1996— First Reading ........................................ 3652 Second Reading ...................................... 3652 Matters of Public Importance— Treasurer: Visit to the United States of America ............... 3656 Documents— Tabling ............................................ 3668 CONTENTS—continued Budget 1996-97— Consideration of Appropriation Bills by Legislation Committee—Portfolio Budget Statements .................. 3668 Committees— Senators’ Interests Committee—Register of Senators’ Interests ..... 3668 Bankruptcy Legislation Amendment Bill 1996— Legislative Instruments Bill 1996— First Reading ........................................ 3668 Second Reading ...................................... 3669 Grants (General Purposes) Amendment Bill 1996— First Reading ........................................ 3673 Second Reading ...................................... 3673 Governor-General’s Speech— Address-in-Reply ..................................... 3674 Workplace Relations and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 1996— Second Reading ...................................... 3679 Governor-General’s Speech— Address-in-Reply ..................................... 3689 Workplace Relations and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 1996— Second Reading ...................................... 3690 Adjournment— Port Hinchinbrook Development Project ..................... 3741 Tabling of Documents .................................. 3742 Documents— Tabling ............................................ 3742 Questions On Notice— Australian Taxation Office: Regional Offices—(Question No. 146) . 3744 Logging and Woodchipping—(Question No. 178) .............. 3744 Logging and Woodchipping—(Question No. 179) .............. 3744 Rain Repellent—(Question No. 180) ........................ 3745 SENATE 3627 Tuesday, 8 October 1996 arrogant actions conform with your own Prime Minister’s ministerial code of conduct, which states: The PRESIDENT (Senator the Hon. Ministers . must be . honest in their public Margaret Reid) took the chair at 2 p.m., and dealings and in particular must not mislead inten- read prayers. tionally the Parliament or the public. Any misconception caused inadvertently . must be REPRESENTATION OF NEW SOUTH corrected at the earliest opportunity. WALES Can you inform the Senate where Mr The PRESIDENT—I inform the Senate Costello’s subsequent actions were both that, through the Governor-General, I have honest and not misleading to the public? received from the Governor of New South Senator HILL—Firstly, as the honourable Wales the original certificate of the choice of senator knows, Mr Costello is not an arrogant the houses of the New South Wales parlia- man. He is quite a modest character, actually. ment of Senator William Daniel Heffernan to Senator Faulkner—On a point of order, fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Madam President: if Senator Hill is going to Senator Michael Baume. I table the document. mislead the Senate in that way, could he wipe QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE the smirk off his face when he does so. The PRESIDENT—There is no point of Treasurer: Visit to the United States of order. America Senator HILL—And a very good Treasur- Senator SHERRY—My question is to the er, I was about to say—and a fine representa- Minister representing the Prime Minister. Will tive for Australia when abroad. As I said a the Prime Minister direct the federal Treasur- moment ago, statements made by Mr Costello er, Mr Costello, to apologise to US Federal were on the basis of what was on the public Reserve chairman, Dr Alan Greenspan, for record. He said that in the United States and leaking details of their confidential discus- there the matter should end. sions? Were either the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or the Department of the Taxation Treasury at fault for not properly briefing Mr Senator FERGUSON—My question is Costello with regard to Dr Greenspan’s policy addressed to the Assistant Treasurer. I refer of never publicly commenting on likely trends the minister to the considered comments last in interest rates and inflation rates? Finally, week by the shadow Treasurer, Mr Evans, given that one of Dr Greenspan’s staffers was when he said on Melbourne radio: quoted as saying, ‘I hope he is not expecting . since we are so undertaxed by any relevant a return invitation,’ would the Prime Minister international standard, there is a case for having consider using ambassador designate Peacock some overall revenue increase. in a mediating role to repair the damage done In response to the great public interest in Mr by Mr Costello’s ill-considered comments? Evans’s frank admission of Labor’s real tax Senator HILL—That is a highly creative policy, I ask whether the minister believes question, I would have thought. Mr Costello that we are ‘so undertaxed by any relevant said the statements he made were on the basis international standard’ and whether he be- of public information. There was no leaking lieves that all Australians, including people in of anything said to him by an American the federal electorate of Lindsay, should be official. Therefore, there is no reason for him taxed more? to apologise or for us to apologise on his Senator SHORT—I thank Senator Fergu- behalf, and Australian-American relations are son for his question. The first thing I would in good shape. say by way of answer is that I think it would Senator SHERRY—Madam President, I have been a bit safer for Mr Evans to have ask a supplementary question. Senator Hill, remained relevance deprived rather than given your answer, how do Mr Costello’s enunciating Labor Party economic policy. 3628 SENATE Tuesday, 8 October 1996 What Mr Evans did, of course, was to let the income tax again? Will they put up sales tax cat out of the bag on Labor’s hidden tax again? Will they simply introduce a whole agenda. raft of new taxes which, as Australian taxpay- Senator Alston—A tiger! ers know full well, burdened all Australian taxpayers right across the board during Senator SHORT—A tiger, as Senator Labor’s years in office, particularly in their Alston says, not a cat. Labor clearly believes last few years in office, which they obviously that all Australians—including the people of have not learnt from. Their agenda on tax- Lindsay who are facing a by-election in a ation is quite unequivocally higher and higher couple of weeks time—should pay more tax,