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SENATE Official Hansard COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SENATE Official Hansard WEDNESDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER 1996 THIRTY-EIGHTH PARLIAMENT FIRST SESSION—FIRST PERIOD BY AUTHORITY OF THE SENATE CANBERRA CONTENTS WEDNESDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER Questions Without Notice— Superannuation ...................................... 3545 Hindmarsh Island ..................................... 3546 Minister for Small Business and Consumer Affairs .............. 3548 Telecommunications ................................... 3548 Papua New Guinea .................................... 3550 Australia Post ....................................... 3550 Ethanol ............................................ 3551 Cape Murat ......................................... 3552 Australia Television ................................... 3553 Ranger Uranium Mine ................................. 3554 Unit Trusts ......................................... 3555 Ethanol ............................................ 3555 Aviation: Emergency Locator Beacons ...................... 3557 Employees’ Share Scheme ............................... 3558 Minister for Small Business and Consumer Affairs .............. 3559 Telstra ............................................ 3560 Personal Explanations .................................... 3560 Questions Without Notice— Ethanol ............................................ 3561 Hospital Funding ..................................... 3567 Petitions— Higher Education Contribution Scheme ...................... 3568 Higher Education Contribution Scheme ...................... 3568 Child Care .......................................... 3568 Non-conforming Petitions ............................... 3568 Notices of Motion— Federal Government Borrowings .......................... 3569 Order of Business— BHP Petroleum ...................................... 3569 Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee .... 3569 Superannuation Committee .............................. 3569 Committees— Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts Legislation Committee—Extension of Time ......................... 3569 Dalai Lama ........................................... 3569 Committees— Legal and Constitutional Legislation Committee—Reference ....... 3570 Tibet .............................................. 3570 Committees— Legal and Constitutional Legislation Committee—Report ......... 3570 Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee—Report . 3570 Economics Legislation Committee—Report ................... 3570 Legal and Constitutional Legislation Committee—Report ......... 3571 Primary Industries and Energy Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 1996— First Reading ........................................ 3571 Second Reading ...................................... 3571 Assent to Laws ........................................ 3572 Committees— Membership ......................................... 3572 Budget 1996-97— Consideration of Appropriation Bills by Legislation Committees— Meetings ......................................... 3573 Adjournment— Ranger Uranium Mine ................................. 3573 Documents— Tabling ............................................ 3575 Indexed Lists of Files .................................. 3575 CONTENTS—continued Questions On Notice— Bullbars—(Question No. 92) ............................. 3576 Australian Broadcasting Corporation Publication 24 Hours— (Question No. 172) .................................. 3576 Defence Exports—(Question No. 173) ...................... 3577 SENATE 3545 Wednesday, 18 September 1996 Senator Alston—Madam President, on a point of order: I simply draw attention to the fact that a fair degree of latitude is involved The PRESIDENT (Senator the Hon. in points of order. But we have just had a Margaret Reid) took the chair at 9.30 a.m., naked example of a total disregard of the and read prayers. rules that had absolutely nothing to do with what preceded it. It was simply a cheap QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE debating point. It can be made at any other time and it should not be made now—and Superannuation you should not allow that sort of abuse of Senator SHERRY—My question is direct- question time to continue. ed to the Assistant Treasurer in respect of the The PRESIDENT—Senator Short has administrative complexities of the govern- spoken for less than one minute to this point ment’s new 15 per cent superannuation tax. and has the opportunity to develop an answer. Are you aware of the trenchant criticisms of: Senator SHORT—I preface my answer to Professor David Knox, former Liberal super- Senator Sherry by asking the Labor Party, annuation adviser and currently member of through you, whether it really does want the government’s actuarial advisory com- greater fairness in the superannuation system mittee; Mr Bruce Cook, chairman of William in this country. If it does, then it would M. Mercer; Mr Brian Bissacker of Bankers support the thrust of the policy decision. Trust; Mr Emery Feyzeny of KPMG and your own Liberal Senate colleague Senator John Senator Faulkner—You are obligated to Watson on the superannuation tax? When will answer the question. Answer the question. you acknowledge the broad community Senator SHORT—You don’t like hearing concerns on this issue? Will you support the truth, Senator Faulkner, because truth is referral to the Senate committee on superan- a word that is pretty out of your vocabulary nuation with a report back date by 30 Novem- and always has been. ber? Opposition senators interjecting— Senator SHORT—The one thing that this The PRESIDENT—Senator Short, just question shows, quite clearly, is that the wait, please. It is impossible to hear with so opposition is not prepared to join the govern- much noise in the chamber. ment in seeking a fairer superannuation Senator SHORT—If Labor took the same system for all Australians. That is the nub of starting point as us in wanting greater fairness what this question is all about. Is the Austral- and, therefore, really supporting the surcharge ian Labor Party really fair dinkum about that we have proposed in the budget—which supporting the surcharge that we have im- Senator Sherry, I think, and Mr Beazley have posed in the budget? Mr Beazley says one said they do support—then it would be logical thing and Senator Sherry says another thing. to wait until the legislation is introduced into Someone says, ‘We will refer it to a commit- the parliament after the extensive consulta- tee.’ Others say, ‘We do not need to do so— tions that are going on at the moment. Senator Sherry—Madam President, on a Senator Sherry well knows that an actuarial point of order— advisory committee is looking at these issues Senator SHORT—He can’t take it. He has in relation to defined benefit funds and absolutely bogged himself down. unfunded schemes. He knows that the govern- ment has established a task force which Senator Sherry—For the first time we comprises representatives of the ISC, the would like an answer from Senator Short to ATO, Treasury and industry to look at these a specific question. When will he answer this issues. He knows that extensive consultations question? are going on, including the involvement of Senator Faulkner—Chance your arm, you Professor David Knox, and we are very hopeless individual. pleased that he is doing that; he is approach- 3546 SENATE Wednesday, 18 September 1996 ing it in a very constructive way. Consulta- Senator Sherry does not comprehend the tions are going on. difference between asking a question in the The logical, systematic, due process way to second person or the third person. That is proceed with this would be to let those what it is all about. He ought to know the consultations proceed and, as a result, have distinction. Madam President, you should not the legislation drafted and presented to parlia- allow him to continue in ignorance. If he is ment. Then the parliament, through its com- going to address questions through the chair, mittee systems, can have every opportunity to there is a proper form to be followed, and it look at the legislation. is very unfortunate that after all these years he still has not got the vaguest idea. But, quite frankly, it is absolutely ridiculous to say before that legislation is drafted, before The PRESIDENT—Order! Whenever the the consultations have concluded—we are word ‘you’ is used, it is apparent that the only halfway through the consultations— question or answer is not being directed ‘Let’s go and look at all the fine detail of this through the chair. They should be. Have you issue’ before you have the detail to consider. completed your question, Senator Sherry? It casts very grave doubts on the real motives Senator Sherry—Yes, Madam President. of the Labor Party on this issue. Senator SHORT—Madam President, the Senator SHERRY—A supplementary. government is not saying that the details of Senator, you still refuse to acknowledge the the implementation complexities should not broad community concerns. be considered at all by a committee. What we Senator Alston—Put your question through are saying—and we are really prejudging the the chair. debate that is to come up a little later—is that Senator SHERRY—I take it from your until the consultations have taken place, until answer that you do not want this matter legislation has been drafted and brought into referred to the Senate committee. Therefore, this parliament so one can see the details, do you agree with Senator John Watson— then it is premature to refer such a matter of The PRESIDENT—Senator Sherry, your administration
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