COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SENATE Official Hansard WEDNESDAY, 8 DECEMBER 1999 THIRTY-NINTH PARLIAMENT FIRST SESSION—FOURTH PERIOD BY AUTHORITY OF THE SENATE CANBERRA CONTENTS WEDNESDAY, 8 DECEMBER Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Bill 1999— First Reading ........................................11365 Second Reading ......................................11365 Business— Consideration of Legislation .............................11366 Australia New Zealand Food Authority Amendment Bill 1999 [No. 2]— In Committee ........................................11366 Third Reading .......................................11370 Consideration of Legislation ...............................11370 Superannuation Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 4) 1999— Second Reading ......................................11370 Taxation Laws Amendment Bill (No. 8) 1999— In Committee ........................................11380 Matters of Public Interest— Western Australian Liberal Party ..........................11402 Civil Aviation Safety Authority: Audit ......................11406 Tibet: Imprisonment of Monks and Nuns ....................11409 Rural and Regional Australia: Development ..................11411 Aboriginals: Interpreter Service ...........................11414 Questions Without Notice— Goods and Services Tax: Charitable Organisations ..............11417 Rural and Regional Australia: Initiatives .....................11418 Goods and Services Tax: Animal Sponsorships ................11419 Crime Prevention: Achievements ..........................11420 Goods and Services Tax: Charitable Organisations ..............11421 Rural and Regional Australia: Air Fares .....................11423 Goods and Services Tax: Gift Vouchers .....................11424 Goods and Services Tax: School Canteens ...................11426 Goods and Services Tax: Charitable Organisations ..............11427 Goods and Services Tax: Charitable Organisations ..............11428 Rural and Regional Australia: Air Fares .....................11434 Petitions— Nuclear Waste .......................................11435 Uranium: World Heritage Areas ...........................11435 Industrial Relations ....................................11435 Medicare: Naltrexone ..................................11435 Notices— Presentation .........................................11436 Committees— Selection of Bills Committee—Report ......................11437 Notices— Postponement .......................................11438 Committees— Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts References Committee—Referral ........................11439 Genetically Modified Food: Labelling ........................11439 Committees— Scrutiny of Bills Committee—Extension of Time ...............11439 Senators’ Interests Committee—Resolution ...................11439 Scrutiny of Bills Committee—Report .......................11439 Community Affairs References Committee— Report ...........................................11440 Additional Information ...............................11445 Public Accounts and Audit Committee—Report ................11446 Australian Federal Police Legislation Amendment Bill 1999— Report of Legal and Constitutional Legislation Committee ........11446 Family Law Amendment Bill 1999— Report of the Legal and Constitutional Legislation Committee ......11446 CONTENTS—continued Ministerial Statements— Bushcare ...........................................11447 World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference, Seattle and Informal Trade Ministers Meeting, Lausanne ................11452 Committees— Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee— Report: Government Response ..........................11459 Reports: Government Responses ..........................11464 Reports: Government Responses ..........................11467 Senators’ Travelling Allowances ............................11473 Parliamentarians’ Travel Costs .............................11473 Delegation Reports— Australian Parliamentary Delegation to Estonia and Sweden .......11473 Australian Parliamentary Delegation to Italy ..................11474 Inter-parliamentary Conference, Berlin ......................11474 Committees— Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee—Report: Government Response .................11476 Membership .........................................11477 Budget 1999-2000— Additional Estimates ...................................11478 Additional Estimates ...................................11478 Additional Estimates ...................................11478 Documents— Tabling ............................................11478 Bills Returned from The House of Representatives ...............11478 Bills Returned from The House of Representatives ...............11478 Taxation Laws Amendment Bill (No. 8) 1999— In Committee ........................................11478 Business— Routine of Business ...................................11496 Documents— Tabling ............................................11496 Superannuation Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 4) 1999— Second Reading ......................................11496 In Committee ........................................11497 Third Reading .......................................11501 Notices— Presentation .........................................11501 Adjournment— Information Technology: Politics ..........................11502 Salmon Industry: Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee Report ...................................11504 Psychotic Illness ......................................11506 Christianity .........................................11507 Documents— Tabling ............................................11509 Questions On Notice— Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Cost of Legal Advice from the Attorney-General’s Department—(Questions Nos 1717 and 1722) ........................................11510 Travel Allowances—(Question Nos 1601-1629) ................11510 Tasmania: Vocational Education and Training—(Question No. 1182) . 11511 Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts: Cost of News Clipping Service—(Question No. 1284) .....11514 Department of Industry, Science and Resources: Cost of News Clipping Service—(Question No. 1291) ....................11514 Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts: Departmental Liaison Officers—(Question No. 1299) ......11515 CONTENTS—continued Department of Family and Community Services: Departmental Liaison Officers—(Question No. 1301) ..........................11515 Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs: Departmental Liaison Officers—(Question No. 1306) ....................11516 Department of Family and Community Services: Departmental Liaison Officers—(Question No. 1323) ..........................11516 Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts: Departmental Liaison Officers—(Question No. 1326) ..........11516 New Tax System Seminars: Advertising Costs—(Question No. 1434) . 11517 New Tax System Seminars: Cost—(Question No. 1435) ..........11517 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission: Departmental Decisions Reviewed Under the Administrative Decisions Act—(Question No. 1453) .............................11518 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission: Departmental Decisions Reviewed Under Common Law—(Question No. 1471) . 11519 Department of Industry, Science and Resources: Freedom of Information—(Question No. 1484) .......................11520 Department of Industry, Science and Resources: Internal Staff Development Courses—(Question No. 1502) ................11520 Department of Industry, Science and Resources: External Staff Development Courses—(Question No. 1520) ................11521 Department of Finance and Administration: Requests for Travel Allowance Receipts—(Question No. 1630) .................11521 National Greenhouse Strategy—(Question No. 1669) ............11522 Native Tree Revegetation—(Question No. 1673) ...............11522 Exploration Licences—(Question No. 1674) ..................11523 Western Sahara—(Question No. 1681) ......................11524 Choepel, Mr Ngawang—(Question No. 1683) .................11524 Regional Australia Summit—(Question No. 1701) ..............11525 Regional Australia Summit—(Question No. 1702) ..............11526 Duke Energy: Environmental Assessment—(Question No. 1705) ....11534 Australian Flags: Members of Parliament Requests— (Question No. 1712) .................................11535 Attorney-General’s Department: Cost of Legal Advice— (Question No. 1727) .................................11539 Department of Industry, Science and Resources: Salaries— (Question No. 1744) .................................11539 Attorney-General’s Department: Salaries—(Question No. 1745) .....11540 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission: Salaries— (Question No. 1749) .................................11541 Prime Minister’s Sydney Office: Tenders for Radio Studio— (Question No. 1750) .................................11541 East Timor: Allowances to Departmental Officers— (Question No. 1751) .................................11542 East Timor: Military Personnel Allowances—(Question No. 1752) . 11542 SENATE 11365 Wednesday, 8 December 1999 For these reasons the Government is committed to preserving the Harbour and its foreshore for future generations. The PRESIDENT (Senator the Hon. Over the last century, the Commonwealth has been custodian of some of the foreshore areas of greatest Margaret Reid) took the chair at 9.30