COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SENATE Official Hansard THURSDAY, 12 MARCH 1998 THIRTY-EIGHTH PARLIAMENT FIRST SESSION—SIXTH PERIOD BY AUTHORITY OF THE SENATE CANBERRA CONTENTS THURSDAY, 12 MARCH Petitions— Higher Education Contribution Scheme ...................... 889 Repatriation Benefits .................................. 889 Notices of Motion— Regulations and Ordinances Committee ..................... 889 East Timor ......................................... 889 Regulations and Ordinances Committee ..................... 890 Senior Citizens Week .................................. 890 Order of Business— Regulations: Workplace Relations ......................... 891 Economics References Committee ......................... 891 Government Business .................................. 891 General Business ..................................... 891 Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts Legislation Committee ........................................ 891 Israel ............................................. 891 Committees— Privileges Committee .................................. 891 Membership ......................................... 891 Alternative and Complementary Medicines ..................... 891 Order of Business— TAFE Funding ....................................... 892 Employment, Education and Training References Committee ....... 892 Common Youth Allowance .............................. 892 Budget 1997-98— Additional Information ............................... 892 Committtees— Publications Committee—Report .......................... 892 Regulations and Ordinances Committee—Statement ............. 892 Senators’ Interests Committee ............................ 895 Senators’ Interest Committee—Procedural Rules ............... 895 Order of Business— Industrial Relations and Unemployment Policies ............... 896 Committees— Public Accounts Committee—Reports ....................... 896 National Transmission Network Sale Bill 1997, National Transmission Network Sale (Consequential Amendments) Bill 1997— Report of Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts Legislation Committee ................................ 898 Higher Education Legislation Amendment Bill 1997, Customs and Excise Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 1998, Crimes (Superannuation Benefits) Amendment Bill 1998, Australian Capital Territory (Planning and Land Management) Amendment Bill 1997, Law Officers Amendment Bill 1997— First Reading ........................................ 898 Second Reading ...................................... 899 Social Security Legislation Amendment (Youth Allowance) Bill 1997— In Committee ........................................ 905 Adoption of Report .................................... 933 Native Title Legislation .................................. 933 NRS Levy Imposition Bill 1997 ............................ 935 Telecommunications Amendment Bill (No. 2) 1997— Second Reading ...................................... 935 National Environment Protection Measures (Implementation) Bill 1997— Report of the Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts Legislation Committee ................................ 936 Parliamentary Service Bill 1997 [No. 2]— CONTENTS—continued First Reading ........................................ 937 Second Reading ...................................... 937 Public Service Bill 1997 [No. 2] ............................ 938 Public Employment (Consequential and Transitional) Amendment Bill 1997 [No. 2]— First Reading ........................................ 938 Second Reading ...................................... 938 Ministerial Arrangements ................................. 942 Questions Without Notice— Minister for Resources and Energy ......................... 942 Employment ........................................ 943 Minister for Resources and Energy ......................... 944 Waterfront Reform .................................... 946 Minister for Resources and Energy ......................... 947 Minister for Resources and Energy ......................... 948 Minister for Resources and Energy ......................... 949 Native Title ......................................... 950 Ministerial Code of Conduct ............................. 951 Mr Christopher Skase .................................. 953 Minister for Resources and Energy ......................... 954 Answers to Questions Without Notice— Minister for Resources and Energy ......................... 955 Notices of Motion— Superannuation Committee .............................. 961 Documents— Work of Committees .................................. 961 Committees— Membership ......................................... 961 Industrial Relations and Employment Policies ................... 961 Documents— Department of Industrial Relations ......................... 992 Committees— Community Affairs References Committee—Report ............. 994 Legal and Constitutional References Committee—Report ......... 994 Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee—Report: Government Response ................. 999 Community Affairs References Committee —Meeting ........... 1001 Parliamentary Delegation to Venezuela and The United States of America 1001 Adjournment— Pelham Security ...................................... 1003 Film Industry ........................................ 1004 Mr Edgar Williams .................................... 1007 Mr Maurie Rudd ..................................... 1007 Senator Bolkus ....................................... 1008 Diesel Fuel Rebate .................................... 1009 Documents— Tabling ............................................ 1011 Indexed Lists of Files .................................. 1011 Questions On Notice— Electromagnetic Radiation—(Question No. 1008) ............... 1012 Australian Grand Prix: Tobacco Advertising—(Question No. 1067) . 1013 SENATE 889 Thursday, 12 March 1998 departments are still resorting to old, and inventing new excuses, to deny the above 3 points. Your petitioners therefore request that the Senate acts to help remove the injustice of 40 years and The PRESIDENT (Senator the Hon. fully recognise R.A.N. service by providing the Margaret Reid) took the chair at 9.30 a.m., same recognition and benefits for that service. The and read prayers. cost will be minuscule, being mainly a transfer of pensions from ‘age’ as paid by the Department of PETITIONS Social Security, to ‘service’ pensions, paid by the The Clerk—Petitions have been lodged for Department of Veterans’ Affairs. presentation as follows: by Senator Forshaw (from 34 citizens). Higher Education Contribution Scheme Petitions received. To the Honourable the President and Members of NOTICES OF MOTION the Senate assembled in Parliament. The petition of certain citizens draws the atten- Regulations and Ordinances Committee tion of the House to the damaging impact of the Senator O’CHEE (Queensland)—Pursuant Government’s changes to post-secondary education. Upfront undergraduate fees; increased HECS fees to notice given at the last day of sitting and and charges; cuts to student places; cuts to Austudy on behalf of the Standing Committee on and Abstudy and decreased Commonwealth funding Regulations and Ordinances, I now withdraw for universities are denying students fair access to business of the Senate notices of motion Nos university education. Your petitioners therefore ask 1 and 2 standing in my name for the next day the House to return post-secondary education to a of sitting. system which is fair and accessible for Australians. by Senator Forshaw (from 33 citizens). East Timor Repatriation Benefits Senator MARGETTS (Western Austral- ia)—I give notice that, on the next day of To the Honourable the President and Members of sitting, I shall move: the Senate assembled in Parliament: That the Senate— This petition of certain citizens of Australia, draws to the attention of the Senate the fact that (a) notes: members of the Royal Australian Navy who served (i) the endorsement by the Senate of the in Malaya between 1955 and 1960 are still the only United Nations (UN) Commission on Australians, sent overseas on active service, whose Human Rights Resolution 1997/63 on service has not been recognised in three important East Timor in November 1997, areas: (ii) the commission will sit from 16 March to 1. R.A.N. casualties are not yet included on the 24 April 1998 in Geneva and will again Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial consider a European Union draft resolu- alongside Army and R.A.A.F. casualties; tion on human rights in Indonesia/East 2. R.A.N. service has not yet been recognised Timor, with the visible signs of service to Australia; the (iii) the recommendations of Resolution Returned from Active Service Badge and the Naval 1997/63 included clarification of the Dili campaign medal; and massacre, release of political prisoners, 3. R.A.N. service is still not acknowledged as access to East Timor for human rights eligible service for the Australian Service Pension, organisations, progress on the establish- while service by Commonwealth and allied veterans ment of a UN human rights office in from 55 other countries is. Jakarta and cooperation with special Members of the Army and R.A.A.F. who served rapporteurs, and during the same period in Malaya had their service (iv) the Indonesian Government has not im- fully recognised 24 hours after arriving in Malaya. plemented any of the recommendations of In the 1997 Budget the Government partly Resolution 1997/63 and has cut