COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SENATE Official Hansard No. 2, 2002 TUESDAY, 12 MARCH 2002 FORTIETH PARLIAMENT FIRST SESSION—FIRST PERIOD BY AUTHORITY OF THE SENATE INTERNET The Journals for the Senate are available at: http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/work/journals/index.htm Proof and Official Hansards for the House of Representatives, the Senate and committee hearings are available at: http://www.aph.gov.au/hansard SITTING DAYS—2002 Month Date February 12, 13, 14 March 11, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21 May 14, 15, 16 June 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 27 August 19, 20, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28, 29 September 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26 October 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24 November 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21 December 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12 RADIO BROADCASTS Broadcasts of proceedings of the Parliament can be heard on the following Parliamentary and News Network radio stations, in the areas identified. CANBERRA 1440 AM SYDNEY 630 AM NEWCASTLE 1458 AM BRISBANE 936 AM MELBOURNE 1026 AM ADELAIDE 972 AM PERTH 585 AM HOBART 729 AM DARWIN 102.5 FM SENATE CONTENTS TUESDAY, 12 MARCH Distinguished Visitors........................................................................................... 509 Questions Without Notice— Health: Program Funding ................................................................................ 509 New Tax System.............................................................................................. 509 Health: Program Funding ................................................................................ 510 Economy: Debt Management .......................................................................... 511 Health: Program Funding ................................................................................ 512 Immigration: ‘Children Overboard’ Affair...................................................... 513 Economy: Debt Management .......................................................................... 514 Taxation: Mass Marketed Schemes ................................................................. 515 Defence: Portfolio Budget Bid ........................................................................ 517 Australian Defence Force: War Against Terrorism.......................................... 518 Centrelink: Breaches ....................................................................................... 518 Environment: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority ............................... 520 Questions Without Notice: Additional Answers— Health: Program Funding ................................................................................ 521 Roads: Funding................................................................................................ 521 Questions Without Notice: Take Note of Answers— Economy: Debt Management .......................................................................... 522 Immigration: ‘Children Overboard’ Affair...................................................... 526 Environment: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority ............................... 526 Petitions— Science: Stem Cell Research ........................................................................... 527 Immigration: Asylum Seekers......................................................................... 528 Immigration: Asylum Seekers......................................................................... 528 Leave of Absence.................................................................................................. 528 Notices— Presentation ..................................................................................................... 528 Postponement .................................................................................................. 530 Financial Corporations (Transfer of Assets and Liabilities) Amendment Bill 2002— First Reading ................................................................................................... 530 Second Reading............................................................................................... 531 Business— Rearrangement................................................................................................. 531 Advance to the Finance Minister .......................................................................... 534 Lucas Heights: Nuclear Reactor ........................................................................... 534 Russell, Sergeant Andrew..................................................................................... 535 Parliamentary Zone— Approval of Works .......................................................................................... 535 Approval of Works .......................................................................................... 535 Committees— Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee— Extension of Time..................................................................................... 535 Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee— Extension of Time ....................................................................................... 535 Meeting ....................................................................................................... 536 SENATE CONTENTS—continued Legal and Constitutional Legislation Committee— Extension of Time ....................................................................................... 536 Meeting ....................................................................................................... 536 Economics Legislation Committee—Meeting ................................................ 536 Human Rights (Mandatory Sentencing for Property Offences) Bill 2000— Report of Legal and Constitutional References Committee ............................ 540 Budget— Consideration by Legislation Committees—Additional Information.............. 546 Committees— Membership..................................................................................................... 546 Regional Forest Agreements Bill 2002— In Committee................................................................................................... 546 Governor-General’s Speech.................................................................................. 560 Adjournment— Health: Coeliac Disease................................................................................... 593 Parliament House: Child Care......................................................................... 594 Documents— Tabling............................................................................................................. 596 Tabling............................................................................................................. 598 Indexed Lists of Files ...................................................................................... 598 Questions on Notice— Imports: Motor Vehicles—(Question No. 58) ................................................. 599 Communications: Casualties of Telstra—(Question No. 82) .......................... 600 Tuesday, 12 March 2002 SENATE 509 Tuesday, 12 March 2002 had been undertaken in a way that was on the ————— public record. It had been in the Charter of Budget Honesty that appeared in the papers The DEPUTY PRESIDENT (Senator before the election, despite some of the West) took the chair at 2.00 p.m., and read claims by the Labor Party. The Prime Min- prayers. ister has responded, asking for details, be- DISTINGUISHED VISITORS cause some of the scurrilous information that The DEPUTY PRESIDENT—Before we was perpetrated by the Labor Party about this commence question time, I draw the atten- was less than helpful, less than useful and tion of honourable senators to the presence in less than truthful. Given the information that the President’s gallery of a delegation from he has, the Prime Minister has asked for the Victorian Legislative Council, led by the further information and has made a commit- President, the Hon. Bruce Chamberlain ment that not one single cent will be redi- MLC. Mr President, I am pleased to wel- rected away from the programs to which they come you to the Senate chamber, particularly were first allocated. after the hospitality you afforded us during Senator CHRIS EVANS—Madam Presi- the Centenary of Federation commemorative dent, I ask a supplementary question. I thank sitting in your chamber in May 2001. I note the minister for her answer. It occurs to me that the delegation is here to observe ques- to ask why the minister was quoted in the tion time with the view to proposing that press as saying on the weekend that she some of the Senate procedures be adopted by waited until Sunday to get advice on this the council. On behalf of honourable sena- matter when she admits that she had known tors, I have pleasure in welcoming you to the for at least three or four weeks. Why didn’t Senate and trust that your visit will be infor- the minister seek advice from her department mative and enjoyable. earlier? As she was well aware of the con- QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE cern about this issue and the debate at esti- Health: Program Funding mates, what has the minister been doing for the last three weeks, given that those matters Senator CHRIS EVANS (2.01 p.m.)—My have been before her for that period? Why question is directed to Senator Patterson, the did she claim on the weekend that she did Minister for Health and Ageing. Can the not get any advice all weekend? minister confirm when she first became aware of the deal done by former