The SPEAKER ( Ms Anna Burke ) took the chair at 11:00, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.
Freedom of Information Amendment (Parliamentary Budget Office) Bill 2012
… to facilitate its role in undertaking this confidential work for senators and members the Parliamentary Budget Office is an exempt agency under the FOI Act 1982. Without this exemption the Parliamentary Budget Office's effectiveness as a source of confidential budget analyses and policy costings would be seriously compromised. The proposed amendments to the FOI Act extend this logic to also provide an exemption under the FOI Act for information held by departments and agencies that relates to a confidential request to the Parliamentary Budget Office. The Parliamentary Budget Office is heavily reliant on other departments and agencies that relate to a confidential request to the office.
We raise for consideration whether a time limitation should be placed on the operation of the Parliamentary Budget Office exemption. The policy rationale for the exemption is that senators and members of the House of Representatives should have access to independent and non-partisan budget analysis and policy costings over the entire course of the three-year electoral cycle.
That this bill be now read a third time.
Superannuation Legislation Amendment (New Zealand Arrangement) Bill 2012
That this bill be now read a third time.
Tax Laws Amendment (2012 Measures No. 5) Bill 2012
Tax Laws Amendment (Clean Building Managed Investment Trust) Bill 2012
Labor has developed an unenviable reputation for its willingness to change tax rates and structures for investments.
This completely undercuts faith in the permanence of reforms that do occur …
(1) Schedule 1, item 20, page 7 (lines 11 to 13), omit subsection 12 430(2), substitute:
(2) For the purpose of subsection (1):
(a) the construction of the building is taken to have commenced at the time the works on the lowest level (including any basement level) of the building commence; and
(b) the construction of the building is not taken to have commenced merely because works preparing the site for construction, or works undertaken below the lowest level of the building (including any basement level), have commenced.
That this bill be now read a third time.
Crimes Legislation Amendment (Serious Drugs, Identity Crime and Other Measures) Bill 2012
That the bill be referred to the Federation Chamber for further consideration.
That notices Nos 1 and 2, government business, be postponed until a later hour this day.
Fair Entitlements Guarantee Bill 2012
That the order of the day be referred to the Federation Chamber for debate.
We aren't bringing a strike-out application; Mr Slipper is.
… the Commonwealth of Australia is bringing an application to the Federal Court to strike out this case …
We've drifted into the more personal politics side of things rather than dealing with the policy and allowing the muck to slide.
We should focus on these opportunities with Mandarin and Hindi, and Indonesian because Indonesia is our northern neighbour and has the fourth-largest population in the world.
Learning a second language helps you to understand your first language by helping you understand your grammar structures and how language works.
That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for North Sydney moving immediately:
That this House notes that:
(1) both the Prime Minister and Treasurer have failed to stand by their solemn guarantee to deliver a surplus in the 2012-13 Financial Year;
(2) the Prime Minister gave a guarantee to Laurie Oakes and the Australian people to deliver a surplus in the 2012-13 Financial Year on 13 November 2010;
(3) the Treasurer said three days before the last election on Channel 7’s Sunrise that Labor would deliver a surplus in 2012-13 'come hell or high water';
(4) the Treasurer has committed to delivering a Budget surplus in 2012-13 on over 150 occasions since May 2010;
(5) the inherent contradictions in last week’s MYEFO, including not providing funding for Labor’s promised programs including the Government’s promise to:
(a) deliver the Gonski Education reforms, with not a single dollar to implement these reforms in MYEFO, in fact containing a $3.9 billion hit on education;
(b) deliver the National Disability Insurance Scheme, with not a single dollar, beyond the trials in the Budget, contained in MYEFO, in fact containing a $1.6 billion hit on health;
(c) deliver real action on the Murray Darling Basin, with not a single dollar contained in MYEFO for a plan announced by the Prime Minister on Friday last week; and
(d) implement the outcomes of the Asian Century Whitepaper without any additional money, instead instituting cuts of $500 million to research funding; and
(6) the Treasurer has announced at least 27 new or increased taxes since coming to power, and calls on the Treasurer to rule out any further tax increases.
Laurie Oakes: Guaranteed?
Prime Minister Gillard: Yes, the budget is coming back to surplus, Laurie, in 2012-13 as promised.
TREASURER: Well we’re getting back into surplus in three years, Kochie
KOCH: Ok. Come hell or high water?
TREASURER: Come hell or high water …
… my commitment to a surplus in 2012-13 was a promise made and it will be honoured.
We'll be back in the black by 2012‑13, on time, as promised.
The alternative—meandering back to surplus—would compound the pressures in our economy and push up the cost of living for pensioners and working people.
The policy bigwigs who heard Joe Hockey's provocative speech to the Institute of Economic Affairs in London back in April could hardly help but be impressed. He spoke about the age of entitlement being over.
If Hockey was fair dinkum about what he said in London he would have welcomed the Baby Bonus and Health Insurance Rebate savings. Instead, like Abbott, he saw an opportunity to score political points and grabbed it.
… you have trend growth of 3 to 3.5 per cent on their projections, which I think is a little generous …
… it is absolutely fanciful.
No, it's not a furphy.
… we've already outlined that; $50 billion worth of cuts …
What's the quantum of savings that you've got so far?
I'm not going to tell you …
We identified $50 billion worth of savings prior to the last election. A lot of those are not available at this time.
The House divided. [15:23]
(The Speaker—Ms Anna Burke)
That the House take note of the following documents:
Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency Report for 2011-12.
Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Report for 2011-12.
Department of Defence Report for 2011-12, incorporating the report of the Defence Materiel Organisation.
Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education Report for 2011-12, incorporating the report of IP Australia.
Financial Reporting Panel Report for 2011-12.
Primary Industries and Resources House of Representatives Standing Committee Farming the future: The role of government in assisting Australian farmers to adapt to the impacts of climate change Government response.
Private Health Insurance Ombudsman Report for 2011-12.
Takeovers Panel Report for 2011-12.
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TESQA) Report for 2011-12.
Veterans Review Board Report for 2011-12.
That Ms A. E. Burke be discharged from the Committee of Privileges and Members' Interests and that, in her place, Mr McClelland be appointed a member of the committee.
The failure of the Government to deliver an economic and fiscal plan to return the Budget to surplus in its 2012-13 MYEFO statement.
And the obvious question it—
raises is one that I dare not ask, really—
which is whether it's worth bothering at all.
… there's no way the public could possibly understand what has actually been legislated either—
The failure of the Government to deliver an economic and fiscal plan to return the Budget to surplus in its 2012-13 MYEFO statement.
… going forward, the budget is facing a black hole of colossal proportions and Labor has no strategy to deal with it.
Any "illusory" surplus in 2012-13 ignores the spending commitments being made during the boom times that still need to be met when the boom tapers off and revenues fall.
On top of that, several leading economists claimed last week that a potential $7.4bn black hole existed in the mining tax forecasts due to the "highly risky" revenue stream.
As a consequence of the blowout in the structural deficit, the cloud over the amount and volatility of the mining tax revenue and the potential collapse of revenue if the terms of trade drop … Swan and Penny Wong must guarantee full disclosure of the estimated structural deficit in this year's budget papers.
It is a surplus built on substantial savings of $33 billion over four years, including $7 billion in 2008‑09 alone.
Appropriation (Implementation of the Report of the Expert Panel on Asylum Seekers) Bill (No. 1) 2012-2013
That this bill be now read a second time.
Appropriation (Implementation of the Report of the Expert Panel on Asylum Seekers) Bill (No. 2) 2012-2013
That this bill be now read a second time.
Treasury Legislation Amendment (Unclaimed Money and Other Measures) Bill 2012
That this bill be now read a second time.
Fair Work Amendment Bill 2012
That this bill be now read a second time.
Over the eight years to 2011, default funds … averaged an after-tax rate of return of 6.4 per cent, compared with 5.5 per cent for non-default funds.
The Federal Government should be congratulated for making the right call on this important policy issue. Australians with a disability and Australia as a whole will be far better off in the long-term as a result of this decision.
That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent Ms Ley speaking for a period not exceeding eight and a half minutes.
Defence Trade Controls Bill 2011
That the amendments be considered immediately.
That Senate amendments (1) to (8), (10) to (12), and (14) to (27) be agreed to.
That Senate amendment (9) be disagreed to.
There would be a chilling effect on participation by foreigners in our biomedical research, and the probability that important research in human biology and medicine might never be done. There would be increased compliance costs, with resulting reduced effectiveness of Commonwealth research infrastructure funding, reduced effectiveness of private funding to independent research institutes, and slowing of research. In the health research sector it has been robustly demonstrated that investment saves lives and increases welfare, so a reduction of investment through increased costs, or non-approval of research, will have a real and potentially quantifiable cost in lives and human welfare.
… to match the US exclusion from fundamental research is an important step in ensuring a level playing field for export controls. Universities Australia calls upon the House of Representatives to give this serious consideration, as the Senate has done.
The principle that Australian researchers are not disadvantaged compared to other countries will be embedded and refined through the two year pilot and transition period.
Customs Amendment (Military End-Use) Bill 2011
That the amendments be agreed to.
Crimes Legislation Amendment (Serious Drugs, Identity Crime and Other Measures) Bill 2012
That the bill be now read a third time.
Tax Laws Amendment (2012 Measures No. 5) Bill 2012
(1) Clause 2, page 1 (line 7) to page 2 (line 6), omit the clause, substitute:
2 Commencement
This Act commences on the day this Act receives the Royal Assent.
(2) Schedule 3, page 5 (line 1) to page 16 (line 11), omit the Schedule.
(3) Schedule 4, page 17 (lines 1 to 26), omit the Schedule.
That this bill be now read a third time.
Fair Entitlements Guarantee Bill 2012
(1) Clause 12, page 13 (lines 14 to 16), omit "employ the person on the terms and conditions of that employment beyond the time that employment actually ended", substitute "meet the employer's obligations under the terms and conditions of that employment for the actual duration and end of that employment".
(2) Clause 25, page 21 (lines 3 to 5), omit "continue to employ the person on those more favourable terms and conditions beyond the time of the actual end of the person's employment", substitute "meet the employer's obligations under those more favourable terms and conditions for the actual duration and end of the person's employment".
(1) Clause 23, page 20 (line 8), after 'that employment', insert ', up to a maximum of 16 weeks' pay'.
(2) Clause 23, page 20 (line 11), after 'employer', insert 'and the 16 weeks' maximum in subparagraph (i) has not been reached'.
Water Amendment (Long-term Average Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment) Bill 2012
We work to sustain the way of life and prosperity of all Australians.
Increasing the profitability, competitiveness and sustainability of Australian agricultural, fisheries, forestry and food industries and enhancing the natural resource base to achieve greater national wealth and stronger rural and regional communities.
Defence Trade Controls Bill 2011
The House divided. [20:05]
(The Deputy Speaker—Ms Livermore)
That amendment (13) be agreed to.
The House divided. [20:21]
(The Acting Deputy Speaker—Ms K Livermore)
That the reasons be adopted.
Fair Entitlements Guarantee Bill 2012
The House divided [20:24]
(The Speaker—Ms Anna Burke)
The House divided. [20:34]
(The Speaker—Ms Anna Burke)
That this bill be now read a third time.
Water Amendment (Long-term Average Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment) Bill 2012
(1) Schedule 1, item 10, page 6 (line 11), at the end of subsection 23A(2), add:
; and (d) a requirement for the Authority not to propose an adjustment under paragraph (1)(a) or (b) without:
(i) inviting members of the public to make submissions to the Authority on the proposed adjustment; and
(ii) providing a reasonable amount of time for those submissions to be made and considered by the Authority.
(2) Schedule 1, item 10, page 6 (line 20), omit "is adopted", substitute "may be adopted".
(3) Schedule 1, item 10, page 9 (lines 12 to 18), omit subsection 23B(6), substitute:
(6) As soon as practicable after receiving the amendment, the Minister must:
(a) consider the amendment; and
(b) either:
(i) adopt, in writing, the amendment; or
(ii) give the Authority notice, in writing, that the Minister has decided not to adopt the amendment.
Note: If a long term average sustainable diversion limit for the water resources of a particular water resource plan area (or a particular part of those water resources) is amended, the long term annual diversion limit for those water resources is also amended (see table item 7 of the table in subsection 22(1)).
(4) Schedule 1, item 13, page 9 (lines 28 to 32), omit the item.
That this bill be now read a third time.
Wheat Export Marketing Amendment Bill 2012
I think it is important that all people who actually support agriculture are prepared to stand up and support it on principle rather than on some of the party political stuff that goes on, because I really think that does a fair bit of damage to the debate out in regional areas.
The biggest trouble with the grains industry is they do not have a united voice.
Despite the national wheat marketing monopoly being disbanded in 2007 after an international scandal—
… by its gun-toting farmer-directors to Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq, the grains president of the WA Farmers Federation says he would welcome its return.
We really had a good thing going for years - they did our hedging, marketing, exporting and pricing, and that left us farmers free to just concentrate on growing the very best crops we could.
A world-class school system is essential to Australia’s success in the Asian century.
Tony Abbott has…indicated a fair degree of sympathy for the outrageous claims that Western Australians have been making for a bigger share of the GST revenue, and I guess he…calculates that there are potentially more votes to be gained for his side of politics from appearing to sympathise with Western Australia's claims than there are votes for him in Tasmania from appearing to reject them.
You have totally misrepresented the situation existing in the actual marketplace. The phrases used in the report have all been heard before from the insurance companies but that does not mean that they are truthful.
I am watching my life savings and value of the property I live in continue to decline at an alarming rate.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Georganas ) took the chair at 16:01.
Crimes Legislation Amendment (Serious Drugs, Identity Crime and Other Measures) Bill 2012
The Bali bombings created a set of critical chain reactions. The Bali bombings created a set of critical chain reactions. The public debate over whether terrorism was a real or imagined threat to Indonesia was laid to rest. We recognised that freedom, democracy and tolerance cannot be taken for granted.
The entire nation galvanised to defend freedom, democracy and tolerance. Internationally, Indonesia became a key player in the fight against terrorism. Indonesia also became an active proponent of interfaith cooperation.
The Bali attack was also a turning point in relations between Indonesia and Australia. Our relations with Australia suffered challenges brought forth by the events in East Timor. It produced a compelling reason for Jakarta and Canberra to explore new ways of cooperation in a world haunted by new, unfamiliar threats. The Bali bombings cemented an emotional connection between Indonesia and Australia. A connection that grew stronger following the tsunami tragedy in Aceh and Nias, and the development of the Comprehensive Partnership and Lombok Treaty. As we remember 10 years since the Bali bombings, our thoughts are with those who have endured the terrible loss of their loved ones.
My name is Laurie Kerr and I am a survivor, not a victim, of the Bali Bombings. At 11.09pm on October the 12th 2002 we were at the Sari Club having been in Bali for less than 12 hours. Life and the World changed forever. I had travelled to Bali with a group of 19 mates from The Kingsley Football Club in Western Australia on a end of season trip. Only 13 returned. I was 44 years old and had a life time of experiences and memories. 5 young men had yet to see their 21st birthday.
I was the lucky one. I had survived and life was to go on.
Fast forward to today. I was reading The Australian Newspaper on January 4 2011—
when I was taken by a big headline BOOM IN BALI.
The article was about a major increase in tourism since 2006 and quoted TIME.COM as the source and went on to say that it was on track to achieve record numbers by the end of last year.
The article credited the increase in tourism to the book "Eat,Pray,Love" published in 2006 and the movie of the same name starring Julia Roberts. The article made me feel glad for the people of Bali that rely so heavily on tourism for their very survival . Not only had they survived, they had prospered since the terrorists acts of 2002 and 2004. Even if only using tourism as a benchmark.
SURVIVE, SURVIVORS. My mind was full of thoughts for my fellow survivors . How had they fared …? How would I know? Who should know?
There are a finite number of survivors from the bombings of October 12 2002 of which I am but one and this is by no means intended to be a one man survey. As a result of the bombing I received burns to 20% of my body. I suffer with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, chronic depression , I lost my own business that I had run successfully for 10 years, my life savings are gone and I have only managed to work 4 out of the 8 years and not consectutively.
I am eligible for a disability pension but have chosen to be a part of the New Start program that gives [me] the opportunity to seek work.
In 2004 there was a Senate enquiry into BALI 2002-Security Threats to Australians in South East Asia.
One of the recommendations read as follows - the Commonwealth government prepare a green paper on the establishment of a national compensation scheme for victims of terrorism related crimes that fall within the Commonwealth jurisdication; and
- the national council of Attorneys-General develop a proposal for the harmonization of state laws dealing with compensation for victims of crimes so as to provide for circumstances such as terrorist attack.
The government did not accept the recommendation of lump sum assistance preferring to opt for case by case as they had done after 2002 bombings.
The government response also stated that it would "continue to monitor the needs of those affected by the tragedy and to provide ongoing assistance such as emergency financial assistance"
If there has been any MONITORING I have not been aware of it.
If there was emergency financial assistance available I was never told.
Since the bombings, for which the government paid the associated medical bills, I have also benefitted via the Bali Med scheme which continues to pay any medical bills that are directly linked to the bombing and also covers pharmaceutical bills that are for treatment associated with the bombings. That is the extent of my government assistance.
Of the finite number of my fellow survivors there are those fortunate ones who have made a full recovery physically and mentally and resumed normal lives. Then there are those like myself who for many a different reason have not. So the questions remain; HOW are they …? WHO would know? And Who should?
The terrorist acts of the 2002 Bali Bombings were unprecedented in Australian history and came with lifetime consequences.
With the benefit of hindsight or indeed some MONITORING, was the Government's method of assistance the best option for its citizens?
Being a SURVIVOR makes it worth while to ask the QUESTIONS
Scott was a tremendous soldier. It is openly acknowledged that he was well respected within his workplace and by those who knew him.
We knew the Army was Scott’s second family, his home away from home. Scott truly believed his actions made a difference; he was a truly dedicated soldier, who also knew how to relax in his time away from work.
Scott lived life to the fullest. He was born in the Barossa Valley and was water skiing as soon as he could stand—it was one of his great loves.
Scott attended school in the local area and used his school holidays to learn to barefoot water ski.
Liv, Scott's German princess, met him when she was an exchange student in Australia. After that, the pair could be found in all sorts of mischief together.
Scott loved being outdoors and keeping fit throughout his lifetime and pursued many sports—from long distance running, to cricket and any sort of competition he could be involved in.
Scott had a great sense of humour and was very much into practical jokes. He could also be very relaxed when not at work—becoming renowned for his cheeky smile and kind words. But mostly Scott will always be renowned for being the loveable character that held the family together.
Scott had a lot of time for those who had time for him, and his generosity in all things was often spoken about. One of the things you could rely on Scott for was calling whenever he was able and was thinking of you, at midday, midnight, or anywhere in between.
Scott had a larrikin charm that endeared him to all those around him, and these qualities ensure he will always be held in the hearts of those who knew him.
Our family is united in grief as we try to come to terms with our loss.
We thank everyone for their heartfelt wishes and messages of condolences, but ask that our privacy be respected during this difficult time.
How far will the Taliban go to silence the voices of women and girls?
How far will its hatred extend to destroy any advances given to women and girls under the banner of freedom and liberty, in the name of basic human rights?
The world learned the answer this week.
And it was appalled by the savagery.
In cold blood, in a planned political assassination, a Taliban extremist shot and wounded a young teenager activist in Pakistan, targeting her for holding Western views.
The Taliban have killed 17 civilians—reportedly by cutting their throats—in a remote and violent corner of Afghanistan's Helmand province that government officials admit is entirely beyond their control.
The reason for the slaughter was variously given as a fight between two Taliban commanders over women, Taliban anger over a music and dance party, or an insurgent crackdown on suspected government informers
… a fine soldier and a good bloke, a wonderful Australian who devoted himself to the service of our country.
… a genuine, honest and dedicated member who was probably one of the best junior non-commissioned officers that the unit has seen.
… exemplified what it took to be a special forces combat engineer.
"Scott’s sense of obligation, his sense of loyalty and his sense of purpose made him the epitome of the calling of combat engineer," said Lieutenant Colonel I.
"The type of physical and moral courage required of our special forces combat engineers is what we all hope for ourselves, but in the case of this man he displayed it every time he deployed on missions and tasks."
Scott was universally respected by everyone in the Special Operations Engineer Regiment, and well liked by all who crossed paths with this fine young man … His fellow combat engineers will honour his sacrifice through continuing the tough and dangerous work they undertake in Afghanistan, with courage and distinction.
Scott was a tremendous soldier. It is openly acknowledged that he was well respected within his workplace and by those who knew him.
We knew the Army was Scott's second family, his home away from home. Scott truly believed his actions made a difference; he was a truly dedicated soldier, who also knew how to relax in his time away from work.
… … …
Scott attended school in the local area and used his school holidays to learn to barefoot water ski.
… … …
Scott loved being outdoors and keeping fit throughout his lifetime and pursued many sports—from long distance running, to cricket and any sort of competition he could be involved in.
Scott had a great sense of humour and was very much into practical jokes.
Liv, Scott's German princess, met him when she was an exchange student in Australia. After that, the pair could be found in all sorts of mischief together.
We knew the Army was Scott's second family, his home away from home. Scott truly believed his actions made a difference; he was a truly dedicated soldier ...
That further proceedings be conducted in the House.
Australia is a significant player in the world and, as a founding member of the UN and the 12th biggest contributor to its annual budget, we should always strive to sit at the top table.
But whatever the result on Thursday, the Government has some explaining to do.
But perhaps one of most alarming aspects of our UN campaign has been the way our multi-billion-dollar aid budget has been redirected to get us over the line.
Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean have all been the beneficiaries, as a growing share of our $5 billion annual aid budget has been dispensed to those regions.
… this has included funding some very odd projects—
including $150,000 for a statue commemorating the anti-slavery movement in Africa and the Caribbean to be located at the UN Plaza in New York.
On Australia's doorstep in the South Pacific there is real humanitarian need. For example, 12,000 children under five die in Papua New Guinea each year and a significant number of households in the Solomon Islands do not have access to quality sanitation.
This is where our aid priority should be. Yes, we have global responsibilities, but first and foremost we should look to improve the situation in our own backyard.
We the peoples of the United Nations determined
to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and
to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and
to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and
to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, …
There is a striking depth of consensus in support of R2P principles among state representatives, UN officials and other policy and civil society actors …Yet there is also deep disquiet among many, verging on outright distrust in some key countries like Brazil, China, Germany, India, and Russia, about how far UN authorisation for the Libyan operation was stretched. As a result, over the next two-three years, a priority UN agenda will be to formulate an agreed set of criteria or guidelines to help the Security Council in the debate before an R2P military intervention is authorised, and a monitoring or review mechanism to ensure that the Council has an oversight role and exercises supervisory control over the operation during implementation.
As played out in Libya we have also seen that what the Council means by ‘protection of civilians’ can have extremely wide interpretations. There has been a conflation of the protection of civilians obligations under customary and International Humanitarian Law and with the Responsibility to Protect—the latter being a political agreement among member states that has an unclear normative status. This led to considerable confusion in Libya about what actions were appropriate and allowable for NATO to take in fulfilling its mandate—and the political fallout from this experience is largely responsible for the Council’s slow response to crises along the Sudan/South Sudan border and in Syria.
If we are to concert with other peoples of goodwill in order to have a better world, there must be some pooling of sovereignty, some association of this country with other countries, and some agreement which, when made, should be kept. For this purpose, there must be some realization that countries cannot always have their own way, if they really wish to live in amity. There must be some give and take. That is the real test, and in wartime the test is not in the taking but in the giving. There is a price that the world must pay for peace; there is a price that it must pay for collective security. I shall not attempt to specify the price, but it does mean less nationalism, less selfishness, less race ambition. Does it not mean also, some consideration for others and a willingness to share with them a world which is, after all, good enough to give to each of us a place in it, if only all of us will observe reason and goodwill toward one another?
Never has the United Nations been so needed. In our increasingly interconnected world, we all have something to give and something to gain by working together. Let us unite, seven billion strong, in the name of the global common good.
As far as the mining sector is concerned, education is one of the most important issues.
(1) For (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10, (c) 2010-11, and (d) 2011-12, how many Commonwealth grants were approved by the Minister's department, and at what total cost.
(2) For 2012-13 (to date), how many Commonwealth grants were approved by the Minister's department and at what total cost, and of these, how many have (a) signed funding agreements, and at what total cost, and (b) been paid to the approved recipients, and at what total cost.
(1)
(2) Nil.