Gary Gray (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development and Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to bring the debate on Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2008-2009 and Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2008-2009 to a close, and I thank those members who have made a contribution. The additional estimates bills seek appropriation authority from parliament for the additional expenditure of money from the Consolidated Revenue Fund in order to meet the requirements that have arisen since the last budget. The total additional appropriation being sought through Additional Estimates Bills 3 and 4 this year is $3.1 billion.

The government finds it somewhat disappointing that too many of our opponents have failed to take the opportunity afforded them in this debate to address the important measures proposed in these bills. They could not bring themselves to say ‘I support an additional $21.3 million to increase the number of organ donations and transplantations across Australia’ or ‘I commend the additional $14.4 million to meet the costs associated with an increased uptake of the breast cancer drug Herceptin’. Rather, the opposition have chosen to ignore these bills and instead raise quibbles with elements of the government’s plan to strengthen growth and support jobs through the $42 billion Nation Building and Jobs Plan. It is, therefore, worthwhile to remind them of the important measures contained in these bills.

The government will provide $300 million for the Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program—an outstanding program which has been supported by local government across the country. Of this $300 million, $250 million will be distributed to local councils, with allocations based on a formula that recognises need and population growth. This is a transparent formula which has been published and understood by local government and advocates for investment in local government. The balance, $50 million, will be invested in larger-scale, local projects such as new sports stadiums, entertainment precincts and cultural centres that require a larger Commonwealth contribution of $2 million or more. That $50 million investment has been the subject of bids by just about every local government authority across the country.

There is $227.1 million that is proposed for drought assistance under the Exceptional Circumstances interest rate subsidy program. AusAID will be provided with $150 million to contribute to the World Bank, $50 million of which is for the trust fund established in response to the global food price crisis and $100 million of which will be contributed to the Clean Technology Fund. The Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts will be provided with $101 million to meet the increased demand for household rebates under the Solar Homes and Communities Plan. The government will provide $61.6 million to assist small-block irrigators in the Murray-Darling Basin who are affected by drought and wish to cease irrigation farming but stay on the farm. An additional $93.3 million is proposed to meet the increasing costs of the LPG Vehicle Scheme, which arise from additional customers who are expected to access the scheme in 2008-09. The LPG Vehicle Scheme is designed to encourage the uptake of LPG as an alternative transport fuel and to assist families facing high petrol prices. These continued expenditures and policy origins grow from initiatives of the former government, so it is surprising that these initiatives were not endorsed fulsomely by those of the opposition who spoke in this debate.

The government proposes to reallocate $99.4 million to establish a Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute. The institute will accelerate the take-up of carbon capturing projects by facilitating demonstration projects and identifying and supporting necessary research on related topics, including regulatory settings and regulatory frameworks. Carbon capture and sequestration initiatives grow from many years of consideration and contemplation by the former government and ultimate execution by the current government. The government will provide an additional $39 million for the Job Capacity Assessment program. The additional funding is required to meet higher-than-expected demand for assessments and will provide for an additional 139,000 assessments to be undertaken in 2008-09.

The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs will be provided with $70 million for the Australian Remote Indigenous Accommodation Program. This amount represents a reclassification of appropriation from the states, territories and local government item to allow the department to make payments directly to non-government organisations. An additional $17.5 million will be provided to improve access to childcare and early childhood services for Indigenous Australians. This funding will contribute to the establishment and operation of 15 new children and families centres in urban areas and will expand the government’s contribution to the establishment and operation of 20 centres in rural and remote communities that have Indigenous populations. An additional $7.5 million is proposed to increase the number of places available under the Prevocational General Practice Placement Program, which provides opportunities for junior doctors to gain clinical experience in primary care, with the aim of encouraging them to take up general practice as a career.

These bills are important pieces of legislation which build upon the budget’s far-sighted steps to address long-term challenges in infrastructure, health and climate change and which deserve support. I commend the bills to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Ordered that this bill be reported to the House without amendment.

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