Debate resumed from 19 March, on motion by Senator Faulkner:

That these bills be now read a second time.

upon which Senator Murray moved by way of amendment:

At the end of the motion, add:

“, and the Senate, noting the comments in the report of the Finance and Public Administration Committee on the 2007-08 additional estimates in relation to the lack of clarity in the Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements, and programs or projects that may have been inappropriately included in the appropriation bill for the ordinary annual services of the government, calls upon the government:

(a)

to respond as soon as practicable to the March 2007 report of the Finance and Public Administration References Committee on Transparency and accountability in Commonwealth public funding and expenditure, particularly the recommendation of the committee that expenditure should be reported at the level of programs; and

(b)

to resolve the outstanding issue reported on by the Appropriations and Staffing committee in its annual reports for 2005-06 and 2006-07 in relation to the ordinary annual services of the government and appropriation bills”.