Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Brown for that clarification. That begs the question of whether or not these moneys, roughly adding up to $500 million, are appropriated in this package of legislation. I do not think they are. When, therefore, will the appropriations for these various measures be made? Are we to anticipate that in the budget? Will we be requiring specific legislation in relation to all those aspects of the package? When is it intended that those commitments to Senator Brown be honoured?

We have been told we are going to have the letter from Treasurer Swan tabled. I welcome that. But I was wondering whether timelines et cetera are in that letter. I would anticipate not. I would have thought that the Senate should be entitled to know some of the detail, because otherwise we are in fact being asked to buy a pig in a poke. I think we need to have full disclosure and, to continue the analogy—but I do not mean it in a derogatory way—we ought be able to inspect the pig thoroughly and see what we are getting in relation to this—