Senate debates

Wednesday, 9 February 2011

Committees

Economics References Committee; Reference

4:25 pm

Photo of Ursula StephensUrsula Stephens (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I move:

That the following matter be referred to the Economics References Committee for inquiry and report by 31 October 2011:

Mechanisms and options for the development of a robust capital market for social economy organisations in Australia, including:

(a)
the types of finance and credit options available to not-for-profit organisations, social enterprises and social businesses, the needs of the sector and international approaches;
(b)
the role and current activity of financial intermediary organisations and how these can be strengthened;
(c)
strengthening diversity in social business models;
(d)
the development of appropriate wholesale and retail financial products and services;
(e)
government actions that would support the potential for social economy organisations involved in the delivery of government services to access capital markets;
(f)
incentives to support investment in the sector;
(g)
making better use of the sector’s own financial capacity, including practices relating to purchasing of products and services and use of reserve capital;
(h)
making better use of the corpus of philanthropic foundations and trusts to make investments in Australia’s social economy organisations, expand socially responsible investments and impact investments and any current barrier to their investment;
(i)
policies, practices and strategies that affect the availability of capital markets for social economy organisations on social innovation, productivity, growth and workforce issues in these sectors; and
(j)
any other related matters.

Question agreed to.