Sue Boyce (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister Assisting the Attorney-General on Queensland Floods Recovery. What performance indicators has the Commonwealth required of the Queensland government to ensure that taxpayers’ funds provided by the Commonwealth for flood relief are properly, efficiently and swiftly provided to those in need, especially to one of the principle drivers of the Queensland economy: small business?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The scale of the flooding crisis across Australia means that we have had to make some difficult decisions to find the necessary funds to provided emergency recovery assistance to individual communities, small businesses and primary producers. We also need to rebuild roads, bridges, ports and community infrastructure damaged by the floods. We have invested $5.6 billion to rebuild Queensland and areas across Australia—not only Queensland has been damaged by flood; it also affected parts of New South Wales and Victoria. As the Prime Minister has said, every dollar will be spent effectively and every dollar will go to the region that needs it most.

The government understands the community’s concern that we have a coordinated response to the flood disaster, and that is why we have been working closely with the Queensland government to ensure a coordinated response to disaster recovery. The Commonwealth is putting in place a proper governance arrangement to ensure taxpayers get value for money. In addition, I have been appointed as the lead minister for the Commonwealth with responsibility for the reconstruction of Queensland. To ensure we can rebuild Queensland after these significant events, there will also be the Queensland Flood Recovery Cabinet Committee, of which I will be a member. The Prime Minister has recently announced the creation of the Australian Reconstruction Inspectorate, led by Mr Fahey, and Commonwealth officials have been appointed to the board of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority. We have also made available Major-General Mick Slater—

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order again on the question of relevance. There are nine seconds to go—the minister has taken up a minute and 51 seconds. As I said to you earlier, preamble is fine but the entire answer cannot be preamble, particularly if it is to be directly relevant in accordance with the sessional order. The question was about performance indicators. With nine seconds to go, the minister has not begun to address that issue. The entire answer cannot be preamble; if that were so, it would be literally impossible for you ever to rule an answer to be not within the sessional order.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on the point of order: yet again, this is a spurious waste of the chamber’s time. Senator Brandis wants to try to redefine the question after it has been asked. He seeks to get you to direct the minister on how he can answer the question. All of this is outside standing orders. If Senator Brandis is unhappy with the question that was asked, he should take it to his own tactics committee and stop wasting the time of this chamber. Senator Ludwig has been absolutely on point, absolutely on question, and this point of order should be dismissed immediately.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I believe the minister has been answering the question—

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Oh, you’re not serious!

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I believe the minister has been answering the question, I believe the question was a fairly broad question, and I believe the minister has nine seconds remaining to complete his answer.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The opposition fails to appreciate that the key performance indicators go across firstly the structure that would be put in place to ensure— (Time expired)

Sue Boyce (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question and it goes to one key performance indicator. Given that business applicants are being told that it will take a minimum of five weeks before the money will be available to assist these flood victims with their clean-up, and that they have already been waiting for four weeks for assistance in Queensland, how can the minister justify not delivering the government’s ‘emergency’ cleanup money for more than two months after the emergency?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The opposition quite frankly does not recognise that we have already pulled forward the financial assistance grants of $77 million and made them available to the Queensland government. The authority, which has been set up by the state government, has been working diligently in ensuring that the work is being done. In addition to that, right across Australia this government has made a $5.6 billion commitment to rebuild Queensland. It will not be done in a day; it will take time for the work to progress. You would not want to provide the funding in a way that would squeeze the market. You want to ensure that the authority can prioritise the work, undertake the necessary work to be able to ensure that the rebuilding effort across Queensland is done, that roads can be rebuilt. (Time expired)

Sue Boyce (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question—and perhaps we could look at this from a different perspective. Is the minister aware that Commonwealth funds that are also being given to the program run by the Queensland Rural Adjustment Authority—that promises low-interest loans of up to $250,000 to small businesses affected by the floods—have eligibility requirements that are so ambiguous and so onerous that many small businesses that desperately need the help are simply not bothering to apply? Would you talk about the KPIs there please, minister.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will deal with that garbled question and outline what this government is doing for small businesses. The Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements are designed to alleviate the significant financial burden placed on states and territories, and to facilitate early provision of emergency assistance to a disaster affected community. These arrangements have been in place, not only for this government but also for successive governments, to provide assistance to small business and primary producers. The Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements provide concessional loans of up to $250,000 for small business and primary producers. Regarding eligibility criteria, I tell people not to self assess. They should go in and work through those eligibility criteria so that they can access that assistance. It is important that small businesses and primary producers take the opportunity of availing themselves of that. In addition, small businesses and primary producers have up to $25,000 available to them for the immediate clean-up work. This government is providing significant support right across Queensland and other areas that have been significantly affected by this natural disaster that has occurred in Queensland. I add that the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements allow small business to access the New Employment Incentive Scheme as well. (Time expired)