Senate debates

Monday, 22 July 2019

Bills

National Rental Affordability Scheme Amendment Bill 2019; In Committee

8:20 pm

Photo of Murray WattMurray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | | Hansard source

The opposition opposes schedule 1 in the following terms:

(1) Schedule 1, item 6, page 6 (lines 24 to 27), TO BE OPPOSED.

(2) Schedule 1, item 17, page 10 (lines 1 to 6), TO BE OPPOSED.

(3) Schedule 1, subitem 18(1), page 10 (lines 8 to 10), TO BE OPPOSED.

(4) Schedule 1, item 21, page 11 (lines 10 to 15), TO BE OPPOSED.

I won't labour the point, because I addressed this in my speech in the second reading debate, but I put on the record again that the reason Labor is moving these amendments is to ensure that the departmental secretary retains the ability to make new allocations under NRAS into the future. We want to make sure that either this government or a future government has the ability to extend NRAS funding if it chooses to do so and that the secretary has power to make new allocations, should they so wish. I know that the government has agreed to those amendments, and we thank it for doing so.

Photo of Stirling GriffStirling Griff (SA, Centre Alliance) Share this | | Hansard source

The question is that items 6 and 17, subitem 18(1) and item 21 in schedule 1 stand as printed.

  Question negatived.

  Bill, as amended, agreed to.

  Bill reported with amendments; report adopted.