House of Representatives

Second Reading Speech

Senator ALSTON (Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts)

I table a correction to the explanatory memorandum in relation to the Appropriation (Supplementary Measures) Bill (No. 2) 1999 and move:

That these bills be now read a second time.

I seek leave to have the second reading speeches incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The speeches read as follows-

APPROPRIATION (SUPPLEMENTARY MEASURES) BILL (No. 1) 1999

In this bill the parliament is asked to appropriate moneys to meet the expenses of the book industry assistance plan and augment funding for the supported accommodation assistance program provided in the 1999-2000 Budget.

Book industry assistance plan

$60 million is provided in this bill for each of the four years 2000-01 to 2003-04. The book industry assistance plan has three main objectives: (1) to provide financial assistance to those producing books in Australia, (2) to provide financial assistance to Australian creators of books and (3) to provide financial assistance to retail sellers of textbooks in Australia. It may also have additional objectives that include

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the provision of financial assistance to libraries of Australian primary schools to acquire Australian books,

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the collection, compilation and dissemination of statistical information about book production and book sales in Australia,

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the promotion of the intrinsic value of books and reading,

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the promotion of literacy,

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the promotion of the books of Australian authors,

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the training of book producers,

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support for innovation and infrastructure development in book production, and

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support for other ancillary or incidental objectives.

Supported accommodation assistance program

An additional $15 million is provided for each of the four years 2000-01 to 2003-04 to deliver assistance to homeless people who are disadvantaged, in crisis and/or on low incomes.

The funding proposed in this bill meets these two commitments of the Government to the Australian Democrats in the context of our tax reform package.

APPROPRIATION (SUPPLEMENTARY MEASURES) BILL (No. 2) 1999

In this bill the parliament is asked to appropriate moneys to meet the expenses of seven environment initiatives. These are:

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supporting conversions to compressed natural gas or liquid petroleum gas for commercial vehicles and buses that have a gross vehicle mass equal to or greater than 3.5 tonnes, trains and ferries;

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developing a product stewardship system for the refuse and recycling of waste oil;

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supporting the utilisation of photovoltaic systems on residential buildings and community-use buildings;

supporting the development and commercialisation of renewable energy;

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supporting the use of renewable energy for remote power generation;

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supporting the development and implementation of in-service emissions testing capabilities for diesel and petrol vehicles, where the diesel emissions testing is in connection with the making and/or implementation of a Diesel National Environment Protection Measure; and finally

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a greenhouse gas abatement program.

The total amounts to be appropriated are:

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$214 million for 2000-2001

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$222 million for 2001-2002

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$227 million for 2002-2003

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$233 million for 2003-2004

The funding proposed in this bill meets these environment commitments of the Government to the Australian Democrats in the context of our tax reform package.

Ordered that further consideration of the second reading of these bills be adjourned till the first day of sitting in the summer sittings 1999, in accordance with standing order 111.