2017-02-13
Amendment to be moved by Senator Ludlam to General Business Notice of Motion No. 186
To move–That the Senate –
(a) Notes:
(i) the Abbott-Turnbull election commitment that infrastructure projects attracting more than $100 million of federal funding would require a full cost benefit analysis,
(ii) the Abbott-Turnbull Government has committed funding now worth $1.2 billion to the Perth Freight Link for which no business case has ever been provided, for which Stages 2 and 3 have not even been planned or assessed, and which does not reach the Port,
(iii) it is important that Federal money granted to a State be spent in a manner that represents value for money and the Senate has an oversight obligation in this regard, and
(iv) public interest immunity in response to Senate order for productions must not just be asserted, rather established;
(b) Rejects the grounds for public interest immunity made in relation to six previous Senate orders for production of documents concerning the release of the business case, and specifically those made by the Minister of Finance on 19 April 2016 and 1 September 2016;
(c) Orders that the full business case and cost benefit analysis for the Perth Freight Link be laid on the table by the Minister of Finance by no later than 12:30pm on 14 February 2017;
(d) Resolves that, if the documents specified in paragraph (c) are not laid on the table by 12:30pm 14 February 2017, the Minster for Finance be required to attend the Chamber at that time and provide an explanation for his failure to table the documents and that at the conclusion of the explanation any senator may move to take note of the explanation.
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