Page 1134 - Week 03 - Thursday, 26 February 2009
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the opportunity to consider that advice. Of course, the minister, importantly, would consider that advice prior to making a determination.
We had a fruitful meeting with the ICRC this week, and we know that the ICRC has had some concerns about the feed-in tariff scheme. That said, I think it will work constructively with the government to try and improve the scheme wherever possible. It will give advice to the government on how to make the scheme as workable as possible, and I think it is well placed to provide that advice. This simply formalises that process and ensures that whatever advice is given to the minister is made public prior to a determination being made. I commend the amendments to the Assembly.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water, Minister for Energy and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (5.18): The government will be supporting these amendments from Mr Seselja. Proposed amendment No 1 relates to the requirement for mandatory seeking of advice from the ICRC as part of the annual process of reviewing or resetting the premium price and normal cost of electricity factors. It is a process that the government envisaged would occur at any event; so to make it a statutory requirement is not a proposal the government would have any objection to. Indeed, in the setting of the premium price and the normal cost of electricity factors for the first determination I did seek and receive advice from the ICRC; so those are matters that are not in dispute.
Amendment No 2 again is consistent with our preferred approach in dealing with these matters and we support that. In relation to amendment No 3, in terms of requests for advice from the ICRC and the provision of that information, the industry referrals provisions under the ICRC act already provide for making public the draft final reports of the ICRC. Therefore, in many respects this amendment mirrors those existing provisions, and again there is no argument from the government on those.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (5.20): I simply rise to confirm that the Greens will also be supporting the amendments.
Amendments agreed to.
Proposed new clauses 10A, 10B and 10C agreed to.
Remainder of bill, by leave, taken as a whole and agreed to.
Clause 2—reconsideration.
Motion (by Mr Corbell), by leave, agreed to:
That clause 2 be reconsidered.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water, Minister for Energy and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (5.22): I seek leave of the Assembly under standing order 182A on the grounds of urgency to move amendment No 1 circulated in my name.
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