5 years ago
LABOR INITIATES SENATE INQUIRY INTO NORTHERN AUSTRALIA AGENDA
SENATOR MURRAY WATT
Labor has established a new Senate Inquiry, with crossbench support, to investigate the effectiveness of the Australian Government’s much heralded Northern Australia agenda.
It has been four years since former Prime Minister Tony Abbott released the Northern Australia White Paper, to great acclaim. During that time, we have seen two new Prime Ministers, two Ministers for Northern Australia and many questions raised about how effective the Government’s northern focus has been.
Since being appointed Shadow Minister for Northern Australia, the feedback I have received, from Darwin, Townsville, Rockhampton, Mackay and Cairns, has been that the Government’s Northern Australia agenda remains vital, but has failed to meet expectations.
Four years after its release, now is the right time to consider whether the Government’s Northern Australia agenda has remained on track, is achieving its objectives and whether there are improvements to be made.
Some elements of the Government’s agenda have already come under particular public scrutiny. For example, the failure of the Government’s Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF). Initially announced to great fanfare in 2015, this $5 billion loan scheme has released barely a trickle of funding over the past four years, with great concerns raised in a recent Auditor General’s report about its lack of transparency.
This new inquiry will help to identify what funding pathways are working well, how they can be improved and whether current programs can be refined, to better develop the north.
Northern Australians deserve the best policies, to deliver on the region’s incredible potential. The central aim of the Select Committee’s inquiry will be to ensure that the Government’s Northern Australia agenda is truly delivering economic and social progress for residents and businesses in northern Australia.
This inquiry will be bipartisan, with representatives from Labor, the LNP, One Nation and the Greens. It will stretch the width of northern Australia and will consult broadly, across communities, businesses, established and emerging industries.
Terms of Reference
That a select committee, to be known as the Select Committee on the effectiveness of the Australian Government’s Northern Australia agenda, be established to inquire into and report on the effectiveness of the objectives, design, implementation and evaluation of the Australian Government’s Northern Australia agenda, with particular reference to:
Since being appointed Shadow Minister for Northern Australia, the feedback I have received, from Darwin, Townsville, Rockhampton, Mackay and Cairns, has been that the Government’s Northern Australia agenda remains vital, but has failed to meet expectations.
Four years after its release, now is the right time to consider whether the Government’s Northern Australia agenda has remained on track, is achieving its objectives and whether there are improvements to be made.
Some elements of the Government’s agenda have already come under particular public scrutiny. For example, the failure of the Government’s Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF). Initially announced to great fanfare in 2015, this $5 billion loan scheme has released barely a trickle of funding over the past four years, with great concerns raised in a recent Auditor General’s report about its lack of transparency.
This new inquiry will help to identify what funding pathways are working well, how they can be improved and whether current programs can be refined, to better develop the north.
Northern Australians deserve the best policies, to deliver on the region’s incredible potential. The central aim of the Select Committee’s inquiry will be to ensure that the Government’s Northern Australia agenda is truly delivering economic and social progress for residents and businesses in northern Australia.
This inquiry will be bipartisan, with representatives from Labor, the LNP, One Nation and the Greens. It will stretch the width of northern Australia and will consult broadly, across communities, businesses, established and emerging industries.
Terms of Reference
That a select committee, to be known as the Select Committee on the effectiveness of the Australian Government’s Northern Australia agenda, be established to inquire into and report on the effectiveness of the objectives, design, implementation and evaluation of the Australian Government’s Northern Australia agenda, with particular reference to:
a. facilitation of public and private investment in infrastructure and economic development;
b. economic and social benefit arising from that investment for Northern Australians, in particular First Nations people;
c. funding models and policy measures that capture the full value of existing and emerging industries;
d. measures taken to develop an appropriately skilled workforce;
e. emerging national and international trends and their impact on the Northern Australia agenda; and
f. any related matters.
b. economic and social benefit arising from that investment for Northern Australians, in particular First Nations people;
c. funding models and policy measures that capture the full value of existing and emerging industries;
d. measures taken to develop an appropriately skilled workforce;
e. emerging national and international trends and their impact on the Northern Australia agenda; and
f. any related matters.