Estimates Transcripts

Twice each year, usually in May and November, the estimates of proposed annual expenditure of government departments and authorities are referred by the Senate to the relevant legislation committees for examination and report. At the estimates hearings, Senators may directly question Ministers and public officials not only about the details of proposed expenditure but also about the objectives, operations and efficiency of the programs for which they are responsible. Read more about estimates here.

Child sexual abuse research

Estimates Transcripts | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam
Wednesday 10th March 2010, 5:19pm
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Senator Ludlam asked the following question at the hearing on 8 February 2010:

Child sexual abuse research:

a) Has the Australian Federal Police (AFP) conducted any research on the proportion of child sexual abuse material that is available on live URLs as opposed to material on the
dark net (file sharing; peer-to-peer channels and so on)?

NITV

Estimates Transcripts | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam
Wednesday 10th March 2010, 5:03pm
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Senator Ludlum asked:

a) Given the recent ACMA decision to discontinue the Broadcast Australia trial digital datacasting service in Sydney on 30 April 2010; and given that National Indigenous TV
(NITV) is carried on that service; and given that the Sydney area features the largest single concentration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who have come to rely on NITV's availability, what are the government's intentions to help NITV continue to be available as a free to air service in Sydney after 30 April 2010?

Digital switchover assistance scheme - exclusions for renters

Estimates Transcripts | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam
Wednesday 10th March 2010, 5:01pm
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Senator Ludlum asked:

a) What proportion of otherwise eligible households in the Mildura region will be exempt from the assistance with antenna and cabling because they are renters?
b) Will renters with inadequate antenna access digital TV services following the cessation of analog TV services in Mildura?
c) Will the scheme be expanded to provide antenna and cabling assistance to eligible renters?

ACMA's feasibility study into emergency service SMS - Estimates Question on Notice

Estimates Transcripts | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam
Wednesday 10th March 2010, 4:59pm
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Topic:
Senator Ludlam asked:
a) Can the Minister confirm receipt of the ACMA's feasibility study into emergency service SMS access for people who are deaf or have a speech and hearing impairment?
b) Which agency will take responsibility for the implementation of the SMS scheme?
c) When will implementation of the ‘106' SMS scheme commence?

ISP Filtering - Estimates Question on Notice

Estimates Transcripts | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam
Wednesday 10th March 2010, 4:50pm
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Senator Ludlam asked:
a) Has there been any kind of quantitative or qualitative research on the likelihood of accidental or inadvertent exposure to refused classification material online?
b) Is there any evidence pointing to the frequency with which that occurs?

housing

Estimates Transcripts | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam
Tuesday 16th February 2010, 4:23pm
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Senator LUDLAM-I will start by putting on the record my thanks for the work that was done. I put quite a lot of questions on notice at the end of the last session. I hope nobody was deprived of a Christmas break, but it is greatly appreciated that all of that material has come back in time. As a result I have a bit of a shorter list this time. I want to start with the sustainability check list for the NRAS and HAF dwellings. The document is the HIA GreenSmart checklist that is being used. Is that only used for NRAS and HAF dwellings?

Tibet

Estimates Transcripts | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam
Monday 15th February 2010, 6:41pm
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CHAIR-I see Senator Ludlam is here. We will head up to North Asia. We will give over to you, Senator Ludlam, and we will ask those officials to come forward.

Senator LUDLAM-Thank you. Hello again, Mr Fletcher. Welcome back. I have a couple of questions. You will be fairly familiar with the ground that I am going to go over-the Australia-China dialogue, with particular focus on Tibet. Can you provide us with an update as to the last time that occurred?

Mr Fletcher-I take it you are referring to the human rights dialogue?

DFAT on ACTA

Estimates Transcripts | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam
Monday 15th February 2010, 3:11pm
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Senator LUDLAM-Yes, Chair. I put a couple of these questions to the representatives from Attorney- General's and they said that Foreign Affairs and Trade were the lead agencies in negotiating the anticounterfeiting trade agreement, ACTA.

Mr Yeend-That is correct.

Export Finance and Insurance Corporation,

Estimates Transcripts | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam
Monday 15th February 2010, 2:58pm
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Senator LUDLAM-I have a couple of questions that I would like to put to the Export Finance and Insurance Corporation, if they are in the room? Alternatively, people who could speak to the ACTA negotiations?

Mr Tighe-I am not from EFIC but I will do my best to respond to questions about EFIC if you wish.

Senator LUDLAM-Some of this may have to go on notice if you are not intimately involved in the workings of EFIC. Are you aware of an Oxfam report published recently which contained some criticism of EFIC for not adequately incorporating environmental, social and human rights considerations into its funding decisions?

Mr Tighe-I was not aware of an Oxfam report; I was aware of one by Jubilee.

ASNO

Estimates Transcripts | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam
Monday 15th February 2010, 2:50pm
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CHAIR-Okay, we will now turn to questions on national security, nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation.

Senator LUDLAM-We will start off close to home with ASNO. I gather from reading a UN press release that ASNO has just lost its assistant secretary to the IAEA office in New York. Can you confirm that and let us know whether Dr Shaw has been replaced?