Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

The government will support this amendment. I thank Senator Xenophon for his constructive suggestion. It would be up to ABIP to determine how it organises itself and performs its functions. However, drawing on EFIC’s skills and experiences in financial arrangements could present a useful value-for-money proposition for ABIP, so it is a worthy suggestion. As ABIP will be able to enter into financing arrangements only for two years it is particularly important that it be fully operational as soon as possible after the bill passes. In that context, EFIC could assist in achieving that goal.

Question agreed to.

Bill, as amended, agreed to.

Australian Business Investment Partnership (Consequential Amendment) Bill 2009

Bill—by leave—taken as a whole.

Bill agreed to.

Australian Business Investment Partnership Bill 2009 reported with amendments, Australian Business Investment Partnership (Consequential Amendment) Bill 2009 reported without amendment; report adopted.