Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

I present report No. 11 of the Selection Committee, relating to the consideration of committee delegation business and private members' business on Monday, 14 July 2014. The report will be printed in the Hansard for today, and the committee's determinations will appear on tomorrow's Notice Paper. Copies of the report have been placed on the table.

The report read as follows—

Report relating to the consideration of committee and delegation business and of private Members' business

1. The committee met in private session on Tuesday, 24 June 2014.

2. The committee determined the order of precedence and times to be allotted for consideration of committee and delegation business and private Members' business on Monday, 14 July 2014, as follows:

Items for House of Representatives Chamber (10.10 am to 12 noon)

COMMITTEE AND DELEGATION BUSINESS

Presentation and statements

1 Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs:

Statement to the House regarding the progress of the inquiry into the Child Support program.

The Committee determined that statements may be made—all statements to conclude by 10.15 am.

Speech time limits—

Mr Christensen 5 minutes.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 1 x 5 mins]

2 Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs:

Statement to the House regarding the progress of the inquiry into drones and regulation of air safety and privacy.

The Committee determined that statements may be made—all statements to conclude by 10.25 am.

Speech time limits—

Mr Christensen 5 minutes.

Ms Claydon 5 minutes.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 2 x 5 mins]

3 Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters:

Statement to the House regarding the committee ' s inquiry into the 2013 federal election.

The Committee determined that statements may be made—all statements to conclude by 10.35 am.

Speech time limits—

Mr Smith 10 minutes.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 1 x 10 mins]

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Notices

1 MR ALBANESE: To move:

That this House:

(1) condemns:

(a) the decision by the Government to freeze indexation of Financial Assistance Grants to local governments across Australia;

(b) the resulting cuts to local government funding of $925 million over the next four years, affecting every council in Australia; and

(c) the failure of the:

(i) Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development to protect this critical funding to local governments across Australia; and

(ii) National Party to stand up against the cuts on behalf of regional and remote councils, which are affected most by the freeze;

(2) notes:

(a) Financial Assistance Grants are used by every local government in Australia to maintain local roads and deliver critical community services;

(b) the Government's indexation freeze represents cuts of $925 million to local governments in every town and city over the next four years;

(c) regional and remote councils will be most affected by the cuts, with larger service areas and more kilometres of roads to maintain per ratepayer;

(d) the viability of some regional and remote councils may be compromised as a result of the cuts;

(e) the pressure now on councils to increase council rates or cut services due to the cuts; and

(f) within six years, the value of the cuts will be greater than the entire Roads to Recovery budget; and

(3) calls upon the Government to:

(a) listen to local government concerns about the impact of freezing indexation of Financial Assistance Grants on local roads and community services; and

(b) immediately reverse the decision to freeze indexation of Financial Assistance Grants to local government over the next three years.

(Notice given 17 June 2014.)

Time allotted—45 minutes .

Speech time limits—

Mr Albanese 5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 9 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.

2 MRS PRENTICE: To move:

That this House:

(1) understands that the carbon tax has caused a reduction in confidence and competiveness for small business;

(2) notes that:

(a) the carbon tax has seen gas and electricity prices rise by around 10 per cent;

(b) the former Government did not provide compensation for small businesses hit by the carbon tax;

(c) many small businesses are run at a very slim profit margin and are unable to pass these costs on to the consumers, forcing them to absorb the burden of the carbon tax themselves;

(d) with the cost of doing business increasing due to the carbon tax, small businesses lose confidence, invest less money in their business, and are forced to employ fewer staff; and

(e) under the former Government, too many small business jobs were lost; and

(3) commends the Government's action to repeal the carbon tax to provide certainty to small business and restore the sector's competitiveness, viability and capacity to employ.

(Notice given 24 June 2014.)

Time allotted—remaining private Members' business time prior to 12 noon.

Speech time limits—

Mrs Prentice—5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.

Items for Federation Chamber (11 am to 1.30 pm)

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Notices

1 MS PARKE: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) the ethnic and sectarian unrest in parts of Myanmar, including Rakhine state and the Mandalay, Bago, and Yangon regions, but in Rakhine state in particular, has created significant humanitarian concerns given that the latest iteration of displacement has been going on for almost two years;

(b) Human Rights Watch released two reports on the unrest in Rakhine state and the situation of Rohingya Muslims there which clearly concluded that ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity were perpetrated against the Rohingyas;

(c) the national census in Myanmar in April 2014 has led to a deepening of the humanitarian crisis due to the census boycott by ethnic Arakanese groups and the alienation of minority communities as a result of questions relating to ethnicity and religion, including the refusal to allow Rohingya Muslims to self-identify as such;

(d) on 27 May 2014 Myanmar's state-run media published a draft law on religious conversions that would impose unlawful restrictions on citizens wishing to change their religion, which would encourage further repression and violence against Muslims and other religious minorities;

(e) the Australian Government continues to assist affected people in Rakhine state through direct humanitarian assistance, providing over $5.79 million in humanitarian assistance in 2012-13, making Australia one of the largest donors helping those affected by the crisis; and

(f) any acts of discrimination or violence against any persons will impact on Myanmar's international standing and consequently harm its bilateral relationships; and

(2) calls on the Australian Government to urge the Myanmar Government to:

(a) elevate its efforts to resolve ethnic and sectarian unrest in parts of Myanmar, including by accepting the deployment of personnel from the Australian Civilian Corps for security, humanitarian and peace building purposes in Rakhine state;

(b) allow the establishment of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights in Myanmar with a full rights protection, promotion and technical assistance mandate, and permit unfettered access to all areas where sectarian violence has occurred;

(c) permit Médecins Sans Frontières to freely enter and operate in Rakhine state, and provide humanitarian assistance to all persons needing it;

(d) impartially investigate and bring to justice all those responsible for abuses, regardless of their status, position, or rank;

(e) ensure the security of all persons in Rakhine state while protecting human rights, including the right to freedom of movement, maintaining proper rule of law and good governance that includes an end to all discriminatory policies against Rohingyas;

(f) amend the 1982 Citizenship Law to bring it in line with international standards;

(g) ensure that minority communities are properly included in the national census;

(h) abandon the proposed law on religious conversions that would politicise religion and permit government intrusion on decisions of faith;

(i) ensure right to fair trial to all persons held in jails in Rakhine state;

(j) ensure all local laws are non-discriminatory and fair to all people of Myanmar, and respect the rights to movement, religion, work and access to health care and education;

(k) condemn violence and abuse inflicted on any persons, ensuring proper judicial procedures are applied;

(l) ensure Myanmar security forces protect all communities equally and uphold the law of the state;

(m) allow independent investigations into recent abuses, specifically in Rakhine state, for example the Du Chee Yar Tan incident in Maungdaw township in January 2014;

(n) support the citizenship rights of Rohingyas and reconciliation of local communities;

(o) ensure the rights of women by protecting a women's right to choose whom they will marry without regard to religious faith, and permit persons the right to freely choose the size of their family;

(p) provide appropriate humanitarian assistance, including adequate shelter, and grant access by humanitarian organisations, to those affected by the unrest; and

(q) ensure quick return of the internally displaced peoples to their place of origin and assist in rebuilding their houses and properties.

(Notice given 2 June 2014.)

Time allotted—30 minutes .

Ms Parke 5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.

  2 MS GAMBARO: To move:

That this House applauds the Government for its resolute commitment to supporting the men and women of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), past and present, by:

(1) honouring its election promise to:

(a) introduce from l January 2014, free basic health care to all eligible dependents of full-time ADF members and Reservists undertaking continuous full time service; and

(b) provide 'fair indexation' for military superannuants by amending the indexation arrangements for more than 57,000 Defence Forces Retirement Benefits and Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits scheme pensioners from 1 July 2014;

(2) officially launching Project Suakin, which introduces a range of full-time, part time and casual employment categories within the ADF that will offer members increased flexibility to match their changing personal circumstances and enable the ADF to respond to current and future workforce challenges; and

(3) directing Defence Housing Australia to upgrade housing stock available to Defence personnel and reduce pressure on local community housing markets through programs such as the Top End Defence housing strategy which will deliver over 2,300 additional homes in Darwin.

(Notice given 18 March 2014.)

Time allotted—40 minutes .

Ms Gambaro 5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.

3 Ms Owens: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes:

(a) the devastating effects of atypical Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (HUS) and its long term impact on the lives of the sufferer, as well as their friends and family;

(b) that atypical HUS is a genetic disease of excessive immune dysfunction that affects people of all ages, with symptoms including heart failure, pulmonary edema, clotting in the lungs, blurred vision and kidney failure; and

(c) that the current treatment regimen of plasma exchange and/or dialysis has significant risks and can result in a further reduction in the quality of life for the patient;

(2) acknowledges the community advocacy work that has brought this condition to the attention of the House, such as the work by Ms Jeanette Daher who seeks a listing of the drug under the Government's Life Saving Drugs Program;

(3) notes that the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) is due to make a recommendation on the use of the drug Soliris (Eculizumab), which has shown to put the disease into remission; and

(4) urges the Minister for Health to carefully consider any favourable recommendation of the PBAC as a matter of urgency.

(Notice given 18 March 2014.)

Time allotted—20 minutes .

Ms Owens 5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 4 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.

4 Mr Simpkins: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes the increasing instances of Australian citizens taking up arms for foreign military and extremist causes including, but not limited to, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, representing a threat to good order in international affairs and the safety of Australian citizens;

(2) acknowledges:

(a) that by taking up arms or supporting such causes, those citizens have failed to comply with the pledge they made when they became an Australian citizen, to uphold the laws of Australia; and

(b) those who have taken up arms or supported such causes, and were born Australian citizens but have a second citizenship, have also repudiated their allegiance to Australia; and

(3) urges the Government to amend the Australian Citizenship Act2007 to allow the revocation of the status of citizen for those who take up arms, or provide material and/or financial support for military/extremist causes, except where such action is at the direction of the Government.

(Notice given 23 June 2014.)

Time allotted—40 minutes .

Mr Simpkins 5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.

5 Ms Vamvakinou: To move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges that 20 July 2014 marks 40 years since Cyprus was divided;

(2) recognises the continuing support of this parliament and successive Australian governments towards achieving a just and fair resolution for the Cyprus problem;

(3) urges the Australian Government to aid the current peace process based on relevant United Nations resolutions, including United Nations Security Council resolutions 2135 (2014) of 30 January 2014 and 1251 (1999) of 29 June 1999 and subsequent resolutions, on respecting the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Cyprus;

(4) notes that any solution to the Cyprus conflict should result in the demilitarisation and reunification of the island for the benefit and welfare of its entire people and peace in the region; and

(5) recognises 50 years of continuing service by the Australian Federal Police in the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Cyprus that this House reaffirms.

(Notice given 23 June 2014.)

Time allotted—remaining private Members' business time prior to 1.30 pm.

Ms Vamvakinou—5 minutes .

Next Member 5 minutes.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 4 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.

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