Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

I present report No. 18 of the Selection Committee, relating to the consideration of committee and delegation reports and private members' business on Monday 31 August 2020. 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 at the table.

The report read as follows—

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SELECTION COMMITTEE

REPORT No. 18

Committee and delegation business

and

private Members' business

26 August 2020

MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE

Chair

Hon A. D. H. Smith MP, Speaker

Members

Mr B van Manen MP (Chief Government Whip)

Mr C Hayes MP (Chief Opposition Whip)

Hon D Drum MP (Chief Nationals Whip)

Mr R Broadbent MP

Ms N Flint MP

Ms P Murphy MP

Mr K O'Dowd

Mr R Ramsey MP

Ms J Ryan MP

Ms R Sharkie MP

Ms A Stanley MP

Mr L O'Brien MP, Deputy Speaker

Secretary

Mr G Worthington

Committee support

Ms F Hall

Mr D Pecar

Mr G Taylor

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

1. The committee met in private session on Tuesday, 25 August 2020.

2. The Committee deliberated on items of committee and delegation business that had been notified, private Members' business items listed on the Notice Paper and notices lodged on Tuesday, 25 August 2020, and determined the order of precedence and times on Monday, 31 August 2020, 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 THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Advisory report on the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Amendment (Transparency in Carbon Emissions Accounting) Bill 2020.

The Committee determined that statements on the report may be made — all statements to conclude by 10.20 am

Speech time limits —

Mr Ted O'Brien — 5 minutes.

Next Member speaking — 5 minutes.

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

2 AUSTRALIAN PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION

Parliamentary delegation to India, 3 to 7 November 2019.

The Committee determined that statements on the report may be made — all statements to conclude by 10.30 am

Speech time limits —

Mr Ted O'Brien — 5 minutes.

Next Member speaking — 5 minutes.

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

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Notices

1 MR KATTER: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the law in order to prevent non First Australians and foreigners from arrogating for their personal benefit First Australian culture, and to stop the sale of art, souvenir items and any other cultural affirmations that exploit and thereby deprive First Australians of the rightful benefits from their culture, and for related purposes. (Competition and Consumer Amendment (Exploitation of Indigenous Culture) Bill 2020)

(Notice given 25 August 2020.)

Presenter may speak to the second reading for a period not exceeding 10 minutes — pursuant to standing order 41. Debate must be adjourned pursuant to standing order 142.

2 MR KATTER: To present a Bill for an Act to establish the Commonwealth Development and Infrastructure Corporation, and for related purposes. (Commonwealth Development and Infrastructure Corporation Bill 2020)

(Notice given 25 August 2020.)

Presenter may speak to the second reading for a period not exceeding 10 minutes — pursuant to standing order 41. Debate must be adjourned pursuant to standing order 142.

3 MR PEARCE: To move—That this House:

(1) notes the decision to award Ordinary Seaman Edward 'Teddy' Sheean our highest military honour, the Victoria Cross for Australia;

(2) recognises the heroic acts of Ordinary Seaman Edward 'Teddy' Sheean on 1 December 1942 will see him be the first Australian Navy sailor to receive the Victoria Cross; and

(3) acknowledges that an investiture ceremony that befits the magnitude of the award and its significance to Australia will be held at an appropriate time noting current COVID-19 restrictions.

(Notice given 25 August 2020.)

Time allotted — 35 minutes.

Speech time limits —

Mr Pearce — 10 minutes.

Next Member speaking — 10 minutes.

Other Members — 5 minutes each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 2 x 10 mins + 3 x 5 mins]

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

4 MS T. M. BUTLER: To move—That this House:

(1) welcomes the release of the Auditor-General's report, Referrals, Assessments and Approvals of Controlled Actions under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act);

(2) notes that Australia is currently experiencing an environmental crisis and jobs crisis, and the Auditor-General's report confirms the Government has failed on both counts;

(3) further notes the damning findings from the Auditor-General including that:

  (a) there has been a 510 per cent increase in the average delays for approval decisions since the Liberals and Nationals were elected (between 2014-15 and 2018-19);

  (b) between 2014-15 and 2018-19, delays to environmental approvals for jobs and investment from major projects exploded from 19 days on average to 116 days;

  (c) 79 per cent of approvals assessed were non-compliant or contained errors;

  (d) in 2018-19, 95 per cent of key decisions (referral, assessment method, approval), were made outside the statutory time frames, with just 5 per cent of decisions being made on time;

  (e) conflicts of interest are not managed;

  (f) reporting arrangements are not consistent with the EPBC Act; and

  (g) projects or environmental outcomes are not being monitored;

(4) acknowledges the extraordinary nature of these findings, which make up one of the most damning reports published by the Auditor-General to date;

(5) notes that:

  (a) the report reveals the extent to which Government cuts to the environment department, which are estimated to be 40 per cent since 2013, has smashed the department's capacity to make good, timely decisions to create jobs and protect the environment; and

  (b) Government cuts and mismanagement (Liberal party blue-tape) is at the heart of job and investment delays, poor quality decisions and legal challenges; and

(6) calls on the Government to:

  (a) take responsibility for their abject failure on the environment and jobs; and

  (b) stop tying up projects and strangling the environment with Liberal party blue tape which is delaying jobs and investment, putting a handbrake on our economy, failing to protect iconic Australian species like the koala and allowing the state of our natural environment to rapidly decline.

(Notice given 24 August 2020.)

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

Speech time limits —

Ms T. M. Butler — 5 minutes.

Other Members — 5 minutes each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 7 x 5 mins]

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

Items for Federation Chamber (11 am to 1.30 pm)

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Notices

1 MR HILL: To move—That this House:

(1) reaffirms that:

  (a) Australians love who they love, and the community must have confidence that the partner and spouse visa provisions in the Migration Act 1958 (the Act) are administered lawfully, fairly, impartially and with integrity;

  (b) while the Minister generally has the power to limit the number of visas in particular classes and subclasses by using the program management provisions in s86 of the Act, s87 of the Act explicitly prevents the 'capping' of visas to people who apply for a visa on the grounds that they are the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen or permanent resident;

  (c) the Parliament has voted twice to reject legislative amendments to give the Minister a power to cap these visa classes, preferring the processing of spouse visa applications to occur on a demand-driven basis; and

  (d) inexplicable and unconscionable delays by the Department of Home Affairs in processing thousands of partner visa applications continues to result in significant harm to, and consequences for, Australian citizens and permanent residents;

(2) condemns the Government for:

  (a) using the administrative tool of migration program planning levels to unlawfully override the legislated program management tools in s86 and s87 thus effectively 'capping' partner visas against the intent of s87 of the Act;

  (b) refusing to release advice on the legality of their actions to restrict partner visa grants;

  (c) presiding over an extraordinary blow out to 91,717 as at 31 March 2020 in the number of partner visa applications on hand, an increase of almost 30 per cent in under three years;

  (d) unacceptably high and deteriorating processing times for partner visa applications, with the Department's website indicating that:

     (i) subclass 300—75 per cent of applications are processed within 16 months and 90 per cent of applications are processed within 29 months;

     (ii) subclass 309—75 per cent of applications are processed within 15 months and 90 per cent of applications are processed within 20 months;

     (iii) subclass 100—75 per cent of applications are processed within 20 months and 90 per cent of applications are processed within 24 months;

     (iv) subclass 820—75 per cent of applications are processed within 20 months and 90 per cent of applications are processed within 25 months; and

     (v) subclass 801—75 per cent of applications are processed within 13 months and 90 per cent of applications are processed within 25 months;

  (e) cutting the number of partner visas granted by 8,000 per annum which will mean the backlog and processing times continue to grow;

  (f) allowing a blowout in the backlog of cases to 5,556 cases at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) as at 31 July 2020 with:

     (i) an average processing time for partner cases of 726 calendar days; and

     (ii) a partner visa set aside rate at the AAT of around 60 per cent;

  (g) failing to address the perverse consequences of COVID-19 related border restrictions for partner visa applicants including:

     (i) refusing to let numerous partner and prospective marriage visa holders enter Australia before their visa expires, or at least to extend their visa expiry date or refund their money; and

     (ii) refusing to let people who are currently in Australia on a temporary visa and who are granted an offshore partner visa to activate that visa without having to fly overseas; and

  (h) attempting to silence Australians who speak up publicly about the delays in processing and growing problems in the partner visa program;

(3) calls on the Government to:

  (a) acknowledge the devastating human impact of delays and uncertainty on affected couples whose lives are in limbo, whose mental health is suffering, and whose relationships are being destroyed through separation from their partner for many years;

  (b) apologise for the unacceptable delays in processing partner visa applications and take immediate action to process the backlog noting the Government has collected massive levels of visa application revenue that should be used to process applications in a timely way;

  (c) urgently address the perverse consequences of COVID-19 related border restrictions on partner visas; and

  (d) publicly commit to affected people and the wider community that partner visa processing will in future be administered lawfully, fairly, impartially and expeditiously.

(Notice given 24 August 2020.)

Time allotted — 40 minutes.

Speech time limits —

Mr Hill — 5 minutes.

Other Members — 5 minutes each.

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

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

Orders of the day

1 RECYCLING: Resumption of debate (from 24 February 2020) on the motion of Dr Allen—That this House:

(1) recognises the imperative of improving waste management, reducing unnecessary packaging and boosting recycling in Australia;

(2) acknowledges that:

  (a) Australians generate about 67 million tonnes of waste each year, of which 37 million tonnes is recycled;

  (b) only 12 per cent of the 103 kilograms of plastic waste generated per person in Australia each year is recycled, mostly overseas;

  (c) for every 10,000 tonnes of waste recycled, more than 9 jobs are created; and

  (d) waste related activities add $6.9 billion to the economy annually;

(3) welcomes the Government's recent $20 million commitment for innovative projects under round 8 of the Cooperative Research Centres Projects grants to grow our domestic plastics recycling industry; and

(4) notes that this is part of the Government's Australian Recycling Investment Plan, a package of initiatives totalling $167 million designed to grow and strengthen Australia's domestic recycling industry, and to support industry and community initiatives to lift recycling rates in Australia.

Time allotted — 35 minutes.

Speech time limits —

All Members — 5 minutes each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 7 x 5 mins]

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

Notices – continued

2 MR KATTER: To move—That this House:

(1) notes that:

  (a) Amy Searight from the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC said:

     (i) 'Australia (is) an attractive target for Chinese Communist Party (CCP) operations because of its strategic value as a U.S. ally in an increasingly contested Asia-Pacific region'; and

     (ii) 'That the growing financial dependence of Australian universities on tuition revenue from Chinese students and research funding from generous CCP-linked patrons created a base of support within the upper echelons of academia';

  (b) the US Department of State on 13 August 2020 designated the Confucius Institute US Centre a foreign mission; and

  (c) 13 of Australia's universities, including the University of Queensland (UQ) have Confucius Institutes;

(2) acknowledges the discernible influence foreign powers hold over Australian universities, as evidenced by:

  (a) the physical attack on UQ student Drew Pavlou during a Chinese student protest opposed to the CCP's brutal takeover of Hong Kong and his subsequent suspension;

  (b) UQ's appointment of Chinese professor Xu Jie to Consul General, who described Mr Pavlou as an 'anti-China separatist';

  (c) the partnership between James Cook University and Xi'an University for collaboration between engineering and data science research students and staff, which was approved by the Chinese Ministry of Education; and

  (d) The Australian newspaper on 24 August 2020 exposing the CCP and their infiltration of our universities with the 'Thousand Talents Plan', which FBI director Christopher Wray described as 'economic espionage and a national security threat'; and

(3) calls on the Government to:

  (a) undertake a comprehensive study of the efforts by the CCP to exert influence over Australia's universities and means by which it seeks to do so;

  (b) analyse the extent to which China's People's Liberation Army seeks to exploit Australia's universities to further its strategic interests;

  (c) assess the degree of financial dependence of Australia's universities on revenue from overseas students;

  (d) assess the strategic implications of this level of dependence; and

  (e) make recommendations to eliminate any strategic dangers to Australia presented.

(Notice given 25 August 2020.)

Time allotted — 10 minutes.

Speech time limits —

Mr Katter — 5 minutes.

Next Member speaking — 5 minutes.

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

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

Orders of the day – continued

2 SMALL BUSINESS AND THE DEFENCE INDUSTRY: Resumption of debate (from 24 February 2020) on the motion of Mr Thompson—That this House:

(1) notes the important role Australian small business has in the future of our national and economic security through its integral role in our defence industry;

(2) recognises the defence industry's potential for growth in electoral divisions like Herbert and other regional electoral divisions across Australia;

(3) supports opportunities to maximise the participation of Australian companies in all facets of defence procurement; and

(4) acknowledges the Government's commitment to deliver a robust, resilient and internationally competitive Australian defence industry.

Time allotted — 45 minutes.

Speech time limits —

All Members — 5 minutes each.

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

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

Notices – continued

3 MR D. P. B. SMITH: To move—That this House:

(1) notes:

  (a) in April 2019 the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories tabled a report on its inquiry into Canberra's national institutions, titled Telling Australia's Story—and why it is important;

  (b) the report made 20 recommendations and was informed by some 83 submissions and several public hearings with witnesses from every major cultural institution;

  (c) the report's conclusions and recommendations were supported across the political spectrum;

  (d) unfortunately, 16 months on from the tabling of the report the Government is yet to respond to its recommendations;

  (e) Government inaction on these recommendations is having a detrimental effect on the operation of these national treasures, including but not limited to the:

     (i) National Gallery, which is expected to lose about 10 per cent of their workforce;

     (ii) National Library, which has modified its collecting strategy to remove Japan, Korea, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar from its list of priority countries from its Asia Collection; and

     (iii) National Australian Archives, which is preparing to lose large sections of its 117,000 hours of magnetic tape archives unless additional resources for digitisation are provided; and

  (f) these challenges outlined in the report are being further amplified by current COVID-19 restrictions; and

(2) recognises that Canberra's cultural institutions play a critical role in telling our collective national story; and

(3) calls on the Government to immediately table a substantive and detailed response to the report's recommendations.

(Notice given 24 August 2020.)

Time allotted — remaining private Members'

business time prior to 1.30 pm

Speech time limits —

Mr D. P. B. Smith — 5 minutes.

Other Members — 5 minutes each.

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

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

Items for Federation Chamber (4.45 pm to 7.30 pm)

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Notices – continued

4 MR HAYES: To move—That this House:

(1) notes that National Police Remembrance Day will be observed on 27 September 2020;

(2) acknowledges the crucial role police officers across Australia play in our local communities and the tremendous risk and sacrifice that comes with their duty;

(3) honours the lives and memories of those police officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the course of their duty and specifically honours the tragic loss of four members of the Victorian Police Force, namely, Leading Senior Constable Lynette Rosemary Taylor, Senior Constable Kevin Neil King, Constable Glen Andrew Humphris and Constable Joshua Andrew Prestney, who tragically lost their lives in a multi-vehicle collision on Melbourne's Eastern Freeway;

(4) pays tribute to the families and friends of police officers who have been killed in the line of duty throughout our nation's history;

(5) commends the valuable work of Police Legacy, who look after the loved ones of police officers who have fallen; and

(6) reaffirms its support for the nation's police officers and honours their courage, commitment and dedication in ensuring the peace and safety of our communities.

(Notice given 24 August 2020.)

Time allotted — 30 minutes.

Speech time limits —

Mr Hayes — 5 minutes.

Other Members — 5 minutes each.

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

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

Orders of the day – continued

3 HYDROGEN INDUSTRY: Resumption of debate (from 2 December 2019) on the motion of Mr Simmonds—That this House:

(1) recognises that with research like that occurring at the CSIRO Advanced Research Facility in the electoral division of Ryan, Australia has the potential to be a world leader in hydrogen development, production and export which will create highly paid jobs and an industry potentially worth billions to the Australian economy;

(2) acknowledges that:

  (a) Australia's availability of land, high quality renewable energy resources and fossil energy resources, as well as our well-established reputation for undertaking large-scale resource projects, position Australia well for becoming a key exporter in a future global hydrogen market;

  (b) the combined direct and indirect benefits of establishing a hydrogen production and export industry in Australia under a medium demand scenario will deliver to the Australian economy $4.2 billion and over 7,100 jobs by 2040;

  (c) greater use of hydrogen is one way that Australia can contribute to global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, if Australian produced hydrogen replaces traditional fossil fuel sources in end user nations; and

  (d) the National Hydrogen Strategy is to be released by the end of 2019, providing the Government with an opportunity to signal its long term policy and commitment to this industry;

(3) welcomes the Government's significant investment of more than $140 million into hydrogen projects, partnering with industry to develop tangible solutions that are important for bringing down energy prices for Australian households and small

businesses; and

(4) encourages the Government to utilise the opportunity of the release of the National Hydrogen Strategy to confirm its long term commitment to the development of our hydrogen capability in order to encourage private investment in the sector, create jobs, create export capability and reduce global carbon emissions.

Time allotted — 40 minutes.

Speech time limits —

All Members — 5 minutes each.

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

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

4 WOMEN'S ECONOMIC SECURITY: Resumption of debate (from 24 August 2020) on the motion of Ms Collins—That this House:

(1) notes that:

  (a) the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted women's economic security, and that:

     (i) in April over half a million Australians lost their jobs, of which 55 per cent were women;

     (ii) women's underemployment ratio now sits at an unprecedented 16 per cent, compared to 14 per cent for men; and

     (iii) modelling has estimated that more than 200,000 women casual workers in the accommodation, food services, and retail trade sectors alone will miss out on the JobKeeper wage subsidy;

  (b) women typically retire with half the superannuation balance as men and if they choose to withdraw funds, women will suffer a significantly greater impact on their retirement income than men;

  (c) Australian women have been on the frontline of the COVID-19 crisis in Australia in underpaid and undervalued roles—women account for:

     (i) 87 per cent of registered nurses and midwives;

     (ii) 87 per cent of aged care workers; and

     (iii) 96 per cent of early childhood educators; and

  (d) as a result of COVID-19, mothers are spending an extra hour each day on unpaid housework and four extra hours on childcare; and

(2) calls on the Government to recognise that women have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 crisis and deliver a plan to reduce gender inequality.

Time allotted — 20 minutes.

Speech time limits —

All Members — 5 minutes each.

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

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

5 HEADSPACE: Resumption of debate (from 10 June 2020) on the motion of Mrs Archer—That this House:

(1) acknowledges that Headspace was established by the Howard Government in 2006;

(2) notes that:

(a) there are currently 113 Headspace services operating nationally, including 54 services located in rural and regional Australia; and

(b) in 2018-19, the Government provided $95.7 million to commission Headspace services in rural areas;

(3) further acknowledges that in the 2019-20 Budget, the Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan was outlined with funding of $509 million; and

(4) congratulates the Government for announcing a further $64 million to provide suicide prevention and mental health initiatives.

Time allotted — 45 minutes.

Speech time limits —

All Members — 5 minutes each.

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

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

6 SUPERANNUATION: Resumption of debate (from 24 August 2020) on the motion of Mr Jones—That this House notes:

(1) the purpose of superannuation is to enable Australians to save for a dignified retirement;

(2) superannuation has made an enormous contribution to converting Australia from a nation that borrows to a nation that lends, creating a pool of funds to invest locally and abroad;

(3) Australia is the 16th largest economy in the world, but because of universal superannuation has a pool of savings owned by Australian workers worth $2.8 trillion, which is the fourth largest pool of retirement savings in the world;

(4) before universal superannuation, 68 per cent of Australians and 85 per cent of all women had no retirement savings;

(5) the average superannuation balance at retirement is now approximately $160,000 for women and $280,000 for men;

(6) under current policy settings, the median balance on retirement for full-time workers will be $310,819 for women and $628,634 for men;

(7) over the past decade the average rate of return has been between 6 and 8 per cent—last year it grew by 9.2 per cent and Australia was among only a handful of countries that saw pension fund growth; and

(8) superannuation is critical to Australia's economic growth and resilience and must be strengthened so it can play a pivotal role in Australia's economic recovery from COVID-19.

Time allotted — 20 minutes.

Speech time limits —

All Members — 5 minutes each.

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

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

7 FAMILY LAW AMENDMENT (A STEP TOWARDS A SAFER FAMILY LAW SYSTEM) BILL 2020 (Mr Perrett): Second reading—Resumption of debate (from 15 June 2020).

Time allotted — remaining private Members' business time prior to 7.30 pm

Speech time limits —

All Members — 5 minutes each.

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

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

THE HON A. D. H. SMITH MP

Speaker of the House of Representatives

26 August 2020

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