Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

I present Report No. 28 of the Selection Committee relating to the consideration of committee and delegation business and private members' business on Monday 22 March 2021. The report will be printed in the Hansard for today and the committee's deliberations 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, 16 March 2021.

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, 16 March 2021, and determined the order of precedence and times on Monday, 22 March 2021, 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 Procedure

A window on the House: practices and procedures relating to Question Time

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

Speech time limits

Mr Vasta 5minutes.

Next Member speaking 5 minutes.

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

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Notices

1   Dr Haines: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the Charter of Budget Honesty Act 1998, and for related purposes. (Charter of Budget Honesty Amendment (Rural and Regional Australia Statements) Bill 2021)

  (Notice given 15 March 2021.)

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 Wilkie: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the law relating to the environment, and for related purposes. (Commonwealth Environment Protection Authority Bill 2021)

  (Notice given 16 March 2021.)

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 Bandt: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the Snowy Hydro Corporatisation Act 1997, and for related purposes. (Snowy Hydro Corporatisation Amendment (No New Fossil Fuels) Bill 2021)

  (Notice given 16 March 2021.)

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.

4   Mr K. J. Andrews: To move—That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) the Canadian House of Commons unanimously passed a resolution that, 'in the opinion of the House, the People's Republic of China has engaged in actions consistent with the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 260, commonly known as the “Genocide Convention”, including detention camps and measures intended to prevent births as it pertains to Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims';

(b) the Parliament of the Kingdom of the Netherlands has passed a resolution stating that 'measures intended to prevent births' and 'having punishment camps' in China fell under United Nations Resolution 260;

(c) the UK House of Lords has passed a resolution urging the government to uphold all undertakings in and international obligations arising from the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide;

(d) the then US Secretary of State, Mr Mike Pompeo, issued a determination that Uyghur and other Turkic Muslims are being subjected to a genocide by the Government of the People's Republic of China, a position reinforced by his successor, Mr Antony Blinken;

(e) a series of international reports, including by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights and the Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy, have concluded that Uyghurs in Xinjiang have and are being forcibly held in 're-education' camps, subjected to torture, forced labour and coercive transfer to other regions; and

(f) other ethnic and religious minorities are being persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party;

(2) records its abhorrence that the Chinese Government continues to engage in serious and systematic breaches of the human rights of its peoples;

(3) calls on the Government of China to respect and abide by universally acknowledged human rights for all its peoples;

(4) urges the United Nations to investigate the breaches of human rights in China; and

(5) encourages the Australian Government to continue to protest the ongoing abuse of human rights by the Chinese Government and to take appropriate measures to enforce laws against modern slavery and identify supply chains that use forced labour.

  (Notice given 15 March 2021.)

Time allotted 60minutes.

Speech time limits

Mr K. J. Andrews 5minutes.

Other Members 5 minutes each.

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

Orders of the day

1   Family Law Amendment (A Step Towards a Safer Family Law System) Bill 2020 (MrPerrett): Second reading—Resumption of debate (from22February2021).

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

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 should continue on a future day.

Items for Federation Chamber (11 am to 1.30 pm)

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Notices

1   Mr Giles: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) 15 to 21 March 2021 marks Harmony Week, a time to recognise and celebrate diversity and inclusion in Australia; and

(b) 21 March 2021 is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, a call for the international community to increase its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination; and

(2) recognises that:

(a) Australia's diversity is our greatest strength, we should celebrate this, defend this, and strive to strengthen it; and

(b) at a time of rising racism around the globe and in Australia, we must commit to a zero-tolerance approach to racism, and to working to end all forms of racial discrimination.

  (Notice given 16 March 2021.)

Time allotted 35minutes.

Speech time limits

Mr Giles 5minutes.

Other Members 5 minutes each.

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

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

2   Mr Thompson: To move:

That this House notes:

(1) the construction industry:

(a) employs over 1 million Australians;

(b) consists of 390,000 small and family businesses; and

(c) generates more than $100 billion, or around five per cent of our annual economic output; and

(2) the Government's HomeBuilder grant has provided critical support to the residential construction sector during the COVID-19 pandemic; and

(3) that Treasury estimates that HomeBuilder is underpinning $18 billion worth of construction projects.

  (Notice given 22 February 2021.)

Time allotted 40minutes.

Speech time limits

Mr Thompson 5minutes.

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   Mr Hill: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes with approval the resolution of the European Parliament in March 2021 regarding the mass trials of members of the opposition and other civil society activists in Cambodia;

(2) condemns the Cambodian Government for the politically motivated mass trials of members of the Cambodian diaspora based on fake and spurious criminal charges, including Australian citizens, as an authoritarian tactic to silence dissent and global criticism of the Hun Sen regime;

(3) calls on the Minister for Foreign Affairs to:

(a) break her silence and speak out publicly against the Cambodian Government for their flagrant disregard for human rights, democracy and the rule of law; and

(b) work with like-minded countries to protect the Cambodian diaspora and support human rights and democracy in Cambodia;

(4) calls on the Government of Cambodia to:

(a) put an end to all forms of harassment, intimidation and politically motivated criminal charges against members of the opposition, trade unionists, human rights defenders, the media and civil society actors in and outside Cambodia;

(b) ensure Cambodian security forces refrain from unnecessary and excessive force against those engaged in peaceful protests;

(c) proceed with the immediate and unconditional annulment of the sentences against Sam Rainsy, Mu Sochua, Eng Chhay Eang, Ou Chanrith, Ho Vann, Long Ry, Men Sothavrin, Tiolung Saumura and Nuth Romduol;

(d) initiate a process of national reconciliation through genuine and inclusive dialogue with the political opposition parties and civil society;

(e) release, without delay, all persons who have been detained for exercising their human rights, and to drop all charges against them that are politically motivated and aimed at eradicating any dissent;

(f) drop all charges against members of diaspora communities, including Australian citizens Hong Lim, Hemara In and others being charged and tried in absentia;

(g) respect the rights of all citizens to a fair trial, freedom of expression and freedom of association and peaceful assembly;

(h) immediately cease all forms of harassment, including judicial harassment and intimidation of opposition members in the country; and

(i) restore democracy and the right of opposition political parties to organise and express the views of citizens and ensure that the application of the law respects human rights and fundamental freedoms;

(5) notes that the European Commission:

(a) recently withdrew tariff preferences for Cambodia in response to the Cambodian Government's failure to meet their obligations to overcome serious and systematic violations of political participation, freedom of expression and freedom of association;

(b) is of the view that the Asia-Europe Meeting Summit should not be held in Phnom Penh this year unless democracy is restored to Cambodia; and

(c) recently called on European Union member states to suspend all bilateral financial support to the Cambodian Government and instead focus on civil society organisations and opposition parties;

(6) insists that the Cambodian Government cooperate with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and United Nations Special Procedures in order to allow them to fulfil their mandates without interference;

(7) reiterates the call on the Cambodian authorities by Rhona Smith, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, to open up civic space, protect and promote fundamental freedoms, including the rights to assembly and of expression, and to ensure the right to a fair trial for all, as guaranteed by international human rights norms and standards and Cambodian laws; and

(8) calls on the Australian Government to examine the imposition of targeted sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, against Cambodian political and military leaders who are responsible for serious human rights violations.

  (Notice given 16 March 2021.)

Time allotted 35minutes.

Speech time limits

Mr Hill 5minutes.

Other Members 5 minutes each.

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

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

4   Mr Young: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that Government is committed to ensuring that all Australians, including young Australians, have every opportunity to succeed in post-pandemic Australia;

(2) acknowledges that the Government has over 200 initiatives that directly and indirectly benefit young Australians;

(3) recognises that:

(a) the Government's $1 billion JobTrainer Fund will provide over 300,000 vocational education and training places for school leavers and job seekers; and

(b) the JobMaker Hiring Credit is encouraging businesses to hire young Australians; and

(4) notes that the Government is investing an additional $1.2 billion to support businesses to employ 100,000 new apprentices.

  (Notice given 22 February 2021.)

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

Speech time limits

Mr Young 5minutes.

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 (4.45 pm to 7.30 pm)

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Notices—continued

5   Ms Swanson: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes:

(a) the extraordinary value of the resources industry to the Australian economy and Australians' livelihoods;

(b) Australia's mining and energy sectors such as iron ore, coal, gas, gold, uranium, bauxite and alumina, copper, nickel, zinc and lithium are world class;

(c) these sectors continue to provide quality jobs for Indigenous Australians and opportunities for training and apprenticeships for all;

(d) the resources industry provided half of Australia's total export share in 2019-20, worth $238 billion to our economy; and

(e) around the nation, the resources industry provides 238,000 direct jobs for Australians;

(2) congratulates the resources industry for its ongoing support of communities, regional towns and essential fly-in fly-out workers living in metropolitan areas; and

(3) recognises the tireless efforts and sacrifices of workers and industry that has allowed the resources industry to thrive despite the immense challenges presented by COVID-19.

  (Notice given 2 February 2021.)

Time allotted 40minutes.

Speech time limits

Ms Swanson 5minutes.

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.

6   Mrs McIntosh: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that the Government is committed to safeguarding Australians from foreign interference in our universities and protecting government funded research from being compromised;

(2) acknowledges that the Government convened the world's first Universities Foreign Interference Taskforce in 2019;

(3) recognises:

(a) the Universities Foreign Interference Taskforce produced the Guidelines to Counter Foreign Interference in the Australian University Sector to ensure due diligence and to have conflict of interest polices in place to identify and mitigate risks of any foreign affiliations; and

(b) there are examples of intimidation, threats and coercion towards researchers and their families; and

(4) further notes that the Government has invested $145 million to combat foreign interference, including $1.6 million to strengthen cybersecurity in universities.

  (Notice given 22 February 2021.)

Time allotted 50minutes.

Speech time limits

Mrs McIntosh 5minutes.

Other Members 5 minutes each.

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

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

7   Mr Wilkie: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) there are 300 locally owned distilleries spread across 84 federal electoral divisions, which directly support over 5,000 Australian jobs, with a further 15,000 jobs created through the supply chain including across primary producers, hospitality and tourism sectors;

(b) more than 65 per cent of Australian distillers are in regional and rural areas which bring economic benefits through farm production, manufacturing, regional tourism and hospitality;

(c) Australia has the third highest spirit tax in the world, with spirits taxed up to three times more than wine, cider and beer, disproportionately impacting craft and boutique distilleries;

(d) it makes no sense to tax grain-based spirits, like gin, vodka and whisky, up to $6 per litre more than grape-based spirits like brandy; and

(e) given the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry, it makes practical sense to support our local craft distillers; and

(2) calls on the Government to:

(a) cut the spirits excise rate to the brandy rate;

(b) freeze spirits and brandy CPI indexation for three years; and

(c) provide much needed relief to local craft distillers by increasing the current excise refund scheme limit from $100,000 to $350,000 for two years, bringing it into line with the rebate offered to small wine producers under the wine equalisation tax.

  (Notice given 16 March 2021.)

Time allotted 30minutes.

Speech time limits

Mr Wilkie 5minutes.

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.

8   Mr T. R. Wilson: To move—That this House:

(1) acknowledges that the Government is taking real and practical action to reduce emissions while protecting our economy, jobs and investment; and

(2) welcomes that the Government's plan is driven by technology not taxes, and the plan is working, for instance:

(a) we beat the 2020 target by 459 million tonnes;

(b) updated forecasts show Australia is on track to meet and beat its 2030 Paris target; and

(c) over the past two years, our position against our 2030 target has improved by 639 million tonnes—equivalent to taking all of Australia's 14.7 million cars off the road for 15 years.

  (Notice given 22 February 2021.)

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

Speech time limits

Mr T. R. Wilson 5minutes.

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.

THE HON A. D. H. SMITH MP

Speaker of the House of Representatives

17 March 2021

See this speech in context