House debates
Thursday, 21 June 2007
- Attorney-General (0 speeches)
- (8 speeches)
I move: That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the House from noting with alarm that the Attorney-General has refused to provide details of the secret...
- Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Amendment (Terrorist Material) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (0 speeches)
Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Mr Ruddock. Bill read a first time.
- Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Amendment (Terrorist Material) Bill 2007 improves the ability of our laws to prevent...
- Migration Amendment (Sponsorship Obligations) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (0 speeches)
Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Mr Andrews. Bill read a first time.
- Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The Migration Amendment (Sponsorship Obligations) Bill 2007 amends the Migration Act 1958 to introduce a regime of obligations to be met by...
- Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Protecting Services for Rural and Regional Australia into the Future) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (0 speeches)
Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Mr McGauran. Bill read a first time.
- Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. Today I am bringing forward the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Protecting Services for Rural and Regional Australia into the Future)...
- Superannuation Legislation Amendment Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (0 speeches)
Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Mr Nairn. Bill read a first time.
- Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The Superannuation Legislation Amendment Bill 2007 makes a number of enhancements to the Australian government’s civilian and military...
- Higher Education Support Amendment (Extending Fee-Help for Vet Diploma and Vet Advanced Diploma Courses) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (0 speeches)
Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Mr Robb. Bill read a first time.
- Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The Higher Education Support Amendment (Extending FEE-HELP for VET Diploma and VET Advanced Diploma Courses) Bill 2007 will open up opportunities...
- Social Security Legislation Amendment (2007 Budget Measures for Students) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (0 speeches)
Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Mr Robb, for Ms Julie Bishop. Bill read a first time.
- Second Reading (1 speech)
At the request of the Minister for Education, Science and Training, I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The bill amends the Student Assistance Act 1973 and the Social Security Act...
- Financial Sector Legislation Amendment (Discretionary Mutual Funds and Direct Offshore Foreign Insurers) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (0 speeches)
Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Mr Pearce. Bill read a first time.
- Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. This bill allows consumers and businesses who purchase a general insurance product in Australia to be confident that they will be protected by...
- Corporations (National Guarantee Fund Levies) Amendment Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (0 speeches)
Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Mr Pearce. Bill read a first time.
- Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. Today I introduce a bill that will amend the Corporations (National Guarantee Fund Levies) Act 2001 to make minor reforms to the levying...
- Financial Sector Legislation Amendment (Simplifying Regulation and Review) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (0 speeches)
Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Mr Pearce. Bill read a first time.
- Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. This bill introduces measures to streamline and simplify prudential regulation of the financial sector and builds on the government’s...
- International Tax Agreements Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2007 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (0 speeches)
Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Mr Pearce, and read a first time.
- Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. This bill will give the force of law to the renegotiated double tax agreement between Australia and Finland, which was signed on 20 November...
- TAX LAWS AMENDMENT (2007 MEASURES; NO. 4) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (0 speeches)
Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Mr Pearce. Bill read a first time.
- Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. This bill makes numerous improvements to Australia’s tax laws. Schedule 1 gives effect to the government’s announcement in the...
- Taxation (Trustee Beneficiary Non-Disclosure Tax) Bill (No. 1) 2007 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (0 speeches)
Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Mr Pearce. Bill read a first time.
- Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. This bill is a companion bill to Tax Laws Amendment (2007 Measures No. 4) Bill 2007. The purpose of the bill is to impose trustee beneficiary...
- Taxation (Trustee Beneficiary Non-Disclosure Tax) Bill (No. 2) 2007 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (0 speeches)
Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Mr Pearce. Bill read a first time.
- Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. This bill is a companion bill to the Tax Laws Amendment (2007 Measures No. 4) Bill 2007. The purpose of the bill is to impose trustee beneficiary...
- Business (0 speeches)
- Rearrangement (1 speech)
I move: That notices Nos 9, 10, 11 and 12, government business, be postponed until a later hour this day. Question agreed to.
- Aged Care Amendment (Residential Care) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (6 speeches)
Debate resumed from 20 June, on motion by Mr Pyne: That this bill be now read a second time.
- Consideration in Detail (1 speech)
Bill—by leave—taken as a whole.
- Third Reading (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time.
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Treaties Committee; Membership (1 speech)
Mr Speaker has received a message from the Senate informing the House that Senator Trood has been discharged from the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties and that Senator Birmingham has been...
- National Health Amendment (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
- Consideration of Senate Message (5 speeches)
Bill returned from the Senate with amendments. Ordered that the amendments be considered immediately. Senate’s amendments— (1) Schedule 1, page 22 (after line 10),...
- Communications Legislation Amendment (Content Services) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
- Consideration of Senate Message (3 speeches)
Bill returned from the Senate with amendments. Ordered that the amendments be considered immediately. Senate’s amendments— (1) Schedule 1, item 77, page 16...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Public Works Committee; Reference (1 speech)
I move: That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969, the following proposed work be referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works for...
- Public Works Committee; Approval of Work (1 speech)
I move: That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969, it is expedient to carry out the following proposed work which was referred to the Parliamentary Standing...
- Procedure Committee; Report (4 speeches)
On behalf of the Standing Committee on Procedure I present the committee’s report entitled Options for nursing mothers, together with the minutes of proceedings. Ordered that the report be...
- Treaties Committee; Report (3 speeches)
On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties I present the committee’s report entitled Report 85: Treaties tabled on 6, 7 and 27 February 2007. Ordered that the report be made a...
- Members’ Interests Committee; Report (1 speech)
As required by resolutions of the House, I table copies of notifications of alterations of interests received during the period 29 March and 20 June 2007.
- Publications Committee; Report (1 speech)
I present the report from the Publications Committee sitting in conference with the Publications Committee of the Senate. Copies of the report are being placed on the table. I ask for the leave...
- Australian Citizenship Amendment (Citizenship Testing) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (16 speeches)
Debate resumed from 20 June, on motion by Mr Andrews: That this bill be now read a second time.
- Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I inform the House that the Minister for Trade will be absent from question time today. He is travelling to Germany to attend a G6 meeting and WTO negotiations. In his absence, the Minister for...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Child Abuse (4 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister’s policy announcement just before question time, outlining his response to the crisis of child abuse in Indigenous...
- Sea King Helicopter Accident (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Defence. Can the minister confirm that large sections of the board of inquiry report on the Sea King helicopter crash have been deleted? Further, is the...
- Child Abuse (2 speeches)
My question is addressed to the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Would the minister outline to the House the immediate steps the government will be taking on the...
- Interest Rates (4 speeches)
My question is directed to the Prime Minister. How can the Prime Minister claim that working families in Australia have never been better off when new Reserve Bank figures released today show a...
- Workplace Relations (4 speeches)
My question is addressed to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer inform the House of the link between a flexible industrial relations system and productivity growth. How would greater union...
- Broadband (2 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm the assessment of Gartner mobile and wireless research director, Robin Simpson, that access to the government’s WiMAX...
- Workplace Relations (12 speeches)
My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. Is the Prime Minister aware of any support for the government’s tough approach to the building industry? Is there evidence of this approach...
- Prime Minister (5 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Consequent upon him referring in that last answer to what might happen in 2010, I ask: will the Prime Minister commit to serving a full term if he wins the...
- Transport Infrastructure (13 speeches)
Hear, hear, Mr Speaker! My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Regional Services. Would the Deputy Prime Minister advise the House how the government’s...
- Prime Minister (6 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, isn’t it arrogant in the extreme to go to an election in three months time without being candid with the Australian people about your...
- Taxation (11 speeches)
My question is addressed to the Treasurer. Would the Treasurer inform the House of the government’s approach to tax policy? Is the Treasurer aware of any alternative approaches?
- Advertising Campaigns (11 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister confirm the following three facts: that Mark Textor has conducted industrial relations—
- Workplace Relations (12 speeches)
My question is addressed to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. Will the minister inform the House how a strong watchdog is fighting intimidation in the workplace? Is the...
- Privacy Act (24 speeches)
Following that positive contribution, my question is addressed to the Attorney-General. Can the Attorney-General advise the House whether the Privacy Act provides protection for people whose...
- Ministerial Staff (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources. Can the minister confirm that he has been allocated more staff than the Treasurer? Are these extra staff deployed as members of...
- Health Care (7 speeches)
My question is directed to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Would the minister update the House on Commonwealth support for health services in New South Wales and, in particular, cancer...
- Climate Change (13 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister and goes to the Prime Minister’s upcoming taxpayer funded television advertising campaign on climate change, which we assume will start in the break. Is...
- Foreign Policy (9 speeches)
My question is addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Would the minister explain to the House why strong alliance relationships are vital to Australia’s security? Are our alliance...
- Questions to the Speaker (0 speeches)
- Parliament House: Demonstration (1 speech)
The members for Lindsay and Hume have asked me questions related to damage caused to the front doors and gift shop of Parliament House during a demonstration in 1996. While documentation related...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Reports: Government Responses (1 speech)
For the information of honourable members, I present a schedule of outstanding government responses to reports of House of Representatives and joint committees, incorporating reports tabled and...
- Auditor-General’S Reports (0 speeches)
- Report No. 47 of 2006-07 (1 speech)
I present the Auditor-General’s Audit report No. 47 of 2006-07 entitled Coordination of Australian government assistance to Solomon Islands—Department of Foreign Affairs and...
- Questions to the Speaker (0 speeches)
- Parliament House: Demonstration (2 speeches)
Mr Speaker, if the ACTU can afford a $30 million advertising campaign, shouldn’t the union be able to repay that $91,000 immediately?
- Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
- (5 speeches)
Mr Speaker, on 19 June the report of the Australian National Audit Office on the national black spots program of the Department of Transport and Regional Services was tabled. I wish to make a...
- Questions to the Speaker (0 speeches)
- Question Time (2 speeches)
Mr Speaker, my question relates to your ruling during question time that the interpretation of the Privacy Act was not seeking a legal opinion. As I brought to your attention earlier, page 543 of...
- Special Adjournment (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I move: That the House, at its rising, adjourn until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 7 August 2007, unless the Speaker or, in the event of the Speaker being unavailable, the Deputy Speaker, fixes an...
- Questions to the Speaker (0 speeches)
- Standing Orders (2 speeches)
Mr Speaker, I have a question for you. It relates to your interpretation of standing order 104 and, in particular, to a question to the Prime Minister that was asked by the Leader of the...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Documents are tabled as listed in the schedule circulated to honourable members. Details of the documents will be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings and I move: That the House take note of the...
- Leave of Absence (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I move: That leave of absence be given to every Member of the House of Representatives from the determination of this sitting of the House to the date of its next sitting. Question agreed to.
- Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
- Climate Change (13 speeches)
I have received a letter from the honourable member for Kingsford Smith proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely: The...
- Liberal Party (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I would like to table a document in relation to a function held at Kirribilli House.
- MS Kate Robertson (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
As members would be aware, one of our longest serving staff members, Kate Robertson, is retiring after 21 years. Kate started with the parliamentary catering service in 1986 at Old Parliament...
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! I propose the question: That the House do now adjourn.
- Broadband (1 speech)
You know a government have failed when they no longer talk about policy and no longer come into this place talking about the future of Australians, the future of this country or the future of the...
- University of Western Sydney (1 speech)
I rise to speak about a most important and unfortunate decision made by the UWS. The board announced this week that it would close the Nirimba campus of the university by 2009. I do not support...
- Broadband (1 speech)
I want to refer to the greatest fraud ever witnessed in this country since the Fine Cotton ring-in scandal. You might remember that. That was where some unscrupulous people tried to turn one...
- Autism (1 speech)
Over the past few months, since April, I have become acutely aware of the hardships that quite a number of amazing parents in my electorate of Hasluck endure. They are remarkable people and their...
- Liberal Party (1 speech)
I want to raise a series of issues this evening concerning a growing trend in the Howard government’s failure to distinguish between the national interest and the Liberal Party’s...
- Hesse Rural Health Service; Chelsea Lodge Hostel (2 speeches)
I wish to raise the matter of the Hesse Rural Health Service at Winchelsea and the Chelsea Lodge Hostel, which is a low-care aged-care facility. I put on record that the Hesse Rural Health...
- Notices (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
The following notice was given:
- Statements by Members (0 speeches)
- Broadband (5 speeches)
Last week the government announced its broadband package for Australia, and opposition members received under their door a preprepared press release which said, ‘Fast and affordable...
- Stirling Electorate: Roads (1 speech)
I rise to talk on a matter that I have raised in the House on many occasions—that is, the vital need for an overpass at the intersection of the Reid Highway and Mirrabooka Avenue in my...
- Amaroo Neighbourhood House (1 speech)
Today I want to put on the record my appreciation and thanks to, and complete admiration for, one of my local heroes, Eileen Mosden. Eileen is the Coordinator of the Amaroo Neighbourhood House....
- La Trobe Electorate: Scouts (1 speech)
I rise to inform the House that on Saturday, 26 May I attended the launch of the Ogilvy Rover crew, the senior section of Emerald Scout Group in Emerald in my electorate of La Trobe. This was the...
- Child Abuse (1 speech)
I rise this morning to talk about the distressing issue of child abuse in Australian communities. Last week the Northern Territory report on child abuse, Little children are sacred, was released....
- Violence Against Women (1 speech)
I recently had the privilege of launching the SHE young women’s group facilitators manual, which was funded by the Australian government’s Domestic and Family Violence and Sexual...
- Veterans: Entitlements (1 speech)
I rise to identify a trend which appears to be developing in the area of impairment assessment within the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. I speak on behalf of a constituent who served with...
- Renewable Energy (2 speeches)
As part of the 2007-08 budget, the Howard government has committed an additional $150 million to solar technology. As a result, more households, schools and community groups in Bonner will now be...
- Care Services (2 speeches)
I want to refer to the problem faced by ageing carers of children and adult children with intellectual disabilities not only within my electorate of Flinders but throughout Australia. I would...
- Industrial Chemicals (Notification and Assessment) Amendment (Cosmetics) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (8 speeches)
Debate resumed from 21 June, on motion by Mr Pyne: That this bill be now read a second time.
- International Tax Agreements Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2007 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (3 speeches)
Debate resumed from 29 March, on motion by Mr Dutton: That this bill be now read a second time.
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I move: That the Main Committee do now adjourn.
- Fuel Prices (1 speech)
I rise today on behalf of the many constituents living in my electorate of Calwell who continue to be affected by the very high cost of petrol. For many, high petrol costs further add to the...
- Dobell Electorate: Roads (1 speech)
I am extremely pleased to have secured federal funding for three local road projects on the Central Coast, including the Warnervale Link Road, Dickson Road at Jilliby and Brush Road at Ourimbah....
- New South Wales Floods (1 speech)
I rise today to update the House on the wonderful, selfless work of the people contributing to the recovery effort in Newcastle and the Hunter in the wake of the devastating long weekend storms....
- Education (1 speech)
I rise today to draw the attention of the House to the discussion about an education revolution. There is an education revolution occurring in South Australia and it is a revolt by parents, the...
- University of Western Sydney (1 speech)
I also want to talk about the education revolution and contrast Labor’s track record with the coalition’s present record. I am talking about a hurtful decision that has now been taken...
- Assistance for Isolated Children Scheme (1 speech)
I am very pleased to follow the very distinguished Chief Opposition Whip. His services to the defence subcommittee are very much missed since he has been elevated to higher positions within the...
- Telstra (1 speech)
I am sure that many members of the House had the opportunity last Monday evening to see the Four Corners program, which dealt with a number of issues concerning Telstra. The program highlighted,...
- National Student Leadership Forum (1 speech)
I want to read something by Michael Walton about the National Student Leadership Forum that he attended. It reads: A little about myself first. My name is Michael Walton, aged 18. I volunteer at...
- Australian Labor Party (2 speeches)
I can depart from this parliament after nine years proud of the way in which I have represented the people of the Charlton electorate but disgusted by the vile way in which I have been treated by...
- Mr Walter John Fluke (1 speech)
I rise in this House today with a very sad heart to pay tribute to a long-time Coomba resident, Wal Fluke, who passed away last week. My dear friend Wal was a lifetime member of the Coomba Park...
- Education; Shortland Electorate: Windale (1 speech)
I would like to raise in the House today three issues: two education issues, and an issue relating to some constituents in the Shortland electorate. Recently I was visited in Parliament House by...
- National Community Crime Prevention Program (1 speech)
Residents in my electorate of Moncrieff and citizens broadly of the city of the Gold Coast have a right to be able to live in safety and security. I know from speaking with many of them that they...
- Filipino-Australian Foundation of Queensland (1 speech)
I am pleased to have accepted an invitation of the Filipino-Australian Foundation of Queensland to represent Labor leader Kevin Rudd at its gala event the Beauty of Philippine Festival, on...
- Broadband (1 speech)
I rise in this adjournment debate to speak about the benefits of Australia Connected and the way in which it will support our economy and our community, specifically my community in Northern...
- National Refugee Week (1 speech)
I want to take the opportunity in the adjournment today to recognise National Refugee Week this week and to put on the record the work of an organisation in my own area called SCARF. I am very...
- Trade Practices: Franchises (1 speech)
I would like to bring to the attention of the chamber what may well be a very sad incidence of a contravention of section 51AC of the Trade Practices Act, which refers to unconscionable conduct...
- Broadband (1 speech)
As vital as the broadband debate is that we are having at the moment for the future of the nation, it is critical to the development of regional Australia. Access to fast-speed broadband is the...
- Home and Community Care Program (1 speech)
I am particularly pleased that the Australian government continues to deliver to older Australians through the Home and Community Care Program, particularly in my electorate of Fisher, which...
- Torture (1 speech)
I rise to speak on an important issue—namely, the government’s policy in relation to the use of torture in the so-called war on terrorism. Honourable members will be aware that the...
- Water (1 speech)
I would like to talk briefly today about various aspects of water in my electorate and in my potential electorate. Many years ago, 30 years ago, I was instrumental in getting John McEwen to come...
