House debates
Tuesday, 19 February 2008
- Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I inform the House that the Minister for Health and Ageing will be absent from question time today. The Minister for Ageing will be answering questions on her behalf.
- Queensland Floods (0 speeches)
- (3 speeches)
Mr Speaker, on indulgence, on behalf of the government I want to extend our thoughts to the victims of the severe flooding that commenced in Mackay on 14 Febru-ary. The Bureau of Meteorology has...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Fuel Prices (5 speeches)
My question is directed to the Treasurer. Is the Treasurer aware of comments of the newly-appointed petrol commissioner, who said on Channel 9’s Today show: ‘I haven’t promised...
- Economy (19 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister update the House on the challenges confronting the Australian economy and the government’s response?
- Workplace Relations (24 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. Would the minister detail the waste and excessive promotional material associated with previous government policies? What...
- Economy (8 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Finance and Deregulation. Is the minister aware of this morning’s speech by Reserve Bank Assistant Governor Malcolm Edey, in which he projects GDP growth...
- Reserve Bank of Australia (2 speeches)
My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer outline for the House the benefits of the measures the government and the Reserve Bank have introduced to strengthen the RBA’s...
- Taxation (18 speeches)
My question is to the Treasurer. Does the Treasurer stand by his election commitment to ensure that tax does not increase as a proportion of GDP? Isn’t it the case that this commitment will...
- Workplace Relations (5 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. What impact have Australian workplace agreements had on hardworking Australians?
- Economy (26 speeches)
My question is addressed to the Treasurer. Can the Treasurer advise the House of the level of state debt? Can the Treasurer also advise the House how state debt impacts on inflation?
- Small Business (6 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Small Business, Independent Contractors and the Service Economy. Will the minister advise the House of the government’s policy approach for small business...
- University Fees (2 speeches)
Mr Speaker, my question is to the Treasurer. We have heard the Prime Minister talking about flip, flop, flap. Will the Treasurer rule out slip, slop or slapping a new tax, levy or compulsory fees...
- Judicial Appointments (2 speeches)
Mr Speaker, my question is to the Attorney-General. Will the Attorney-General inform the House of what the government is doing to increase transparency in judicial appointments?
- Brian Burke (2 speeches)
Speaking of open government, my question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to his release of emails between him and Brian Burke on 17 February. Given his public admission that...
- National Capital Authority (2 speeches)
Mr Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Home Affairs. What is the latest information about reforms to the National Capital Authority?
- Climate Change (19 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts and it concerns climate change. Can the minister give a guarantee that greenhouse gas emissions trading will not increase...
- Australian Defence Force: Indigenous Participation (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Defence Science and Personnel. Would the minister update the House on Indigenous participation in the Australian Defence Force? What potential exists to...
- Environment: Sewage (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. I refer to the 1,800 gigalitres of partially treated sewage which state Labor governments either dump or authorise for...
- Quarantine (3 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. In light of the recent failures in Australia’s quarantine and biosecurity arrangements, would the minister provide...
- Question Time (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! The Chief Government Whip raised a point of order about his ability to hear proceedings, and comments have also been made by others about this. I wish to indicate two things. I have...
- Questions to the Speaker (0 speeches)
- Question Time (13 speeches)
Mr Speaker, I have a question to you. On 14 February the Prime Minister stated in the House that the Howard government averaged 63 question times. In fact, that is the figure for all years of the...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Documents are presented as listed in the schedule circulated to honourable members. Details of the documents will be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings.
- Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
- Afghanistan (3 speeches)
by leave—The war in Afghanistan is at a crossroads and the time for making difficult decisions is upon us. For the global community the stakes are high. For the Afghan people, they are even...
- Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
- Climate Change (14 speeches)
I have received a letter from the honourable member for Flinders proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely: The failure of the...
- Aged Care Amendment (2008 Measures No. 1) Bill 2008; Appropriation (Drought and Equine Influenza Assistance) Bill (No. 1) 2007-2008; Appropriation (Drought and Equine Influenza Assistance) Bill (No. 2) 2007-2008 (0 speeches)
- Assent (0 speeches)
Messages from the Governor-General reported informing the House of assent to the bills.
- Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2007-2008; Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2007-2008 (0 speeches)
- Referred to Main Committee (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That, unless otherwise ordered, at the adjournment of the House for this sitting, the following bills stand referred to the Main Committee for further...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Membership (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That Members be appointed as members of certain committees in accordance with the following schedule: COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP STANDING Aboriginal and Torres Strait...
- Governor-General’S Speech (0 speeches)
- Address-in-Reply (12 speeches)
Debate resumed from 18 February, on motion by Mr Hale: That the Address be agreed to.
- Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2007-2008; Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2007-2008 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (4 speeches)
Debate resumed from 13 February, on motion by Mr Hunt: That this bill be now read a second time.
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! It being 8.30 pm, I propose the question: That the House do now adjourn.
- Australian Institute of Police Management Redevelopment (1 speech)
The Australian Federal Police, along with other Australian police forces, do a very good job under often difficult circumstances. That is why it is important to bring a level of intellectual...
- Parliamentary Behaviour (1 speech)
Mr Speaker, you and I have been in this chamber for a long time. I want to report to all honourable members so that they may know something that I took great exception to yesterday. I think it is...
- Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria (1 speech)
On 2 October last year, residents of Kinglake, in my electorate, contacted the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria with serious concerns about their overseas trained GP, Dr Hassan Alkazali....
- Holt Australia Day Award (1 speech)
Mr Speaker, as this is my first contribution in this place in the 42nd Parliament, I extend my congratulations to you on your assuming your new office. On the adjournment debate tonight, I would...
- Organ Donation (1 speech)
Earlier this year, in the Herald-Sun newspaper, Kate Sikora wrote a piece about Demi-Lee Brennan, a young girl who comes from Kiama in my electorate of Gilmore. The article describes her as the...
- Petrol and Grocery Prices (2 speeches)
I thoroughly endorse the speech of the member for Gilmore. I was very proud last year that my nephew Louis selflessly gave one of his kidneys to an old school mate who was suffering renal...
- Notices (0 speeches)
- (11 speeches)
The following notices were given:
- Statements by Members (0 speeches)
- Fisher Electorate: Federal Election (1 speech)
by leave—Mr Deputy Speaker Scott, congratulations on your election to your high office. My experience is that most members of this honourable place are elected for the right reasons, not...
- Mr Vincent Serventy (1 speech)
by leave—Mr Deputy Speaker Scott, I congratulate you on your election to your important office. I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the life of Vincent Serventy, and I am...
- Queensland: Bureau of Meteorology (5 speeches)
by leave—Mr Deputy Speaker Scott, you are a Queenslander—you will understand what I am going to say. In Queensland, this year particularly, we have had some fairly wild and quite...
- Melbourne Ports Electorate: St Luke’s Church (1 speech)
by leave—Mr Deputy Speaker, I congratulate you on your elevation to high office. Like a lot of people who come to speak in this parliament, I want to reflect on the last few months and the...
- National Community Crime Prevention Program (1 speech)
by leave—I stand here this afternoon to support the National Community Crime Prevention Program. I firmly believe that everyone has a right to feel safe in their local communities. That is...
- Capricornia Electorate: Floods (1 speech)
by leave—I rise today to put a human face to the disastrous flooding that still grips all corners of my Capricornia electorate and to formally thank the countless volunteers, disaster...
- Casey Kidz Klub (1 speech)
by leave—I rise today to discuss the Casey Kidz Klub. The Casey Kidz Klub is a not-for-profit organisation, run by an extraordinary lady from Cranbourne North named Amanda Stapleton, that...
- Isaacs Electorate: Hanover Welfare Services (1 speech)
by leave—I recently had the privilege of visiting Hanover South East Short Stay Crisis Accommodation Centre in Robinson Street, Dandenong. Hanover Welfare Services provides a range of...
- Telstra (1 speech)
by leave—I represent the electorate of Forrest in the south-west of Western Australia. Like many of my constituents, I have experienced firsthand the inadequate coverage and service from...
- Werriwa Electorate: Sport (1 speech)
by leave—I have lived in my electorate of Werriwa for over 30 years. It has a very diverse culture but a very keen love of sport. Sometimes we are a little more parochial than we might...
- Apology to Australia's Indigenous Peoples (0 speeches)
- (18 speeches)
Debate resumed from 18 February, on motion by Mr Rudd: That today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.We reflect on their past...
