House debates
Tuesday, 18 March 2008
- Condolences (0 speeches)
- Mr Bill Brown AO (2 speeches)
On indulgence, I would like to make a few remarks about the passing of Bill Brown. I think everyone was saddened recently by the passing of Bill Brown, the former test captain of the Australian...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Housing (18 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to comments from the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs in relation to the NATSEM housing...
- HMAS Sydney (3 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Defence Science and Personnel. Would the minister update the House on arrangements being made to commemorate the loss of the HMAS Sydney?
- Taxation (2 speeches)
My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. Does the Prime Minister stand by his commitment that, under a Labor government, the average rate of taxation as a share of GDP will not be...
- Economy (2 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister update the House on the state of the global economy and the government’s response?
- Housing Affordability (9 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Finance and Deregulation. I refer the minister to the comments made by his adviser Dr Nicholas Gruen that ‘those who have taken out mortgages in the past...
- Economy (29 speeches)
My question is addressed to the Treasurer. I refer to the Treasurer’s media statement of 5 March, which referred to the household final consumption expenditure chain price index. Would the...
- Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
- (2 speeches)
I inform the House that we have present in the gallery today Judy Maddigan, the former Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in Victoria, who is accompanied by Liz Beattie, the member for Yuroke,...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Fuel Prices (6 speeches)
My question is also to the Treasurer. Is the Treasurer aware that, between the election and last Saturday, the average price of petrol has increased by 4c a litre in Sydney, 4.8c a litre in...
- Economy (18 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Finance and Deregulation. Will the minister outline the growth in government spending over recent years? What efforts have been made to cut government spending...
- Tree of Knowledge (15 speeches)
My question follows on from the answer just given by the Minister for Finance and Deregulation, but the question is addressed to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development...
- Workplace Relations (9 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. Will the minister update the House on the disposal of Work Choices paraphernalia? What does the future hold for the 97,898...
- Bonnie Babes Foundation (5 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to the answer given by the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government in relation to the...
- Problem Gambling (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Will the minister update the House on the government’s efforts to address problem gambling...
- Beijing AustChina Technology (9 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. I refer the minister to the tabled pecuniary interest register. I refer the minister to his five trips: to China on 16...
- Heatwave (6 speeches)
My question is also to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Will the minister update the House on the effects of the latest heatwave in South Australia and south-eastern Victoria?
- Prime Minister: Visit to Sudan (10 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to his answers to questions yesterday regarding his travel to Sudan, China, the USA and the UK in 2006, fully funded by Beijing...
- Alcohol Abuse (5 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Would the minister please inform the House what action is being taken to tackle binge drinking by young people, and how can local communities...
- Workplace Relations (13 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Education, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for Social Inclusion. Is the minister aware that members of the shop employees union in...
- Cost of Living (3 speeches)
My question is to the Assistant Treasurer. Will the minister update the House on government initiatives in relation to the cost of groceries for working families, and will the minister outline to...
- Questions to the Speaker (0 speeches)
- Question Time (3 speeches)
Given that the state funeral for Clyde Cameron has been scheduled for 11.30 am on Thursday, have you been advised of any change to the order of business for Thursday? If you have not, Mr Speaker,...
- Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
- (6 speeches)
Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
- 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)
- Economy (3 speeches)
The world has witnessed substantial financial market turbulence since it began in August last year, making its presence felt across markets, across nations and across continents. It is of course...
- Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
- Economy (28 speeches)
The Speaker has received a letter from the honourable member for Cowper proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely: The failure of the...
- Offshore Petroleum Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2008; Tradex Scheme Amendment Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- Referred to Main Committee (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That the bills be referred to the Main Committee for further consideration. I indicate to all honourable members that this motion enjoys the support of the Chief Opposition...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Public Works Committee; Reports (1 speech)
On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works I present the 71st annual report and the second, third and fourth reports for 2008 of the committee relating to HMAS Creswell...
- Interstate Road Transport Charge Amendment Bill 2008; Road Transport Charges (Australian Capital Territory) Repeal Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (24 speeches)
Debate resumed from 13 March, on motion by Mr Albanese: 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.
- Forrest Electorate: Regional Partnerships Program (1 speech)
I am particularly concerned for the various sporting and community groups and regional shires within my electorate of Forrest. These groups and organisations have made application under the...
- Major Capital Facilities Program (1 speech)
As some may know, I have a great deal of personal experience of the incompetence of the previous government on security issues, but the extent of their mismanagement and incompetence has only...
- Private Health Insurance (1 speech)
I rise to bring to the attention of the House a matter of concern regarding the announcement of increases to fees charged by private health funds. On 6 March this year, the Minister for Health...
- Defence Procurement (1 speech)
As members of the House would be aware, a number of defence procurement projects have received extensive media coverage in recent months. In my role as Parliamentary Secretary for Defence...
- Cowan Electorate: Education Funding (1 speech)
I rise tonight to speak on the circumstances of the Hawker Park Primary School in the electorate of Cowan and the effects of the state government’s influence on the Investing in Our Schools...
- Parramatta Electorate: Parramatta Park (1 speech)
On 18 March 1857, 150 years ago, an act to provide for the disposal of the Parramatta domain obtained royal assent, with a parcel of 200 acres to be set aside for a park promoting the health and...
- Free-to-Air Television (2 speeches)
I rise to convey some concerns that my friends and parliamentary colleagues the member for Cowan, Luke Simpkins, and South Australian Senator Cory Bernardi have raised with me. In essence, their...
- Notices (0 speeches)
- (3 speeches)
The following notices were given:
- Statements by Members (0 speeches)
- Manning Memorial Bowling Club (3 speeches)
I am going to speak to the Main Committee today about the Manning Memorial Bowling Club, in my electorate of Swan. It is named ‘memorial’ in honour of the many returned soldiers who...
- Dads in Education (1 speech)
During the January break, I had the pleasure of assisting nine-year-old Brandon Aubrey in realising his dream of walking to Canberra. His dad, Kerry, who is here today, accompanied him. The two...
- Fadden Electorate: School Leaders (1 speech)
I rise to commend the new student leaders of the northern Gold Coast schools within the electorate of Fadden. It is no small achievement to be appointed a student leader in today’s schools....
- Solomon Electorate: Manunda Terrace Primary School (1 speech)
I rise today to put on record my congratulations to the children and staff from the Active After-school Communities program at the Manunda Terrace Primary School outside school hours care...
- Mitchell Electorate: Housing Affordability (1 speech)
I rise to speak on a matter of vital importance to my electorate of Mitchell: that of affordable housing. It is a fact that one of the main contributors to unaffordable housing in Australia is...
- Workplace Relations (1 speech)
I want to comment quickly on the demise of Work Choices in industrial relations, an issue that is of particular concern to my electors. During the campaign, I met many workers who were losing...
- Queensland: Local Government (1 speech)
I would remind the member for Wakefield that his policy is going to see unemployment increase by one per cent and that that is not really a fair go for working families. Mr Deputy Speaker Scott,...
- Queensland: Local Government Elections (1 speech)
As the member for Herbert indicated, last Saturday local government elections were held in Queensland. My electorate of Longman is entirely within the new supercouncil, as it is so called, of...
- Lavarack Barracks: Health Services (1 speech)
Mr Deputy Speaker Scott, you will know as well as I do that Townsville is the garrison city of Australia. On many occasions you have visited Lavarack Barracks and you know the fine work done by...
- Health Services (2 speeches)
I want to continue with some unfinished business from 22 February—unfinished because the member for Herbert interrupted my contribution to the debate on his private member’s motion on...
- Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Amendment Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (1 speech)
Debate resumed from 17 March, on motion by Mr Tanner: That this bill be now read a second time.
- Condolences (0 speeches)
- Governor-General’S Speech (0 speeches)
- Address-in-Reply (10 speeches)
Debate resumed from 17 March, on motion by Mr Hale: That the Address be agreed to.
