House debates
Monday, 1 September 2008
- Main Committee (0 speeches)
- Private Members’ Motions (1 speech)
In accordance with standing order 41(h) and the recommendations of the whips adopted by the House on 27 August 2008, I present copies of the terms of motions for which notice has been given by...
- Migration Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2008 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (0 speeches)
Bill received from the Senate, and read a first time. Ordered that the second reading be made an order of the day for the next sitting.
- Trade Practices Legislation Amendment Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (13 speeches)
Debate resumed from 28 August, on motion by Mr Bowen: That this bill be now read a second time. upon which Mr Dutton moved by way of amendment: That all words after “That” be omitted...
- Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I inform the House that the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs will be absent from question time today as he is attending the Legacy Week launch and ceremony of remembrance at the Cenotaph in...
- Paralympic Games (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
On indulgence, I would like to note that Australia’s Paralympics team has left to compete in the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. At this year’s Paralympic Games in Beijing, Australia...
- United States Presidential Election (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
On indulgence on another matter: last Thursday night in Denver, Colorado, Senator Barack Obama accepted the nomination of the Democratic Party as the candidate for the upcoming US presidential...
- Paralympic Games (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
On indulgence, I join with the Prime Minister in cheering on our Paralympic team as it heads off to Beijing today for the commencement of the Paralympic Games on Saturday. We are sending 175...
- United States Presidential Election and Hurricane Gustav (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
On indulgence, I join with the Prime Minister in recognising the importance of the United States democratic process and the election of Senator Barack Obama as the Democrat presidential...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Interest Rates (6 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, why are interest rates coming down when inflation is going up?
- Economy (13 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister outline to the House how the government is steering Australia through these tough global economic times?
- Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
- (2 speeches)
I inform the House that we have present in the gallery this afternoon members of a parliamentary delegation from the United Kingdom. On behalf of the House I extend a very warm welcome to our...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Interest Rates (26 speeches)
My question is addressed to the Treasurer. Would the Treasurer explain to the House why he is anticipating a fall in official interest rates when inflation is expected to rise to five per cent...
- Economy (11 speeches)
My question is to the Treasurer. What is the government doing at home to respond to the impacts of the slowing global economy?
- Infrastructure (8 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. Will the minister outline for the House how members of the public and the business...
- Economy (13 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Why has household wealth declined by more than five per cent since the election of the Rudd government?
- Interest Rates (2 speeches)
My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer update the House on recent movements in interest rates?
- Economy (2 speeches)
My question is addressed to the Prime Minister and it asks why inflation in Australia has increased by 1.5 percentage points since the election of the Rudd government.
- Education (11 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and the Minister for Social Inclusion. What steps is the government taking to lift literacy and numeracy results of...
- Economy (2 speeches)
My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. Why has the quarterly rate of economic growth halved since the election of your government?
- Trade (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Trade. Will the minister advise the House on Australia’s recent trade performance?
- Employment (13 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister inform the House of the expected reduction in the number of working families over the next year as a result of a slowdown that we did...
- Qantas (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. Will the minister outline the very important results of the Civil Aviation Safety...
- Economy (12 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, is it not the case that the Reserve Bank may lower interest rates because the economy is slowing sharply? Is it not also the case that, while...
- Russia (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Would the minister update the House on the status of Australia’s civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Russia?
- Rural and Regional Australia (8 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. With urea prices hitting record highs over the weekend and the drought continuing to wreak havoc across Australia, does the Prime Minister agree with...
- Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (4 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Will the minister update the House on work done during the parliamentary recess to develop the agriculture, fisheries and...
- Water (12 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Consistent with his commitment to transparency of government, will the Prime Minister immediately release the urgent advice his government received on 18...
- Grocery Prices (5 speeches)
My question is addressed to the Assistant Treasurer. What action is the government taking to promote competition in Australia’s grocery industry?
- Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
- (5 speeches)
Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
- Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
- Reform of Employment Services in Australia (2 speeches)
by leave—The Rudd government believes that the key to addressing the barriers to obtaining employment experienced by many Australian job seekers is to provide them with the vocational...
- Trade Practices Legislation Amendment Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Australian Crime Commission Committee; Membership (1 speech)
Mr Speaker has received a message from the Senate informing the House that Senator Fielding has been appointed a member of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australian Crime Commission.
- Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (Emergency Response Consolidation) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (20 speeches)
Debate resumed from 20 March, on motion by Ms Macklin: That this bill be now read a second time. upon which Mr Abbott moved by way of amendment: That all words after “That” be omitted...
- Horse Disease Response Levy Bill 2008; Horse Disease Response Levy Collection Bill 2008; Horse Disease Response Levy (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (3 speeches)
Debate resumed from 21 February, on motion by Mr Burke: That this bill be now read a second time.
- Trade Practices Legislation Amendment Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (1 speech)
Debate resumed.
- 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.
- Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (Emergency Response Consolidation) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- Petitions (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
On behalf of the Standing Committee on Petitions, and in accordance with standing order 207, I present the following petitions:
- Responses (1 speech)
Ministerial responses to petitions previously presented to the House have been received as follows:
- Responses; Iraq (0 speeches)
Dear Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter dated 8 May 2008 regarding a recently submitted petition about Australia’s involvement in Iraq. The Australian Government is fulfilling its...
- Responses; Dental Health (0 speeches)
Dear Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter of 27 May 2008 enclosing a petition in relation to the re-establishment of the Commonwealth Dental Health Scheme and Commonwealth funding for dental care....
- Responses; Ipswich Motorway (0 speeches)
Dear Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter dated 28 May 2008 referring a petition regarding the Ipswich Motorway and the Goodna Bypass. As you will be aware, the Australian Government is committed...
- Responses; Latvian Pension Entitlements (0 speeches)
Dear Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter of 27 May 2008 about a petition presented by the Speaker of the House on 26 May 2008 about access to pension entitlements from Latvia. I am pleased to...
- Responses; Australia Post (0 speeches)
Dear Mrs Irwin Australia Post-petition request for post office at Jewells NSW Thank you for your letters dated 27 May 2008 and 2 June 2008 concerning petitions submitted for the Committee’s...
- Responses; Aged Care (0 speeches)
Dear Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter of 27 May 2008 to the Minister for Health and Ageing, the Hon Nicola Roxon MP, enclosing a petition about the shortage of residential aged care beds and...
- Responses; Child Soldiers (0 speeches)
Dear Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter dated 27 May 2008, regarding a petition recently submitted for consideration by the Standing Committee on Petitions. This letter responds to the petition,...
- Responses; Homelessness (0 speeches)
Dear Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter of 2 June 2008 in relation to a petition about funding for Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) services, emergency accommodation and public...
- Responses; Water (0 speeches)
Dear Mrs Irwin I refer to your letters of 17 March 2008 to the Hon Penny Wong concerning petitions regarding Green, Dock and Natimuk Lakes. The Minister has passed your letters to me for reply. I...
- Responses; Nuclear Waste (0 speeches)
Dear Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter of 27 May 2008 concerning a petition regarding nuclear reactors and waste dumps. The Government has no plans to allow the construction of nuclear power...
- Responses; Townsville (0 speeches)
Dear Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter dated 2 June 2008 to the Hon Anthony Albanese MP, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government about a petition...
- Responses; Middle East (0 speeches)
Dear Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter dated 25 June 2008 on behalf of the Standing Committee on Petitions, concerning a petition on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Fundamental to the...
- Responses; Workplace Relations (0 speeches)
Dear Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter of 27 May 2008, enclosing a petition on job security and working conditions presented to the House of Representatives on 26 May 2008. I apologise for the...
- Responses; Robertson Electorate: Mobile Phone Services (0 speeches)
Dear Mrs Irwin Telecommunications issues Thank you for your representation dated 8 May 2008 regarding the concerns of residents of the Robertson electorate about Next G coverage and payphones. I...
- Responses; Olympic Dam (0 speeches)
Dear Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter of 27 May 2008 concerning a petition on uranium mining at Olympic Dam. The proposal to expand the Olympic Dam mine requires my approval under the...
- Responses; Education Funding (0 speeches)
Dear Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter of 27 May 2008 concerning a petition submitted to the Standing Committee on Petitions regarding Commonwealth funding for public schools. I apologise for...
- Responses; War Crimes (0 speeches)
Dear Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter dated 17 March 2008 to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Stephen Smith MP, enclosing a petition to the House of Representatives about the...
- Responses; Federal Funding (0 speeches)
Dear Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter dated 26 June 2008 to the Hon Anthony Albanese MP, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, about the two...
- Statements (1 speech)
Tonight marks another step in the evolution of the way in which petitions are dealt with in this place. I am delighted that the House agreed to a sessional order in June providing for petitions...
- Emergency Assistance Fund for the Lower Lakes and Coorong Region of South Australia Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (2 speeches)
Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Dr Nelson.
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
- (8 speeches)
Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
- Private Members’ Business (0 speeches)
- Uranium Sales to India (4 speeches)
I move: That the House:(1)recognises the strategic importance of India to 21st century global geo-politics; and(2)encourages the Australian Government to reverse its short-sighted decision to...
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! It being 9.30 pm, I propose the question: That the House do now adjourn.
- Diabetes (1 speech)
Tomorrow, some of our pre-eminent researchers and medical practitioners will come to Parliament House to continue a dialogue about diabetes, which builds on the Futures Forum held in this...
- Werriwa Electorate: Homelessness (1 speech)
Recently, in my electorate of Werriwa, I held a forum on homelessness and a number of people, including homeless people, service providers and community organisations across both the Campbelltown...
- Flinders Electorate: Football and Netball Clubs (1 speech)
I rise this evening to pay tribute to and to honour the work of the football and netball clubs within the electorate of Flinders. I do this on the basis that these clubs are a source of...
- Skilled Migration (1 speech)
In April 2005 I was able to attend the Inter-Parliamentary Union meeting in Manila. On the agenda of that meeting was the issue of global labour markets. There were calls by delegations from...
- Education (1 speech)
I rise tonight to speak about an issue which I am sure I share with you, Mr Speaker, with every member of this place who is a parent and with all of the parents listening to this broadcast. The...
- Climate Change (1 speech)
The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme is the central plank of our government’s efforts to confront the impact of climate change on the Australian economy and on our environment, The scheme,...
- Petition: Forrest Electorate (2 speeches)
I wish to present to the House a petition from the residents of Nannup in my electorate of Forrest, the principal petitioner being Mrs Valerie Russell. This petition has been lodged with the...
- Statements by Members (0 speeches)
- Grand Annual Steeplechase (1 speech)
Tonight I would like to talk about the threat to one of the great icons of the Victorian racing scene. For 136 years we have had the iconic May Racing Carnival, where one of the highlights is the...
- Allied Merchant Seamen’s Association (1 speech)
Last week in Fremantle I attended a wreath-laying ceremony for the Allied Merchant Seamen’s Association. Australia has used merchant ships in peacekeeping and wartime operations since 1885,...
- Road Safety (1 speech)
On Saturday I had the opportunity of meeting a lot of my local constituents. The federal seat of Ryan, in the western suburbs of Brisbane, is a great place to live, work and bring up your family....
- Bankstown Relay for Life (1 speech)
On Saturday morning, the people of Bankstown will come together for 24 hours for a very important cause. We will remember all of those who have lost their battle with cancer and march with those...
- Ms Helen Oaky (1 speech)
I rise tonight to offer my congratulations to Helen Oaky, a grand lady who lives in my electorate who last week turned 101 years young. Helen was born in Oakey in Queensland in 1907 and moved to...
- Franklin Electorate: Bridgewater High School (1 speech)
I rise this evening to update the House on Bridgewater High School, which is located in my seat of Franklin. Members may recall that I reported to the House on the devastating arson attack back...
- Swan Electorate: Crime (1 speech)
I rise this evening to speak on the recent spate of crime near public transport nodes in my electorate of Swan and the cost of the inertia of the Carpenter Labor government. As many members would...
- China: Religious Persecution (1 speech)
China has arrested a 73-year-old underground bishop of the Catholic Church, Julius Jia Zhiguo, in Heibei province. He was arrested last Sunday, according to the Cardinal Kung Foundation. Jia was...
- National Wattle Day (1 speech)
Wattle has a great place in Australia’s history and now, 16 years after this day was proclaimed Wattle Day, I would like to take the opportunity to draw the attention of the House to the...
- Royal Australian Air Force Base Amberley (2 speeches)
It was my privilege to represent the Minister for Defence at RAAF Base Amberley at Ipswich last Friday and to open the $51 million future home of the Air Force’s five multirole tanker...
- Private Members’ Business (0 speeches)
- Palestinian-Israeli Conflict (5 speeches)
Debate resumed, on motion by Ms Vamvakinou: That the House:(1)recognises the social, economic and human cost of the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict;(2)notes the broader implications of the...
- Franchises (9 speeches)
Debate resumed, on motion by Mr Randall: That the House:(1)recognises the severe financial distress and hardship faced by a number of current and former franchisees throughout Australia as a...
- Grievance Debate (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Debate resumed from 23 July.
- Renewable Energy (1 speech)
Today I want to speak in the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Australia and in this grievance debate on the Rudd Labor government’s policies in relation to climate change,...
- Forgotten Australians (1 speech)
This Sunday we celebrate the fathers in our community. This Sunday sons and daughters across the country will turn to their fathers and say thank you. This Sunday I will turn to my mum and dad...
- Chancellor State College (1 speech)
Tonight in the Main Committee I would like to grieve for the fate of the community of the Chancellor State College on the Sunshine Coast. The principal, John Lockhart, who has guided the school...
- Automotive Industry (1 speech)
I rise tonight to speak about the challenges facing Australia’s car-manufacturing industry and about the importance of this industry to my electorate of Calwell. I do so in the context of...
- Indigenous Australians; Iraq (1 speech)
During the winter break I found myself reading theIndependent newspaper, a newspaper published in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Bangladesh is an exceedingly poor country that is facing terrible problems in...
- Dyslexia (2 speeches)
This week is National Literacy and Numeracy Week. I think it is titled Partnerships in Learning and it was launched last week here in Canberra by the Deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. I want...
