House debates
Monday, 23 February 2009
- Appropriation (Nation Building and Jobs) Bill (No. 1) 2008-2009 [No. 2]; Appropriation (Nation Building and Jobs) Bill (No. 2) 2008-2009 [No. 2]; Commonwealth Inscribed Stock Amendment Bill 2009 [No. 2]; Household Stimulus Package Bill (No. 2) 2009; Tax Bonus for Working Australians Bill (No. 2) 2009; Tax Bonus for Working Australians (Consequential Amendments) Bill (No. 2) 2009 (0 speeches)
- Assent (0 speeches)
Message from the Governor-General reported informing the House of assent to the bills.
- 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 11 February 2009, I present copies of the terms of motions for which notice has been given by...
- Business (0 speeches)
- Orders of the Day (1 speech)
I move: That Main Committee order of the day No. 2, government business, relating to the condolence motion on the Victorian bushfires, be returned to the House for further consideration. Question...
- Rearrangement (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the order of the day relating to the Victorian bushfires motion of condolence moved by the...
- Resale Royalty Right for Visual Artists Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- Law and Justice Legislation Amendment (Identity Crimes and Other Measures) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (8 speeches)
Debate resumed from 12 February, on motion by Mr Debus: That this bill be now read a second time.
- Condolences (0 speeches)
- Mr John Murray (1 speech)
I inform the House of the death on Sunday, 25 January 2009 of John Murray, a member of this House for the division of Herbert from 1958 to 1961. As a mark of respect to the memory of John Murray,...
- Victorian Bushfire Victims (3 speeches)
Debate resumed from 12 February, on motion by Ms Gillard: That the House:(1)extends its deepest sympathies to families and loved ones of those Australians killed in the weekend’s tragic...
- Shadow Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
by leave—I table an updated coalition shadow ministry list. The document read as follows— COALITION SHADOW MINISTRY TITLE MINISTER OTHER CHAMBER Leader of the Opposition...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Emissions Trading Scheme (2 speeches)
My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to his decision to establish an inquiry into the choice of an emissions trading system as the central climate change...
- Victorian Bushfires (2 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister provide an update on the recovery and reconstruction efforts in response to the Victorian bushfires on 7 February? How will this...
- Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
- (2 speeches)
I inform the House that this afternoon, accompanied by a good friend of the House, the British high commissioner, Helen Liddell, we have present in the gallery the Rt Hon. the Baroness Scotland...
- Victorian Bushfires (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
On indulgence, Mr Speaker: the member for McEwen’s leadership, courage and compassion has made us all proud to be members of this place. Those of us who have seen Fran’s presence in...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Economy (2 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to his and the Treasurer’s previous remarks that Professor John Taylor of Stanford was ‘an extremist’ and...
- Victorian Bushfires (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Will the minister update the House on the Australian government’s response to the Victorian...
- Queensland Economy (10 speeches)
My question is to the Treasurer. Is the Treasurer aware that, because the Queensland government has just lost its AAA credit rating, the cost of its borrowings may increase by 50 basis points, or...
- Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
- (2 speeches)
Usually I say, ‘I inform the House we have present in the gallery,’ but I understand that today we have in the gallery behind me, the press gallery, Miss Kartika Sari, the...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Victorian Bushfires (2 speeches)
My question is to the Attorney-General. What is the government doing to address the scourge of arson?
- Economy (20 speeches)
My question is to the Treasurer. I refer the Treasurer to ABS housing finance data which confirms that over 75,000 Australians locked in fixed interest home loans of up to 9.6 per cent during the...
- Queensland Floods (5 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. What support is the government providing to assist local councils affected by the...
- Economy (14 speeches)
My question is to the Treasurer. I refer the Treasurer to the government’s pre-election commitment to cut spending on consultants in the Commonwealth Public Service by $395 million. Given...
- Nation Building and Jobs Plan (11 speeches)
My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer update the House on recent analysis of the government’s economic policies, including the Nation Building and Jobs Plan?
- Employment (13 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for Social Inclusion. Will the Deputy Prime Minister update the House on the latest measures taken to...
- Victorian Bushfires (7 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister, and I recognise that he answered part of this to the member for McEwen earlier. My question relates to the Prime Minister’s comments at...
- Health (12 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Will the minister inform the House the progress the Rudd government is making in reforming Australia’s health system?
- Interest Rates (2 speeches)
My question is to the Treasurer. I refer the Treasurer to recent cuts in official interest rates. Treasurer, a company in my electorate has a business overdraft facility with Westpac Bank. With...
- Age Pension (11 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Will the minister update the House on government support for age pensioners and on any responses?
- Special Air Service Regiment (48 speeches)
My question without notice is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, I draw your attention to the front page of the Canberra Times, to an article titled ‘SAS troops face expulsion for...
- Mr Harry Nicolaides (4 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Will the minister update the House on the case of Australian writer Harry Nicolaides? Minister, what assistance is the Australian government...
- MR Heath Ledger (0 speeches)
- (2 speeches)
Mr Speaker, on indulgence: I inform the House that it has been announced today that the late Heath Ledger has been awarded an Oscar for best supporting actor. Through you, Mr Speaker, I note that...
- Questions to the Speaker (0 speeches)
- Questions in Writing (2 speeches)
Mr Speaker, I have previously asked you to write to the Prime Minister in relation to question in writing No. 335, which I put on the Notice Paper on 17 September last year. That question remains...
- Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
- (7 speeches)
Mr Speaker, I seek to make a personal explanation.
- Auditor-General’S Reports (0 speeches)
- Report No. 22 of 2008-09 (1 speech)
I present the Auditor-General’s Audit report No. 22 of 2008-09 entitled Centrelink’s complaints handling system. Ordered that the report be made a parliamentary paper.
- 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. I move: That the House take note of the...
- Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
- Pakistan (2 speeches)
by leave—Mr Speaker, last week I visited Pakistan, the first visit to that vitally important country by an Australian foreign minister for over a decade. My purpose was to enhance bilateral...
- Afghanistan (58 speeches)
by leave—I rise to provide the parliament and the Australian people with an update on the government’s view of the situation in Afghanistan and an assessment of the progress of the...
- Telecommunications Amendment (Integrated Public Number Database) Bill 2009 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (0 speeches)
Bill and explanatory memorandum—by leave—presented by Mr Albanese. Bill read a first time.
- Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The bill proposes amendments to the Telecommunications Act 1997 (the Act) to allow information contained in the integrated public number database...
- Law and Justice Legislation Amendment (Identity Crimes and Other Measures) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (8 speeches)
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.
- Uranium Royalty (Northern Territory) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (14 speeches)
Debate resumed from 3 December 2008, on motion by Mr Martin Ferguson: That this bill be now read a second time.
- 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; Canberra International Airport (0 speeches)
Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter dated 4 September 2008 referring two petitions from residents of the Canberra and Queanbeyan region about the Canberra Airport 2008 draft master plan. The...
- Responses; Pensions and Benefits (0 speeches)
Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter of 4 September 2008 enclosing a copy of the petition submitted by Disability and Age Pensioners of Logan, Bethania and Beenleigh that was presented to the...
- Responses; Preschools (0 speeches)
Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter of 19 September 2008, referring a petition from residents of New South Wales requesting action on not-for-profit community based preschools in NSW. I apologise...
- Responses; Rail Infrastructure (0 speeches)
Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter dated 29 October 2008 about the petition regarding the Adelaide Rail Freight Movements Study. I announced the Study on 3 September 2008 including the...
- Responses; Kempsey District Hospital (0 speeches)
Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter of 29 October 2008 regarding a petition submitted to the Standing Committee on Petitions concerning Kempsey Hospital. The Commonwealth Government has committed...
- Responses; Beersheba Battle Site (0 speeches)
Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter of 26 November 2008 concerning my response to the Petition lodged with the Standing Committee in June 2008 regarding maintenance of the historic Wells site at...
- Responses; Khat (0 speeches)
Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter of 29 October 2008 regarding a petition about the social impacts of khat use in Australia that was recently submitted to the House of Representatives Standing...
- Responses; Bendigo Electorate: Community Radio (0 speeches)
Mrs Irwin ABC NewsRadio in Bendigo Thank you for your letters dated 29 October 2008 and 26 November 2008 concerning petitions from the residents of Central Victoria which have been lodged with...
- Responses; Hunting (0 speeches)
Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter of 29 October 2008 seeking my response to a petition submitted to the Standing Committee on Petitions regarding hunting as a conservation tool. The petition...
- Responses; Philippines: Social Security Agreement (0 speeches)
Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter of 29 October 2008 about a petition submitted to the Committee about a social security agreement between Australia and the Philippines. Australia currently has...
- Responses; Service Pension (0 speeches)
Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter of 29 October 2008 concerning a petition regarding the partner service pension. The Government recognises the contribution that partners of veterans make to...
- Responses; Royal Australian Air Force Museum Wagga Wagga (0 speeches)
Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter of 3 November 2008, concerning a petition presented by the Member for Riverina, Mrs Kay Hull MP, for the consideration of the Standing Committee on Petitions,...
- Responses; Paterson Electorate Roads (0 speeches)
Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter dated 4 December 2008 about a petition forwarded to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Petitions regarding an election commitment by the...
- Responses; Greenway Electorate: Old Pitt Town Road and Boundary Road (0 speeches)
Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter dated 4 December 2008 about the petition by the residents of Greenway to the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives concerning the intersection of...
- Responses; Iraqi Christians (0 speeches)
Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter dated 26 November 2008 on behalf of the Standing Committee on Petitions concerning a petition on the persecution of Christians in Iraq. The Australian...
- Responses; Environment (0 speeches)
Mrs Irwin Thank you for your letter of 26 November 2008 seeking my response to a petition submitted to the Standing Committee on Petitions regarding the environmental impact of human activity....
- Statements (1 speech)
In the time remaining to me this evening, I would like to notify the House of some of the upcoming activities of the Standing Committee on Petitions. As part of its rolling program of hearings...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Private Members’ Business (0 speeches)
- Health Services in Regional, Rural and Remote Areas (7 speeches)
I move: That the House:(1)supports long term viability of regional and rural medical practices, hospitals and services;(2)notes with concern the failure of state governments to provide adequate...
- Financial Counselling (8 speeches)
I move: That the House:(1)recognises the heightened importance of financial literacy and financial counselling given the global economic recession and its impact on the Australian...
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! It being 9.30 pm, I propose the question: That the House do now adjourn.
- Victorian Bushfires (1 speech)
Over the last several weeks members of this House have heard a great deal of the tragedy that has afflicted the people of Victoria. More particularly, what they have seen is a unity amongst...
- Australia’s CEO Challenge (1 speech)
I wish to speak tonight about the Ipswich Business Breakfast Forum I attended on 6 February 2009, which was in relation to Australia’s CEO Challenge, a workplace partnering against domestic...
- Petition: Waterfall Gully Road; Petition: Water (1 speech)
It is a pleasure to speak in the adjournment debate on matters to do with my electorate. I have the great pleasure to table two petitions that have been taken in my electorate. The first of those...
- Australian International Airshow and Aerospace and Defence Exposition (1 speech)
Between 10 and 15 March this year, the Australian International Airshow and Aerospace and Defence Exposition will be held at Avalon Airport in Geelong, in my electorate. The airshow, which has...
- Kangaroo Island Cup (8 speeches)
I, too, rise to talk on a very important local event in my electorate which happened last weekend. I am sure most in this House would be aware of the Kangaroo Island Cup—the cup that stops...
- National Men’s Health Policy (2 speeches)
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity to inform the House about an event in my electorate of Bass which I believe marks a turning point in the health of our nation. Last Wednesday...
- Notices (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
: to move— That the House:(1)condemns the Government for its failure to publicly release childcare vacancy data in light of the current crisis which has been unfolding in the industry with...
- Statements by Members (0 speeches)
- Greenway Electorate: Mr Len Waters; Indigenous War Veterans (1 speech)
Last week I had the honour of joining my colleague the member for Parkes in attending a commemoration at Boggabilla for Len Waters, Australia’s first Aboriginal fighter pilot, and also...
- Alzheimer’s Association of Queensland (1 speech)
The Alzheimer’s Association of Queensland was founded in 1983 by a small group of carers. It is now the largest provider of dementia-specific care education and information support in...
- McPherson Electorate: Sport (1 speech)
Tonight I want to speak about the Local Sporting Champions program, which provides financial assistance towards the cost of travel accommodation, uniforms or equipment for junior sportsmen and...
- Fremantle Electorate: Gimme Shelter Concert (2 speeches)
On Saturday, 21 February, the annual Gimme Shelter concert was held at the Fremantle Arts Centre to raise funds and awareness of homelessness. This year’s concert, featuring artists who...
- Gippsland Electorate: Victorian Bushfires (1 speech)
There are many issues that have already been raised in relation to the bushfires which devastated parts of the Gippsland region on 7 February, and much of the community focus is on making sure...
- Hasluck Electorate: Mr Leonard Townrow and Mrs Ivy Townrow (1 speech)
Today I would like to acknowledge and congratulate two remarkable constituents of my electorate of Hasluck. Leonard and Ivy Townrow, who are residents of the McMahon Caring Centre, in Gosnells,...
- Dunkley Electorate: Small Business Forums (1 speech)
I was pleased to host with the Deputy Leader of the Opposition some small business forums in the Dunkley electorate. I would like to thank all those involved, particularly Antonio from The Sober...
- Organ Donor Awareness Week (1 speech)
This week is Organ Donor Awareness Week and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Kate Backhouse, a young woman in my electorate who has risen above the challenge of a double lung...
- Australian Youth Orchestra (1 speech)
On Wednesday, 11 February, the Australian Youth Orchestra visited Parliament House, and we, as federal members of parliament, were invited to listen to their rehearsal and then meet with the...
- South Melbourne Football Club (1 speech)
On Saturday night I celebrated with my friends at the South Melbourne Football Club the opening of the 2009 season and 50 years of tradition of the great South Melbourne Football Club. I want to...
- Dawson Electorate: Infrastructure (2 speeches)
On 17 February 2009 I had the great pleasure of having the Hon. Anthony Albanese, federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, as well as the Hon....
- Private Members’ Business (0 speeches)
- World Diabetes Day (5 speeches)
Debate resumed, on motion by Mrs Moylan: That the House:(1)notes that:(a)on 20 December 2006 a landmark decision was made by the United Nations General Assembly to adopt Resolution 61/225;(b)the...
- Computers in Schools Program (5 speeches)
Debate resumed, on motion by Mrs D’Ath: That the House:(1)congratulates the Rudd Government on the delivery of Round Two of the computers in schools program which will provide 141,600 new...
- Education Services in Isolated Regions (6 speeches)
Debate resumed, on motion byMr Coulton: That the House:(1)notes that children living in isolated regions of Australia face unique challenges when trying to access educational services;...
- National Adoption Awareness Week (6 speeches)
Debate resumed, on motion byMr Raguse: That the House:(1)recognises the importance of National Adoption Awareness Week and the significance of encouraging adoptees, adoptive parents and...
- Grievance Debate (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Debate resumed from 1 December 2008.
- Swan Electorate: World Wetlands Day (1 speech)
On 2 February, World Wetlands Day was celebrated across Australia. The event marks the signing of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance in Ramsar in 1971. The UNEP World...
- Climate Change (1 speech)
The combination of the global financial crisis and the extreme weather conditions experienced throughout the world in recent times presents world governments with an unprecedented dilemma. It is...
- Volunteers (2 speeches)
I wish to raise the somewhat vexing issue of tax deductibility for expenses incurred by our volunteers, especially in the wake of the devastating fires in Victoria. Volunteer fire services, like...
- Rural and Regional Australia (1 speech)
I want to talk about some very serious issues that a lot of my Labor colleagues would not understand—but you would, Mr Deputy Speaker Scott, because you represent a rural electorate....
- Bombing of Darwin; Solomon Electorate (4 speeches)
It is with a great deal of pleasure that I rise to speak about a couple of significant events that have taken place in my electorate of Solomon recently. Last Thursday, I had the honour of...
