House debates
Thursday, 29 May 2014
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Australian Citizenship Amendment (Intercountry Adoption) Bill 2014; Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. This bill is another step in delivering reform to intercountry adoptions. For too long, adoption had been in the too-hard basket. For too long,...
- Textile, Clothing and Footwear Investment and Innovation Programs Amendment Bill 2014; Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. As announced in the budget, the government has identified savings from the 2015-16 funding allocation of two programs aimed at the textile,...
- Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Amendment (Regulatory Powers and Other Measures) Bill 2014; Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. This b ill will ensure the effective commencement of important amendments to the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 (OPGGSA)...
- Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Regulatory Levies) Amendment Bill 2013; Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. This b ill amends provisions in the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Regulatory Levies) Act 2003 (the Regulatory Levies Act)...
- Tax Laws Amendment (Implementation of the FATCA Agreement) Bill 2014; Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. This bill amends the Taxation Administration Act 1953 to require Australian financial institutions to collect and report information to the...
- Tax and Superannuation Laws Amendment (2014 Measures No. 2) Bill 2014; Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. Schedule 1 to this bill amends the Medicare Levy Act 1986toincrease the Medicare levy low-income thresholds for families in line with increases...
- Tax and Superannuation Laws Amendment (2014 Measures No. 3) Bill 2014; Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. This bill substantially removes the immediate deduction for the cost of mining, quarrying and prospecting rights and information first used for...
- Excise Tariff Amendment (Product Stewardship for Oil) Bill 2014; Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. This b ill amends the Excise Tariff Act 1921 and is part of a package of b ills that will give effect to the g overnment’s commitment to...
- Customs Tariff Amendment (Product Stewardship for Oil) Bill 2014; Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. This bill is part of a package of bills that will give effect to the government’s commitment to restore the budget neutrality of the...
- Asset Recycling Fund Bill 2014; Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The Asset Recycling Fund Bill 2014 and consequential amendments establish a new fund as a vehicle for providing financial assistance and...
- Asset Recycling Fund (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2014; Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. Further to the Asset Recycling Fund Bill I have just introduced, the Asset Recycling Fund (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2014 facilitates the...
- Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Amendment Bill 2014; Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. T he stewardship of public resources by Commonwealth entities is surely one of the most important topics to anyone with an interest in good...
- Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Mental Health and Other Measures) Bill 2014; Second Reading (10 speeches)
I will continue my remarks on the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Mental Health and Other Measures) Bill 2014. 'There is a wave of sadness coming our way, and the system—DVA and...
- Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Mental Health and Other Measures) Bill 2014; 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.
- Paid Parental Leave Amendment Bill 2014; Second Reading (8 speeches)
It is a great pleasure to rise and speak on paid parental leave again in this House. It is a policy area that has been very close to my heart for many years. Of course, it was Labor that...
- Statements by Members (0 speeches)
- Fitted for Work (1 speech)
Last week I was very pleased to visit the women's employment service Fitted for Work in Melbourne. I talked with clients and staff about the incredible work they do helping disadvantaged women to...
- McCarthy, Bishop Michael (1 speech)
I rise to inform the House that a major ceremony has been conducted at the historic St Joseph's Cathedral in Rockhampton today. The new Bishop for the Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton, Bishop...
- Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (1 speech)
I am making this statement on behalf of Nicky Davis, who is a survivor of years of child sexual abuse and a spokesperson for SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. Survivors...
- Petition: Mobile Reception and Wireless Broadband Signal (1 speech)
I rise today to table a petition on behalf of the good residents of Caltowie in the mid north of South Australia. The petition read as follows— To the Honourable The Speaker and Members of...
- Kinglake Communities (1 speech)
I would like to say hello to the teachers, students and families of the communities around Kinglake West. How pleased I was yesterday to welcome you all to Parliament House, and how sorry I was...
- Dobell Electorate: WyConnect (1 speech)
I rise today to congratulate an outstanding organisation that I met with recently in Wyong called WyConnect. WyConnect provides family mental health support services in Dobell. Its primary focus...
- Newcastle Electorate: The Regal Cinema (1 speech)
I rise today to pay tribute to the Regal Cinema at Birmingham Gardens, a Newcastle institution that has been reborn. I especially want to congratulate Friends of the Regal, the community group...
- Merrepen Arts (1 speech)
I rise to pay tribute to yet another fantastic Northern Territory organisation, Merrepen Arts. Merrepen Arts produce fantastic and unique Indigenous textiles that are sold for various uses around...
- Brand Electorate: Building Technology Centre (1 speech)
I rise to speak on the subject of trade training and the importance of trade-training centres. Next week will see the opening of a nearly $30 million trade-training centre in Rockingham, funded...
- Corangamite Electorate: Kids Plus Foundation (1 speech)
It was my great pleasure to visit the Kids Plus Foundation in Geelong last week. Kids Plus is doing an incredible job, providing one-on-one early intervention therapy for babies and children with...
- Budget: Higher Education (1 speech)
Since the Abbott government handed down its budget of broken promises, my office has been inundated with concerned constituents worried about their children's future. One in particular stood out...
- Budget: Defence Spending (1 speech)
I rise to talk to the House today about the importance of our defence system. We have now committed to spending $12.4 billion on F-35 Lightning aircraft. I think that it is important to reflect...
- Electorate of Fowler: PAL Buddhist High School (1 speech)
Today I rise to talk about PAL school, the first Buddhist high school in the country. I am honoured to have visited this school, which has been established in Canley Vale in my electorate of...
- Banks Electorate: Australian Coptic Community (1 speech)
The Australian Coptic community is a very important part of my electorate, and recently I have held a number of meetings with its leadership. The Coptic community makes a tremendous contribution...
- Baratta, Mr Bruce Francis (1 speech)
It is with great sadness that I rise today to pay tribute to a friend and long-serving member of the ACT Labor Party, Bruce Francis Baratta, who passed away unexpectedly on 8 May. Bruce was a...
- Infrastructure (1 speech)
The coalition government is making an historic investment in the 2014-15 budget to get on with building Australia's infrastructure. A core element of the government's Economic Action Strategy is...
- Balkan Peninsula Floods (1 speech)
Three months' worth of rain falling over a few days has triggered the worst flooding in a century sweeping through Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia. While the death toll is, thankfully, low, thousands...
- Petition: Cyclist Safety (1 speech)
I present a petition to the parliament that has 29,101 signatures and which has been approved by the Petitions Committee. It is focused on better protecting bicycle riders on our roads Last year...
- Live Animal Exports (1 speech)
It is remarkable that the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Joyce, can resume live animal exports to Iran on the basis that we have entered into an appropriate animal welfare protocol with Iran, when...
- Hasluck Electorate: Manufacturing (2 speeches)
I want to place on record my sincere thanks and appreciation to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry on behalf of local manufacturers in my electorate of Hasluck. Last week,...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Medicare (18 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister explain why Medicare's hotline right now is advising: 'From 1 July 2015 a patient contribution of $7 will be introduced.' Is this...
- Strong Australian Economy (2 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister outline the government's plan for a stronger Australia? How will reducing Labor's debt strengthen the economy in the long term?
- Higher Education Contribution Scheme (9 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to his comments this morning in which he claimed that the government has ruled out collecting student debt after death. Does the...
- Budget (7 speeches)
My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer outline the importance of fixing the budget, and what will 'living within our means' mean for my constituents in Ryan?
- Higher Education Contribution Scheme (14 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Yesterday in question time the Prime Minister would not rule out $100,000 science degrees. Today his ministers cannot give straight answers on the...
- Budget (20 speeches)
My question is to the Treasurer. As the world knows, the average debt in the OECD—
- Infrastructure (5 speeches)
My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development. Will the minister update the House on what the government is doing to improve...
- Age Pension (10 speeches)
Madam Speaker, my question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to ACOSS analysis which shows that the Prime Minister's changes to pension indexation will leave single pensioners $160 per fortnight...
- Medicare (10 speeches)
Madam Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Health. I remind the Minister for Health that a Medicare co-payment was introduced in 1991 by the Hawke government, and I ask: is the minister...
- Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
- (3 speeches)
I advise the chamber that we have with us in the gallery today 50 Indigenous youth parliamentarians participating in the 214th National Indigenous Youth Parliament Leadership Program. We make you...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Budget: Age Pension (16 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, if there are no cuts to pensions in this budget, why do the Prime Minister's own budget papers show a $449 million cut?
- Schools (11 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Education. Will the minister inform the House how the government is supporting Australian school students. Are there any alternative approaches?
- Prime Minister: Official Residences (4 speeches)
My question is the Prime Minister. I refer to evidence revealed in Senate estimates that the spending on the Prime Minister's official residences will increase by 5.3 per cent to $1.7 million...
- Asylum Seekers (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Will the minister inform the House of the benefits to taxpayers of the success of the government's border protection...
- Budget (2 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. In the seat of Mallee, 19,959 age pensioners will have their concessions cut for electricity, water, council rates and public transport. In addition, they...
- Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I advise the chamber that we have with us a group of Commonwealth truancy officers who are here today observing the chamber. Their task is to ensure that children go to school. I hope those...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- National Broadband Network (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Communications. Will the minister outline to the House the government's plans for financing the National Broadband Network? How does this differ from the...
- Budget (5 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has said that this was a budget of tough choices. How tough was it for the Prime Minister to choose between ripping away more than $6,000...
- Budget: Foreign Aid (6 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Why is it important that the government deliver a responsible and affordable aid program in the context of fixing budget deficits and debt?
- Budget (22 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has said that this was a budget of tough choices. How tough was it for the Prime Minister to choose between ripping $160 billion a...
- Agriculture (8 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Agriculture. Will the minister please inform the House how putting spending in agriculture on a sustainable footing will help reduce Labor's debt and deficit?
- Small Business (11 speeches)
Madam Speaker, I have a question for the Minister for Small Business—
- Budget (5 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister's words this morning, when he said, 'The fact that something is false won't stop a desperate politician repeating it over and...
- Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
- (22 speeches)
I wish to make a personal explanation.
- Auditor-General's Reports (0 speeches)
- Reports Nos 33 and 34 of 2013-14 (1 speech)
I present the Auditor-General's Audit reports for 2013-14, audit report No. 33, Indigenous Employment in Australian Government entities: Across Agencies, and audit report No. 34, Implementation...
- Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
- Budget: Rural and Regional Areas (40 speeches)
I have received a letter from the honourable member for Hunter proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely: The pain that the Prime...
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- Foreign Aid, Girl Guides Australia, Chris O'Brien Lifehouse (1 speech)
The Minister for Foreign Affairs asserted in question time on 26 May and again on 28 May and again today—and the Treasurer asserted today—that I had personally said that Labor would...
- National Institute of Complementary Medicine (1 speech)
Today I rise to speak on a leading research institute hosted by the University of Western Sydney in my electorate of Macarthur and the wonderful investment opportunities it has to offer...
- International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers (1 speech)
Today the UN Parliamentary Group, chaired by Senator Chris Back and me, commemorated the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, which occurs on 29 May each year. Our special guest was...
- Statements on Indulgence (0 speeches)
- Malaysian Missing Aircraft (2 speeches)
by leave—Honourable members will be aware that Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 with 239 people on board disappeared on 8 March on a flight en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Australia...
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- State of the World's Mothers 2014 (1 speech)
I am sure that all of us in the House are very much saddened by this news about the failure to find the lost plane. Globally it remains unlikely that we will meet the fourth Millennium...
- Port Hedland: Employment (4 speeches)
Earlier this week in the chamber the member for Canning once again made a disgraceful attack on hard-working blue-collar Western Australians. This time his focus was on the guys steering the big...
- Constituency Statements (0 speeches)
- Budget (1 speech)
In this budget, one of promises that was broken was to continue a program in my electorate for the support of Reclink. Reclink started out as a South Melbourne based organisation but it has...
- Local Sporting Champions Grants (1 speech)
I rise to speak on Local Sporting Champions. I think it is a great thing that government is doing— Ms Hall interjecting— Here we go—there are lots of good things about being the...
- Holt Electorate: Multicultural Youth Project (1 speech)
I would endorse those comments. Last week I had the pleasure of meeting with Sarah Williams, Alice Gomez and Heather Stewart from the Centre for Multicultural Youth which is based in Dandenong....
- Casey Electorate: Metropolitan Traffic Education Centre (1 speech)
I rise this morning to talk about the great work of the Metropolitan Traffic Education Centre, otherwise known as METEC, in Bayswater North in the federal electorate of Casey that I have the...
- Corio Electorate: Youth Connections Program (1 speech)
I speak today on behalf of some of Geelong's most disadvantaged young people who are in real need of support to connect with education, training and secure employment opportunities. Last week's...
- Anzac Centenary Commemoration Project: Marangaroo Primary School (1 speech)
The list of Cowan Centenary of Anzac projects will be delivered today to the Department of Veterans Affairs. I would like to thank the members of the Cowan Centenary of Anzac grants committee who...
- Nikinpa Aboriginal Child and Family Centre (1 speech)
The Nikinpa Aboriginal Child and Family Centre in Toronto is at risk of closing its doors next month because the government failed to commit further funding in the budget to the National...
- Longman Electorate: Longman Awards (1 speech)
Last Friday night, a record 450-strong audience packed the Caboolture Memorial Hall to honour volunteers and other outstanding local achievers at my annual Longman Awards. Frankly, I was...
- and Pope John XXIII (1 speech)
On Sunday 27 April, I attended a special church service at John XXIII Catholic Church in the Makin electorate to celebrate the canonisation of Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII. The service...
- Maranoa Electorate: Drought (2 speeches)
I rise to bring to the attention this parliament an issue that is still of great concern to me—that is, the situation of drought still gripping many parts of rural and remote Australia....
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- Budget (3 speeches)
I rise today to raise an issue of great concern in my local community and, indeed, of great concern right around the country. This is this government's appalling proposal to bring in co-payments...
- Petition: Christians in Syria (1 speech)
I am very pleased to present a petition from the Barnabas Fund which highlights the plight of Christians in Syria, which has been approved by the Standing Committee on Petitions. The petition...
- Newcastle Electorate: Job Security (2 speeches)
I rise today to voice my serious concern for the jobs of today and the jobs of the future in my electorate of Newcastle. It is a time when we are seeing job after job go out the door as industry...
