House debates
Thursday, 25 June 2015
- Delegation Reports (0 speeches)
- Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly (1 speech)
I present the report of the Australian Parliamentary Delegation to the 132nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, held in Hanoi. I will present the statement with the report at a subsequent...
- Motions (0 speeches)
- Prime Minister; Attempted Censure (8 speeches)
I seek leave to move a motion of censure against the Prime Minister. Leave not granted. I move: That so much of standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the member for Isaacs...
- Delegation Reports (0 speeches)
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Statements by Members (0 speeches)
- Ackerman, Mr James (1 speech)
It is my sad duty to rise in the chamber today to acknowledge the passing of a true champion of the Sunshine Coast, both on and off the field—James Ackerman. He passed away as a result of...
- Abbott Government (1 speech)
Paul Keating famously reminded us that when we change the government the country changes too. Now, before the parliament rises for the winter break, is an appropriate time for all of us in this...
- Telecommunications (1 speech)
This morning the coalition government announced it is delivering for regional Australia, including the Central Coast, a $100 million mobile black spot program. This is really good news for...
- Abbott Government (1 speech)
In this last opportunity for 90-second statements, I rise to add to the theme of the member for Scullin and to congratulate the government on getting around to fulfilling at least one of their...
- Sugar Industry (1 speech)
I rise to speak about the Abbott government's Sugar Marketing Code of Conduct Taskforce, which today has released its report and will be presenting that to agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce and...
- Abbott Government (1 speech)
It is the end of the session and it is a good time to reflect on the record of this Prime Minister and his government. All we can say—and all Australians are saying it—is that this...
- Calare Electorate: Breast screening (1 speech)
I rise today to show my full support for a newly launched mobile breast-screening unit in my electorate of Calare in western New South Wales. Thanks to a $13 million dollar investment by the...
- Abbott Government: Employment (3 speeches)
This government is absolutely hopeless, isn't it? I think we can all agree that this is a particularly hopeless and ridiculous government. What did the now Prime Minister say before the election...
- Vietnamese-Australian Community (1 speech)
The Vietnamese community in Banks know more about the power of freedom than anyone. Forty years ago they fled the evil of communism. Confronted by a criminal state, they made life-and-death...
- Abbott Government: Women (4 speeches)
The last day of sitting is a great opportunity to reflect on the record of the current government. Today I want to make some comments specifically on this government's record in its treatment of...
- Mobile Phone Services (1 speech)
After 90 seconds of propaganda, I would like to talk about something positive, and that is the announcement today from the Minister for Communications and the Parliamentary Secretary to the...
- Abbott Government (1 speech)
I join with my Labor colleagues on this last sitting day to reflect on the track record of the government and members opposite. I know that members opposite are prone to interjecting today...
- Mental Health: Suicide Prevention (1 speech)
I rise to speak on something a little bit more sober in its content and certainly a darn sight more factual. According to the World Health Organisation, globally, a life is lost to suicide every...
- Abbott Government (1 speech)
I associate myself with the remarks made by the member for Leichhardt. Suicide is an important issue in our community, as are some of the issues raised by my colleagues today. Whether it be jobs,...
- Brisbane Electorate: Charitable Organisations (1 speech)
This is just outrageous. The member opposite is talking about absolute nonsense. I want to update the House on recent events in my electorate of Brisbane during the week of 8 June. On Wednesday...
- Abbott Government, Manufacturing (1 speech)
I rise to join my fabulous colleagues from the class of 2013 and to reflect on what a tragedy that we find within the government today. There are two issues that I want a focus on. Firstly, there...
- Lyne Electorate: Charitable Organisations (1 speech)
I would like to bring to the attention of the House the great works performed by two of the many community groups in the Lyne electorate. On Friday 19 June, I had the pleasure of attending the...
- Abbott Government (3 speeches)
The Abbott government is a government of cuts and broken promises. It is a government that says one thing before the election and then does another thing after the election. Before the election,...
- Corangamite Electorate: Telecommunications (1 speech)
Today, I am thrilled to announce some wonderful news for the Corangamite electorate. Under our government's $100 million Mobile Phone Blackspot Program, 10 new Telstra base stations have been...
- Abbott Government (2 speeches)
This government has broken a lot of promises since it was elected, but the biggest promise of all it has broken was its commitment to the Australian people to be an adult government. What we have...
- Statements on Indulgence (0 speeches)
- HMAS Tobruk (3 speeches)
Earlier today, HMAS Tobruk returned to her home port of Garden Island for the last time. For 34 years, HMAS Tobruk and her crew have served our country with the distinction. I should particularly...
- Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I inform the House that the Minister for Agriculture will be absent from question time today as he travels interstate to attend a farmers association event. The Deputy Prime Minister will answer...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- National Security (12 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the visit by the Prime Minister, the Attorney-General and the Minister for Justice to ASIO headquarters, with television cameras in tow. Prime...
- Abbott Government (3 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister update the House on the progress of the government's plan for a strong, safe and prosperous future for all Australians? Mr Brendan...
- National Security (13 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Yesterday, when asked for copies of maps on display at the Prime Minister's media event, ASIO replied, 'We are unable to provide the documents. They are for...
- Budget (2 speeches)
My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer update the House on the status of key budget measures? How will the government's plan promote growth and jobs across Australia?
- National Security (28 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, what was the benefit to national security of taking television cameras to ASIO headquarters yesterday?
- Same-Sex Relationships (2 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, the ban on same-sex marriage is legislated discrimination and plain wrong. In response to the recent Irish referendum, you stated that...
- Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I wish to advise the House that we have with us the former member for Hinkler, Mr Paul Neville. We also have with us a delegation from Kazakhstan, and we also make you most welcome. Honourable...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Infrastructure (2 speeches)
My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development. Will the Deputy Prime Minister update the House on how the government is building the...
- Liberal Party (8 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to this email sent by the Victorian Liberal Party that sought to raise political donations by referring to national security...
- Budget (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Small Business. Will the minister inform the House how the government's budget is helping small businesses to invest, grow and create jobs particularly in my...
- Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Attorney-General's Department (6 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, I refer to this email produced last night to the Senate inquiry into the Monis letter to the Attorney-General. That email confirms the...
- Mobile Phone Services (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Communications. I ask the minister to advise the House of the action the government is taking to reduce mobile phone black spots in my electorate of Casey and...
- Hospitals (2 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Why did the Prime Minister promise 'no cuts to health' the night before the election and then cut $50 billion from hospitals after the election?
- National Security (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Will the minister update the House on steps the government is taking internationally to starve terrorist organisations like Daesh of the funds...
- Education Funding (6 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Why did the Prime Minister promise no cuts to education the night before the election and then cut $30 billion from schools?
- Workplace Relations (22 speeches)
My question is to the Acting Minister for Employment. Will the minister update the House on the importance of ensuring fair and lawful workplaces? Are there any threats to the government's approach?
- Budget (4 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. For over a year the Prime Minister has pretended that he has not cut $80 billion from Australian schools and hospitals despite it being written in his budget...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Presentation (1 speech)
I present the Presiding Officer's report to the parliament on the Parliament House building conditions summary for June 2015.
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Government Response (1 speech)
For the information of honourable members I present a schedule of outstanding government responses to reports of House of Representatives and joint committees, incorporating reports tabled and...
- Auditor-General's Reports (0 speeches)
- Reports Nos 51 and 52 of 2014-15 (1 speech)
I present the following Auditor-General's performance audits for 2014-15: No. 51, Administration of capital gains tax for individual and small business taxpayers and No. 52, Australian Defence...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Presentation (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.
- Business (0 speeches)
- Leave of Absence (1 speech)
I move: That leave of absence be given to every member of the House of Representatives from the determination of this sitting of the House to the date of its next sitting. Question agreed to.
- Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
- Prime Minister (27 speeches)
I have received a letter from the honourable Leader of the Opposition proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely: The Prime Minister's...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- Toyne, Mr Phillip (1 speech)
On the Sunday before last a group of friends gathered at our house in Alice Springs to remember Phillip Toyne, who had passed away that weekend. Among them was Frannie Coughlan, Phillip's first...
- Telecommunications (2 speeches)
I was pleased earlier today to join with many colleagues for the announcement by the Minister for Communications and the parliamentary secretary to him of the important mobile phone black spot...
- Health Policy (1 speech)
One of the most common questions I am asked by school groups is: why did I go into politics? At the time, I was in the early stages of a career in medicine, which I was finding challenging and...
- Workplace Relations, Climate Change (1 speech)
Over the last couple of weeks we have seen some pretty appalling behaviour by the Minister for Education and Training as he has comprehensively breached the convention in relation to commenting...
- Murray-Darling Basin (4 speeches)
I want to commend the Senate, which yesterday decided to set up a select committee on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. This was put by Senator Day, a senator for South Australia. I also am very...
- Constituency Statements (0 speeches)
- Greenway Electorate: Crime (1 speech)
Recently in the Blacktown Advocate calls were again made for CCTV cameras to be installed in the Blacktown CBD to monitor the crime-prone area. It said: Businesses and police want to crack down...
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1 speech)
It is fair to say in this place that the ABC brand has been diminishing in its value for some time. I also need to say this morning that on Tuesday night, the grand ABC brand of decades and...
- International Day of Yoga (1 speech)
On Sunday, 21 June I had the great honour of attending the International Day of Yoga at the Springers Leisure Centre. I shared that experience with a number of dignitaries, including the speaker...
- Eden-Monaro Electorate: Lumen Christi College, Eden-Monaro Electorate: Snowy Mountains Grammar School (1 speech)
On Wednesday 10 June I had the great pleasure of representing the Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Senator Scott Ryan, at the project opening for stage 2 of the new primary school at the...
- Forgotten Australians (1 speech)
Firstly, I would like to associate myself with the remarks that were made previously by the member for Parkes. I would like to say that the ABC's Q&A has done a great disservice to...
- Welfare Reform (1 speech)
In Australia, our governments over the years have always taken the attitude and responsibility that we should care for those of us who are struggling with unemployment and other issues. As a...
- Fraser Electorate: Housing Affordability (1 speech)
My electorate of Fraser has the honour of being the nation's seat of government. Despite this government having cut 17,000 Public Service jobs, around one in three Canberrans works for the...
- Macarthur Electorate: Broadband (1 speech)
I rise today with good news for tens of thousands of people in my electorate of Macarthur. Thanks to the tremendous work of the Minister for Communications, the Hon. Malcolm Turnbull MP, and his...
- Moreton Electorate: National TAFE Day (1 speech)
Before I became a politician and a lawyer, I was a schoolteacher for 11 years. In that time, I became very passionate about giving people the right opportunity in life. That is why I am...
- National Security: Citizenship (1 speech)
I wish to update this place on the public conversation regarding citizenship that is underway in my electorate of Tangney. This has originated organically over many months. My constituents...
- Shortland Electorate: Eastlakes Legacy (1 speech)
Last Friday I attended the 25th birthday party of Eastlakes Legacy at Swansea RSL. Eastlakes Legacy is a group of senior women who have made enormous contributions within their group. They...
- McPherson Electorate: Tallebudgera State School (1 speech)
( I rise today to update the House on the great work of one of the schools in my electorate—the Tallebudgera State School. They are doing some outstanding work in technology. I would...
- Pensions and Benefits (1 speech)
A fair pension and a decent superannuation policy is the bedrock of a fair society. About 330,000 part age pensioners are about to receive an extremely rude financial shock, courtesy of the...
- Parliamentary Friends of History and Heritage (1 speech)
It gives me pleasure to rise and speak today about the Parliamentary Friends of History and Heritage. We had our first meeting yesterday. I am very pleased to advise that 23 members of parliament...
- Swift Parrot (1 speech, 1 comment)
The swift parrot is a small, fast-flying, mostly green parrot with a blood-red head, exclusive to Australia. According to Birdlife Australia's head of conservation, Samantha Vine, it is on track...
- Trade with China (1 speech)
The CFMEU, for some reason, has attacked the federal government through my offices in Gladstone and Emerald over the Chinese FTA agreement, which was signed last week by our Minister for Trade...
- Health Care (1 speech)
The Australian community is a very rich and diverse society encompassing many cultures and religions. At times, medical emergencies occur and paramedics are required to respond to a range of...
- Cowan Electorate: Schools (1 speech)
On Wednesday 24 June, at Ballajura Community College in the electorate of Cowan, Choirfest took place again this year. This excellent annual event brings together a number of choirs from the...
- Lingiari Electorate: Cyclone Lam (1 speech)
In late February of this year, Cyclone Lam struck the township of Galiwinku, an Aboriginal community in north-east Arnhem Land. Today I want to pay tribute to the people of Galiwinku, and most...
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1 speech)
In the short time that I have available to me I want to put on record how appalled I was with the Q&A program on Monday night and the way the ABC handled this particular incident. From one...
- Business (0 speeches)
- Rearrangement (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That consideration of orders of the day Nos 1 and 2, committee and delegation reports, be postponed until a later hour this day. Question agreed to.
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- Indi Electorate: Murray Valley Sanctuary Refugee Group (1 speech)
My speech today is about a very special organisation in my electorate—the Murray Valley Sanctuary Refugee Group, a group which resettles refugees as part of the humanitarian visa program....
- Renewable Energy (1 speech)
I rise to welcome the successful passage of the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Amendment Bill 2015 through the Senate a couple of nights ago and particularly the inclusion of wood biomass as a...
- Food Labelling (1 speech)
I will talk about food labelling this morning. I am quite convinced I will not do justice to the topic because there are enormous issues and so many different dimensions to food labelling. There...
- Braddon Electorate: Phoenix House, Braddon Electorate: Telecommunications (1 speech)
It is a great opportunity in the adjournment debate to raise issues that are of importance to my constituents. I am not sure how many of my fellow members and colleagues have been to the great...
- Parliamentary Friends of Innovation and Enterprise (1 speech)
Deputy Speaker, as you know, I am the co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Innovation and Enterprise, a bipartisan group that has been established to draw greater connections between...
- Hinkler Electorate: Childers (1 speech)
I would like to speak about a little town with a big heart. At the centre of my electorate is the town of Childers. It is a town which is surrounded by red soil, blue sky and rolling greenfields...
- China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (1 speech)
Yesterday in the Federation Chamber I raised the concern of a range of national trade unions about the impacts of the China free trade agreement on their members and on working people more...
- City of Brisbane (1 speech)
one of the roles I particularly enjoy is that of Honorary Ambassador for the City of Brisbane and I am very honoured to have been reappointed by Lord Mayor Graham Quirk to this role. So I thought...
- Petition: General Practice (2 speeches)
Today I regret having to do what I am now going to do. I will be tabling a petition calling on the government to help a struggling doctor in my electorate. More than 1,400 people have signed this...
- Cowan Electorate: Organisation of African Communities (1 speech)
I welcome this opportunity to speak about a very good organisation within Western Australia, the Organisation of African Communities of Western Australia. On Saturday night I attended the OAC...
- Chifley Electorate: NSW Liberal Government, Miss Universe Australia, StartupAUS (1 speech)
People say, 'Mike Baird is a nice guy but his government doesn't seem like that.' In my area, he has presided over or sat on his hands as people in the suburbs I represent are stuffed over by...
- Deakin Electorate: Crime (1 speech)
I rise again today to draw the attention of this House to an issue that is of great concern in my electorate of Deakin. The basic freedom that we all take for granted. The right to walk our...
- Vocational Education and Training (1 speech)
It was National TAFE Day yesterday, and last night I attended a function celebrating National TAFE Day here at Parliament House. It is important to acknowledge and celebrate the importance that...
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Special Broadcasting Service (1 speech)
If ever we need proof of just how out of touch our national broadcaster, the ABC, has become, this week provided it to us in spades. We saw their production team, especially at Q&A,show how...
- Greenway Electorate: National Broadband Network (1 speech)
Of all of the promises broken by this government, the big game they talked on the National Broadband Network before they came into government is right up there. Let us have a look at this...
- Page Electorate: Community 2020 (1 speech)
I want to talk about a brochure called Community 2020that I have just sent to my electorate. There is a lot happening in my electorate with different infrastructure projects and, obviously, the...
- Bendigo Electorate: Political Processes (1 speech)
In rising today I want to reflect on a few things that have been happening this week in the Canberra bubble and in politics, but also more broadly, since this government was elected and in fact...
- La Trobe Electorate: St Brigid's Primary School (1 speech)
On 14 May this year I had the great pleasure of opening the St Bridget's Primary School and it was a tremendous event. I was lucky enough to open it as a result of another great capital grants...
- Dobell Electorate: Mars Food Australia (2 speeches)
It is a pleasure to share with the House the achievements of Mars Food Australia, an outstanding successful local manufacturer located at Berkeley Vale in my electorate of Dobell. Mars Food...
