House debates
Thursday, 26 November 2015
- Statements on Indulgence (0 speeches)
- Member for Wakefield (2 speeches)
On indulgence, the member for Wakefield will not be here in the parliament today. Honourable members would be aware of the fires raging to the north of Adelaide, which not only are within the...
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Business (0 speeches)
- Statements by Members (0 speeches)
- Taxation (1 speech)
No Australian on modest incomes can breathe easy while those opposite are in government. Nobody in the suburbs and neighbourhoods of my community is out of the woods when it comes to government...
- Macarthur Electorate: Campbelltown City Festival of Fisher's Ghost (1 speech)
I rise today to congratulate Campbelltown City Council on hosting the 60th anniversary of the legendary Campbelltown City Festival of Fisher's Ghost. The festival is steeped in history, dating...
- Vehicle Registration (1 speech)
At the annual general meeting of the Myrtleford Chamber of Commerce earlier this year the issue of the cost of managing cross-border anomalies was raised. In particular Chris and Nadina Bonacci...
- Reid Electorate: Diwali (1 speech)
Earlier this week I was delighted to attend a magnificent Diwali event here in Parliament House. This Indian festival of lights is the most celebrated festival of the people from the Indian...
- Family Payments (1 speech)
Ever since this government was elected, regardless of who they have as Prime Minister, they have tried to cut family tax benefit. They have tried to make it harder for the families with the...
- Capricornia Electorate: Gargett Country Women's Association (1 speech)
Many times in this House I have praised the work of the Country Women's Association across this great nation. The CWA is a tremendous organisation where women contribute much towards community...
- Family Payments (1 speech)
The relief on the other side of this chamber today is absolutely palpable. Do you know why? Because they have backed off on those changes to the family tax benefit just in time to go home to...
- Bowman Electorate: Community Services (1 speech)
There are some important advances in my report card 2015 in Redlands. Chief among them is the social enterprise that is kerbside pick-up, being introduced next year. It is a social enterprise...
- Goods and Services Tax (1 speech)
There is nothing fair about the Abbott-Turnbull government's plans to hit Australian families with a 50 per cent increase in the GST and to cut their family tax benefits. Liberal governments have...
- Edith Cowan University (1 speech)
I would like to congratulate the vision and passion of Lyn Farrell, Dean of Edith Cowan University's Bunbury campus, for the great interest generated by the University's first-year engineering...
- Family Payments (1 speech)
Today the government backed down on legislation that would have cut $4.8 billion from family payments. Those cuts would have affected 1.6 million families around Australia and three million...
- Australian Garden Council (1 speech)
I rise today with great delight to congratulate the Australian Garden Council, who came together for the first time right here yesterday in Parliament House. I met the garden icon and new CEO and...
- Goods and Services Tax (1 speech)
It does feel like deja vu: Turnbull, Abbott, Turnbull. You might want to add that to the rolling prime ministers list. I was there when Turnbull was leader, I was there when Abbott was leader and...
- Hughes Electorate: Community Awards (1 speech)
Earlier this month I was proud to host the Hughes Community Awards to recognise the dedication of volunteers from the Hughes electorate and to thank them for their outstanding commitment. Special...
- Goods and Services Tax (1 speech)
What we are witnessing here in this place is a government that has an obsession with a consumption tax. The goods and services tax is, of course, a Liberal tax. Let's remember it was the Liberal...
- Dobell Electorate: Menin Gate Buglers (1 speech)
On Remembrance Day this year the Dobell community was honoured to have two Menin Gate buglers along with a representative of the Belgian Last Post Association attend a twilight service at The...
- Goods and Services Tax (3 speeches)
A politician's word is their most valuable commodity. When John Howard said that he would never, ever increase the GST, he meant it. It was great to see Queensland Senator Ian Macdonald coming...
- Bass Electorate: Launceston Cycling Festival (1 speech)
It is with great pleasure that I stand to speak about my electorate. As a patron of cycling in Tasmania, I am pleased to inform the House that the Launceston Cycling Festival will be held on the...
- Goods and Services Tax (1 speech)
I rise to highlight the mendacity of the Liberal Party—a party that promised they would never, ever have a GST. When they dogged on that promise they then promised to never increase it...
- Robertson, Mr Jim (2 speeches)
Today I wish to pay tribute to a valued member of my electorate, Jim Robertson, who was tragically killed in a road accident last Saturday. Jim was a grazier from Mundubbera in the North Burnett...
- Statements on Indulgence (0 speeches)
- Bushfires: South Australia (3 speeches)
I express our deepest sympathy and condolences for the two victims of the devastating South Australian bushfires. There are now also over 13 people in hospital and there are grave concerns held...
- Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I inform the House that the Minister for Vocational Education and Skills will be away from Question Time today attending to a personal matter. The Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Special Minister of State (4 speeches)
My question is to the Special Minister of State. Yesterday the member for Fairfax said: The member for Fisher stated to me that we needed to destroy Peter Slipper. Given the minister is...
- Mental Health (2 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister inform the House of the vital contribution that effective mental health services make to Australia's social and economic future?
- Special Minister of State (2 speeches)
My question is to the Special Minister of State. I refer to his previous answer, where he referred to the statements by the member for Fairfax yesterday in parliament, where the member for...
- Mental Health (7 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Health. What is the government doing to ensure that people living with mental illness get the right type of care at the right time?
- Special Minister of State (10 speeches)
My question is to the Special Minister of State. I refer to the minister's repeated references this week to his previous statement, in which he referred to material he provided to the Federal...
- National Security (8 speeches, 1 comment)
I seek clarification, Mr Speaker. The minister cannot just keep palming off questions to poor old Barnaby Joyce!
- Taxation (6 speeches)
Will the Treasurer inform the House of the importance of reducing the burden of tax on hardworking Australians and the need to remove inefficient and distortionary taxes? How is the government...
- Special Minister of State (2 speeches)
My question is again to the Special Minister of State. I refer to the minister's repeated references this week to his previous statement in which he referred to material he provided to the...
- Industry (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science. I remind the minister that in 2013 the coalition government made a commitment to deliver $1 billion per annum in red and green...
- Special Minister of State (5 speeches)
I refer to the minister's previous answer and to the minister's responsibility for the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act. Can the minister explain why it is appropriate or acceptable to offer...
- Welfare Fraud (4 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Human services. Will the minister update the House on what the government is doing to address welfare fraud?
- Special Minister of State (3 speeches)
My question is again to the Special Minister of State. I refer to the minister's responsibility for the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act. As a matter of government policy, what action does the...
- Bushfires (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Justice. Will the minister update the House on the status of the bushfires in South Australia?
- Special Minister of State (2 speeches)
My question is, again, to the Special Minister of State. I refer to the minister's answers in question time this week. Clause 1.2 of the Prime Minister's statement of ministerial standards...
- Toowoomba Second Range Crossing (2 speeches)
My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development. My constituency question comes from Toby, a transport operator in the Lockyer Valley who...
- Special Minister of State (7 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to clause 7.1 of the Prime Minister's statement of ministerial standards and I refer to the Special Minister of State's answer to the question, 'Did...
- Lyons Electorate: Airport Leasing Arrangements (2 speeches)
My constituency question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development on behalf of the ratepayers of the Northern Midlands Council. As the minister...
- Special Minister of State (6 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. In former Prime Minister Abbott's ministry, Senator Sinodinos had to stand aside. Since then the new Prime Minister has appointed a Special Minister of...
- Bass Electorate: Defence Science and Technology (3 speeches)
My constituency question is to the Minister for Defence Materiel and Science. Over the last 60 years, the Defence Science and Technology Group facility in my electorate of Bass has provided...
- Motions (0 speeches)
- Prime Minister; Attempted Censure (16 speeches)
I seek leave to move the following motion: That the House: (1) notes that: (a) when asked on 60 Minutes if he had asked James Ashby to procure copies of Peter Slipper's diary for him, the now...
- 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.
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Membership (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That: (1) Mr Buchholz be discharged from the Standing Committee on Appropriations and Administration and that, in his place, Ms Marino be appointed a member of the...
- Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
- Climate Change (23 speeches, 2 comments)
I have received a letter from the honourable member for Port Adelaide proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely: The Government's...
- Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
- Taxation (3 speeches)
Mr Speaker, I seek the indulgence of the chair to add to an answer.
- Statements on Indulgence (0 speeches)
- Terrorist Attacks around the World (2 speeches)
I will continue where I left off last night where I listed the terrorist incidents that have occurred around the world in the last month alone. The point I was making was that the suggestion that...
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- Death Penalty (1 speech)
Last week in Kuala Lumpur I participated in a parliamentary round table concerning the abolition of the death penalty in Malaysia that was co-hosted by the Parliament of Malaysia and the...
- Cancer Treatments (1 speech)
I wish to draw the attention of the House to a great national scandal that is flying completely under the radar of political consciousness—namely, the lack of provision of proton beam...
- Holt Electorate: Community Events (1 speech)
As we come to the end of the year, I wanted to talk about the great decency and character of the people that I am privileged to represent in my constituency of Holt. We celebrate that to some...
- Domestic and Family Violence (2 speeches)
Recently I addressed the House and stated that, when it comes to domestic violence and family custody issues, Central Queensland has some appalling statistics. In fact Rockhampton police report...
- Competition Policy (3 speeches)
I would like to speak on competition policy, and I begin by congratulating the Treasurer on reopening the debate on section 46 of our competition act, the provision that applies to the misuse of...
- Constituency Statements (0 speeches)
- Petition: Domestic and Family Violence (1 speech)
In this constituency statement, I present this petition to the House. The petition has been presented to the Standing Committee on Petitions and certified as being in accordance with the standing...
- Lymberry, Ms Annie (3 speeches)
Thank you very much Mr Deputy Speaker, and I am really pleased that you are sitting in the chair at the moment to share with me what I would like to say. Yesterday was a very sad day for myself,...
- Holt Electorate: Community Spirit and Leadership Awards (1 speech)
On Monday 14 December, I am going to have the pleasure of hosting the 2015 Holt Community Spirit and Leadership Awards at the Cranbourne Community Theatre. We hear a lot about what is wrong with...
- Bradfield Electorate: Ku-ring-gai Historical Society (1 speech)
Shortly I will be attending the launch of the second volume of Rallying the Troops, a four-volume work published by the Ku-ring-gai Historical Society in my electorate of Bradfield. This work...
- Fremantle Electorate: Fremantle Foundation Impact 100 Awards (1 speech)
The Fremantle Foundation's Impact100 Award this year focused on building community spirit around the great potential that is unlocked through community giving. All four finalists were...
- Capricornia Electorate (1 speech)
In every community there are certain milestones that are worthy of recognition. Recently, in Rockhampton in my electorate of Capricornia, there have been several key milestones marked by some of...
- Franklin Electorate: Broadband (1 speech)
I would like to talk today about the NBN connections in my electorate, particularly as it concerns the residents of Howden. Howden is a suburb that is 20 minutes south of Hobart GPO—only 20...
- New South Wales Rural Fire Service Secondary Schools Cadet Program (1 speech)
Recently I had the pleasure to visit MacKillop Catholic College and Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College, Berkeley Vale campus, to attend ceremonies for students graduating from the NSW Rural Fire...
- Domestic and Family Violence (1 speech)
As we all know, yesterday was White Ribbon Day, and I am sure many of us received contacts from our constituents. One of the constituents who contacted me had her story told in the Newcastle...
- Global Terrorism (1 speech)
On Saturday 14 November, I opened my phone to a message from my daughter-in-law Romee. Usually, it is a quick photo of my granddaughter Sophie. This one showed her sleeping peacefully with...
- Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group (1 speech)
Today I have with me a submission from the Macedon Ranges Sustainability Group. They would like this submission to be taken by our Prime Minister and representatives of this parliament who will...
- Riverina Electorate: Scholarship (1 speech)
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull often says there has never been a more exciting time to be an Australian. This is certainly very true. Australia is a clever country which has long brought to the...
- Isaacs Electorate: Queen Elizabeth Centre (1 speech)
Last week I was in the wonderful suburb of Noble Park in my electorate to meet with representatives of the Queen Elizabeth Centre. The Queen Elizabeth Centre, known by all as the QEC, is a 42-bed...
- O'Connor Electorate: Infrastructure (3 speeches)
I rise today to update the chamber on the progress of the great work being done by the Outback Highway Development Council, who are literally paving the way to create a new east-west connect road...
- Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (1 speech)
Despite the medical advances and improvements in sanitation and water supply, nutrition, housing and education, the fact is that poor health continues to plague many countries in the world. In...
- Bennelong Electorate: Bennelong 100 Walk for Motor Neurone Disease (1 speech)
I commenced on 24 October and completed on 21 November, the inaugural Bennelong 100 walk for Motor Neurone Disease. Along the way I stopped at 35 schools, 24 shopping villages, 11 aged care...
- Greenway Electorate: Nagle College (1 speech)
On Sunday, my daughter Octavia and I had the absolute pleasure of joining in the 50th anniversary celebrations of Nagle College, Blacktown, which was attended by a large number of former and...
- Global Terrorism (1 speech)
Today I rise speak about the events that have taken place in Paris and around the world. Recently, Lady Jane Edwards AM, the Honorary Consul for France in Queensland, held a vigil following the...
- BlueScope Steel (1 speech)
I just wanted to report to the House of an update on a very critical issue in my electorate and that is the future of the BlueScope factory and the steel-making capacity, not only in our region,...
- Wannon Electorate: Great Ocean Ducks (1 speech)
In my electorate of Wannon there are many small family farms that are doing interesting things with produce. One such farm is Great Ocean Ducks, or GOD, where Greg and Jodi Clarke have...
- Climate Change (1 speech)
It is coming towards the end of 2015, and what a year it has been. By standing up for the things that matter, like the ability to get health care in this country no matter how much money you...
- Bowman Electorate: Toondah Harbour Development (1 speech)
Redlands, in Queensland, is geographically blessed. It is surrounded by North Stradbroke Island and the koala corridor and it has a very wide river between us and Logan. But it is also an area...
- Climate Change (1 speech)
The members for Bendigo and Melbourne have spoken this morning about climate change, and so will I. In the lead up to the 2015 United Nations climate change conference in Paris, the Prime...
- White Ribbon Day (3 speeches)
I want to add my voice to the many who acknowledged an important occasion for our society and our country, yesterday, which was White Ribbon Day. The day was observed by me, many other members of...
- Forde Electorate: Year 12 Graduates (1 speech)
Most of us in this place have attended numerous high school graduation events over the last week or so. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the year 12 students in my electorate of...
- Broadband (1 speech)
I want to reflect on the sorry state of a project that should be a key infrastructure plank in delivering us a modern, stronger and flexible economy, and that is the National Broadband Network....
- Defence Housing Australia (1 speech)
The Defence Housing Authority has two major shareholders: the federal government and the Department of Defence. When we came to government, on that glorious day in August 2013, the new government...
- Broadband (1 speech)
In the electorate of Lalor there has been an ongoing conversation about a lack of access to high-speed broadband. Of course, being in a growth corridor, we are in a unique circumstance, with up...
- McMillan Electorate: International Volunteer Day (2 speeches)
We often speak about our local volunteers, but today I would like to talk about our international volunteers. I would like to start with a thankyou and name some names. They should be named and...
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- Christmas (1 speech)
Yes, it is that time of year when we all draw breath and say, 'Where has this year gone?' and, 'Good grief, it is almost Christmas.' I rise to speak about the importance of giving at this time of...
- Paterson Electorate: Television Reception (1 speech)
With the switch to full digital television services in 2012, many of my communities have been struggling to get decent television reception. The co-channel interference from out-of-area signals...
- Taxation (1 speech)
Tax policy does not always make for great dinner party conversation, but it is an incredibly important part of what the government does. At its heart, this is about the values that we share as...
- Electorate of Ryan: Communications Forum (1 speech)
I recently hosted a communications forum for residents of Corunna Downs and Mount Crosby, two suburbs in my electorate which have suffered from a historic lack of infrastructure investment,...
- Chifley Electorate: Infrastructure (1 speech)
I want to lay down an infrastructure challenge. When we think about the next major road project that should be rolled out in Western Sydney, the next big thing is the M9. It sits just west of the...
- Education (1 speech)
Making science and maths more accessible and meaningful to students is an absolute national imperative. There is no doubt that our productivity and competitiveness depends on our ability to...
- Broadband (3 speeches)
In July 2012, the ACCC authorised the NBN Co-Optus HFC subscriber agreement. This was for the migration of Optus's HFC subscribers to the NBN and the decommissioning of parts of the Optus HFC...
- Banks Electorate: Local Organisations (1 speech)
I am very pleased this morning to have the opportunity to highlight the fantastic efforts in my community of a number of community groups. Earlier in the month I visited Colin McFadyen Village,...
- Petition: Climate Change (2 speeches)
On behalf of my community, I present a petition signed by 87 members of the community calling on the Australian government to increase Australia's emission reduction commitment for the United...
- Deakin Electorate: School Fetes (1 speech)
One of the really rewarding aspects of my job—and our jobs collectively here as members of parliament—is to get around our electorates and meet some of the great community minded...
- Schmidt, Chancellor Helmut (1 speech)
I wish to pay my respects to a man of his times, a man of his century, who passed away on 10 November at the age of 96 in his home in Hamburg: the former Chancellor of West Germany, Helmut...
- Petrie Electorate: Crime (1 speech)
It is great to be able to talk here today in the Federation Chamber. One of my last election promises back in 2013 was to address crime in strategic areas of my electorate throughout Petrie. In...
- Working on Country Program (1 speech)
I rise to speak to the House on the Working on Country program. This is the Indigenous rangers program which I first had contact with when I was Minister for Agriculture. It continued when I was...
- Forrest Electorate: Tourism (1 speech)
This is the peak season for events in the south-west of Western Australia, and 2015 has been a great year for the best part of Australia. Last weekend, for instance, Margaret River hosted the...
- Docherty, Private John Edward (1 speech)
In an unremarkable grave, in the Seymour Cemetery, is a small wooden cross. On this wooden cross is a plaque with the inscription: 'B4/707. Private J E Docherty. Result of an accident....
- White Ribbon Day (1 speech)
This week we have all remembered and recognised White Ribbon Day. It is the day Australia stood up, with one voice, to stop violence against women of all forms and violence in general. Currently,...
- Petition: Aid (1 speech)
I present this petition today which has been accepted by the Standing Committee on Petitions. The petition read as follows— To the Honourable The Speaker and Members of the House of...
- Corangamite Electorate: LAND 400 Project (1 speech)
I rise to speak on a very important project for our nation, the LAND 400 defence program, a multibillion-dollar program to deliver 225 armed combat vehicles for the Army. In September, I...
