House debates
Tuesday, 9 February 2016
- Statement by the Speaker (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I have a brief statement. After question time yesterday, the Manager of Opposition Business asked me about the setting of the clock during questions. Members have 30 seconds to ask questions. The...
- Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
- Motions (0 speeches)
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Statements by Members (0 speeches)
- Lunar New Year (1 speech)
Today Parliament House hosted its first all-communities Lunar New Year festival. The absence of an event like this until today is an extraordinary omission given that, as Leader of the Opposition...
- Mackellar Electorate: Bush to Beach (1 speech)
Last Saturday I joined in the 11th annual Bush to Beach weekend, held at South Narrabeen Surf Life Saving Club in my electorate of Mackellar, and I was welcomed by Ken Passmore. The program,...
- Indi Electorate: Wodonga Anglican Parish (1 speech)
Colleagues, I would like to tell you about the Anglican parish of Wodonga and, in particular, the work of St John's Anglican Church in Wodonga. I would like to acknowledge the work of the rector,...
- Mallee Electorate: Agriculture (1 speech)
One of the great things about where I live in the electorate of Mallee is the vista when I look out my front window. I have been watching the vineyards as they get greener and greener. And now is...
- Bendigo Electorate: Commonwealth Funding (1 speech)
We might have a new Prime Minister but the policies are still the same. What we have before us is still the $80 billion in cuts to health and education. What does that mean for our schools and...
- Paterson Electorate: Australia Day Honours (1 speech)
I rise today to recognise the outstanding contributions of individuals in my electorate of Paterson who were named on the 2016 Australia Day honours list. The title of Member of the Order of...
- Budget (1 speech)
I spoke in parliament last week on the impact of the Prime Minister's $30 billion cuts to education and what they mean to families in McEwen. For my electorate the Prime Minister's cuts will see...
- Parker, Councillor Pam (1 speech)
I rise to remind members of a catchphrase that is very popular in Queensland—'Gotta love Logan', which was made famous by no other than Mayor Pam Parker. In the upcoming local government...
- Budget (1 speech)
I rise today to talk about the $80 billion cuts to education and health, to our schools and our hospitals, that of course was confirmed when MYEFO came out. We could forgive those in the chamber...
- Dawson Electorate: Roads (1 speech)
In the past two years more than 20,000 jobs have been lost in the resources sector, devastating many small towns and regional centres, including Mackay and Bowen, where an estimated 7,000 jobs...
- Education Funding (1 speech)
In the last term of the Labor government, Labor started to implement the most comprehensive reform to school funding in decades. Gonski, as it was known, increased funding to schools based on...
- Broadband (1 speech)
I am pleased to announce that residents of Appin, in my electorate of Macarthur, are now one step closer to accessing the National Broadband Network, with construction on the fixed line network...
- Health Care (1 speech)
You can gauge the priorities of a person and a government by the things they talk about and the places they visit. After five months this Prime Minister has told Australia where his priorities...
- Banks Electorate: Chinese New Year (1 speech)
On Saturday, 6 February, I hosted the annual Banks Chinese New Year Celebration at Club Central, Hurstville. More than 300 people attended this special celebration and it was wonderful to have my...
- Education Funding (1 speech)
It is curious that those who argue most that money is not so important in education spend a fortune in educating their own children in private schools. The Prime Minister has told us that money...
- Taronga Western Plains Zoo (1 speech)
I would just like to pause in the class warfare now to talk about some good news. I would like to congratulate the Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo for winning the unique accommodation...
- Health (1 speech)
This Liberal government promised before the last election that there would be no cuts to health and no cuts to education, but the Turnbull government's $80 billion of cuts to hospitals and to...
- Leichhardt Electorate: Freedom Prosthetics (1 speech)
I am not cutting; I am actually on a positive note. This Friday I am looking forward to opening a new business in Cairns: Freedom Prosthetics. Co-founder Neil Greening is an amputee himself and...
- Education Funding (1 speech)
I am glad the Prime Minister has arrived because I can inform the Prime Minister of the massively damaging impact of the government's cuts to schools and hospitals in Rockingham and Kwinana. The...
- World Cancer Day (2 speeches)
With one person diagnosed with cancer every 20 minutes in Queensland, we need to continue to advocate and raise awareness about this horrible disease. Last Thursday, 4 February was World Cancer...
- Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
The Minister for the Environment will be absent from the House for the rest of this week on official business in the United Arab Emirates and the Minister for Trade and Investment will answer...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Medicare (15 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. The front page of today's West Australian newspaper reveals that the government has a radical plan to privatise Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
- Innovation (6 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister update the House on the government's initiatives to boost workforce participation, encourage business investment and innovation, and...
- Medicare, Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (8 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Human Services. The front page of today's The West Australian newspaper reveals that the government has a radical plan to privatise Medicare and the...
- Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I would like to inform the House that we have present in the gallery this afternoon a delegation from the European Parliament, led by Mr Axel Voss. On behalf of the House, I extend a very warm...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Economy (4 speeches)
My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer update the House on how Australia is successfully transitioning from the mining investment boom to a more diversified economy? What are the...
- Minister for Human Services (15 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. People leaving Australia declare that the information they provide on the Outgoing Passenger Card is: 'true, correct and...
- Infrastructure: Hell's Gate Dam (2 speeches)
Prime Minister, the Hell's Gate dam/UBR irrigation scheme is the only project that has received federal funding—bipartisan. Queensland and New South Wales now mandate ethanol in fuel. This,...
- Global Energy (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Resources, Energy and Northern Australia. Will the minister update the House on the visit to Australia today of the executive director of the International...
- Nimrod Resources (5 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Trade and Investment. What assistance did Austrade provide Nimrod Resources in reaching its agreement with the Chinese state owned Minmetals? Was any assistance...
- Innovation (4 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Will the very creative, innovative and talented minister please update the House on what the government is doing to promote Australia's...
- Ministerial Conduct (9 speeches)
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for acknowledging earlier today the error you made yesterday.
- National Innovation and Science Agenda (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science. Will the minister inform the House how the government's National Innovation and Science Agenda will encourage angel investment...
- Minister for Human Services (8 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Human Services. I refer to the minister's trip to China in August 2014 and the statement from the minister's office in The Courier Mail: Mr Robert was on...
- Water (3 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources. Will the minister update the House on what the coalition government is doing to support irrigated agriculture in my electorate...
- Minister for Human Services (4 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Human Services. I refer to the minister's previous answer where he said he travelled to China in August 2014 in a personal capacity. Did the minister's...
- Small Business (2 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, there are 14,000 small business operators in my electorate that provide most of the 65,000 jobs. These employers take responsibility for...
- Minister for Human Services (3 speeches)
My question is again to the Minister for Human Services. I refer to the minister's previous answer where he said he had travelled to China in August 2014 in a personal capacity. Did the...
- Asylum Seekers (5 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Will the minister update the House on the benefits of strong and consistent border protection policy? Is the minister aware...
- Minister for Human Services (4 speeches)
My question is again to the Minister for Human Services. I refer to the minister's trip to China and his statement to the House: that he was in China in August 2014 in a personal capacity. But...
- Tropical Diseases (5 speeches)
My constituent question is to the Minister for International Development and the Pacific.
- Ministerial Conduct (6 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister's own statement of ministerial standards puts a blanket ban on ministers providing assistance to companies in a private capacity. It is...
- Trade (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources. Will the minister please update the House on how seven new live export markets and three new free-trade agreements with China,...
- Ministerial Conduct (4 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Clause 2.2 of the Prime Minister's own statement on ministerial standards states: A Minister shall not act as a consultant or adviser to any company,...
- National Stronger Regions Fund (5 speeches)
My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development. Minister, the National Stronger Regions Fund is very important to regions such as mine. I...
- Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
- (7 speeches)
Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
- Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
- Health Care (18 speeches, 2 comments)
I have received a letter from the honourable member for Ballarat proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely: The Government attacking...
- Statements on Indulgence (0 speeches)
- Health Care (3 speeches)
on indulgence—During a spirited but well-meaning exchange during the MPI, I was challenged by the member for Bass to name one hospital that was operating in New South Wales without a...
- Motions (0 speeches)
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- Your Child. Our Future (1 speech)
As a Labor member of parliament, I believe that it is my mission to make sure that a child who grows up in my electorate—in Springvale or in Clayton South—or one of the kids I met...
- Forde Electorate: Roads (1 speech)
I rise to reflect on the inaction of the Queensland government. As children return to school and parents return to work, commuters in south-east Queensland are reminded of the Queensland Labor...
- Ballarat Electorate: Roads (1 speech)
I too rise to speak on a matter of infrastructure—road funding. Specifically, it is 101 days since I wrote to Minister Truss seeking urgent restoration of the funding that his government...
- Barton Electorate: Chinese New Year (1 speech)
Firstly, I want to wish the Australian Chinese Community a very Happy New Year for 2016, the Year of the Monkey. May the Year of the Monkey bring with it health, happiness and prosperity for all....
- Second Sydney Airport (1 speech)
I rise tonight to maintain my objection to the absolute waste of scarce public funds being devoted to the construction of Badgerys Creek airport. I say it is a waste for a number of reasons. In...
- Economy (2 speeches)
As we head that little bit further into 2016 I am deeply optimistic about the journey we are heading down as we drive the essential change that we need to see in the Australian economy as we...
