House debates
Thursday, 17 March 2016
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Privileges and Members' Interests Committee; Report (1 speech)
I present the report of the House of Representatives Standing Committee of Privileges and Members' Interests inquiry into whether the former member for Dobell, Mr Craig Thomson, in a statement to...
- Register of Members' Interests (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
As required by resolution of the House, I present copies of notifications of alterations of interests received during the period 2 December 2015 to 15 March 2016.
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Publications Committee; Report (1 speech)
I present the report from the Publications Committee sitting in conference with the Publications Committee of the Senate. Copies of the report have been placed on the table. Report—by...
- Delegation Reports (0 speeches)
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
- Action to Protect Australia's Threatened Species (1 speech, 2 comments)
by leave—Let me begin by also noting my own acknowledgement of and congratulations to the member for Groom on a simply outstanding career. Whether it is the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing,...
- Trade with Indonesia (1 speech)
by leave—Indonesia's Minister of Trade, Thomas Lembong, is in Australia this week to discuss concrete ways to expand and strengthen our economic relationship. During our discussions...
- Action to Protect Australia's Threatened Species (1 speech)
On indulgence, in relation to the threatened species strategy statement, I want to add one other thing and that is to acknowledge the extraordinary work of Erin Pears in my office, who, in...
- Trade with Indonesia (1 speech)
I thank the minister for the opportunity to make a response. Labor very much welcomes the minister's announcement of a formal agreement to relaunch negotiations on the Indonesia-Australia...
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (2 speeches)
In accordance with the Parliamentary Service Act, I wish to make a statement on behalf of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit concerning the appointment of the Parliamentary Budget...
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Statements by Members (0 speeches)
- Petitions: Mobile Black Spot Program (1 speech)
I present two petitions that have been approved by the House. The petitions read as follows— To the Honourable The Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives This petition of the...
- Lyons Electorate: SteamFest 2016 (1 speech)
As the patron of the Redwater Creek Steam and Heritage Society I had the great pleasure on the weekend of attending SteamFest 2016 in the beautiful town of Sheffield in the municipality of...
- National Close the Gap Day (1 speech)
Today is National Close the Gap Day, and it is my privilege to be able to address the House on this very important matter. It is important that we accept our responsibilities as a national...
- Mackellar Electorate: Morning Bay Bush Regeneration Project (1 speech)
Last Thursday I had the privilege of launching the Morning Bay bush regeneration project in my electorate of Mackellar. Funded by the federal government under its $1 billion National Landcare...
- Community Legal Centres (1 speech)
Community legal centres play a vital role in Australia, providing access to justice for the most vulnerable members of our society. Community legal centres provide crucial legal assistance to...
- Brisbane Electorate: Stronger Communities Program (1 speech)
I o speak today about the Stronger Communities Program which is in the process of being finalised in my electorate of Brisbane. The program has funded capital works for not-for-profit...
- Fowler Electorate: Hospitals (1 speech)
My local Chinese community is organising a fundraising event to assist the hospital in Fairfield and the HammondCare administered Braeside Hospital in Prairiewood. I will be joining...
- Solomon Electorate: Durack Primary School (1 speech)
I rise to talk about my visit to the Durack Primary School a couple of weeks ago, in which I was able to meet the new house captains and vice-captains for the school. I would like to place on...
- Petition: Domestic and Family Violence (2 speeches)
by leave—I present a petition from the Illawarra branch of the Reclaim the Night campaign on strategies to prevent violence against women. It was a great pleasure for me today to host, with...
- Lyne Electorate: Swimming Program (1 speech)
I rise to bring to the attention of the House a novel, unique and incredibly useful community initiative that has sprung out of the efforts and initiative of one or two well-known local community...
- Lalor Electorate: Employment (1 speech)
When I speak to people in my electorate of Lalor and in the west of Melbourne, the most important issue is jobs. People are incredibly concerned about prospects for their children and for...
- Illicit Drugs (1 speech)
Today, I advocate on behalf of the people of Canning for funding from this government in our struggle against drug and alcohol abuse in our community—specifically, in the fight against ice....
- Turnbull Government (1 speech)
Today, I have launched the 'Taxpayer's guide to Liberal waste' booklet, which outlines some of the most egregious examples of waste from this government, a government addicted to waste and spin....
- Corangamite Electorate: Television Reception (1 speech)
I rise to confirm that plans by the regional broadcasters to fix television reception in Apollo Bay have now been finalised. After so much frustration in Apollo Bay, Skenes Creek and Marengo, we...
- Turnbull Government (7 speeches)
Balaklava in my electorate has a population just a bit under 2,000. It is about 92 kilometres or so from Adelaide. Traditionally wheat and wool territory, since about the 1850s it has been a...
- Flocchini, Mr Breese, Turnbull Government (1 speech)
Fourteen-year-old Breese Flocchini is a good bull rider—so good that he is going to represent Australia at the National High School Rodeo Association's bull-riding finals in the United...
- St Patrick's Day (1 speech)
It is hard to overstate the influence of the Irish, and the influence they have had upon modern Australia. The fact is that the land of saints and scholars, with its bittersweet history, has...
- Petrie Electorate: Australian Volunteer Coast Guard (1 speech)
The Australian Volunteer Coast Guard is a fantastic organisation which we are lucky to have in my electorate of Petrie. It looks after boaties and other people in Moreton Bay when they are out on...
- Education Funding (1 speech)
Growing up, for a teenager, is never easy. Kids can be very cruel to their peers. But, for young Australians who are gay, it is even tougher, with bullying and worse a daily reality. Every child...
- Petition: Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians (1 speech)
Today, I present to the House the second instalment of the boomerang petition, with some 2,635 signatures supporting the recognition of Indigenous people in the Constitution. Cairns Indigenous...
- Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
The Minister for Health will be absent today as she is representing the government at the Pharmacy Guild of Australia conference in Queensland. The Minister for Immigration and Border Protection...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Member for Groom (5 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that he spoke to the Queensland Premier on Friday morning about the appointment of the member for Groom as Queensland...
- Business (2 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister update the House on how this government is encouraging Australian business to make the most of the exciting opportunities in the...
- Medicare (14 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Isn't it the case that, as the Prime Minister caves in to his conservative backbench on issue, after issue, after issue, the only options that the Prime...
- Economy (4 speeches)
My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer please update the House on how the government is supporting the transition from the mining boom, to the investment boom, to a more diversified...
- Dental Health (9 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Isn't it the case that, as the Prime Minister gives in to his backbench on policy after policy, the only option that the Prime Minister has left is more...
- Deregulation (5 speeches)
My question is to the Treasurer. Treasurer, the people of Wodonga are very disappointed that you are not able to talk to them tomorrow. They have asked me to ask you on their behalf about what...
- Small Business (6 speeches)
My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources. Will the Deputy Prime Minister update the House on how the government's reform of competition law...
- Health Care (3 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Is it not the case that as the Prime Minister caves in to his conservative backbench on issue after issue, the only option that the Prime Minister has left...
- Small Business (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Small Business and Assistant Treasurer. Will the minister advise the House how the government is supporting the small businesses of Australia? How has the...
- Taxation (14 speeches, 1 comment)
My question is to the Treasurer. Despite the Treasurer's talk, isn't it the case that the tax to GDP ratio is now higher than at any time under the former Labor government? Isn't this just...
- Trade with Indonesia (4 speeches)
It is very hard to follow such a good answer as that.
- Taxation (7 speeches)
My question is to the Treasurer. Despite the talk, is it not the case that the only actions the Abbott-Turnbull government has taken on income tax have been to freeze the tax-free threshold and...
- Building and Construction Industry (5 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science representing the Minister for Employment. Will the minister outline to the House the government's commitment to ensure that...
- Economy (4 speeches)
My question is to the Treasurer. Despite all the talk since you became Treasurer, private sector wages growth is the lowest it has been since records began, while living standards have fallen for...
- Migration (10 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Will the minister advise the House of the work being done to make our community safer by strengthening visa cancellation...
- Taxation (5 speeches, 1 comment)
My question is to the Treasurer. I refer to the Treasurer's previous positions on tax and their current status: increase the GST—shelved; never increase tobacco excise—gone; deal with...
- National Disability Insurance Scheme (19 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Social Services. Will the minister update the House on how the government will secure the future of the National Disability Insurance Scheme? How will an NDIS...
- Questions to the Speaker (0 speeches)
- Questions in Writing (2 speeches)
Mr Speaker, under standing order 105(b), relating to where replies have not been received 60 days after a question has first appeared on the Notice Paper, I ask you to write to the Treasurer...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Presentation (1 speech)
Documents are tabled in accordance with the list circulated to honourable members earlier today. Full 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 to 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.
- Suspension of Standing and Sessional Orders (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That standing order 31 (automatic adjournment of the House) and standing order 33 (limit on business after normal time of adjournment) be suspended for this sitting....
- Days and Hours of Meeting (4 speeches)
Regarding the management of the House, it will not surprise colleagues to hear that the Senate is not being as helpful as the House of Representatives would like it to be and the likelihood is...
- Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
- Medicare (16 speeches, 1 comment)
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's cuts to...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Public Works Committee; Approval of Work (1 speech)
I move: That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969, it is expedient to carry out the following proposed work which was referred to the Parliamentary Standing...
- Public Works Committee; Report (1 speech)
On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present the committee's report No. 3 of 2016, incorporating a dissenting report, relating to a referral made in February 2016....
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Public Works Committee; Approval of Work (5 speeches)
I give my warmest regards to the members for Dunkley and Brisbane and thank them for their great contributions to public life. I seek leave to move a motion to approve a proposed work that was...
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Statements on Indulgence (0 speeches)
- Member for Bonner, Parliament (2 speeches)
I rise on indulgence for two reasons. Obviously, a beam of sunshine has shone into this chamber tonight with contributions from incredible characters on both sides of the chamber but there is...
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I move: That the House do now adjourn. In moving the adjournment, can I thank Annette Cronin for her service as the Parliamentary Liaison Officer for the last 2½ years. And I particularly...
- Constituency Statements (0 speeches)
- Age Pension (1 speech)
Yesterday Harmony Day was celebrated in this parliament. There was a recognition, from the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Greens, of the contribution made to...
- Bradfield Electorate: St Ives Food and Wine Festival (1 speech)
I am very pleased to rise to acknowledge the contribution made in my electorate of Bradfield by the many active Rotarians throughout the electorate. I want to emphasise in particular an event...
- McEwen Electorate: Sikh New Year and Holi Festival (1 speech)
Last week, I had the great honour of attending the Sikh new year multicultural celebration as well as the Hindu Holi festival, or the festival of colours. The Sikh new year starts in Nanakshahi...
- Hume Electorate: Infrastructure (1 speech)
This time last Friday, I was admiring the Jersey cows at the famous Camden Show, now in its 130th year. The show is still true to the nation-defining origins of the region, and I commend show...
- Brisbane Electorate: Driscoll, Mr Kevin (1 speech)
I rise today to give my condolences to the family of the late Kevin Driscoll OBE, CBE, who passed away on 27 February 2016 aged 88 years. I was honoured to be present at his funeral and I would...
- Greenway Electorate: Holi Festival (1 speech)
I take this opportunity to wish everyone in the Greenway electorate and around Australia a very happy Holi. The official date of Holi is 23 March but, as we know, with these fantastic festivals...
- Deakin Electorate: Green Army (1 speech)
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to speak at the graduation for the participants involved in the Green Army project along Heatherdale Creek in Mitcham. This was the third Green...
- West Papua (1 speech)
One issue that has been raised with me on a number of occasions within my electorate is the situation that exists in West Papua. I have been contacted, and I have read widely, and I have learnt...
- Dobell Electorate: Little Creek Cheese (1 speech)
The Dobell electorate is full of high achievers across a broad spectrum, from sport to innovation. Today I rise to talk about a unique and special high achiever. Little Creek Cheese is a family...
- Harmony Day (1 speech)
Harmony Day is celebrated on Monday, 21 March and it coincides with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Harmony Day has been celebrated in Australia...
- Page Electorate: Clarence River (1 speech)
The mighty Clarence River runs through the heart of the Clarence Valley and its capital of Grafton. I would say it is the most beautiful and impressive river in this country. You cannot live in...
- Indi Electorate: Upper Ovens Valley Landcare Group (1 speech)
To the member for Page, I would like to challenge you as to the most beautiful part of the country, because today I am going to be talking about the Ovens Valley. I would particularly like to...
- Gilmore Electorate (1 speech)
On 25 February, the AEC gazetted changes to the boundaries for the seat of Gilmore. The southern part of the Shellharbour City Council was removed, and a large and beautiful part of the northern...
- Election of Senators (1 speech)
I have never been asked to grace the pages of GQ or to be a Playboy centrefold, as the current Greens party leader, Richard Di Natale, has. If they were unlikely enough to ask me, I would be...
- Fadden Electorate: School Leadership (1 speech)
I rise to acknowledge school leaders in the 28 schools in the northern Gold Coast. I congratulate them on their appointments as leaders within their schools and communities and I encourage them...
- Tenders for Townsville (1 speech)
Tenders for Townsville is about jobs. Tenders for Townsville is about how we make business work locally. Queensland is a decentralised state. Townsville is 1,400 kilometres from its capital city...
- Kingsford Smith Electorate: Vocational Education (1 speech)
I am now convinced that the Liberals and Nationals do not believe in TAFE. They are doing their best to ensure that TAFE, as a public provider of vocational educational services, withers and dies...
- Banks Electorate: St George Football Association, Sydney Today (1 speech)
On Tuesday, 8 March, I attended the St George Football Association's defibrillator presentation at St George Maso's Club. Of course, defibrillators can be used in life-threatening situations...
- Election of Senators (2 speeches)
The ballot is the thing. That was the battle cry of unions, organised labour, workers and radicals during the formative years of Australia's democracy. As a nation, we were unified and bound...
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- Syria, Turkey (1 speech)
This week is the fifth anniversary of the Syrian conflict—the worst refugee and humanitarian crisis since the Second World War. Half the Syrian pre-war population is now displaced and...
- Capricornia Electorate: Infrastructure (1 speech)
I am pleased to inform the House of the positive progress that the Turnbull-Joyce government and I are making in delivering serious and tangible infrastructure projects to my electorate of...
- Shortland Electorate: Belmont Medicare Office (2 speeches)
At the end of last year I was devastated to learn that the Turnbull government planned to close the Belmont Medicare office. At that time I wrote to the minister, and I met with the minister last...
- Forde Electorate: International Women's Day (1 speech)
it is a pleasure to rise today to recognise the wonderful work of many terrific women in my community. With International Women's Day being celebrated last week, I would like to take this...
- South Australian Jobs (1 speech)
I rise today to address the very important issue of employment and jobs in South Australia but particularly in the southern suburbs of Adelaide. Creating jobs for South Australia is important,...
- Bennelong Electorate (1 speech)
It is a great honour to represent the people of Bennelong in parliament, and I would like to take this opportunity to update the House on events and projects in my local community. Bennelong is a...
- Lalor Electorate: Water (1 speech)
One of the joys of being a resident of the electorate of Lalor is taking a drive from the growth corridor, which is situated 25 kilometres from the CBD, down to Werribee South to our agricultural...
- Braddon Electorate: Employment, Braddon Electorate: Small Business (1 speech)
It is an absolute pleasure this morning to be able to speak about some of the great things—the positive things—and the encouraging signs within the electorate of Braddon. But before I...
- Live Animal Exports (1 speech)
The Labor government introduced the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance Scheme, ESCAS, in response to the appalling cruelty to Australian cattle in Indonesia uncovered in 2011. The system attempted...
- Page Electorate: Sikh Community (1 speech)
I want to acknowledge the importance of the Sikh community in Woolgoolga and surrounds. The Woolgoolga district is a very beautiful part of our country, and it has the added bonus of having a...
- Turnbull Government (2 speeches)
With the Turnbull government's term in office nearing its end, I reflect on what can only be described as the most chaotic, shambolic and useless government in decades. In a period of just over...
- Corangamite Electorate: Infrastructure (1 speech)
I rise to express my profound concern over the appalling lack of infrastructure development we are seeing in regional Victoria. In 18 months the Andrews Labor government has not put forward for...
- Leichhardt Electorate: Energy (1 speech)
Last Saturday week I went to a celebration of my 20th anniversary of being elected to this parliament. We had a wonderful fundraiser, there, for a cancer charity called COUCH and we raised a very...
- Australia-Israel Labor Dialogue (3 speeches)
One of the rights of parliamentarians is parliamentary privilege. Its purpose is to allow elected parliamentarians to speak freely on matters of importance to the Australian public, without which...
- Taxation (1 speech)
I rise today to talk about the backpackers taxation issue that is sweeping across the country, which comes into effect on 1 July 2016. In particular, I would like to stress the importance of...
- Lyme Disease (1 speech)
When Galileo pointed to the evidence that the Earth and the other planets revolved around the sun, he was persecuted by the Catholic Church. He was forced to agree not to teach the heresy anymore...
- Swan Electorate: Bentley Hospital (1 speech)
I rise to speak about the Bentley Hospital in my electorate of Swan, but, before the member for Perth leaves, I would like to acknowledge her support for Lyme disease. I am Chair of the House of...
- Trade Unions (7 speeches)
Governments have a role to play when it comes to securing and helping to create jobs in this country. There is a lot that federal government can do when it comes to policy to help create and...
- Tasmania: Economy (1 speech)
As the member for Lyons, I am proud to be part of a government that is working for every Australian. The Turnbull Liberal coalition government is dedicated to managing and facilitating the growth...
- Chifley Electorate: Child Care (1 speech)
In my part of Western Sydney, where families have to travel considerable distances for employment and need to balance family responsibilities with work and the cost of raising a family, there are...
- Paterson Electorate: Unemployment (1 speech)
Today I rise to address the issue of unemployment in my electorate. By way of backgrounding, in 2015 over 300,000 jobs were created across the nation. That is the strongest calendar year in jobs...
- Syria (1 speech)
In early 2011, the Arab Spring was in full bloom. Authoritarian regimes in Tunisia and Egypt had been overthrown, Gaddafi was losing his grip on Libya, and mass protests were occurring in...
- Taxation, Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (1 speech)
I welcome the decision announced yesterday by the Turnbull government to put the proposed backpackers' tax on hold. I spoke against the tax in the coalition party room and made representations to...
- Scullin Electorate: Whittlesea Community Futures Partnership (1 speech)
Last week, along with my friend and colleague the member for McEwen, I met with social service providers in the city of Whittlesea, a municipality we both represent in this place, who came...
- Australia-Israel Labor Dialogue (1 speech)
I would like to conclude my remarks from earlier in the day. My speech was on the melancholy duty of MPs to use parliamentary privilege on certain judicious occasions. I was discussing the fact...
