House debates
Tuesday, 21 March 2017
- Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Statements by Members (0 speeches)
- Harmony Day (1 speech)
This Harmony Day I have had the privilege of receiving at Parliament House three guests from Amity College, Prestons, in my electorate. It was a pleasure to show this place to these two...
- Multiculturalism (1 speech)
Yesterday's release of the government's multicultural statement, Multicultural Australia: United, Strong and Successful, is a timely renewal of our commitment to a strong and prosperous...
- Harmony Day (1 speech)
The electorate of Solomon, encompassing Darwin and Palmerston, is one of the most multicultural and harmonious electorates in Australia. Today in Solomon, schools are holding special assemblies...
- Multiculturalism (1 speech)
This government's multicultural statement is apt for all Australians. Our nation owes its success to more than 300 different ancestries—our First Australians, our British and Irish settlers...
- Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (1 speech)
The Prime Minister has just announced that he is going to make it legal to offend, insult or humiliate people based on the colour of their skin. This is not us. This is not the sort of country we...
- Bridges Renewal Program (1 speech)
I rise today to announce the opening of round three of the federal government's $360 million Bridges Renewal Program. Why is this program so important to the bush? Road networks are vital to the...
- Racial Discrimination Act (1 speech)
It is a real shame that on a day like today, Harmony Day, when we celebrate this nation's multicultural beliefs and acknowledge our citizens who have come from every corner of the world, that the...
- Political Correctness (2 speeches)
Political correctness is the enemy of freedom. And what a formidable enemy it is, for it cleverly claims the high moral ground from which it then wields a two-edged sword—one that preys on...
- Workplace Relations (1 speech)
Last night Australians who watched the 7.30 program would have seen the Third World conditions being promoted by this government at Sydney Airport. We see at Sydney Airport appalling conditions...
- Wide Bay Electorate: Older Women's Network (1 speech)
It was a great pleasure to meet with members of the Older Women's Network Gympie branch to celebrate the achievements of women as part of International Women's Day during Queensland Women's Week....
- Workplace Relations (1 speech)
I also rise today to share with the House my concern at the disturbing footage obtained by the ABC and aired on the 7.30 report last night, showing the impact of inadequate pay and poor working...
- Barker Electorate: Community Events (1 speech)
I rise today to speak about the South East Field Days held at Lucindale last weekend. The South East Field Days event is by far the largest event of its type in my electorate and it attracts...
- Australian Federal Police (1 speech)
I rise today in defence of the hundreds of Australian Federal Police and their families who face a 35 per cent wage cut under this government. While I know that these dedicated men and women will...
- Karratha Clontarf Academy (1 speech)
I am pleased to speak about the enthusiastic young students from the Karratha Clontarf Academy, whom I hosted in my electorate office in Broome last week. The Clontarf Foundation aims to improve...
- Australian Federal Police (1 speech)
AFP officers have not received a pay rise for two years and now 280 of them are facing pay cuts of up to 35 per cent of their wage. This from a government that prides itself on being tough on...
- Regional Employment (1 speech)
I rise today to give support to the work of the Regional Ministerial Taskforce, announced by the Prime Minister to promote jobs and growth in our rural, regional and remote areas. Rural, regional...
- Australian Federal Police (1 speech)
A number of my colleagues have talked today about the devastating impact that cuts to penalty rates for 700,000 of the poorest paid workers in this country will have. It turns out that those...
- Fadden Electorate: International Boat Show (1 speech)
I was proud last Friday to officially open the seventh Gold Coast international boat show and marine expo in the fabulous Gold Coast Marine Precinct. It was the largest ever expo and the first in...
- Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (1 speech)
I can see why many Australians think that the coalition's obsession with watering down the Racial Discrimination Act is simply irrelevant. Watering down section 18C will not create jobs; it will...
- Gilmore Electorate: Mind the Gap (2 speeches)
On Friday, 17 March I joined University of Wollongong's Professor Alison Jones, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, Professor Robbie Collins from the Shoalhaven Campus,...
- Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
The Minister for Foreign Affairs is absent overseas on official business in Washington, and the Treasurer will take questions on her behalf.
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (5 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Today is Harmony Day—the international day for the elimination of racial discrimination. Why, on today of all days, has the Prime Minister chosen to...
- Renewable Energy (2 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister advise the House how the government's recent energy announcements will make renewable energy reliable for households and businesses,...
- Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (5 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister has claimed that today's changes to section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act are about increasing freedom of speech. What forms of racial...
- Energy (2 speeches)
My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources. Will the Deputy Prime Minister update the House on why energy reliability is important for...
- Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (8 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. As someone who has been subjected to racism time and time again as I was growing up and even in my life now, please give me an answer: what exactly does the...
- Climate Change (2 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Senior members of the US military and national security establishment last night warned on Four Corners that climate change is a massive security threat,...
- Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Before I call the member for Murray, I have a couple of welcomes. I would like to inform the House we have present in the gallery this afternoon a delegation visiting from the United Arab...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Energy (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for the Environment and Energy. I refer the minister to the situation of Pullar Cold Storage in Cobram in my electorate of Murray, which is experiencing significant...
- Workplace Relations (11 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. The ABC has today revealed that workers at Sydney airport are sleeping rough between shifts in their own workplace because they cannot afford to go home...
- Energy (4 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. Will the minister update the House on why affordable and reliable energy is important for successful Australian manufacturing and...
- Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I inform the House that we have present in the gallery this afternoon a delegation from the United States of America, hosted by the Australian Political Exchange Council. On behalf of the House I...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Workplace Relations (13 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister, and I refer to these reports today—
- Energy (8 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Health and Minister for Sport. I refer the minister to media reports that show that multiple hospitals in New South Wales faced an influx of presentations to...
- Workplace Relations (10 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. The Reserve Bank of Australia has today said that growth in labour market incomes had been unusually weak and 'if it were to persist, would have implications...
- Taxation (6 speeches)
My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer update the House on how the government is ensuring that multinational companies pay tax on what they earn in Australia? How does Australia's...
- Workplace Relations (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Defence Industry representing the Minister for Employment. How does the government's commitment to industrial relations reform help protect employees' pay and...
- Taxation (2 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. On 9 September last year, when asked to name his greatest achievement since deposing the former Prime Minister, the member for Warringah, the current Prime...
- National Security (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Will the minister update the House on actions the government has taken to protect hardworking Australian families from...
- Taxation (4 speeches)
My question is to the Treasurer. Days after last year's budget the Treasurer said, 'At the centre of our plan for jobs and growth is a 10-year enterprise tax plan.' Is the Treasurer still...
- Small Business (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Small Business. Will the minister advise the House how union behaviour is impacting on small business, leaving mum and dad small business owners suffering at...
- Economy (6 speeches)
Wages growth is at record lows, underemployment is at record highs and the unemployment rate has increased to nearly six per cent. Is the Prime Minister still committed to his entire $50 billion...
- Trade Union Joint Police Task Force (7 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Justice and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Counter-Terrorism. Will the minister update the House on the work of the Trade Union Joint Police Task...
- 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.
- Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
- Racial Discrimination Act (18 speeches)
I have received a letter from the honourable member for Watson proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely: The need to protect...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Human Rights Committee; Report (1 speech)
The behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, I present the committee's report entitled Human rights scrutiny report 2 of 2017. Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance...
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- Western Australia State Election (1 speech)
At 6 pm on Saturday, 11 March, as the polls drew to a close throughout Western Australia, something historic was about to occur. One by one, as the scrutineers did their job and the ballots were...
- Chisholm Electorate: Harmony Day (1 speech)
I rise very proudly on this Harmony Day as the representative of Chisholm. Chisholm was created in 1949—fittingly, the same year my father migrated to this country as a 15-year-old boy,...
- Climate Change (1 speech)
I think it is unfathomable that there is so little discussion in this place these days about climate change, and I think it is unforgivable that the government is showing so little interest in...
- Australian Society (1 speech)
On a quiet Tuesday evening there is value in talking about first principles. Australia has one of the highest standards of living in the world. We have beautiful sunshine, great rivers and great...
- Education Funding (1 speech)
Tomorrow the Gonski bus will pull up outside this place. The bus has travelled Australia hearing from teachers and students about the marvellous difference that Gonski funding is making in...
- McMillan Electorate: Karmai Community Children's Centre, Korumburra (3 speeches)
The spirit of a country community skyrockets when they are doing something for their children. Representatives from all over Korumburra and district gathered to celebrate the opening of the...
- Constituency Statements (0 speeches)
- Inglewood on Beaufort (1 speech)
I rise to pay tribute to a wonderful community organisation that is existing and thriving in the centre of my electorate of Perth, and that is the good people of Inglewood on Beaufort. This...
- Farrer Electorate: Employment (1 speech)
Today I want to address the issue of jobs and employment in my electorate of Farrer. Right now, the jobs trend in Farrer is generally in positive territory, which I am sure is in part due to the...
- Asylum Seekers (1 speech)
I understand that today it is Persian New Year. But for many who celebrate this, including many who I represent in Scullin, it comes at a time of deep anxiety, not of celebration. Under this...
- Western Australian State Election (1 speech)
At the recent WA state election, there was a change of government. I accept the result of the election, and I accept the change of government. Such are the swings and roundabouts of politics. The...
- Workplace Relations (1 speech)
I rise today to speak about a constituent of mine, young Callum. Callum comes to visit me every now and then, and we have our little chats. He is studying international relations and Japanese,...
- Sunshine Coast (1 speech)
The experts agree: Queensland's Sunshine Coast is on a roll. With proper management and strong representation, it has one of the brightest futures of any region in the country. Bernard Salt, one...
- Early Childhood Education (1 speech)
Across Australia there are almost two million children who attend child care. The vast majority of these are aged between zero and five and they attend childcare centres before they are old...
- Meningococcal Disease (1 speech)
I rise today to again speak about meningococcal disease, a disease that has had a strong effect on my community, particularly in the Riverland. Meningococcus is an acute bacterial infection that...
- Herbert Electorate: Veterans (1 speech)
I rise in this place today to tell the Turnbull government to back off on any thoughts, actions or processes currently underway to close the Townsville Department of Veterans' Affairs office....
- Dunkley Electorate: Fundraising (2 speeches)
This last weekend was a weekend of community fundraising in Dunkley. The sheer number of events that occurred is one of the many factors that make me very proud to be part of our generous...
- Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
- Military Commemorations (9 speeches)
The Anzac Centenary period, 2014 to 2018, honours the service and sacrifice of our original Anzacs and the generations of Australian service men and women who have defended our values and...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Standing Committee on Environment and Energy; Report (10 speeches)
I begin by thanking the House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy for undertaking this inquiry into flying fox management in the eastern states. In particular, I...
- Governor General's Speech (0 speeches)
- Address-in-Reply (5 speeches)
It is great to stand here and speak on the address-in-reply to the Governor-General's address to open the new parliament after the last election. I will start by saying it is always a privilege...
- Grievance Debate (0 speeches)
- Turnbull Government (1 speech)
My grievance tonight is about a government that has no clear plan to uplift the nation, a government that has no vision and a government that has no sense of purpose. It wasted its time in...
- Banks Electorate (1 speech)
I am pleased to have the opportunity this evening to highlight a number of important organisations that are doing great work in my community of Banks. On 4 March I attended the Way In Network's...
- Workplace Relations (1 speech)
I rise in this grievance debate to talk about a very important issue. It is the Department of Human Services' current bargaining with the CPSU on behalf of the many thousands of people that work...
- Calare Electorate: Community Groups (2 speeches)
Tonight I bring to the attention of the House the work of our wonderful community groups, who play a vital role in keeping our rural and regional communities strong. As a local member, I have had...
- Corio Electorate: G21 Delegation (1 speech)
Tomorrow night I will be welcoming to this parliament the G21 delegation from Geelong. The G21 is a group which brings together five regional councils around Geelong, including the City of...
- Broadband (1 speech)
In contributing to this grievance debate, I wish to raise the importance of delivering more timely access to high-speed broadband internet services in developing the digital economy for our...
