House debates
Monday, 16 October 2017
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Petitions Committee; Report (1 speech)
Today I present the 16th report of the Petitions Committee for the 45th Parliament, together with 29 petitions and eight ministerial responses to petitions previously presented. I also present...
- Petitions (0 speeches)
- Responses (1 speech)
I present the following ministerial responses to petitions previously presented.
- Business (0 speeches)
- Rearrangement (1 speech)
At the request of the member for Melbourne, I fix Monday, 23 October as the day for presenting the Coal-Fired Power Funding Prohibition Bill 2017.
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Private Members' Business (0 speeches)
- Australia-US Relations (11 speeches)
It gives me great pleasure this morning to stand in our great Parliament House and speak on the motion moved by the member for Canning on the relationship between Australia and the USA. It...
- Catheter Ablation (7 speeches)
I move: That this House: (1) acknowledges the outstanding work of hearts4hearts and its CEO Ms Tanya Hall in promoting awareness and improved treatment of cardiac arrhythmias; (2) notes that: (a)...
- Business (0 speeches)
- Leave of Absence (1 speech)
I move: That leave of absence from today until the end of the current period of sittings be given to the honourable member for Perth for parental leave purposes and leave of absence from 16 to 19...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Public Accounts and Audit Committee; Report (4 speeches)
On behalf of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit, I present the committee's report entitled Report 465: Commonwealth procurement. Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with...
- Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security; Report (1 speech)
On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, I present the following reports: Review of the re-listing of Boko Haram and Islamic State as terrorist organisations...
- Public Works Committee; Report (1 speech)
On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present the committee's report entitled Referrals made June 2017 (7th report of 2017). Report made a parliamentary paper in...
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Statements by Members (0 speeches)
- International Day of Peace (1 speech)
In the parliamentary break, Parramatta Mission hosted its annual interfaith prayer service to mark the International Day of Peace. I was invited to light the peace candle and I now would like to...
- Mackellar Electorate: Illicit Drugs (1 speech)
On 19 September this year, tragedy unfolded in my electorate of Mackellar. An Avalon mother, a hairdresser and valued member of our community, was tragically stabbed to death by her own son....
- Mogadishu: Attacks (1 speech)
I rise to send my sincere condolences to the family and friends of those affected by the horrifying terrorist attack in Mogadishu, Somalia on the weekend. On Saturday two deadly car bombs were...
- Seacliff Surf Life Saving Club (1 speech)
On Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending the Seacliff Surf Life Saving Club's open day and season launch. We were blessed with beautiful weather, which made a great day even better for the...
- Norfolk Island (1 speech)
Last week, on my second visit to Norfolk Island, my final for this year, I met with the Banyan Park Playcentre management committee to discuss the challenges they are facing on the road to a...
- Murray Darling Medical School (1 speech)
For many years, our country communities have been suffering because of the chronic shortages of doctors in the bush. Country people know there is an abundance of doctors in the cities, and they...
- Change Makers Project (1 speech)
Thiha is from Burma and Hussein is from Iraq, and they are mates. They are students at Woodridge State High School, and they are change makers. Their journey and friendship is one of a number of...
- Pickard, Mr Troy (1 speech)
On behalf of the community, I wish to commend Mayor Troy Pickard for completing 11 years of dedicated service as mayor of the City of Joondalup. Mayor Pickard was first elected in 2006, following...
- Victoria: Public Housing (1 speech)
You would think that, with housing out of control in Melbourne and over 35,000 people stuck on waiting lists for public housing, governments would be building new public housing on the scale that...
- Canning Electorate: Agricultural Shows (1 speech)
On Saturday, 7 October, I had the pleasure of attending two important events on the Canning agricultural calendar: the Live Lighter Perth Hills Festival and the Waroona Show. The Live Lighter...
- Australian Netball Diamonds: Constellation Cup (1 speech)
I rise today on behalf of the Parliamentary Friends of Netball to congratulate the Australian Netball Diamonds on their clean sweep in the Constellation Cup across the last two weeks. After a...
- Great Ocean Road: Infrastructure (1 speech)
Yesterday was a great day of celebration when I joined local residents in Moggs Creek, a beautiful hamlet between Aireys Inlet and Lorne on the Great Ocean Road, to celebrate the announcement of...
- Australian Netball Diamonds: Constellation Cup (1 speech)
I am very pleased to join the member for Lalor in congratulating the Australian Netball Diamonds on their four-nil clean sweep of the Constellation Cup after a convincing 16-point win over the...
- Page Electorate: South Grafton Public School (1 speech)
This Saturday will mark a major milestone for the South Grafton Public School. The school turns 150. The committee, teachers and students are preparing for a wonderful day of celebrations. I...
- Broadband (1 speech)
For the last four weeks while parliament has been in recess, the Leader of the Opposition has been working hard to shine a light on the incompetence and inadequacies of this Prime...
- Renewable Energy (1 speech)
I'm here to speak on the Deception Bay Dragons Football Club and the Lions Recycle For Sight organisation in Redcliffe, who have both benefitted from the Australian government's solar grants. I...
- Defence Facilities: Chemical Contamination (1 speech)
Last Monday night's airing on the ABC of Four Corners gave visual representation to the volume of PFAS-laden firefighting foam that was allowed to leach into my community's aquifer and earth. It...
- Turner, Mr Christopher (1 speech)
Whilst being back in the electorate of Swan, I caught up with Christopher Turner and his mum Alex to hear about his trip to Canberra in August. Chris is a year 8 student at Aquinas College. He...
- Holden (3 speeches)
Yesterday, in the city of Elizabeth, the Holden Dream Cruise was held. Thousands of Australians came to pay their respects to an industry that provided employment for generations of workers and...
- Therapeutic Goods Administration (2 speeches)
I would like to raise some concerns that have been expressed to me by constituents in my electorate of the Therapeutic Goods Administration decision to change codeine from a schedule 2 to a...
- Condolences (0 speeches)
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Energy (26 speeches)
My questions to the Prime Minister. On 9 June the energy minister stated: 'The Prime Minister said it very clearly in his press conference: there are a number of virtues for the clean energy...
- Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I would like to inform the House we have present in the gallery this afternoon Mr Ross McLean AM, former member for Perth. On behalf of the House I extend a very warm welcome to you. Honourable...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Energy (17 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. After the government scrapped the carbon price, pollution went up. It went up in 2015, again in 2016, and this year too, making climate change worse. Over...
- Billson, Mr Bruce (5 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. On 10 August the Prime Minister promised to conduct an investigation into whether Bruce Billson had breached ministerial standards by lobbying MPs on matters...
- North Korea (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Will the minister update the House on how the government, as part of international efforts, is working to peacefully resolve tensions arising...
- Broadband (4 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. NBN Co has recently revealed that it spent $177 million of taxpayers' money buying over 15 million metres of new copper. Why is the government still...
- Trade Unions (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Defence Industry representing the Minister for Employment. Will the minister outline to the House why it is important that leaders of unions and employer...
- Broadband (2 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. We are now in the fifth year of this Prime Minister's mismanagement of the NBN. Is the Prime Minister aware that students at the Central Coast Rudolf Steiner...
- Law Enforcement, Trade Unions (7 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Will the minister update the House on action the government is taking to protect—
- Broadband (2 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Elizabeth and her family live in Warnervale in my electorate. Is the Prime Minister aware that her whole street can't connect to the NBN, even though her...
- Crime (14 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 measures the government is taking to protect our...
- Broadband (5 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that because of his mismanagement of the NBN Australia has now slipped to 50th place in the world for internet speeds, behind...
- Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (3 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Health. Will the minister update the House on how the coalition's prudent economic management enables the government to list vital drugs which save and improve...
- Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
- (10 speeches)
Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
- Questions to the Speaker (0 speeches)
- Questions in Writing (2 speeches)
Mr Speaker, in accordance with standing order 105(b), I ask that you write to the Minister for Social Services seeking reasons for the delay in answering questions in writing. The relevant...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Auditor-General's Reports (0 speeches)
- Reports Nos 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 of 2017-18 (1 speech)
I present the Auditor-General's Audit reports for 2017-18 entitled Audit report No. 8, Administration of the Freedom of Information Act 1982; Audit report No. 9, Management of the...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I would like to make an important announcement and inform the House that we have joining us in the chamber this afternoon a delegation from Ireland, led by His Excellency Mr Michael Higgins, the...
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- Telecommunications (1 speech)
Since I was elected to parliament four years ago there has been rarely a week in my electorate office where we haven't received complaints about inadequate television reception. I have been...
- Battle of Beersheba: 100th Anniversary (1 speech)
As the sun rose on 31 October 1917, 40,000 Allied troops charged towards the small town of Beersheba to fight in what would be later known as one of Australia's greatest victories in the First...
- Australian Health Humanitarian Aid (1 speech)
In the worlds of Nelson Mandela: Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome...
- Lenton, Mr Graham 'Butch' (1 speech)
Tonight I rise to pay homage to a good friend of mine, Graham 'Butch' Lenton, the Mayor of Winton, who tragically lost his fight against cancer on 1 October this year. Winton is a small outback...
- Defence Facilities: Chemical Contamination (1 speech)
I commend the member for Maranoa for his brave speech this evening. It is really quite synchronistic that he spoke about cancer and that he spoke about unfinished business, because in the last 15...
- Nauti-Craft Pty Ltd (1 speech)
Nauti-Craft has just won a prestigious 2017 Maritime Australia industry innovation award. Nauti-Craft are a research and development company based in Dunsborough in my electorate. They designed...
- Constituency Statements (0 speeches)
- Oates, Councillor Meg (1 speech)
I rise today to speak to the chamber about my very good friend Meg Oates and to congratulate her for serving on Campbelltown City Council for 30 continuous years—a remarkable achievement....
- Canning Electorate: Calming Moments (1 speech)
Last week I was introduced to some small business owners with an exceptional story, right in the heart of Mandurah, in Canning. Their business was brought to my attention by Mandurah's Employment...
- Kingston Electorate: Community Centres (1 speech)
I rise today to acknowledge and thank the many dedicated people who run and volunteer in our community centres in the southern suburbs of Adelaide. It is the time of the year where many local...
- North Sydney Electorate: North Sydney Community Awards (1 speech)
I have reflected in this parliament before on the extraordinary community I have the honour to represent. Our beautiful harbour-side location has shaped the character of our area, but it is the...
- Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (1 speech)
Can you imagine growing up without a mum or a dad and never meeting your brothers or sisters—never even knowing that they existed? Imagine being alone in a big orphanage and being...
- Leukaemia Foundation (1 speech)
My 100-kay walk for the Leukaemia Foundation set off last week in Sydney. We're only six days in, but already it's been a heartwarming event full of characters' stories of survival and, of...
- Parramatta Electorate: Parramatta Park (1 speech)
Who'd have thought we'd be seeing yet another Berejiklian state government land grab in Western Sydney and, once again, in Parramatta Park—this time, close to a quarter of the park....
- Mental Health (1 speech)
I rise today to commend the efforts of the Mayor of Manningham, Councillor Michelle Kleinert, to bring headspace programs to the municipality. I had the pleasure of being at the annual mayoral...
- Newcastle Electorate: Local Sporting Champions (1 speech)
I rise today to recognise the incredible wealth of young sporting talent in my electorate of Newcastle. Newcastle has a proud sporting history and a culture that embraces a healthy outdoors life....
- Gold Coast Disabled Surfers Association (2 speeches)
I have spoken often in this chamber about the wonderful natural attractions in my electorate of McPherson on the southern Gold Coast, with not the least of those being our world-famous beaches....
- Private Members' Business (0 speeches)
- Coral Bleaching (9 speeches)
I move: That this House: (1) notes that the: (a) last three years have seen an unprecedented global coral bleaching event which has had a devastating impact on many coral reefs ecosystems around...
- Stronger Communities Program (9 speeches)
I move: That this House: (1) notes that: (a) applications are now open for Round Three of the Stronger Communities Programme (SCP); (b) the SCP has: (i) invested in thousands of worthwhile...
- Food, Beverage and Grocery Industry (9 speeches)
I move: That this House: (1) acknowledges the important contribution that the Australian food, beverage and grocery industry and its workers make to the Australian economy including: (a) creating...
- Trade Unions (11 speeches)
I move: That this House: (1) notes that trade union malfeasance has cost taxpayers around 30 per cent, and possibly more, of their investment in recent infrastructure projects, and has led to...
- Victoria: Regional Development Australia (5 speeches)
I move: That this House: (1) acknowledges the good work of the Northern Melbourne Regional Development Australia (RDA) committee; (2) condemns the Government for shutting down the Northern...
- Statements by Members (0 speeches)
- McHappy Day (1 speech)
It's always a pleasure to rise in the Federation Chamber and share some of the great things going on in our electorates. Today I would like to thank the hundreds of people who dug deep over the...
- Hellyers Road Distillery (1 speech)
I rise today to congratulate the Hellyers Road Distillery, which is in my electorate of Braddon, on their success in winning the Tasmanian Exporter of the Year Award. The Hellyers Road Distillery...
- Gympie (1 speech)
The National Trust and my local daily newspaper, The Gympie Times, have put together a great commemorative book—Heritage Wonders of the Gympie Regioncelebrating 150 years since James Nash...
- Scullin Electorate: Bubup Wilam Aboriginal Child and Family Centre (1 speech)
I am incredibly proud of the vital work done by the Bubup Wilam Aboriginal Child and Family Centre in my electorate, in the suburb of Thomastown. I have spoken about their work on many occasions....
- Armistice Centenary Grants Program (1 speech)
I rise to commend the Australian government's Armistice Centenary Grants Program and to officially let people in my electorate of Robertson know that this new round of grant funding is now open....
- National Carers Week (1 speech)
This week marks National Carers Week, this year running from 15 to 21 October, with events being held across Australia. Once again this week, all Australians will be given the opportunity to...
- Western Australia: Gold Royalties (1 speech)
I rise to commend my colleagues in the WA Liberal Party, particularly Kyran O'Donnell, the member for Kalgoorlie, for blocking the gold tax increase that threatened thousands of jobs in my...
- Solomon Electorate: Higher Education (1 speech)
I rise today to talk about the drastic impacts that the federal government's reforms to higher education will have on Charles Darwin University in my electorate and the job losses that will come...
- Energy (1 speech)
Energy policy is rightly the flavour at the moment to make sure that we can deliver reliable and affordable power to Australian households but also to Australian industry. Part of the challenge...
- Mayo Electorate: Lenswood (1 speech)
Yesterday, I had the honour of attending the 100th anniversary of the town of Lenswood in the Adelaide Hills. Today, Lenswood is synonymous with apples and horticultural innovation. Most of South...
- La Trobe Electorate: Dandenong Ranges Feeding Group (1 speech)
I had a fantastic Saturday night at the Dandenong Ranges Feeding Group's annual fundraiser. They organise catering for the 15 brigades in the Dandenong Ranges and for all emergency services...
- Lyons Electorate: Flight Paths (1 speech)
I don't know whether it's arrogance or incompetence or a bit of both, but it is really highlighted by the issue about recent changes to flight paths at Hobart airport. The flight path moved over...
- FELTON, Ms Judith (1 speech)
I rise today to acknowledge the retirement of Judith Felton, a remarkable educator who has served as principal of Hunter's Hill High School for almost two decades. Ms Felton's passion for her...
- Child Care (1 speech)
A lot of media reports highlight that government rebates have failed to keep pace with increasing childcare costs. That's forcing many working families to pay full fees. Parents are not able to...
- National Security (1 speech)
I rise to thank the Prime Minister and the premiers regarding the updated Intergovernmental Agreement on Australia's National Counter-Terrorism Arrangements reached at COAG and, in particular,...
- Veterans (1 speech)
On Saturday, 21 October, from 2 pm, Veterans off the Streets Australia, VOTSA, will kick off Veterans' Health Week 2017 by hosting a community sleep-out at Strand Park in Townsville. I will be...
- Manningham Interfaith Network (1 speech)
I rise this afternoon to commend the Manningham Interfaith Network on the series of activities they organise each year within the municipality. Yesterday morning, a beautiful spring morning, I...
- Macquarie Electorate: St Matthew's Anglican Church (1 speech)
On 11 October 1817, the foundation stone for St Matthew's Windsor Anglican Church was laid. At Sunday's service to mark the bicentenary of this Francis Greenway-designed church, it was noted that...
- Leukaemia Foundation, Imbruvica (1 speech)
After a highly successful 100-kay walk around my electorate in 2015, I have again returned to the streets, this time walking 100 kays in aid of the Leukaemia Foundation. I started this walk on 6...
- Petition: Climate Change (2 speeches)
Recently it was my pleasure to receive the Fenner Community Climate Petition from a delegation from Daramalan College, in my electorate. I thank teacher Andrew Digan and students Sarah Thomson...
- Chisholm Electorate: Multiculturalism (1 speech)
Chisholm is one of Australia's most culturally diverse electorates, where over 100 languages are spoken, and different community groups celebrate cultural events and enjoy together their...
- Norfolk Island Reforms (1 speech)
Last week I was on Norfolk Island, which is in my electorate, for my second visit this year and my last for 2017. Fifteen months into the reform process, it was great to see the new pathology lab...
- Mallee Electorate: Kokoda Trail (1 speech)
The electorate of Mallee produces wonderful things. One of the great things we produce is our young Australians—but it doesn't just happen; we have people who care about them. Recently I...
- Parramatta Electorate: The Hills School (1 speech)
Last week I received a package from The Hills School that contained an invitation to meet students in Canberra, two packets of spice mix—Italian seasoning and piri-piri—and a recipe...
- McMillan Electorate: South Gippsland Shire Brass Band (1 speech)
On Saturday there was a very important function at Leongatha, which I will talk about another time when I have more time. But at that function was the South Gippsland Shire Brass Band. They were...
- Longman Electorate: Broadband (1 speech)
I have to say that it was pretty exhausting sitting in question time today, when we were all subjected to repeated claims by the Prime Minister that his rollout of the NBN has gone ahead without...
- Wright Electorate: Local Sporting Champions Program (1 speech)
I rise to celebrate the success of some of the young sportswomen and sportsmen of my electorate. Congratulations to the Wright recipients of round 1 of this year's Local Sporting Champions grants...
- Lindsay Electorate: Infrastructure (1 speech)
Where is the fair go for the west? I proudly represent my home town and I am prepared to fight every day for what's fair. My community are being taken for a ride by the Berejiklian and Turnbull...
- Adani Carmichael Coalmine (2 speeches)
Not all terrorists strap explosives to themselves to prove their political point or to force governments to meet their demands; some activists threaten lives, including their own, by standing in...
- Private Members' Business (0 speeches)
- Peacekeeping Operations: 70th Anniversary (10 speeches)
I move: That this House: (1) recognises: (a) 14 September 2017 marks the 70th anniversary of Australia' s involvement in international peacekeeping; and (b) the important and unique role...
- Mental Health (13 speeches)
I move: That this House: (1) notes that: (a) according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures one in five Australians report having a mental or behavioural condition, while the prevalence is...
- Climate Change (13 speeches)
I move: That this House: (1) notes that: (a) the scientific consensus about climate change, and particularly the role of human activity in driving it, is undeniable; (b) the case for real and...
- Coal (4 speeches)
It gives me great pleasure to make a contribution to the private member's motion from the member for Dawson. I'm going to outline what the motion speaks to. There are five parts to it. The first...
