Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to present a Bill for an Act to amend the law relating to social security and veterans’ entitlements, and for other purposes. (Social Security and Veterans’ Entitlements Legislation Amendment (One-off Payments and Other Budget Measures) Bill 2008).

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to move:

That standing order 31 (automatic adjournment of the House) be suspended for the sitting on Thursday, 15 May 2008 and at that sitting, after the Leader of the Opposition completes his reply to the Budget speech, the House automatically stand adjourned until 12 noon on Monday 26 May 2008 unless the Speaker or, in the event of the Speaker being unavailable, the Deputy Speaker, fixes an alternative day or hour of meeting.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to move:

That the House:

(1)

recognises the importance of providing state-of-the-art mental health care for the mentally ill;

(2)

acknowledges that the way to help the mentally ill rehabilitate from their illness is to improve mental health services, not cut them; and

(3)

notes that mental health services in South Australia are under threat from the State Government with the proposed sale and redevelopment of the Glenside Campus.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to move:

That the House:

(1)

recognises that:

(a)

the Kurnell Peninsula of southern Sydney is the traditional land of the Gweagal people of the Dharawal nation;

(b)

the landing site of Lieutenant James Cook on April 29, 1770 at Kurnell is the modern birthplace of our nation and is recognised on the National Heritage List;

(c)

the village of Kurnell is a strong local community comprising approximately 700 homes;

(d)

Botany Bay is a valuable marine environment providing sanctuary for migratory birdlife and habitat for territorial marine creatures; and

(e)

construction of the desalination pipeline has commenced across Botany Bay from the Kurnell Peninsula, under approval as critical infrastructure by the New South Wales State Government;

(2)

expresses concern that:

(a)

Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 in New South Wales exempts critical infrastructure projects from all planning instruments and codes that might otherwise apply, precludes third party rights of appeal and limits powers and penalties in relation to enforcement of breaches of conditions;

(b)

due to the use of Part 3A of the Act, the impacts of the construction of this pipeline on the marine environment and cultural heritage of Botany Bay and the Kurnell Peninsula are unknown; and

(c)

since construction has commenced, there have been a series of breaches in relation to the failure of silt nets to contain land fill on Silver Beach at Kurnell; sheet pilling testing has exceeded nominated noise vibration benchmarks, posing a threat to resident property; and there is concern in the community about the ongoing impacts and failures of this project; and

(3)

calls on the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts to protect the physical environment and cultural heritage of Botany Bay and the Kurnell Peninsula by requesting the New South Wales State Government to:

(a)

prepare a comprehensive environmental remediation plan to address the impact of developing the desalination plant, including the pipeline across Botany Bay;

(b)

conduct such environmental studies as are required to determine the impact of the development of the desalination plant and associated pipeline on the environment, and to make such studies available to the public;

(c)

ensure that the development of environmental remediation plans is a requirement for any future referred approvals for critical infrastructure projects to the Commonwealth by the New South Wales Government that are subject to Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979;

(d)

prepare a heritage and community remediation plan that addresses the impact and disruption caused to residents and the area by the construction of the desalination plant and associated pipeline; and

(e)

ensure the New South Wales State Government and its agents monitor and report on the ongoing impacts of the project and commit to informing residents in advance of any issues that may impact on residents or their local environment.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to move:

That the House:

(1)

notes that:

(a)

the Queensland Government will soon deliver an environmental impact assessment of its proposed Traveston Crossing Dam to the Federal Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, the Hon Peter Garrett MP, under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999;

(b)

the Traveston Crossing Dam is an expensive, inefficient, unreliable and environmentally destructive option for delivering water to Brisbane;

(c)

the Traveston Crossing Dam will displace hundreds of Mary Valley families, inundate some of the finest farm land in south east Queensland, and destroy at least $1 billion of infrastructure;

(d)

the Traveston Crossing Dam will decimate the habitat and threaten the survival of the rare or endangered Mary River turtle, the Australian lung fish, the Mary River cod and a range of other species; and

(e)

the Traveston Crossing Dam will significantly reduce water flows into the Great Sandy Straits Ramsar listed wetlands, threatening fish breeding, Dugong feeding areas and the waters of Hervey Bay and World Heritage listed Fraser Island; and

(2)

calls on the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, the Hon Peter Garrett MP to exercise his powers under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 to reject the Traveston Crossing Dam absolutely.

Russell Broadbent (McMillan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to move:

That the House:

(1)

urges the Australian Government to act to restrict any further planting of genetically modified crops in Australia, the use of genetically modified products in the manufacture of food in Australia and the sale in Australia of food products containing genetically modified material until a full, independent, scientific investigation is carried out to determine:

(a)

the level of risk to health of foodstuffs containing genetically modified organisms; and

(b)

the threat of contamination posed by genetically modified crops already planted under relaxed provisions in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria to crops and the food chain as it relates to livestock production in general on neighbouring properties; and

(2)

calls on the Australian Government, in considering its course of action, to take into consideration the commitments made by the current Prime Minister on this issue in the lead up to the 2007 Federal Election.

Jason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to move:

That the House:

(1)

notes that:

(a)

microfinance has proven to be a particularly effective and sustainable means of eradicating poverty;

(b)

microfinance borrowers, particularly women, generate income that allows them to feed, clothe, educate and care for the health of their children;

(c)

in December 2006, 93 million of the poorest people had access to microfinance services, which is a 12-fold increase since 1997;

(d)

in support of the poverty eradication goal of the Millennium Development Goals, the Microcredit Summit Campaign, launched in 1997, is working to expand microfinance to 175 million of the poorest people by 2015;

(e)

the Microcredit Summit Campaign is holding an Asia-Pacific Microcredit Summit in Bali between the 29th and 30th July 2008;

(f)

the Asia-Pacific region contains 64 per cent of the world’s population who live in absolute poverty, and as such it has a large unmet need for credit and other financial services; and

(g)

the Bali Summit is a significant opportunity to examine ways to expand the use and effectiveness of microfinance in the region and to realise the Government’s policy objective of reducing poverty in the Asia-Pacific region; and

(2)

urges the Australian Government to send the appropriate Minister and appropriate Shadow Minister as leaders of an Australian delegation to the Asia-Pacific Microcredit Summit in Bali in July 2008.

Jim Turnour (Leichhardt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to move:

That the House:

(1)

congratulates the Government on bringing down a budget that:

(a)

begins tackling Australia’s 16 year high inflation rate and puts downward pressure on interest rates so as to ease the pressure on family budgets;

(b)

delivers on the Government’s election commitments restoring confidence in an electorate cynical about political promises; and

(c)

sets out a plan to tackle the long term challenges facing the nation so as to secure our prosperity into the future.

to move:

That the House:

(1)

notes the Government’s moves to promote competition and transparency in the petrol market Australia by:

(a)

giving the consumer watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, formal monitoring power for petrol;

(b)

the appointment of Australia’s first Petrol Commissioner, Mr Pat Walker, to provide a renewed focus on the petrol market; and

(c)

the Government’s intention to introduce a National Fuel Watch Scheme.