Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present report No. 8 of the Selection Committee, relating to the consideration of committee and delegation business and private members' business on Monday, 20 March 2017. The report will be printed in the Hansard for today, and the committee's determinations will appear on tomorrow's Notice Paper. Copies of the report have been placed at the table.

The report read as follows—

Report relating to the consideration of committee and delegation business and of private Members ' business

1. The committee met in private session on Tuesday, 28 February 2017.

2. The committee determined the order of precedence and times to be allotted for consideration of committee and delegation business and private Members' business on Monday, 20 March 2017 as follows:

Items for House of Representatives Chamber (10.10 am to 12 noon)

PRIVATE MEMBERS ' BUSINESS

Notices

1 MR SHORTEN: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the Fair Work Act 2009, and for related purposes. (Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Take Home Pay) Bill 2017)

(Notice given 27 February 2017.)

Presenter may speak to the second reading for a period not exceeding 10 minutes—pursuant to standing order 41. Debate must be adjourned pursuant to standing order 142.

2 MR BANDT: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the Fair Work Act 2009, and for related purposes. (Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Weekend Pay and Penalty Rates) Bill 2017)

(Notice given 27 February 2017.)

Presenter may speak to the second reading for a period not exceeding 10 minutes—pursuant to standing order 41. Debate must be adjourned pursuant to standing order 142.

3 MR WILKIE: To present a Bill for an Act to restrict the export of live animals for slaughter pending its prohibition, and for related purposes. (Live Animal Export Prohibition (Ending Cruelty) Bill 2017)

(Notice given 28 February 2017.)

Presenter may speak to the second reading for a period not exceeding 10 minutes—pursuant to standing order 41. Debate must be adjourned pursuant to standing order 142.

4 MS MCGOWAN: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the National Land Transport Act 2014, and for related purposes. (National Land Transport Amendment (Best Practice Rail Investment) Bill 2017)

(Notice given 28 February 2017.)

Presenter may speak to the second reading for a period not exceeding 10 minutes—pursuant to standing order 41. Debate must be adjourned pursuant to standing order 142.

5 MS O ' TOOLE: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) families in regional and rural Australia rely on penalty rates to survive;

(b) the Fair Work Commission's (FWC's) decision to cut penalty rates will hurt retail and hospitality workers and their families in regional and rural Australia;

(c) the take home pay of families in regional and rural Australia will be severely impacted as a result of the FWC's decision to cut Sunday and public holiday penalty rates for retail and hospitality workers;

(d) cutting penalty rates in regional and rural areas would also have a devastating flow-on impact for regional economies; and

(e) the McKell institute estimates that disposable income in regional areas will fall by between $174.6 and $748.3 million if penalty rates are cut in hospitality and retail awards;

(2) condemns Government Members and Senators who called for cuts to penalty rates and their continuous pressuring of the FWC to reduce penalty rates; and

(3) calls on:

(a) Government Members and Senators to stand with Labor to protect low paid workers take home pay; and

(b) the House to support Labor's Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Take Home Pay) Bill 2017, to amend the Fair Work Act 2009.

(Notice given 28 February 2017.)

Time allotted—30 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Ms O ' Toole—5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.

6 MR HASTIE: To move:

That this House:

(1) recognises the strong historic relationship that exists between Australia and the United States of America;

(2) acknowledges the Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty, which for the past 65 years has provided for our mutual defence, anchored regional stability, and spurred economic growth;

(3) notes the many ties that bind our nations together, in areas including:

(a) intelligence and law enforcement, where information sharing and coordination are at all-time highs, which has led to the prevention of far more terrorist attacks than have occurred;

(b) security cooperation, in which Australia has made valuable contributions in the past 15 years to the United States-led campaigns against terror in Afghanistan, Iraq and across the Middle East, noting as well that the United States Force Posture Initiatives in Australia, launched in 2012, have and will continue to enhance the readiness and interoperability of our militaries;

(c) trade, with the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement in particular having expanded the flow of fair, free, and high-standard trade between our countries for 12 years;

(d) investment, recognising that the United States is Australia's largest foreign investor, and the top destination for Australian investment, with mutual investment by the United States and Australia in each other's economies having grown to nearly AUD$2 trillion; and

(e) political engagement, including the frequent exchange of politicians, officials and dignitaries between our nations, recognising in particular that over the last three years alone, the President, Vice President, and half of the President's cabinet has visited Australia, as well as more than 100 congressional delegations and prominent United States governors; and

(4) affirms that our nations' mutual and long-standing commitment to freedom, democracy and the pursuit of happiness will continue to guide and shape our relationship into the future, through both challenging and prosperous times ahead.

(Notice given 27 February 2017.)

Time allotted—remaining private Members ' business time prior to 12 noon

Speech time limits—

Mr Hastie—5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.

Items for Federation Chamber (11 am to 1.30 pm)

PRIVATE MEMBERS ' BUSINESS

Notices

1 MS CLAYDON: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that International Women's Day:

(a) was celebrated on Thursday 8 March, with this year's theme being Be Bold for Change; and

(b) is an important time to reflect on Australia's achievements in advancing gender equality, but also recommit to action to break through remaining barriers, including:

(i) gender pay inequity, which has remained unbalanced for two decades and currently sits at 17 per cent;

(ii) representation of women in leadership, with gender equality in the Federal Parliament not likely to be achieved until 2046 on the current trajectory; and

(iii) violence against women, which results in one Australian woman being killed by a partner or former partner on average every week;

(2) calls on the Government to:

(a) stand up for female workers and oppose cuts to penalty rates that will exacerbate the existing gender pay gap;

(b) abandon plans to cut Paid Parental Leave which will see 70,000 new mothers worse off each year;

(c) rule out cuts to women's refuges currently funded through the National Affordable Housing Agreement; and

(d) abandon cuts to community legal centres that assist women and children escaping family violence.

(Notice given 28 February 2017.)

Time allotted—40 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Ms Claydon—5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.

2 MS M. L. LANDRY: To move:

That this House notes that:

(1) the Australian coal industry plays a vital role in the creation of jobs and investment in this country, particularly in central Queensland;

(2) coal-fired power stations have an ongoing role in Australia in ensuring consistent, affordable and safe supply of electricity for all Australians;

(3) while acknowledging the current and future growth of renewable energy sources in Australia, energy sourced from coal will continue to be a major contributor to our national energy output for the foreseeable future; and

(4) major resource company directors in Australia have flagged concerns that a lack of 'energy security' in Australia would make major minerals and resources projects unviable, deterring future international investment and harming jobs and growth.

(Notice given 27 February 2017.)

Time allotted—40 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Ms M. L. Landry—5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.

3 MS T. M. BUTLER: To move:

That this House:

(1) commends the work funded by the Australian Development Assistance program through bilateral, multilateral and non-government organisation partners like Save the Children, to strengthen governance, democracy and vulnerable communities across Myanmar;

(2) is cognisant of and concurs with international concern about the marginalisation and displacement of Muslims in Rakhine State in Myanmar, particularly since 2012;

(3) expresses its grave concern about the coordinated attacks on Border Guard Police posts of 9 October 2016, at three locations in northern Rakhine State, and:

(a) offers its condolences to the families of the nine police officers who were killed and to the Myanmar people;

(b) abhors the violence and the theft of guns and ammunition; and

(c) asserts that those responsible for such a heinous crime should be brought to justice;

(4) observes also that in the interests of democracy, peace, security and human rights, the rule of law should be upheld in Rakhine State, and calls on security forces to conduct security operations in a manner that does not marginalise or displace people in Rakhine State;

(5) notes:

(a) the very real risk that excessive use of force may have on the effect of radicalising and further marginalising the Muslim community in Rakhine State, increasing conflict and hampering efforts to achieve peaceful outcomes; and

(b) with deep concern, the report on 3 February 2017 from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on reported human rights violations occurring in northern Rakhine State;

(6) acknowledges:

(a) the national-level bodies established to investigate reports of human rights abuses in northern Rakhine State and urges them to undertake credible, thorough and impartial investigations;

(b) the work of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, and commends the Myanmar State Counsellor (MSC) for meeting with the Special Rapporteur; and

(c) also the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, and commends the MSC for having established that Commission; and

(7) calls upon the civilian government, military, and parliament of Myanmar to redouble their efforts to end the marginalisation and displacement of Muslims in Rakhine State, and to seek to create conditions in which all residents of Rakhine State can live peacefully, can have access to education and healthcare, and can have freedom of movement.

(Notice given 28 February 2017.)

Time allotted—30 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Ms T. M. Butler—5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.

4 MR L. S. O ' BRIEN: To move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges the findings of the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption, which found 'widespread and deep-seated' misconduct by union officials;

(2) recognises the outstanding work of the Trade Union Joint Police Taskforce (Taskforce) in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory, which are investigating 34 referrals of alleged criminal breaches from the Royal Commission;

(3) calls on the Queensland Government to overturn the decision to withdraw from participating in the Taskforce; and

(4) condemns the Queensland Government and Australian Labor Party for putting their union mates before Queensland's lowest paid and most vulnerable workers.

(Notice given 27 February 2017.)

Time allotted—remaining private Members ' business time prior to 1.30 pm

Speech time limits—

Mr L. S. O ' Brien—5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.

Items for Federation Chamber (4.45 pm to 7.30 pm)

PRIVATE MEMBERS ' BUSINESS

Notices—continued

5 MR B. K. MITCHELL: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) the retail trades industry is the second largest employment category in Australia;

(b) one third of workers in the retail trade industry are between 15 to 24 years of age;

(c) the Fair Work Commission's (FWC's) decision to cut penalty rates in the retail trade will disproportionately affect young people;

(d) the take home pay of young retail workers will be severely hit as a result of the FWC's decision to cut Sunday and public holiday penalty rates for young retail workers;

(e) cutting penalty rates for young retail workers increases cost of living pressures as many are studying during the week; and

(f) young retail workers will have to work longer hours for the same pay, with less time to study;

(2) condemns Government Members and Senators who called for cuts to penalty rates and their continuous pressuring of the FWC to reduce penalty rates; and

(3) calls on:

(a) Government Members and Senators to stand with Labor to protect low paid workers take home pay; and

(b) the House to support Labor's Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Take Home Pay) Bill 2017, to amend the Fair Work Act 2009.

(Notice given 28 February 2017.)

Time allotted—40 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Mr B. K. Mitchell—5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.

6 MS FLINT: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) there are 2.1 million small businesses in Australia, accounting for 97 per cent of businesses in Australia;

(b) the small business sector employs almost five million Australians;

(c) Australia's small businesses are at their best when Australians shop locally;

(d) the Government has:

(i) a plan to cut taxes for Australia's small businesses;

(ii) backed small business with access to the $20,000 instant asset write-off programme;

(iii) a plan to increase by 90,000, the number of small businesses to which this programme applies; and

(iv) levelled the playing field for small businesses online through changes to GST on purchases from overseas; and

(e) small business confidence was at a six-year high in January 2017; and

(2) calls on all Australians to:

(a) continue to support Australia's small business sector by shopping locally;

(b) use local providers of goods and services—including those online—to drive future job creation, higher wages and better opportunities for Australians;

(c) take advantage of changes to Australia's Country of Origin labelling system to buy Australian products; and

(d) think local first with every dollar they spend.

(Notice given 27 February 2017.)

Time allotted—40 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Ms Flint—5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.

7 MR HILL: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes:

(a) that Australian citizenship is precious and the community must have confidence that the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 is administered fairly, impartially and with integrity;

(b) that the law provides that Australian citizenship by conferral is available to everyone who meets the legislated criteria, regardless of visa class; and

(c) the enormous, inexplicable and unconscionable delays by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection in processing thousands of citizenship applications;

(2) acknowledges the devastating impact of delays and uncertainty on affected people, whose lives are in limbo, whose mental health is suffering, who are often unable to travel and who have been separated from their family for many years;

(3) notes the Federal Court of Australia in BMF v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2016] case which:

(a) found that there had been unreasonable delays in the department's processing of citizenship applications of two men on protection visas who had been waiting 18 months and 23 months, respectively;

(b) received evidence from the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection that more than 10,000 applications requiring 'further assessment' were outstanding as of July 2016, yet only 12 officers in the department were even trained to assess these applications; and

(c) noted that the evidence provided suggested that something beyond resourcing of the citizenship program had caused very significant delays, and that the possibility of applications being ordered by reference to an 'unreasonable rationale' could not be excluded; and

(4) calls on the Government to:

(a) admit to and apologise for these delays;

(b) take immediate action to process the full backlog of citizenship applications this year; and

(c) publicly assure affected people and the wider community that the citizenship function will be administered fairly, impartially and expeditiously in the future.

(Notice given 27 February 2017.)

Time allotted—40 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Mr Hill—5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.

8 MR VAN MANEN: To move:

That this House:

(1) denounces the Queensland Government's underinvestment in infrastructure throughout the state;

(2) notes that:

(a) the Queensland Government:

(i) has savagely cut infrastructure spending in Queensland, sapping confidence and costing jobs; and

(ii) slashed infrastructure spending by more than $2 billion in its first year in office;

(b) over the next four years, infrastructure spending has been cut by almost $3 billion; and

(c) the Queensland Government:

(i) has not funded one new major infrastructure project in two years in office; and

(ii) is more interested in political point scoring than working collaboratively with the Australian Government on new infrastructure projects; and

(3) calls on the Queensland Government to reverse this concerning trend and deliver infrastructure that the people of Queensland require and the Queensland economy desperately needs.

(Notice given 27 February 2017.)

Time allotted—remaining private Members ' business time prior to 7.30 pm

Speech time limits—

Mr van Manen—10 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 1 x 10 mins + 7 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.