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

I present report No. 20 of the Selection Committee, relating to the consideration of committee and delegation business and private members' business on Monday, 5 February 2018. The committee's deliberations will appear on tomorrow's Notice Paper. Copies of the report have been placed on 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, 5 December 2017.

2. The Committee deliberated on items of committee and delegation business that had been notified and private Members' business items listed on the Notice Paper, and determined the order of precedence and times on Monday, 5 February 2018, as follows:

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

COMMITTEE AND DELEGATION BUSINESS

Presentation and statements

1 Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy:

Powering our future: Inquiry into modernising Australia ' s electricity grid

The Committee determined that statements on the report may be made—all statements to conclude by 10.20 a.m.

Speech time limits—

Mr Broad 5minutes.

Next Member speaking—5 minutes.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 2 x 5 mins]

PRIVATE MEMBERS ' BUSINESS

Notices

1 MR BANDT: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the Fair Work Act 2009, and for related purposes. (Fair Work Amendment (Improving National Employment Standards) Bill 2017)

(Notice given 24 October 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 VAN MANEN: To move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges the importance of the trade and economic relationship between Australia and Japan;

(2) welcomes the sixty year anniversary since the signing of the Australia-Japan Agreement on Commerce;

(3) notes the significant opportunities offered by the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement for Australian exporters;

(4) recognises and celebrates the significant role of Japanese investment in Australia's economy, noting that this investment is creating and supporting Australian jobs;

(5) notes the ongoing cooperation and commitment between Australia and Japan to open markets and a strong, rules-based global trading system; and

(6) encourages the Australian Government to continue its economic cooperation with Japan to the mutual benefit of both countries, to create jobs and support prosperity in both our nations.

(Notice given 24 October 2017.)

Time allotted—45 minutes.

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.

3 MS CLAYDON: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) one in three Australian women have experienced physical violence since the age of 15; and

(b) two thirds of women who experience violence are in paid employment;

(2) recognises that:

(a) family violence isolates and excludes its victims and disconnects people from community, work, education, friends and family;

(b) the trauma experienced by an employee facing family violence will be lessened if they have the support of an understanding and accommodating employer that offers domestic and family violence leave; and

(c) access to a leave specifically allocated for situations of domestic and family violence protects employees from discrimination and allows them to maintain stable employment which increases their likelihood of leaving violent relationships;

(3) commends the many private companies that already provide domestic and family violence leave, including Telstra, Virgin, Qantas, the National Australia Bank, to more than one million Australian workers;

(4) condemns the Government for its public service bargaining policy which has resulted in the removal of domestic and family violence leave provisions in some public service enterprise agreements; and

(5) calls on the Government to amend the National Employment Standards to include domestic and family violence leave as a universal workplace right.

(Notice given 17 October 2017.)

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

Speech time limits—

Ms Claydon—5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 9 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 VAMVAKINOU: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) Amnesty International has evidence that hundreds of Rohingya women, men and children have been killed since the escalation of a violent assault in Northern Arakan/Rakhine State, Myanmar, since 25 August 2017;

(b) the United Nations has estimated that since August 2017, over 589,000 Rohingyas have been forced to flee to refugee camps in Bangladesh;

(c) there are at least another 20,000 Rohingyas being detained at the borders;

(d) the United Nations Human Rights Council has witnessed accounts and heard testimonies of the Myanmar security force setting villages on fire and injuring, torturing, raping, killing and executing innocent victims;

(e) 214 villages have been destroyed through fire and will be taken over by the Myanmar Government because burnt land becomes government-managed land;

(f) the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, has called these government attacks 'a textbook example of ethnic cleansing';

(g) approximately 600,000 people are still deadlocked inside Rakhine State with limited access to food, medical care or humanitarian assistance;

(h) despite the history of the Rohingya Muslims in the Rakhine region extending back the post-colonial era, this community has been denied citizenship and most basic government services under since 1982; and

(i) the treatment of Rohingya Muslims in the Rakhine region is an issue that deeply concerns the Australian community; and

(2) urges:

(a) the Government of Myanmar to:

(i) recommit to the pursuit of peace and national reconciliation; and

(ii) allow access to all parts of Rakhine State to allow for the provision of humanitarian aid;

(b) the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs to:

(i) do everything in her power to help alleviate the suffering in Rakhine State;

(ii) lead the push for a strong United Nations General Assembly Resolution on the violence in Rakhine State, and

(iii) work to establish an independent United Nations investigation into human rights abuses in Myanmar; and

(c) the Australian Government to:

(i) support unimpeded humanitarian access to the Rohingya population;

(ii) maintain pressure on the Myanmar Government, particularly the military and security forces, by condemning the persecution, attacks, killings and human rights abuses of the Rohingyas; and

(iii) stand up for the moderate voices in Myanmar which are being widely suppressed by the threat of persecution by the Myanmar military.

(Notice given 23 October 2017.)

Time allotted—50 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Ms Vamvakinou—5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes. each.

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

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

2 MR WALLACE: To move:

That this House:

(1) welcomes the Government's action to make our cities better places to live in and do business through ongoing City Deal developments in Townsville, Launceston, Western Sydney and Darwin;

(2) notes that:

(a) City Deals:

(i) bring together all three levels of Government to develop collective plans for growth with a focus on jobs, housing, transport and the environment; and

(ii) are already delivering firm commitments and real benefits for communities, including the $250 million North Queensland Stadium, the Townsville Eastern Access Rail Corridor, movement of the University of Tasmania's main campus and the rejuvenation of the CBD in Launceston;

(b) further benefits through City Deals are under development, including the Western Sydney Housing Package and the redevelopment of Paterson Barracks in Launceston;

(3) commends the Government for continuing to encourage and pursue new City Deals with other regional cities around Australia, including areas such as the Sunshine Coast; and

(4) encourages state and territory governments and local councils in regional cities, especially on the Sunshine Coast, to work closely with their local Members of Parliament and the Assistant Minister for Cities and Digital Transformation to develop City Deals for their eligible communities.

(Notice given 17 October 2017.)

Time allotted—40 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Mr Wallace—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 MR ALBANESE: To move:

That this House:

(1) declares:

(a) its support for the vital work performed each and every day by the highly trained professionals providing aviation rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) services to ensure the safety of the flying public;

(b) that the ARFF service is particularly important to the safe operation of airports in regional Australia where it also responds to non-aviation emergencies within its local communities; and

(c) that the presence of the ARFF service is key to safeguarding the safety and security at major metropolitan and regional airports around the country, which is critical for international and domestic tourism; and

(2) calls on the Government to reject any proposal to increase the threshold for the provision of ARFF services at airports from the existing 350,000 passenger movements annually, noting that this would preclude the establishment of these services at Proserpine Whitsunday Coast Airport and lead to the removal of these services from the following regional communities: Ballina; Coffs Harbour; Ayres Rock; Gladstone; Hamilton Island; Broome; Karratha; Newman; and Port Hedland.

(Notice given 19 October 2017.)

Time allotted—30 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Mr Albanese—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 COULTON: To move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges the important contribution that the Export Finance and Insurance Corporation (Efic) makes to supporting Australian exporters;

(2) notes the recent passage of the Insurance Corporation Amendment (Support for Commonwealth Entities) Bill 2016 through the Parliament with bipartisan support, helping Efic keep pace with Australia's changing exports; and

(3) commends the Government for issuing a new Statement of Expectations for Efic, re-enabling it to support onshore resource projects, and related infrastructure.

(Notice given 17 October 2017.)

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

Speech time limits—

Mr Coulton—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.

Items for Federation Chamber (4.45 pm to 7.30 pm)

PRIVATE MEMBERS ' BUSINESS

Notices—continued

5 MS SHARKIE: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) plastic bags are detrimental to the environment;

(b) Australians use an estimated 5 billion plastic bags a year, which represents over 20 million bags used every day;

(c) research has indicated that as of 2013, approximately 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic have been floating in our world's oceans—these are mostly microplastics of less than 5 millimetres in size and are regularly eaten by marine life, through which they enter the global food chain and are consumed by humans;

(d) thousands of marine mammals and seabirds die every year around the world as a result of plastic litter;

(e) plastic bags are particularly bad for the environment because they take from between 20 and 1,000 years to biodegrade and can travel long distances via air and water;

(f) South Australia led the nation with the phasing out of lightweight non-biodegradable plastic shopping bags, which state legislation defines as a carry bag, the body of which comprises (in whole or in part) polyethylene with a thickness of less than 35 microns and includes handles;

(g) South Australia's ban on plastic shopping bags came into force on 4 May 2009; and

(h) the South Australian Environmental Protection Authority estimates that the state's ban on plastic shopping bags has resulted in almost 400 million fewer plastic bags in that state each year; and

(2) calls on the:

(a) state governments yet to enact a ban on lightweight non-biodegradable plastic shopping bags to do so with speed and urgency; and

(b) Australian Government to work with the state Governments to implement a national ban on lightweight non-biodegradable plastic shopping bags by the end of 2018.

(Notice given 17 October 2017.)

Time allotted—40 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Ms Sharkie—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 MRS MARINO: To move:

That this House:

(1) recognises the:

(a) importance of educating and protecting our children in the online space; and

(b) work of the Australian Federal Police through the ThinkUKnow program, a free, evidence based cyber safety program, to provide educational presentations to parents, carers and teachers, and students across Australia;

(2) congratulates the Australian Government on passing the Criminal Code Amendment (Protecting Minors Online) Act 2017, also known as Carly's Law, which targets online predators preparing or planning to cause harm to, procure or engage in sexual activity with a child; and

(3) recognises the new law is a testament to Sonya Ryan, who has advocated for this since her 15 year old daughter Carly was murdered a decade ago by an online predator posing as a teenage boy.

(Notice given 17 October 2017.)

Time allotted—45 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Mrs Marino—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.

7 MR M. C. BUTLER: To move:

That this House:

(1) recognises:

(a) the role of Australia in helping to broker the Paris Peace Accords (PPA); and

(b) that one of the core promises of the PPA was to provide the Cambodian people with free and fair elections;

(2) expresses serious concerns about:

(a) political suppression in Cambodia, including the closure of media outlets such as the Cambodia Daily; and

(b) the arrest and trial of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) leader, Kem Sokha, arising from a speech he delivered in Australia in 2013;

(3) calls for:

(a) the immediate release of Kem Sokha from detention and the removal of restrictions on civil society; and

(b) greater transparency and assurance of due process in proceedings against political prisoners and dissidents;

(4) condemns the move to disband the CNRP and redistribute seats to minor parties without by-elections;

(5) expresses serious concerns about the timing of the actions against the CNRP and Kem Sokha in light of the impending 2018 general election; and

(6) calls upon the Australian Government to impress upon the Cambodian Government the importance of free and fair elections for the Cambodian people.

(Notice given 24 October 2017.)

Time allotted—40 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Mr M. C. Butler—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) recognises positive effect of the Government's measures to assist more hard working Australians to:

(a) earn more through the tax system, in particular by:

(i) legislating tax cuts for middle income earners to ensure they are not pushed into the second highest tax bracket;

(ii) introducing to Parliament the Enterprise Tax Plan, which will extend small business tax concessions to businesses up to $10 million from the outdated $2 million threshold; and

(iii) supporting employers to invest more, provide more hours and increase wages through a more competitive international tax rate;

(b) save more for their retirement through increased flexibility in the superannuation system, in particular by:

(i) abolishing the so called '10 per cent rule', which prevents anyone earning more than 10 per cent of their income from salary and wages from claiming a deduction for personal superannuation contributions; and

(ii) introducing catch up concessional contributions to provide assistance to those—particularly women—who have interrupted work patterns, whether to raise children, look after elderly parents, or seek to boost their retirement savings just before retirement; and

(2) notes with deep concern that the Opposition:

(a) refuses to support tax relief for small business, while at the same time advocating tax cuts for foreign workers;

(b) seeks to abolish measures to improve the retirement savings of hard working Australians, particularly those on low incomes and with interrupted work patterns; and

(c) has no plan for jobs and growth, despite having previously advocated for a more competitive tax rate for employers.

(Notice given 17 October 2017.)

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

Speech time limits—

Mr van Manen—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.