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

I present report No. 22 of the Selection Committee relating to the consideration of committee and delegation business and private member's business on Monday, 26 February 2018. 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 Wednesday, 14 February 2018.

2. The Committee determined to amend the order of precedence and times to be allotted for consideration of committee and delegation business and private Members' business on Monday, 26 February 2018, as follows, with amended entries marked with a *:

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

COMMITTEE AND DELEGATION BUSINESS

Presentation and statements

1 AUSTRALIAN PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION

Report of the Parliamentary Delegation to the 38 th AIPA General Assembly, September 2017.

The Committee determined that statements on the report may be made — all statements to conclude by 10.15 am.

Speech time limits —

Mr Christensen — 5minutes.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 1 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 (Making Australia More Equal) Bill 2018)

(Notice given 6 February 2018.)

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 WILKIE: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, and for related purposes. (Competition and Consumer Amendment (Misleading Representations About Broadband Speeds) Bill 2018)

(Notice given 12 February 2018.)

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 HAMMOND: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009, and for related purposes. (National Consumer Credit Protection Amendment (Small Amount Credit Contract and Consumer Lease Reforms) Bill 2018)

(Notice given 13 February 2018.)

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 SHARKIE: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the Banking Act 1959 in relation to loans to primary production businesses, and for related purposes. (Banking Amendment (Rural Finance Reform) Bill 2018)

(Notice given 13 February 2018.)

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 MR GEORGANAS: To move

  That this House:

(1) notes that the latest:

(a) waiting list for Home Care Packages (HCP) indicates that more than 100,000 older Australians are waiting for the package they have been approved for; and

(b) figures showed that the HCP waiting list grew by more than 12,000 between 1 July and 30 September 2017 and it is likely to continue growing without funding for the release of more packages;

(2) recognises that the majority of older Australians on the waiting list are those seeking level three and level four packages, who have high care needs including many with dementia;

(3) condemns the Government for failing to stop the waiting list from growing; and

(4) calls on the Government to immediately invest in fixing the HCP waiting list and properly address this growing crisis.

(Notice given 12 February 2018.)

Time allotted — 30minutes.

Speech time limits —

Mr Georganas — 5minutes.

Other Members — 5 minutes each.

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

The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue at a later hour.

6 MR CREWTHER: To move:

  That this House:

(1) notes that commemorations are underway for the eighty-fifth anniversary of Holodomor, to mark an enforced famine in Ukraine caused by the deliberate actions of Joseph Stalin's Communist Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics;

(2) recalls that it is estimated that up to seven million Ukrainians starved to death as a result of Stalin's policies in 1932 and 1933 alone;

(3) condemns these acts aimed at destroying the national, cultural, religious and democratic aspirations of the Ukrainian people;

(4) condemns all similar acts during the twentieth century as the ultimate manifestations of racial, ethnic or religious hatred and violence;

(5) honours the memory of those who lost their lives during Holodomor;

(6) joins the Australian Ukrainian community and the international community in commemorating this tragic milestone under the motto Ukraine Remembers—The World Acknowledges;

(7) recognises the importance of remembering and learning from such dark chapters in human history to ensure that such crimes against humanity are not allowed to be repeated; and

(8) pays its respects to the Australian Ukrainians that lived through this tragedy and have told their horrific stories.

(Notice given 5 February 2018.)

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

Speech time limits —

Mr Crewther — 10minutes.

Other Members — 5 minutes each.

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

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

Items for Federation Chamber (11 am to 1.30 pm)

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Notices

1 MS O'TOOLE: To move:

  That this House:

(1) notes that ongoing cuts to public sector jobs in regional cities like Townsville have had a detrimental impact on the local economy and include:

(a) the relocation of Royal Australian Air Force's 38 Squadron King Air fleet from Townsville to East Sale in Victoria resulting in the loss of more than 40 aviation jobs in Townsville;

(b) the Government's change of process in second division resulting in the loss of up to 10 Townsville Australian Public Service defence support staff;

(c) Townsville having 50 fewer defence staff in June 2017 than it had in December 2012;

(d) 19 jobs having been cut from CSIRO in Townsville over the last few years;

(e) regional Queensland Customs staffing being cut by 50 per cent with 30 job losses from Gladstone to Thursday Island with Townsville being one of the hardest hit; and

  (f) the consolidation of the Australian Taxation Office in 2014 resulting in the loss of 110 jobs in Townsville;

(2) acknowledges that maintaining public sector jobs is important in regional Australia and notes that job cuts are harmful to regional cities like Townsville; and

(3) calls on the Government to ensure the coming federal budget puts a moratorium on these regional jobs cuts in public sector agencies.

(Notice given 12 February 2018.)

Time allotted — 40minutes.

Speech time limits —

Ms O ' Toole — 5minutes.

Other Members — 5 minutes each.

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

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

2 MR CHRISTENSEN: To move:

  That this House:

(1) supports the Carmichael Coal Mine and Rail Project because:

(a) its proponents, Adani Australia, already employ 800 workers in Queensland;

(b) it will open up the Galilee Basin and lead the way in creating as many as 15,000 jobs across five potential mines for the workers of Central and North Queensland; and

  (c) it will improve the lives of millions of Indians by providing their country with affordable and safe electricity; and

(2) notes that the Opposition is now opposed to the project, endangering both existing and future jobs in regional Queensland as evidenced by:

(a) the Leader of the Opposition stating that 'Labor is increasingly sceptical and today's revelation, if true, is incredibly disturbing, and if Adani's relying on false information, that mine does not deserve to go ahead';

(b) Senator Singh stating that 'I believe the Adani coal mine is a big mistake for this country';

(c) the Shadow Minister for Environment and Water stating that the Carmichael coal mine 'will simply displace existing coal operations elsewhere in Australia. There will be jobs lost elsewhere in Queensland or there will be jobs lost in the Hunter Valley...The demand for thermal coal exports around the world is in rapid decline and I think instead we should be talking about other economic developments and job opportunities for North Queensland'; and

(d) the Member for:

  (i) Charlton tweeting that 'Hunter coal mining jobs are endangered by the Adani project'; and

  (ii) Gellibrand stating that 'the reality is, the Adani coal mine has always been something that regional Queenslanders know well: snake oil'.

(Notice given 6 February 2018.)

Time allotted — 40minutes.

Speech time limits —

Mr Christensen — 5minutes.

Other Members — 5 minutes each.

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

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

Orders of the day

HOME CARE PACKAGES: Debate to be resumed on the motion of Mr Georganas:

  That this House:

(5) notes that the latest:

(a) waiting list for Home Care Packages (HCP) indicates that more than 100,000 older Australians are waiting for the package they have been approved for; and

  (b) figures showed that the HCP waiting list grew by more than 12,000 between 1 July and 30 September 2017 and it is likely to continue growing without funding for the release of more packages;

(6) recognises that the majority of older Australians on the waiting list are those seeking level three and level four packages, who have high care needs including many with dementia;

(7) condemns the Government for failing to stop the waiting list from growing; and

(8) calls on the Government to immediately invest in fixing the HCP waiting list and properly address this growing crisis.

(Notice given 12 February 2018.)

Time allotted — 40minutes.

Speech time limits —

All Members — 5 minutes each.

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

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

1 TRADE: Resumption of debate (from12February2018) on the motion of Mr van Manen:

  That this House:

(1) acknowledges the importance of open trade and investment policies in growing the Australian economy and creating local jobs;

(2) commends the Government for leading efforts to conclude the Trans-Pacific Partnership 11 nation (TPP-11) agreement;

(3) welcomes the recent conclusion of this landmark deal which will eliminate more than 98 per cent of tariffs in a trade zone with a combined GDP of AUD $13.7 trillion;

(4) notes the significant opportunities offered by new trade agreements with Canada and Mexico and greater market access to Japan, Chile, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei;

(5) recognises the importance of the agreement for Australia's farmers, manufacturers and service providers in increasing their competitiveness in overseas markets;

(6) notes indicative modelling by the Peterson Institute for International Economics, which found that the TPP-11 agreement would boost Australia's national income by 0.5 per cent and exports by 4 per cent; and

(7) encourages the Parliament to work co-operatively to ratify the TPP-11 agreement so that Australian exporters can take advantage of the many benefits it delivers.

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

Speech time limits —

All Members — 5 minutes each.

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

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

Items for Federation Chamber (4.45 pm to 7.30 pm)

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Notices – continued

3 MR CREWTHER: To move:

  That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) genocide is a crime under international law, which has been enacted into Australian law through Division 268 of the Australian Criminal Code;

(b) the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic found that ISIL committed, and is continuing to commit, genocide against the Yazidis; and

  (c) the Iraqi Council of Ministers, United Nations institutions, and many parliaments have recognised that ISIL's crimes against the Yazidis constitute genocide;

(2) welcomes the Australian Government's decisive action in resettling Yazidi refugees;

(3) condemns the continuing genocide perpetrated against Yazidis by ISIL;

(4) calls for an investigation by Iraqi and international organisations into the disappearance of Yazidi women and children taken as captives by ISIL, and for continued support for the international coalition to defeat ISIL and liberate Yazidis in ISIL captivity;

(5) recognises the importance of justice for Yazidi victims and survivors of ISIL and calls on the Australian Government to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of ISIL's crimes against the Yazidis where possible in Australian courts, including by providing mutual legal assistance, and supporting other national, international and/or hybrid investigations and prosecutions of crimes committed by ISIL against Yazidis;

(6) calls on the Australian Government to continue supporting the formation of an Investigative Team pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2379 (2017) and, once established, to support it in the collection, preservation and storage of evidence of acts that may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide; and

(7) supports the:

(a) continued efforts to defeat ISIL militarily and ideologically via de-radicalisation and countering violent extremism programs;

(b) continued consideration of the plight of the Yazidis in the development of Australian humanitarian policies and programs;

(c) continued provision of psychological and other social support services for Yazidi refugees living in Australia;

(d) right of the Yazidis and all minorities to live in peace, safety and freedom in Syria and Iraq and to participate in relevant political processes; and

(e) protection of Yazidis, Christians and other minorities in Iraq, under United Nations supervision and in cooperation with relevant authorities and minorities.

(Notice given 5 February 2018.)

Time allotted — 30minutes.

Speech time limits —

Mr Crewther — 5minutes.

Other Members — 5 minutes each.

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

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

Orders of the day – continued

*2 UNIVERSITIES FUNDING: Resumption of debate (from12February2018) on the motion of Ms T. M. Butler:

  That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) the Government's short-sighted $2.2 billion in cuts to universities are equivalent to more than 9,500 Australians missing out on a university place in 2018, and again in 2019;

(b) across the country this month, students will be attending university, with orientation periods beginning, and that these students are faced with more uncertainty about how the cuts will affect their student experience; and

  (c) the Government's short-sighted cuts will hurt regional and outer metropolitan universities and their students the most; and

(2) calls on the Government to reverse its short-sighted, unfair cuts to universities, which are closing the door of opportunity to thousands of Australians.

Time allotted — 70minutes.

Speech time limits —

All Members — 5 minutes each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 14 x 5 mins]

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

3 ORDER OF AUSTRALIA HONOURS: Resumption of debate (from12February2018) on the motion of Mr Leeser:

  That this House:

(1) acknowledges the Order of Australia is the highest national honour award and the pre-eminent way Australians recognise the achievements and service of their fellow citizens;

(2) recognises that since being established by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1975, there have been more than 500 recipients of Companion of the Order of Australia, almost 3,000 awarded Officers of the Order of Australia, more than 10,000 inducted as Members of the Order of Australia and more than 23,000 honoured as recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia;

(3) notes the almost 900 recipients in the General Division of the Order of Australia on Australia Day in 2018, from an array of fields including education, arts, sport, science and social work; and

(4) encourages all Members to congratulate recipients from their electorates on this immense achievement.

Time allotted — 35minutes.

Speech time limits —

All Members — 5 minutes each.

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

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

Notices – continued

4 MR PERRETT: To move:

  That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) both the Building Code 2013 (2013 Code) and the Code for the Tendering and Performance of Building Work 2016 (2016 Code) require code covered entities to protect freedom of association on building and construction worksites;

(b) the 2016 Code includes requirements in respect of building association logos, mottos or indicia; and

  (c) the Australian Building and Construction Commission's fact sheet Freedom of Association—Logos, Mottos and Indicia specifies that 'logos, mottos and indicia' that would breach the 2016 Code include 'the iconic symbol of the five white stars and white cross on the Eureka Stockade flag';

(2) recognises that:

(a) the Eureka Stockade flag was:

  (i) first used in 1854 at Ballarat; and

  (ii) a symbol of resistance of the gold miners during the rebellion;

(b) beneath the Eureka Stockade flag, the leader of the Ballarat Reform League, Peter Lalor, said 'We swear by the Southern Cross to stand truly by each other and fight to defend our rights and liberties';

(c) the people at the Eureka Stockade defending the original flag came from nearly forty nations from around the world; and

(d) the Eureka Stockade flag design has gained wider acceptance in Australian culture as a symbol of democracy, protest and the notion of the Australian 'fair go';

(3) further notes that:

(a) freedom of speech and freedom of association are valued by all fair-minded Australians;

(b) the Eureka Stockade flag has been a symbol associated with building and construction unions for over 40 years;

(c) restricting an individual's right to wear union logos or preventing a construction site from displaying a union flag implies that workers cannot join a union; and

(d) it is an attack on:

  (i) an individual's freedom of association to prevent them from wearing the Eureka Stockade flag on their clothing; and

     (ii) freedom of association to prevent a construction site from displaying the Eureka Stockade flag; and

(4) calls on the Government to immediately act to protect the rights of workers in the construction industry by making clear that displaying the iconic symbol of democracy, the Eureka Stockade flag, is not a breach of the 2016 Code.

(Notice given 12 February 2018.)

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

Speech time limits —

Mr Perrett — 5minutes.

Other Members — 5 minutes each.

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

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