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

I present report No. 11 of the Selection Committee relating to the consideration of committee and delegation reports and private members' business on Monday 24 February 2020. The report will be printed in today's Hansard and the committee's determinations 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, 11 February 2020.

2. The Committee deliberated on items of committee and delegation business that had been notified, private Members' business items listed on the Notice Paper and notices lodged on Tuesday, 11 February 2020, and determined the order of precedence and times on Monday, 24 February 2020, as follows:

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

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Notices

1   Dr Leigh: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988, and for related purposes. (Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Amendment (ACT Integrity Commission Powers) Bill 2020)

  (Notice given 5 December 2019)

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 National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007, and for related purposes. (National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Amendment (Transparency in Carbon Emissions Accounting) Bill 2020)

  (Notice given 4 February 2020.)

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 Bandt: To present a Bill for an Act to provide that major emitters of greenhouse gases are liable for climate change damage that occurs in Australia, and for related purposes. (Liability for Climate Change Damage (Make the Polluters Pay) Bill 2020)

  (Notice given 4 February 2020.)

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   Mr Joyce: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the Representation Act 1983, and for related purposes. (Representation Amendment (6 Regions Per State, 2 Senators Per Region) Bill 2020)

  (Notice given 10 February 2020.)

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 Katter: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975, and for related purposes. (Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Amendment (Strategic Assets) Bill 2020)

  (Notice given 11 February 2020.)

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.

6   Dr Mulino: To move:

That this House notes the Government's economic mismanagement and its sustained failure to deliver improved economic outcomes for Australians during its seven year term in office, measured by:

(a) wage stagnation;

(b) near record levels of underemployment;

(c) high and rising rates of labour underutilisation, particularly for young people and in regional areas;

(d) high levels of youth unemployment;

(e) Australia's higher unemployment relative to peer nations;

(f) weak consumption growth;

(g) weak business investment; and

(h) weak and declining productivity growth.

  (Notice given 10 February 2020.)

Time allotted—30 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Dr Mulino—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.

7   Mr R. J. Wilson: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes:

(a) that from 2013-14 to 2023-24, the Government will provide a record $6.2 billion under the Roads to Recovery Program, with an ongoing commitment of $500 million each year following; and

(b) the significant benefits to the 128 Local Government Areas which will receive an additional $138.9 million in Roads to Recovery drought support funding; and

(2) recognises the real and meaningful difference Roads to Recovery is making to communities right across the country.

  (Notice given 26 November 2019.)

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

Speech time limits—

Mr R. J. Wilson—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 (11 am to 1.30 pm)

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Notices

1   Ms Wells: To move:

That this House:

(1) recognises that:

(a) February is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month in Australia; and

(b) 26 February 2020 is Teal Ribbon Day; and

(2) acknowledges that:

(a) ovarian cancer has the lowest survival rate of any women's cancer;

(b) every year, almost 1600 Australian women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer;

(c) every year, approximately 1000 Australian women die from ovarian cancer;

(d) in Australia, the overall five-year survival rate for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer is 46 per cent; and

(e) there is currently no reliable screening test to aid detection and prevention.

  (Notice given 4 February 2020.)

Time allotted—45 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Ms Wells—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.

Orders of the day

1 Small business and the defence industry: Resumption of debate (from 9 September 2019) on the motion of Mr Thompson—That this House:

(1) notes the important role Australian small business has in the future of our national and economic security through its integral role in our defence industry;

(2) recognises the defence industry's potential for growth in electoral divisions like Herbert and other regional electoral divisions across Australia;

(3) supports opportunities to maximise the participation of Australian companies in all facets of defence procurement; and

(4) acknowledges the Government's commitment to deliver a robust, resilient and internationally competitive Australian defence industry.

Time allotted—40 minutes.

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 should continue on a future day.

Notices—continued

2   Mr Khalil: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes with concern the ongoing violence and political instability in Chile, driven by rising economic inequality;

(2) condemns the use of lethal force against peaceful protesters and calls on all parties to refrain from violence;

(3) recognises the importance and right to peaceful protest in any democracy and condemns the use of violence to repress the democratic right of Chilean citizens to protest;

(4) calls on the Chilean Government to include all parties, namely, civil society, unions and indigenous peoples in addition to business leaders in the process for drafting a new constitution;

(5) encourages the work of the Chilean National Human Rights Institute and authorities to investigate human rights abuses and hold those responsible to account; and

(6) calls on Australian companies that do business in Chile to play a constructive role in the solution to end the political instability.

  (Notice given 26 November 2019.)

Time allotted—20 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Mr Khalil—5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 4 x 5 mins]

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

Orders of the day—continued

2 Employment, education and training: Resumption of debate (from 14 October 2019) on the motion of Mr Pearce—That this House:

(1) notes the:

(a) creation of 1.2 million jobs since the Coalition Government was elected, with 140,000 young Australians securing employment over that time period;

(b) strong commitment of the Government to reform the vocational education and training sector to better meet the demands of the modern Australian economy; and

(c) leadership of the Government in November 2018 to commission the Joyce Review, a comprehensive expert review of the Australian vocational education and training system which was delivered in March 2019; and

(2) welcomes the implementation of the Skills Package, a $525 million suite of measures that includes:

(a) a National Careers Institute and the appointment of a National Careers Ambassador;

(b) the Foundation Skills for Your Future program—an initiative which will support workers by improving literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy;

(c) a streamlined Incentives for Australian Apprenticeships program, which will encourage employers to take on apprentices and trainees;

(d) additional incentives to both employers and apprentices in areas affected by skills shortages under the Additional Identified Skills Shortage Payment measure;

(e) establishing ten industry training hubs in areas of high unemployment;

(f) further addressing youth unemployment in regional areas by funding 400 Commonwealth Scholarships for Young Australians;

(g) a National Skills Commission and pilot skills organisations that will promote a nation-wide approach to skills development and enhance the role of industry in designing training courses;

(h) an extension of the National Rugby League's VET Apprenticeship Awareness Program; and

(i) Energising Tasmania—a partnership between the Commonwealth and the Tasmanian Government to train a skilled workforce for jobs for the future in pumped hydro and energy infrastructure; and

(3) welcomes the prospect of creating a further 80,000 apprenticeships in occupations with skills shortages over the coming five years.

Time allotted—35 minutes.

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 should continue on a future day.

Notices—continued

3   Ms T. M. Butler: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes:

(a) the importance of grassroots youth arts organisations, including Backbone, based in the electoral division of Griffith;

(b) that for thirty years Backbone has helped young people find purpose, develop skills and contribute to our nation's culture; and

(c) that despite Backbone's success, the Government has cut its funding, and the organisation now faces closure; and

(2) calls on the Government to urgently commit to restore funding to Backbone.

  (Notice given 11 February 2020.)

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

Speech time limits—

Ms T. M. Butler—5 minutes.

Next Member speaking—5 minutes.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 2 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

4   Ms Claydon: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACAT) are teams of medical professionals which run clinical and psychological checks on older Australians who have applied for home or residential aged care;

(b) based in hospitals across the country, ACAT are ultimately responsible for assessing which older Australians should receive government-funded care;

(c) teams usually include a nurse, plus another healthcare worker such as a physiotherapist, occupational therapist or social worker;

(d) the Government has announced that it will privatise the ACAT workforce from April 2021, when a tender will be put out for organisations to deliver this vital assessment; and

(e) on 14 January 2020 the Chair of the Royal Commission into Aged Care, Mr Gaetano Pagone QC, issued a statement saying the Royal Commission's interim report 'did not endorse the Government's stated position' on privatising the aged care assessment teams;

(2) supports the retention of ACAT as a publicly provided service;

(3) commends the Health Services Union, United Workers Unions and Australian Nurses and Midwifery Federation for their continued advocacy on behalf of working people in healthcare across Australia, and particularly in the aged care sector; and

(4) condemns the Government for its continued failings across aged care policy.

  (Notice given 4 February 2020.)

Time allotted—50 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Ms Claydon—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.

Orders of the day—continued

3 Black Spot Program: Resumption of debate (from 21 October 2019) on the motion of Mr L. S. O'Brien—That this House:

(1) notes the important, practical contribution the Black Spot Program makes in addressing the nation's road toll under the National Road Safety Action Plan 2018-2020;

(2) recognises the need for the Government to continue to invest in the Black Spot Program to improve road safety and reduce the death toll;

(3) commends the Government for putting road safety at the forefront of infrastructure investment, with further commitments to providing an additional $50 million per year from 2019-20 to 2022-2023 to the Black Spot Program; and

(4) acknowledges the Government's Black Spot Program reduces on average at the treated sites, death and serious injury from crashes by 30 per cent according to data from the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics.  

Time allotted—30 minutes.

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 should continue on a future day.

Notices—continued

5   Mr Bandt: To move:

That this House:

(1) declares an environment and climate emergency;

(2) recognises that:

(a) the recent report of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Special Report: Global Warming of 1.5 °C, indicates that we are facing a climate emergency, and as a result, meaningful action on climate change is urgent, at home and internationally;

(b) this IPCC report has found that the world is not on track to limit global warming to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius;

(c) at a national level, England, France, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and Canada have all declared a climate emergency; and

(d) extreme weather events will devastate large parts of Australia and radically impact food production, water availability, public health, infrastructure, the community and the financial system;

(3) notes that the Government has acknowledged urgent action is required to address climate change; and

(4) calls on the Government to take urgent action consistent with the internationally accepted science.

  (Notice given 11 September 2019.)

Time allotted—20 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Mr Bandt—5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 4 x 5 mins]

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

Orders of the day—continued

4 Recycling: Resumption of debate (from 25 November 2019) on the motion of Dr Allen—That this House:

(1) recognises the imperative of improving waste management, reducing unnecessary packaging and boosting recycling in Australia;

(2) acknowledges that:

(a) Australians generate about 67 million tonnes of waste each year, of which 37 million tonnes is recycled;

(b) only 12 per cent of the 103 kilograms of plastic waste generated per person in Australia each year is recycled, mostly overseas;

(c) for every 10,000 tonnes of waste recycled, more than 9 jobs are created; and

(d) waste related activities add $6.9 billion to the economy annually;

(3) welcomes the Government's recent $20 million commitment for innovative projects under round 8 of the Cooperative Research Centres Projects grants to grow our domestic plastics recycling industry; and

(4) notes that this is part of the Government's Australian Recycling Investment Plan, a package of initiatives totalling $167 million designed to grow and strengthen Australia's domestic recycling industry, and to support industry and community initiatives to lift recycling rates in Australia.

Time allotted—45 minutes.

Speech time limits—

All 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.

5     Captioned telephone handsets: Resumption of debate ( from 1 0 February 2020 ) on the motion of Mr Gorman—That this House :

(1) notes that:

(a) the captioned telephone handset, CapTel, is a popular service amongst the Australian deaf and hard of hearing community;

(b) according to the Department of Communications there are approximately 4,000 CapTel handset users in Australia;

(c) the average age of people using the service is 80; and

(d) with an increasing aging population, it can be expected more and more Australians will need to rely on this service to communicate;

(2) acknowledges the distress and loss that CapTel users and their families are experiencing due to the planned discontinuation of the CapTel service in February 2020;

(3) condemns the Government for its decision to:

(a) remove the CapTel service without any consultation with its users; and

(b) purchase an inferior, outdated, and less user-friendly product, forcing often elderly users to learn a new piece of technology or lose the ability to communicate; and

(4) encourages CapTel users and their families to contact their federal member of parliament to explain to them the importance of the CapTel service for the deaf and hard of hearing community of Australia.

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

Speech time limits—

All Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 4 x 5 mins]

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

THE HON A. D. H. SMITH MP

Speaker of the House of Representatives

12 February 2020