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

I present report No. 24 of the Selection Committee relating to the consideration of committee and delegation business and private members' business on Monday 7 December 2020. 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 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, 1 December 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, 1 December 2020, and determined the order of precedence and times on Monday, 7 December 2020, 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 PROCEDURE:

The House must go on: Report of the inquiry into the practices and procedures put in place by the House in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

Speech time limits—

Mr Vasta 5minutes.

Next Member speaking—5 minutes.

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

2 Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs:

Inquiry into food pricing and food security in remote Indigenous communities.

The Committee determined that statements on the report may be made—all statements to conclude by 10.30 am.

Speech time limits—

Mr Leeser 5minutes.

Next Member speaking—5 minutes.

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

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Notices

1   Ms Burney: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the law relating to fair work entitlements for workers experiencing domestic and family violence, and for related purposes. (Fair Work Amendment (Ten Days Paid Domestic and Family Violence Leave) Bill 2020)

  (Notice given 1 December 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.

2   Mr Bandt: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the Defence Act 1903 to provide for parliamentary approval of overseas service by members of the Defence Force, and for related purposes. (Defence Amendment (Parliamentary Approval of Overseas Service) Bill 2020)

  (Notice given 1 December 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 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 2020)

  (Notice given 1 December 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 Wallace: To move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges that:

(a) 3 December 2020 was International Day of People with Disability; and

(b) the theme for this year's International Day of People with Disability was 'Building Back Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 world';

(2) notes that:

(a) the world leading National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is empowering people with disability all over Australia to make decisions about the supports that they receive, and to participate more fully in all aspects of our society as we recover from the COVID-19 crisis;

(b) the NDIS is now available to all eligible Australians, wherever they live;

(c) the NDIS is currently assisting more than 400,000 participants; and

(d) more than 175,000 NDIS participants are receiving supports for the first time;

(3) commends the Government on completing the successful roll out of the NDIS to all states and territories; and

(4) welcomes the Government's extension of temporary additional supports for NDIS participants during the COVID-19 pandemic until February 2021.

  (Notice given 30 November 2020.)

Time allotted—30 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Mr Wallace—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.

5   Ms Claydon: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) 25 November 2020 marked the United Nations' International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, beginning the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence;

(b) approximately 45 Australian women have been murdered in a domestic violence homicide this year;

(c) one in three Australian women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence perpetrated by a man since the age of 15; and

(d) the COVID-19 pandemic has seen an escalation of domestic abuse, with more women accessing online services, and more men seeking support for abusive behaviour;

(2) commends the work of the family, domestic and sexual violence sector, which continues to deliver vital services to men, women and children amidst the pandemic;

(3) acknowledges that many family violence organisations are struggling to meet the demand for services—yet the Government has provided no additional funding in the budget; and

(4) urges the Government to:

(a) listen to the family violence sector and respond to their calls for more support to help women and children flee violence; and

(b) ensure the full resources of Government are used to eliminate family violence from our community.

  (Notice given 1 December 2020.)

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 = 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 Templeman: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that under the Government's child care subsidy system:

(a) fees and out of pocket costs are out of control, with the Department of Education predicting that fees will increase by 5.3 per cent in 2020-21;

(b) fees have increased by more than 35 per cent since the election of the Government in 2013;

(c) Australian families contribute 37 per cent of early education and child care costs, compared to the OECD average of 18 per cent;

(d) there is an annual subsidy cap which is a significant barrier to work for many families; and

(e) secondary income earners earn very little take home pay if they go back to work full time;

(2) further notes that recent reports by the Grattan Institute, KPMG, and PwC have found that increased investment in early education and child care would boost Australia's gross domestic product by between $4 billion and $11 billion through increased workforce participation; and

(3) calls on the Government to fix its broken child care subsidy system that has failed to keep a lid on costs and has failed to support working parents, particularly women, to work full time or increase their hours.

  (Notice given 30 November 2020.)

Time allotted—40 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Ms Templeman—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   Mr Connelly: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes the Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL) was founded in 1916 to ensure a unified approach to address the lack of organised repatriation facilities and medical services available to those returning from the Great War;

(2) recognises there are RSL branches and sub-branches in every state and territory, and most local communities have a RSL club;

(3) further notes the motto of the RSL is 'The Price of Liberty is Eternal Vigilance';

(4) acknowledges that RSL clubs help veterans and communities right around Australia in many and varied ways; and

(5) congratulates the many hard-working volunteers and community-minded citizens who help make the RSL the success that it is.

  (Notice given 21 October 2020.)

Time allotted—40 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Mr Connelly—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   Dr Leigh: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) charities are the most trusted sector in Australian public life;

(b) charities employ over one million Australians and contribute nearly one-tenth of Australia's national income;

(c) charities are the first line of support for the most vulnerable in our communities during times of economic and social upheaval;

(d) meeting the requirements of Australia's seven different fundraising regimes is wasting the time and energy of Australian charities and not-for-profit organisations; and

(e) the Government's failure to act on fundraising reform is costing Australian charities over $1 million every month;

(2) recognises that:

(a) for several years, the charity and not-for-profit sector has been calling for reform of Australia's fundraising laws;

(b) Treasury's 5 year review of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission, delivered on 31 May 2018, identified fundraising law as the major reporting burden on charities and recommended that fundraising law be harmonised across the country;

(c) on 14 February 2019, the Senate Select Committee on Charity Fundraising in the 21st Century called on parliament to harmonise fundraising law within two years;

(d) that inquiry, chaired by Labor Senator Catryna Bilyk, delivered a unanimous report, with its recommendations being supported by Greens Senator Rachel Siewert, Liberal Senators Eric Abetz and Amanda Stoker, former Labor Senator David Smith, and former United Australia Party Senator Brian Burston;

(e) throughout 2020, the National COVID-19 Coordination Commission's Not for Profit Working Group, the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements, and the Charities Crisis Cabinet have all identified harmonisation of fundraising laws as a key initiative in helping Australian charities provide strong support for our communities; and

(f) failure to deliver fundraising reform has significant costs to the charity and not-for­-profit sector, with the Senate Select Committee on Charity Fundraising in the 21st Century report estimating that the annual cost to charities and their donors is around $15 million; and

(3) calls on the Government to:

(a) apologise to Australian charities for failing to meet the two-year timeframe set out in the Senate Select Committee on Charity Fundraising in the 21st Century report;

(b) now commit to support Australian charities and the communities they serve by ending unnecessary waste of their precious resources;

(c) support the generous Australian donors who donate money to our charities, by ensuring their donations are not needlessly eroded by redundant administrative and regulatory costs; and

(d) confirm a timeline for the commencement a consistent national model for regulating not-for-profit and charitable fundraising activities.

  (Notice given 30 November 2020.)

Time allotted—40 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Dr Leigh—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.

4   Ms Bell: To move:

That this House notes that:

(1) 25 August 2020 marked three years since over 700,000 Rohingya, including more than 400,000 children, fled from targeted violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State, to Bangladesh;

(2) the camps in Bangladesh now host over 850,000 refugees in crowded conditions which is also impacting the lives of over 400,000 local Bangladeshis;

(3) an estimated 600,000 Rohingya remain in Rakhine State;

(4) since 2017, the Australian Government has provided over $260 million in lifesaving humanitarian assistance for displaced and conflict-affected communities in Bangladesh and Myanmar, working through UN agencies, international and national NGOs such as BRAC, Save the Children, CARE, World Vision, Plan International and Oxfam and their local partners to deliver food, shelter, water and sanitation, health and education services, and targeted support for women and girls to help combat risks including gender-based violence and trafficking;

(5) annual monsoons and cyclones have brought additional risks, and the COVID-19 virus has now arrived, with 88 confirmed cases to date in the Cox's Bazar camps and over 80 active cases in Rakhine State; and

(6) Australia remains committed to supporting Myanmar to create conditions on the ground conducive to voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable returns for all displaced peoples.

  (Notice given 21 October 2020.)

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

Speech time limits—

Ms Bell—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) in November 2020, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) released a report entitled, Buy now pay later: an industry update, which set out the key observations about the Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) industry, the experiences of consumers and recent regulatory developments;

(b) the report found that:

(i) more than 1 in 5 BNPL consumers surveyed missed a payment in the past 12 months, resulting in over $43 million in late fees for the 2018-19 financial year;

(ii) most BNPL consumers who had missed a payment had used multiple BNPL providers in the past six months;

(iii) nearly 40 per cent of BNPL consumers surveyed who had missed a payment in the past 12 months also had a payday loan or similar; and

(iv) 20 per cent of all BNPL consumers surveyed said they had cut back, or went without, essentials, like meals, to make their payments;

(c) BNPL providers have stated no more than 1 per cent of their consumers have been in financial hardship during COVID-19, and that this is inconsistent with the observations contained in the ASIC report for the 2018-19 financial year; and

(d) BNPL providers are not regulated by the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 and are therefore not bound by responsible lending obligations; and

(2) calls on the Government to:

(a) respond to the report of the Senate Standing Committee on Economics entitled Credit and Financial Services Targeted at Australians at Risk of Financial Hardship tabled in the Parliament in February 2019 as a matter of urgency;

(b) introduce a bill that would amend the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 to enact the recommendations of the Government's Review of Small Amount Credit Contract Laws;

(c) extend the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 to BNPL providers; and

(d) ensure no changes are made to the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 that would undermine or weaken responsible lending obligations as per the recommendations of Commissioner Kenneth Hayne.

  (Notice given 1 December 2020.)

Time allotted—45 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Ms Sharkie—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.

6   Mr T. R. Wilson: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) the benefits of home ownership are enjoyed during the working life of Australians, and in retirement;

(b) home ownership is more critical for a secure retirement than a large superannuation balance, as income can be supplemented by the pension;

(c) there is a disturbing rise of Australians who are entering retirement in poverty because of a lack of home ownership, particularly amongst separated and divorced women;

(d) currently Australians are forced to save for superannuation first and a home second;

(e) young Australians are struggling to save enough for a home deposit because their savings are locked away in superannuation;

(f) Australians only benefit from superannuation for about 20 years; and

(g) Australians draw the benefits of home ownership for around 50 years—both while working and in retirement; and

(2) recognises and acknowledges that:

(a) the order should be reversed: home first, super second;

(b) if young Australians could use their superannuation with other savings for a home deposit, they could buy a home both earlier and more cheaply; and

(c) by owning a home, young Australians will have a better life and a better retirement.

  (Notice given 30 November 2020.)

Time allotted—30 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Mr T. R. 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.

7   Mr J. H. Wilson: To move:

That this House:

(1) affirms the longstanding, important, and respectful relationship between Australia and the Philippines, and supports the ongoing cooperation between our countries in key areas like regional development, maritime security, and disaster risk and reduction management;

(2) expresses its opposition to the recently intensified repression directed at human rights and labour rights defenders in the Philippines, evident by:

(a) the International Trade Union Confederation listing the Philippines in the top ten worst countries for workers' rights as a result of the extrajudicial killings of forty-six union members and officials in the last three years;

(b) the deteriorating human rights environment and the rise in unlawful killings by state agencies which means that workers, civil servants, trade union organisations, and labour activists fear for their safety;

(c) the nearly three-year extension of martial law in Mindanao, after it was initially approved for sixty days, and which only ended in December 2019; and

(d) the UN Human Rights Council's adoption of resolution 41/2 expressing concern over human rights violations and requesting the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare a comprehensive report on the human rights situation in the Philippines that was due in June 2020;

(3) supports recommendations put forward by the International Labour Organization's (ILO) Conference Committee on the Application of Standards to:

(a) oppose any language that creates a negative stigmatisation of those defending the rights of workers and human rights; and

(b) oppose any military intervention in industrial disputes, as such interventions in trade union affairs can only occur with approval of the Government, which constitutes a grave violation of human rights and the principles of freedom of association; and

(4) calls on the Government to support the upholding of labour and human rights, in line with international standards, by endorsing:

(a) the ILO's resolution to send a high-level tripartite mission to the Philippines to conduct an open, transparent, and robust investigation of the human rights situation; and

(b) any auditing process of Australian security engagements in the Philippines, such as the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Program, as a way of ensuring we are not indirectly supporting human rights violations in the Philippines.

  (Notice given 13 May 2020.)

Time allotted—30 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Mr J. H. 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.

8   Mr Falinski: To move:

That this House:

(1) condemns:

(a) lawless activity on workplaces in Australia;

(b) the use of vessel bans, overtime bans, acting up bans, shift bans, and stop work meetings by the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) that has created chaos on Australian wharves;

(c) the use of industrial action in support of pay increases of over 30 per cent for people earning over $300,000 while damaging the capacity of so many other businesses to pay workers on much lower salaries and create jobs; and

(d) industrial action that threatens supply of critical medical supplies in the middle of a pandemic;

(2) notes that:

(a) many industry sectors including agriculture and road transport have reported supply chain problems which are linked to the MUA's actions;

(b) it is estimated that $165.6 million of imports and $66.9 million of exports per day were disrupted; and

(c) vital medical supplies are being disrupted, at a time when they are needed the most;

(3) further notes that this industrial action is:

(a) not in support of any safety or other related issue but rather pay increases for many people who are earning over $300,000 a year;

(b) supported by many other associated entities of the labour movement such as the Australian Labor Party, industry super owned proxy adviser Australian Council of Superannuation Investors, industry super owned media companies such as The New Daily, class action law firms, and others; and

(c) consistent with previous actions that have hurt our national interests such as during World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War and other times; and

(4) notes the failure of the interest based bargaining that has handed over management control to the MUA and still resulted in out of control industrial action and disempowered workplaces, and threatens the Australian dream.

  (Notice given 20 October 2020.)

Time allotted—30 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Mr Falinski—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.

9   Mr Leeser: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes the:

(a) substantial investment the Government has made since 2013 in funding urban infrastructure projects to reduce congestion and improve quality of life for people living in urban areas; and

(b) significant role the Government has played in partnering with state governments and private enterprise to ensure these essential projects are carried forward;

(2) acknowledges the positive impact these projects have had on the Australian economy through boosting productivity and creating jobs;

(3) commends the Government for its ongoing commitment to reducing traffic congestion and improving road safety through a record $110 billion transport infrastructure program, boosting the economy, creating jobs and getting Australians home sooner and safer; and

(4) congratulates the Government on the recent completion of numerous major infrastructure projects, including NorthConnex, which is enabling drivers to travel between Newcastle and Melbourne without stopping at a single traffic light, boosting productivity as well as improving traffic flow and pedestrian safety on Pennant Hills Road.

  (Notice given 9 November 2020.)

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

Speech time limits—

Mr Leeser—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.

THE HON A. D. H. SMITH MP

Speaker of the House of Representatives

2 December 2020