Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present the sixth report of the Petitions Committee for the 47th Parliament.

The report read as follows—

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

PETITIONS COMMITTEE

REPORT No. 6

Petitions

and

Ministerial Responses

6 March 2023

MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE

Chair Ms Susan Templeman MP

Deputy Chair Mr Ross Vasta MP

Mr Sam Birrell MP

Ms Alison Byrnes MP

Ms Lisa Chesters MP

Mr Garth Hamilton MP

Ms Tracy Roberts MP

Ms Meryl Swanson MP

Report summarising the petitio ns and Ministerial responses being presented.

The committee met in private session in the 47th Parliament on 25 January 2023, 8 February 2023 and 15 February 2023.

1. The committee resolved to present the following 58 petitions in accordance with standin g order 207:

From 7 petitioners—requesting a ban on baby walkers with seats (EN4651)

From 27 petitioners—requesting funding for Alambi aged care facility in Dimboola (EN4652)

From 1109 petitioners—requesting changes to make it easier for cancer patients to access social welfare (EN4653)

From 9 petitioners—requesting that Iran's Islamic Republic regime be listed as a terrorist organisation (EN4655)

From 2020 petitioners—requesting the recognition of pharmacists as valid healthcare providers and prescribers(EN4656)

From 15 petitioners—requesting a review of the ATO in relation to tax on small business (EN4657)

From 10 petitioners—requesting abolition of compulsory voting (EN4658)

From 11 petitioners—requesting amendment to assessment of veteran's pension (EN4659)

From 8 petitioners—requesting asylum for Chinese students currently in Australia (EN4660)

From 6 petitioners—requesting an amendment to the Medicare levy surcharge for domestic violence victims (EN4663)

From 16 petitioners—requesting a ban on all non-biodegradable soft plastics (EN4664)

From 7 petitioners—requesting a change to quarterly reports for self-managed superannuation funds (EN4665)

From 5 petitioners—requesting a new law for data retention, protection and privacy (EN4667)

From 29356 petitioners—requesting an inquiry into Australia's Covid-19 response (EN4670)

From 79 petitioners—requesting regulation of public official's statements about climate change (EN4671)

From 48 petitioners—requesting a law to prevent social media restriction promotion of parliamentary petitions (EN4674)

From 1077 petitioners—requesting action to prevent the Chalumbin Wind Farm environmental approval (EN4675)

From 14 petitioners—requesting an alternative pathway to general registration for international medical graduates (EN4677)

From 23 petitioners—requesting the elimination of daylight savings time (EN4678)

From 7 petitioners—requesting regulation of childcare centres to waive fees on sick days (EN4680)

From 25 petitioners—requesting recognition for the state of Palestine (EN4681)

From 12 petitioners—requesting Australian action against Iran (EN4682)

From 60 petitioners—requesting that family sponsored refugee visas be fast tracked (EN4685)

From 22 petitioners—requesting the use of surplus cruise ships as housing (EN4686)

From 89 petitioners—requesting changes to the parliamentary petitions process (EN4687)

From 4 petitioners—requesting funding for PCR testing (EN4688)

From 5 petitioners—requesting legislation to mandate personal methane sequestering (EN4689)

From 450 petitioners—requesting an extension to Homebuilder grant documentation for off-the-plan applicants (EN4691)

From 3 petitioners—requesting changes to income tax rules for fundraisers (EN4696)

From 20 petitioners—requesting legislation to make cancelling digital subscriptions easier (EN4697)

From 1264 petitioners—requesting Automated External Defibrillators be mandatory for businesses with public access (EN4699)

From 44 petitioners—requesting changes to allow point-based-skilled-visa-applicants to have a spouse or de-facto partner (EN4700)

From 11 petitioners—requesting disaster relief grants for flood stricken Cabonne residents (EN4701)

From 73 petitioners—requesting the regulation of drug and alcohol rehabilitation and treatment centres (EN4704)

From 197 petitioners—requesting funding for court-ordered psychiatric assessments (EN4705)

From 19 petitioners—requesting changes to conditions of visa classes 491 and 494 (EN4709)

From 6 petitioners—requesting consideration of whether to support China to join the CPTPP (EN4711)

From 5 petitioners—requesting changes to medicinal marijuana use in Australia (EN4713)

From 15 petitioners—requesting a change to policy to allow people with ADHD and autism to join the ADF (EN4715)

From 4 petitioners—requesting changes to sick leave (EN4716)

From 627 petitioners—requesting minimum minutes for healthcare in nursing homes (EN4717)

From 1 petitioners—requesting permanent residency for some students(EN4718)

From 11 petitioners—requesting that the government bring the remaining Bali nine back to Australia (EN4721)

From 6 petitioners—requesting mandatory COVID test for people coming from China (EN4722)

From 9 petitioners—requesting changes to control of schedule 8 medications (EN4725)

From 4 petitioners—requesting restrictions on travel from China due to recent covid outbreak (EN4726)

From 4 petitioners—requesting Covid testing at the border (EN4728)

From 119 petitioners—requesting increases to the Medicare rebate (EN4729)

From 4 petitioners—requesting health checks upon arrival on travellers from China (EN4731)

From 5 petitioners—requesting the removal of testing mandates on travellers from China (EN4732)

From 127 petitioners—requesting criminalization of sexual acts with minors (EN4736)

From 390 petitioners—requesting funding for the Trove website (EN4737)

From 63 petitioners—requesting reversal of the PBS price increase for concessional card holders (EN4744)

From 6384 petitioners—requesting funding for Trove and the National Library (EN4745)

From 548 petitioners—requesting a ban on products produced by Uyghur forced labour (EN4746)

From 22240 petitioners—requesting funding for Trove (EN4747)

From 14496 petitioners—requesting a Royal Commission into the national housing crisis (EN4753)

From 73 petitioners—requesting the grant of protection visas to certain refugees (PN0554)

2. The following 10 ministerial responses to petitions were received by the Committee on 15 February 2023:

From the Minister for Communications to a petition regarding increasing numbers of online scams (EN3472)

From the Minister for Foreign Affairs to a petition regarding a review of the provision of foreign aid (EN3549)

From the Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories to a petition requesting the return the NT to Federal control (EN3572)

From the Minister for Veterans Affairs to a petition regarding amending the Veterans Acts (EN4196)

From the Minister for Veterans Affairs to a petition requesting a review of defining "evidence" under the Veterans' Entitlement Act 1986 (VEA) (EN4205)

From the Minister for Veterans Affairs to a petition requesting a change to Veterans Entitlement 1986 Act (VEA) and procedural apprehended bias (EN4353)

From the Minister for Veterans Affairs to a petition requesting a law amendment to the Veterans' Entitlement Act 1986" (EN4381)

From the Minister for Veterans Affairs to a petition regarding the confirmation of the RMA definition of "clinical onset" (EN4382)

From the Minister for Health and Aged Care to a petition requesting to stop general practitioners (GP) charging fees above Medicare rebates (EN4485)

From the Minister for Communications to a petition requesting to block international scam calls (EN4518)

Correction to previous presentation

In Report 06 presented on 13 February 2023 the incorrect petition number (EN3528) was given to a response from the Minister for the Public Service. The correct information is:

From the Minister for the Public Service to a petition regarding a mandate for all public servants to be vaccinated (EN3548)

Ms Susan Templeman MP

Chair—Petitions Committee