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

I present the 16th report of the Petitions Committee for the 47th Parliament.

The report read as follows—

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

PETITIONS COMMITTEE

REPORT No. 16

Petitions and Ministerial Responses

16 October 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 Tracey Roberts MP

Ms Meryl Swanson MP

This committee is supported by staff of the Department of the House of Representatives

Report summarising the petitions and ministerial responses being presented.

The committee met in private session in the 47th Parliament on 9 August 2023, 6 September 2023, and 13 September 2023.

1. The committee resolved to present the following 54 petitions in accordance with standing order 207:

Petitions certified on 9 August 2023

From 107 petitioners—requesting the cessation of the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum (EN5331)

Petitions certified on 6 September 2023

From 12 petitioners—requesting that businesses be banned from adding surcharges on non-cash transactions (EN5358)

From 23 petitioners—requesting that flea, tick, and heartworm products containing isoxazolines be classified as Schedule 4 items on the Poisons Standard (EN5359)

From 11 petitioners—requesting amendment of Section 140A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 to allow for development of nuclear fusion energy (EN5360)

From 4 petitioners—requesting amendment of Section 140A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 to allow for development of nuclear fusion energy (EN5361)

From 4 petitioners—requesting amendment of Section 140A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 to allow for development of nuclear fusion energy (EN5364)

From 3 petitioners—requesting amendment of Section 140A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 to allow for development of nuclear fusion energy (EN5365)

From 12 petitioners—requesting amendment of Section 140A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 to allow for development of nuclear fusion energy (EN5366)

From 1 petitioner—requesting amendment of Section 140A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 to allow for development of nuclear fusion energy (EN5367)

From 21 petitioners—requesting removal of the automatic indexation on excise duty rates for commercially produced alcohol (EN5368)

From 33 petitioners—requesting that the processing times for the offshore partner visas 300 and 309 be reduced (EN5370)

From 3 petitioners—regarding acts of violence committed against Indian Muslims (EN5372)

From 234 petitioners—regarding the expansion of access to antiviral treatments for people suffering health problems associated with long COVID (EN5373)

From 11 petitioners—regarding ongoing human rights violations and undemocratic activities in Bangladesh (EN5376)

From 2 petitioners—requesting the investigation of VETASSESS processing times (EN5377)

From 4 petitioners—requesting that the i-Port Advance™ be covered under the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) (EN5378)

From 54 petitioners—requesting the investigation of possible unfair decisions under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (EN5380)

From 13 petitioners—requesting regulations to replace folic acid with folate in common daily foods (EN5381)

From 6 petitioners—requesting changes to the cap on spousal income in the Disability Support Pension (DSP) income test (EN5382)

From 531 petitioners—requesting the incorporation of a Bill of Rights into the Australian Constitution (EN5383)

From 52 petitioners—requesting the establishment of a Royal Commission into Australian Federal and State Governments' responses to the COVID-19 pandemic (EN5385)

From 116 petitioners—requesting legislation to guarantee reasonable access to banking services and physical cash for all Australians (EN5391)

From 813 petitioners—regarding violence in Manipur and the protection of Christians and minorities in India (EN5392)

From 4649 petitioners—requesting a rejection of any proposals for the development of an offshore wind zone near Port MacDonnell (EN5394)

From 34 petitioners—requesting funding for Pacific Island cultural hubs in major states where large Pacific Islander communities reside (EN5395)

From 131 petitioners—requesting the introduction of 10 days paid menstrual leave for working women in Australia (EN5396)

From 117 petitioners—requesting amendment to provisions of the Totally and Permanently Incapacitated Payment under the Veterans' Entitlement Act 1986 to (EN5397)

From 193 petitioners—regarding regulation of Event Data Recorders in vehicles (EN5398)

From 1405 petitioners—requesting the closure of the Russian Consulate in Sydney and the expulsion of its diplomatic staff (EN5399)

From 69 petitioners—requesting that the proposed Illawarra Offshore Windfarm be rejected (EN5402)

From 14 petitioners—requesting cooperation with the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification to include residential cleaning companies in worker compensation schemes (EN5403)

From 206 petitioners—requesting the establishment of a national wildlife patrol service to protect native wildlife (EN5408)

From 2 petitioners—requesting the introduction of a program to educate the Australian public on the structure and functions of the executive branch of government (EN5409)

From 13 petitioners—requesting that greater restrictions be placed on lobbyists' access to Parliament House (EN5411)

From 66 petitioners—requesting that no new COVID-19 restrictions be legislated, and requesting that the House oppose any new state restrictions (EN5416)

From 510 petitioners—regarding wait times for onshore applicants applying for a 491 or 494 visa while on a bridging visa or responding to a s56 request (EN5417)

From 21 petitioners—requesting that the House introduce and pass legislation to establish separate referenda for Constitutional recognition and the Voice (EN5419)

From 31 petitioners—regarding the AEC's Ballot Paper Formality Guidelines

for the upcoming referendum (EN5421)

From 477 petitioners—requesting that the terms of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission investigation and enforcement inquiry be expanded to include the ACCC's activities (EN5423)

From 17 petitioners—requesting an acknowledgement of the contributions of the First Fleet and European settlers in the Australian Constitution (EN5427)

From 9 petitioners—requesting that imported products in Australia be required to have a label displaying total carbon emissions involved in production and importation (EN5428)

From 51 petitioners—requesting the addition of freedom of speech into the Australian Constitution (EN5429)

Petitions certified on 13 September 2023

From 7 petitioners—requesting legislation that enables men to enact a financial abortion (EN5430)

From 21 petitioners—requesting the introduction of reforms to mitigate the effects of bullying in Australian schools (EN5433)

From 20 petitioners—requesting an immediate ban on harmful and explicit content in Australia (EN5435)

From 16 petitioners—requesting an end to the live export of animals (EN5439)

From 28 petitioners—requesting a Royal Commission into the housing and rental crisis (EN5440)

From 15 petitioners—regarding the introduction of a new federal government body to audit and investigate rental properties and real estate agents (EN5441)

From 788 petitioners—requesting a moratorium on offshore wind projects in Australia (EN5442)

From 32 petitioners—requesting an end to the live export of animals

(EN5443)

From 42 petitioners—requesting the legalisation of capital punishment for convicted paedophiles (EN5445)

From 212 petitioners—regarding reforms to existing childcare legislation to prevent discrimination against children with profound disabilities (EN5446)

From 11147 petitioners—requesting amendment to visa options for parents of Australian children who are citizens (EN5447)

From 10 petitioners—requesting that volunteer work be included as specified work for the 88-day requirement for visa holders seeking to extend their stay (EN5448)

2. The following 31 ministerial responses to petitions were received:

Minist erial responses received by the Committee on 13 September 2023

From the Minister for Housing to a petition requesting that the Federal Government take action to address the housing crisis (EN4105)

From the Minister for Defence to a petition regarding military assistance to Ukraine (EN4122)

From the Minister for Social Services to a petition regarding financial independence, suspension from Centrelink and homelessness services (EN4130)

From the Attorney-General to a petition requesting the legalisation of the recreational use and cultivation of cannabis for adults in Australia (EN4168)

From the Minister for Youth to a petition requesting the passing of legislation to ban the outing of LGBTQIA+ youth (EN4201)

From the Minister for Communications to a petition regarding the concentration of media ownership across newspapers, radio and television (EN4258)

From the Minister for Communications to a petition requesting the ban on online poker be removed (EN4274)

From the Minister for Education to a petition regarding the legitimacy of the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) system (EN4332)

From the Minister for Sport to a petition requesting the establishment of a national motorsport strategy (EN4392)

From the Minister for Social Services to a petition requesting increased support for carers of elderly Australians (EN4403)

From the Attorney-General to a petition regarding the legalisation of cannabis for personal use and the creation of a regulatory system (EN4411)

From the Minister for Early Childhood Education to a petition requesting the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) be extended to grandparents who look after their grandchildren (EN4430)

From the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government to a petition requesting changes to the proposed Inland Rail line to bypass Wagga Wagga's Central Business District (EN4453)

From the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister to a petition requesting that the Australian Government establish a national public holiday to honour the late Queen Elizabeth II's memory (EN4468)

From the Assistant Treasurer to a petition regarding the Australian Taxation Office's handling of GST liabilities (EN4657)

From the Assistant Treasurer to a petition requesting the introduction of legislation for companies to enable consumers to unsubscribe from their services (EN4697)

From the Attorney-General to a petition regarding the retention and protection of personal information by companies (EN4968)

From the Minister for Communications to a petition requesting a ban on gambling advertising on all Australian media (EN4998)

From the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations to a petition requesting a ban on junior rates of pay (EN5023)

From the Attorney-General to a petition regarding the proposed implementation of a national firearms register (EN5026)

From the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations to a petition requesting an amendment to the Fair Work Act 2009 to regulate job advertisements (EN5030)

From the Minister for Emergency Management to a petition requesting a resilience package for Cabonne, New South Wales (EN5065)

From the Minister for Communications to a petition requesting the review and limiting of the proliferation of certain Indian Hindutva films (EN5113)

From the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government to a petition regarding the funding of a stadium at Macquarie Point, Hobart (EN5143)

From the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations to a petition requesting that wages be linked to the Consumer Price Index or RBA cash rate (EN5150)

From the Minister for Housing to a petition requesting that funding for the National Rental Affordability Scheme be extended (EN5165)

From the Minister for Foreign Affairs to a petition regarding the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh (EN5210)

From the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to a petition requesting the removal of the biosecurity levy for Australian farmers (EN5214)

From the Minister for Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government to a petition regarding the funding for the Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 4 (EN5216)

From the Minister for Veterans' Affairs to a petition requesting amendment to the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 in response to a Federal Court decision (EN5220)

From the Minister for Early Childhood Education to a petition regarding wages and conditions for early childhood educators and teachers (PN0547)

Ms Susan Templema n MP

Chair—Petitions Committee