Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present report No. 33 of the Selection Committee relating to the consideration of committee and delegation business and private members' business for Monday 25 November 2024. The report will be printed in the Hansard for today, and the committee's determination 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, 19 November 2024.

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, 19 November 2024, and determined the order of precedence and times on Monday, 25 November 2024, as follows:

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

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Notices

1 MR GEE: To present a Bill for an Act to ensure access to GPs in regional areas, and for related purposes. (Doctors for the Bush Bill 2024)

(Notice given 19 November 2024.)

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 MS DANIEL: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the Online Safety Act 2024, and for related purposes. (Online Safety Amendment (Digital Duty of Care) Bill 2024)

(Notice given 19 November 2024.)

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 VAN MANEN: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) reform is required to retain workers in the building and construction industry; and

(b) Master Builders Australia has reported that there is a critical workforce shortage, with a 14.7 per cent decrease in the number of construction industry apprentices completing their studies since 2022, and the total number of construction apprentices also decreasing by 22.4 per cent for the same period; and

(2) acknowledges that the:

(a) Government has delivered a business insolvency crisis, with over 23,938 business insolvencies since taking office, including over 6,399 construction business insolvencies;

(b) Government's Fee Free TAFE program has delivered a 13 per cent completion rate to date and the Government has refused to reveal the dropout rate;

(c) Government is failing Australian businesses and the construction sector; and

(d) Opposition's Housing Infrastructure Program aims to deliver up to 500,000 additional homes and contribute to the growth in employment in the building and construction industry by direct employment to residential development infrastructure.

(Notice given 6 November 2024.)

Time allotted 35 minutes.

Speech time limits

Mr van Manen 5 minutes.

Other 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.

4 MS CLAYDON: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) 25 November 2024 marks the United Nations' International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, beginning 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence;

(b) in Australia, it has been publicly reported that approximately 64 women have been killed by acts of violence by men as of 17 November 2024;

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

(d) violence against women and girls impacts everyone, of all genders, ages, ethnicities, religions and socio-economic backgrounds, it does not discriminate, and is almost always committed by men; and

(e) there is no excuse for violence against women and girls;

(2) commends the work that the Government has done so far in taking immediate and practical steps to support women and children to escape from violence through significant investments to support the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-32;

(3) recognises the following additional commitments made by the Government to end violence against women and children in a generation:

(a) $4.4 billion in new funding to address the scourge of gender-based violence and respond to the government initiated Rapid Review into Prevention Approaches through:

(i) convening a national cabinet on gender-based violence at which the Government committed to investing $3.9 billion in support for frontline legal assistance services;

(ii) investing $351 million over five years for funding under a renewed five-year national partnership agreement to be matched by states and territories; and

(iii) allocating $169 million in targeted initiatives to support the National Plan; and

(b) $1 billion through the National Housing Infrastructure Facility for housing for women and children impacted by violence, plus other supports for housing single parents; and

(4) recognises that there is still much more work to be done to prevent violence against women and children and to create lasting change, that it is a whole of community response, and that the Government is absolutely committed to leading this response.

(Notice given 18 November 2024.)

Time allotted 35 minutes.

Speech time limits

Ms Claydon 5 minutes.

Other 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.

5 MS LE: To move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges that:

(a) small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are fundamental to the Australian economy, contributing significantly to job creation, economic resilience, and particularly in the manufacturing sector, where their role is vital to the national interest;

(b) manufacturing is a leading employer in the electoral division of Fowler, employing approximately 12 per cent of the local workforce, significantly higher than the national average of 5.9 per cent;

(c) hundreds of manufacturing businesses in the electoral division of Fowler produce essential goods across a variety of sectors, from food production and building materials, to medical supplies and recycling initiatives;

(d) manufacturing SMEs are grappling with rising operating costs, a shortage of skilled labour, and limited access to critical resources;

(e) the Government's Future Made in Australia plan, introduced in May 2024, does not sufficiently address the challenges facing the manufacturing sector; and

(f) manufacturing SMEs deserve a fairer share of Government support to achieve sustainable growth, scale effectively, expand employment opportunities and remain competitive amid growing domestic and international pressures;

(2) notes that the Government's recent relief measures, such as the one-year extension of the $20,000 instant asset write-off and a $325 electricity rebate for small businesses, were positive steps, however fall short of addressing the long-term, systemic challenges faced by small and medium-sized manufacturers; and

(3) calls on the Government to provide comprehensive and sustained support for small and medium-sized manufacturing businesses by:

(a) increasing the instant asset write-off to $50,000 and extending it indefinitely, to support capital investment in small and medium manufacturers and enable them to remain competitive as plant and material prices continue to rise;

(b) promoting manufacturing as a career to young Australians and migrant workers by continuing and expanding government investment in training initiatives, apprenticeships, English language training and foundational skills development to fill critical labour gaps and provide certainty for employers to boost productivity within the sector; and

(c) supporting lowering the cost of doing business by addressing the escalating costs for insurance, freight, energy, and compliance, which disproportionately impact small and medium manufacturers.

(Notice given 18 November 2024.)

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

Speech time limits

Ms Le 5 minutes.

Other Members 5 minutes each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 4 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 CHANEY: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) in 2023, the Government revised down its annual productivity growth assumption from 1.5 per cent to 1.2 per cent, reflecting the slowdown in productivity over the past two decades;

(b) Australian productivity growth is now behind most comparable nations including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France;

(c) productivity growth is a key contributor to increases in economic welfare, accounting for 80 per cent of growth in real wages; and

(d) contributing factors to the decline in Australian productivity include:

(i) complicated workplace laws, regulation and taxation;

(ii) declining educational outcomes; and

(iii) under-investment in research and development relative to peer economies; and

(2) calls on the Government to issue a formal response to the Productivity Commission's five-yearly productivity inquiry report, Advancing Prosperity, presented in March 2023.

(Notice given 19 November 2024.)

Time allotted 20 minutes.

Speech time limits

Ms Chaney 5 minutes.

Other Members 5 minutes each.

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

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

2 MS DOYLE: To move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges:

(a) the Government is strengthening Medicare and delivering cost of living relief to Australians; and

(b) that the Government's record investments in bulk billing have stopped the free-fall in bulk billing rates, with Australians accessing an estimated 5.4 million additional bulk billed visits in the past 12 months;

(2) notes:

(a) that Australians have saved more than $1 billion on cheaper medicines, as a result of the largest price reduction in the 75-year history of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), the introduction of 60-day prescriptions, and the lowering of the PBS safety-net threshold; and

(b) the continued expansion of the Medicare Urgent Care Clinic network, with almost 80 clinics opened which have seen almost 900,000 bulk-billed presentations;

(3) welcomes the influx of new doctors entering the workforce, with one new doctor joining the Australian health system every hour on average over the past year, and the number of junior doctors electing to take up general practice training increasing by more than 25 per cent;

(4) expresses its concern at the track record of the Leader of the Opposition, who during his term as Minister for Health:

(a) tried to introduce a tax on visits to GPs;

(b) froze Medicare rebates;

(c) cut $50 billion from our hospitals;

(d) said there were 'too many free Medicare services';

(e) was voted by Australia's doctors as the worst health minister in the history of Medicare; and

(f) as a result, cannot be trusted with Medicare; and

(5) acknowledges that only the Government can be trusted to protect and strengthen Medicare.

(Notice given 19 November 2024.)

Time allotted 30 minutes.

Speech time limits

Ms Doyle 5 minutes.

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.

3 MR COULTON: To move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges that:

(a) Royal Far West (RFW) is a national charity dedicated to the health and wellbeing of Australia's country children across more than 200 schools and 364 communities; and

(b) RFW is celebrating its centenary of service to Australia in 2024;

(2) notes that:

(a) in 2019, RFW received funding from the Department of Health and Aged Care to provide services online to schools and preschools under the National Paediatric Telecare Service (NPTS), and that funding finishes in June next year;

(b) workforce shortages in regional areas, and a resulting lack of access to services, has seen high demand for NPTS;

(c) the NPTS overcomes the tyranny of distance and reduces expenses for families in the midst of a cost of living crisis; and

(d) operating across four states, the NPTS has provided support to 20,000 children, parents and educators; and

(3) urges the Government to provide ongoing funding to RFW to allow this vital allied health and mental health service to continue to support families in rural, regional and remote Australia.

(Notice given 20 August 2024.)

Time allotted 30 minutes.

Speech time limits

Mr Coulton 5 minutes.

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.

4 MS J RYAN: To move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges that the Government is making sure that Australians can continue to pay with cash for essential items if they want to, while also ensuring an orderly transition to phasing out cheques;

(2) notes the Government's plan will:

(a) mandate that businesses must accept cash when selling essential items, with appropriate exemptions for small businesses; and

(b) ensure that cash can be used for essential purchases, such as groceries and fuel, so that those who rely on cash will not be left behind; and

(3) welcomes the Government's acknowledgement that while Australians are increasingly using digital payment methods, there is an ongoing place for cash in our society.

(Notice given 19 November 2024.)

Time allotted 30 minutes.

Speech time limits

Ms J Ryan 5 minutes.

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

1 RURAL, REMOTE AND REGIONAL HEALTH: Resumption of debate (from 18 November 2024) on the motion of Dr Webster—That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) rural and remote Australians bear a heavier burden of disease than Australians who live in major metropolitan areas;

(b) the rural, remote and regional health workforce persistently suffers more significant staffing shortages than its metropolitan counterparts;

(c) the former Government established the Office of the National Rural Health Commissioner in 2017;

(d) the inaugural commissioner, Professor Paul Worley, said in 2018 that he had heard the urgency of calls for a National Rural Generalist Pathway for the medical practitioner workforce, and recommended later that year the national recognition, as a protected title, of a Rural Generalist as a Specialised Field within the Speciality of General Practice, which is now federally funded and accredited by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine;

(e) the National Rural Health Commissioner has established the National Rural and Remote Nursing Generalist Framework 2023-27, after consultation commenced by the former Government in early 2022; and

(f) Queensland Health began developing a rural generalist pathway for allied health professions in 2013 which Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health successfully developed further in some jurisdictions but a pathway is not yet available in Victoria for instance; and

(2) calls upon the Minister for Health and Aged Care to advance rural generalist pathways in medicine, nursing and allied health, to address dire workforce shortages in rural, remote and regional Australia.

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 = 8 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

5 MR VAN MANEN: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that small businesses are struggling under the:

(a) burden of the Government's cost of living crisis; and

(b) weight of the Government's additional administrative red tape;

(2) acknowledges that according to the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman:

(a) conditions for small business:

(i) have deteriorated by 3.5 per cent; and

(ii) continue to be well below the long-term average;

(b) the operating environment for business has been in decline for the past two years with rising concerns about regulations, increased costs and slowing demand; and

(c) fewer people are considering starting a small business and businesses are less likely to invest in expansion; and

(3) calls on the Government to address its failure to support small business, the backbone of Australia's economy.

(Notice given 13 August 2024.)

Time allotted 40 minutes.

Speech time limits

Mr van Manen 5 minutes.

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.

6 MR PERRETT: To move:

That this House:

(1) welcomes the 106 advocates for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Australia who are present with their families in Parliament House today, 26 November 2024, to advocate for further funding for the Type 1 Diabetes Clinical Research Network (T1 DCRN);

(2) commends these advocates for type 1 diabetes (T1D) on their work with Members and Senators across Australia, explaining why the research undertaken by the T1 DCRN to date has given them enormous hope;

(3) notes that there are over 130,000 Australians living with T1D, who are part of a passionate and articulate community as all who participated in World Diabetes Day on 14 November 2024 would know;

(4) acknowledges the work of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport inquiry into diabetes, chaired by the Member for Macarthur, which made bipartisan recommendations relating to T1D research, early detection and prevention, and to expanding access to diabetes technologies that help in the management of T1D;

(5) congratulates the advocates who have travelled from all over Australia to tell their stories and make the case for funding for the next stage of the T1 DCRN; and

(6) provides cross party assurance to JDRF Australia advocates that their message has been heard, their tenacity is admired, and that it is understood in this House that research holds the key.

(Notice given 4 November 2024.)

Time allotted 30 minutes.

Speech time limits

Mr Perrett 5 minutes.

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.

7 DR WEBSTER: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) under the cover of the United States of America's elections and the Melbourne Cup, the Victorian Government through Parks Victoria have declared they will close certain areas of Mount Arapiles in the Wimmera region for rock climbing due to cultural heritage concerns;

(b) local residents and rock climbing enthusiasts from around the nation are outraged by the decision, particularly as a prime Australian rock climbing destination and the potential devastating impact on the small community of Natimuk;

(c) on Monday, 18 November 2024, Parks Victoria Chief Executive Officer, Matthew Jackson told an inquiry that Parks Victoria does not consult on cultural heritage laws and had no obligation to consider its decision's economic impact on local communities; and

(d) doctors, nurses and allied health practitioners have been attracted to the region, including nearby Horsham, due to the availability of rock climbing and are now reconsidering whether to settle or remain in the region; and

(2) calls upon the:

(a) Commonwealth Government to explain its position on cultural heritage matters that are delivering gross inequities for the majority of Australians; and

(b) Victorian State Government to:

(i) genuinely consult with all stakeholders on the decision;

(ii) ensure all established climbing routes at Mount Arapiles remain in force until such consultation has occurred; and

(iii) reminds all levels of Government that on 14 October 2023 regional Victorians and Australians united and conclusively voted 'no' to this form of division in the Australian community.

(Notice given 19 November 2024.)

Time allotted 25 minutes.

Speech time limits

Dr Webster 5 minutes.

Other Members 5 minutes each.

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

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

Orders of the day — continued

2 WORLDSKILLS COMPETITION 2024: Resumption of debate (from 18 November 2024) on the motion of Ms Claydon—That this House:

(1) acknowledges and celebrates the exceptional achievements of Australia's Skillaroos who represented our nation at the 2024 WorldSkills competition in Lyon;

(2) recognises the dedication, skill, and passion of our Skillaroos exemplifies the highest standards of excellence in vocational education and training and demonstrates the incredible talent within our skilled workforce;

(3) commends the Government for its commitment to getting the best outcomes for Australians through improving access to vocational education and training, supporting quality training and putting TAFE back at the heart of the sector; and

(4) supports the Government as it continues to invest in the Australian people by prioritising training initiatives like Fee-Free TAFE.

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 matter should continue on a future day.

Notices — continued

8 MS WARE: To move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges:

(a) the release of the Government's Centre for Population research paper dated October 2024, Fertility decline in Australia: Is it here to stay?; and

(b) that the paper provides that:

(i) fertility rates in Australia continue to decline under this Government;

(ii) the average number of children born to Australian women in 2023 is 1.5;

(iii) in Australia fertility outcomes are lower than fertility desires;

(iv) cost of living pressures have caused Australians to postpone childbearing; and

(v) the high cost of housing has made it increasingly difficult for young adults to achieve their home ownership goals prior to starting a family;

(2) recognises that the Government has:

(a) failed to manage the economy, resulting in a period of skyrocketing inflation fuelling the current cost of living crisis;

(b) failed to address the housing affordability crisis; and

(c) been incapable of supporting a stable economic and housing environment to empower Australian women, resulting in the fertility decline to 1.5 children on average in 2023;

(3) expresses concern that the Government's economic and housing mismanagement have forced Australian women to delay having children, resulting in a decline in their fertility; and

(4) calls on the Government to better manage the economy and housing for the betterment of all Australians including Australian women and reverse the declining infertility rates.

(Notice given 19 November 2024.)

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

Speech time limits

Ms Ware 5 minutes.

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.

THE HON D. M. DICK MP

Speaker of the House of Representatives

20 November 2024