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

I present report No. 34 of the Selection Committee relating to the consideration of committee and delegation business and private members' business on Monday 10 February 2025. 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, 4 February 2025.

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, 4 February 2025, and determined the order of precedence and times on Monday, 10 February 2025, as follows:

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

COMMITTEE AND DELEGATION BUSINESS

Presentation and statements

1 Joint Standing Committee on Migration

Joint Standing Committee on Migration Delegation: New Zealand and Vanuatu, 26 to 31 August 2024

The Committee determined that statements on the report may be made all statements to conclude by 10.15.

Speech time limits

Ms Vamvakinou 5 minutes.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 1 x 5 mins]

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Notices

1 MR WILKIE: To present a Bill for an Act to establish the Whistleblower Protection Authority, and for related purposes. (Whistleblower Protection Authority Bill 2025)

(Notice given 26 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 SPENDER: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the National Land Transport Act 2014, and for related purposes. (National Land Transport Act Amendment (Better Value for Taxpayers) Bill 2025)

(Notice given 4 February 2025.)

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 DR SCAMPS: To present a Bill for an Act to ensure that public bodies act in pursuit of the wellbeing of current and future generations of Australia, to establish a Commissioner for Future Generations, and for related purposes. (Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill 2025)

(Notice given 4 February 2025.)

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 MS SHARKIE: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, and for related purposes. (Interactive Gambling Amendment (Know Your Losses Activity Statement) Bill 2025)

(Notice given 4 February 2025.)

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 MS BELL: To move—That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) it has been almost three years since the Government was elected and the cost of child care has increased by a whopping 22.3 per cent;

(b) since the Government introduced its cheaper child care policy, out of pocket costs for families have sky rocketed by 12.7 per cent;

(c) almost 30 per cent of child care services are charging over the hourly rate cap under the current Government, compared to 21 per cent under the previous Government; and

(d) this is just another broken promise from the Government, that continues to leave Australian families behind; and

(2) calls on the Government to deliver:

(a) more access to early childhood education and care places to support Australians to return to the workforce; and

(b) real cost of living relief to families.

(Notice given 4 February 2025.)

Time allotted 30 minutes.

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 matter should continue at a later hour.

6 DR REID: To move—That this House:

(1) acknowledges that the Government is building Australia's future by building a stronger Medicare with:

(a) free Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, so that you and your family have access to bulk billed health care when you need it;

(b) cheaper medicines, cutting the cost of prescriptions; and

(c) the largest investment in bulk billing in Medicare history, which is restoring bulk billing after ten years of cuts and neglect;

(2) expresses its concern at the Leader of the Opposition's record as Health Minister when he:

(a) tried to end bulk billing by making patients pay a tax every time they see a General Practitioner;

(b) cut $50 billion from public hospitals; and

(c) was voted worst Health Minister in the history of Medicare by Australian doctors; and

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

(Notice given 4 February 2025.)

Time allotted 30 minutes.

Speech time limits

Dr Reid 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 MS WATSON-BROWN: To move—That this House:

(1) notes that billionaires and big corporations have too much power over our democracy; and

(2) calls on the Government to tax billionaires and big corporations to fund the cost of living relief that Australians need, including:

(a) covering dental and mental health under Medicare;

(b) making sure everyone can see the GP for free;

(c) building housing people can actually afford; and

(d) wiping student debt.

(Notice given 4 February 2025.)

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

Speech time limits

Ms Watson-Brown 5 minutes.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 1 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration

of this matter should continue at a later hour.

Items for Federation Chamber (11 am to 1.30 pm)

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Notices

1 MR PASIN: To move—That this House:

(1) notes that 1,300 lives were lost on Australian roads in 2024;

(2) recognises that:

(a) this is the highest road toll since 2012; and

(b) the national road toll has risen each of the past four years, a situation not seen since 1966, or before the introduction of compulsory seat belts;

(3) acknowledges that the annual fatality rate per 100,000 head of population is now 4.8, well over double the National Road Safety target of 2.0; and

(4) calls on the Government to take action on the road safety crisis that is now killing more than 100 Australians every month and hospitalising 100 Australians every day.

(Notice given 4 February 2025.)

Time allotted 30 minutes.

Speech time limits

Mr Pasin 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.

2 MS MASCARENHAS: To move—That this House:

(1) acknowledges that the Government has created more than a million jobs;

(2) commends the Government for standing up for Western Australia and for recognising that Western Australia is the engine room of the economy;

(3) recognises that production tax credits for critical minerals will encourage critical mineral processing in Western Australia and create secure jobs in the resources sector; and

(4) calls on the Opposition to support the production tax credits instead of blocking jobs and investment in Western Australia.

(Notice given 4 February 2025.)

Time allotted 30 minutes.

Speech time limits

Ms Mascarenhas 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 GEE: To move—That this House:

(1) acknowledges the:

(a) disgraceful rural doctor shortage crisis unfolding across rural Australia; and

(b) devastating impacts this crisis is having on the health of country Australians; and

(2) resolves to:

(a) take urgent action to end the crisis and get more doctors practising in rural, regional and remote communities; and

(b) deliver equality in access to doctors and medical services to country residents and country communities.

(Notice given 4 February 2025.)

Time allotted 20 minutes.

Speech time limits

Mr Gee 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.

4 MR REPACHOLI: To move—That this House:

(1) acknowledges the Government's commitment to supporting apprentices and addressing the skills shortage which was left unaddressed by the previous Government;

(2) notes the failure of the previous Government to adequately support trade apprentices, instead diverting taxpayer funds to big business, including:

(a) $72 million to McDonald's, which posted record profits of $360 million in 2022-23;

(b) $28.3 million to Grill'd, despite its profits surging by 700 per cent, hitting $15.8 million in 2020-21; and

(c) $1.6 million to a Domino's franchisee in South Australia, which was later banned from employing apprentices due to a failure to meet training obligations;

(3) commends the Government for prioritising trade apprentices through new initiatives, including:

(a) introducing the Housing Construction Apprenticeship Program, providing $10,000 incentive payments for apprentices in key residential construction trades; and

(b) increasing the allowance for apprentices living away from home, the first increase in more than 20 years; and

(4) supports these measures as vital steps towards building a skilled, sustainable workforce.

(Notice given 4 February 2025.)

Time allotted 40 minutes.

Speech time limits

Mr Repacholi 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.

5 MR HOGAN: To move—That this House:

(1) acknowledges the Order of Australia is the highest national honour awarded to Australian citizens for outstanding contributions to our country or humanity at large;

(2) recognises that this year marks the 50th anniversary of Australia's honours system;

(3) notes that since being established by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1975, there have been 47,869 recipients of awards in the Order of Australia;

(4) further recognises and celebrates the 732 Australia Day 2025 award recipients, including 457 awards in the General Division of the Order of Australia for meritorious, distinguished and conspicuous service;

(5) further acknowledges community members recognised through Australia Day 2025 Local Citizen of the Year awards; and

(6) congratulates all the recipients of awards on Australia Day 2025.

(Notice given 4 February 2025.)

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

Speech time limits

Mr Hogan 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.

Items for Federation Chamber (4.45 pm to 7.30 pm)

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Orders of the day

CHILD CARE POLICY: Resumption of debate on the motion of Ms Bell—That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) it has been almost three years since the Government was elected and the cost of child care has increased by a whopping 22.3 per cent;

(b) since the Government introduced its cheaper childcare policy, out of pocket costs for families have sky rocketed by 12.7 per cent;

(c) almost 30 per cent of child care services are charging over the hourly rate cap under the current Government, compared to 21 per cent under the previous Government; and

(d) this is just another broken promise from the Government, that continues to leave Australian families behind; and

(2) calls on the Government to deliver:

(a) more access to early childhood education and care places to support Australians to return to the workforce; and

(b) real cost of living relief to families.

(Notice given 4 February 2025.)

Time allotted 20 minutes.

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 matter should continue on a future day.

Notices—continued

6 MR REPACHOLI: To move—That this House:

(1) notes that the Government has been delivering for Australian farmers and producers, helping our nearly $100 billion agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors continue to grow;

(2) acknowledges the Government has:

(a) recorded 169 market access achievements since July 2022, including:

(i) 22 new markets opened;

(ii) 66 improvements to reduce cost or requirements to export;

(iii) 72 achievements to maintain access in the face of threats to trade; and

(iv) nine achievements to restore access that was previously lost; and

(b) invested over $1 billion to ensure our biosecurity system is sustainable long term, ensuring our world-class system stays that way;

(3) further notes the dire state that our agriculture workforce was in under the previous Government, and acknowledges the work the Government has done to fix these issues, including:

(a) establishing the tripartite Agricultural Workforce Working Group and starting up the Agriculture Labour Taskforce; and

(b) working with stakeholders to deliver a Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme that is beneficial and safe for workers, which has grown from around 8,000 workers in March 2020 to over 27,000 at the end of 2024; and

(4) notes the Opposition's inaction on climate change reduced farm profitability, and acknowledges that the Government is investing in a sustainable agriculture sector by:

(a) delivering the first ever joint Agriculture Ministers' Statement on Climate Change;

(b) developing the first Agriculture and Land Sector Plan to chart the path for the industry to actively contribute to net-zero by 2050;

(c) investing $1.1 billion in the current round of the Natural Heritage Trust, including $302.1 million in climate-smart agriculture programs;

(d) investing $63.8 million to support the sector to act on climate and reduce emissions;

(e) committing $519.1 million over the next four years from the Future Drought Fund to ensure programs promote long-term drought and climate resilience; and

(f) ensuring our forestry industry remains sustainable, expanding our plantation estate and continuing support for our native forestry sector, in addition to supporting innovation and advanced manufacturing for wood products.

(Notice given 4 February 2025.)

Time allotted 35 minutes.

Speech time limits

Mr Repacholi 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.

7 DR WEBSTER: To move—That this House:

(1) notes that bushfires have ravaged the Grampians National Park and associated tourist destinations including Halls Gap, Pomonal and Dunkeld in February 2024 and over Christmas 2024, the latter being a critical annual income period for small businesses in the region;

(2) acknowledges that to protect lives and property, access to towns and tourist sites like Halls Gap was closed in some cases for weeks, depriving them of tourist visitors;

(3) further notes that:

(a) businesses have expressed concern that they have been unable to afford, or even access, insurance against bushfire risk notwithstanding that in Halls Gap's case, the town has never itself been struck by bushfire;

(b) the region was struck again over the 2025 Australia Day public holiday weekend with further fires in the Little Desert National Park at times threatening Dimboola, which led to further park closures and tourists deterred from remaining in the region; and

(c) fires that started over the 2025 Australia Day public holiday weekend have continued to burn in the southern part of the Grampians National Park into February 2025;

(4) commends the bravery, commitment and selflessness of Country Fire Authority services and volunteers, farmers, landholders and community members to protect life and property, fighting and containing the fires; and

(5) calls upon:

(a) all levels of Government to prioritise opening and maintaining access to as much of the Grampians as possible to maximise the social and economic health of the region;

(b) State Governments to:

(i) provide maximum transparency on the bushfire mitigation efforts they undertake, to assist insurers in determining reasonable insurance premiums; and

(ii) fast-track their processes for seeking Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangement assistance from the Commonwealth including Category D support for small businesses affected by fire disaster related closures;

(c) the Commonwealth Government to take immediate steps to ensure bushfire insurance is affordable and accessible; and

(d) the Commonwealth and Victorian State Governments to implement a marketing strategy to encourage all Australians to consider travelling to the Grampians as soon as possible to support an internationally renowned attraction and the communities that depend on tourism for their survival.

(Notice given 4 February 2025.)

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.

8 MS J RYAN: To move—That this House:

(1) notes that the Government is delivering:

(a) cheaper child care and boosting wages for early childhood educators;

(b) record needs-based funding for schools across the country;

(c) free TAFE;

(d) more opportunities for more Australians from the outer-suburbs and the bush to go to university; and

(e) student debt relief; and

(2) acknowledges that investing in the education and skills of young Australians is a key component of building Australia's future.

(Notice given 4 February 2025.)

Time allotted 40 minutes.

Speech time limits

Ms J Ryan 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.

9 MR BIRRELL: To move—That this House:

(1) condemns the Government for failing to address the critical issue of classroom disruption in Australian schools which is severely impacting the learning outcomes of Australian students as well as forcing teachers to leave the profession in droves; and

(2) notes:

(a) that despite the escalating levels of classroom disruption and even violence in many classrooms, the Government has failed to respond to the Senate inquiry report by the Education and Employment Reference Committee into the issue of increasing disruption in Australian school classrooms;

(b) the declining ranking of Australia in the Organisation for Economic   .Co-operation and Development (OECD) disciplinary climate index, making Australian classrooms amongst the world's most disorderly;

(c) the impacts, demands and experience of disorderly classrooms on teacher safety, work satisfaction and workforce retention;

(d) the impact of disorderly, poorly disciplined classroom environments and school practices on students' learning, compared with their peers in more disciplined classrooms; and

(e) how leading OECD countries with the highest disciplinary climate index rankings can provide valuable lessons on reducing distraction and disorder in Australian classrooms.

(Notice given 4 February 2025.)

Time allotted 30 minutes.

Speech time limits

Mr Birrell 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—continued

TAXING BILLIONAIRES AND BIG CORPORATIONS: Resumption of debate on the motion of Ms Watson-Brown—That this House:

(1) notes that billionaires and big corporations have too much power over our democracy; and

(2) calls on the Government to tax billionaires and big corporations to fund the cost of living relief that Australians need, including:

(a) covering dental and mental health under Medicare;

(b) making sure everyone can see the GP for free;

(c) building housing people can actually afford; and

(d) wiping student debt.

(Notice given 4 February 2025.)