House debates

Wednesday, 21 June 2017

  • Motions (0 speeches)
    • Workplace Relations (13 speeches)
      I move: That so much of standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the member for Gorton from moving the following motion forthwith: That the House: (1) notes: (a) the horrific...
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Statements by Members (0 speeches)
    • Eid-ul-Fitr (1 speech)
      A couple of days after parliament rises, Muslim communities will be celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr, and I thought it was appropriate to give the welcoming congratulations now. The celebration is highly...
    • Forrest Electorate: South West Football League (1 speech)
      Congratulations to the South West Football League women's team, who created history by winning the first interleague match against the Peel Football and Netball League in Mandurah as part of the...
    • Medicare (1 speech)
      I rise to speak in relation to the Medicare Guarantee Bill, which was debated in the chamber earlier this week. I am hoping that today I will be able to continue on with parts of my speech...
    • Groom Electorate: Tourism Darling Downs (1 speech)
      Tourism Darling Downs was formed in May to develop and promote our region and its experiences to visitors, boosting the benefit to the local economy as a result. Its formal launch last Tuesday,...
    • Bass Electorate: Community Kitchen (1 speech)
      Today I would like to acknowledge a community initiative that is helping migrants to feel welcome and is raising cultural awareness in my electorate of Bass. The Community Kitchen project is a...
    • Western Australia: Goods and Services Tax (1 speech)
      I congratulate all WA Liberal members and senators for their work to date to achieve real reform of the GST distribution. The commitment by this government to a floor in the GST is a commitment...
    • Tasmania: Schools (1 speech)
      I originally wanted to rise to my feet to talk on penalty rates and how 7,400 people who work in retail, hospitality and the like will be affected by penalty rate cuts come 1 July—$77 a...
    • Fisher Electorate: Joyce Newton (1 speech)
      It is timely that I rise on Blue Cornflower Day in the global week for motor neurone disease to speak to the House about a shining star in the Fisher electorate who was recently diagnosed with...
    • New South Wales: Budget (1 speech)
      I rise to condemn the New South Wales state government and their woeful budget. I see they are busy high-fiving themselves all over the front pages, talking up their massive surplus and posturing...
    • Suncorp Super Netball (1 speech)
      Queensland and New South Wales love to battle it out on the sporting field, and tonight will be no exception. But I want to talk about last Saturday night, when nearly 9,000 screaming netball...
    • Indi Electorate: Alpine Resorts (1 speech)
      Hey, colleagues, I have a warm invitation to all of you to come and visit north-east Victoria during the holiday break. Why do I say you should do that? It is because every single one of...
    • Barker Electorate: Australian Tidy Towns Awards (1 speech)
      I rise today to celebrate Australia's tidiest town. Barmera, in my electorate, is a Riverland town of around 3,000 people situated on the picturesque banks of Lake Bonney. An attempt to save...
    • Canberra Electorate: Broadband (3 speeches)
      The Brodtmann Bulletin hit the streets this week. It highlights the appalling news that Canberrans have been sending me—
    • Mental Health (1 speech)
      In my first speech I highlighted the disturbing statistic that, on average, twice as many Australians take their own life as die on our national roads each year, and my electorate of Wide Bay has...
    • Western Australia: Shipbuilding (1 speech)
      When it comes to the construction and development of Western Australia's naval defence capacity, the Liberal Party would have you believe that they are doing a fantastic job at delivering...
    • Goods and Services Tax (1 speech)
      I rise today to remind the House of what is undoubtedly the most important issue in Western Australia right now, and that is our paltry, miserable share of GST revenue. Let me put it this way:...
    • Parliamentary Touch Football State of Origin (1 speech)
      I have great news for the parliament, great news for the House, which is that today the mighty New South Wales parliamentary touch team demolished Queensland 9-4. It was an awesome effort, led by...
    • Thomas, Mr Paul, AO (1 speech)
      I am proud to acknowledge one of my constituents, Paul Thomas, who became a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia in The Queen's Birthday 2017 Honours for his local government...
    • Disability Services (1 speech)
      I received an email today, and I want to share it with the House. It goes: 'When you are a parent with a child with a disability, you have your heart broken on a regular basis not because of...
    • Australian Business Week (2 speeches)
      I am proud to be the major sponsor for the Gold Coast's Northern Collegiate Australian Business Week, which is a great program where senior high schools children go into a week of learning about...
  • Condolences (0 speeches)
    • Walters, Mrs Mary Shirley (1 speech)
      I inform the House of the death on 18 June 2017 of former Senator Mary Shirley Walters. Shirley Walters, as we knew her, represented the state of Tasmania from 1975 until 1993. As a mark of...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Schools (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. In the Prime Minister's Closing the gap report this year the Prime Minister appears in a photo at Fregon Anangu School in the remote APY Lands. Can the Prime...
    • Citizenship (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister advise the House on the importance of updating our citizenship laws so that they reflect Australian values, including in my...
    • Schools (3 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister's schools policy is marked by division, chaos and confusion. Public schools hate it, Catholic schools hate it, the government's own...
    • Citizenship (5 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection—and my sympathies to him and other Queenslanders in advance of tonight! Will the minister update the House on steps the...
    • Schools (14 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Data released by the New South Wales government shows that, because of the Prime Minister's $22 billion cut to schools, in the electorate of Gilmore over the...
  • Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I want to welcome some people to question time. I am pleased to inform the House we have joining us in the gallery today His Imperial Highness, Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie, President of the...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Infrastructure (5 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Minister, in 2016, the government commissioned an independent review of the Regional Development Australia program to make...
    • Global Security (3 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Will the minister update the House on recent terror attacks overseas, and steps this government is taking to keep Australians safe both here...
    • Schools (8 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Data released by the New South Wales government shows that, because of the Prime Minister's $22 billion cuts to schools, in the electorate of Robertson over...
    • Building and Construction Industry (3 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Defence Industry representing the Minister for Employment. Will the minister update the House on the government's commitment to the Australian Building and...
    • Schools (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. According to the National Catholic Education Commission, St Therese's Catholic Primary School in the electorate of Corangamite will have to increase its fees...
    • National Security (8 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Justice and the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Counter-Terrorism. Will the minister update the House on the government's recent investments in our...
    • Schools (5 speeches)
      Thank you, Mr Speaker, genuinely. My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to this 1.30 pm press release from the National Catholic Education Commission which states: Concessions, real or...
    • Agricultural Exports (5 speeches)
      My question is for the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources. Will the Deputy Prime Minister update the House on new export markets for Australian agricultural...
    • Schools (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. On Monday in question time, the Prime Minister claimed funding for students with a disability in Tasmania would not be cut by one-third, or $12 million, in...
    • Energy (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer update the House on the importance to the Australian economy of a stable and secure energy network? What are the impacts of higher electricity...
    • Schools (3 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. This morning it is reported that a Liberal Party member and mother of a child at Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School has said about the government's cuts...
    • Energy (4 speeches, 1 comment)
      My question is to the Minister for the Environment and Energy. Will the minister update the House on how the government is prioritising a stable, secure and affordable energy supply which...
    • Workplace Relations (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, in just 10 days time, nearly 700,000 Australians will have their penalty rates cut, while millionaires will get a tax cut. Given real wages...
    • Invictus Games (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Defence Personnel. Will the minister update the House on the progress being made for Australia to host the Invictus Games in 2018? How has the government...
  • Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
    • Schools (1 speech)
      I will briefly add to an answer. The per-student funding from the Commonwealth for the Fregon Anangu School increases from $6,892 in 2017 to $7,307 in 2018, and by 2027 it will be $11,891 per...
  • Documents (0 speeches)
    • Presentation (1 speech)
      Documents are tabled in accordance with the list circulated to honourable members earlier today. Full details of the documents will be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings.
  • Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
    • Workplace Relations (22 speeches)
      I have received a letter from the honourable member for McMahon proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely: The unfairness being...
  • Committees (0 speeches)
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Standing Committee on Petitions; Appointment (1 speech)
      by leave—I move: That Mr Vasta be discharged from the Standing Committee on Petitions and that, in his place, Mrs Wicks be appointed a member of the committee. Question agreed to.
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Adjournment (0 speeches)
    • Global Security (1 speech)
      This week we witnessed the fourth terrorist attack in the United Kingdom in as many months. As Muslim worshippers were leaving a gathering to celebrate the breaking of the Ramadan fast in...
    • Energy (1 speech)
      Tonight I would like to share with the House some great news. There is a report in today's Australian by Matt Chambers, the resources reporter, under the headline 'Coal can't compete with...
    • Hindmarsh Electorate: Aged Care (1 speech)
      I rise to speak about a very important issue in my electorate and in electorates all over Australia. My electorate is one of the oldest electorates in the country; something like 18 per cent of...
    • Sciacca, Hon. Concetto Antonio, AO, Bowman Electorate: Schools (1 speech)
      I rise to recognise the passing of the Hon. Con Sciacca this afternoon. He will be close to many of us in this chamber. He had a long battle with cancer which came to an end today. There will be...
    • Sciacca, Hon. Concetto Antonio, AO (2 speeches)
      Tonight, I want to recognise the life of the friend of mine, Con Sciacca AO. Con, our thoughts and prayers are with your wife, Karen, your daughter, Zina, your granddaughter, Grace, and your...
    • Adani Carmichael Coalmine (1 speech)
      While thousands of kilometres apart, the people of Central Queensland felt a sense of kinship with Whyalla, all thanks to an Indian company. Earlier this month, Adani announced that the steel...
  • Statements by Members (0 speeches)
    • Workplace Relations (1 speech)
      This Sunday will be the last Sunday that some workers in Australia receive their full penalty rates. It will be the last Sunday that workers who are already in insecure jobs and, in many cases,...
    • Flynn Electorate: Roads (1 speech)
      Since becoming the member for the electorate of Flynn in 2010, I have set about achieving clear goals for my time in this place. One of these goals is to drive the improvement of our region's...
    • Shipbuilding Infrastructure (1 speech)
      Barely a day passes in Western Australia when readers of the daily paper are not faced with a full page of Liberal propaganda that is going some significant way to improving the revenue of the...
    • Replacement Antarctic Vessel (1 speech)
      I rise today to speak about the new, world-leading Antarctic icebreaker that will replace the ageing Aurora Australis. The government is investing $1.9 billion to design, build and operate the...
    • Melbourne Electorate: Noncompliant Building Products (1 speech)
      Last week, the world was faced with the news of the devastating fire that swept through the Grenfell Tower in London. At least 79 people were killed, and there may be many more who were trapped...
    • Fairfax Electorate: Rural and Regional Services (1 speech)
      While almost seven million Australians live outside large metropolitan areas, of the 20 federal electorates with the lowest household incomes in Australia, 18 are located outside our capital...
    • Lalor Electorate: Citizenship (1 speech)
      The electorate of Lalor is home to many who have come across the seas to join our fabulous community and live and work in our wonderful country. On Saturday, I joined 120 excited people becoming...
    • Dunkley Electorate: Mornington Netball Courts (1 speech)
      In Dunkley we are so fortunate to have a strong sporting culture and fantastic facilities to help our local sporting clubs thrive. So last Saturday it was my privilege to join Mornington...
    • Holt Electorate: Young People, Holt Electorate: Mental Health (1 speech)
      I would like to talk about two headspace centres—one in Narre Warren and one in Dandenong—and to pay tribute to the young people of Casey, without whose efforts we would not have had...
    • Hinkler Electorate: Infrastructure (4 speeches)
      It is my great pleasure to rise and actually speak about the coalition government delivering for my electorate. We recently opened a $2.8 million road extension to Kay McDuff Drive—it was...
    • Hunter Electorate: Hospitals, Hunter Electorate: Singleton Scout Group (1 speech)
      One day in the lead-up to the 2011 New South Wales election, officials from Hunter New England Health paid me a visit to discuss the future planning needs for the region's acute hospitals. While...
    • McPherson Electorate: Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter (1 speech)
      Recently I had the opportunity to visit the Gold Coast base of the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter service and meet some of the wonderful crew members there. Over South-East Queensland, home...
    • Werriwa Electorate: Broadband (1 speech)
      What my electorate needs is the real national broadband network, the one that seems to be lauded in all the advertising. What my electorate does not deserve is the current patchwork rollout that...
    • Brisbane Electorate: Order of Australia Awards (1 speech)
      The Australian Honours Lists and the Order of Australia awards allow us to pause for a moment to reflect on some of the people who make Australia a better place. No doubt most of the 30,000-odd...
    • Domestic and Family Violence (1 speech)
      On 3 May 2017, I attended the candle vigil to commemorate domestic and family violence victims at the women's centre in Townsville. Members from our community gathered to remember and pay our...
    • Cairns to Karumba Bike Ride (2 speeches)
      Bright and early on Saturday morning, I will be farewelling a group of local cyclists as they embark on a 780-kilometre Cairns to Karumba bike ride adventure. This is no ordinary bike ride; it is...
    • Western Sydney Airport (1 speech)
      The Turnbull government continues with its con job consultation around Badgerys Creek airport. Here is the latest instalment of this fake consultation, with the added twist that it might actually...
    • Murray Electorate: Public Transport (1 speech)
      In my electorate of Murray, Shepparton is the largest regional centre. In fact, it is Victoria's fourth-largest regional centre, and it is home to around 70,000 people. Shepparton is situation...
    • Medicare (1 speech)
      There is an opportunity in this parliament quite often to talk about the issues that are of real concern to your local constituents. Today I want to address an issue that has been consistently...
    • Maxton, Mr Murray (2 speeches)
      I rise today to use the opportunity of this constituency statement to share the story of Murray Maxton, an esteemed veteran of the Royal Australian Air Force who lives in the Great Southern part...
  • Private Members' Business (0 speeches)
    • Philippines (11 speeches)
      I move: That this House: (1) recognises that 2017 marks 70 years since the Philippines established its first diplomatic office in Australia; (2) celebrates the strength of the bilateral...
    • ThinkUKnow Program (9 speeches)
      I move: That this House: (1) recognises the work of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) through the ThinkUKnow program, a free, evidence-based cyber safety program, to provide educational...
    • Tasmania: Defence Industry (5 speeches)
      I move: That this House: (1) acknowledges that Tasmania has the defence knowledge, capabilities and capacities to participate in the defence industries sector; (2) notes that: (a) the University...
    • Queensland: Employment (11 speeches)
      I move: That this House: (1) condemns the Queensland Government for failing the people of Queensland; (2) notes that: (a) Queensland is leading the nation on job losses; (b) more than 30,000 jobs...
    • Cross River Rail Project (5 speeches)
      I move: That this House: (1) notes that the 2017 budget has ignored Queenslanders' calls for funding of the Cross River Rail (CRR) project; (2) recognises that the: (a) CRR project is urgently...
    • Interpreting and Translating Industry (9 speeches)
      I move: That this House: (1) acknowledges the important and vital role played by professional interpreters and translators in Australia; (2) notes that: (a) Australia has been at the forefront of...
    • Energy (21 speeches)
      I move: That this House: (1) recognises that electricity prices affect every Australian, whether it be the price of electricity at home or the cost to businesses that will flow on to threaten...
    • Workplace Relations (4 speeches, 1 comment)
      Might I say, Madam Deputy Speaker, that it is lovely to come in here and see a woman in the chair. I move: That this House: (1) notes that: (a) reducing penalty rates will have a disproportionate...
    • Papua New Guinea-Australia Policing Partnership (8 speeches)
      I move: That this House: (1) acknowledges the ongoing work of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in the Pacific to keep our region safe and support our neighbours; (2) recognises the Australian...
  • Grievance Debate (0 speeches)
    • Citizenship (1 speech)
      God help Australia if what we saw over the last few weeks from this desperate, hopeless Liberal government is now what passes for public policy in migration and citizenship. I am proud that Labor...
    • Wide Bay Electorate: Roads (1 speech)
      Earlier today, I led a delegation of Wide Bay-Burnett mayors—Mick Curran from Gympie, Chris Loft from Fraser Coast, Jack Dempsey from Bundaberg, Rachel Chambers from North Burnett, and...
    • Budget (1 speech)
      I am aggrieved by this government's out-of-touch budget. It is a divided government and it is a dysfunctional government. The government says there are better days ahead, but then the Prime...
    • Environmental Organisations (1 speech)
      Australian taxpayers deserve much greater accountability and transparency concerning the subsidies they provide to politically active environmental organisations than often, and in some cases...
    • Sciacca, Mr Concetto Antonio 'Con' AO (2 speeches)
      I came to this grievance debate in the hope of addressing solely the issue of the Northern Territory intervention, which of course has its 10th anniversary today. Sadly, I am going to firstly...
    • City of South Perth (2 speeches)
      Even though I did not know Con, I was aware of him. At the time, he was a well-known identity in Australian politics. I, too, send my condolences to the family and I congratulate the member for...