House debates

Wednesday, 24 November 2021

Committees

Selection Committee; Report

3:23 pm

Photo of Andrew WallaceAndrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I present the amended report of the Selection Committee relating to the consideration of committee and delegation reports and private members' business on Monday 29 November 2020. 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, 23 November 2021.

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, 23 November 2021, and determined the order of precedence and times on Monday, 29 November 2021, as follows:

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

COMMITTEE AND DELEGATION BUSINESS

Presentation and statements

1 STANDING COMMITTEE ON ECONOMICS

Review of the Australian Competition and Consumer Co mmission annual reports 2019 and 2020.

The Committee determined that statements on the report may be made all statements to conclude by 10.20 am.

Speech time limits

First Member speaking 5 minutes.

Next Member speaking 5 minutes.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 2 x 5 mins]

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Notices

1 MR CHRISTENSEN: To present a Bill for an Act relating to the detention of Australian journalists by foreign governments, and for related purposes. (Illegal Detention of Australian Journalists (Free Julian Assange) Bill 2021)

(Notice given 23 November 2021.)

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 or der 142.

Orders of the day

1 FAIR WORK AMENDMENT (SAME JOB, SAME PAY) BILL 2021 (Mr Albanese): Second reading—Resumption of debate (from 22 November 2021).

Time allotted 45 minutes.

Speech time limits

All Members 5 minutes each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 9 x 5 mins]

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

Notices — continued

2 MR ZIMMERMAN: To move—That this House:

(1) recognises the vital contribution that temporary visa holders, including skilled workers and international students, make to both Australia's economy and our local communities;

(2) notes that since March 2020, due to the international border restrictions that helped keep us safe during the pandemic, many visa holders, both onshore and offshore, have faced uncertainty and difficulty;

(3) commends the Government for reopening the international border to a range of economic and humanitarian visa holders from 1 December 2021; and

(4) welcomes the further carefully managed opening of our border to other visa holders, including visitors, when it is safe to do so.

(Notice given 23 November 2021.)

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

Speech time limits

Mr Zimmerman 5 minutes.

Other Membe rs 5 minutes each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 9 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 CLAYDON: To move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges that:

(a) the GP Access After Hours service:

(i) has provided over a million urgent after-hours consultations to families in Newcastle and the Hunter region for more than twenty years;

(ii) delivers 50,000 face-to-face appointments and handles 70,000 calls through the nurse led triage call centre each year; and

(iii) saves our health system up to $21.7 million in unnecessary emergency department presentations each year;

(b) due to the Government's continuous cuts to bulk-billing incentives and its failure to adequately index Medicare rebates, Hunter Primary Care has been forced to make cuts to the GP Access After Hours service;

(c) from Christmas Eve, the Calvary Mater clinic will close completely, and operating hours for clinics at the Belmont Hospital, John Hunter Hospital, Maitland Hospital and Westlakes Community Health Centre will be reduced; and

(d) over 10,000 people from the Hunter region have signed a petition calling on the Government to restore funding to the GP Access After Hours service;

(2) recognises that:

(a) the GP Access After Hours service has been an essential service for tens of thousands of Newcastle and Hunter families who rely upon bulk-billing GP services to access the healthcare they need, when they need it;

(b) with so few bulk-billing doctors in Newcastle and the Hunter region, any further loss of services will have a huge impact on families already faced with high out-of-pocket healthcare costs;

(c) any cuts to this service will dramatically increase pressure on our already overstretched and under-resourced emergency departments; and

(d) not only is the Government's lack of support for primary healthcare unacceptable, it is also grossly irresponsible in the middle of a global pandemic; and

(3) calls on the Government to:

(a) restore the funding to our GP Access After Hours service to stop the closure of the Calvary Mater Clinic and retain existing hours of operation at all remaining clinics;

(b) reverse cuts to bulk-billing incentive payments in the Lower Hunter that have seen GP practices close and vulnerable people left without access to a bulk-billing GP;

(c) abandon any efforts to further reduce funding to our GP Access After Hours service;

(d) provide additional support for GP Access After Hours to expand their services to areas of need throughout the Hunter; and

(e) utilise the success of the GP Access After Hours service as a model of best practice after hours primary healthcare across Australia.

(Notice given 22 November 2021.)

Time allotted 40 minutes.

Speech time limits

Ms Claydon 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.

Orders of the day

1 AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE CAREERS: Resumption of debate (from 22 November 2021) on the motion of Mr Leeser—That this House:

(1) recognises the benefits a career in the Australian Defence Force provides through skills, education, training and experience;

(2) notes:

(a) the Australian Defence Force's objective to protect Australia and that those recruited to deliver on this objective put their lives on the line for our country; and

(b) that Defence recruits the best and brightest and offers varying pathways for individuals to join and serve our nation; and

(3) acknowledges the sacrifice our personnel and their families make for a career in the Australian Defence Force and our nation's eternal gratitude for all those who have served past and present.

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

2 MS RISHWORTH: To move—That this House:

(1) recognises that young Australians have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and are being left behind in our recovery;

(2) notes that young people:

(a) are facing an extraordinary jobs crisis, further noting that:

(i) during the peak of the pandemic 15 per cent of all jobs were filled by young people yet 40 per cent of all jobs lost since March 2020 were held by a young person;

(ii) the youth unemployment rate soared four times the national average to 13.1 per cent in October 2021 and is now higher than pre-pandemic levels; and

(iii) 50 per cent of young Australians have said that getting more reliable work is of most importance to them when it comes to employment;

(b) are struggling with their mental health, with:

(i) more than 50 per cent of young Australians saying their biggest concern with COVID-19 was mental health;

(ii) one in two young Australians reported to not being able to carry out their daily activities during the pandemic due to a decline in wellbeing;

(iii) one third of young Australians reporting high or very high levels of psychological distress; and

(iv) 75 per cent of Australia's young people describing their mental health as worse during the COVID-19 pandemic;

(c) are suffering severe social disruption, as:

(i) many have missed out on once in a lifetime milestones and rites of passage; and

(ii) more feel isolated due to lockdowns with distributions to school attendance, campus life extinguished, and social gatherings restricted or prohibited;

(d) are grappling with disruptions to education and training, and:

(i) many feel their motivation and career plans have been dented; and

(ii) nearly 50 per cent of young Australians reported being worried about their education being disrupted or held back as a result of the changes to schooling; and

(e) feel they do not have a voice in politics, with:

(i) almost 60 per cent of young Australians feeling the biggest barrier to getting involved in politics was 'feeling like they won't be listened to'; and

(ii) 52 per cent of young people feeling they had a say 'none of the time' in public affairs; and

(3) calls on the Government to work with young people and urgently design a comprehensive COVID-19 Youth Recovery Strategy that puts young Australians at the centre of our economic and social recovery and builds our future generations.

(Notice given 22 November 2021.)

Time allotted 40 minutes.

Speech time limits

Ms Rishworth 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.

3 MR R. J. WILSON: To move—That this House:

(1) notes the Government's ongoing commitment to improving connectivity for regional businesses, and better connecting regional communities through the Roads of Strategic Importance (ROSI) initiative;

(2) recognises that the ROSI initiative upgrades key freight roads to efficiently connect agricultural and mining regions to ports, airports and other transport hubs;

(3) commends the Government for its funding of $4.9 billion for projects nation-wide to deliver works such as road sealing, flood immunity, strengthening and widening, pavement rehabilitation, bridge and culvert upgrades and road realignments; and

(4) acknowledges that the ROSI initiative is providing substantial social and economic benefits, including opportunities for greater regional employment and business growth.

(Notice given 15 June 2021.)

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

Speech time limits

Mr R. J. Wilson 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 — continued

2 FAMILY LAW AMENDMENT (A STEP TOWARDS A SAFER FAMILY LAW SYSTEM) BILL 202 0 (Mr Perrett): Second reading—Resumption of debate (from 23 June 2021Mr Ted O'Brien).

Time allotted 10 minutes.

Speech time limits

All Members 5 minutes each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 2 x 5 mins]

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

Notices — continued

4 DR ALLEN: To move—That the House:

(1) notes that:

(a) the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) leads the world's efforts to end polio, bringing together Rotary International, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and many others including in the private sector with a common objective to eradicate polio;

(b) when the GPEI commenced, more than 350,000 cases of polio paralysed and killed children in 125 countries annually;

(c) in 2021, polio is 99 per cent eradicated and wild polio remains in only two countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan, with the entire African continent certified as polio-free on 25 August 2020;

(d) this success has been driven by the GPEl's extensive worldwide community-driven vaccination program, the largest of its kind in the world, to safeguard children from polio worldwide;

(e) safe and effective polio vaccines have been the single most important factor in achieving 99 per cent eradication of polio so far;

(f) Australia has been a strong supporter of polio eradication for more than three decades and has invested more than $135 million in polio eradication over that time;

(g) 2022 will be a critical year for polio eradication as the GPEI sets out its strategy to achieve polio eradication by 2026, and that this will be a key opportunity for Australian leadership; and

(h) Australian organisations lead the effort to see continued support for polio eradication from Australia, including Rotary International Australia, UNICEF Australia, Global Citizen and Results Australia;

(2) acknowledges that:

(a) the work of the GPEI is a testament to the great power of vaccines and that the equitable and timely access to those vaccines is critical to the program's success;

(b) progress made toward polio eradication is facing new challenges with the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan impeding vaccination efforts and increasing the risk of new polio outbreaks;

(c) additional measures will be required to manage the risk of polio in Afghanistan in an effort to ensure that no widespread polio outbreaks occur;

(d) Australia is a long-term champion of polio eradication along with many other Commonwealth nations including the United Kingdom and Canada, who all share an interest in ensuring the success of the polio program and its important contribution to global health security; and

(e) the current parliaments of Australia and other countries have the opportunity to be recognised as the elected representatives who ensured that polio was completely eradicated; and

(3) calls on the Government to continue its strong ongoing support for the GPEI.

(Notice given 21 October 2021.)

Time allotted 50 minutes.

Speech time limits

Dr Allen 5 minutes.

Other Members 5 minutes each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 10 x 5 mins]

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

5 DR FREELANDER: To move—That this House:

(1) notes that juvenile arthritis affects between 6,000-10,000 Australian children and adolescents;

(2) further notes that of the Australian children living with juvenile arthritis:

(a) 80 per cent will experience pain daily;

(b) 20 per cent develop a vision-threatening inflammation of the eyes; and

(c) many experience lengthy delays in obtaining a formal diagnosis;

(3) commends the work of the Juvenile Arthritis Foundation of Australia and their tireless advocacy for young Australians living with juvenile arthritis; and

(4) recommends that the Government provides funding to establish programs aimed at:

(a) raising awareness of this disease; and

(b) developing a national registry and research package to better understand the extent and impact of juvenile arthritis on individuals and the economy.

(Notice given 22 November 2021.)

Time allotted 40 minutes.

Speech time limits

Dr Freelander 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 ZIMMERMAN: To move—That this House:

(1) recognises that 9 December 2021 is the United Nations' International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and the Prevention of this Crime;

(2) notes that 9 December 2021 is also the 73rd anniversary of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide;

(3) further recognises that that development of the Genocide Convention was motivated by genocidal crimes of the 20th Century including:

(a) the genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923 of Armenians, Assyrians, Greeks and other Christian minorities; and

(b) the genocide of six million Jews committed by Nazi Germany and its collaborators between 1941 and 1945;

(4) acknowledges the importance of recognising, condemning and learning from these and subsequent genocidal crimes to ensure that such crimes against humanity are not allowed to be repeated;

(5) remembers the loss and suffering caused by genocides in the modern era and their enduring impact on the lives of many Australians and their descendants; and

(6) calls on the Government to:

(a) affirm its long-standing support for the prevention of genocide and the punishment of those who perpetrate or instigate genocidal crimes; and

(b) formally recognise the genocides committed by the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923 of Armenians, Assyrians, Greeks and other Christian minorities.

(Notice given 22 November 2021.)

Time allotted 30 minutes.

Speech time limits

Mr Zimmerman 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 STEGGALL: To move—That this House:

(1) notes that supports like JobSaver and disaster payments have ended at a time when the economic impact of COVID-19 restrictions will continue to impact a number of sectors for at least six to 12 months after the lifting of restrictions, including:

(a) the business events sector, which has lost $29.4 billion in revenue from 96 per cent of all events being cancelled for 2020;

(b) the mass participation sporting events sector which lost over 80 per cent of events over the past two years, causing a loss of over $5 billion to the Australian economy;

(c) travel agents, which have been in effective lockdown for over 600 days and will not be back to full capacity until after March 2022; and

(d) seasonal specific retail such as winter apparel and sporting stores who will need to wait six months for the next season and do not have savings to purchase stock; and

(2) calls on the Government to:

(a) work with state and territory governments to implement targeted economic supports for specific industries including travel, business events, mass participation sporting events and seasonal retail, such as:

(i) providing ongoing business income support, including for supporting supplier businesses;

(ii) underwriting cancellation insurance for events and travel to provide planning confidence and accelerate recovery of sectors; and

(iii) providing economic incentives, including tax rebates, for events to be organised and booked in advance; and

(b) recognise the profound impact of COVID-19 restrictions on these sectors and their contribution to the Australian economy with benefits for trade, tourism and investment.

(Notice given 23 November 2021.)

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

Speech time limits

Ms Steggall 5 minutes.

Other Members 5 minutes each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 7 x 5 mins]

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

THE HON A. B. WALLACE MP

Speaker of the House of Representatives

24 November 2021