Ross Hart's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
type: channel
language: en-gb
creator: OpenAustralia.org, mprss.php script
date: 2019-07-02T23:05:27+00:00
items: Climate Change | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
items: Launceston Smart Fuelers, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Tasmania: Housing Affordability | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Tasmania: Hospitals | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Bass Electorate: Water | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Fair Work Amendment (Family and Domestic Violence Leave) Bill 2018; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Corporate and Financial Sector Penalties) Bill 2018; Consideration in Detail | Bills | House debates
items: Higher Education Support Amendment (VET FEE-HELP Student Protection) Bill 2018; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Social Services Legislation Amendment (Encouraging Self-sufficiency for Newly Arrived Migrants) Bill 2018; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Melbourne: Attacks | Statements on Indulgence | House debates
items: National Apology to Victims and Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse | Motions | House debates
items: Treasury Laws Amendment (Making Sure Every State and Territory Gets Their Fair Share of GST) Bill 2018; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Immigration Detention | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Asylum Seekers | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Telecommunications | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Bass Electorate: Launceston General Hospital | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Launceston General Hospital | Adjournment | House debates

Climate Change | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
type: item
description: Tasmanians are not afraid of clean, green renewable energy. It is part of our industrial heritage. It's part of our state identity, our history. We understand hydroelectric generation, our...
encoded: Tasmanians are not afraid of clean, green renewable energy. It is part of our industrial heritage. It's part of our state identity, our history. We understand hydroelectric generation, our world-class wind resource and the advantages of small- and large-scale solar. Our world-leading Australian Maritime College, the AMC, leads research on wave and tidal energy research. In the national context, we have much work to do to repair the damage and division around energy created and/or perpetuated by the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government. That work can commence under a Shorten Labor government if elected. A Shorten Labor government will reduce pollution, invest in renewable energy and take real action on climate change to ensure that we hand a better deal to the next generation. After six years of chaos, uncertainty and rising pollution under the Liberals, Australians need stability and certainty on climate change policy. That's what our plan delivers. Last week, I welcomed the member for Shortland and shadow assistant minister for climate change and energy to Launceston to announce the potential of a clean, green industrial process for the production of hydrogen in northern Tasmania, with an immediate commitment to a feasibility study of $250,000 towards hydrogen production in Northern Tasmania. The study will identify the best opportunities for northern Tasmania to be part of a supply chain in the globally massive industry, a $232 billion global juggernaut. Labor have committed $1.1 billion of funding to our national hydrogen strategy to develop a hydrogen industry in this country. Tasmania is well placed to tap into that industry. We have three distinct advantages in Tasmania: boundless renewable energy with some of the world's best wind resources, access to water and power through our hydro system and a deepwater port to transport that hydrogen product to Japan and South Korea. This opportunity could produce thousands of jobs for Northern Tasmania within my electora…
date: 2019-04-02T15:52:00+00:00

Launceston Smart Fuelers, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission | Constituency Statements | House debates
type: item
description: Under the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government, cost-of-living pressures are rising, yet we see on a regular basis record company profits and CEO bonuses with absolutely no relief for workers,...
encoded: Under the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government, cost-of-living pressures are rising, yet we see on a regular basis record company profits and CEO bonuses with absolutely no relief for workers, with real wage increases consigned to the never-never. People in my electorate are crying out for a government that shows leadership on issues that matter to them—a government that can deliver relief to hardworking Tasmanians. That's why, under a Shorten-led Labor government, if elected, the majority of people in Northern Tasmania will see their tax burden reduced, particularly those on lower incomes, who will receive Labor's bigger, better tax cut, giving some initial relief to the rising cost-of-living pressures. One group in my electorate decided to take action rather than simply complaining. They started the group Launceston Smart Fuelers, who aim to put downward pressure on petrol prices by working together through collective action. This is a fantastic grassroots community initiative. I applaud the group and its leaders for taking this issue on. I've been speaking to David McCormick from the Launceston Smart Fuelers, who have already written to the ACCC and have asked why they've not acted on their very real concerns about price gouging at the fuel pump. David has told my office that, despite being told he'd receive a response to this inquiry within 15 days, he's heard nothing. David has also been directly speaking to the fuel companies, who, it seems, simply aren't interested. In this incompetent government's first term, it sacked 10 per cent of the staff of the ACCC, undermining the ability for it to regulate some of the most powerful corporations in Australia, including the banks and the petrol companies. We all heard during the banking royal commission that unregulated big corporations have taken advantage of Australian consumers in the absence of proper regulation. For everyday Australians like David and the over 10,000 consumers who've joined or have indicated suppo…
date: 2019-02-13T10:18:00+00:00

Tasmania: Housing Affordability | Constituency Statements | House debates
type: item
description: I rise to speak today about a disturbing increase in the number of constituents approaching my office for assistance in locating housing—in particular, public housing. Prime Minister Scott...
encoded: I rise to speak today about a disturbing increase in the number of constituents approaching my office for assistance in locating housing—in particular, public housing. Prime Minister Scott Morrison wants to give tax cuts to the big banks and to the top end of town instead of funding services that ordinary Tasmanians need. Tasmanians are waiting longer to access health care through our public hospital system. State public servants are seeking reasonable increases in their wages and incomes, trying to match increases in all the expenses that average families have to meet. There are still people for whom access to health care, education and basic government services is, in a word, academic. These are people who have children. These are people trying to live fulfilling lives, but they cannot if they cannot get access to housing. We think of homelessness as representing a group of people almost in the abstract. We can fail to think of them as individuals—people entitled to dignity and safety. Public housing should be available, particularly for those who are assessed with urgent needs. These people are placed on a waiting list and have been supposedly allocated priority. But what sort of priority is this? The waiting list now exceeds two years. What of the constituent who approached my office for assistance with obtaining housing for him and his two-year-old child? This man, Troy, has been allocated accommodation through the public housing system. The organisation administering this public resource gave him notice to vacate his property because they intended to renovate the property. He will be homeless by the end of February. Time and time again I have constituents approaching my office for assistance with similar stories—parents with young children who want to ensure that they do not drag their children to unfamiliar schools, exposing their children to additional stress and dislocation. Rebecca is a single mum of four children. She's a full-time nursing student. She ap…
date: 2019-02-12T16:26:00+00:00

Tasmania: Hospitals | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: Overnight, we've seen the release of the Institute of Health and Welfare's annual hospital statistics, and they paint a disturbing picture for Tasmanian patients. One in 10 Tasmanians presenting...
encoded: Overnight, we've seen the release of the Institute of Health and Welfare's annual hospital statistics, and they paint a disturbing picture for Tasmanian patients. One in 10 Tasmanians presenting to our emergency departments face a wait of nine hours and 41 minutes to be seen. It's the longest waiting time of any state. Last year, Tasmania's elective surgery waiting list grew by 2,385 people. At the same time, there were 1,623 fewer admissions from the list—a fall of 8.5 per cent. On average, Tasmanians needing vital cardiothoracic surgery are waiting 46 days—that is 20 days longer than any other state. One in 10 of these patients face a 138-day waiting period—40 days longer than any other state. Tasmanians rightly expect that, when they get sick, they receive the best treatment possible, without facing lengthy waiting times. That's why, if elected, a federal Labor government will invest $30 million to address Tasmania's elective surgery backlog, delivering almost 3,000 extra procedures and boosting our health workforce. Whilst the Liberals keep cutting health, Tasmanians can be assured that Labor will put patients first and fix our hospitals.
date: 2018-12-06T13:31:00+00:00

Bass Electorate: Water | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: I'd like to talk about a small town called Pioneer in north-eastern Tasmania. We heard earlier today the presentation of a report dealing with PFAS contamination, which of course affects the...
encoded: I'd like to talk about a small town called Pioneer in north-eastern Tasmania. We heard earlier today the presentation of a report dealing with PFAS contamination, which of course affects the right of citizens of Australia to receive clean drinking water. Everybody obviously has a reasonable expectation of clean drinking water. Much work has been done within Tasmania by the organisation TasWater in order to ensure that our remote small communities are receiving clean and safe drinking water. But a study was done in 2012 which indicated that there was lead contamination at Pioneer. A health alert was issued. There was lead in the water source and soil materials. A service replacement program was initiated. Ninety per cent of the town of Pioneer supported this service replacement program. The program was to install tanks and infrastructure to enable the collection of clean, safe rainwater. Existing roofs were to be tested, in particular, for lead contamination, and here's the rub: unfortunately, by whatever means, there's been a breakdown in communication and in the delivery of service to this community. Residents have the concern that their lead-contaminated roofs have not been tested. TasWater needs to come and own up to exactly what is happening with the clean water which is supposed to be delivered to this community. Every community deserves clean water.
date: 2018-12-03T13:51:00+00:00

Fair Work Amendment (Family and Domestic Violence Leave) Bill 2018; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: In fact, I was planning to speak in continuation, since I was speaking earlier last week regarding the Fair Work Amendment (Family and Domestic Violence Leave) Bill 2018, to observe the fact that...
encoded: In fact, I was planning to speak in continuation, since I was speaking earlier last week regarding the Fair Work Amendment (Family and Domestic Violence Leave) Bill 2018, to observe the fact that this government appears to have a problem with women. We've had since then a motion to suspend standing orders. The defence to the suspension of standing orders was not that the government didn't have a problem with women but rather that this side of the House, the Labor Party, didn't want to speak about important matters that were before the parliament. That defence was absolute nonsense because there are, by my count, 32 speakers on this side ready to speak on government legislation—32 speakers from Labor ready to speak about issues that are important to the Australian public—and only one government member who is prepared to speak on any legislation today. So that defence obviously fails utterly. We have a government that doesn't take women seriously. We have a government whose own Minister for Women has indicated that the Liberal Party is 'anti-women', if she's been correctly quoted. We have a Prime Minister who has different priorities. He prefers to attend other events within this parliament rather than to attend the family violence event Our Watch. Back to the point at hand: the vital issue of family and domestic violence. I was talking, before I was interrupted, about the costs of being involved in domestic and family violence and what it costs to leave an abusive relationship. The costs of leaving an abusive relationship can be significant, they can be immediate and they can be long term. The costs will include relocation—including lease-break costs, costs to repair damaged furniture and/or a damaged tenancy, and the cost of finding alternative accommodation—medical and counselling bills, increased transportation costs, including loss of access to a car, and lost earnings. The ACTU has placed a total figure in the typical case at approximately $18,000. Postdoctoral …
date: 2018-12-03T13:02:00+00:00

Fair Work Amendment (Family and Domestic Violence Leave) Bill 2018; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: In February this year, I met with representatives from the Australian Services Union. Some of their members had come to ask me to sign their We Won't Wait pledge. The objective of the We Won't...
encoded: In February this year, I met with representatives from the Australian Services Union. Some of their members had come to ask me to sign their We Won't Wait pledge. The objective of the We Won't Wait campaign is to get 10 days of paid family violence leave under the National Employment Standards, the NES, so that all Australian workers have access to this important support. The contents of the pledge are as follows: 'I recognise the critical need for all sectors of society to work to prevent and respond to family violence. Workplaces are not immune to family violence, and workers attempting to survive the impacts of family violence need time to relocate and address legal issues, the welfare of their families and their own wellbeing. Maintaining employment through the process is critical to securing their family's long-term safety. For these reasons, I support the We Won't Wait campaign to make family violence leave available to all Australian workers.' I was proud to put my name to this pledge, and I'm proud that Labor is leading the way on this very important issue, having announced in December 2017 that an elected Labor government would legislate for 10 days paid family violence leave in the National Employment Standards. Domestic and family violence is a scourge on our community without regard to income or social status. A recent report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found that: One in 6 Australian women and 1 in 16 men have been subjected, since the age of 15, to physical and/or sexual violence by a current or previous cohabiting partner … The same report indicated that: Family, domestic and sexual violence happens repeatedly—more than half (54%) of the women who had experienced current partner violence, experienced more than one violent incident … White Ribbon Australia has some scarily similar statistics, again, emphasising the scope and urgency of the problem: that one in four children in Australia are exposed to domestic violence, that domes…
date: 2018-11-29T13:22:00+00:00

Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Corporate and Financial Sector Penalties) Bill 2018; Consideration in Detail | Bills | House debates
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description: We have received a sermon from the minister regarding a failure to act but, if any party in government has failed to act, it is the coalition. This is a government which, time and time again,...
encoded: We have received a sermon from the minister regarding a failure to act but, if any party in government has failed to act, it is the coalition. This is a government which, time and time again, talk a big game in regulation but absolutely fail in regulation. We saw them fail in regulation with respect to the empowerment of ASIC, the funding of ASIC and the enforcement powers of ASIC. They opposed a royal commission into banking misconduct. The now Prime Minister dismissed the calls for a royal commission and voted against a royal commission 26 times. The government speak of ASIC. At the time, they dismissed the call for the appointment of a royal commission as being a 'tough cop on the beat'. But it wasn't a tough cop on the beat at all. That much is perfectly clear in the revelations in the royal commission. This government failed to properly fund its regulators. It is clear to me that it was captured and continues to be captured by big business. All of us have been shocked by the revelations of the royal commission, notwithstanding that we are aware of the substance of the misconduct alleged. It is important that we do consider the fact that we were all aware of the substance of what was being alleged. You would have to be sleeping under the proverbial rock to not be aware of it. What did this government do? It said it was giving additional powers to ASIC, powers that have never been exercised, powers that have never been used to prosecute any offenders with respect to malfeasance. More can be done. This bill is a good start. More should be done, even if this government have done in this bill only what they thought they can get away with. What did they think they can get away with? The minimum. Perhaps not a light touch because they have increased the penalties, but certainly lighter than what the community demands as an appropriate and proportionate response. After all, this is a delayed response. The bill increases penalties. It should do so. Those increased penal…
date: 2018-11-28T18:46:00+00:00

Higher Education Support Amendment (VET FEE-HELP Student Protection) Bill 2018; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: Surprise, surprise. We have contributions from honourable members on this side of the House but not a squeak, not a skerrick, from the other side. They are too embarrassed or too lazy to turn up...
encoded: Surprise, surprise. We have contributions from honourable members on this side of the House but not a squeak, not a skerrick, from the other side. They are too embarrassed or too lazy to turn up to justify and support their own legislation. I rise today to speak on the Higher Education Support Amendment (VET FEE-HELP Student Protection) Bill 2018 that is currently before the House. This bill provides a remedy for students who have incurred debts from unscrupulous providers under the previous VET FEE-HELP loan scheme. The bill will introduce a broad remedy for students who have incurred a VET FEE-HELP debt as a result of inappropriate conduct by VET providers or their agents. Labor welcomes the recrediting of the debts of thousands of students who were ripped off by dodgy for-profit training providers. More than 6,000 students have complained to the ombudsman after being charged VET FEE-HELP for courses they did not undertake. Only a small number have received relief from those unfair debts. Students should never have been expected to pay debts racked up by dodgy for-profit training providers that went rogue under this government's watch. Many students have been saddled with these unfair VET FEE-HELP debts for years. This is another example of this dysfunctional government doing very little to help ordinary Australians who are trying to become valued, skilled members of our society. The vocational education system has fallen into crisis on the Liberal Party's watch. With five ministers in three years and a blowout in the cost of the VET FEE-HELP scheme, it is clear that this government simply doesn't care about education, much less vocational education, nor do they care about TAFE. The government knew or should have known how much money was rolling out to the providers. They knew that the great majority of students weren't graduating. They knew or ought to have known how much money the shonky operators were making. What is the extent of the problem? We hear that stud…
date: 2018-11-28T16:29:00+00:00

Social Services Legislation Amendment (Encouraging Self-sufficiency for Newly Arrived Migrants) Bill 2018; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: We have before us the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Encouraging Self-sufficiency for Newly Arrived Migrants) Bill 2018 and related legislation. The bill acts to increase the newly...
encoded: We have before us the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Encouraging Self-sufficiency for Newly Arrived Migrants) Bill 2018 and related legislation. The bill acts to increase the newly arrived resident's waiting period—the NARWP—which is the period of time that new Australian residents must wait before being entitled to claim certain benefits and concessions. Currently, there is a two-year waiting period for carer payment, youth allowance, Austudy payment, Newstart allowance, sickness allowance, special benefit bereavement allowance, widow allowance and parenting payment. The government had originally proposed to increase these waiting periods to four years—four years, a wholly unreasonable period—and to increase four-year waiting periods for family assistance, the Paid Parental Leave scheme and dad and partner pay. Thankfully, following extensive negotiations with Labor, the government has agreed to reduce many of these proposed waiting times. However, let me make this clear: Labor would never have proposed this bill and the measures contained within this bill. And we certainly would not have countenanced the government's policy in its original form. The application of across-the-board, four-year waiting periods for many permanent residents would cause too much hardship—hardship for vulnerable people, vulnerable families and children. But in agreeing not to oppose the significantly reduced waiting periods proposal put forward by the government we have been pragmatic, because the alternative was to leave the entirety of this proposal in the hands of the Senate crossbench and, of course, the One Nation party. It would be deeply irresponsible to allow that party—One Nation—to determine policy in this area. We've done this to ameliorate the harshness of these measures and to limit the impact of this change as much as possible. We've also achieved the best outcome we possibly can to protect vulnerable people. Labor has secured major concessions to protect vulnerable…
date: 2018-11-28T11:05:00+00:00

Melbourne: Attacks | Statements on Indulgence | House debates
type: item
description: I thank you for the opportunity to speak on this statement of indulgence with respect to the events that occurred in Bourke Street, Melbourne, on Friday, 9 November 2018. I've read—indeed,...
encoded: I thank you for the opportunity to speak on this statement of indulgence with respect to the events that occurred in Bourke Street, Melbourne, on Friday, 9 November 2018. I've read—indeed, heard—many heartfelt tributes to Sisto Malaspina, who was killed in the attack. He was clearly, and justifiably, regarded as a Melbourne institution. From those tributes, he appeared to me to embody an aspect of Melbourne that speaks of its open, friendly engagement with people from all cultures and the magic that comes from the combination of hospitality, wine, coffee, and food. But I want to speak today about a constituent. That constituent is Rod Patterson, who is one of the persons injured in the attack. Another person was injured—a 24-year-old security guard. It is appropriate that I explain that less than two weeks before this incident Rod gave an address at my uncle's funeral. Rod gave a marvellous address encapsulating the life, loves, and activities of my uncle, Terry Powell. Rod and Terry were good friends, neighbours, and co-conspirators in many escapades—sometimes involving late-night beers—and saw each other's children grow up. I know that Terry would not have been surprised that Rod ran towards a burning vehicle, implicitly placing himself in danger—even if this had been some sort of benign accident—seemingly without care for his safety. Rod was a former firefighter. He said in an interview with ABC after his release from hospital: The old fireman Rod came out of me. I got up, raced over, and I'm looking inside the cabin, because the driver side door was burst open, to see whether there was someone I was going to pull out, and there was no-one inside. Rod was attacked, as was Sisto and the other victim. Sisto was fatally stabbed. Rod ended up receiving a 10-centimetre-long gash that had cut through muscle and, importantly, an artery, and required more than 120 internal and external stitches. As we've heard today, we live in a fortunate country, where bystanders will …
date: 2018-11-27T18:00:00+00:00

National Apology to Victims and Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse | Motions | House debates
type: item
description: I thank the member for Moreton for his contribution, which really emphasises the fact that the trauma associated with these most horrible crimes, the abuses, extends throughout our communities....
encoded: I thank the member for Moreton for his contribution, which really emphasises the fact that the trauma associated with these most horrible crimes, the abuses, extends throughout our communities. Those ripples that have been occasioned by the evil do not stop at one door; they flow right through our communities. As my friend indicated earlier, there are sometimes special days of national timeless significance here in Parliament House. Monday was particularly extraordinary as we delivered a national apology to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. I'm proud to have the opportunity to echo the words of the Leader of the Opposition—that the apology was offered with humility, with honesty and with hope for healing now. I'm proud to be able to add my voice to the chorus of voices that say sorry and to acknowledge the hurt, the betrayal, the abuse of power and the trauma that many are still dealing with today, including support workers. I and my staff have had to sit face to face with constituents and hear firsthand of the abuse and trauma that they were subjected to as children. That is a small slice of the shameful part of Australia's shared history as a nation. I'm confident my colleagues—on both sides of the House, as this is a matter beyond politics—have had similar experiences. I have been transfixed by their stories, as I was transfixed this morning, and devastated by what they had to endure. I listened to those stories. Hearing the personal stories from survivors is made even more difficult knowing that there are likely some details left out—details too painful to speak or even remember, details that were held deeply within a vast cohort of bruised and injured children who are now adults. I cannot imagine the trauma which cannot be vocalised for fear of further trauma and the shame that keeps a person silent and trapped in their memories, however traumatic the original offence, the subsequent treatment or lack of attention to their plight or calls for help. I…
date: 2018-10-24T12:16:00+00:00

Treasury Laws Amendment (Making Sure Every State and Territory Gets Their Fair Share of GST) Bill 2018; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: Nothing.
encoded: Nothing.
date: 2018-10-23T17:48:00+00:00

Treasury Laws Amendment (Making Sure Every State and Territory Gets Their Fair Share of GST) Bill 2018; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: As I said before the interruption, there are also factors, such as the age profile of Tasmanians, their health profile and their lack of educational attainment, which is reflected in significant...
encoded: As I said before the interruption, there are also factors, such as the age profile of Tasmanians, their health profile and their lack of educational attainment, which is reflected in significant social disadvantage, which in turn mean that there are additional demands upon services, particularly health services, in our public hospitals, which impose additional financial burdens upon the state budget. On a number of occasions, I've risen in this place to offer my contribution about what can be done to improve the economic performance of Tasmania, improving health outcomes and education outcomes with long-term investment in education, health literacy and sustainable economic growth. But the fact remains that there are vital services—particularly our presently ailing, stressed health system—which are sustained to a large part by Tasmania's share of GST revenue. There's recently been public discussion about whether the present Tasmanian Liberal government has been devoting a sufficient share of GST revenue towards health funding. I agree with the general proposition that health is being underfunded from Tasmania's GST revenue. Nevertheless, future state governments need flexibility as to how GST revenue is expended, given that it is untied revenue and can be spent in the best interests of a state. It's up to the present state Liberal government—indeed, any future government of any persuasion—to justify how it spends GST revenue, particularly if economic analysis suggests that there may be an underspend with respect to a vital service such as health. Given the size of the Tasmanian budget and the disproportionate role that GST revenue plays in the provision of services in Tasmania, the provision of a legislated guarantee such as is incorporated in this bill is vitally important. Having regard to the statistics—indeed, the furious agreement by all state premiers and treasurers that a legislated guarantee was necessary—what was this government's response, at least initiall…
date: 2018-10-23T16:15:00+00:00

Immigration Detention | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: There are occasions when you are reminded about the privilege that it is to serve in this place as a member or a senator—and, indeed, yesterday, on the occasion of the delivery of the...
encoded: There are occasions when you are reminded about the privilege that it is to serve in this place as a member or a senator—and, indeed, yesterday, on the occasion of the delivery of the apology, was one such day. But in my mind, there was one issue left unsaid, not discussed. This produced an opportunity for people to email and bring to the attention of members of parliament an issue that I think is vitally important—that is, the treatment of children who are presently on the island of Nauru. It's important that this parliament acts as soon as it can to give effect to the medical advice that is available to the minister to enable the repatriation of children who are suffering from psychological damage on Nauru. There is also an opportunity for members of our communities to take positive action. A small group in my electorate raised, in the course of an event on Saturday night, the amazing amount of $11,517 in order to assist the work of the Asylum Seeker Resource Network. I commend the efforts of that small group.
date: 2018-10-23T13:51:00+00:00

Treasury Laws Amendment (Making Sure Every State and Territory Gets Their Fair Share of GST) Bill 2018; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
type: item
description: I would like to make some observations with respect to the member for Forrest's contribution that's just been delivered. Of course, the elephant in the room that she hasn't mentioned is the fact...
encoded: I would like to make some observations with respect to the member for Forrest's contribution that's just been delivered. Of course, the elephant in the room that she hasn't mentioned is the fact that she's been part of a government that's been in power for over five years. It's taken it over five years to address what's certainly been an urgent issue as far as the Western Australian voting public is concerned. I think it's disingenuous and it's not appropriate for this government to ignore the efforts that have been made on a bipartisan basis to deliver GST equity for WA. It is vitally important for the government to take a moment to reflect, in a positive manner, upon the fact that this has been achieved by co-operation at both a state and a Commonwealth level, and indeed finally to reflect the concerns expressed by all state premiers and all state treasurers with respect to the legislating of a guarantee that no state will be worse off. With that introduction, I'm pleased to be able to speak in support of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Making Sure Every State and Territory Gets Their Fair Share of GST) Bill 2018. I'm particularly pleased to rise to support the comments and observations of the shadow Treasurer, the member for McMahon. The history of Commonwealth-state relations, particularly Commonwealth-state financial relations, is long and complex. Sometimes that relationship can be encompassed in throwaway lines. I can't go past, for example, the observation attributed to Paul Keating: 'Never get between a Premier and a bucket of money.' This legislation is required to address shortcomings in the system of horizontal fiscal equalisation, a system which has evolved since the 1930s and was most recently overhauled with the introduction of the GST in the year 2000. But, in practical terms, the effect of horizontal fiscal equalisation, the distribution of GST and the allocation of grants to states can materially affect the ability of states within our federation to a…
date: 2018-10-23T13:22:00+00:00

Asylum Seekers | Statements by Members | House debates
type: item
description: Today this parliament issued a national apology to victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse. I must acknowledge the extraordinary work that was done to advocate for the royal...
encoded: Today this parliament issued a national apology to victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse. I must acknowledge the extraordinary work that was done to advocate for the royal commission, particularly considering the shameful denial of the truth of child sexual abuse. Today is a day to honour not just those who had the political will to implement a royal commission but also those who argued against the weight of public opinion to garner support for victims and survivors. The role of public interest advocacy as a tool and driver for change should not be underestimated. I received many representations on behalf of refugees and asylum seekers on Manus and Nauru. I recently wrote to the minister enclosing a great number of personal letters seeking a more compassionate and direct response to the plight of children presently on Nauru. I must say, whenever I receive a letter from a child highlighting the plight of children presently on Nauru, I cannot ignore the fact that there is potential for further shared trauma involved in ignoring the plight of those children. Just as we facilitated a system whereby the denial of sexual abuse and violence against the abused children was subject to today's apology, we must face the fact that the potential for trauma, for damage to the children on Nauru should be enough to drive us to action. We must act. We must listen to those advocating for their repatriation, medical assessment and treatment.
date: 2018-10-22T16:32:00+00:00

Telecommunications | Constituency Statements | House debates
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description: We are indeed privileged in this place, in Australia's parliament, to be in one of the most digitally and physically connected environments in Australia. This morning, we've experienced...
encoded: We are indeed privileged in this place, in Australia's parliament, to be in one of the most digitally and physically connected environments in Australia. This morning, we've experienced significant network outages which have occasioned some degree of inconvenience and frustration to people working in this building. But, of course, that's brought home to me the importance of digital connectivity for our constituents, not just in the cities but also in the regions. I've been very pleased to participate in the government's Mobile Black Spot Program, seeking expressions of interest from people within my electorate to make submissions about where they see there is a lack of connectivity. We should all recognise that this issue of digital connectivity is front and centre not just for business but also for families. Indeed, the European Union recognises that access to the internet is a human right. The feedback that I and my office have received with respect to the issue of mobile black spots is significant. There are areas in the Tamar Valley and in the north-east of Tasmania that have been entered onto the database of mobile black spots as meriting some attention with respect to mobile black spots. I've recently served as Deputy Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Trade and Investment Growth. We had an inquiry into the potential for digital trade. This really emphasises how a digital future may produce significant potential for small and larger businesses all across Australia. The concept of trade itself has evolved over time. It used to be that trade was highly specialised. Indeed, until relatively recently it involved large organisations putting goods onto container vessels and travelling across the world. But a digital future now enables the smallest of enterprises to act as a large enterprise and to trade from a kitchen or a garage in much the same way that those digital giants that we now experience were first created in Silicon Valley. One example of that in T…
date: 2018-10-18T10:06:00+00:00

Bass Electorate: Launceston General Hospital | Constituency Statements | House debates
type: item
description: I'd like to report to the House an issue that has arisen, particularly in my constituency of Bass. Last Friday I attended a very special event held at Ockerby Gardens, which is on the fringes of...
encoded: I'd like to report to the House an issue that has arisen, particularly in my constituency of Bass. Last Friday I attended a very special event held at Ockerby Gardens, which is on the fringes of the Launceston General Hospital's campus in Launceston. This was a rally held by the ANMF and other associated health unions, and of course other unions, in support of their industrial action. The rally was held to commemorate, if that's the right word, 100 continuous days of a vigil that's been undertaken by the emergency department staff of the Launceston General Hospital. The Launceston General Hospital is a well-respected institution within Bass. It's relied upon by many of the constituents within my electorate, and for good purpose. But the emergency department is suffering under significant strain, and the Tasmanian state Liberal government has refused to adequately resource the hospital. We have the extraordinary situation where we have dedicated emergency department staff holding a vigil for 100 days during the course of a Tasmanian winter—I don't need to remind members in this place as to what a Tasmanian winter might involve. Every day, rain or shine, those members of the emergency department have been holding a vigil under what they call their Bring Your Own Bed campaign. Unfortunately, the Launceston General Hospital emergency department has some of the worst statistics in the nation for compliance with emergency department waiting times. This is something which is absolutely disgraceful but not something that can be visited upon the dedicated staff within the Launceston General Hospital. The blame for this purely lies with a state government which is wilfully blind and refuses to listen to the concerns of the workers at the Launceston General Hospital. In any one 24-hour waiting period there may be up to 60 patients in the emergency department, which may consist of: up to 24 patients waiting in inpatient ward beds; up to eight ambulances ramped at any one time; …
date: 2018-10-17T10:55:00+00:00

Launceston General Hospital | Adjournment | House debates
type: item
description: In August last year I said in this place that the failure of the Tasmanian health minister, Michael Ferguson, to provide adequate resources to alleviate bed block within the Launceston General...
encoded: In August last year I said in this place that the failure of the Tasmanian health minister, Michael Ferguson, to provide adequate resources to alleviate bed block within the Launceston General Hospital and to move admitted patients out of a stressed Emergency Department was creating a crisis—a well-documented ramping crisis—for our ambulance service. In February of this year I said that it is a very sad fact that we are currently facing a crisis in the Tasmanian health system. Eight months have passed since then. The crisis at the Launceston General Hospital has escalated. Yesterday the latest Tasmanian health service annual report was formally released. It cast an ever-worsening shadow on the state of the state's second largest public hospital, the LGH, and its under-resourced emergency department. Of course, I acknowledge that this is a snapshot on an annual basis of the performance of a significant public health resource, a vital resource for people in Northern Tasmania. Less than 65 per cent of emergency department presentations are seen within the recommended time frame—less than 65 per cent! Emergency department staff at the LGH have reported publicly that they've had to contend with huge numbers of presentations to the department, even before the winter flu season, with almost continuous bed block. They've been forced to attend to—of necessity—unstable patients in the waiting room of the emergency department. In one 24-hour period there were up to 60 patients in the emergency department, up to 24 patients waiting for access to inpatient ward beds, up to eight ambulances ramped at one time, and, at one point, up to five category 2 patients in the waiting room. Category 2 patients are those with imminently life-threatening conditions. These patients should be seen by a treating doctor or nurse within 10 minutes of arriving. I cannot say enough here tonight in this chamber to reflect my respect and admiration for and my thanks to the tireless and overworked staf…
date: 2018-10-17T19:30:00+00:00