Vince Connelly's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
type: channel
language: en-gb
creator: OpenAustralia.org, mprss.php script
date: 2022-07-06T23:05:43+00:00
items: Stirling Electorate | Adjournment | House debates
items: Child Abuse | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Stirling Electorate: Community Organisations | Constituency Statements | House debates
items: Climate Change | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
items: Morrison Government | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Social Security Legislation Amendment (Remote Engagement Program) Bill 2021; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: National Security | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Defence | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Space Industry | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Working Spirit | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Veterans' Health Week | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure) Bill 2020; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (High Risk Terrorist Offenders) Bill 2020; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Defence Procurement | Adjournment | House debates
items: COVID-19: Defence Industry | Questions without Notice | House debates
items: Australian Defence Force: Infrastructure | Statements by Members | House debates
items: Defence Legislation Amendment (Discipline Reform) Bill 2021; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
items: Australian Flag | Motions | House debates
items: Morrison Government | Matters of Public Importance | House debates

Stirling Electorate | Adjournment | House debates
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description: NELLY () (): To paraphrase Winston Churchill: democracy is the least-worst system of government. Since its foundation in ancient Greece, we still haven't found a better method of reflecting the...
encoded: NELLY () (): To paraphrase Winston Churchill: democracy is the least-worst system of government. Since its foundation in ancient Greece, we still haven't found a better method of reflecting the public will in a peaceful and effective way. For those of us who enjoy the temporary privilege to hold the torch of democracy as elected leaders, this is an immense reward. Like all previous members for the federal electorate of Stirling, I've worked with great determination to serve our local community. With Stirling due to be abolished from the next federal election, I reflect today on the history of this wonderful division. Contested in 25 elections, the seat has been won by 14 Liberal and 11 ALP members. Liberals have proudly held the seat for a total of 37 years. I acknowledge the previous Liberal members: Doug Cash, Ian Viner, Eoin Cameron and Michael Keenan. I also acknowledge ALP members who have held the seat: Harry Webb, Dr Ron Edwards and Jann MacFarlane. The early 1970s were a particularly exciting time for Stirling division, with a strong team, including Jim Clarko as president. Bob Pike led doorknocking on the weekends to drive voter membership, with $10 a couple for membership being quite a bargain, if you ask me. In 1972 divisional members donated $100 each to purchase the division's first property, a modest little house but great for meetings and campaigning. One member even went to live in the back of the house to help with costs and maintenance—what dedication! In 1974, at the double dissolution election, the Labor Party desperately wanted the seat back, and at the close of counting Ian Viner trailed Labor's Graham Reece by 700 votes. But when preferences were counted the provisional result was a tie, so scrutineers were assembled and, after a long day's counting the next day, more Liberal votes were found and Ian Viner scraped in by just 12 votes. Fast forward to 1984 and a redistribution saw Stirling incorporate more northern suburbs, including suburbs li…
date: 2022-03-30T19:54:00+00:00

Child Abuse | Statements by Members | House debates
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description: As a father, my very first priority is to the safety of my children. Indeed, the Morrison government is committed to the safety of all Australian children. This week, we delivered the first ever...
encoded: As a father, my very first priority is to the safety of my children. Indeed, the Morrison government is committed to the safety of all Australian children. This week, we delivered the first ever long-term national plan to protect children from the scourge of sexual abuse. I'm sure that we can all agree that all of us were shocked and appalled, and rightly so, at the findings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. We made a promise to do everything we could within our power to end these crimes. Under this 10-year National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse, we're targeting abuse in all settings, including in the family and in the emerging online world. We're committing an initial $307 million, which includes more than $22 million to deliver a national awareness-raising campaign on child sexual abuse and $18.6 million to implement a national victim-identification framework for online child sexual abuse. The first phase will be driven by two four-year action plans delivering real protections for Australian children and better support for victims and survivors. With the number of these abhorrent crimes increasing, sadly, we must deliver real measures that will lead to those real outcomes as we better safeguard the innocence and safety of all our children.
date: 2021-10-28T13:30:00+00:00

Stirling Electorate: Community Organisations | Constituency Statements | House debates
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description: This month marks a significant milestone for many of the community organisations in my electorate of Stirling, many of whom are doing incredible work and have been active within our community for...
encoded: This month marks a significant milestone for many of the community organisations in my electorate of Stirling, many of whom are doing incredible work and have been active within our community for decades. To have withstood the test of time and multiple challenges that come with it—in particular, COVID-19—is a significant achievement in itself. But to serve the community and deliver positive outcomes to local communities and families is absolutely admirable. A few weeks ago I attended Majella Catholic Primary School to join them in their 50th-year celebratory mass. It was really heartening to speak with the students, as well as the teachers past and present, at this momentous milestone and to see just how passionate and dedicated the staff, the priests and other assistants throughout the school are to their community. On a tour of the school later that day with Principal David Barns I had the opportunity to see some of the infrastructure and facilities that the Morrison government has supported the construction of and to hear about the school's vision for the future. Well done to David and the Majella team for the hard work and dedication that you put in to make the community a real hub, particularly for the multicultural students and families. Later that same day I was just down the road at Nollamara, where I joined Uniting Aid who were celebrating their 40th anniversary—not quite at the 50 years of Majella, but they're catching up. I would like to acknowledge Uniting Aid and their team of dedicated individuals for their continued service to the disadvantaged people living in my electorate of Stirling. This amazing organisation has provided support and emergency relief to those in need, including food, clothing, household goods and financial assistance with utility bills. In particular, in recognising the volunteers, I recognise a couple of the very special volunteers, Charis Page and Wendy Gardner. At the 40th anniversary celebrations it really was an honour to rec…
date: 2021-10-27T10:03:00+00:00

Climate Change | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
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description: Hear, hear!
encoded: Hear, hear!
date: 2021-10-27T15:23:00+00:00

Morrison Government | Questions without Notice | House debates
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description: My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer inform the House about the Morrison government's ongoing commitment to keep taxes low for Australian businesses and families, helping generate...
encoded: My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer inform the House about the Morrison government's ongoing commitment to keep taxes low for Australian businesses and families, helping generate more jobs in the regions and the cities right around the country, and, is the Treasurer aware of any alternative policies?
date: 2021-10-26T14:19:00+00:00

Social Security Legislation Amendment (Remote Engagement Program) Bill 2021; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: Given that I am now in continuation, I will reflect very briefly on some of the sentiment that I expressed yesterday. Fundamentally, it is this: with employment comes a greater sense of both...
encoded: Given that I am now in continuation, I will reflect very briefly on some of the sentiment that I expressed yesterday. Fundamentally, it is this: with employment comes a greater sense of both dignity and self-worth for the person who is filling that role. I'm sure that all those joining me in the chamber today, and the great many listening online as well, feel the same way—that not only are there extrinsic rewards in being able to take home a salary, there are intrinsic rewards in having a sense of purpose. Providing a good or a service is valued out there in the community and brings a sense of dignity and self-worth. It is against that backdrop that this current bill is absolutely positioned. According to an AIHW report titled 'Australia's welfare 2021', Indigenous employment rates reduced from 54 per cent to 49 per cent in the period of 2007-08 and 2018-19, while the rate for non-Indigenous Australians' employment remains stable at around 76 per cent. The report also tells us that, in 2018-19, Indigenous Australians were less likely to be employed the further away from a major city they lived. So it's clear that as a nation we must adapt and evolve to better meet new and existing challenges. The Social Security Legislation Amendment (Remote Engagement Program) Bill 2021 will provide a framework for piloting new approaches to delivering employment services in remote communities ahead of implementing the government's budget announcement that the Community Development Program, or CDP, will be replaced in 2023. The bill builds on the Australian government's commitment to reform of employment services and it's a critical component of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. The bill will establish a new supplementary payment for eligible jobseekers in remote engagement program pilot sites who volunteer to participate in placements that are like having a job. I note that the definition of eligible jobseekers is as follows: 'Someone receiving a qualifying income support…
date: 2021-10-26T12:21:00+00:00

National Security | Statements by Members | House debates
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description: Our Indo-Pacific region is in the midst of the most significant strategic realignment since World War II. Australia must be able to deploy military power to shape our environment, deter actions...
encoded: Our Indo-Pacific region is in the midst of the most significant strategic realignment since World War II. Australia must be able to deploy military power to shape our environment, deter actions against our interests and respond, when required, with military force. To do so, we require new military capabilities, and maritime strike missiles will form a crucial element of our defence capability. I was grateful to have been hosted last week by defence industry participant Kongsberg and their Australian defence general manager, John Fry—a fellow ex-Australian Army officer. John briefed me on the capabilities of their naval strike missile, or NSM. Where NSM excels is in the important attribute of survivability. Its ability to fly very low and its stealth capabilities help it to avoid detection. NSM have become the maritime strike weapon of choice for many of Australia's allies around the world. Because of its survivability, precision and lethality, it has been contracted by the Norwegian, Malaysian, German, Polish and Romanian navies, as well as the United States Marine Corps. Kongsberg had previously been selected to provide missiles to Australia, both antiship and surface-to-air missiles. And I feel sure that, as we look to select particular capabilities and platforms, the NSM will be an attractive option as we look to continue to meet Australia's defence needs into the future.
date: 2021-10-25T16:11:00+00:00

Social Security Legislation Amendment (Remote Engagement Program) Bill 2021; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: It's a great pleasure to rise and provide some commentary today about the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Remote Engagement Program) Bill 2021. Some may query why a metropolitan member of...
encoded: It's a great pleasure to rise and provide some commentary today about the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Remote Engagement Program) Bill 2021. Some may query why a metropolitan member of parliament is rising to speak on a bill that relates to remote engagement. I've had the great opportunity of living and working in some of our regions around Australia, as has my wife. When we were both quite young Army officers and before we had kids, we were posted up in Darwin, and part of my wife's role as the member of the intelligence company up there was to travel throughout the regions right across the Top End and build and maintain those networks for the purposes of information sharing. It was quite a wonderful role and one that she certainly cherished, and I was able to get out into some of those regions myself whilst we were in the Top End. One of the things that became quite obvious during that engagement was that the opportunities to access employment are clearly lacking in the remote areas of Australia, and that's where the bill before us today is absolutely focused. Employment bills give all of us a sense of dignity and purpose, a way to give back to society and to generate rewards for ourselves and our families. Principally, the benefits here I would categorised as dignity and self-worth. Dignity is obtained because we're drawing a wage that allows us to live in a manner which is, for the large part, free of interference from others. Of course we have a responsibility to pay taxes and for those taxes to be responsibly managed by the government of the day. Self-worth is achieved as we participate in society and we produce a good or a service that is of value to others. Providing that good or service and seeing how that benefits society have an intrinsic reward for the person generating that good or service. The reverse is also absolutely accurate: when we are unemployed or when we are underemployed, it's much harder to maintain dignity and self-respect. Whilst…
date: 2021-10-25T19:24:00+00:00

Defence | Questions without Notice | House debates
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description: My question is to the Minister for Defence. Will the minister inform the House how the Morrison's government's investment in defence capability will provide the Australian Defence Force with the...
encoded: My question is to the Minister for Defence. Will the minister inform the House how the Morrison's government's investment in defence capability will provide the Australian Defence Force with the capability edge that it needs to protect Australians in a changing geostrategic environment, and is the minister aware of any alternative policy approaches?
date: 2021-10-25T14:54:00+00:00

Space Industry | Questions without Notice | House debates
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description: My question is to the Minister for Defence Industry and the Minister for Science and Technology. Will the minister please outline for the House how the Morrison government is supporting our...
encoded: My question is to the Minister for Defence Industry and the Minister for Science and Technology. Will the minister please outline for the House how the Morrison government is supporting our emerging space industry, building a stronger Australia and creating more jobs, particularly as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
date: 2021-10-21T15:07:00+00:00

Working Spirit | Statements by Members | House debates
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description: Yesterday, I had the great pleasure of speaking with my good friend Karyn Hinder, who's the founder of Working Spirit. I congratulated Karen on receiving a Prime Minister's Veterans' Employment...
encoded: Yesterday, I had the great pleasure of speaking with my good friend Karyn Hinder, who's the founder of Working Spirit. I congratulated Karen on receiving a Prime Minister's Veterans' Employment Award for excellence in supporting veterans' employment. Since founding Working Spirit in 2016, Karen has been working tirelessly, drawing from her own experience in the ADF to help veterans find employment and readjust to mainstream life. Each week, she sends job opportunities to around 700 veterans, 30 of whom she engages with and puts in touch with employers—some of them small businesses, others high-profile companies—looking for experienced workers. In fact, companies from right around the country are engaging with Working Spirit because they hope to get veterans on board their own teams. While I was speaking to Karen, she mentioned how she was working closely with engineering firm Monadelphous, who have recently taken on new employees through Working Spirit. Monadelphous, along with Karyn and other veterans, visited HMAS Stirling in Western Australia for an extensive tour of the base to showcase the roles that ADF personnel fill and the skill sets that they can bring as veterans within businesses. It's organisations like Working Spirit who are helping veterans to reconnect with civilian work opportunities in this next stage of their lives and also helping employers to access the wonderful skills, knowledge and attitudes that veterans bring to workplaces.
date: 2021-10-21T13:41:00+00:00

Veterans' Health Week | Questions without Notice | House debates
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description: My question is to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and the Minister for Defence Personnel. Will the minister please update the House on how the Morrison government is continuing to support the...
encoded: My question is to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and the Minister for Defence Personnel. Will the minister please update the House on how the Morrison government is continuing to support the health and wellbeing of veterans and their families, especially during Veterans' Health Week?
date: 2021-10-20T15:16:00+00:00

Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure) Bill 2020; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: It's a pleasure to rise to speak today on the Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure) Bill 2020. I'm particularly pleased because I have some degree of experience, which I'll...
encoded: It's a pleasure to rise to speak today on the Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure) Bill 2020. I'm particularly pleased because I have some degree of experience, which I'll talk about shortly, in relation to the protection of critical infrastructure. I'm also greatly in favour of the concept of looking at what is most important and looking at ways to enhance protections around those critical pieces of infrastructure. Indeed, in the military, where I had my first career, when we plan operations, we look at our own forces and those of opposing forces and we look for critical capabilities. Then we look at what some of the critical vulnerabilities that sit below and enable those capabilities are. In the case of an enemy force, we look at how to target some of those vulnerabilities to, if you like, bring the house crumbling down. Equally, in our own interests, we look for our capabilities, what vulnerabilities we have and how we can provide protection against those vulnerabilities. So it's wonderful to see that the Morrison government is taking a similar, mature, methodical planning approach when looking at our national critical infrastructure. Indeed, this is the course that we must and will continue to take. In the last parliament, we passed the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 to identify and manage national security risks of espionage, sabotage and coercion resulting from foreign involvement in Australia's critical infrastructure. The reforms in this bill will apply to a range of owners and operators of critical infrastructure. It's worth taking a moment to classify what we mean by critical infrastructure. There are 11 different categories. As I name each category, I feel certain that listeners will absolutely identify with why it is that each of these categories has been defined as 'critical'. The categories are: communications; financial services and markets; data storage and processing; defence industry; higher education and research…
date: 2021-10-20T11:11:00+00:00

Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (High Risk Terrorist Offenders) Bill 2020; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: The very first role of government is to protect the safety and security of its citizens. As hard as it is to believe, it is a fact that there are those who are opposed to our way of life, our...
encoded: The very first role of government is to protect the safety and security of its citizens. As hard as it is to believe, it is a fact that there are those who are opposed to our way of life, our freedom and our values. Amongst that cohort are those who have the intent and the capability to do us harm. It is against those threats which this deal, the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (High Risk Terrorist Offenders) Bill 2020, is directly aimed. This bill will ensure that our agencies have the powers that they need to respond to the evolving threat of terrorism, and this reflects, in turn, our government's absolute and steadfast commitment to the ongoing safety and security of all Australians. In the current security environment, having a range of tools to combat the evolving nature of terrorism is absolutely vital. Indeed, experience overseas has demonstrated that the continuing threat posed by extremists, including those who have already served sentences for terrorism offences, is very real. The 2019 London Bridge attack and the 2020 Streatham attack in the UK were carried out by convicted offenders, highlighting the continued need for effective prevention and risk-management measures to protect our communities. This bill enhances the safety and security of all Australians by creating extended supervision orders, or ESOs, and these will ensure that high-risk terrorist offenders can be appropriately managed in the community at the end of their custodial sentence. The Supreme Court will be able to impose an ESO for up to three years at a time if the court is satisfied, on the balance of probabilities and on the basis of admissible evidence, that the offender poses an unacceptable risk of committing a serious terrorism offence. The court will be able to impose any condition on an offender that it considers proportionate to the risk that the offender poses. This bill also provides agencies with the necessary tools to monitor compliance with these orders and to protec…
date: 2021-10-19T17:01:00+00:00

Defence Procurement | Adjournment | House debates
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description: Our very first responsibility as a government is to keep Australians safe and to protect our way of life, our freedom and our values. As the Prime Minister said when he met with fellow world...
encoded: Our very first responsibility as a government is to keep Australians safe and to protect our way of life, our freedom and our values. As the Prime Minister said when he met with fellow world leaders in the US recently, 'No country is safe until we are all safe,' and this is why it's vital that we work together. So, just over one month ago, the historic AUKUS agreement was announced. This involves Australia's partnership with the UK and the US, and it is now going from strength to strength. The enhanced security partnership is a victory for friendship, freedom and security. It's founded on a shared belief in democratic freedoms for which we have fought side by side: human dignity, the rule of law, independence of sovereign nations, and the peaceful fellowship of nations. If COVID has highlighted anything, it is that our world is dramatically changing, particularly within our region, the Indo-Pacific. We're navigating through one of the most complex challenges in living memory, and it's more important now than ever that we engage with like-minded friends. Thanks to AUKUS, Australia will become the first nation in 70 years to acquire nuclear-powered submarine technology from the US, enabling us to build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines right here in Australia. This capability will significantly enhance Australia's ability to deter threats and to uphold stability and security in the Indo-Pacific. We are reinforcing our focus on our own backyard and working to support the interests, security and prosperity of our Indo-Pacific family. Another project to come out of AUKUS which I'm extremely pleased about and which is a monumental win for WA defence industry is the installation of a large vessel dry berth. Essentially, that is a facility where you can float a ship in, close off the dock, drain the water and have the ship sitting on a dry berth. This will enable the build and maintenance of, firstly, those large naval surface combatant ships that Australia is inves…
date: 2021-10-18T19:55:00+00:00

COVID-19: Defence Industry | Questions without Notice | House debates
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description: My question is to the Minister for Defence Industry. Will the minister please outline for the House how the Morrison government's national plan is critical to building the workforce that will be...
encoded: My question is to the Minister for Defence Industry. Will the minister please outline for the House how the Morrison government's national plan is critical to building the workforce that will be required to help deliver our $270 billion capability investment as we come back from the COVID-19 pandemic?
date: 2021-08-31T15:03:00+00:00

Australian Defence Force: Infrastructure | Statements by Members | House debates
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description: Under the 2024 structure plan, the Morrison government is investing $270 billion in defence capability over the next decade. Sustainable naval shipbuilding will ensure our Navy is equipped to...
encoded: Under the 2024 structure plan, the Morrison government is investing $270 billion in defence capability over the next decade. Sustainable naval shipbuilding will ensure our Navy is equipped to meet the challenges that lie ahead. To support the anticipated build and sustainment of the new large hull vessels our Navy will require, we need an additional docking facility. Australia currently only has one such facility, the Captain Cook Graving Dock in Sydney, which was built during World War II. With the Indo-Pacific region heating up, Western Australia's position on the rim of the Indian Ocean gives us a natural strategy advantage for a large vessel dry berth at the Australian Marine Complex at Henderson. This has strategic and economic benefits. It would support a two-ocean basing strategy for Navy. It would be able to support allied vessels as well as commercial vessels. It would provide opportunities for shipbuilders to complete bigger builds locally. And it would generate around $1 billion in construction activity alone, as well as jobs for generations of Western Australians to come over its approximately 100-year lifespan. If we in the west are going to advocate for defence projects that are innovative, strategically important and have long-term economic benefits, then we should focus our energy on securing a large vessel dry berth at Henderson.
date: 2021-08-31T13:34:00+00:00

Defence Legislation Amendment (Discipline Reform) Bill 2021; Second Reading | Bills | House debates
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description: I acknowledge the member for Solomon and other veterans in this place. There has been some healthy discussion about this proposed legislation. As did the member for Solomon, I confess to having...
encoded: I acknowledge the member for Solomon and other veterans in this place. There has been some healthy discussion about this proposed legislation. As did the member for Solomon, I confess to having been at the receiving end of discipline during my military service. Thankfully, it was nothing serious, but it does highlight the point, and the very real fact as well, that there is a great deal of complexity at that middle tier of the disciplinary system. It's referred to as the subordinate summary authority, and it's incredibly complex. There has been some really well-informed debate and a summary of this proposed legislation, but I'll just give a little bit of a sense of what that complexity actually looks like. Basically, even whilst serving as an officer cadet at the very start of my career at a military university—and the member for Solomon touched on this as well—I was taught about the Defence Force Discipline Act. We were given it in volumes 1 and 2. They were huge volumes. If you needed a computer screen stand, they were ideal. If you had to reach something a bit high up, they were also good to stand on. But, sadly, we also had to actually understand quite a bit of the information contained in the Defence Force Discipline Act. Not only that, we had to perform the duties of prosecution and defence in a way that is very similar to and, of course, mirrored an actual court of law. So, even whilst we were undertaking military studies, physical training, drill, military history and the many other things which are required in training to become a junior officer, we were trained in a quasi-judicial process. For example, when somebody was the subject of discipline, we had to learn and practise to be a prosecuting officer. In this sense, we had to gather evidence and make sure that it was all appropriately registered ahead of the trial date. Then we had to go into a courtlike proceeding and act as if we were a prosecuting officer. At the same time, we also had to learn the sk…
date: 2021-08-30T19:21:00+00:00

Australian Flag | Motions | House debates
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description: I move: That this House: (1) recognises and celebrates the 120th anniversary of the Australian national flag which occurs on 3 September 2021; (2) honours the ideals for which our national flag...
encoded: I move: That this House: (1) recognises and celebrates the 120th anniversary of the Australian national flag which occurs on 3 September 2021; (2) honours the ideals for which our national flag stands including our history, geography and unity as a federated nation; (3) notes that this is the world's only national flag ever to fly over one entire continent; (4) acknowledges that our flag has been Australia's pre-eminent national symbol in times of adversity and war, peacetime and prosperity; (5) further recognises that our flag now belongs to the Australian people and has been an integral part of the expression of our national pride; and (6) expresses its respect for the Australian national flag as a symbol of our profound achievements as a federation, our independence and freedom as a people, and our optimism for a common future together. Later this week our nation, right across our wide brown land, will celebrate the 120th anniversary of the date that our Australian National Flag was first flown, on 3 September 1901, above the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne, and for more than a century now our flag has been flying high, symbolising our pride and our national unity. However, it wasn't until 1996 that the then Governor-General proclaimed the first Australian National Flag Day. This year marks 25 years since that point and, again, we are getting prepared to celebrate our National Flag Day. It also gives us cause to reflect on the foundations of our federation. In doing so, I spent some time over the weekend reflecting on some of the papers of the Australasian constitutional conventions of the 1890s, which was made particularly easy, given the fact that we are in lockdown in Canberra. Blissfully, they're easily available on the parliamentary website. They paint a really fascinating picture. We see in those papers that, as I said, these conventions went throughout the 1890s. They were filled with passionate politicians who ended up being, obviously, some of the…
date: 2021-08-30T10:34:00+00:00

Morrison Government | Matters of Public Importance | House debates
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description: I rise to begin my comments by talking about cow farts. I know that may seem a little bit of an odd thing to talk about—I can see the quizzical look on your face there, Deputy Speaker...
encoded: I rise to begin my comments by talking about cow farts. I know that may seem a little bit of an odd thing to talk about—I can see the quizzical look on your face there, Deputy Speaker Wallace—but, firstly, it matches the rather pungent and stinky nature of this suggestion that the government is operating with something other than speed and accuracy. So back to these cows! There's an organisation called Sea Forest which has been working for a number of years now with the CSIRO. They've discovered that there's a special type of seaweed which, if added to feed for cattle, reduces the amount of methane they expel by 99 per cent. If this were in place in Australian industry on a large scale, it would be the equivalent of taking 100 million cars off the road—that's more than double the amount of cars which exist and are in use in Australia today. I know that the member for Braddon is cheering along here and seeing these great sorts of crossovers between environmentally friendly policies, the intelligence of world-leading scientists and, of course, our wonderful agriculture industry, of which the member for Braddon is a key sponsor. This also sits against our more general approach when we look at climate change. Here, again, it's a government with a very clear plan and very clear targets—targets which we're meeting. We met and in fact beat our 2020 target and are on track to meet our 2030 target—a target which those opposite have not even established. Our technology road map includes an investment of $20 billion in new and emerging technologies by 2030. There are some great stories in place already. We've seen a 20 per cent reduction in emissions, which is more than for New Zealand, Canada and the United States, and we've seen the highest uptake of rooftop solar in the world here in Australia. So there are some great things which we should celebrate and not denigrate—as those opposite too often do. I'll move on to something else that's a little bit stinky as well and menti…
date: 2021-08-26T16:19:00+00:00