Linda White's recent appearances (OpenAustralia.org)
type: channel
language: en-gb
creator: OpenAustralia.org, mprss.php script
date: 2024-06-30T23:05:44+00:00
items: Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation Committee; Delegated Legislation Monitor | Committees | Senate debates
items: Withdrawal | Notices | Senate debates
items: Presentation | Notices | Senate debates
items: Aviation Industry | Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers | Senate debates
items: Employment | Questions without Notice | Senate debates
items: Environment | Matters of Urgency | Senate debates
items: Vocational Education and Training | Ministerial Statements | Senate debates
items: Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee; Report | Committees | Senate debates
items: Aviation Industry | Adjournment | Senate debates
items: Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Amendment Bill 2023; Second Reading | Bills | Senate debates
items: Human Rights: Iran | Matters of Public Importance | Senate debates
items: Housing Australia Future Fund | Questions without Notice | Senate debates
items: g17.1
items: Commonwealth Bilateral Air Service Agreements; Appointment | Committees | Senate debates

Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation Committee; Delegated Legislation Monitor | Committees | Senate debates
type: item
description: I present Delegated legislation monitor12 of 2023 of the Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation, together with ministerial correspondence. I move: That the Senate take note...
encoded: I present Delegated legislation monitor12 of 2023 of the Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation, together with ministerial correspondence. I move: That the Senate take note of the report. Delegated legislation monitor 12 of 2023 reports on the committee's consideration of 51 legislative instruments registered between 9 September 2023 and 18 September 2023. This includes 46 disallowable instruments and five instruments exempt from disallowance. I first would like to draw the chamber's attention to the National Anti-Corruption Commission Regulations 2023. The committee first raised scrutiny concerns in relation to this instrument in September regarding issues such as the conferral of discretionary powers and availability of independent merits review. I thank the Attorney-General and his department for their constructive engagement with the committee on these matters. Further, the committee welcomes the Attorney's undertaking to update the instrument's explanatory statement to address the issues raised. I am pleased to advise that the committee has resolved to conclude our examination of this instrument, and today I did withdraw the notice of motion to disallow this instrument. Additionally, I would like to draw the chamber's attention to two instruments, the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Environment) Regulations 2023 and the Competition and Consumer (Gas Market Code) Regulations 2023. These instruments raise a number of similar scrutiny concerns, including the availability of independent and judicial review, the use of significant penalties in delegated legislation and the inclusion of strict liability offences. The committee raised concerns that both instruments contain significant penalty provisions that are higher than the committee's expectations for what is appropriate for inclusion in delegated legislation. The committee's longstanding view is that significant penalties should be included in primary rather delegated legisla…
date: 2023-10-19T16:18:00+00:00

Withdrawal | Notices | Senate debates
type: item
description: Pursuant to notice given on 18 October, on behalf of the Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation, I withdraw business of the Senate notice of motion No. 2, for 11 sitting...
encoded: Pursuant to notice given on 18 October, on behalf of the Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation, I withdraw business of the Senate notice of motion No. 2, for 11 sitting days after today, proposing the disallowance of the Insurance Exemption Determination No. 1 of 2023, and business of the Senate notice of motion No. 2, for four sitting days after today, proposing the disallowance of the National Anti-Corruption Commission Regulations 2023.
date: 2023-10-19T11:15:00+00:00

Presentation | Notices | Senate debates
type: item
description: On behalf of the Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation, I give notice of my intention, at the giving of notices on the next day of sitting, to withdraw business of the...
encoded: On behalf of the Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation, I give notice of my intention, at the giving of notices on the next day of sitting, to withdraw business of the Senate notice of motion No. 2, for 12 sitting days after today, proposing the disallowance of the Insurance Exemption Determination No. 1 2023, and business of the Senate notice of motion No. 2, for five sitting days after today, proposing the disallowance of the National Anti-Corruption Commission Regulations 2023.
date: 2023-10-18T15:32:00+00:00

Aviation Industry | Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers | Senate debates
type: item
description: For 25 years I've represented airline workers, and for 25 years I watched successive coalition governments ignore workers who didn't work at Qantas. In 2001 when Ansett collapsed, the then Howard...
encoded: For 25 years I've represented airline workers, and for 25 years I watched successive coalition governments ignore workers who didn't work at Qantas. In 2001 when Ansett collapsed, the then Howard government ignored the loss of jobs of those Ansett workers—some might say in favour of Qantas. In 2020 it happened again. When Virgin was about to be put into administration, the then government turned its back on those Virgin workers and did absolutely nothing to assist Virgin in its recovery. Again, those Virgin workers absolutely thought that the coalition government was benefiting Qantas workers over Virgin. Then we also look, though, at what happened with the sacking of the 1,700 transport workers and what the then coalition government did about that. They sat back and supported an illegal act by Qantas. So throwing at this government that we are somehow captive of Qantas is a bit akin to the pot calling the kettle black, as far as I can see, because the long history that I have witnessed first hand has seen successive coalition governments favouring the interests of Qantas—not Qantas workers but Qantas—over other airlines in this country. So it's a bit rich, I think, to make those accusations because, when I look at the history, it just doesn't support those sorts of accusations. I was fortunate enough to sit on the inquiry into air services. Again, sometimes a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but I listened to a range of evidence about what happened with those air services agreements and the history of how air services agreements have been negotiated. They are a valuable commodity for a country. You have to look at how you deal with them, who flies here and what negotiations you have with not only governments but also the airlines of those governments, and many, many governments across this world take a different view of how they deal with them. As a country, they look at their national interest, and what they weigh up can be different. Let's talk about Canada…
date: 2023-10-18T15:16:00+00:00

Employment | Questions without Notice | Senate debates
type: item
description: The employment white paper outlines where some of the big changes in our economy will be in future decades and helps to guide how we can be prepared to harness the opportunities that come with...
encoded: The employment white paper outlines where some of the big changes in our economy will be in future decades and helps to guide how we can be prepared to harness the opportunities that come with them. This includes opportunities for women in the Australian economy. What are the opportunities for Australian women, and how will they help grow and strengthen our national economy?
date: 2023-10-17T14:09:00+00:00

Employment | Questions without Notice | Senate debates
type: item
description: National Cabinet met yesterday and endorsed the new National Skills Agreement, which reflects much of the thinking in the employment white paper. How will the agreement expand and transform...
encoded: National Cabinet met yesterday and endorsed the new National Skills Agreement, which reflects much of the thinking in the employment white paper. How will the agreement expand and transform access to the VET sector, support quality training and implement reforms to address critical skills shortages? How will the government's fee-free TAFE measure help industry while also helping Australians with the cost of living?
date: 2023-10-17T14:08:00+00:00

Employment | Questions without Notice | Senate debates
type: item
description: My question is for the Minister for Finance and the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Gallagher. Last month the Albanese Labor government delivered on its commitment to release the...
encoded: My question is for the Minister for Finance and the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Gallagher. Last month the Albanese Labor government delivered on its commitment to release the employment white paper Working future, outlining a roadmap to ensure more Australians who want jobs or more hours of work can get them. What key challenges did the paper identify, and what opportunities are ahead for individual Australians and the broader economy?
date: 2023-10-17T14:05:00+00:00

Environment | Matters of Urgency | Senate debates
type: item
description: Contrary to the assertions made by the Greens Party in the chamber today, the federal Labor government is committed to bringing down emissions and protecting our natural environment. The evidence...
encoded: Contrary to the assertions made by the Greens Party in the chamber today, the federal Labor government is committed to bringing down emissions and protecting our natural environment. The evidence of this commitment exists in the statute books, the pieces of legislation made law often with the support of the Greens, who have brought this motion to the Senate today. It's true that we worked with the Greens to implement a climate target to legislate a net zero commitment and to legislate a climate safeguard mechanism. But, as is usual when it comes to motions moved by the Greens, the bigger picture of what the government has achieved and the evidence of the government's commitment to climate reform and environmental protection has been ignored. For example, it's still true that any decision taken by the climate and energy minister when considering coal and gas projects must comply with emissions targets and our net zero commitment. Our climate safeguard laws were introduced to ensure that any new projects emitting over 100,000 tonnes of emissions must cut those emissions by up to 4.9 per cent per year or offset those emissions. This also applies to the 215 largest polluting sites in Australia and acts as a five-year rolling cap. The government's whole environmental and energy transition framework is concentrated on locating an appropriate balance, which requires the climate minister to assess whether new fossil fuel developments are consistent with the goal of bringing down industrial emissions. That was the point of the safeguard mechanism that we developed with the Greens and the Independents. In that vein, it is clear to everyone that our transition to net zero emissions and renewable energy is a massive job. Transitioning smoothly towards meeting our targets is an economic challenge, as well as an environmental one. Getting to 82 per cent renewable energy by 2030 is still the government's commitment, and that shows Labor is serious about addressing climate change. …
date: 2023-10-16T16:16:00+00:00

Vocational Education and Training | Ministerial Statements | Senate debates
type: item
description: I move: That the Senate take note of the document. I rise to make a contribution on the ministerial statement, tabled just now, from Minister O'Connor on the government's work on revitalising...
encoded: I move: That the Senate take note of the document. I rise to make a contribution on the ministerial statement, tabled just now, from Minister O'Connor on the government's work on revitalising national planning in vocational education and training. Before coming to this place, I had a career in the union movement; I have spent my life representing and defending Australian workers. This means that I have seen what good, skilled jobs mean to people. It also means that I have seen how government policies, some good and some not so good, impact on workers and materially change people's daily lives and prospects. The establishment of Jobs and Skills Australia and the government's fee-free TAFE program are two of those good policies which clearly make a difference to the lives of Australians. In the first half of 2023, more than 214,300 Australians enrolled in fee-free courses. That's about the same amount of people as the population of Hobart. That's worth saying again: in just six months, more than 200,000 Australians have chosen to enrol in vocational education. Encouragingly, the data shows that the policy is targeting the people who need and want to upskill the most. Of the 214,300 enrolments, 60 per cent are women and 23 per cent are jobseekers. And there are 15,269 students who live with a disability and 6,845 students who are of First Nations origin. That is targeted and effective public policy in action. In a labour market where the work of women in feminised industries is consistently undervalued, the fact that more women are training and retraining to acquire new skills and to access well-paid secure jobs is fantastic. That's nearly 130,000 Australian women who are moving up the pay ladder and using the fee-free TAFE model to invest in their abilities and in their futures, and they're earning higher wages as a result. There's also a link between vocational education and training and further higher education. People who start a course at TAFE are more likely to p…
date: 2023-09-14T16:40:00+00:00

Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee; Report | Committees | Senate debates
type: item
description: I want to make a few comments on the interim report on Australia's preparedness to host the Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games and the committee process today. To begin with, I want to...
encoded: I want to make a few comments on the interim report on Australia's preparedness to host the Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games and the committee process today. To begin with, I want to thank the secretariat of the rural and regional affairs and transport Senate committee. Juggling multiple, demanding inquiries takes real effort, but the Senate committee staff meet the challenge every time, so thank you. Firstly, I want to address some of the commentary that has been made about Victoria's international reputation following the cancellation of the Commonwealth Games and the doubt that has been cast on Victoria's ability to host major events. As the committee heard, Melbourne is the only city in the world that hosts both a tennis grand slam and a Formula 1 grand prix. It hosts the Melbourne Cup and the AFL grand final and is the only city in the world that has six international standard sporting facilities on the fringe of the CBD. As a former director of the Melbourne Cricket Ground Trust, I can tell you that there is no place in Australia or, indeed, the region that is more revered and sought after to host events than Victoria. Just last week, a quarter of a million people went to the AFL finals over three days. The AFL finals season is a huge event in itself. To argue that somehow Victoria's ability or reputation in pulling off large events has been irreparably damaged is to miss the point, because Victoria demonstrates that this isn't the case on a weekly basis and the culture of Victorians going to events remains unchanged. It's also worth pointing out that the nature of hosting events like the Commonwealth Games is obviously changing. Clearly, hosting the Commonwealth Games at this point in time is difficult. We know this because, in addition to the Victorian decision, we saw the Commonwealth Games move from Durban to Birmingham in 2022 due to financial reasons and we also saw little appetite to take on the 2026 games initially. Of course, in the last mon…
date: 2023-09-14T16:16:00+00:00

Aviation Industry | Adjournment | Senate debates
type: item
description: There are some events in life that make people reflect on where they were when it happened. I think of the assassination of JFK, the dismissal of the Whitlam government and the closure of...
encoded: There are some events in life that make people reflect on where they were when it happened. I think of the assassination of JFK, the dismissal of the Whitlam government and the closure of Australian borders because of COVID. I remember where I was 22 years ago this week when the planes flew into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington DC late on September 11, Australian time. And I remember where I was the next day, when Ansett Australia was put into administration. On the night of 11 September I was at the Holiday Inn at Sydney airport. I was there preparing to lead our members at Qantas in industrial action, something they had not done for a very, very long time. I remember groggily watching the television as I tried to go to sleep—I had to get up pretty early to start that industrial action—and it did not really register with me, when the first plane flew into the World Trade Center, what it would all mean. What it did mean, the very next morning, when I got up at 3 am, was that I realised we could not go ahead with our industrial action and that we would have to call it off. The Australian Services Union members called off their industrial action because, like the world, those airline workers on the front line were shocked. They had to greet people off planes who did not realise what had happened. On that very same day, 12 September, the owners of Ansett Australia put the company into administration. I flew back to Melbourne airport, my home base, to be greeted by a large number of our members. The ASU had 4½ thousand members in the 16½ thousand staff; we had the largest group there. It became very clear that the board had decide the previous weekend to put the airline into administration, intending that it trade out by restructuring. That's what they had intended, but unfortunately, their decision coincided with September 11. They appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers as administrators. I have to be clear that it was the first administratio…
date: 2023-09-13T19:39:00+00:00

Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Amendment Bill 2023; Second Reading | Bills | Senate debates
type: item
description: Sure. I'm happy to withdraw that. To me, the debate hinges on a few things—firstly, on a matter of principle. This bill sits badly with me. The Senate and the federal parliament should not...
encoded: Sure. I'm happy to withdraw that. To me, the debate hinges on a few things—firstly, on a matter of principle. This bill sits badly with me. The Senate and the federal parliament should not seek to interfere or meddle in the decisions made by other democratically elected governments. This principle has been developed over a long time, and it was again confirmed with the passage of the Restoring Territory Rights Bill last year, which saw the principle of territory self-government reinforced by the federal parliament. From a technical legal angle, the evidence given by the ACT Solicitor-General to the inquiry that it would be legally unprecedented for one government to direct the executive actions of another government also confirms my view that this bill is a bad idea. From a policy point of view, I also happen to think that it's fair and reasonable for the ACT government to own the land and hospital buildings that are entirely funded by the people of the ACT. If you're spending billions of dollars over decades on a public hospital, it makes sense you would want to own it. Finally, while I take the criticism in relation to motivation, the people that wrote to me by e-mail definitely called out this reason. They said this was motivated by a view to limit religious freedom. They didn't talk about ACT rights or territory rights. What they said was totally homing in on religious freedom. I have no objection, and nor should any of us, to the rights of Catholic Australians to practise their religion or publicly put their views on issues in this way, but in no way should it undermine the public ownership of North Canberra Hospital. The ACT government's decision is not part of a wider plot to undermine religious freedom in Australia. It was a government decision which would have been taken had the administrators of the hospital been based in faith or not. On that basis, I'm glad that the government will not be supporting the passage of this bill.
date: 2023-09-13T09:17:00+00:00

Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Amendment Bill 2023; Second Reading | Bills | Senate debates
type: item
description: I will measure my comments. Nevertheless, the politics aside, I want to set out why I think the bill is a bad idea. It's a matter of principle that this parliament and this Senate do not...
encoded: I will measure my comments. Nevertheless, the politics aside, I want to set out why I think the bill is a bad idea. It's a matter of principle that this parliament and this Senate do not interfere in the self-government of the ACT and the Northern Territory or undermine the independence of those legislatures. The ACT was granted self-government in 1988. It is my view that from that point on it became inappropriate for the Commonwealth to cherry-pick issues that the elected parliament in the ACT could legislate on. Once the power to make its own decisions was handed out and the people of the ACT got responsibility and elected a government to represent them, the Commonwealth, out of principle, should no longer restrict it. We saw the same principle applied last year with the debate on Restoring Territory Rights Bill. The parliament agreed, with the support of many coalition members and senators, that restricting the power of territory legislatures to make decisions about themselves for themselves was wrong. The debate found that restricting the rights of the territories to actually govern themselves through the prism of single issues was not right. Yet, with this bill, we are making the same mistake again by seeking to overturn the recently expressed will of this Senate that using a hot-button issue to justify interfering in the self-government and democratic processes of an entire Australian jurisdiction is just not right. The position taken with this bill is unprincipled, and I feel it is disingenuous. The fact is that the ACT has an elected government and a well-equipped parliament, and interfering with it would be legally strange. The view was echoed by the ACT solicitor-general in his submission to the inquiry to the bill: It would be unprecedented for one legislature to seek to direct the executive of another government to undertake an executive action … which really flies in the face of basic principles of our system of government. One jurisdiction should not b…
date: 2023-09-13T09:17:00+00:00

Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Amendment Bill 2023; Second Reading | Bills | Senate debates
type: item
description: I rise to speak on the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Amendment Bill 2023. This is a piece of legislation which would require the ACT government to hold an inquiry into its own...
encoded: I rise to speak on the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Amendment Bill 2023. This is a piece of legislation which would require the ACT government to hold an inquiry into its own legislation, the Health Infrastructure Enabling Act 2023, which took effect on 3 July. There are a number of reasons why I've chosen to make a contribution to this debate today. Firstly, no doubt like many senators here, I have received a lot of correspondence from members of the public about this issue. At last count, I had received 1,300 emails. Some emails have been from the ACT; however, the vast majority of the contact I've received has been from other parts of Australia. I want to take this opportunity to address the points raised with me through my inbox. Secondly, I think it's important to call out this bill and the committee process that surrounded it for what it is: a political stunt for the Nationals to dog whistle and whip up debates which highlight alleged religious divisions. Similarly, the Greens' choice to support a committee inquiry into a decision taken by their territory government counterparts when their ultimate position is now to oppose the passage of the bill not only made the inquiry a waste of the Senate's time and resources but revealed the Greens' support for what it was: a cheap political stunt designed to cause pain for ACT Labor members in this parliament and the territory legislature.
date: 2023-09-13T09:17:00+00:00

Human Rights: Iran | Matters of Public Importance | Senate debates
type: item
description: The government supports Senator Chandler's matter of public importance motion, based on our ongoing concern for the Iranian regime's widespread disregard for the human rights of its own people....
encoded: The government supports Senator Chandler's matter of public importance motion, based on our ongoing concern for the Iranian regime's widespread disregard for the human rights of its own people. In the year following Mahsa Jina Amini's death there has been widespread media reporting that Iran's morality police have resumed enforcing mandatory hijab laws, despite earlier indications that they had effectively disbanded. This speaks to the very nature of the situation in Iran. The brutal campaign in the Iranian regime is ongoing, is multifaceted and has long oppressed women, minorities and protestors. As such, the Albanese government will continue to use every strategy at our disposal to uphold human rights. We will prepare to adaptively and strategically apply pressure on the Iranian regime. Undoubtedly the arrest, detention and ill treatment of Mahsa Amini fortified Australia's stance with Iranian women and girls in their struggle for equality and power. I would like to acknowledge the cumulative Australian government efforts to consistently and forcefully raise our concerns internationally and directly with Iran. The subsequent February 2023 recommendations from the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee inquiry on human rights implications of recent violence in Iran will be formally responded to in due course. I'm particularly proud of the Labor government's response on these issues to date. The Albanese government has taken stronger action against Iran on human rights than any previous Australian government. Our work is not done, however, and I would like to reflect on our efforts to date. Our condemnation of Iran has set a benchmark for how Australian governments should hold perpetrators to account. In terms of international condemnation, Australia has been at the forefront of efforts to call out Iran, in concert with other nations. We've spearheaded efforts to remove Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women. We co-sponsored the successful Huma…
date: 2023-09-12T16:16:00+00:00

Housing Australia Future Fund | Questions without Notice | Senate debates
type: item
description: Australia's peak housing and homelessness bodies have been steadfast in their support of the Albanese government's housing reforms. Can the minister explain why the sector wants all...
encoded: Australia's peak housing and homelessness bodies have been steadfast in their support of the Albanese government's housing reforms. Can the minister explain why the sector wants all parliamentarians to pass the Housing Australia Future Fund bill?
date: 2023-09-12T14:10:00+00:00

Housing Australia Future Fund | Questions without Notice | Senate debates
type: item
description: I thank you, Minister, for the update. What other measures is the Albanese Labor government taking to ensure Australians, including renters, have a safe and affordable place to call home?
encoded: I thank you, Minister, for the update. What other measures is the Albanese Labor government taking to ensure Australians, including renters, have a safe and affordable place to call home?
date: 2023-09-12T14:09:00+00:00

Housing Australia Future Fund | Questions without Notice | Senate debates
type: item
description: My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Can the minister update the Senate on how the Albanese Labor government is delivering on its promise to build more...
encoded: My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Can the minister update the Senate on how the Albanese Labor government is delivering on its promise to build more homes for Australians through the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund? Can you please confirm the fund will create a secure ongoing pipeline of funding for social and affordable rental housing?
date: 2023-09-12T14:06:00+00:00

g17.1
type: item
title: Housing Australia Future Fund Bill 2023, National Housing Supply and Affordability Council Bill 2023, Treasury Laws Amendment (Housing Measures No. 1) Bill 2023; Second Reading | Bills | Senate debates
description: I rise finally to speak on the Housing Australia Future Fund Bill 2023 and related bills. It's true that there are a range of very serious issues which undermine the provision of housing in...
encoded: I rise finally to speak on the Housing Australia Future Fund Bill 2023 and related bills. It's true that there are a range of very serious issues which undermine the provision of housing in Australia. There is a large demand for increased social and affordable housing in our cities and our regions. The most recent census data counted 123,000 homeless people in 2021 in Australia, a 5.2 per cent increase since 2016. Women over the age of 55 are most at risk of homelessness, and they are the group that makes up the largest proportion of homeless Australians. Often these women have had careers, families and what could be described as stable lives. We see that it takes only a few things going wrong—a relationship breakdown, a financial downturn, illness or something else that life throws at them—and the women in this group have nowhere to go. We have to ask, why is it women in this group who end up in these situations? I believe it is women who end up here because of the precarious nature of women's savings, superannuation and financial position and systems that mean they rely on others for security and safety, which means they end up way more at risk than other groups. Those social and economic factors, and how they contribute to poor gendered outcomes, are things that we need to engage with and think about seriously. Similarly, First Nations Australians continue to struggle with long-term and stable housing. We know this, because we heard in the Closing the gap statement that First Nations people in this country continue to be disproportionately disadvantaged when it comes to accessing secure, appropriate and affordable housing that's aligned with their priorities and their needs. In addition, too many Australians are being hit with growing rents and many others struggle to buy a home, even on fairly decent incomes. This is a reality we cannot accept; Australia is not a country where this sort of housing shortfall should be permitted to happen. The Albanese government …
date: 2023-09-12T13:18:00+00:00

Commonwealth Bilateral Air Service Agreements; Appointment | Committees | Senate debates
type: item
description: It was circulated. It's in the Notice Paper. Keep up! Read it!
encoded: It was circulated. It's in the Notice Paper. Keep up! Read it!
date: 2023-09-07T15:21:00+00:00