House debates

Monday, 27 March 2006

  • Welcome to Senators (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I invite members and senators to take their seats. On behalf of the House I welcome, as guests, the President of the Senate and honourable senators to this sitting of the House of Representatives...
  • Address by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (0 speeches)
    • (8 speeches)
      The Rt Hon. Tony Blair having been announced and escorted into the chamber—
  • Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I inform the House that the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs will be absent from question time today. He is attending the Australian War Memorial with the British Prime Minister. The Minister...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Workplace Relations (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, isn’t it the case that from today, the first day of the government’s war on workers, nearly four million Australian employees...
    • Economy (2 speeches)
      My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. Would the Prime Minister inform the House how the government is delivering on its promise to the Australian people at the last election to keep the...
    • Workplace Relations (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to the launch of the coalition’s industrial relations election policy in September 2004 when, in response to a question...
    • Indonesia: Relations with Australia (2 speeches)
      My question is addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Would the minister update the House on the state of relations with Indonesia?
    • Workplace Relations (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to comments on 16 March by the President of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission, Justice Geoffrey Giudice, that the creation of the Fair...
    • Economy: Private Sector (2 speeches)
      My question is addressed to the Treasurer. Would the Treasurer outline recent data on Australian private sector wealth? How has the government contributed to this improvement and what more needs...
    • Workplace Relations (2 speeches)
      My question is again to the Prime Minister. Isn’t it the case that the legislation and regulations which take effect from today consist of 1,252 pages of legislation and explanatory...
    • Trade (2 speeches)
      My question is directed to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade. Would the Deputy Prime Minister outline to the House how global trade liberalisation will help Australian exporters...
    • Oil for Food Program (3 speeches)
      My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade. I refer to the statement by Mr Warren Truss, a cabinet minister, a former Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and...
    • Cyclone Larry (2 speeches)
      My question is addressed to the Attorney-General. Would the Attorney-General update the House on the government’s role in the recovery effort in North Queensland following the severe...
    • Oil for Food Program (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Has the Prime Minister seen comments by respected defence analyst Neil James, who wrote in the latest edition of Defender, the journal of the Australian...
    • Human Rights (2 speeches)
      My question is addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Would the minister inform the House of the latest developments in the case against an Afghan man accused of converting to Christianity?
    • Oil for Food Program (12 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. I refer to his meeting with Paul Volcker in September 2005 and to reports today in which a Volcker inquiry official who participated in that...
    • Workplace Relations (4 speeches)
      My question is addressed to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. Would the minister inform the House of the safeguards built into the government’s workplace relations...
    • Oil for Food Program (13 speeches)
      My question is again to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. I refer to the minister’s statement last week regarding the many warnings the government received on the $300 million ‘wheat...
    • Cyclone Larry (4 speeches)
      My question is addressed to the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Would the minister advise the House of assistance being provided to residents of North Queensland...
    • Oil for Food Program (4 speeches)
      My question is again to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and I refer to evidence presented today in the Cole inquiry. Is it a fact that the Minister for Foreign Affairs, in a meeting with Mr...
    • National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre (2 speeches)
      My question is addressed to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Would the minister inform the House of how Darwin’s new National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre will better prepare...
    • Oil for Food Program (9 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and follows the question he was just asked and his evasion of the implications in that question. Will the foreign minister accept any...
  • Minister for Foreign Affairs (0 speeches)
    • Censure Motion (21 speeches)
      I seek leave to move the following motion: That this House censure the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Government for its gross hypocrisy in sending Australian armed forces to Iraq while...
  • Petitions (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      The Clerk: Petitions have been lodged for presentation as follows and copies will be referred to the appropriate ministers:
  • Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
    • (5 speeches)
      Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
  • Airport Development and Aviation Noise Ombudsman Bill 2006 (0 speeches)
  • Artist’S Resale Rights Bill 2006 (0 speeches)
  • Protection of the Australian National Flag (Desecration of the Flag) Bill 2006 (0 speeches)
    • First Reading (2 speeches)
      Bill presented by Mrs Bronwyn Bishop.
  • Private Members’ Business (0 speeches)
    • Disabled Care and Accommodation (9 speeches)
      I move: That this House:(1)note that:(a)ageing parents and carers of disabled children face a crisis of lack of accommodation options for disabled children;(b)any ageing parents and carers of...
    • Farmers (10 speeches)
      I move: That this House:(1)congratulates the farmers of Tasmania on their bid to bring the plight of all farmers to the attention of the community and the Premier of Tasmania for supporting...
    • Indonesia (11 speeches)
      I move: That this House:(1)expresses its deep sorrow and its condolences to the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and to the families who have been directly affected by the killings of the...
    • Australian Defence Medal (9 speeches)
      by leave—On behalf of the member for Kennedy, I move: That this House resolves to accept the principle that the primary qualifying criteria for the Australian Defence Medal specify two...
  • Grievance Debate (0 speeches)
    • (0 speeches)
      Question proposed: That grievances be noted. Question agreed to.
  • Main Committee (0 speeches)
    • (2 speeches)
      I advise the House that the Deputy Speaker has fixed Tuesday, 28 March, at 4 pm, as the time for the next meeting of the Main Committee, unless an alternative day or hour is fixed.
  • Bankruptcy Legislation Amendment (Fees and Charges) Bill 2006 (0 speeches)
    • Referred to Main Committee (1 speech)
      I move: That the bill be referred to the Main Committee for consideration. Question agreed to.
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Procedure Committee; Report (3 speeches)
      On behalf of the Standing Committee on Procedure, I present the committee’s report entitled Maintenance of the standing and sessional orders: first report, subtitled ‘Debate on the...
  • Anglo-Australian Telescope Agreement Amendment Bill 2006; Therapeutic Goods Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2006; Defence Legislation Amendment (Aid to Civilian Authorities) Bill 2006; Defence (Road Transport Legislation Exemption) Bill 2006; Therapeutic Goods Amendment (Repeal of Ministerial Responsibility for Approval of Ru486) Bill 2005; Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority Bill 2006; Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2006 (0 speeches)
    • Assent (0 speeches)
      Message from the Governor-General reported informing the House of assent to the bills.
  • Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority Bill 2006; Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2006 (0 speeches)
    • Returned from the Senate (0 speeches)
      Message received from the Senate returning the bills without amendment or request.
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Parliamentary Library Committee; Membership (0 speeches)
      Message received from the Senate informing the House that Senators Brandis, Nash and Trood have been appointed members of the Joint Standing Committee on the Parliamentary Library.
  • Jurisdiction of Courts (Family Law) Bill 2005 (0 speeches)
    • First Reading (0 speeches)
      Bill received from the Senate, and read a first time. Ordered that the second reading be made an order of the day for the next sitting.
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Parliamentary Library Committee; Membership (2 speeches)
      Mr Speaker has received advice from the Chief Opposition Whip nominating members to be members of the Joint Standing Committee on the Parliamentary Library.
  • Health Legislation Amendment (Pharmacy Location Arrangements) Bill 2006 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (12 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 16 February, on motion by Mr Abbott: That this bill be now read a second time.
  • Adjournment (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      Order! It being approximately 9 pm, I propose the question: That the House do now adjourn.
    • Maroubra Beach: National Surfing Reserve (1 speech)
      I rise to draw to the attention of the House a special ceremony that was held on 19 March this year, which was the dedication of Maroubra as a National Surfing Reserve. This dedication followed...
    • Cancer (1 speech)
      In Australia cancer affects one in three men and one in four women before the age of 75. Given those odds, 47 members of this House will suffer from cancer before their 75th birthday. If you look...
    • Australian Republic (1 speech)
      I was struck by a few of the things that Tony Blair had to say during his address to the parliament today. I was particularly interested when he spoke of a speech he once wrote about Britain...
    • Stone Fruit Industry (1 speech)
      On Friday last week, I met with some stone fruit growers from a beautiful little rural community called Thirlmere, which is situated in the northern part of my electorate; a number of fruit...
    • Herceptin (1 speech)
      According to aSun Herald report published on 26 March 2006 entitled ‘Cancer expert demands new wonder drug for all’, the head of Australia’s largest breast cancer treatment...
    • Cannabis (1 speech)
      I rise tonight to place on record my strong personal support for the ongoing efforts of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing, the honourable member for Sturt, in...
  • Request for Detailed Information (0 speeches)
    • Parliament House: Great Hall (1 speech)
      asked the Speaker.(1)Was any payment made by the Liberal Party of Australia for use of the Great Hall of Parliament House for the 10th anniversary fund-raising dinner on 1 March 2006; if so, (a)...
  • Notices (0 speeches)
    • (4 speeches)
      The following notices were given: