House debates

Monday, 28 May 2007

  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee; Report (3 speeches)
      On behalf of the Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, I present the report of the committee entitled The long road to statehood: report of the inquiry into the federal...
  • Main Committee (0 speeches)
  • Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change (Kyoto Protocol Ratification) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
    • First Reading (2 speeches)
      Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Mr Garrett.
  • Private Members’ Business (0 speeches)
    • Small Business (11 speeches)
      I move: That the House:(1)notes the contribution of small business to regional economies;(2)acknowledges that small, micro businesses employ many people and are worthy of protection against...
    • Removal of Indigenous Children (9 speeches)
      I move: That the House:(1)notes that:(a)26 May marks the tenth anniversary of the Bringing Them Home report, which documented the systematic removal of up to 100,000 indigenous children from...
  • Statements by Members (0 speeches)
    • Club Fogolar Furlan (1 speech)
      I rise this afternoon to congratulate Club Fogolar Furlan of Thornbury, in my electorate of Batman, on its approaching 50th birthday. Melbourne’s Club Fogolar Furlan’s 50 year...
    • Portugese Millipedes (1 speech)
      I wish to talk about millipedes—Portugese millipedes, an introduced species that has been encroaching on our borders since it was first spotted in WA in the 1980s, causing great distress to...
    • Western Suburbs Leagues Club, Campbelltown (1 speech)
      Last Saturday, as the patron for Wests Leagues Club Campbelltown, I had the privilege of attending the ninth annual Wests sports council awards. The presentation was not only a recognition of our...
    • Drought Forum in Warragul (1 speech)
      Last Friday we pulled together farmers and interested people looking at what more we could do after interim EC was declared in the area of south Gippsland and surrounds, particularly the...
    • Gorton Electorate: Medicare Office (1 speech)
      The electorate of Gorton does not have a Medicare office. The population explosion in the west of Melbourne has not been matched with an increase in appropriate Commonwealth public services....
    • Macquarie Electorate: Roads (1 speech)
      Last Friday in Bathurst the Prime Minister announced a commitment of $10 million, conditional on a matching commitment from New South Wales, to commence planning for an expressway standard road...
    • Australian Football League (1 speech)
      The Australian Football League has begun an inquiry in Melbourne to investigate why the Melbourne based teams are not enjoying the success that the interstate terms are. It was against that...
    • McPherson Electorate: Vocational Education (1 speech)
      Last Friday evening I had the pleasure of attending the Burleigh Heads Rotary Workplace Excellence and Community Service Awards at Bond University. These awards have become an annual event that...
    • Keswick and Hampstead Barracks (1 speech)
      I would like to take this opportunity to raise my concerns with a Defence proposal to close a number of barracks in South Australia, including two in my electorate—the Keswick and Hampstead...
    • Water Recycling (3 speeches)
      I rise in favour of the major water recycling project in the Geelong region—the Barwon Water proposal for a water reclamation plant in northern Geelong. I have been supporting this...
  • Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      Mr Speaker, I inform the House that the Minister for Foreign Affairs will be absent from question time today and tomorrow. He will be in New Zealand on official business. The Minister for Trade...
  • Parliamentary Sittings (0 speeches)
    • (6 speeches)
      Mr Speaker, could I have the indulgence of the House to advise the House of some arrangements which impact on the sitting of the parliament in relation to the APEC meeting in September?
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Workplace Relations (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister’s statement on 4 May, in which he said in relation to his changes to Work Choices: The economic circumstances of the firm...
    • Taxation (5 speeches)
      My question is addressed to the Treasurer. Would the Treasurer inform the House of the results of the latest OECD Economic Outlook. What is the importance of taxation policy to ongoing economic...
    • Volunteer Small Equipment Grants (8 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to an Audit Office report into the Volunteer Small Equipment Grants program which found that the department’s grants...
    • Workplace Relations (5 speeches)
      My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. Would the Prime Minister inform the House of the levels of industrial disputation in the building and construction industry? How does this compare...
    • Advertising Campaigns (2 speeches)
      My question again is to the Prime Minister. I refer to his statement in the parliament last Thursday in relation to the proposed taxpayer funded advertising campaign on climate change, when the...
    • Taxation (11 speeches)
      My question is addressed to the Treasurer. Would the Treasurer inform the House how Australian families have benefited by changes to Australia’s tax system over the past decade. Treasurer,...
    • Advertising Campaigns (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. I again refer to the Prime Minister’s statement in the parliament last Thursday that neither he nor the government had decided on any taxpayer funded...
    • Drought (2 speeches)
      My question is addressed to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Regional Services. Would the Deputy Prime Minister outline to the House the importance of public and political...
    • Advertising Campaigns (2 speeches)
      My question again is to the Prime Minister, and it refers to his previous answer, in which he denied that he had approved this taxpayer funded climate change advertising campaign. Did the...
    • Workplace Relations (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. Would the minister inform the House of any changes to the workplace relations system that protects the conditions and...
    • Advertising Campaigns (2 speeches)
      My question again is to the Prime Minister. If the government has not approved a taxpayer funded television advertising campaign, can the Prime Minister confirm that Mr Richard Davies, the senior...
    • Skilled Migration (2 speeches)
      My question is addressed to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship. Would the minister advise the House on how Australian companies are using 457 visas to continue to build their businesses...
    • Advertising Campaigns (2 speeches)
      My question again is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm whether or not the theme of his non-existent taxpayer funded television advertising campaign on climate change is...
    • Medicare (2 speeches)
      My question is addressed to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Would the minister update the House how the Howard government’s Medicare safety net is helping people with the cost of...
    • Advertising Campaigns (8 speeches)
      My question is again to the Prime Minister. I refer to his answer to my previous question where he confirmed that a taxpayer funded television advertising campaign does exist. How, Prime...
    • Older Australians (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. What financial benefits have older Australians gained under the federal government? Are there any threats...
    • Climate Change (35 speeches)
      My question again is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that after a decade of denial on climate change, he has also sought now to deny the existence of his taxpayer funded...
  • Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
    • (21 speeches)
      Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
  • Petitions (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      The Clerk: Petitions have been lodged for presentation as follows and copies will be referred to the appropriate ministers:
  • Private Members’ Business (0 speeches)
    • Road Accidents (31 speeches)
      I move: That the House:(1)recognise the tragic loss of 1,605 lives on our roads in 2006, including 336 in Queensland;(2)recognise that road crashes remain the biggest killer of young Australians...
    • Education and Skills (17 speeches)
      I move: That the House:(1)recognises that the Federal Government needs to invest in education and improving the skills of Australians to ensure that all students have the opportunity to complete...
  • Grievance Debate (0 speeches)
    • (0 speeches)
      Question proposed: That grievances be noted.
    • Child Abuse (3 speeches)
      I grieve tonight for young children in disadvantaged communities around Australia. This is a blight on our society. It is a matter on which I have spoken a number of times since coming into the...
    • Canning Electorate: Education (1 speech)
      Today I wish to raise an issue that is rapidly becoming one of great frustration for parents and schoolchildren in my electorate of Canning—that is, parents getting their young children to...
    • Financial Counselling (1 speech)
      I recently met the Australian Financial Counselling and Credit Reform Association, AFFCRA. Its key objectives are to advocate on behalf of its members and to lobby for reform of credit and...
    • Illicit Drugs (1 speech)
      In February of this year, a young constituent of mine, Ms Annabel Catt, died as a result of taking a drug called PMA at a concert called ‘Good vibrations’. Only a very small number of...
    • Workplace Relations (1 speech)
      I am sure all members would want to note the contribution just made by the member for Mackellar in this grievance debate. I rise on quite a different matter. I rise to speak on the position that...
    • Water (1 speech)
      I rise in this grievance debate on a matter of great concern and importance to the future of the Central Coast—that is, water. Currently we are experiencing the worst drought on record,...
    • Clilmate Change (1 speech)
      I rise in the grievance debate today to draw attention to the federal government’s missed opportunity to support the desire of many individual households to take personal action on climate...
    • Trade Unions (2 speeches)
      The past 11 years have been typified by a replenishment of the role of the individual in our society. Individual liberty has been most definitely at the forefront of the actions of this...
  • Workplace Relations Amendment (a Stronger Safety Net) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
    • First Reading (0 speeches)
      Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Mr Hockey. Bill read a first time.
    • Second Reading (1 speech)
      I move: That this bill be now read a second time. Introduction Today I am introducing the Workplace Relations Amendment (A Stronger Safety Net) Bill 2007. This bill establishes a fairness test to...
  • Business (0 speeches)
    • Days and Hours of Meeting (1 speech)
      I move: That the House, at its rising, adjourn until Tuesday, 29 May 2007, at 12.30 p.m., unless the Speaker or, in the event of the Speaker being unavailable, the Deputy Speaker, fixes an...
  • Main Committee (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      by leave—I move: That unless otherwise ordered, at the resumption of the Main Committee meeting at approximately 4 p.m. on Tuesday, 29 May 2007, the first item of business shall be...
  • Tax Laws Amendment (Small Business) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (23 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 24 May, on motion by Mr Dutton: That this bill be now read a second time. upon which Dr Emerson moved by way of amendment: That all words after “That” be omitted...
  • Forestry Marketing and Research and Development Services Bill 2007; Forestry Marketing and Research and Development Services (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (5 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 10 May, on motion by Mr McGauran: That this bill be now read a second time.
    • Third Reading (1 speech)
      by leave—I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time.
  • Forestry Marketing and Research and Development Services (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (0 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 10 May, on motion by Mr McGauran: That this bill be now read a second time. Question agreed to. Bill read a second time. Message from the Governor-General recommending...
    • Third Reading (1 speech)
      by leave—I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time.
  • Building and Construction Industry Improvement Amendment (Ohs) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (2 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 29 March, on motion by Dr Stone: That this bill be now read a second time.
  • Tax Laws Amendment (Small Business) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
  • Building and Construction Industry Improvement Amendment (Ohs) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
  • Adjournment (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      Order! It being 9.00 pm, I propose the question: That the House do now adjourn.
    • Indigenous Affairs (1 speech)
      As you are aware, yesterday was the 40th anniversary of the referendum conducted on 27 May 1967. Yesterday I was also honoured to be asked to be the keynote speaker at a gathering organised by...
    • Australian Wheat Board (1 speech)
      I rise to comment on a matter of concern to my constituents in the grain industry. Silo Bags is an innovative and successful technology which is revolutionising the way that grain is handled,...
    • Indigenous Affairs (1 speech)
      As I was indicating, it is also the 10th anniversary of the Bringing them home report into the stolen generations. As a nation, we should acknowledge the deep personal grief inflicted on the...
    • Volunteering (1 speech)
      On 15 May in my electorate of Hasluck I assisted the Cancer Council to raise money for cancer research by hosting one of Australia’s Biggest Morning Teas. I also took this opportunity to...
    • Broadband (1 speech)
      I want to talk about one of the most frustrating issues which probably happens not just in my electorate of Oxley but right across the country. There are many issues that affect ordinary people...
    • Wakefield Electorate: Service Clubs (1 speech)
      I rise to draw the attention of the House to the running this month of the Annual Combined Service Clubs’ Dinner in Gawler. The reason I bring this to the attention of the House is that so...
    • Road Fatalities; Anniversary of the Battle of Piave (1 speech)
      I would first like to acknowledge the cooperation of the member for Casey in facilitating the adjournment debate this evening. Tonight I seek to address an issue of critical importance to all...
  • Committees (0 speeches)
  • Business (0 speeches)
    • Rearrangement (3 speeches)
      I move: That business intervening before order of the day No. 1, committee and delegation reports, be postponed until a later hour this day.
  • Committees (0 speeches)
  • Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2007-2008 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (24 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 24 May, on motion by Mr Costello: That this bill be now read a second time. upon which Mr Tanner moved by way of amendment: That all words after “That” be omitted...