House debates

Thursday, 21 February 2008

  • Rudd Government (0 speeches)
  • Horse Disease Response Levy Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • First Reading (0 speeches)
      Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Mr Burke. Bill read a first time.
    • Second Reading (1 speech)
      I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The Horse Disease Response Levy Bill 2008 will help the horse industry fund its obligations under the provisions of the Emergency Animal Disease...
  • Horse Disease Response Levy Collection Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • First Reading (0 speeches)
      Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Mr Burke. Bill read a first time.
    • Second Reading (1 speech)
      I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The Horse Disease Response Levy Collection Bill 2008 provides for arrangements to collect and administer the horse disease response levy imposed...
  • Horse Disease Response Levy (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • First Reading (0 speeches)
      Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Mr Burke. Bill read a first time.
    • Second Reading (1 speech)
      I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The Horse Disease Response Levy (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2008 amends the Australian Animal Health Council (Live-stock Industries) Funding...
  • Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (Emergency Response Consolidation) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • First Reading (0 speeches)
      Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Ms Plibersek. Bill read a first time.
    • Second Reading (1 speech)
      I move: That this bill be now read a second time. This bill introduces amendments to consolidate the special measures protecting Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory, which were enacted...
  • Infrastructure Australia Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • First Reading (0 speeches)
      Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Mr Albanese. Bill read a first time.
    • Second Reading (1 speech)
      I move: That this bill be now read a second time. Lifting investment in new physical infrastructure while at the same time making better use of the nation’s existing infrastructure is a key...
  • Tradex Scheme Amendment Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • First Reading (0 speeches)
      Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Dr Emerson. Bill read a first time.
    • Second Reading (1 speech)
      I move: That this bill be now read a second time. This bill will decouple the Tradex Scheme from the requirements of the customs drawback provisions and will simplify the administration of the...
  • Governor-General’S Speech (0 speeches)
    • Address-in-Reply (6 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 20 February, on motion by Mr Hale: That the Address be agreed to.
  • Tax Laws Amendment (2008 Measures No. 1) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (15 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 20 February, on motion by Mr Bowen: 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.
  • Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Amendment (2008 Measures No. 1) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (7 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 14 February, on motion by Ms Gillard: That this bill be now read a second time.
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Economy (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to reports that 50 Victorians every week are being hit by repossession notices because they cannot pay their mortgages....
    • Climate Change (17 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister outline the threat that climate change poses to Australia’s future and what the government is doing in response?
    • Economy (5 speeches)
      My question is addressed to the Treasurer. I refer to the Treasurer’s warm endorsement of state governments’ financial management generally and their business enterprises in...
    • Climate Change (10 speeches)
      My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer outline for the House the reasons it is in Australia’s national economic interest for us to tackle climate change?
    • Superannuation (2 speeches)
      My question is addressed to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer rule out making any changes to the taxation treatment of superannuation, as Labor promised prior to the last election?
    • Climate Change (7 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. Will the minister inform the House about actions the government is taking to help Australian schools tackle climate change?
    • Murray-Darling River System (5 speeches)
      My question is also to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. Will the minister guarantee that no funds from the National Water Initiative will be diverted to a pipeline taking...
    • Australia-United States Alliance (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Will the minister advise the House of the strength of Australia’s alliance with the United States?
    • Hospitals (21 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing: given the Prime Minister’s so-called commitment to greater transparency and accountability, will the minister release the full...
    • Economy (18 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Education, for Employment and Workplace Relations and for Social Inclusion. Will the Deputy Prime Minister inform the House of the steps the government is...
    • Vocational Education and Training (2 speeches)
      My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that the government’s 2007 training policy, Skilling Australia for the Future, stated specifically on...
    • Regional Partnerships Program (5 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. Will the minister update the House on the government’s commitments to regional...
    • Mr Brian Burke (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to his answer yesterday in relation to the release of emails between himself and Julian Grill concerning his relationship with...
    • Economy (11 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Finance and Deregulation. Will the minister explain why it is necessary for government spending to be reduced? What steps is the government taking to ensure...
    • Australian Labor Party (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister provide all details to the House on relationships between the Prime Minister, ministers and parliamentary secretaries and the person...
    • Fuel Prices (5 speeches)
      I have a question for the Assistant Treasurer. I ask: will the minister outline to the House the impact that high world oil prices are having on working families and what measures the government...
    • Australian Labor Party (3 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Again, will the Prime Minister provide all details to the House on the relationship between the Prime Minister, his ministers—including the Minister...
    • Indigenous Affairs (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister inform the House what steps the government is taking to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians?
    • Housing Affordability (15 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Housing, and it concerns the recently announced First Home Saver account. Can the minister explain to the House why a person earning $180,000 a year is entitled...
    • Aged Care (13 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Ageing. I ask the minister: what is the latest information on police checks for people who are working in nursing homes?
    • New South Wales and Queensland Floods (3 speeches)
      My question is to the Attorney-General. Will the Attorney-General update the House on the measures that the government is taking to assist victims of the Queensland and New South Wales floods in...
  • Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
  • Questions to the Speaker (0 speeches)
    • Parliamentary Committees (2 speeches)
      Mr Speaker, I believe you share the appreciation of many members of this House for the work of parliamentary committees. The Notice Paper lists government members for these committees but not...
    • Days and Hours of Meeting (2 speeches)
      Mr Speaker, given that tomorrow is a parliamentary sitting day, has the Prime Minister sought leave of the House for his absence?
    • Speaker’s Ruling (2 speeches)
      In reference to the member for Flinders, earlier in question time, I would like you to check the tape of the proceedings, because we were confused as to your instruction. It seemed to me that you...
  • Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
    • (53 speeches)
      Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
  • Questions to the Speaker (0 speeches)
    • Private Emails (2 speeches)
      Mr Speaker, I seek your indulgence to ask you a question, because a matter has just come to my notice which I believe requires your investigation. While the last procedures have been going on, I...
  • Auditor-General’S Reports (0 speeches)
    • Report No. 23 of 2007-08 (1 speech)
      I present the Auditor-General’s Audit report No. 23 of 2007-08 entitled Performance audit: the management of cost recovery by selected regulators. Ordered that the report be made a...
  • Documents (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      Documents are presented as listed in the schedule circulated to honourable members. Details of the documents will be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings and I move: That the House take note of...
  • Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
    • Review of Export Policies and Programs (2 speeches)
      by leave—I remind the House that during the election campaign Labor made a commitment that if elected to govern we would undertake a comprehensive review of all existing trade policies and...
  • Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
    • Government Accountability (15 speeches)
      Mr Speaker has received a letter from the honourable member for Mackellar proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely: The...
  • Questions to the Speaker (0 speeches)
    • Private Emails (1 speech)
      Before I call the first speaker in the adjournment debate, I can now advise the House that, in relation to the matter raised by the member for Herbert at the end of question time, following...
  • Adjournment (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      Order! It being 4.30 pm, I propose the question: That the House do now adjourn.
    • Days and Hours of Meeting (8 speeches)
      As the clocks remind us, it is 4.30 pm on Thursday of a sitting week. At 4.30 pm the adjournment is called on for the purpose of the House being vacated, in past times, at 5 pm. That was to allow...
    • Central Coast Mariners (2 speeches)
      I rise to speak in the adjournment debate and to do something that really does give me a great deal of pleasure, and that is to congratulate the Central Coast Mariners on their success as minor...
  • Notices (0 speeches)
    • (2 speeches)
      The following notices were given:
  • Statements by Members (0 speeches)
    • Sturt Electorate: Glenside Hospital (5 speeches)
      It gives me pleasure to rise in the Main Committee today to raise an issue of great importance in my electorate, which is the changes to the Glenside Hospital. The state government has decided to...
    • Sustainable Living Challenge (1 speech)
      I rise to inform the House that students from Catherine McAuley in Westmead have been named ‘Sustainable Living Champions’ for their environmental work at their school. The...
    • Economy (9 speeches)
      I have been noticing of late that the Labor government are attempting to rewrite history. We have a situation where we have an economy that is basically the best in Australian history, and what...
    • Climate Change (3 speeches)
      There is no doubt that climate change is one of the biggest challenges we as a nation face. We are told by the experts that as the earth’s average temperature rises we will see some more...
    • Parliamentarians’ Entitlements (8 speeches)
      I call the honourable member for Slipper.
    • Lunar New Year (1 speech)
      Today I wish all Australians who have recently celebrated the lunar new year a happy and prosperous Year of the Rat. On 9 February I celebrated the Tet festival with the Vietnamese community at...
    • Climate Change (1 speech)
      I rise to speak on the release of the interim report of the review by Professor Garnaut on climate change. My position, and the position of the opposition, is very clear: we welcome this review,...
    • Dental Health; Aged Care (1 speech)
      Two issues have been of great concern to me over a long period of time. One is the shortage of aged-care beds and the other is the number of people on dental waiting lists. I thought I would...
    • Hervey Bay (1 speech)
      It is proper in times of restraint that governments should look carefully at various sectors of the budget, but that should be done with equanimity not with biased selectivity. It is bad enough...
    • New South Wales Health (8 speeches)
      Today I would like to refer to comments that were made only recently by the member for Macarthur, the shadow minister for sport and ‘Mayor of Mosman’.
  • Therapeutic Goods Amendment (Poisons Standard) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (0 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 14 February, on motion by Ms Roxon: That this bill be now read a second time. Question agreed to. Bill read a second time.
    • Consideration in Detail (3 speeches)
      Bill—by leave—taken as a whole.
  • Trade Practices Amendment (Access Declarations) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (19 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 13 February, on motion by Mr Albanese: That this bill be now read a second time.
  • Condolences (0 speeches)
  • Adjournment (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I move: That the Main Committee do now adjourn.
    • Cowan Electorate: Education (1 speech)
      Today I would like to inform this place of yet another attack on the good education within my electorate of Cowan. Specifically, I would like to speak on the circumstances of the Allenswood...
    • Mersey Police and Community Youth Club (1 speech)
      Madam Deputy Speaker Burke, congratulations on your appointment. Congratulations to all new members in this chamber and to returning members; it is nice to see you again. I would very much like...
    • Fadden Electorate: Schools (1 speech)
      It is nice to be able to stay in the House to speak this afternoon. I rise to commend the new student leaders of the northern Gold Coast schools within the electorate of Fadden. It is no small...
    • Workplace Relations (1 speech)
      Madam Deputy Speaker Burke, I am not looking for brownie points but I do take this opportunity to congratulate you on your elevation to such high office. Today I would like to bring to the...
    • Mr Don Aldous (1 speech)
      I would like to pay tribute today to the many years of sterling service given by the now resigned Mayor of the City of Caloundra, Councillor Don Aldous. We will have an amalgamation of the three...
    • Workplace Relations (1 speech)
      I rise today to speak on the most important issue as far as the people of Blair are concerned. Wherever I was campaigning, whether it was in Boonah, Booval, Withcott, West Ipswich, Karalee or...
    • Alcohol Abuse (1 speech)
      I will take this opportunity to raise an issue that is particularly important to my electorate, and that is the antisocial behaviour attached to binge and extreme drinking, particularly by young...