House debates

Thursday, 5 June 2008

  • Assistant Treasurer (0 speeches)
    • Suspension of Standing and Sessional Orders (5 speeches)
      I seek leave to move: That the Assistant Treasurer be:(1)required to appear before the House at the first available opportunity and explain his misleading of the House by claiming...
  • Parliamentary Staff (0 speeches)
    • (5 speeches)
      Mr Speaker, on indulgence, can I take this opportunity to thank the staff of the chamber and also the Comcar drivers and a range of others for being here beyond the scheduled hours of the...
  • Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (2008 Budget and Other Measures) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (39 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 29 May, on motion by Ms Macklin: That this bill be now read a second time.
    • Consideration in Detail (4 speeches)
      Bill—by leave—taken as a whole.
    • 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.
  • National Health Amendment (Pharmaceutical and Other Benefits — Cost Recovery) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (5 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 29 May, on motion by Ms Macklin: 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.
  • National Health Amendment (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (3 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 29 May, on motion by Ms Roxon: 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.
  • Business (0 speeches)
    • Rearrangement (1 speech)
      I move: That orders of the day Nos 4 and 5, government business, be postponed until a later hour this day. Question agreed to.
  • Indigenous Affairs Legislation Amendment Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (3 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 29 May, on motion by Ms Macklin: 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.
  • Tax Laws Amendment (2008 Measures No. 3) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (8 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 29 May, on motion by Mr Bowen: That this bill be now read a second time.
    • Consideration in Detail (1 speech)
      Bill—by leave—taken as a whole.
    • 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.
  • National Fuelwatch (Empowering Consumers) Bill 2008; National Fuelwatch (Empowering Consumers) (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (3 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 2 June, on motion by Mr Bowen: That this bill be now read a second time.
  • Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
    • World Environment Day (3 speeches)
      by leave—Today is World Environment Day. It is an important time for us all to recognise that our future economic prosperity is intimately linked with the ongoing health of our environment....
  • Business (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      Mr Speaker, on your indulgence, I would like to update the House. For the benefit of members on both sides of the House and parliamentary and political staff, it is the intention of the...
  • Governor-General’S Speech (0 speeches)
    • Address-in-Reply (1 speech)
      I have ascertained that His Excellency the Governor-General will be pleased to receive the address-in-reply, at Government House, on Tuesday, 17 June 2008 at 5 pm. The sitting will be suspended...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Renewable Energy (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. I refer the minister to his visit with the now Prime Minister last year to Solartec Renewables Pty Ltd owned by Phil May...
    • Asia-Pacific Region (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister inform the House about any new thinking on developing stronger links throughout the Asia-Pacific region?
    • Renewable Energy (10 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. I refer the minister to comments made by Scott Humphreys, renewable energy consultant at Eco-Kinetics, who states:...
    • Budget (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister outline the importance of maintaining a strong budget surplus to place downward pressure on inflation and interest rates? What are...
    • Renewable Energy (9 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. I refer the minister to comments made by Mr Dean Mighell, State Secretary of the ETU, in a letter addressed to me and...
    • Budget (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Finance and Deregulation. Will the minister outline to the House the need for a strong budget surplus to put downward pressure on inflation and interest rates...
    • Renewable Energy (11 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. I refer the minister to comments he made on ABC radio on 19 May 2008, where he stated in regard to the solar rebate: I...
    • Budget (7 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Education, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for Social Inclusion. Will the minister outline to the House the need for a strong...
    • Fuel Prices (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs. I refer the minister to his remarks yesterday in the House where he said that the Office of...
    • Budget (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Will the minister outline to the House the need for a strong budget surplus to put downward...
    • Fuel Prices (7 speeches)
      My question is addressed to the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs. I refer to the Fuelwatch regulatory impact statement and advice from Treasury...
    • Budget (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Will the minister outline to the House the need for a strong budget surplus to put downward pressure on inflation and interest rates and what...
    • Fuel Prices (2 speeches)
      My question is addressed to the Assistant Treasurer. On page 10, paragraph 71, of the regulatory impact statement relating to Fuelwatch, the Treasury lists seven elements of compliance costs...
    • Budget (2 speeches)
      My question is addressed to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. Will the minister outline to the House the benefits for the economy and...
    • Drought (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Is the minister aware that exceptional circumstances drought support for farmers in 17 regions in Queensland and New South...
    • World Environment Day (17 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. How is the government helping households to kick the carbon habit, the theme for the 2008 World Environment Day?
    • Small Business (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to the census business index which shows small business confidence in the policies of the federal government has fallen a massive...
    • Soccer World Cup (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Youth and Minister for Sport. Will the Minister provide an update for Australia’s bid to secure the World Cup in 2018.
    • Workplace Relations (14 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. I refer the minister to her approval of a $4 million grant to the homeworkers committee for the textile, footwear and...
    • Climate Change (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, on this World Environment Day, what measures are the Australian government taking to engage with the global community on climate change?
  • Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
    • (10 speeches)
      Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
  • Auditor-General’S Reports (0 speeches)
    • Report No. 39 of 2007-08 (1 speech)
      I present the Auditor-General’s Audit report No. 39 of 2007-2008 entitled Managing e-business applications—Follow-up audit: Department of Education, Employment and Workplace...
  • 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.
  • Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
    • Renewable Energy (12 speeches)
      I have received a letter from the honourable member for Flinders proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely: The dramatic collapse in...
  • Leave of Absence (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I move: That leave of absence from 16 June to 25 September 2008 be given to Mrs Mirabella for maternity purposes. I am sure that all members of the House wish her a wonderful pregnancy and a...
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Publications Committee; Report (1 speech)
      I present the report from the Publications Committee. Copies of the report are being placed on the table. Report—by leave—agreed to.
  • National Fuelwatch (Empowering Consumers) Bill 2008; National Fuelwatch (Empowering Consumers) (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (12 speeches)
      Debate resumed.
    • Third Reading (1 speech)
      by leave—I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question put.
  • National Fuelwatch (Empowering Consumers) (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (0 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 29 May, on motion by Mr Bowen: That this bill be now read a second time. Question put.
    • Third Reading (1 speech)
      by leave—I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question put.
  • Notices (0 speeches)
    • (5 speeches)
      The following notices were given:
  • Statements by Members (0 speeches)
    • Franchises (1 speech)
      Previously I brought to the attention of this parliament an issue regarding a Michel’s Patisserie franchise in my electorate of Swan. Today I wish to provide parliament with an update on...
    • Queensland Day; Forde Electorate; Mr Colin Nelson (1 speech)
      Tomorrow marks a very important day in Queensland. I am here to talk a little bit about Queensland because 6 June is Queensland Day. While we all proudly stand up as Australians and recognise the...
    • Budget; McPherson Electorate: Solar Green (1 speech)
      I believe the Rudd government has failed to deliver on its commitment to the environment. Its decision to means-test the solar panel rebate, at $100,000 per household, makes no sense at all. Mr...
    • Franklin Electorate: Kingborough Lions United Soccer Club (1 speech)
      I would like to talk about a soccer club in my electorate that is going to benefit from this year’s federal budget. It is in the Kingborough municipality, which is one of the fastest...
    • Ms Cheryl Bart; Ms Nikki Bart (1 speech)
      On 24 May Cheryl and Nikki Bart, lifelong residents of my electorate of Wentworth, were the first mother and daughter team in the world to climb to the top of Mount Everest—and not just...
    • Deakin Electorate: Blackburn Bowls Club (1 speech)
      I draw the House’s attention to an extremely exciting water-saving project that was launched recently for Blackburn Bowls Club, in my electorate of Deakin. The Blackburn Bowls Club have...
    • Alcopops (1 speech)
      I want to again highlight the ridiculous tax that is being applied to ready-to-drink alcohol and the way that the government has tried to hide it under its concern for health problems. Frankly,...
    • Werriwa Electorate: Rugby League (1 speech)
      Long before the Wests Tigers or even the Western Suburbs Magpies set foot on the field at Campbelltown Sports Stadium, it was known as Orana Park and the home of the Campbelltown City Kangaroos...
    • Fuel Prices (1 speech)
      I rise today to raise my concerns over the Rudd government’s lack of action on fuel prices. The Prime Minister and the Labor Party went to the last election telling people they would do...
    • Education (2 speeches)
      I rise today to reflect on some of the Rudd Labor government’s achievements in the first six months in implementing a number of education policies that underpin Labor’s philosophies....
  • Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2008-2009 (0 speeches)
    • Consideration in Detail (163 speeches, 1 comment)
      In accordance with standing order 149 the committee will first consider the schedule of the bill.
  • Adjournment (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I move: That the Main Committee do now adjourn.
    • Fadden Electorate (1 speech)
      Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and what a pleasure to be in the same chamber once more. I rise this afternoon to request that the government commence planning to put a new Centrelink office and...
    • Mr Vlastik Skvaril (1 speech)
      I would like to talk about a remarkable man from my electorate of Braddon—some would say unique. In fact, he describes himself as ‘crazy’, and I describe him as the veritable...
    • Maranoa Electorate: Wheat Industry (1 speech)
      Today I rise to represent the views of the families and communities in my electorate of Maranoa who have long been part of Australia’s wheat-growing industry. They are disappointed with the...
    • Blaxland Electorate: Cabramatta Public School (1 speech)
      I rise today to speak about some little people in my electorate with big dreams. Two weeks ago I went back to my old primary school, Cabramatta Public, for Return to School Day. I shared the...
    • Australian Defence Force (1 speech)
      Yesterday in Senate estimates the Chief of the Defence Force made it clear that he was intending to extend the length of deployments that Australia currently makes with its overseas forces....
    • Bali Nine (1 speech)
      I regret to inform the House that when I was younger I broke into a school, or at least I attempted to. Hopefully this confession will not generate too much interest from the Queensland Police...