House debates

Tuesday, 2 December 2008

  • Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I inform the House that the Minister for Trade will be absent from question time today. The Minister for Resources and Energy will answer questions in relation to trade and the Minister for...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Interest Rates (2 speeches)
      My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. Given that Australia’s banks now benefit from the Australian taxpayer backed wholesale funding and deposit guarantees, when will the Prime...
    • Economy (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister outline why decisive and early action is needed to respond to the global financial crisis?
  • Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
    • (2 speeches)
      I note that we have in the galleries today, as we had in the galleries yesterday—and I am sure during the week we will have more—visitors from teams competing in the Pacific School...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Interest Rates (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to his misguided and mistaken message to Australian borrowers earlier this year that the inflation monster was out of control in...
    • Schools (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Education. Will the minister please update the House in relation to its transparency and accountability reforms for Australian schools?
    • Interest Rates (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. I refer the minister to comments he made at his 17 October summit with banks and farming organisations. He said: … I...
    • Disability Services (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Given that tomorrow is International Day of People with Disability, will the minister update the...
    • Broadband (8 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government representing the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy. Minister,...
    • Interest Rates (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer inform the House of the decision taken by the Reserve Bank board today?
    • Health Funding (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Will the minister outline to the House the importance of the preventative health reforms agreed to by COAG at the weekend?
    • Hospitals (15 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. On 22 October this year, the Prime Minister’s website, under the heading ‘Fixing our hospitals’, said: … if significant progress...
    • Housing Affordability and Homelessness (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Housing and Minister for the Status of Women. What will be the impact of the recent Council of Australian Governments meeting in the areas of housing and...
    • Soil Carbon Research (2 speeches)
      My question is addressed to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and relates to the possible closure by the New South Wales government of the Glen Innes Agricultural Research and...
    • Workplace Relations (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Education, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for Social Inclusion. Does the Fair Work Bill implement Labor’s policy Forward...
    • Schools: Computers (11 speeches)
      My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister. I refer the Deputy Prime Minister to media reports that the bungled computers in schools program could blow out even further, because the lowest...
    • Aviation (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. What steps is the government taking to secure the long-term future of Australia’s...
    • Workplace Relations (10 speeches)
      Mr Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. I refer the minister to her statement just now that her right of entry laws are basically going back to what...
    • Identity Crime (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Home Affairs. Will the minister inform the House about the government’s latest reforms to protect against identity crime?
    • Local Government (8 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Is the Prime Minister aware of a review earlier this year of New South Wales local government investments which revealed that almost $600 million was...
    • Murray-Darling River System (17 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Water. Can the minister update the House on progress on...
  • Wonthaggi Region Desalination Plant (0 speeches)
    • (4 speeches)
      Mr speaker, on indulgence: after meeting with the Prime Minister with regard to the desalination plant at Wonthaggi, I rise to thank the Prime Minister for his personal intervention to allow the...
  • Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
    • (12 speeches)
      Mr Speaker, had I known the member for O’Connor was going to be so humorous I would have happily deferred to him. However, I wish to make a personal explanation.
  • Condolences (0 speeches)
    • Mr Dennis Rose AM, QC (2 speeches)
      Mr Speaker, on indulgence: I wish to make a couple of brief remarks on the death of Dennis Rose, a former chief general counsel of the Commonwealth. I understand that the member for Berowra will...
  • Auditor-General’S Reports (0 speeches)
    • Report No. 10 of 2008-09 (1 speech)
      I present the Auditor-General’s Audit report No. 10 of 2008-09 entitled Administration of the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Post-2005 (SIP) Scheme: Department of Innovation, Industry,...
  • 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.
  • Business (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      On indulgence: for the information of members, following consultation with the Manager of Opposition Business, it is our intention that the House sit until 11 pm this evening, with the...
  • Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
    • Disability Services (2 speeches)
      by leave—I present copies of the draft Disability (Access to Premises—Buildings) Standards 2009, the Disability (Access to Premises—Buildings) Standards Guidelines 2009, The...
  • Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
    • Hospitals (29 speeches)
      Mr Speaker has received a letter from the honourable member for Dickson proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely: The...
  • Universal Declaration of Human Rights (0 speeches)
    • (2 speeches)
      I move: That the House:(1)notes that 10 December 2008 is the sixtieth anniversary of the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;(2)recalls...
  • Main Committee (0 speeches)
    • Universal Declaration of Human Rights; Reference (1 speech)
      by leave—I move: That the resumption of debate on the Prime Minister’s motion relating to the sixtieth anniversary of the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the...
  • Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Economic Security Strategy) Bill 2008; Appropriation (Economic Security Strategy) Bill (No. 1) 2008-2009; Appropriation (Economic Security Strategy) Bill (No. 2) 2008-2009 (0 speeches)
    • Assent (0 speeches)
      Messages from the Governor-General reported informing the House of assent to the bills.
  • Tax Laws Amendment (2008 Measures No. 5) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • Returned from the Senate (0 speeches)
      Message received from the Senate returning the bill without amendment or request.
  • Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (Further 2008 Budget and Other Measures) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • Consideration of Senate Message (2 speeches)
      Bill returned from the Senate with amendments. Ordered that the amendments be considered immediately. Senate’s amendments— (1)    Clause 2, page 2 (table item 6), omit...
  • Fair Work Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (42 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 1 December, on motion by Ms Gillard: That this bill be now read a second time.
  • Adjournment (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I move: That the House do now adjourn.
    • Swan Electorate: Swan and Canning Rivers (1 speech)
      The Western Australian Minister for the Environment, the Hon. Donna Faragher MLC, recently announced more than $1 million for 14 local projects to improve the Swan and Canning River foreshores. I...
    • Death Penalty (1 speech)
      I again rise in this House to reiterate my opposition to the death penalty not only in Australia but around the world. Some years ago I had a parliamentary brief prepared by the Parliamentary...
    • Asylum Seekers (3 speeches)
      Tonight I rise to speak on the matter of border protection, which I know is a very important issue in Western Australia, particularly these days. I will begin by quoting the former Prime Minister...
    • Moreton Electorate: Chinese New Year (1 speech)
      This is the last week the Parliament of Australia will sit before February next year, so I wanted to take this opportunity to honour Australia’s Chinese community and wish them a happy...
    • Swan Electorate: Thank a Volunteer Day (1 speech)
      Last Sunday I attended the Thank a Volunteer Day breakfast organised by the City of South Perth in my electorate of Swan. Credit must go to the CEO, Cliff Frewing, and his staff for organising...
    • Braddon Electorate: Forestry and Roads (1 speech)
      At this very late hour, Mr Speaker, the story I am about to tell you should have been on the front page of every Tasmanian newspaper last Saturday. It was a good news story for the forest...
  • Notices (0 speeches)
    • (9 speeches)
      The following notices were given:
  • Constituency Statements (0 speeches)
    • Petition: Disability Services (1 speech)
      Today I present a petition on behalf of the Woodstock Parent Action Group, handed to me on 17 November 2008 in Albury. I would very much like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to this group...
    • Corio Electorate: Awards (1 speech)
      In his 1961 inaugural address at a time of great upheaval across not only America but the world, the United States President John F Kennedy challenged his fellow countrymen and women to ask...
    • Dunkley Electorate: Autism Centre (1 speech)
      A delicious opportunity exists to establish an integrated, one-stop peninsula autism centre. It would be a nationally significant initiative, servicing the greater Frankston-Mornington Peninsula...
    • Mr Ernest James King (1 speech)
      In the Australian parliament, I pay tribute to a long-serving and hardworking member of the community of Logan City, Mr Ernest James King, known to us as ‘Jimmy’. Jimmy King passed...
    • Ryan Electorate: Kenmore-Moggill RSL Sub-Branch; Ryan Electorate: Jindalee Golf Club (1 speech)
      In the last sitting week of the federal parliament for 2008, I want to extend my thanks to two local organisations in the Ryan electorate that very kindly invited me to their annual Christmas...
    • Mr Kevin Maher (1 speech)
      My friend Kevin Maher recently announced that after 25 years he had decided to pull up stumps in his role as Secretary of the Newcastle and Northern Branch of the Australian Workers Union, a role...
    • Calare Electorate: Multiple Sslerosis Society (1 speech)
      In my electorate there is a man who hopes to donate $100,000 to the MS Society. MS is a horrendous neurological disorder for which there is no cure. Later this month Tony and his wife, Selena,...
    • Petition: Political Asylum (1 speech)
      I present two petitions that have been approved by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Petitions. The petitions concern an issue on which a number of petitions have already been...
    • Dickson Electorate: F1inSchools (1 speech)
      I would like to take this opportunity today to recognise a group of up-and-coming young innovators from my Dickson electorate for their outstanding achievement. The group from Pine River State...
    • Eden-Monaro Electorate: Ms Ame Barnbrook (2 speeches)
      In my electorate of Eden-Monaro there are many remarkable people, but none more so than Ame Barnbrook. She is a young lady who is a finalist for the National Disability Awards, which are taking...
  • Condolences (0 speeches)
    • Lieutenant Michael Kenneth Housdan Fussell (16 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 1 December, on motion by Mr Rudd: That the House record its deep regret at the death on 27 November 2008, of Lieutenant Michael Kenneth Housdan Fussell, killed while on combat...
  • Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
    • Economy (10 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 1 December, on motion by Mr Albanese: That the House take note of the following document: Australia’s response to the global financial crisis
  • Committees (0 speeches)