House debates

Wednesday, 3 February 2010

  • Indigenous Affairs (0 speeches)
    • Suspension of Standing and Sessional Orders (5 speeches)
      I move: That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the member for Menzies from moving the following motion forthwith: That this House:(1)notes the Prime...
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Public Accounts Committee; Membership (1 speech)
      I have received messages from the Senate informing the House that Senator Bushby has been discharged from the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit and that Senator Kroger has been...
  • Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Amendment Bill 2009; Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Amendment Bill 2009 (0 speeches)
    • Returned from the Senate (0 speeches)
      Message received from the Senate returning the bills without amendment or request.
  • Business (0 speeches)
  • Protection of the Sea Legislation Amendment Bill 2010 (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. Shipping is vital for world trade, particularly for an island nation such as Australia. Nearly 4,000 ships carry commodities to and from...
  • Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives Bill 2009 [No. 2]; Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives (Medicare Levy Surcharge) Bill 2009 [No. 2]; Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives (Medicare Levy Surcharge — Fringe Benefits) Bill 2009 [No. 2] (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (1 speech)
      Debate resumed from 19 November, on motion by Ms Roxon: That this bill be now read a second time.
  • Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
    • (3 speeches)
      Mr Deputy Speaker, I seek leave to make a personal explanation.
  • Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives Bill 2009 [No. 2]; Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives (Medicare Levy Surcharge) Bill 2009 [No. 2]; Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives (Medicare Levy Surcharge — Fringe Benefits) Bill 2009 [No. 2] (0 speeches)
  • Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
    • (12 speeches)
      Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
    • 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.
  • Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives (Medicare Levy Surcharge) Bill 2009 [No. 2] (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (1 speech)
      Debate resumed.
    • 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.
  • Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives (Medicare Levy Surcharge — Fringe Benefits) Bill 2009 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (1 speech)
      Debate resumed.
    • 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 Broadcasting Legislation Amendment Bill 2009 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (5 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 26 November 2009, on motion by Mr Albanese: That this bill be now read a second time.
  • Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I inform the House that the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs will be leaving question time early today and will also be absent tomorrow as he is attending the Veterans Administration...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Emissions Trading Scheme (12 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to his answer yesterday when he suggested that people could go to Treasury documentation to find out the impact of the emissions...
  • Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
    • (2 speeches)
      Order! Before giving the call to the member for Franklin, I will at a very early stage use my ‘getting the House out of rhythm and together about a cause’ card by saying, in the...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Economy (9 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister update the House on the one-year anniversary of the government’s economic stimulus plan?
    • Climate Change (12 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to his answers in the House yesterday and again today, when the Prime Minister said that Treasury documentation projected: …...
    • Economy (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer update the House on the role economic stimulus has played in Australia’s economic performance and the consequences of withdrawing it too...
    • Emissions Trading Scheme (11 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to the New South Wales Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal report which found that electricity prices will rise by 60 per...
    • Infrastructure (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. How is work progressing on vital transport and community infrastructure projects funded as...
    • Economy (22 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Small Business, Independent Contractors and the Service Economy. I ask this question on behalf of Mr Russell Greenwood of Russell’s Prime Quality Meats of...
  • Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
    • (2 speeches)
      I inform the House that we have present in the gallery this afternoon a delegation from the Czech Republic, led by His Excellency Mr Premysl Sobotka, the President of the Senate. On behalf of the...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Schools (7 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Education, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and the Minister for Social Inclusion. Will the Deputy Prime Minister update the House on...
    • Joint Standing Committee on Migration (16 speeches)
      My question is to the Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Migration, the member for Melbourne Ports, under standing order 99. I refer to his comments in 2008 following an inspection of the...
    • Housing (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Housing and the Minister for the Status of Women. How is the government’s commitment to building new social housing dwellings supporting jobs?
    • Member for Hunter (4 speeches)
      I refer the Deputy Prime Minister to reports in the Fairfax press today that two freedom of information requests have been refused for copies of all correspondence between her office and Slater...
    • Climate Change (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science and Minister Assisting the Minister for Climate Change. Why does Australia need to take action on climate change and...
    • Infrastructure (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, with so many timber bridges now failing on local roads throughout this country, such as the Marlee and Duffs bridges in the Upper Manning,...
    • Budget (9 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Finance and Deregulation. Minister, why is it important that proposals for additional government spending are matched by equivalent savings?
    • Building the Education Revolution Program (16 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Education. I refer the minister to complaints that I have received from Oatlands Primary School, Berwick Primary School and Berwick Lodge Primary School in my...
    • Private Health Insurance (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Will the minister update the House on the government’s plans to reform the private health insurance rebate and make it more sustainable...
    • Digital Television (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. It is a question from a very concerned local member about digital television. I refer the Prime Minister to his government’s digital television...
    • Climate Change (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Will the minister advise the House of the government’s climate change action plan for agriculture and advise why the...
    • Lower Lakes (8 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. On 6 January this year the Premier of South Australia wrote to you, Prime Minister, requesting that the federal government intervene to ensure a fair portion...
    • Emissions Trading Scheme (4 speeches)
      Can the Prime Minister update the House on the importance of dealing with climate with the least-cost policy response? Can he also update the House on the recent commentary on alternative...
  • Questions to the Speaker (0 speeches)
    • Question Time (1 speech)
      Before giving the member for North Sydney the call, I want to add to some remarks I made earlier. During an answer by the Minister for Finance and Deregulation, quite correctly, the Manager of...
    • Parliamentary Computer Network (2 speeches)
      Mr Speaker, very briefly—and this relates to our ability to do our jobs—will you confirm that the parliamentary computer network used by MPs and staff continues to run Internet...
  • Auditor-General’S (0 speeches)
    • Report No. 20 of 2009-10 (1 speech)
      I present the Auditor-General’s Audit report No. 20 of 2009-10 entitled The national broadband network request for proposal process—Department of Broadband, Communications and the...
  • 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...
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Membership (2 speeches)
      I have received advice from the Acting Chief Opposition Whip nominating changes to membership of certain committees.
  • Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
    • Nation Building Economic Stimulus Plan (9 speeches)
      On this day twelve months ago I announced the launch of an historic nation-building plan. The $42 billion Nation Building Economic Stimulus Plan represents the largest Commonwealth infrastructure...
  • Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
    • Taxation (15 speeches)
      I have received a letter from the honourable member for North Sydney proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely: The Government’s...
  • Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
    • National Road Safety Council (2 speeches)
      This morning I addressed the inaugural meeting of the National Road Safety Council that has occurred today in Parliament House. The council was established in 2009 by the Australian Transport...
  • National Broadcasting Legislation Amendment Bill 2009 (0 speeches)
  • Adjournment (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      Order! It being 7.30 pm, I propose the question: That the House do now adjourn.
    • Electorate of Pearce: Bushfires (2 speeches)
      I am sorry that I do not have sufficient time tonight but I did want to acknowledge the fires that ravaged the town of Toodyay in the electorate of Pearce and those who were responsible for...
    • Malaysia (1 speech)
      I want to speak out tonight on behalf of fellow democrats around Asia who are flabbergasted at events unfolding in Kuala Lumpur. I refer to the trial which began yesterday of the Malaysian...
    • Ryan Electorate: Telstra (1 speech)
      We all know that there are some things in life worth fighting for. Of course, all of us will fight for our families, all of us will fight for the values we believe in and all of us will fight for...
    • Blair Electorate (1 speech)
      Tonight I want to welcome the people of the Somerset Regional Council into the seat of Blair. With Queensland picking up the new seat of Wright, people of the Lockyer Valley and the Fassifern...
    • Cook Electorate: Australia Day Awards; The Hon. Bruce Baird (1 speech)
      I rise to congratulate shire residents acknowledged in this year’s Australia Day honours list: Marcus Baker, Les Bursill, Ron Gibson, Tom Iceton, Terry Smith, Alison Thompson and Pieter van...
    • Calwell Electorate: Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony (4 speeches)
      I rise tonight to speak about our community’s recent celebration of Australia Day. I was pleased to attend another Australia Day citizenship ceremony in my electorate of Calwell. All our...
    • Electorate of Pearce: Bushfires; The Hon. Bruce Baird (1 speech)
      I wish to associate government members with the remarks made during the adjournment debate by the member for Pearce in relation to the bushfire victims in her electorate. I would also like to...
  • Notices (0 speeches)
    • (5 speeches)
      The following notices were given:
  • Constituency Statements (0 speeches)
    • Human Rights: Vietnam (1 speech)
      On 29 January 2010, Vietnamese freelance journalist Pham Thanh Nghien was jailed for three years following a trial in Haiphong, convicted of spreading anti-state propaganda. I take this...
    • Apprentice Kickstart Initiative (1 speech)
      Last October the Rudd government launched the $100 million Apprentice Kickstart initiative as part of our response to the Keep Australia working report, which showed that people starting trade...
    • Australia Day: Citizenship and Awards (1 speech)
      Australia Day is a time to remember our proud history and to reflect on all that we are grateful for in our very fortunate nation. In honour of Australia Day I had the privilege of congratulating...
    • Page Electorate: Mrs Carole Sherry and Mr Joseph Sherry; Page Electorate: Storms; Page Electorate: Our Life Blood Exhibition (1 speech)
      In my seat of Page there were lots of events and activities over the Christmas-New Year period and in January. Some of them were sad and tragic, while others were full of joy and were positive. I...
    • Swan Electorate: Australia Day (1 speech)
      Last week we celebrated Australia Day and I rise to talk about a disgraceful act that occurred in my electorate of Swan during the Australia Day week. On Wednesday, my office received a call from...
    • Australia Day (1 speech)
      I spent Australia Day travelling down to the beautiful west coast of Tasmania. I went to the Strahan picnic, which my esteemed colleague from the electorate of Lyons and I shared last year as we...
    • Indi Electorate: Climate Change (1 speech)
      I rise to speak on the positive impact that the coalition policy for direct action on climate change will have on the local environment in my electorate of Indi, north-east Victoria. It is a very...
    • Forestry and Pulp and Paper Industries; Pulp and Paper Industries (1 speech, 1 comment)
      I would like to say a few words about the future of the forestry and the pulp and paper industries. There have been a number of discussions lately, including within the federal government’s...
    • Tangney Electorate: Healthy Lifestyle Program (1 speech)
      I would like to draw the attention of the Minister for Health and Ageing to an excellent health program currently available to constituents of Tangney and surrounding areas in Perth. It is called...
    • Bennelong Electorate: Ms Caroline Yi Xu (2 speeches)
      On Australia Day this year, 16,000 new citizens from over 130 countries were welcomed as part of the expanding Australian family. It is also a day, of course, when we recognise particular...
  • Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2009-2010; Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2009-2010 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (28 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 26 November, on motion by Dr Emerson: That this bill be now read a second time.