House debates

Thursday, 21 October 2010

  • National Radioactive Waste Management Bill 2010 (0 speeches)
    • First Reading (0 speeches)
      Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Mr Martin Ferguson. Bill read a first time.
    • Second Reading (1 speech)
      I move: That this bill be now read a second time. Introduction The purpose of this bill is to establish a facility for managing, at a single site, radioactive waste currently stored at a host of...
  • Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Amendment (Weekly Payments) Bill 2010 (0 speeches)
    • First Reading (0 speeches)
      Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Mr Snowdon. Bill read a first time.
    • Second Reading (1 speech)
      I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I am pleased to present legislation that will implement an important element of the Government’s strategy to address homelessness. The...
  • Social Security Legislation Amendment (Connecting People with Jobs) Bill 2010 (0 speeches)
    • First Reading (0 speeches)
      Bill and explanatory memorandum presented by Ms Kate Ellis. Bill read a first time.
    • Second Reading (1 speech)
      I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The Social Security Legislation Amendment (Connecting People with Jobs) Bill 2010 that I now introduce will honour the government’s...
  • Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
    • Afghanistan (11 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 20 October, on motion by Mr Stephen Smith: That the House take note of the document.
  • Governor-General’S Speech (0 speeches)
    • Address-in-Reply (10 speeches)
      Debate resumed from 20 October, on the proposed address-in-reply to the speech of Her Excellency the Governor-General— May it please Your Excellency: We, the House of Representatives of the...
  • Constituency Statements (0 speeches)
    • Aged Care (1 speech)
      One of the most important things a society can do is look after older members. Indeed, the first payment issued from the Commonwealth government was the age pension, instituted in 1909. Labor...
    • Volunteers: Mrs Gwen Braga (1 speech)
      I wish to record my congratulations to Mrs Gwen Braga on her re-election as Queensland President of Meals on Wheels. Just a few weeks ago I said in my first speech that ‘it is by empowering...
    • Chisholm Electorate: Mr Mark Beovich (1 speech)
      On Sunday, in between going to the 50th anniversary birthday lunch of Box Hill Lions, a terrific organisation that I want to commend for its efforts, and the 25th anniversary afternoon tea of the...
    • Hinkler Electorate: Isis River Bridge (1 speech)
      The crucial Isis River Bridge upgrade on the Bruce Highway in my electorate has been brought forward because of concerted public pressure. The bridge is located south of Childers and its...
    • Sustainable Living (1 speech)
      I want to share with Australia the most inspiring account of community action and social inclusion. For three years now, Hulbert Street, a local street in South Fremantle, has hosted the Spring...
    • Banking Policy (1 speech)
      I wish to clarify comments I made this morning during a morning doorstop interview. When I referred to ‘their lunatic fringe type ideas’, I was referring to the policy on banking...
    • Cafe Ink (1 speech)
      I congratulate Cafe Ink for recently taking out the ACT Chief Minister’s award for social inclusion in the small business category. Cafe Ink is a social enterprise set up about six months...
    • Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (1 speech)
      I rise today to pay tribute to the organisers of the newly formed Australian offshoot of the Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust, HART. This organisation was launched at a dinner held last Saturday at...
    • Clifford Craig Medical Research Trust (1 speech)
      I congratulate the Clifford Craig Medical Research Trust. I attended their fundraising dinner on Friday night. I commend this organisation for the research that they fund, particularly for...
    • Fabrice Lapierre (1 speech)
      I rise today to recognise the outstanding achievements of my constituent Fabrice Lapierre, who won a gold medal in the men’s long jump event at the recent Delhi Commonwealth Games. This is...
    • Farrer Electorate: Floods (2 speeches)
      I draw the attention of the House to the very serious flooding in the eastern part of New South Wales in my electorate of Farrer and I make a very specific request to the Minister for...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Mining (5 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to the words of the head of Rio Tinto last night: ‘If you can’t trust the government, who can you trust?’ I ask...
    • Economy (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Treasurer. What role have the fundamentals of Australia’s economic framework played in delivering 20 consecutive years of economic growth, and why is it so important...
    • Government Advertising (5 speeches)
      My question is to the Special Minister of State. I refer the minister to taxpayer funded advertisements on the government’s water policies which aired on television last night. Given the...
    • Interest Rates (22 speeches)
      My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer please update the House on the government’s position on recent commentary about monetary policy and banking regulation?
    • Murray-Darling Basin (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. I refer the minister to the comments by the head of the National Farmers Federation yesterday:...
    • Economy (2 speeches, 1 comment)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. What action is the government taking to support families to meet pressures on the family budget?
    • Cost of Living (11 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to research released this week by Anglicare which shows Australians are struggling to cope with the rising costs of living and...
    • Economy (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Tresurer inform the House of the importance of international engagement and the upcoming meeting of the G20 finance ministers?
    • Asylum Seekers (7 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to her promise before the election to establish a regional processing centre in East Timor to dissuade unauthorised arrivals from...
    • National Broadband Network (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, representing the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy. What problems have been identified with...
    • Interest Rates (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Treasurer. I refer the Treasurer to his words of warning to the banks earlier this year that ‘they would incur the wrath not just of the Australian people but of the...
    • Workplace Relations (10 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government and Minister for the Arts representing the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and...
    • Lyne Electorate: Roads (9 speeches, 1 comment)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Following the worst bus crashes in Australian history at Clybucca and Grafton, the then coroner in 1989, Kevin Waller, made a very clear recommendation that...
    • St Mary of the Cross (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Following the minister’s participation in a bipartisan delegation to the Holy See, will the minister update the House on the canonisation...
    • Mr Robert Rice (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to the case of Queensland war veteran Robert Rice, who served in Bougainville and Afghanistan, who said that he was forced to sell...
    • National SAecurity (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Attorney-General. How is the government strengthening Australia’s national security arrangements to better coordinate counterterrorism intelligence?
    • Home Insulation Program (7 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to Solar Wise, a small business in Queensland almost sent broke by the government’s roof batts program. If Solar Wise and...
    • Indigenous Affairs (7 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel and Minister for Indigenous Health. Would the minister inform the House about progress to...
  • Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
    • (8 speeches)
      Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Selection Committee; Report No. 3 (1 speech)
      I present the Selection Committee’s report No. 3 relating to the consideration of bills introduced between 28 September and 21 October 2010 and amending the Selection Committee’s...
  • Department of the House of Representatives; Parliamentary Service Commissioner (0 speeches)
    • Annual Reports (1 speech)
      Pursuant to section 65 of the Parliamentary Service Act 1999, I present the annual report of the Department of the House of Representatives for 2009-10. Pursuant to section 42 of 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)
  • Carer Recognition Bill 2010 (0 speeches)
    • Report from Main Committee (0 speeches)
      Bill returned from Main Committee without amendment; certified copy of the bill presented. Ordered that this bill be considered immediately. Bill agreed to.
    • 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.
  • Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
    • Australian Industry (34 speeches)
      I have received a letter from the Leader of the Opposition proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely: The failure of the Government to...
  • Adjournment (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      Order! It being 4.30 pm, I propose the question: That the House do now adjourn.
    • Barker Electorate: Keith Hospital; St Mary of the Cross (1 speech)
      I rise in the House today to speak about two issues that are especially important to me as they involve my home town and my family. The first is the Keith hospital. Keith is my home town and I...
    • Shortland Electorate: East Lake Macquarie Respite Centre (1 speech)
      Tomorrow is a very special day for people living with dementia and their carers in Lake Macquarie with the official opening of the new East Lake Macquarie Dementia Service respite centre by the...
    • Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (1 speech)
      The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission was established to ‘promote competition and fair trade in the marketplace to benefit consumers, businesses and the community’....
    • Werriwa Electorate: Community Events (1 speech)
      I wish to congratulate a number of residents of Macarthur and Werriwa electorates—Charlie and Mal Fruean, Alofa and Faiva Aii, Barbara Lealiie’e, Ron Inu, Sam Lenk, Rich Manu, Mal...
    • Pearce Electorate: Mount Helena Primary School (1 speech)
      Before returning to this place for this sitting I had the great pleasure of visiting the Mount Helena Primary School in the electorate of Pearce to present them with their award as the Swan East...
    • Reid Electorate: Carers Week (2 speeches)
      I am very pleased to speak about Carers Week, which we are currently celebrating. From 17 to 23 October we recognise, appreciate and celebrate carers in Australia. It is estimated that there are...
  • Notices (0 speeches)
    • (3 speeches)
      The following notices were given:
  • Constituency Statements (0 speeches)
    • McMillan Electorate: Long Jetty (1 speech)
      Prior to the last election and the election before that, the Liberal Party, in its great wisdom, offered the people of South Gippsland $3 million for the Long Jetty. It was a big commitment and...
    • Calwell Electorate: Fiji-Australia Day (1 speech)
      I would like to bring to the attention of the House a very significant event that took place in my electorate marking the fourth anniversary of the Fiji-Australia Day celebrations. Since the...
    • Maranoa Electorate: Health Services (1 speech)
      I rise in relation to the downgrading of the Aramac hospital in my electorate of Maranoa. Aramac is a town north of Barcaldine, to which the Labor Party claims a birthright, and it is now in the...
    • Lindsay Electorate: Anti-Poverty Week (1 speech)
      I rise to take note of some of the local organisations in my community who are helping to alleviate the pressures facing those who are most vulnerable. In Australia, with our high standard of...
    • Hasluck Electorate: Maddington Trades College (1 speech)
      Recently I had the opportunity of visiting the Australian Trades College Western Australia established by the Howard government in Maddington, which is in the electorate of Hasluck. The...
    • Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (1 speech)
      I am very pleased to rise today to talk about the great work done by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund. In particular, last Sunday I was very pleased to join with many other people in Adelaide...
    • Cook Electorate: Sydney Airport (1 speech)
      Sydney airport is critical to Sydney’s economic future and that of the Shire, the community I represent. The impact of airport operations requires careful management, because it is only...
    • Eva Marks (1 speech)
      Next week the Austrian Ambassador to Australia, Dr Hannes Porias, will confer the Austrian government’s Holocaust Memorial Award 2010 on Vienna born Melbourne resident, Eva Marks, a...
    • Farrer Electorate: Floods (1 speech)
      I wish to bring to the attention of the House the dramatic and extreme rainfall event and the subsequent impact on areas of the Farrer electorate during the latter part of last week. In total,...
    • Mr Ian Castles (1 speech)
      I am honoured to pay tribute to Ian Castles, an outstanding economist who died suddenly on 2 August this year. Mr Castles lived a life of strength, integrity and modesty. His extraordinary career...
  • Carer Recognition Bill 2010 (0 speeches)
    • Second Reading (14 speeches, 2 comments)
      Debate resumed from 29 September, on motion by Ms Collins: That this bill be now read a second time.
  • Business (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I move: That the Commission of Inquiry into the Building the Education Revolution Program Bill 2010 and the Evidence Amendment (Journalists’ Privilege) Bill 2010 be returned to the House...
  • Adjournment (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I move: That the Main Committee do now adjourn.
    • Agriculture (2 speeches)
      Australia’s farmers have an international worldwide reputation for producing safe and high-quality food products. In the OECD’s ‘Food safety performance world ranking...
    • Forestry (1 speech)
      Colleagues may remember from my question in question time on Tuesday that sections of the forest industry and the environmental movement signed the Tasmanian Forests Statement of Principles, a...
    • Mental Health Services (1 speech)
      I rise to speak on a recent decision by the Rudd-Gillard, now Gillard, government which will severely affect access to mental health services both nationally and in my electorate of Higgins ....
    • Dobell Electorate: Water (1 speech)
      I rise to talk about the water supply on the Central Coast, what this government has done to droughtproof the Central Coast and also some misguided actions that have been taken by the Wyong Shire...
    • Higher Education (1 speech)
      I rise to talk about the terrible problems that rural Australians are having in being able to afford to have their children leave home to go quite long distances to take up tertiary studies. In...
    • Tourism; Holdfast Bay Bowling Club (4 speeches)
      I would like to bring to the attention of the House the significant opportunity Tourism Australia has facilitated to support Australia’s $33 billion tourism industry by successfully...