House debates

Monday, 9 December 2013

  • Delegation Reports (0 speeches)
    • Australian Parliamentary Delegation to Afghanistan (1 speech)
      I present the report of the Australian Parliamentary Delegation to Afghanistan from 28 April to 1 May 2013. This visit was the first official delegation of Australian parliamentarians to be...
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Private Members' Business (0 speeches)
    • WestConnex Project in Sydney (11 speeches)
      I move: That this House notes that: (1) the Government is delivering on its promise to build a stronger Australia with its $1.5 billion commitment to the WestConnex project in Sydney; (2)...
    • Health Workforce Australia (9 speeches)
      I move: That this House: (1) notes the importance of having a well-trained medical workforce including doctors, nurses and allied health professionals for the sustainability of our health system;...
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Membership (1 speech)
      ( Hon. BC Scott ) (): I have received four messages from the Senate informing the House of the appointment of senators to certain joint committees. As the list of appointments is a lengthy one I...
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Statements by Members (0 speeches)
    • Human Rights Day (1 speech)
      On 10 December 1950, the United Nations General Assembly, presided over by Australia's then foreign affairs minister, Doc Evatt, as president, proclaimed 10 December as Human Rights Day to bring...
    • Macarthur Electorate: Mrs Ina Cameron (1 speech)
      I rise today to pay tribute to one of Camden's oldest and most loved residents, Ina Cameron, who passed away on 13 November after a short illness, aged 105—yes, 105. Mrs Cameron was well...
    • Gorton Electorate: Melton City Council Disability Action Plan (1 speech)
      Melton City Council launched the Melton City Council Disability Action Plan at WestWaters hotel last Thursday. The Melton City Council Disability Action Plan 2013-17 strengthens the voice of...
    • Lyons Electorate: Mr Col Bailey (1 speech)
      Col Bailey has spent his life chasing the legendary Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, in the bush around the Derwent Valley. Col is 76 years old and comes from New Norfolk in the electorate of...
    • Calwell Electorate: Hume Valley Soccer Club (1 speech)
      I want to congratulate the Hume Valley Soccer Club in my electorate of Calwell for completing a very successful 2013 soccer season which saw the club achieve great success in winning the premier...
    • Diabetes (1 speech)
      On Friday, 29 November, I had the great honour of representing the Prime Minister at the Baker IDI, at the Alfred Hospital, to launch the collaboration between the Fred Hollows Foundation and the...
    • Australian Vietnamese Women's Association (1 speech)
      I rise to acknowledge the 30th anniversary of the Australian Vietnamese Women's Association. The AVWA aims to help create a harmonious society in which everyone, irrespective of age, gender,...
    • Apprentice of the Year Awards (1 speech)
      I am delighted to rise today to congratulate Broome carpentry and joinery apprentice Jonathan Falconer, from my electorate of Durack, for winning the Regional Apprentice of the Year Award....
    • Centenary of Anzac (1 speech)
      I am pleased to update the House today on the progress of the Centenary of Anzac grants in my electorate of Richmond. The funding of $125,000 per electorate rightly commemorates the service and...
    • Hindmarsh Electorate: Councils (1 speech)
      Community spirit is alive and well in the seat of Hindmarsh. Recently I had the pleasure of attending the Glenelg Christmas pageant with my young family. The Holdfast Bay Council, as well as...
    • Parramatta Electorate: Granville Boys High School (2 speeches)
      In the brief time I have available I would like to congratulate four young men from Granville Boys High School, Hamza Taha, Osama Chaar, Mouhamed Ibrahim and Omar Elrich, all 16 years old, who...
  • Condolences (0 speeches)
  • Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      As the House would be aware, the Prime Minister will be absent from question time as he attends the memorial service for Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg. I will answer questions on his behalf. I...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Automotive Industry (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Treasurer. What is the future of car manufacturing in Australia if the government goes ahead with his half a billion dollar cut to the car industry?
    • Carbon Pricing (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Acting Prime Minister, and I remind the Acting Prime Minister that Mackay, Proserpine and the Burdekin, in my electorate of Dawson, are some of the biggest sugar growing...
    • Automotive Industry (8 speeches)
      My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. I refer to the government's intention to cut half a billion dollars of assistance from the Australian car industry and to the Prime Minister's...
    • Carbon Pricing (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Treasurer. I refer the Treasurer to the statement of Origin Energy's managing director, Grant King, recently that the carbon tax is a 'dead weight' on the economy and, if...
    • Automotive Industry (5 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Industry. Can the minister advise the House how many jobs in the automotive supply chain the government believes will be at risk if Holden leaves Australia?
    • Regional Australia (7 speeches)
      My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. Minister, during the election you made a commitment to replace Regional Development Australia by spending $200 million a year under the National...
    • Carbon Pricing (7 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for the Environment. I refer the minister to this bill that shows that, following the introduction of the carbon tax, Central Engineering's electricity costs have...
    • Automotive Industry (2 speeches)
      By question is to the Minister for Industry. I refer to his statement on 20 September that he would arm-wrestle the Treasurer on the future of the car industry. Does the government support the...
    • Small Business: Regulation and Competitiveness (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Small Business. Is the minister aware that Australia is currently ranked 128 out of 148 nations on the World Economic Forum global competitiveness index in...
    • Employment (9 speeches)
      My question is to the Assistant Minister for Employment. I refer to the Prime Minister's promise prior to the election that the government would 'produce one million new jobs in five years'....
    • Nation Building and Jobs Plan (17 speeches)
      My question is to the Treasurer. Is he aware that fruit and vegetable growers in Hinkler are continuing to receive $900 stimulus cheques for backpackers they employed years ago, who are no longer...
    • Employment (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Acting Prime Minister, and I refer to the Prime Minister's promise to create one million jobs over the next five years. Given that many thousands of jobs are at risk at...
  • Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      Before I call the honourable member for Forrest I wish to advise that we have present in the gallery the parliamentary staff from the Namibian parliament led by the Clerk Mrs Dorothea Fransman,...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Education (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Education. I remind the minister that the higher education support bill contains $2.3 billion in savings measures nominated by the previous government. Can the...
    • Asylum Seekers (11 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. The government promised that it would protect our borders with the discipline and focus of a targeted military operation. How...
    • Australia-Korea Free Trade Agreement (12 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. I remind the minister of Friday's historic announcement that Australia has secured a free trade agreement with South Korea. Will the minister...
    • Asylum Seekers (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Earlier this year, the now Prime Minister described the arrival in Australia of an undetected asylum seeker vessel as...
    • Agriculture (5 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Agriculture. I refer to the release today of the terms of reference for the agricultural competitiveness white paper. Will Australia's most passionate...
    • Rail Infrastructure (13 speeches)
      My question is addressed to the Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development. Does the minister now acknowledge that the upgrade to The Tonsley Park rail line is for passenger...
    • Hospitals (8 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Health and, given today's sitting arrangements, I am looking forward to hearing the answer. Will the minister inform the House of how many patients are treated...
  • Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
    • (26 speeches)
      Madam Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
  • Documents (0 speeches)
    • Presentation (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.
  • Committees (0 speeches)
  • Motions (0 speeches)
    • Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings (2 speeches)
      I move: That this House: (1) repeal the following resolutions: (a) Broadcasting and re-broadcasting of excerpts of proceedings, adopted 30 November 1988; (b) Televising of proceedings, adopted 16...
  • Business (0 speeches)
    • Rearrangement (1 speech)
      I move: That business intervening before order of the day No. 5, government business, be postponed until a later hour this day. Question agreed to.
  • Governor-General's Speech (0 speeches)
    • (4 speeches)
      Order! Before I call the honourable member for Pearce, I remind honourable members that this is his first speech. I therefore ask that the usual courtesies be extended to him.
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      On indulgence, earlier today in my personal explanation, I referred to an allegation of a conversation between myself and what I said was the chief of staff of the Leader of the Opposition. I was...
  • Governor-General's Speech (0 speeches)
    • (2 speeches)
      My election to the seat of Melbourne Ports was hard fought. I was proud of the hundreds of local volunteers, party members and even a small international brigade who helped me and the Labor Party...
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Adjournment (0 speeches)
    • Shortland Electorate: New South Wales Government (1 speech)
      In this, the last adjournment debate of the year, I would like to offer my thanks and give credit to the people of Shortland electorate. I thank them very much for placing their faith in me and...
    • Eden-Monaro Electorate: Government Programs (1 speech)
      I would like to take the opportunity of this adjournment debate to highlight the policy hypocrisy and deceit that has occurred in Eden-Monaro over the last six years. One of the classics is the...
    • Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1 speech)
      I rise to make some comments about the recent efforts by the federal government to attack the ABC. Before I do, I would like to respond to the comments made by the member for Eden-Monaro. He...
    • Bruce Highway (1 speech)
      When my colleagues and I drove the Bruce Highway in July 2012 we set out to cover some 1,700 kilometres of what Queenslanders less than affectionately refer to as 'the goat track'. I am proud to...
    • Tasmanian Forests Agreement (6 speeches)
      There was an interesting photograph in the Australian this morning. It was a photograph of a forest in Tasmania. Standing in it were two very unlikely colleagues. Terry Edwards of the Forest...
    • Forrest Electorate: Manea, Dr Ernest (2 speeches)
      I rise to pay tribute to a stalwart of the Forrest electorate and Bunbury community who was lost to us in October. Dr Ern Manea was a man known to nearly all throughout his time as a Bunbury...
  • Constituency Statements (0 speeches)
    • Kingston Electorate: Sports Funding (1 speech)
      I rise today to speak about a very important issue for my local community—that is, the future federal funding that was committed to the planned upgrade of Bice Oval in Christies Beach. The...
    • Macquarie Electorate: Bushfires (1 speech)
      I would like to take this opportunity to express my dismay at the behaviour of those opposite during what has been a very difficult time for my electorate following the bushfires. The federal...
    • Iramoo Primary School (1 speech)
        I rise today to speak about the great work being undertaken at Iramoo Primary School in my electorate.    I do so to demonstrate through a specific example that...
    • Barker Electorate: Community Development Grants (1 speech)
      I rise today to speak on the very positive impacts for my electorate of Barker of the coalition government's community development grants program. The coalition is delivering on its commitment to...
    • Corio Electorate: Health Services (1 speech)
      Geelong is lucky to be well serviced by Barwon Health, a fabulous hospital network which does a great job in our region, but Barwon Health itself acknowledges that the part of Geelong which is in...
    • Cook Electorate: Cook Community Awards (1 speech)
      I rise to pay tribute to the selfless volunteers in my electorate of Cook. The Cook Community Awards acknowledge selfless volunteers who serve our local organisations quietly, passionately and...
    • Centenary of Canberra (1 speech)
      As we rapidly approach the dawn of a new year, I rise today to reflect on 2013, Canberra's centenary year. This year we celebrated 100 years Canberra as the national capital—100 years since...
    • Macarthur Electorate: National Volunteer Awards (1 speech)
      Last Friday, I was honoured to host the Macarthur 2013 National Volunteer Awards. The annual awards acknowledge volunteers from my electorate who are dedicated to supporting community groups and...
    • Eureka Stockade Anniversary (1 speech)
      Last Tuesday marked the 159th anniversary of the Eureka Stockade. On 3 December 1854, in the early morning, the 12th and 40th regiments, along with police troopers, attacked the gold-diggers'...
    • Lindsay Electorate: Sports Funding (2 speeches)
      I would like to congratulate the member for Solomon on her fabulous achievement in being appointed to the Speaker's panel. I rise to provide the people of Lindsay with an update regarding the...
  • Private Members' Business (0 speeches)
    • Bushfires (10 speeches)
      I move: That this House: (1) notes with alarm the burden placed on the bushfire affected residents of the Blue Mountains and Central Coast via the combined mismanagement of recovery processes by...
    • Economic Growth Plan for Tasmania (15 speeches)
      I would like to thank my colleague the member for Bass for putting this important motion before the parliament. Like the member for Bass, I too have mixed feelings about this motion, because, as...
    • National Body Image Awareness Program (9 speeches)
      I move: That this House: (1) notes that: (a) eating disorders and poor body image present a significant problem for both males and females in Australia; and (b) the social messages given to...
    • Rural Clinical Schools (6 speeches)
      The issue of the training and retention of country doctors is an age-old one. This is a challenge which many regional and rural communities, including many of those in the Riverina electorate,...
  • Condolences (0 speeches)
    • Mandela, Mr Rolihlahla (Nelson) Dalibhunga, AC (22 speeches)
      I pay tribute to Nelson Mandela and express my condolences, as so many Australians have, to Mr Mandela's widow, Graca Machel, his children and the people of South Africa. Although we all knew...
  • Grievance Debate (0 speeches)
    • Youth Allowance (2 speeches)
      As the Deputy Speaker would know I have waged a long battle, as he has, for a fair and better go for regional students in the tertiary education system in this country. It was my motion on 28...
    • Mental Health (2 speeches)
      I rise tonight to speak of an issue that has touched many people, not just in my life but in the lives of many in my electorate. Mr Deputy Speaker, I am sure you are familiar with some of the...
    • Fuel Prices (1 speech)
      I rise tonight to express my concern and my disappointment at the undertakings that the ACCC has accepted from the supermarket duopoly. For the best part of this year the ACCC had been...
    • Fraser Electorate: Volunteers (2 speeches)
      I rise tonight to speak on the strength of community in my electorate of Fraser. As is well known, the ACT has some of the highest rates of social capital in the nation. The most generous...