House debates

Wednesday, 29 October 2014

  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Australia Fund Establishment; Membership (1 speech)
      I have received a message from the Senate informing the House that Senator Lazarus had been appointed a member of the Joint Select Committee on the Australia Fund Establishment.
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Public Works Committee; Approval of Work (1 speech)
      I move: That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969, it is expedient to carry out the following proposed work which was referred to the Parliamentary Standing...
    • Human Rights Committee; Report (1 speech)
      On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, I present the committee's 14th report of the 44th Parliament, entitled Examination of legislation in accordance with the Human...
  • Business (0 speeches)
    • Consideration of Legislation (16 speeches)
      On behalf of the Leader of the House, I move: That, in respect of the proceedings on the Omnibus Repeal Day (Spring 2014) Bill 2014, the Amending Acts 1970 to 1979 Repeal Bill 2014, and the...
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Statements by Members (0 speeches)
    • Hydro Tasmania (1 speech)
      Last weekend in Tasmania, at Waddamana, there was a celebration to mark the 100th anniversary of Hydro Tasmania. In those over 100 years, Hydro Tasmania has grown to be Australia's largest...
    • Forde Electorate (1 speech)
      Earlier this year, the Beenleigh Theatre Group held the Beenleigh Festival of One Act Plays. The Beenleigh Theatre Group has brought hundreds of live productions to the Beenleigh community,...
    • Chisholm Electorate: Patronato Office (1 speech)
      Today I have been contacted by the Patronato office in Oakleigh, in my electorate, by Sebastian Rustica, who has been doing an amazing job since 1980. Patronato provides free advice on Italian...
    • Corangamite Electorate: Teesdale Primary School (1 speech)
      I rise to pay tribute to the Teesdale Primary School, which ran a very successful country fair last Friday night. Teesdale is 35 kilometres north-west of Geelong in the Corangamite electorate....
    • Cambodia: Human Rights (1 speech)
      I rise to alert the House to an urgent and continuing problem concerning human rights and industrial protections in Cambodia—a country with which Australia shares such a special history. In...
    • Afuhaamango, Ms Tahnee (1 speech)
      I rise to pay tribute to an inspirational young Territory athlete who will compete on the world stage next week. My good friend and world champion, Tahnee Afuhaamango, who is a wonderful swimmer,...
    • Fuel Prices (1 speech)
      This government should be condemned for their ambush on Australian motorists. Yesterday this government moved to increase petrol prices by increasing the fuel excise. This increase in petrol will...
    • Tasmania: Local Government Elections 2014 (1 speech)
      Today there is change sweeping across my state of Tasmania. Today those in my electorate of Braddon are waking to the news of who will be granted the honour of representing them in local...
    • Lalor Electorate: National Mosque Open Day (1 speech)
      Over the last few weekends I have had the pleasure of celebrating the diversity of my community of Lalor. I attended two Diwali events held in Werribee and Point Cook the weekend before last....
    • RAAF Base Richmond (1 speech)
      I rise to share with the House a fantastic event within the electorate of Macquarie which occurred last week. I was most privileged and delighted to attend the Richmond RAAF base's Freedom of...
    • Malcolm, Mr David, AC, QC (1 speech)
      On Monday my colleague the member for Fremantle paid tribute to former WA Chief Justice David Malcolm. On that same day the Western Australian community farewelled this great jurist and community...
    • Page Electorate: Prawn Festival (1 speech, 1 comment)
      I am very much looking forward to Saturday, 15 November. I will be in Ballina by the sea—a beautiful part of the world—for the prawn festival. This is the second year of the festival....
    • Cycling (1 speech)
      On Monday morning I, along with the member for Ryan and the member for Melbourne, met with Stephen Hodge and other cyclists from the Cycling Promotion Fund and the Heart Foundation who presented...
    • Melbourne Cup (1 speech)
      Next Tuesday is the Melbourne Cup, the race that stops the nation, and many Australians will have their one and only bet for the year. Some will study the form, others will look for their...
    • Surf-Lifesaving (1 speech)
      On behalf of the Parliamentary Friends of Surf Life Saving Australia, I was honoured to attend Surf Life Saving Australia's national awards of excellence to celebrate and pay tribute to some of...
    • Boothby Electorate: Westbourne Park Primary School, Boothby Electorate: Craigburn Primary School (1 speech)
      It is spring in Adelaide and it is school fair season. Last weekend there were three school fairs held in my electorate. The Westbourne Park Primary School opened 28 August 1914. They are...
    • Gellibrand Electorate: Rudd 2000 (1 speech)
      I rise today to acknowledge and congratulate a great if transient institution of Australian politics—the Rudd 2000 Twitter account. On 14 November 2013, an anonymous Twitter account tweeted...
    • Parkes Electorate: Polio (1 speech)
      It is over 40 years now since the last person in Australia contracted polio. Indeed, it is hoped that polio will be eradicated from the globe within the next decade. I would like to speak today...
    • Newcastle Electorate: Skehan, Ms Jaelea (1 speech)
      I rise today to pay tribute to one of Newcastle's most dedicated health professionals, Jaelea Skehan. Jaelea is a director of the Hunter Institute of Mental Health, a registered psychologist and...
    • Bass Electorate: Council Elections (2 speeches)
      I rise to acknowledge candidates in the Tasmanian council elections, which closed yesterday. It is a noble and humbling act to put oneself forward for public office and I congratulate all of the...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Fuel Prices (23 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister, affectionately known as the 'bowser bandit'. Has the Prime Minister done a dirty deal with the Greens?
    • National Security (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, I come from Townsville, the site of Australia's largest Army base. Will the Prime Minister update the House on the progress in strengthening...
    • Fuel Prices (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm the Treasurer's view that because poor people do not drive cars they will not feel the impact of the Prime Minister's petrol...
    • National Security (2 speeches)
      () (): My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. I refer the minister to reports in today's media, including this article in The Sydney Morning Herald, warning of the dangers of...
    • Fuel Prices (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Page 5 of the Prime Minister's repeal day report shows that, on top of his $2.2 billion petrol tax ambush, the Prime Minister is slugging petrol stations...
    • Indi Electorate (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Mr Prime Minister, in recent days we have been talking about previous prime ministers and their legacies. Can you please tell the House about your vision for...
    • National Security (9 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, who I thank for recently visiting HMAS Creswell to inspect the Cape class border protection vessels. Will the minister update...
    • Fuel Prices (7 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister and I refer to the Prime Minister's decision to ambush Australian motorists with a $2.2 billion petrol tax without a mandate from the Australian people and...
    • Higher Education Reforms (8 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Education. Will the minister update the House on how the government's higher education reforms have been received and the impact if reform is not achieved?
    • Fuel Prices (9 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister, and I refer to the government's decision to increase petrol tax without seeking the approval of parliament. I ask the Prime Minister whether he agrees with...
    • Economy (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer outline how the government is helping to build a modern, prosperous economy that will create more opportunities for all Australians?
    • Fuel Prices (5 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to his refusal to answer the previous question and the Treasurer's confirmation that oil companies stand to win a windfall gain. Prime Minister, why...
    • Small Business (5 speeches)
      My question is to the wonderful Minister for Small Business. I would like to thank the Minister for Small Business for coming out to Lindsay recently to meet with 100 business owners. Will the...
    • Fuel Prices (10 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Does the Prime Minister agree with the Executive Director of the Australian Automobile Association, who yesterday described his petrol tax ambush: I think...
  • Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I inform the House that we have in the distinguished visitors gallery a delegation from Germany led by Professor Dr Norbert Lammert, President of the German Bundestag. We also have His Excellency...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Infrastructure (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development. Will the Deputy Prime Minister outline how government policies are encouraging investment in...
    • Fuel Prices (10 speeches)
      My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister. I refer to the Deputy Prime Minister's previous comments about fuel excise increases on 13 August 2009: The extra cost of fuel always flows through to...
    • Agriculture (11 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Agriculture.
    • Fuel Prices (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister's decision to ambush Australian motorists with a $2.2 billion petrol tax without a mandate from the Australian people and...
    • East West Link (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development. Will the minister outline the government's plan to cut travel times for motorists in my home city of...
    • Petrol Tax (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister's decision to ambush Australian motorists with a $2.2 billion petrol tax, without a mandate from the Australian people and...
    • Industry (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Industry. Will the minister please provide further details to the House on the Industry Innovation and Competitiveness Agenda and the action plan to restore...
    • Carbon Pricing (10 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that he has done a dirty deal with Clive Palmer to give taxpayers' money to Australia's dirtiest, biggest polluters to keep...
  • Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
    • (11 speeches)
      Madam Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
  • Questions to the Speaker (0 speeches)
    • Standing Orders (10 speeches)
      Yesterday in this chamber, while speaking on the Parliamentary Entitlements Legislation Amendment Bill 2014 and the importance of integrity, I made reference to a dishonest campaign run by the...
  • Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
    • (8 speeches)
      I seek to make a personal explanation.
  • Documents (0 speeches)
    • Presentation (1 speech)
      Documents are tabled in accordance with the list circulated to honourable members earlier today. Full details of the documents will be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings.
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Selection Committee; Report (1 speech)
      (): I present report No. 16 of the Selection Committee relating to the consideration of committee and delegation business and of private members' business on Monday, 24 November 2014. The report...
  • Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
    • Fuel Prices (35 speeches)
      I have received a letter from the honourable member for McMahon proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely: The Prime Minister's petrol...
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Adjournment (0 speeches)
    • Rankin Electorate: Unity Council, John Paul College (1 speech)
      In the great arguments and debates of this chamber, we too easily forget just how much we share in common as members, and as Australians; not least of which is the good fortune to be citizens of...
    • Dobell Electorate: Education Week (1 speech)
      The year 2014 marked the 60th anniversary of the first Education Week held in New South Wales. The theme for 2014, 'lighting the way to a better world' was reprised from the inaugural Education...
    • Education Funding (1 speech)
      We on this side of the House know that one of the most important, rewarding and smartest investments that any government can make is in our education sector and particularly to making sure that...
    • Australian Bureau of Statistics (1 speech)
      I rise to paint a picture of climate change. A picture where Camden, just to the south-west of Sydney, is sweltering in 50-degree heat. Over in the west it is 51 degrees in the shade at...
    • Walungurru School, Northern Territory School Funding (1 speech)
      Yesterday it was my privilege to host students and teachers from Walungurru School. Walungurru, or Kintore, is a small Aboriginal community with a population of about 400, which is located 550...
    • Leichhardt Electorate: Anglican Parish Hall (2 speeches)
      This Saturday I am taking part in a very special event: the grand opening of the refurbished Anglican Parish Hall on Thursday Island. It has been a long process but one that I am very proud to...
  • Constituency Statements (0 speeches)
    • Jones, Mr Ignatius (1 speech)
      On Saturday I was honoured to join hundreds of delegates and affiliates of the Filipino community for the Filipino Communities Council of Australia national conference gala dinner, which was...
    • Dawson Electorate: Employment (1 speech)
      As the chair of the Australia-Philippines parliamentary network, I associate myself with the member for Greenway's superb comments. Last night, on a single website, there were 1,331 properties...
    • Vietnamese Australian Welfare Association (1 speech)
      I acknowledge the tremendous contributions of the Vietnamese Australian Welfare Association. Since the association's establishment in 1989 it has provided the local community of south-west Sydney...
    • Dyslexia (1 speech)
      Whilst it is commonly known that students develop and learn at varying rates, for some students, reading and writing presents a continual challenge. These are the students who struggle daily with...
    • Focal Extended Incorporated (1 speech)
      My electorate of Blair is blessed with many wonderful organisations. A division having been called in the House of Representatives— Sitting suspended from 09:42 to 10:05 It is not the...
    • Work for the Dole (1 speech)
      So often in this place we seem to major in the minors, debating the small things, but there really are a couple of public sector issues that separate the two major parties. One of them is the...
    • Indi Electorate: Telecommunications (1 speech)
      Last week, Meaghan and Matthew Hick of Dartmouth, in the Mitta Valley, contacted my office to express their frustration with ageing telecommunications infrastructure in the town. The community...
    • Easther, Councillor Barry, OAM, Moore, Mrs Margaret, AM (1 speech)
      This morning I would like to acknowledge two events in my electorate of Bass. The first is the contribution made by Northern Tasmanian local government stalwart Barry Easther OAM, who is one of...
    • Live Animal Exports (1 speech)
      I rise to give a voice in this parliament to literally hundreds of Hotham constituents who have written to me upset and angry at reports of Australian animals exported live to Gaza, who have been...
    • Carbon Pricing (1 speech)
      It gives me pleasure to rise today to speak on something that is having a huge impact in my electorate of Deakin, and that is the repeal of the carbon tax. As all members in this place know, the...
    • Chifley Electorate: Doonside Technology High School (1 speech)
      This year Doonside Technology High School celebrated 50 great years. They were great not only over the space of that time but also in their current years, when they have been making great...
    • Solomon Electorate: Child Care (1 speech)
      The Assistant Minister for Education, Susan Ley, loves Darwin almost as much as I love Darwin. She has visited my electorate of Solomon many times to canvass the views of stakeholders in her...
    • Sambell, Mr Brian (1 speech)
      It is my great pleasure to pay tribute to Brian Sambell, mayor of the town of Gawler, who, at the age of 71, is retiring from local government but not from business. He intends to stay in the...
    • Central Coast Growth (1 speech)
      The past fortnight has been significant for people in my electorate because the coalition has taken another important step towards delivering a positive growth plan for the Central Coast. The...
    • Yeo, Ms Joan (1 speech)
      Today I pay tribute to the life of Joan Yeo, who died in the early hours of 9 October, of motor neurone disease, at her house in Bowral. She was 72. She was surrounded by her husband, Phil, and...
    • Petrie Electorate: Hummingbird House (1 speech)
      Children in South-East Queensland who are affected by a life-limiting condition, and the families of these children, have something very exciting to look forward to. Hummingbird House is the...
    • Health (1 speech)
      I rise today to raise the issue of health care on behalf of the people of the Lalor electorate, because they, like me, are confused. They are confused because, when they compare the Primary...
    • Barker Electorate: Rural Ambassador Awards (1 speech)
      This morning I want to talk about the Rural Ambassador Program and in particular the associated Rural Ambassador awards. The program is run by the Agricultural Societies Council of South...
    • Bendigo Electorate: Poverty (1 speech)
      In Bendigo a conversation has begun—a conversation that aims to highlight the hidden poverty that exists within our community. Local media and community organisations and leaders, in the...
    • Hindmarsh Electorate, South Australian Government (1 speech)
      I rise this morning to speak about a number of matters that have been brought to my attention by local constituents and residents in my electorate of Hindmarsh. Over recent months I have been...