House debates

Tuesday, 17 March 2015

  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Statements by Members (0 speeches)
    • Higher Education (1 speech)
      The Minister for Education's political career started in student politics and this year we have seen it go full circle, returning to the kinds of pathetic word games and stubborn ideology that...
    • Macarthur Electorate: Wakeling Automotive (1 speech)
      It gives me great pleasure to congratulate Wakeling Automotive, which is celebrating 30 fantastic years of service to the automotive industry in Macarthur. Paul and Margaret Wakeling started Paul...
    • Higher Education (1 speech)
      This is a government well and truly on the nose with the Australian public. One of the key reasons it is on the nose is that it is an unfair government. It is a government, through its budget...
    • Dobell Electorate: Bateau Bay Neighbourhood Centre (1 speech)
      Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting Bateau Bay Neighbourhood Centre. This local community organisation is spearheaded by a dedicated and passionate team of staff and volunteers, who are...
    • Higher Education (1 speech)
      Last week, I met with a group of students at La Trobe University, on the border of my electorate of Jagajaga. I met with a diverse range of students including Betty Belay, Jenny Stramilos,...
    • Bass Electorate: St Patrick's College (1 speech)
      I acknowledge my constituents Alan and Jill Birchmore, who are in the gallery today. I rise to congratulate St Patrick's College in my electorate of Bass for its clean sweep at the Sports...
    • Higher Education (1 speech)
      I rise today to highlight the farce that is the passage of the Higher Education and Research Reform Amendment Bill. This has been going on for months now with the member for Sturt playing Basil...
    • Flynn Electorate: Shipping Industry (1 speech)
      I am concerned that the coastal shipping trade in Australia is sinking—and sinking fast. Between 2000 and 2012 national freight in Australia grew by 57 per cent, but shipping fell from an...
    • Indi Electorate: Broadband (1 speech)
      I would like to acknowledge some of my constituents—Chiltern, Barnawartha, Rutherglen, Wahgunyah—up there in the gallery. Could my colleagues all wave to them! It is great to have you...
    • Barker Electorate (1 speech)
      Mount Gambier was delighted to welcome Prime Minister Abbott to our city on Tuesday last, following an invitation extended to him jointly by Mayor Lee and me. This visit marks the third time that...
    • Higher Education (1 speech)
      Of all the many failings of this government none are more profound than its handling of higher education, starting with a broken promise, going through to blackmail. What this really is about is...
    • Hinkler Electorate: Austchilli (1 speech)
      Hinkler residents will be glued to the TV tonight to see some of our own produce become the so-called 'hero of the dish'! The De Paoli family will spice things up on the hit reality show My...
    • Higher Education (1 speech)
      It is a brave person who disagrees with the member for Lalor, the Opposition Whip, but I have to say that the education minister more resembles Basil Fawlty than Basil Rathbone. His performance...
    • Alzheimer's Research (1 speech)
      What these higher education reforms can deliver are things that are happening at the moment at the University of Queensland. We received amazing news last week with the breakthrough in...
    • Higher Education (1 speech)
      Before the election, Minister Pyne said: The Coalition has no plans to increase university fees … Now he wants to allow universities to charge as much as students or their parents are...
    • Durack Electorate: Cyclone Olwyn (1 speech)
      Over the weekend, the north-west was battered by Cyclone Olwyn. Towns like Denham, Shark Bay, Coral Bay, Exmouth and Carnarvon were all impacted by winds of up to 200 kilometres per hour. The...
    • Higher Education (1 speech)
      There is a simple message for this government and the Minister for Education today: give up on trying to be nimble. The project has failed abysmally. It has gone through various policy proposals,...
    • Capricornia Electorate: Mental Health (1 speech)
      Recently, I had the privilege to officially open stage 2 of the new $5 million Archerview Clinic at Hillcrest Rockhampton Private Hospital. Hillcrest is operated by Ramsay Health Care, a proud...
    • Higher Education (1 speech)
      Last week I joined with my colleagues the member for Shortland and the member for Charlton at an important event at Newcastle university campus in Callaghan where we met with students from right...
    • Richards, Ms Sienna (2 speeches)
      I want to talk about an amazing young lady from my electorate, Sienna Richards, who has cerebral palsy. She raised $7,000 in the YMCA swimathon on the weekend by swimming seven kilometres in one...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Higher Education (5 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Minister for Education's magnificent interview on Sky News in which he described himself as 'a fixer'. What exactly in higher education has...
    • National Security (14 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister update the House on action the government is taking to further strengthen Australia's national security?
    • Higher Education (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Speaking about his plans for higher education changes on Saturday, the Prime Minister said he was: Very committed—very, very committed. He also said:...
    • Cyclones (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Will the minister update the House on the additional emergency assistance that government is providing to Vanuatu and to other Pacific Islands...
  • Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I wish to advise that we have a number of distinguished guests with us in the Speaker's gallery this afternoon. Firstly, we have Mrs Rosario Marin, who is the 41st Treasurer of the United States...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Higher Education (5 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to Professor Bruce Chapman's statement in the Australian today in relation to the government's latest bungled plan on universities: I still expect...
    • Economy (3 speeches)
      My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer update the House on how the government is working to build a stronger economy? How will a stronger economy help Australia deal with the...
    • Higher Education (13 speeches)
      It is Port Adelaide—right city, though, Madam Speaker; thank you. My question is to the 'fixer', formerly known as the Minister for Education and Training. When speaking on Sky News about...
    • Broadband (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Communications. There is enormous demand in my electorate of Indi for the NBN, and I am wondering if you could give the House some details on when we are going...
    • Budget (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. I refer to reports leaked from last night's full meeting of the government's ministry that the Minister for Foreign Affairs criticised the...
    • Infrastructure (15 speeches)
      My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development. It is a serious question. I ask the Deputy Prime Minister to outline to the House how the...
    • Defence Procurement (5 speeches)
      Thank you, Madam Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. I refer to the Four Corners program last night. Was the minister consulted about the government's decision to hold a...
    • Asylum Seekers (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Will the minister update the House on Operation Sovereign Borders? Are there any threats to the ongoing success of this policy?
    • Taxation, Pensions and Benefits (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Treasurer. Last night the Treasurer said: I'm always cautious about taking people's money off them. Was the Treasurer cautious about ripping away $6,000 from Australian...
    • Food Labelling (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Industry and Science. Will the minister update the House on steps the government is taking to improve country-of-origin labelling to ensure it is clear,...
    • Minister for Agriculture (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Yesterday in question time in explaining why the Prime Minister sacked the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, the Prime Minister informed the...
    • Carbon Pricing (11 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for the Environment. I refer the minister to an email from the owner of Homebush Export Meat Company in my electorate which states that due to the repeal of the...
    • Minister for Agriculture (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Agriculture. I refer him to the meeting he had with the former agriculture secretary on 27 October last year in which changes to the minister's Hansard record...
    • Workplace Relations (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Education and Training, representing the Minister for Employment. Will the minister update the House on the government's plans to maintain the rule of law in...
    • Minister for Agriculture (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Given that the Public Service Act requires that the Prime Minister advise the Governor-General of the reasons why he is seeking the dismissal of a...
    • Intergenerational Report: 2015 (4 speeches)
      Will the Assistant Treasurer update the House on the implications in the 2015 Intergenerational report for Australia's tax system? Can the Assistant Treasurer tell the House if there are any...
    • Minister for Agriculture (18 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Agriculture. Minister, in his last answer the Prime Minister said that Dr Grimes had to go because of an irreconcilable conflict between Dr Grimes and you....
    • Small Business (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister—
  • 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.
  • Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
    • Higher Education (20 speeches)
      I have received a letter from the honourable the Leader of the Opposition proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion namely: The government...
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
    • (10 speeches)
      Mr Deputy Speaker, I seek leave to make a personal explanation.
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Adjournment (0 speeches)
    • International Development Assistance (1 speech)
      When Ben Chifley spoke of the 'light on the hill', he was very clear that Labor's aspirations for better lives cannot end at Australia's borders. He said then that our task was to work 'anywhere...
    • Illicit Drugs (1 speech)
      Tonight, I rise to bring a troubling issue before the House, one that is destroying so many lives and families right across our region, right across our nation and in my electorate of Lindsay....
    • Indi Electorate: Emergency Services (1 speech)
      Tonight I would like to read to the House a letter I received last week from Karen Purss from Cudgewa in North East Victoria. Her message is that mobile phone coverage is not an optional extra in...
    • Macedonia (1 speech)
      Tonight I wish to raise a matter of great importance to many of my constituents and in fact many people around the country. It is rare that I take exception to our government's foreign policy...
    • International Women's Day (1 speech)
      Last week communities came together to celebrate International Women's Day—a day to reflect on the achievements of women and, more importantly, to reaffirm our advocacy and commitment to...
    • SPC Ardmona (2 speeches)
      I want to place my heartfelt, personal thanks on the parliamentary record for the courage, the commitment and the sheer hard work of Peter Kelly. Peter Kelly has been in the role of managing...