House debates

Tuesday, 1 December 2015

  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Statements by Members (0 speeches)
    • Family Payments (1 speech)
      It is clear that the family tax benefit cuts are a direct attack on the hardworking families in our community. In my electorate of McEwen, there are 17,345 families on FTB part A who will lose...
    • Boothby Electorate: Adelaide Test Match (1 speech)
      The first day-night Test has just finished in Adelaide, and it was a roaring success. Attendance over the three days saw 124,000 people show up. These are the biggest crowds since the bodyline...
    • Family Payments, Goods and Services Tax (1 speech)
      Christmas is a time of giving, but not for the Turnbull government, which is intent on taking. It wants to take money away from Australian families by cutting family payments and increasing their...
    • Illicit Drugs (1 speech)
      Today I would like to speak on a community forum I will be hosting next week on the ice epidemic currently affecting my electorate of Bonner. This is a topic close to my heart. The statistics on...
    • Indi Electorate: RACV Victorian Tourism Awards (1 speech)
      The Y Water Discovery Centre in Yea has taken out the prestigious New Tourism Business category in this year's RACV Victorian Tourism Awards. Opened in August 2014, the Y Water Discovery Centre...
    • Foreign Investment: Housing (1 speech)
      One issue that is continually raised with me is the concern that Deakin residents have with the rules around foreign investment in residential real estate and how these rules have been routinely...
    • Family Payments, Goods and Services Tax (1 speech)
      Christmas is such a busy time for families around this country. I know that many of my constituents in Hotham, like my family, are focused on thinking about Christmas presents for our kids and...
    • Hume Electorate: Telecommunications (1 speech)
      The Crookwell community is about to have a great start to the new year—their TV reception is about to be fixed, thanks to federal funding. After years of little progress, I was made aware...
    • Family Payments, Goods and Services Tax (3 speeches)
      I regret to inform the House that there is going to be no cheer in the Christmas cracker for over 1.6 million Australian families. Tragically, this includes three million children. The reason for...
    • Robertson Electorate: Gosford City (1 speech)
      The City of Gosford deserves a business, economic, infrastructure and cultural heart, and every single day I am fighting to help make this happen. Labor, on the other hand, is determined to...
    • Family Payments (1 speech)
      Last Christmas the Abbott government sought to attack the wages and conditions of Australian workers. The then Treasurer sent his Christmas wish list off to the Productivity Commission, putting...
    • Forde Electorate: Sport (1 speech)
      I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the young athletes in my electorate of Forde who have recently received the Local Sporting Champions grant. The grant program is about...
    • Family Payments (1 speech)
      The member for Jagajaga told us—she warned us—and she was right: they are back. The family tax benefit cuts are back. Merry Christmas, Australia! The fight against Malcolm Turnbull's...
    • Barton Electorate: Estia Foundation (1 speech)
      It was a wonderful privilege to attend the grand opening of the Estia Foundation's new state-of-the-art, permanent group home complex yesterday. I was joined by the president and patron, His...
    • Family Payments (1 speech)
      I cannot believe it has boomeranged already! Here we are again—this government is going to put more cuts before the parliament. How many times does this parliament have to reject their cuts...
    • Save the Tarkine (1 speech)
      Last year I stood in this place and exposed the dire financial position of Save the Tarkine and accused it of entering into expensive legal action which was doomed to fail in the full knowledge...
    • Cost of Living (1 speech)
      With Christmas almost upon us, I thought it might be a good time to write a couple of lists for families on what this government is doing on their costs of living. We will call one list 'naughty'...
    • Royal Flying Doctor Service (1 speech)
      Recently I welcomed the Treasurer to the electorate of Hindmarsh for the dedication of a plane for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. The RFDS's new plane is, for all intents and purposes, a flying...
    • HIV-AIDS (1 speech, 1 comment)
      It is just over 30 years since the HIV-AIDS epidemic began in Australia. Between 1984 and mid-1985 there was a 540 per cent increase in cases. My electorate, of course, was one of the worst hit....
    • Wannon Electorate: Speaker's Visit (2 speeches)
      Mr Speaker, I rise today to inform the House of the wonderful visit by your good self to the electorate of Wannon. The importance of educating the next generation in the way our political system...
  • Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      The Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Small Business will be away from question time today as she is unwell. The Treasurer will answer questions on her behalf.
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Climate Change (8 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Yesterday the Prime Minister failed to mention the government's woefully inadequate 26 to 28 per cent carbon pollution target even once in his...
    • Infrastructure (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development. Will the Acting Prime Minister please update the House on infrastructure projects that are...
    • Age Pension (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Treasurer. The Productivity Commission report released today recommends that the family home be included in the pension assets test. Will the Treasurer give pensioners...
    • Economic Competitiveness (2 speeches)
      My question too is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer update the House on how Australia is transitioning from the mining boom to a more diversified economy? Is the Treasurer aware of any...
  • Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I inform the House that we have in the gallery this afternoon the winners of the My First Speech competition, who we have just been with. On behalf of the House, I extend a very warm welcome to...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Goods and Services Tax (7 speeches)
      My question again is to the Treasurer, and I refer to the Treasurer's previous answer. Given that the Treasurer just ruled out including the family home in the pension assets test by affirming...
    • Renewable Energy (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Treasurer. The government has already cut almost a billion dollars from clean energy and public good R&D and still plans to axe Australia's leading clean energy...
    • Climate Change (3 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Will the minister update the House on developments at the Paris climate change meeting and on what the government is bringing to the climate...
  • Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I inform the House we also have present in the southern gallery, to my left, the winners of the Country to Canberra competition. On behalf of the House, I pay them a very warm welcome and I thank...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Economy (10 speeches)
      My question is to the Treasurer. I refer to the Treasurer's answer earlier in question time in which he talked about the economy but did not mention capital expenditure. How much did capital...
    • Agrifood Sector (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Industry and Innovation and Science. I remind the minister that the Business Council of Australia today released a report on Australia's comparative advantage...
    • Special Minister of State (3 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Justice. When was the Minister for Justice or his office first informed of the Australian Federal Police's intention to execute a search warrant at the home of...
    • Agriculture (7 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources. Will the minister update the House on how agriculture is supporting both jobs and innovation in the Northern Territory and...
    • Special Minister of State (3 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister of Justice. Given that the minister was informed of the Australian Federal Police's intention to execute a search warrant at the home of the Special Minister of...
    • Climate Change (8 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for International Development and the Pacific. Will the minister outline to the House how the government is helping our Pacific neighbours respond to the challenges...
  • Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I inform the House that in the last few minutes we have been joined by an Indonesian parliamentary delegation led by His Excellency Mr Irman Gusman, Speaker of the Regional Representatives...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Special Minister of State (11 speeches)
      My question is to the Special Minister of State. On Thursday last week during question time the minister said: I refer you to the findings of the full bench of the Federal Court, which dealt with...
    • Superannuation (8 speeches)
      My question is to the Treasurer. On 20 November I spoke at a well-attended forum in Launceston convened by the Association of Independent Retirees. Strong concerns were expressed at that meeting...
    • Special Minister of State (2 speeches)
      My question is again to the Special Minister of State. If the Federal Court judgement found that the minister acted appropriately, why did the Australian Federal Police raid his home?
    • Industrial Hemp (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Health. As the minister is aware, I have been campaigning on behalf of Mr Phil Reader, a constituent in my electorate of Lyons, and others, for the legalisation...
    • Special Minister of State (5 speeches)
      My question is to the Special Minister of State. I refer to the minister's previous answer. Isn't it true that the Federal Court judgement was handed down before the minister admitted on national...
    • Paterson Electorate: RAAF Base Williamtown (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs representing the Minister for Defence. Will you update the House on what the coalition government is doing to contain the PFOS firefighting...
    • Special Minister of State (3 speeches)
      My question is again to the Special Minister of State. Yesterday and today the minister has referred to paragraphs 122 to 124 of the full Federal Court's judgement in the matter of Ashby v...
    • Trade (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Treasurer. How are the opportunities provided by Australia's free trade agreements helping to promote jobs and growth at companies such as A2 Milk in Smeaton Grange, in my...
    • Special Minister of State (5 speeches)
      My question is to the Special Minister of State. I refer to the minister's previous answers and I refer to comments made by James Ashby in today's Australian: 'So I went home and pulled the copy...
    • Trade Unions (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Will the minister update the House on action the government is taking to ensure the safe passage of holiday-makers and...
    • Special Minister of State (7 speeches)
      My question is to the Special Minister of State. I refer to the minister's previous answer, where he claimed that he did not request a copy of the former Speaker's diary when he sent a text to...
    • Hughes Electorate: Infrastructure (2 speeches)
      My constituency question is to the Deputy Prime Minister. The Enfield intermodal, once described as a test case for the viability of an intermodal at Moorebank, is now years overdue, with the...
    • Special Minister of State (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Special Minister of State. I refer to the minister's previous answers, and I refer to reports in today's The Australian that the Assistant Minister for Innovation provided...
    • Brisbane Electorate: Infrastructure (2 speeches)
      My constituency question is to the Acting Prime Minister and the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development. Thousands of my constituents in the electorate of Brisbane spend their...
  • Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
    • (18 speeches)
      Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation. Mr Mitchell interjecting—
  • Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
    • Climate Change (5 speeches)
      Mr Speaker, I seek the indulgence of the chair to add to an answer.
  • Auditor-General's Reports (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I present the Auditor-General's Audit report No. 10 of 2015-16 entitled Records management in health: Department of Health. Ordered that the report be made a parliamentary paper.
  • 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)
    • Australia's Political System (31 speeches)
      I have a received a letter from the honourable member for Isaacs proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely: The House was informed...
  • Delegation Reports (0 speeches)
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Human Rights Committee; Report (1 speech)
      () (): On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, I present the report entitled Human rights scrutiny report: Thirty-second report of the 44th Parliament. Report made a...
  • 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.
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Statements on Indulgence (0 speeches)
    • Terrorist Attacks around the World (2 speeches)
      The Prime Minister eloquently began his national security statement last week in the following way: When innocent people are dying at the hands of violent extremists, no matter where in the world...
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Adjournment (0 speeches)
    • Iraq and Syria (1 speech)
      A few weeks ago, we had the foreign minister of the Kurdish democratic provisional government in the regional Kurdish authority in northern Iraq visit this parliament. There are 20 million Kurds...
    • Groom Electorate: Toowoomba Second Range Crossing (2 speeches)
      I rise tonight to speak on a topic that is very dear to my heart and it is the culmination of a campaign I began when I was first elected to this House in 1998. Next Monday we will see the...
    • Indi Electorate: Agriculture (1 speech)
      Can I add my congratulations to the member for Groom. I am a frequent user of that road and know it well. I have family in Toowoomba and know how important that road is going to be. But tonight...
    • Forrest Electorate: Infrastructure (1 speech)
      The South West of Western Australia is an iconic tourism destination. It includes the internationally renowned Margaret River wine and tourism region and the major regional centres of Busselton...
    • Victoria: Economy (1 speech)
      As you would be well aware, Mr Acting Deputy Speaker Broadbent, this week marks the first anniversary of the election of the Andrews government in Victoria. It is an important occasion to mark,...
    • Macquarie Electorate (2 speeches)
      I rise today for my final parliamentary speech of the year, 2015, to speak on some of the achievements this year in the Macquarie electorate. Whilst it has been a very full year in parliament,...