House debates

Wednesday, 8 February 2017

  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Selection Committee; Report (1 speech)
      I present report No. 6 of the Selection Committee, relating to consideration of committee and delegation business and private members' business on Monday, 13 February 2017. The report will be...
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Statements by Members (0 speeches)
    • Centrelink (3 speeches)
      Like all members of this House—if they are honest—over the break my office was deluged with complaints from ordinary citizens—families, pensioners, disability pensioners—
    • Ovarian Cancer (1 speech)
      Most parents would know and enjoy that connection with fellow parents at their kids' school sports. It is that common bond: you are standing in the rain, the cold or the heat together, cheering...
    • Mayo Electorate: headspace (1 speech)
      The need for mental health services in the Adelaide Hills has never been greater. Our population is growing, and rapidly, and we need specialist services such as headspace close to hand. The...
    • Mallee Electorate: Early Childhood Education (1 speech)
      Today I have written to the Minister for Education and Training, Simon Birmingham, to outline my support for government funding of 15 hours of early childhood education. There is something I have...
    • Macquarie Electorate: Broadband (1 speech)
      There is a battle going on in rural parts of the Hawkesbury in my electorate over a string of NBN wireless towers. We have seen the same problem at Cattai, Maraylya, Yarramundi, Sackville, and...
    • Petition: West Gippsland Health Care (1 speech)
      There is a battle going on in McMillan for good health services, including for a new hospital for West Gippsland. In particular, I have a petition here from West Gippsland residents. The...
    • Australian Capital Territory: Broadband (1 speech)
      Here in the nation's capital, just 15 minutes from this very Parliament House, Canberrans are experiencing some of the worst internet speeds in the world. This is having a significant impact on...
    • Wright Electorate: Day, Ms Riley (1 speech)
      I bring good news to this parliament. Good news by way of a rising sports and athletics star: young Riley Day. Riley, who is in year 12 at Beaudesert high school, ran for Australia recently at...
    • Burt Electorate: Youth Partnership Project (1 speech)
      A few weeks ago Heidi, Will and Woody, the breakfast hosts on Perth's Hit 92.9, spoke about a juvenile appearing in the Armadale Magistrates Court in my electorate who had spat at a police...
    • Ovarian Cancer (1 speech)
      February is ovarian cancer awareness month, and I was joined at Ovarian Cancer Australia's teal ribbon breakfast this morning by women from my electorate. There were some fantastic women,...
    • Moreton Electorate: Centrelink (1 speech)
      I rise, like many other MPs, to inform the House about the frustration being felt in my electorate by people who have been sent Centrelink debt recovery notices. Francis from Moorooka emailed my...
    • Banks Electorate: Resourceful Australian Indian Network (1 speech)
      On 25 January, I attended the Resourceful Australian Indian Network's annual general meeting and Pongal celebrations. Pongal, of course, is a thanksgiving celebration of a successful harvest and...
    • Lindsay Electorate: Australia Day Awards (1 speech)
      I rise to congratulate and to commend the 10 local community members from Lindsay who were recognised with Australia Day awards this year. 'Rossco' Hutchison is Penrith Citizen of the Year for...
    • Murray Electorate: Future Voices (1 speech)
      Australia is often cited as being one of the most successful multicultural societies in the world. Within my electorate of Murray, I am proud that the community of Shepparton reflects this...
    • Kingsford Smith Chinese New Year Festival (1 speech)
      On Saturday, I was pleased to host the third annual Kingsford Smith Lunar New Year festival at Dacey Gardens in Kingsford. Thousands of locals came together on the fringe of one of Sydney and...
    • Executive Remuneration (1 speech)
      Thank you very much indeed! I cannot outdo that one! I was certainly taken aback today in reading in today's media of the salary package of Australia Post's CEO Ahmed Fahour. Earning $5.6 million...
    • Centrelink (1 speech)
      As the Turnbull government stumbles from disaster to catastrophe, there is one particular incident that should remain front of mind. Numerous Batman families and pensioners have been contacting...
    • Cystic Fibrosis (1 speech)
      I rise today to lend a strong voice in support of those living with cystic fibrosis. Late last year I met with the team at Cystic Fibrosis Queensland to learn more about their vital work. All...
    • Budget (1 speech)
      I rise today to discuss some issues that have been raised with me in my electorate, and one of them is that this government is hurtling towards the development of a budget for 2017 while still...
    • Schneider, Mr Ernest (2 speeches)
      Just before New Year, my electorate of Capricornia lost a well-known old war veteran and Sarina identity. Former returned serviceman Ernest 'Ernie' Schneider passed away on 30 December 2016, aged...
  • Statements on Indulgence (0 speeches)
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Pensions and Benefits (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Exactly how many Australian families will be worse off because of the Prime Minister's cuts to family payments introduced into the parliament today?
    • Cost of Living (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister update the House on steps the government is taking to support household budgets of hardworking Australians and reduce cost-of-living...
    • Pensions and Benefits (11 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister's failure to answer my previous question about family payments. When will the Prime Minister admit that over one million...
  • Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I would like to inform the House we have present in the gallery this afternoon Mr Stuart Henry, the former member for Hasluck. On behalf of the House, I extend a very warm welcome. Honourable...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Pensions and Benefits (5 speeches, 1 comment)
      My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister about Centrelink and access for dairy farmers. Minister, on 10 November I asked you a question about delays for families in accessing farm and...
    • Economy (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer update the House on what the government is doing to support the incomes of hardworking Australians and relieve the cost pressures on the family...
    • Pensions and Benefits (7 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Kelly Manning is a mum with four children who lives in Melbourne and has just completed six months of chemotherapy. Kelly will be more than $1,000 a year...
    • Agriculture Industry (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources. Would the minister outline what measures the government is taking to support the ongoing success of...
    • Centrelink (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Human Services. Yesterday during question time, both the Prime Minister and the minister promised that the minister would investigate the case of Anne Foley, a...
    • Defence Procurement (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Defence Industry. Will the minister update the House on the rebuilding of infrastructure at the Osborne ship and submarine yards? How will the federal...
    • Centrelink (7 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Athol Heynatz lives in my electorate. He is a father, an Army veteran and the full-time carer of his son who, as a baby, lost his legs to meningococcal. Mr...
    • Energy (6 speeches, 1 comment)
      My question is to the Minister for the Environment and Energy. Will the minister update the House on what the government is doing to ensure that hardworking Australian families have an affordable...
    • Turnbull Government (3 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. How can anyone have confidence in a government which is hopelessly divided, which punishes pensioners, which punishes families and is only interested in...
  • Motions (0 speeches)
    • Prime Minister; Attempted Censure (18 speeches)
      I seek leave to move the following motion: That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Maribyrnong from moving the following motion forthwith: That the House:...
  • 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.
  • Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
    • Centrelink (33 speeches)
      I have received a letter from the honourable member for Barton proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely: The Government hurting...
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Law Enforcement Committee; Appointment (1 speech)
      I have received a message from the Senate informing the House that Senator Kakoschke-Moore has been appointed a member of the Joint Committee on Law Enforcement.
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Adjournment (0 speeches)
    • Calwell Electorate: Education (1 speech)
      Tonight, I want to take this opportunity to welcome back all students and staff in my electorate to the 2017 school year, and I want to wish them all a very productive and successful year ahead....
    • Boothby Electorate: Women's Memorial Playing Fields (1 speech)
      Sometimes, as members of parliament, we have local issues, stories of service and places of significance that deserve national recognition. It is important for me to speak about one of these...
    • Moreton Electorate: Australia Day Awards 2017 (1 speech)
      The Moreton Australia Day Awards have become a proud feature of the south side of Brisbane's community calendar for nearly a decade. We had a wonderful ceremony on Australia Day, held for the...
    • Australia Day Awards (1 speech)
      Australia Day saw many community members, both past and present, recognised for outstanding dedication and commitment to their local communities. Calare boasts some truly outstanding Australians,...
  • Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
    • (1 speech)
      I join the member for Calare in welcoming Stephanie and Ron to the gallery tonight. You have obviously travelled a long distance and I want to acknowledge that. I thank the member for Calare for...
  • Adjournment (0 speeches)
    • Dental Benefits (1 speech)
      It has been a pretty bad day for the Turnbull government's latest health minister. At his first parliamentary hurdle, the health minister has had a stumble; at his first test of whether he has...
    • Transport Infrastructure (1 speech)
      I rise to speak on the federal government's strategy to promote economic development within our region and our state by investing in the necessary infrastructure to improve connectivity with...
  • Constituency Statements (0 speeches)
    • Lunar New Year (1 speech)
      Once again it is an honour for me to participate in the Lunar New Year celebrations throughout my community. Lunar New Year, or Tet as the Vietnamese refer to it, is a time to celebrate with...
    • Heywire Competition, Australia Day Honours (1 speech)
      Today I would like to acknowledge Ms Bella Joseland, a young girl from Yaraka, the small town with a big heart, in my electorate. Bella is one of 41 regional Australians between the ages of 16...
    • Centrelink (5 speeches)
      I rise to speak on the shambolic automated Centrelink debt recovery system that this government refuses to shut down, against all advice and any common sense. I have been contacted by far too...
    • Battle of Milne Bay (1 speech)
      In the middle of the night, 75 years ago, members of the 25th Infantry Battalion were awoken from their bunks at the Cabarlah Barracks just north of Toowoomba, called and marched down through the...
    • Migration (1 speech)
      There was a time a while ago when Donald Trump seemed like a bad joke, but that time is over. Last Sunday, together with Greens state MP Ellen Sandell and community leaders, I hosted an emergency...
    • Tangney Electorate: Perth Freight Link (1 speech)
      Today I want to talk about Roe 8 and Roe 9—an important part of the Perth Freight Link. I want to tell you about the jobs these road projects will create and the efficiencies that will be...
    • Centrelink (1 speech)
      I rise today to add my voice, again this week, to debate about the Centrelink debacle that this government has wrought upon the Australian public across the break period. It is cruel, and the...
    • Wide Bay Electorate: Employment (1 speech)
      The Wide Bay region has long struggled with high unemployment. It is a battle that I have faced myself. I remember in my late teens and early 20s going door to door, desperate to get any job I...
    • Bennett, Mr Kobe, Flint, Mrs Deirdre, OAM (1 speech)
      Today I rise to talk about the remarkable Kobe Bennett, who was last month awarded the title of Young Citizen of the Year in the city of Brighton, in my electorate. Kobe has a real commitment to...
    • Water Safety (2 speeches)
      Some of this country's greatest pastimes are water-related activities. Many Australians and tourists this summer would have been beating the heat by taking part in water sports and recreational...
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Economics Committee; Report (11 speeches)
      Young people are getting screwed and the government does not seem to care. That is especially the case when you look at one of the most basic of human rights, the right to have shelter and a roof...
    • Infrastructure, Transport and Cities Committee; Report (7 speeches)
      I rise today to speak on this most recent report from the Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Cities, entitled Harnessing value, delivering infrastructure: inquiry into the role...
  • Business (0 speeches)
    • Rearrangement (1 speech)
      by leave—I move: That consideration of committee and delegation business order of the day No. 3, Report 167: Nuclear Cooperation—Ukraine; Extradition—China, be postponed until a...
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Treaties Committee; Report (3 speeches)
      When I first rose in November last year to begin this speech on the report on the Trans-Pacific Partnership the world was a different place. Donald Trump had just been elected President, but...
  • Statements on Indulgence (0 speeches)
    • Melbourne: Attacks (9 speeches)
      The 20th of January will be marked as a very tragic day for the people of Victoria and Melbourne. I, like many people, was shocked to see and hear of the terrible carnage that occurred in one of...
  • Condolences (0 speeches)
    • Gorman, Mr Russell Neville Joseph (3 speeches)
      I rise to contribute a statement on indulgence on the passing of former member for Greenway— A division having been called in the House of Representatives— Sitting suspended from 18...
    • Trood, Professor Russell Brunell (4 speeches)
      It is an honour to follow the member for Lingiari and also the member for Chifley. I am here to pay tribute to a man who was a scholar and a senator. He was from the other side of politics and...
    • Deveson, Ms Anne, AO (3 speeches)
      It is a great privilege to rise and talk on the enormous contribution of Anne Deveson to Australia over a very, very long period of time. I did not know Anne personally, but I knew her daughter,...
    • Tasmania: 50th Anniversary of Black Tuesday Bushfires (2 speeches)
      Today I rise to commemorate the 1967 Black Tuesday fires in Tasmania—the lives lost, the homes wrecked, the livestock killed and the businesses burned to the ground. But this is not just a...