House debates

Wednesday, 24 March 2021

  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Selection Committee; Report (1 speech)
      I present report No. 29 of the Selection Committee relating to the consideration of committee and delegation business and private members' business on Wednesday 12 May 2021. The report will be...
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Statement by the Speaker (0 speeches)
    • Members of Parliament: Conduct (1 speech)
      As members are aware, freedom of speech is a powerful privilege which enables the operation of the parliament and attaches to all parliamentary proceedings. With this privilege comes the...
    • Greek Independence Day (1 speech)
      To Australians of Greek heritage, I say zito i eleftheria, happy independence day. This year's celebration of Hellenic independence is a special one as it's the 200th anniversary of the start of...
    • Fisher Electorate: Holi (1 speech)
      Last week we celebrated the Hindu festival of Holi at the Sunshine Coast. It was a vibrant event at the Kings Beach Amphitheatre. I would like to thank local leaders Vas Srinivasan and Arvind...
    • Prime Minister (1 speech)
      Yesterday at the Prime Minister's press conference, many Australians nearly thought we were having a national moment. After more than a month of appalling revelations about rape, sexual assault,...
    • Flynn Electorate: National Rural Women's Coalition (1 speech)
      The National Rural Women's Coalition visited Parliament House last week as part of the rural, regional and remote women's leadership muster for 2021. Laura Rutherford from Marmor in my electorate...
    • Dyett, Mr John Frederick (1 speech)
      I want to say a very special thank you to a member of my team who is retiring next Tuesday. John Frederick Dyett is now 75 years young and has been an electorate officer serving the constituents...
    • Robertson Electorate: Floods (1 speech)
      Over the past few days, my community on the Central Coast has really been greatly affected by the rain and flooding which I know has impacted so many communities right across the New South Wales...
    • Prime Minister (1 speech)
      I wish to make some comments today in the wake of the Prime Minister's press conference yesterday following ongoing reports of utterly unacceptable behaviour in this parliament, which has served...
    • Goldstein, Ms Vida Jane Mary (1 speech)
      I was actually quite moved yesterday by an article in the Nine press by its national affairs editor titled 'Time to end Canberra's statues of limitation' particularly talking about the lack of...
    • Mayo Electorate: Community Events (1 speech)
      Nothing says life is starting to return to a new COVID normal in South Australia than the return of our country shows with champion rams, blue-ribbon cakes and 'animals made out of fruit and veg'...
    • Lake, Ms Naomi (1 speech)
      I rise today to recognise an extraordinary woman from my electorate of O'Connor. Naomi Lake is here in the gallery today with her mother, Wendy. Welcome, Naomi. Naomi has travelled all the way...
    • COVID-19: Vaccination (1 speech)
      Vaccinations are our way out of the pandemic and into the new normal. The Prime Minister promised that, by the end of March, four million Australians would be vaccinated. That goal will not be...
    • Domestic and Family Violence (1 speech)
      Domestic violence is still rife in our communities and continues to poison our country, tearing families apart, destroying lives and causing an unspeakable amount of pain. It's truly a most...
    • Animal Management in Rural and Remote Indigenous Communities (1 speech)
      I've been very proud this week to host and support AMRRIC, Animal Management in Rural and Remote Indigenous Communities. They're doing brilliant work looking after companion animals in our First...
    • Leichhardt Electorate: Imagine the Possibilities Masquerade Ball (1 speech)
      It gives me absolute pleasure to rise today to highlight a fantastic event that I recently attended in my electorate. Imagine the Possibilities Masquerade Ball was a night of glitz and glamour to...
    • JobKeeper Payment (1 speech)
      There are more than a million people in our country today who are relying on JobKeeper. On the weekend, that support will be ripped away and it's estimated that between 100,000 and 250,000...
    • Parliament (1 speech)
      I rise to inform colleagues of the Arthur Calwell-Robert Menzies Lunch Club. This informal group is essentially made up of members from all sides. It was inspired by the former member Martin...
    • JobKeeper Payment (1 speech)
      A year ago billionaire Solomon Lew reportedly cried as he spoke on the phone to the Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, urging him to create JobKeeper. Lew's firm, Premier Investments—which owns...
    • Higgins Electorate: Duldig Studio (1 speech)
      Recently, I was delighted to take federal minister for the arts, Paul Fletcher, to the Duldig Studio museum in my electorate of Higgins to show him the results of a small federal grant used to...
    • Abetz, Senator Eric (2 speeches)
      I, like many women working in this place, have come in here every day last week, and again this week, with a sense of dread about what is next, hoping we have heard the worst. The Speaker of the...
  • Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
    • Abetz, Hon. Senator Eric (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Is Senator Abetz a fit and proper person to represent the government on the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, given the Speaker of...
    • Australian Floods (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister please update the House on how the Morrison government is delivering ongoing assistance to support communities impacted by...
    • Abetz, Senator Eric (5 speeches)
      My question is again to the Prime Minister. Is Senator Abetz a fit and proper person to represent the government on the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, given that the...
    • Australian Floods (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development. Will the Deputy Prime Minister inform the House of how the Morrison-McCormack...
    • Members of Parliament: Staff (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. The Ten Network has reported that government staffers allegedly brought sex workers to Parliament House for a current government MP. What steps has the Prime...
    • Sexual Harassment (8 speeches)
      Prime Minister, yesterday morning you told the Australian people that you were listening. But, with respect, you are not listening. If you were listening, you would have supported debating the...
    • Economy (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer remind the House how the Morrison government's strong leadership and our resilient economy are delivering on our commitment to generate more...
    • Members of Parliament: Staff (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Yesterday in the House the Prime Minister defended his use of an alleged confidential complaint about workplace misconduct inside a media organisation to...
    • Domestic and Family Violence (4 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Women. Will the minister please update the House on how the Morrison government is working to improve the safety of women and children...
    • Prime Minister (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Last Thursday, the Prime Minister repeatedly misled the parliament about the Gaetjen's review. What does it say about the government that even the Prime...
    • Australian Floods (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management. Will the minister please update the House on how the Morrison government is providing support and assistance to...
    • Parliament House: Access (16 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. Last night the Senate heard that on 26 March 2019, just three days after the reported sexual assault of Brittany Higgins, Finance advised the office of the...
    • Australian Floods: Australian Defence Force (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Defence. Will the minister please update the House on how the Morrison government is providing critical ADF support to those...
    • Attorney-General (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has confirmed that he has received advice from the Solicitor-General about the Attorney-General's portfolio responsibilities. He has also...
    • Australian Floods (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and Minister for Government Services. Would the minister please update the House on how the Morrison government is...
    • NT Working Women's Centre (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Prime Minister. The Northern Territory Working Women's Centre helps women with workplace issues, including sexual harassment. The Respect@Work report recommended an increase...
    • Small Business (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business. Will the minister update the House on how the Morrison government is continuing to back...
    • JobKeeper Payment (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Treasurer. There are more than a million Australians still on JobKeeper, and many are still dealing with the effects of border closures, delayed vaccinations and now floods....
    • Regional Australia (6 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister Assisting the Minister for Trade and Investment and the Minister for Decentralisation and Regional Education. Will the minister please update the House on how the...
    • COVID-19: Vaccination (2 speeches)
      My question is to the Treasurer. We've just heard how much he likes statistics. The government said it would have four million vaccinations done by the time JobKeeper is cut this month. Why has...
    • COVID-19: Papua New Guinea (3 speeches)
      My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for International Development and the Pacific. Will the minister please advise the House on how the Morrison government is helping our...
  • Statements on Indulgence (0 speeches)
    • New South Wales: Floods (4 speeches)
      Mr Speaker, as flagged with you, and also with the Leader of the Opposition, and, as the minister representing the Minister for Defence has already advised the House, two hours ago a vehicle was...
  • Parliamentary Representation (0 speeches)
    • Fowler Electorate (11 speeches)
      on indulgence—I simply want to advise the House that I will not be contesting the next election—and I do point out that Bernadette's sitting up there to make sure I don't recant on...
  • Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
    • (14 speeches)
      I wish to make a personal explanation.
  • Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
    • Aged Care (13 speeches)
      I have received a letter from the honourable member for Hotham proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely: The Government's neglect of...
  • Committees (0 speeches)
  • Bills (0 speeches)
  • Adjournment (0 speeches)
    • COVID-19: Higher Education (1 speech)
      Since the start of this pandemic 17,000 university jobs have been lost as a result of the government's failure to support one of our most important sectors. We have seen the Australian National...
    • Covid-19 (1 speech)
      Every Australian who hasn't had the opportunity to work inside parliament or government sort of sees a few things on question time or television or might hear them on the radio but doesn't get to...
    • JobKeeper Payment (1 speech)
      This is a government that has lost its way. Every day there's another scandal, a rort or the axing of a service, on top of a trillion dollars worth of debt, a dud NBN service, dodgy land deals...
    • Undocumented Workers (1 speech)
      I want to acknowledge a report entitled Out of the Shadows that has recently been released by Associate Professor Joanna Howell from the University of Adelaide. In this report, she tackles the...
    • Parliament House: Staff (1 speech)
      What a week! Or, should I say, what a month! Is it just me, or does it feel like Thursday night? The reality is that it's only Wednesday night. The other harsh reality is that the distress caused...
    • Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1 speech)
      I wish I did not have to keep coming back into this place to continue to record my experience as the ultimate case study in why so many women, especially Liberal women, conservative women, Centre...
  • Constituency Statements (0 speeches)
    • Electric Vehicles (1 speech)
      Australians are missing out on the opportunity to buy cheaper model electric vehicles. It's a result of state and federal government policies which clearly discourage Australians from purchasing...
    • Curtin Electorate: Sculpture by the Sea (1 speech)
      I've spoken before about my deep admiration for art and artists, while also recognising my complete lack of artistic ability or creativity. The ability of artists to capture ideas, moods,...
    • COVID-19: Young People (1 speech)
      I grew up in Wyong and went to high school in Tuggerah. It's always been tough for young people growing up outside big cities as they leave school to look for work, find an apprenticeship or...
    • Water Infrastructure (1 speech)
      Australia is a land of extremes, and when it comes to the weather, as we've seen over recent days, we do extreme well. Our hearts go out to all those affected by the wild weather that has washed...
    • Indi Electorate: Inland Rail (1 speech)
      Today I pay tribute to the individuals working tirelessly to enhance the Inland Rail upgrades in our electorate of Indi—those fighting hard to make sure that decision-makers think bigger...
    • Swan Electorate: St John Urgent Care (1 speech)
      Since Monday 15 March this year, locals living in southern Perth, in my electorate of Swan, have had a new way to get urgent help for non-life-threatening injuries: through the new St John urgent...
    • Werriwa Electorate: Austral (1 speech)
      The south-west Sydney growth area takes in several suburbs in my electorate of Werriwa, including Austral. I recently held mobile offices in Austral with the Liverpool City councillors Nathan...
    • Western Australia: Hospitals (1 speech)
      Today The West Australian reports: WA's health system has reached an unprecedented breaking point, with two of Perth's major hospitals declaring code yellows, saying they are unable to take in...
    • Nolan, Mr Laurie (1 speech)
      In the pitch dark of night on 6 January 2016, seven crewmen aboard the Port Stephens marine rescue vessel the Danial Thain ventured into the night. At 2 am, the 32-tonne rescue vessel was hit by...
    • Ryan Electorate: Witton Barracks (2 speeches)
      In the heart of the Ryan electorate sits Witton Barracks, a unique military facility that was utilised in World War II as an interrogation prison by the allied forces. The three prisoner-of-war...
    • Moreton Electorate: Inland Rail (3 speeches)
      The current plan for the coalition's boondoggle project, the Inland Rail, ends at Acacia Ridge in my electorate. This will mean more trucks on suburban roads in Moreton. There will be more...
    • Brown & Hurley Group (1 speech)
      I would like to acknowledge that the Brown & Hurley Group, a family business which started in my community, is celebrating their 75th birthday this year. The business was started by two...
    • Aged Care (1 speech)
      Today I want to speak about Wayne, who lives in Frankston, and his mother. Wayne's mum was on a level 2 aged-care package, which is an allowance of about $14,000 a year. She used that money for...
    • Calare Electorate: Australia Day Awards (1 speech)
      Today I rise to acknowledge the citizens and organisations across the Calare electorate who were honoured on Australia Day for their wonderful contributions to our communities. In Canowindra,...
    • Euthanasia (1 speech)
      Last night, Tasmania's parliament passed voluntary assisted dying laws, a bill introduced by Independent legislative councillor Mike Gaffney. The vote was not close. It passed the Legislative...
    • La Trobe Electorate: Telecommunications (1 speech)
      I've got a very clear message when it comes to Telstra, Optus and Vodafone: you must sort out your mess. I feel so sorry for the residents in Clyde and Clyde North, Berwick and Casey Fields, with...
    • Corangamite Electorate: Traditional Owners, Corangamite Electorate: Proposed Division Name (1 speech)
      Last Friday, I had the enormous honour of attending a ceremony marking the transfer of land from Boral back to the traditional owners, the Wathaurong people. It was an incredibly moving and...
    • Petrie Electorate: Jobseeker Boot Camps (1 speech)
      According to psychology professor David Blustein, studies show that when people lose their jobs there is an increase in mental health problems, and, when they're re-employed, those problems...
    • Morrison Government (2 speeches)
      The office of the Prime Minister is the most important office in this country, yet the occupier who currently sits in the chair diminishes it and reduces the office of Prime Minister to political...
  • Committees (0 speeches)
    • Agriculture and Water Resources Committee; Report (2 speeches)
      Before I turn to the substantive issue, I just want to concur with the member for Macnamara and his fine words that ask the Prime Minister to either start leading or resign immediately. When...
  • Bills (0 speeches)