House debates
Monday, 31 July 2023
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Petitions Committee; Report (1 speech)
I present the 12th report of the Standing Committee on Petitions for the 47th Parliament. The report read as follows— HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PETITIONS COMMITTEE REPORT No. 12 Petitions...
- Petitions (0 speeches)
- Presentation (1 speech)
I present the following 65 petitions:
- Responses (1 speech)
I present the following five ministerial responses to petitions previously presented:
- Statements (1 speech)
As Chair of the Petitions Committee it's a privilege to present petitions and ministers' responses to petitions to the House each sitting Monday. However, today I'd like to mention the other...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Intelligence and Security Joint Committee; Report (1 speech)
On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security I present the committee's report entitled Review of Administration and Expenditure No. 20 (2020-21)—Australian...
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Postponement (1 speech)
I inform the House that, pursuant to standing order 110, the honourable member for Mayo has postponed notices 1 and 2 standing in her name. The order of precedence of remaining private members'...
- Private Members' Business (0 speeches)
- Superannuation (10 speeches)
I move: That this House calls on the Government to prescribe that Australian superannuation monies be invested in Australian industries and projects by ensuring: (1) superannuation funds holding...
- Labor Government (11 speeches)
I move: That this House: (1) notes that since the last sitting of the House, the following have come into effect: (a) cheaper child care; (b) strengthened paid parental leave; (c) reform to the...
- Economy (17 speeches)
I move: That this House: (1) notes that: (a) under the current Government, labour productivity growth has slumped to a historic low of minus 4.6 per cent; and (b) the collapse in labour...
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Public Service Amendment Bill 2023; Second Reading (11 speeches)
I know there are millions of Australians who were at home watching the first part of my contribution to the Public Service Amendment Bill 2023, and they were anxious throughout the winter recess...
- Statements by Members (0 speeches)
- Bowman Electorate: Growing Regions Program (1 speech)
The Southern Moreton Bay Islands in my electorate are home to over 8,000 people. As the crow flies, these communities are close to Brisbane, but, in terms of infrastructure, remoteness and...
- Cockman, Ms Margaret, OAM (1 speech)
I'm trying to be brave, but I feel very sad. Our much-loved pioneer Margaret Cockman OAM, freeman of the cities of Wanneroo and Joondalup, sadly passed away last week aged 92. Margaret was a...
- Canberra Airport: Freedom of the Media (1 speech)
Yesterday was pollie Sunday, as it's known colloquially amongst those of us who travel a lot. Arrive at Canberra Airport—check. Down the escalator—check. Temperature...
- Makin Electorate: Australia Post (1 speech)
The decision by Australia Post to close the Modbury post office beggars belief. Located in the Tea Tree Plaza Shopping Centre and within the dominant regional precinct in Adelaide's north-east...
- Housing Affordability (1 speech)
I want to use this time to share a story from a constituent of mine, McKeeley: We moved into our current Wilston unit in October 2021. An old but large 2-bedroom apartment, with minimal features...
- Spence Electorate: Defence Industry (1 speech)
I'd like to take this opportunity to talk about an event that I was delighted to have been a part of on 29 June at RAAF Edinburgh, which is located in my electorate of Spence. The event marked a...
- Indi Electorate: Food Sustainability (1 speech)
Indi is one of the food bowls of our nation, and today I want to acknowledge two of the community initiatives in Indi that promote sustainable healthy food. Sustainable King Valley is a small but...
- International Day of Friendship (1 speech)
In the 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2011, Australia and a raft of nations passed a resolution designating 30 July as the International Day of Friendship. This resolution...
- Durack Electorate: Students (1 speech)
Students from Durack who get to go on 'the Canberra trip' often say it's a trip of a lifetime. As their local member, I'm always very excited to meet up with the students to hear about their...
- Fernando, Mr Merrill J (1 speech)
Merrill J Fernando was many things, and he was a visionary tea maker who made single-origin Ceylon tea a household name in the world. Merrill was a committed environmentalist, philanthropist, and...
- Sturt Electorate: Roads (1 speech)
I rise to thank Senator Bridget McKenzie, who came to my electorate during the break to participate in a roundtable that I held with two of my local governments, the Norwood Payneham and St...
- Singapore: Death Penalty (1 speech)
Last week, Singapore hanged Mohd Aziz bin Hussain and Saridewi Binte Djamani. They have notified that they will carry out another execution of a Singapore Malay man this Wednesday, in two days...
- National Radioactive Waste Management Facility, Native Title (1 speech)
I rise on a matter that deeply troubles me, the decision by Justice Charlesworth two weeks ago in the Federal Court to disallow the ministerial selection by my good friend Keith Pitt of the Kimba...
- Men's Sheds (1 speech)
Men's shed have been around in our communities for 30 years. They are an Australian first, started as a way to improve men's health and wellbeing. They have extended to all sorts of activities....
- Energy (1 speech)
There is no end in sight to Labor's energy price spiral. The latest data reveals the costs of generating electricity soared by a further 31 per cent between April and June. Meanwhile, Labor in...
- Women's Economic Security (1 speech)
I recently had the privilege to visit Karinya House, a really important organisation here in Canberra that supports women who are pregnant or have newborns who are homeless or at risk of...
- Burrowa House (1 speech)
I rise today to commemorate a significant milestone in one of the small communities in my electorate, the 30th anniversary of the Burrowa House aged-care facility in Boorowa. For three decades,...
- Rockingham By-Election (1 speech)
Congratulations to the new WA state member for Rockingham, Magenta Marshall, who won the seat with an excellent 65.2 per cent two-party preferred margin on Saturday. Magenta Marshall is a...
- Jones, Mr Ewen Thomas (3 speeches)
On 13 July, this nation lost a larger-than-life character—Ewen Jones, the former member for Herbert. But it's his bravery and courage and the love that was shown to him during the death...
- Parliamentary Representation (0 speeches)
- Members Sworn (1 speech)
I have received a return to the writ which I issued on 12 June 2023 for the election of a member to serve for the electoral division of Fadden, in the state of Queensland, to fill the vacancy...
- Condolences (0 speeches)
- Jones, Mr Ewen Thomas (1 speech)
I inform the House of the death on 13 July 2023 of Ewen Thomas Jones, a member of this House for the division of Herbert from 2010 to 2016. As a mark of respect to the memory of Ewen Jones, I...
- Crean, Hon. Simon Findlay; Reference to Federation Chamber (1 speech)
I declare that the resumption of the debate on the Prime Minister's motion of condolence in connection with the death of the Hon. Simon Findlay Crean be referred to the Federation Chamber.
- Ministry (0 speeches)
- Temporary Arrangements (1 speech)
I inform the House that the Attorney-General will be absent from question time, at least for today, and the Minister for Communications will answer questions on his behalf.
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Hamilton Island: MRH-90 Taipan Crash (3 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister update the House on the efforts being undertaken following the tragedy of the MRH-90 Australian Army helicopter crash off Central...
- Cost of Living (2 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, the government promised Australians before the election that no family will be worse off and that almost all families will be better off. Is...
- Economy (2 speeches)
My question is to the Treasurer. What did the latest Consumer Price Index figures reveal, and how is the Albanese Labor government responding to the inflation challenge in our community?
- Interest Rates (8 speeches)
My question is to the Treasurer. New Roy Morgan research has found that, in the three months to June this year, 1.43 million Australians were at risk of mortgage stress, so why does the...
- Cost of Living (6 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Since the parliament last met, what steps has the Albanese Labor government taken to ease the pressure on families, and what is standing in the way of...
- Energy Prices (4 speeches)
My question is for the Treasurer. Victorians are paying a fortune for electricity because of the massive increases in gas and coal prices, while fossil fuel corporations are making windfall...
- Workplace Relations (4 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. Amidst the ongoing fear campaign about the government's workplace relations reform, can the minister clarify the Albanese...
- Agriculture Industry (7 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for the Environment and Water. Will the minister rule out federal cultural heritage reforms that require individual farming businesses to undertake mandatory...
- Cost of Living (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Social Services. When can the people in my electorate of Werriwa expect to receive some cost-of-living relief delivered through the Albanese Labor government's...
- Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Voice (6 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. This month the Prime Minister told Ben Fordham that the Voice 'is not about a treaty'. But in May the Prime Minister said that treaty and truth telling are:...
- Early Childhood Education (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Early Childhood Education. How are the Albanese Labor government's changes to make early learning more affordable, which came into effect earlier this month,...
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Australians. If Australians vote for the Voice, the makarrata commission will be established. Can the minister inform the House of how the makarrata...
- Health Care (2 speeches)
My question is to be Minister for Health and Aged Care. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering cheaper medicines, and why is the government determined to provide further cost-of-living...
- Immigration Detention (3 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. I and others on the crossbench have called for a royal commission into offshore processing. Now we learn that the Department of Home Affairs continued to...
- Housing (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Housing. How is the Albanese Labor government working to ensure that more Australians have access to safe and affordable housing, and what is blocking further...
- Uluru Statement from the Heart (7 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Australians. According to the website ulurustatement.org the Uluru Statement from the Heart calls for the establishment of a makarrata commission for...
- Indigenous Protected Areas, Indigenous Rangers Program (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for the Environment and Water. How is the Albanese Labor government drawing on Indigenous knowledge and expertise to manage and restore Australia's environment, and...
- Climate Change (2 speeches)
My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, Europe is burning, and Australians remember our own Black Summer with fear for the future. The UN Secretary-General has said we have entered...
- Pensions and Benefits (3 speeches)
My question is the Minister for Government Services. What did the royal commission into robodebt's final report find as to who was responsible for the design, development and establishment of the...
- Questions to the Speaker (0 speeches)
- Questions in Writing (10 speeches)
Mr Speaker, under standing order 105, I ask if you can write to the minister for infrastructure to seek reasons for the delay in answering question in writing No. 107 that I asked of the minister...
- Auditor-General's Reports (0 speeches)
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Presentation (1 speech)
I table documents in accordance with the list circulated to honourable members earlier today. Full details of the documents will be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings.
- Business (0 speeches)
- Leave of Absence (1 speech)
I move: That leave of absence for the remainder of the current period of sittings be given to Mr Bandt for personal reasons. Question agreed to.
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Statements on Indulgence (0 speeches)
- Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme (1 speech)
The recent report of the Holmes royal commission highlights the many unintended consequences of the robodebt scheme and the regrettable impact the operations of the scheme had on individuals and...
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- Economy (1 speech)
Life has only become harder for Australians since Labor came to government. Energy bills are skyrocketing. Grocery bills are soaring. Rents are rising rapidly. Mortgage repayments just keep going...
- Facing North 2023, Naval Shipbuilding Industry, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice (1 speech)
Wednesday night will be a very special night for the Northern Territory, particularly for Territorians descending on Canberra. In the Great Hall, the fourth Facing North showcase will demonstrate...
- Deakin Electorate: Deakin Community Awards (1 speech)
Over the winter break in my electorate of Deakin we celebrated the 2023 Deakin Community Awards. The award night recognises some of the local community's most dedicated, hard-working and...
- Australian Parliamentary Delegation to India (1 speech)
Last April I was very fortunate to be part of a terrific delegation travelling to Dharamshala to meet with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The delegation was an all women's delegation led by my...
- Wannon Electorate: Renewable Energy (1 speech)
I rise tonight to talk about the Portland offshore wind farm. This is an incredibly important discussion that the community wants to have, and it wants to have it with the government. We had...
- Housing (1 speech)
At the age of 86, Isabel Boxshall of Torquay, from my electorate of Corangamite, has offered us a glimpse into the pressing issue of affordable housing that affects countless Australians across...
- Constituency Statements (0 speeches)
- Softball Australia 2023 Under 14 Regional Championships (1 speech)
I want to congratulate our local players who represented WA recently at the 2023 Softball Australia Under 14 Regional Championships in Queensland. The reason I'm so proud is that, out of the 16...
- Cockman, Ms Margaret, OAM (1 speech)
I rise this morning to extend my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Margaret Cockman OAM, who sadly passed away on 26 July at the age of 92. I'm sure that many other members in this...
- Taxation (1 speech)
Labor is operating under the false apprehension that Australia's prosperity can be achieved through higher taxes. We are already familiar, under this government, with the new taxes and the...
- Higgins Electorate: Arts (1 speech)
Bubbling away in the heart of Prahran is a hub of expression and creativity. It sits at a confluence of song, dance, theatre and the circus arts. From its centre radiate career pathways, like...
- Capricornia Electorate: CQ Soil Testing (1 speech)
Small businesses in my electorate of Capricornia continue to lead the way in the development and manufacturing of state-of-the-art equipment. In fact, manufacturing is one of the top three...
- International Relations: Australia and Bangladesh (1 speech)
As the chair of the Bangladesh country group as part of the Australia South and Central Asia Parliamentary Network, I am honoured to rise in this place and speak about and celebrate Australia's...
- Human Rights: Iran (1 speech)
We all learn from history. It has something to teach us all. One from history who inspires me is the great Yorta Yorta man William Cooper. Cooper was an advocate for Indigenous Australians, and...
- Russia (1 speech)
In April this year, Vladimir Kara-Murza, a leading opposition member, was sentenced to 25 years in prison in Russia. The charges of which he has been convicted are described as treason, spreading...
- Fowler Electorate: United States Ambassador to Australia (1 speech)
As many in the chamber know, I'm proud of my community in the cities of Fairfield and Liverpool. At every opportunity I bring a focus on the amazing people who share their extraordinary life...
- H.Parsons Funeral Directors, Mount Kembla Mine Disaster: 121st Anniversary (2 speeches)
I rise today to acknowledge a significant milestone that has been reached in our Wollongong community. On Saturday, the Wollongong community came together to celebrate and congratulate the...
- Private Members' Business (0 speeches)
- Pensions and Benefits (15 speeches)
I move: That this House: (1) notes: (a) the importance of income management in keeping vulnerable communities safe, particularly women and children, and in protecting the integrity of our social...
- Housing (11 speeches)
I move: That this House: (1) notes the Government's announcement of a new $2 billion Social Housing Accelerator to deliver thousands of new social rental homes across Australia; (2) acknowledges...
- Foreign Interference (11 speeches)
I move: That this House: (1) recognises the insidious nature of foreign interference and the threat it poses to our democracy, businesses and to individuals; (2) notes: (a) ongoing reports of...
- Women's Economic Security (10 speeches)
I move: That this House: (1) notes that Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released in June 2023 show that since, May 2022: (a) women's total employment is up by 249,000; (b) 233,500 more...
- Statements by Members (0 speeches)
- National Disability Insurance Scheme (1 speech)
More than 200 people have contacted my office in the last year to talk to me about the challenges they face in their dealings with the NDIS. This month I held an NDIS solutions forum, where...
- Renewable Energy (1 speech)
We all know Australians are world leaders in the uptake of rooftop solar, but many apartment dwellers have been locked out of these benefits until now. I'm pleased to say that more Canberrans...
- MTC Skills for Education and Employment Program (1 speech)
Last week I attended a MTC graduation ceremony where I saw 21 students who had completed the Skills for Education and Employment program—SEE for short. SEE is a program that caters for...
- Cost of Living (1 speech)
There's no doubt that this winter people in my electorate and around the country have felt pressure from the cost-of-living increases. Our government understands that households are feeling the...
- Housing (1 speech)
If you're a renter, you have a real chance to have your voice heard on the national stage for the first time. One-third of this country rents—around eight million people—and far too...
- National Wine Show of Australia (1 speech)
I have always said the Hunter has the best wines in Australia, and I have once again been proven to be right. Tyrrell's vineyard has taken out the semillon trophy for its 2019 Pokolbin Hills...
- Infrastructure (1 speech)
I rise on a very serious issue: the state of the roads in the wonderful electorate of Wannon and right across this nation. This is to raise the matter of Labor's infrastructure review. What are...
- St John Ambulance: Hawkesbury City Division (1 speech)
No matter what community event I attend in the Hawkesbury, I know that the volunteers of the St John Ambulance Hawkesbury City Division will be there. They've been there for 75 years, and they...
- Hamilton Island: MRH-90 Taipan Crash (1 speech)
I rise, on behalf of the people of Gippsland, with a very heavy heart today to extend my sympathies to the loved ones, the families and friends, of the four aviators missing off the coast of...
- Sport: FIFA Women's World Cup, Australia: Women (1 speech)
'Australian women need more than an icon for a brighter future'—this was the title of an article that I wrote for the weekendWest Australian. It talked about how women heroes and icons...
- Logan Dementia Choir (1 speech)
I recently had the privilege of meeting the Logan Dementia Choir. The choir was recently formed for those living with dementia in my electorate and across the City of Logan. However, the group...
- Gilmore Electorate: Energy (1 speech)
People on the New South Wales South Coast certainly know disasters and resilience. The small but beautiful villages of Bawley Point and Kioloa were the first villages to be hit by the 2019-20...
- Burge, Mr Alan (1 speech)
As parliamentarians we have the privilege of meeting people from all walks of life, and today I would like to share the story of a truly remarkable and talented man, Mr Alan Burge. Alan is an...
- Appin Coal Mine Disaster: 44th Anniversary (1 speech)
Sadly, last week marked the 44th anniversary of the tragic Appin coal mine explosion that took 14 lives and greatly affected the Macarthur region. Our community was severely shaken on 24 July...
- Casey Electorate: First Impressions Clothing Exchange (1 speech)
On Saturday afternoon, my wife, Rachel, and I had the absolute pleasure of attending the First Impressions Clothing Exchange fundraiser. It was a high tea and a fashion show. It was a wonderful...
- Hasluck Electorate: Nikola Estate (1 speech)
Last week I was pleased to host the Minister for Industry and Science, the Hon. Ed Husic, in my electorate of Hasluck, where I was able to introduce him to our vibrant and innovative local...
- Caboolture Airfield: Plane Crash (1 speech)
Our hearts go out to all involved in the fatal aircraft incident last Friday at the Caboolture Airfield, located in the Longman community. It's a devastating time not only for the family and...
- Western Australia: Arts and Culture (1 speech)
It is no secret that our arts, culture and entertainment industry has done it tough in the last decade. On top of the neglect from the previous government, the COVID pandemic has hit local venues...
- Health and Aged Care (1 speech)
On 6 July, I hosted the first regional aged-care summit in Mildura. Similar to my earlier Mildura Regional Health Workforce Summit in March, this event brought service providers and other key...
- Royal Australian Air Force (1 speech)
New South Wales is better protected thanks to the arrival of the CH-47 Chinook at RAAF Base Richmond on the weekend. This is a permanent addition to the bush firefighting fleet that the New South...
- Dawson Electorate: AEIOU Foundation (1 speech)
As a father first, I know the challenges and blessings of raising children, and I would agree with the old adage that it takes a village to raise a child. But imagine if that village wasn't...
- Australia Bangladesh Business Forum (1 speech)
On 16 July the Australia Bangladesh Business Forum held their first gala dinner and awards ceremony at Ottimo House. It was great to have attended with many of my federal and state colleagues...
- Hughes Electorate: Oyster Bay Art and Craft Festival (1 speech)
I recently had the opportunity to open the Oyster Bay Art and Craft Festival in my electorate. This festival is a local icon, a cornerstone of the Oyster Bay community and a favourite throughout...
- Blair Electorate: Lions Clubs International (1 speech)
Lions Clubs International is the biggest service organisation in the world, and its domestic expression in my electorate is very important in regional communities, particularly in Fernvale,...
- Menzies Electorate: Fireball (1 speech)
Volunteers are at the heart of our community, and the ones we perhaps treasure most are those who put their lives on the line for others, like the CFA, who run to the site of fire, or the SES,...
- Werriwa Electorate: Good Shepherd Catholic Primary School (1 speech)
One of the greatest joys I have as a local member is visiting schools and engaging with our younger students. One such occasion occurred recently when I visited Good Shepherd Catholic Primary...
- Ukraine, Fisher Electorate: Small Business (1 speech)
Last Friday I had the honour of welcoming the Ambassador of Ukraine to Australia, Mr Vasyl Myroshnychenko, to the Sunshine Coast. The ambassador is a true advocate for his people in Ukraine. We...
- World Chocolate Day (1 speech)
On Friday 7 July you couldn't find many parliamentarians—whether from this place or parliaments across our states and territories—not getting involved with a day that many consider to...
- McPherson Electorate: Environment (1 speech)
One of the things that makes my electorate of McPherson such a wonderful place to live is our unique natural environment. From the pristine Currumbin and Tallebudgera valleys through to the...
- Local Government (2 speeches)
Last week I organised a lunch in Ipswich with the Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories, Kristy McBain, to meet with the mayor and councillors of the Somerset...
- Motions (0 speeches)
- Aviation Industry (13 speeches)
I move: That this House notes that: (1) the Government has scrapped the monitoring of domestic airlines by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission at a time when Australian consumers...
- Medicare (13 speeches)
I move: That this House: (1) notes the Government's commitment to Medicare through the largest increase to Medicare rebates in thirty years and a tripling of the bulk billing incentive; (2)...
- Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (6 speeches)
I move: That this House: (1) notes that: (a) the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety provided a clear blueprint on how to fundamentally change and improve our aged care services,...
- Workplace Relations (9 speeches)
I move: That this House: (1) recognises that: (a) up to one in six recent migrants to Australia is paid less than the minimum wage; (b) exploitation does not just affect individual workers but...
- Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme (11 speeches)
I move: That this House: (1) notes that: (a) the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, which was established by the Coalition, has been embraced by industry and Pacific Island...
