Patrick Secker (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to move:

That the House notes that:

(1)

currently low flow conditions and over allocations are having an extreme impact on the River Murray, Lower Lakes and Coorong;

(2)

the region is fast approaching environmental collapse, industries are being lost and communities are suffering;

(3)

current predictions of low inflows indicate that the Lakes will drop to even lower levels and that River flow to the Coorong will not occur in the foreseeable future;

(4)

the short term challenge under current and likely low flow conditions for 2008 is to use what water is available, after critical human needs, to prevent irretrievable damage to the river systems; and

(5)

the long term challenge is to implement strategies that protect the environment and maximise the productive use of water resource while maintaining a sustainable river from source to mouth.

Jamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to move:

That the House:

(1)

condemns the Rudd Government for its handling of the water crisis;

(2)

demands the Government release a minimum of 30 gigalitres into the Lower Lakes and Coorong as recommended by the Senate inquiry;

(3)

notes that:

(a)

low water levels in the Goolwa area are seriously affecting small business and tourism operators;

(b)

flooding the area with sea water would destroy the natural environment; and

(c)

the trade for some businesses has dropped by nearly 90 per cent; and

(4)

calls on the Government to:

(a)

provide immediate financial assistance to the affected communities; and

(b)

stop playing the blame game and take decisive action.

Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to move:

That the House notes that:

(1)

25 November 2008 marks White Ribbon Day in Australia;

(2)

in 1999, the United Nations General Assembly declared November 25 the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the White Ribbon has become the symbol for the day; and

(3)

the White Ribbon Foundation of Australia aims to eliminate violence against women by promoting culture change around the issue.

Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to move:

That the House:

(1)

notes that:

(a)

the automotive industry worldwide is witnessing a trend of falling car sales;

(b)

the global financial crisis has placed unprecedented pressure on automotive manufacturers who have already been doing it tough and have had to contend with high petrol prices, changing consumer preferences and intense global competition; and

(c)

the automotive industry directly employs 64,000 Australians and makes a huge contribution—both direct and indirect—to Australian output, jobs, exports, innovation and skills; and

(2)

supports:

(a)

the Government’s decisive action on the problems currently faced by the automotive industry;

(b)

the injection of significant co-funding arrangements to strengthen the market and protect jobs in these times of economic uncertainty; and

(c)

policies such as the Green Car Innovation Fund and Automotive Transformation Scheme which show a continued commitment to research and development and greener alternatives in the automotive industry.

Steven Ciobo (Moncrieff, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Small Business, Independent Contractors, Tourism and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to move:

That the House:

(1)

condemns the Rudd Labor Government for abandoning Australia’s best and brightest musicians by axing funding for the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM), forcing it to close at the conclusion of 2008;

(2)

notes that the Rudd Labor Government has forced the ANAM to close, without offering any alternative training program for Australia’s elite classical musicians; and

(3)

acknowledges that this decision will leave the 55 Australian musicians who were enrolled to study at ANAM in 2009 with nowhere to go.

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to move:

That the House:

(1)

acknowledges the importance of the Australian car industry and recognises its important role in the economy as a:

(a)

provider of employment;

(b)

major exporter; and

(c)

basis of high technology manufacturing; and

(2)

supports the Government’s initiative for a package of measures for the car industry designed to improve the international competitiveness of the Australian car industry and to promote the manufacture of greener cars.

Patrick Secker (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

to move:

That the House notes that:

(1)

a group of dedicated Australians has established the Zimbabwe Outreach Program and Orphanages Mutare (ZOPOM) Foundation;

(2)

the Murwira Orphanage caters for children from a few months old to twelve years of age in Mutare, an area of desperate need in Zimbabwe where one in five children are orphans and 100 babies become HIV positive every day;

(3)

Paula Leen, a 74 year old United States citizen, single-handedly runs the Murwira Orphanage and her outreach program feeds over 2,000 destitute people a month;

(4)

the ZOPOM Foundation in Australia under the umbrella of the Global Development Group aims to fund Paula Leen’s work with donations;

(5)

the ZOPOM Foundation provides Australians with a chance to assist in a small way with all funds going directly to the Murwira Orphanage and Outreach program; and

(6)

the humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe is presently so critical that the immediate ZOPOM Foundation aim is to urgently purchase food from South Africa to send to the Murwira Orphanage.