House debates

Monday, 23 May 2011

Notices

Mr Neumann to move:

That this House:(1) recognises that:

(a) there are about three million Australians who still smoke; and

(b) tobacco is a lethal product, killing around 15,000 Australians every year; and(2) calls on all Members and political parties to immediately stop accepting political donations from tobacco companies.

Mr Melham to move:

That this House:(1) notes the release on 28 March 2011 of an Amnesty International report entitled Death Sentences and Executions 2010 and that:

(a) over the last 10 years, 31 countries have abolished the death sentence in practice or in law; and

(b) in December 2010:

(i) the United Nations General Assembly adopted its third resolution on a moratorium on the use of the death penalty; and

(ii) 23 countries had carried out executions in 2010 compared to 19 countries in 2009; and(2) recommits to its bi-partisan condemnation of the death penalty across the world.

Mr Burke to move:

That this House:(1) notes that:

(a) Thursday 26 May marks World Multiple Sclerosis Day; and

(b) around the world, World Multiple Sclerosis Day in 2011 is being given the theme of employment to acknowledge that staying at work is a key concern for people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis;(2) recognises that:

(a) multiple sclerosis is most frequently diagnosed in people aged between 20 and 40 years, at a stage in life when these people are building their careers and their families;

(b) the Australian Multiple Sclerosis Longitudinal Study reported that 80 per cent of people with multiple sclerosis lose their employment within 10 years of diagnosis;

(c) like many chronic diseases, multiple sclerosis is costly, and enabling people with multiple sclerosis to stay in work not only builds their confidence and self-esteem but helps to meet the costs that come with managing a lifelong disease; and

(d) with the ageing of the population, people with chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis will increasingly feature in Australian workplaces, requiring enhanced management and support of these employees; and(3) commits itself to:

(a) ensuring that the labour market and welfare system continue to provide assistance to people with multiple sclerosis in supporting them to both obtain and retain employment; and

(b) encouraging employers to incorporate greater flexibility in workplaces to enable people with multiple sclerosis and their carers to fulfil their productive capacity.