House debates

Wednesday, 9 August 2017

Committees

Selection Committee; Report

9:31 am

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

I present report No. 14 of the Selection Committee, relating to the consideration of committee and delegation business, and private members' business on Monday 14 August 2017. The report will be printed in the Hansard for today and the committee's determinations will appear on tomorrow's Notice Paper. Copies of the report are placed on the table.

The report read as follows—

Report relating to the consideration of committee and delegation business and of private Members' business

1. The committee met in private session on Tuesday, 8 August 2017.

2. The Committee deliberated on items of committee and delegation business that had been notified, private Members' business items listed on the Notice Paper and notices lodged on Tuesday, 8 August 2017, and determined the order of precedence and times on Monday, 14 August 2017, as follows:

Items for House of Representatives Chamber (10.10 am to 12 noon)

COMMITTEE AND DELEGATION BUSINESS

Presentation and statements

1 Standing Committee on Agriculture and Water Resources:

Statement on committee ' s visit to New Zealand

The Committee determined that statements may be made—all statements to conclude by 10.20 am

Speech time limits—

Mr R. J. Wilson—5 minutes.

Next Member speaking—5 minutes.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 2 x 5 mins]

PRIVATE MEMBERS ' BUSINESS

Notices

1 MR BANDT: To present a bill for an act to amend the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000, and for related purposes.

(Notice given 14 June 2017.)

Presenter may speak to the second reading for a period not exceeding 10 minutes—pursuant to standing order 41. Debate must be adjourned pursuant to standing order 142.

2 MR KATTER: To present a bill for an act to require the equal treatment of the religious certification of products, and for related purposes.

(Notice given 28 March 2017.)

Presenter may speak to the second reading for a period not exceeding 10 minutes—pursuant to standing order 41. Debate must be adjourned pursuant to standing order 142.

3 MR KATTER : To present a bill for an act to establish a Commission of Inquiry into the coal seam gas industry in Australia, and for related purposes.

(Notice given 20 June 2017.)

Presenter may speak to the second reading for a period not exceeding 10 minutes—pursuant to standing order 41. Debate must be adjourned pursuant to standing order 142.

4 MR KATTER: To present a bill for an act to amend the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 in relation to gifts from foreign sources, and for related purposes.

(Notice given 8 August 2017.)

Presenter may speak to the second reading for a period not exceeding 10 minutes—pursuant to standing order 41. Debate must be adjourned pursuant to standing order 142.

5 MR WILKIE: To present a bill for an act relating to the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Australians and all people in Australia, and for related purposes.

(Notice given 8 August 2017.)

Presenter may speak to the second reading for a period not exceeding 10 minutes—pursuant to standing order 41. Debate must be adjourned pursuant to standing order 142.

6 MR LEESER: To move:

That this House:

(1) strongly condemns the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) for:

(a) ongoing development and testing of illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programs including intercontinental ballistic missile tests in June and July 2017;

(b) destabilising the Korean peninsula and Asia-Pacific region more widely through aggressive acts and rhetoric particularly against South Korea, Japan, the United States and Australia; and

(c) significant and ongoing human rights abuses committed against the people of North Korea;

(2) acknowledges the actions of the Australian Government in maintaining diplomatic and economic pressure on the DPRK including through:

(a) co-sponsoring United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2321, placing additional United Nations sanctions on the DPRK;

(b) co-sponsoring UNSC Resolution 2270, condemning North Korea's nuclear test and long-range ballistic missile launch in 2016; and

(c) imposing financial sanctions and travel bans on five North Korean individuals for their association with North Korean weapons of mass destruction or missiles program in June 2017;

(3) calls upon the DPRK to:

(a) abandon its missile and nuclear program;

(b) use the resources spent on its nuclear and missile programs to improve the livelihood of its citizens and implement policies for economic development to better the situation for the North Korean people;

(c) adhere to multiple UNSC resolutions; and

(d) re-join the international community and contribute to peace and stability in the region, rather than deepening tensions and the insecurity of other states; and

(4) acknowledges China's position of influence in relation to the DPRK and encourages China to:

(a) pressure the DPRK to adhere to international agreements;

(b) continue to engage with the international community to decrease tensions on the Korean peninsula, and

(c) begin constructive talks to permanently dismantle the DPRK's nuclear capabilities.

(Notice given 8 August 2017.)

Time allotted—20 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Mr Leeser—5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 4 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue at a later hour.

7 MS RISHWORTH: To move:

That this House:

(1) recognises the importance of the Murray Darling Basin Plan (MDBP) in returning the river to health;

(2) condemns any plans to walk away from the MDBP that will undermine the health of the system and the rivers;

(3) notes the good work of the Member for Watson in his former role as the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, who was able to deliver a once in a century agreement of the MDBP;

(4) expresses concern that the Member for New England, as the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, is walking away from the plan by refusing to return 450 gigalitres of water to the Basin;

(5) recognises that:

(a) removing too much water from the river is bad for irrigators and communities, and devastating for the environment in the long term; and

(b) South Australians in particular deserve the water they were promised; and

(6) reinstates its commitment to implement the complete MDBP.

(Notice given 28 November 2016.)

Time allotted—remaining private Members ' business time prior to 12 noon

Speech time limits—

Ms Rishworth—5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.

Items for Federation Chamber (11 am to 1.30 pm)

PRIVATE MEMBERS ' BUSINESS

Notices

1 MS RYAN: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) the number of older Australians choosing to live in retirement villages is increasing faster than any other age-specific housing option;

(b) the revelations in the recent Four Corners program that appeared to show older Australians being exploited were shocking;

(c) many older Australians are finding it difficult to deal with the complex and confusing contracts offered to them by retirement village management;

(d) the excessive exit fees and practices used by retirement village companies when older Australians decide to leave a retirement villages are unacceptable; and

(e) older Australians should not be exploited; and

(2) calls on the Australian Government to:

(a) commit to a national approach for the regulation of retirement living facilities; and

(b) adopt consistency on retirement village contracts, with stronger consumer protections.

(Notice given 8 August 2017.)

Time allotted—40 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Ms Ryan—5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.

2 MR EVANS: To move:

That this House:

(1) condemns the Queensland Government for its statement: 'the State Government would no longer be constrained or bound by free trade agreements';

(2) notes that:

(a) Australia's trade agreements guarantee Queensland businesses preferential access to Chile, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United States markets;

(b) Queensland's exports were worth $62.6 billion to the state's economy in 2015-16;

(c) in April 2017, the Queensland Treasurer stated: 'one in five jobs in our state relies on our export performance'; and

(d) the Queensland Government's decision to not abide by its international commitments threatens the access Queensland exporters have to international markets and the jobs that rely on them; and

(3) calls on the Queensland Government to honour its commitments and abandon its anti-trade position to ensure that Queensland export businesses do not lose access to these crucial global markets.

(Notice given 8 August 2017.)

Time allotted—40 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Mr Evans—5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.

3 MS MCGOWAN: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) there is electorate wide support for renewable energy;

(b) in March 2017, the Australia Institute reported that in a national poll 67 per cent think that that Australia is moving into renewable energy too slowly and 73 per cent supported setting a new renewable energy target for 2030;

(c) the Government has committed to ensuring that 23.5 per cent of Australia's electricity generation in 2020 will be from renewable sources;

(d) the transition to a renewable energy future will require high levels of social consensus and engagement;

(e) international best practice has demonstrated that community ownership has become a well established mechanism to build consensus and assist the transition to increased renewable energy sources;

(f) Australian households are amongst the high adopters in the world of photovoltaics solar, driven primarily to help control their own energy costs;

(g) community owned renewable energy projects that allow communities to reduce their energy costs, or even make income from power production, would enable these benefits to be felt across the broader community, addressing the Government's energy policy priority of security, reliability and affordability;

(h) the absence of clarity in Government policy has led to many communities 'going it alone' to secure their energy future; and

(i) continued investment and innovation in the sector requires a clear message of support from the Government; and

(2) calls on the Government to:

(a) recognise that the community energy sector can play a significant role in the Government achieving its policy trifecta of secure, affordable and reliable energy; and

(b) demonstrate this recognition with a dedicated funding program for community energy projects to support the design and implemention and management of their own community specific integrated energy plans and projects.

(Notice given 13 June 2017.)

Time allotted—40 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Ms McGowan—5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.

Orders of the day

NORTH KOREA: Resumption of debate on the motion of Mr Leeser—That this House:

(1) strongly condemns the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) for:

(a) ongoing development and testing of illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programs including intercontinental ballistic missile tests in June and July 2017;

(b) destabilising the Korean peninsula and Asia-Pacific region more widely through aggressive acts and rhetoric particularly against South Korea, Japan, the United States and Australia; and

(c) significant and ongoing human rights abuses committed against the people of North Korea;

(2) acknowledges the actions of the Australian Government in maintaining diplomatic and economic pressure on the DPRK including through:

(a) co-sponsoring United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2321, placing additional United Nations sanctions on the DPRK;

(b) co-sponsoring UNSC Resolution 2270, condemning North Korea's nuclear test and long-range ballistic missile launch in 2016; and

(c) imposing financial sanctions and travel bans on five North Korean individuals for their association with North Korean weapons of mass destruction or missiles program in June 2017;

(3) calls upon the DPRK to:

(a) abandon its missile and nuclear program;

(b) use the resources spent on its nuclear and missile programs to improve the livelihood of its citizens and implement policies for economic development to better the situation for the North Korean people;

(c) adhere to multiple UNSC resolutions; and

(d) re-join the international community and contribute to peace and stability in the region, rather than deepening tensions and the insecurity of other states; and

(4) acknowledges China's position of influence in relation to the DPRK and encourages China to:

(a) pressure the DPRK to adhere to international agreements;

(b) continue to engage with the international community to decrease tensions on the Korean peninsula, and

(c) begin constructive talks to permanently dismantle the DPRK's nuclear capabilities.

(Notice given 8 August 2017.)

Time allotted—remaining private Members ' business time prior to 1.30 pm

Speech time limits—

All Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.

Items for Federation Chamber (4.45 pm to 7.30 pm)

PRIVATE MEMBERS ' BUSINESS

Notices—continued

4 MR BURKE: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes:

(a) that the international community came together to recognise the importance of our oceans at the 2017 United Nations Ocean Conference on 5 to 9 June 2017 in New York;

(b) that the oceans are under increasing pressure and other nations have started to establish protected areas;

(c) that Australia cannot afford to leave its oceans exposed given the impacts of climate change, including the severe coral reef bleaching, unprecedented mangrove dieback and significant loss of kelp forests already seen around Australia;

(d) the progress globally by other countries to put in place marine national parks, such as the:

(i) Ross Sea region Marine Protected Area (MPA), declared by 24 nations of the world, including Australia, in 2016 to protect 1,549,000 square kilometres of the Antarctic high seas in high level International Union for Conservation of Nature, Category II (IUCN II) National Park protection;

(ii) Papahãnaumokuãkea Marine National Monument, declared by the United States of America (USA) in 2006 and expanded in 2016 to protect 1,508,870 square kilometres of Hawaiian Islands and atolls in high level IUCN II protection;

(iii) Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, declared by the USA in 2009 and expanded in 2014 to protect 1,270,000 square kilometres in high level IUCN II protection; and

(iv) Pitcairn Islands Marine Reserve, declared by the United Kingdom in 2015 to protect 834,334 square kilometres around the Pitcairn Islands in the Pacific in high level IUCN II protection;

(e) that Labor's 2012 Commonwealth Marine Reserves Network (CMRN):

(i) is the world's largest network;

(ii) put Australia at the forefront of ocean conservation globally, with other countries following suit; and

(iii) was based on science and extensive consultation, with Labor holding more public and stakeholder meetings which were attended by more people and received more submissions than the Government's recent review;

(f) the Government's own review of the CMRN found that extensive:

(i) science went into the development of the CMRN and recognised the scientifically proven benefits of MNP IUCN II zones; and

(ii) consultation went into the development of the CMRN, stating there was in fact a considerable amount of 'consultation fatigue' expressed by many stakeholders; and

(g) that after 15 years of process, regional businesses and industry leaders are seeking certainty with the completion of the CMRN; and

(2) calls on the Government to honour its domestic and international obligations, and to bring the CMRN that was declared in 2012 into operation without further delay, and with no reduction of MNP IUCN II zone protection.

(Notice given 14 June 2017.)

Time allotted—35 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Mr Burke—10 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 1 x 10 mins + 5 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.

5 DR ALY: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) Western Australia has consistently been neglected by the Government;

(b) despite promising $860 million during the federal election campaign for road and rail projects in Western Australia, the Government will instead dedicate just over $40 million for much needed projects;

(c) the Government has failed to deliver key infrastructure funding in Western Australia; and

(d) families and businesses in Western Australia continue to be disadvantaged by a government that ignores them; and

(2) condemns the Government for its failure to deliver on its infrastructure promises for West Australians; and

(3) calls on the Prime Minister to explain why West Australians are consistently neglected, ignored and ripped off by the Government.

(Notice given 13 February 2017.)

Time allotted—30 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Dr Aly—5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.

6 MR HILL: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that 8 August 2017 is the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which has grown from its initial five members to a key regional association comprising ten of Australia's neighbours and partners;

(2) congratulates ASEAN on five decades of patient and effective work promoting regional peace and stability while advancing economic growth, social progress and cultural development;

(3) notes that:

(a) considered collectively, ASEAN countries are Australia's third largest trading partner, with current two-way trade surpassing $100 billion annually since 2014;

(b) more than 65 per cent of ASEAN's population is under 35 years old, presenting a growth opportunity across the region; and

(c) Australia's regional aid programs focusing on economic growth and human security help ensure our commitments to ASEAN countries in support of economic integration are met;

(4) welcomes the:

(a) strong partnership between Australia and ASEAN, established and deepened over 43 years; and

(b) advancement of Australia's status as a dialogue partner and the appointment of an Australian Ambassador to ASEAN;

(5) encourages the Government to place the highest priority on the 2018 ASEAN-Australia Special Summit; and

(6) calls on the Government to make the most of the opportunity presented by the 2018 ASEAN-Australia Special Summit to reaffirm and strengthen Australia's strategic partnership with ASEAN, and to identify practical actions whereby Australia can deepen its collaboration in support of ASEAN's future success.

(Notice given 20 June 2017.)

Time allotted—50 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Mr Hill—5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 10 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.

7 MS KEAY: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) the retail trades industry is the second largest employment category in Australia, it employs 1.2 million, or one in nine, Australians and 52 per cent of these workers have no post school qualification;

(b) the Fair Work Commission's (FWC's) decision to cut penalty rates in the retail trade will hit those most powerless to change jobs;

(c) the take home pay of hundreds of thousands of workers will be cut because of the FWC decision to cut Sunday and public holiday penalty rates for the retail trade;

(d) workers affected are being treated as second class citizens and their work is not being valued;

(e) whilst a few jobs may be created on the margins of the economy, the removal of these workers' spending power from the economy will override any minimal jobs growth; and

(f) many families will struggle all over the country because of this short sighted decision;

(2) condemns Government Members and Senators who called for cuts to penalty rates and their continuous pressuring of the FWC to reduce penalty rates; and

(3) calls on:

(a) Government Members and Senators to stand with Labor to protect low paid workers take home pay; and

(b) the House to support Labor's Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Take Home Pay) Bill 2017, to amend the Fair Work Act 2009.

(Notice given 28 February 2017.

Time allotted—remaining private Members ' business time prior to 7.30 pm

Speech time limits—

Ms Keay—5 minutes.

Other Members—5 minutes. each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 10 x 5 mins]

The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.