House debates

Wednesday, 28 November 2018

Committees

Selection Committee; Report

9:31 am

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

I present report No. 34 of the Selection Committee relating to the consideration of committee and delegation business and private members' business on Monday, 3 December 2018. 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 have been 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, 27 November 2018.

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, 27 November 2018, and determined the order of precedence and times on Monday, 3 December 2018, as follows:

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

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Notices

1 Mr Danby: To present a Bill for an Act to enable Australia to impose sanctions to promote compliance with international human rights law and respect for human rights or to deter significant corruption, and for related purposes. (International Human Rights and Corruption (Magnitsky Sanctions) Bill 2018)

(Notice given 25 October 2018.)

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 Ms Sharkie: To present a Bill for an Act to restrict the long haul export of live sheep, and for related purposes. (Live Sheep Long Haul Export Prohibition Bill 2018)

(Notice given 26 November 2018.)

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 Ms Sharkie: To present a Bill for an Act to include the Great Australian Bight in the Commonwealth Heritage List, and for related purposes. (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Heritage Listing for the Bight) Bill 2018)

(Notice given 26 November 2018.)

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 Shorten: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 to remove discrimination against students. (Sex Discrimination Amendment (Removing Discrimination Against Students) Bill 2018)

(Notice given 27 November 2018.)

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 Ms McGowan: To present a Bill for an Act to enhance the integrity of the Parliament of Australia, and for related purposes. (National Integrity (Parliamentary Standards) Bill 2018)

(Notice given 27 November 2018.)

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 Bandt: To present a Bill for an Act to prohibit Commonwealth support for coal-fired power stations, and for related purposes. (Coal-Fired Power Funding Prohibition Bill 2018)

(Notice given 27 November 2018.)

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.

7 Mr Wilkie: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the Migration Act 1958, and for related purposes. (Live Animal Export Prohibition (Ending Cruelty) Bill 2018)

(Notice given 27 November 2018.)

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.

8 Dr Phelps: To present a Bill for an Act to enable Australia to impose sanctions to promote compliance with international human rights law and respect for human rights or to deter significant corruption, and for related purposes. (Migration Amendment (Urgent Medical Treatment) Bill 2018)

(Notice given 27 November 2018.)

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.

9 Mr Ted O'Brien: To move:

That this House:

(1) recognises that:

(a) many Queensland families are struggling with cost of living pressures and many small businesses are being crippled by the cost doing business;

(b) the primary responsibility for lowering power prices for Queensland families and small businesses lies with the Queensland Government; and

(c) the Queensland Government is ripping off everyday Queenslanders through a sophisticated scam that funnels billions of dollars into government coffers;

(2) calls on the Queensland Government to:

(a) immediately pass on recent reductions in wholesale prices to customers in full;

(b) end the network 'gold plating', write down regulated assets and accept a lower return so that Queenslanders can be charged less;

(c) provide adequate subsidies to Queensland families and businesses in recognition of the interest they have been paying on unnecessary debt carried by state-owned electricity businesses;

(d) increase competition in the Queensland electricity market by splitting the two state owned generators into three viable businesses with 'fair dinkum' electricity generation; and

(e) be honest with Queenslanders by informing them of the real cost of increasing the supply of unreliable electricity to meet Labor's 50 per cent Renewable Energy Target; and

(3) acknowledges that if the Queensland Government was prepared to take serious action, electricity prices could be lowered immediately for millions of hard working Queensland families and hundreds of thousands of small businesses.

(Notice given 27 November 2018.)

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

Speech time limits—

Mr Ted O'Brien—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 Claydon: To move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges that:

(a) 90 per cent of the brain develops before the age of five;

(b) nearly one in four Australian children—22 per cent—start school without the foundational skills to be successful learners; and

(c) those children who are missing out on early education are children from disadvantaged backgrounds and are the ones who would benefit most from a preschool program;

(2) agrees that:

(a) according to the Lifting our Game report prepared by early education experts for state and territory education ministers, two years of preschool is a key recommendation to achieving educational excellence in Australia; and

(b) age appropriate early learning programs have been proven to have a positive impact on children's outcomes through school;

(3) notes that:

(a) the Government has left parents and providers in limbo with its refusal to provide funding certainty;

(b) without ongoing funding to four year old preschool/kindy, providers are unable to plan ahead;

(c) since Labor introduced Universal Access to Early Childhood Education in 2008, preschool enrolment for four year olds has increased from 77 per cent to 93 per cent; and

(d) the Government's lack of commitment has left us falling behind other OECD countries in early education; and

(4) calls on the Government to properly fund four year old preschool/kindy and follow Labor's commitment to provide ongoing funding to four year olds and extend this to three year olds.

(Notice given 27 November 2018.)

Time allotted—40 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Ms Claydon—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 Leeser: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes with great sadness the passing of the former President of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies (JBD), Jeremy Spinak;

(2) acknowledges with gratitude the work of organisations such as the NSW JBD; and

(3) recognises the outstanding contribution the Jewish community has made to Australia.

(Notice given 27 November 2018.)

Time allotted—30 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Mr Leeser—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.

3 Ms McGowan: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) 7 February 2019 will be the 10th anniversary of the bushfires that devastated parts of Victoria;

(b) the fires were the most devastating in Australian history, killing 173 people, burning more than 450,000 hectares of land and destroying more than 2,000 houses;

(c) in the 10 years since those devastating fires and the horrific weather conditions that preceded them, communities in the electoral division of Indi have worked hard to rebuild homes, businesses, communities and lives;

(d) in the immediate aftermath of the fires, these communities were inundated with generous offers of help, including the commitment of governments at all levels to work with those affected to rebuild;

(e) as a result, much has been done to rebuild communities, to provide support to help heal the devastating emotional loss and progress the recovery of those many thousands of people affected by these fires;

(f) while much has been achieved, it is time to finish the task of rebuilding core infrastructure and restore the sense of place and vibrancy within communities that were destroyed almost 10 years ago; and

(g) the 10 year anniversary of the 2009 fires presents an opportunity to bring together bipartisan support from all levels of government to announce and complete this rebuild; and

(2) calls on the Government to:

(a) pay tribute to the strength, courage and resilience of those who survived the fires on 7 February 2009;

(b) continue to provide support to individuals and communities who lost so much;

(c) honour those who lost their lives in these fires;

(d) acknowledge the wonderful work of the frontline emergency services personnel and volunteers, the community agencies, governments at all levels and individuals involved in assisting local communities to rebuild in the past 10 years; and

(e) honour a commitment to work with those communities devastated by the 2009 bushfires to complete the task of rebuilding core infrastructure and restore their heart and soul.

(Notice given 27 November 2018.)

Time allotted—30 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Ms McGowan—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.

4 Mr Wallace: To move:

That this House notes:

(1) that the Prime Minister and the Minister for Veterans' Affairs launched the Prime Minister's Veterans Employment Commitment (VEC) on 2 November 2018;

(2) that the VEC is a way for businesses to pledge their support for veterans' employment and provides veterans with a way to easily identify those businesses that recognise the skills, experiences and capabilities they bring to civilian workplaces;

(3) that hiring veterans is good for business and encourages all Australian businesses to sign the VEC and hire a veteran;

(4) that the second annual Prime Minister's Veterans' Employment Awards will be held in March 2019;

(5) the awards recognise:

(a) businesses of all types and sizes that employ and support veterans and spouses of current serving Australian Defence Force (ADF) members; and

(b) the significant achievements being made by veterans in the workplace along with those who have built on their ADF experience to start up or take on a successful business; and

(6) the ongoing efforts of the Government to improve the support and services available to the men and women transitioning out of the ADF.

(Notice given 27 November 2018.)

Time allotted—30 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Mr Wallace—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.

5 Mr Hogan: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) the disparity of petrol prices between regional and rural areas compared to city prices is not explainable and must be investigated; and

(b) allegations of misuse of market power, unconscionable conduct and the use of unfair contract terms by the large supermarket chains Woolworths, Coles and Aldi, must be investigated; and

(2) calls on the Government to:

(a) request the Governor-General to establish a Royal Commission into the supermarket and petrol retailing sectors; and

(b) draft terms of reference that will investigate all facets of the major operators of the supermarkets and petrol retailing industries, including but not limited to, business practices, conduct and culture with regard to:

(i) misuse of market power;

(ii) unfair contract terms;

(iii) unconscionable conduct; and

(iv) pricing collusion.

(Notice given 26 November 2018.)

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

Speech time limits—

Mr Hogan—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 on a future day.

Items for Federation Chamber (4.45 pm to 7.30 pm)

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Orders of the day

1 UNIVERSITIES FUNDING: Resumption of debate (from 13 August 2018) on the motion of Ms T. M. Butler—That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) the Government's short-sighted $2.2 billion in cuts to universities are equivalent to more than 9,500 Australians missing out on a university place in 2018, and again in 2019;

(b) across the country this month, students will be attending university, with orientation periods beginning, and that these students are faced with more uncertainty about how the cuts will affect their student experience; and

(c) the Government's short-sighted cuts will hurt regional and outer metropolitan universities and their students the most; and

(2) calls on the Government to reverse its short-sighted, unfair cuts to universities, which are closing the door of opportunity to thousands of Australians.

Time allotted—30 minutes.

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.

Notices—continued

6 Mr Gee: To move:

That this House:

(1) recognises the commitment of the Government in support of our farming communities through all forms of hardship, including drought;

(2) notes the continued resilience of our farmers in drought affected areas, and acknowledges the challenges they are continuing to face;

(3) welcomes the record level of funding committed by the Government to provide immediate and ongoing support to our Australian farmers, their families and their communities; and

(4) commends the significant investment by the Government in announcing the $3.9 billion Future Drought Fund, which will grow to $5 billion by 2029, to provide a new and sustainable source of funding to enable farming communities to better prepare for, manage through and recover from drought into the future.

(Notice given 27 November 2018.)

Time allotted—35 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Mr Gee—10 minutes.

Next Member speaking—5 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.

Orders of the day—continued

2 HOME CARE PACKAGES: Resumption of debate (from 20 August 2018) on the motion of Mr Hart—That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) there are almost 300 older Australians who have waited more than two years for their approved home care package, without any care;

(b) a further 636 older Australians have waited more than a year for care and they currently have no care at all and there are thousands more getting less care than they need;

(c) the latest waiting list for home care packages indicates that more than 100,000 older Australians are waiting for the package they have been approved for; and

(d) the latest figures show that the waiting list grew by more than 20,000 between 1 July and December 2017 and it is likely to continue growing without funding for the release of more packages;

(2) recognises the Government's response in its budget of 14,000 home care packages is woefully inadequate;

(3) condemns the Government for the aged care crisis it has made on its watch; and

(4) calls on the Government to immediately invest in fixing the home care package waiting list and properly address this growing crisis.

Time allotted—40 minutes.

Speech time limits—

All 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.

Notices—continued

7 Mr T. R. Wilson: To move:

That this House:

(1) recognises that 9 December 2018 marks the 70th anniversary of the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide;

(2) acknowledges the important role played by Australia, in particular Australia's then President of the United Nations General Assembly, Dr Herbert Vere 'Doc' Evatt, in the successful adoption of the United Nations Genocide Convention;

(3) further acknowledges Australia's leadership as being one of the first countries to ratify the United Nations Genocide Convention in 1949, and its continued commitment to the eradication of the crime through its inclusion of the United Nations definition of Genocide in the Criminal Code Act 1995;

(4) honours the primary initiator and author of the United Nations Genocide Convention, Dr Raphael Lemkin, a lawyer of Polish-Jewish descent, who coined the word 'genocide', informed by his study of the systematic extermination of the Armenians during World War I and the Jews during World War II; and

(5) acknowledges the need for eternal vigilance of all countries, including Australia, to act to acknowledge past genocides as essential to stopping future genocides.

(Notice given 27 November 2018.)

Time allotted—40 minutes.

Speech time limits—

Mr T. R. Wilson—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—continued

3   Fair Work Amendment (Restoring Penalty Rates) Bill 2018 (Mr Shorten): Second reading—Resumption of debate (from15October2018).

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

Speech time limits—

All Members—5 minutes. each.

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

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