House debates

Monday, 6 February 2023

Committees

Petitions Committee; Report

10:01 am

Photo of Susan TemplemanSusan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I present the fourth report of the Petitions Committee for the 47th Parliament.

The report read as follows

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

PETITIONS COMMITTEE

REPORT No. 4

Petitions and Ministerial Responses

6 February 2023

MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE

Chair Ms Susan Templeman MP

Deputy Chair Mr Ross Vasta MP

Mr Sam Birrell MP

Ms Alison Byrnes MP

Ms Lisa Chesters MP

Mr Garth Hamilton MP

Ms Tracy Roberts MP

Ms Meryl Swanson MP

Report summarising the petitions and Ministerial responses being presented.

The committee met in private session in the 47th Parliament on 9 November 2022, 23 Novem ber 2022, 8 December 2022 and 25 January 2023.

1. The committee resolved to present the following 51 petitions in accordance with standing order 207:

Petitions certified on 9 November 2022 (26 petitions)

From 5 petitioners—requesting Google be banned from indexing government documents and websites (EN4573)

From 2 petitioners—requesting legislation to control rent increases (EN4574)

From 55 petitioners—requesting the extradition of Julian Assange back to Australia (EN4577)

From 10 petitioners—requesting an income test exemption for disability support pension recipients due to vaccine injury (EN4578)

From 5270 petitioners—requesting changes to restrictions on 887 visa holders (EN4581)

From 5 petitioners—requesting additional identity authorization for individual loan or credit applicants (EN4582)

From 7 petitioners—requesting a review of requirements for disabled parking across Australia (EN4583)

From 21 petitioners—requesting the introduction of a universal basic income (EN4584)

From 1798 petitioners—requesting the cessation of attempts to mandate digital identification (EN4588)

From 22 petitioners—requesting assistance for Iranian people (EN4590)

From 5796 petitioners—requesting legislation to ban the use of federal funds for the World Economic Forum (EN4591)

From 2 petitioners—requesting action on human rights violations by India in Jammu and Kashmir (EN4592)

From 8 petitioners—requesting the establishment of an Australian Poet Laureate (EN4593)

From 2 petitioners—requesting changes to eligibility for government services for 491 and 494 visa holders (EN4598)

From 4 petitioners—requesting changes to restrictions on 491 visa holders regarding home purchase (EN4599)

From 3 petitioners—requesting the inclusion of Punjabi language in the national curriculum (EN4600)

From 19 petitioners—requesting permanent visas for asylum seekers in Australia (EN4601)

From 164 petitioners—requesting the prioritisation of Iranian visa applicants (EN4602)

From 13 petitioners—requesting a commission of inquiry into abuse in sport (EN4603)

From 100 petitioners—requesting action on the urgent need for childcare workers across Australia. (EN4604)

From 200 petitioners—requesting removal of partner income in calculating Centrelink benefits (EN4606)

From 4 petitioners—requesting improvements to MyGovID (EN4607)

From 1557 petitioners—requesting revocation of protection for vaccine manufacturers (EN4610)

From 2 petitioners—requesting an extension to the deadline for submitting documents for HomeBuilder Grant (EN4611)

From 225 petitioners—requesting study and work rights equity for asylum seekers (EN4612)

From 456 petitioners—requesting a change to asylum seeker policy (EN4613)

Petitions certified on 23 November 2022 (14 petitions)

From 13 petitioners—requesting action on the humanitarian crisis in Eritrea and northern Ethiopia (EN4617)

From 32 petitioners—requesting grant of specific visas (EN4618)

From 11 petitioners—requesting action on human rights in Eritrea (EN4619)

From 5 petitioners—requesting action on human rights violations in Pakistan (EN4621)

From 22 petitioners—requesting restrictions on e-cigarettes (EN4624)

From 18 petitioners—requesting Australia become a republic (EN4626)

From 180 petitioners—requesting a public inquiry into the government's response to the pandemic (EN4629)

From 105 petitioners—requesting improvements to the Medicare covid vaccine compensation scheme (EN4631)

From 530 petitioners—requesting closure of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Canberra (EN4632)

From 18 petitioners—requesting the addition of a Volume 4 to the National Construction Code that relates solely to social housing (EN4633)

From 59 petitioners—requesting action on soft plastic recycling (EN4634)

From 3726 petitioners—requesting legislation to compel supermarkets to highlight Australian owned products (EN4636)

From 24 petitioners—requesting changes to JobSeeker eligibility to include full time study (EN4637)

From 119048 petitioners—requesting that the use of cash is protected by law (EN4638)

Petitions certified on 8 December 2022 (11 petitions)

From 175 petitioners—requesting the removal of all non biodegradable soft plastics (EN4640)

From 18 petitioners—requesting people with coeliac disease to enlist in the ADF (EN4641)

From 109 petitioners—requesting the legalization and regulation of drugs (EN4642)

From 20664 petitioners—requesting that 20 psychology sessions be subsidized under Medicare 20 psychology sessions a permanent change. (EN4643)

From 53 petitioners—requesting a reduction in the visa application processing time for the 494 visa (EN4645)

From 59 petitioners—requesting that the monarch's image be retained on the $5 note (EN4646)

From 458 petitioners—requesting no nuclear-capable B52s in Australia (EN4647)

From 510 petitioners—requesting a safer future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children (EN4648)

From 83 petitioners—requesting that pedestrian and bike infrastructure be a higher priority (EN4650)

From 105 petitioners—requesting a stop to government sponsored violence against civilians in Iran (PN0549)

From 641 petitioners—requesting the condemnation of government sponsored violence in Iran (PN0550)

The f ollowing 31 ministerial responses to petitions were received:

Received by the Committee on 8 December 2022

From the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs to a petition requesting an increase in humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine (EN4032)

From the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs to a petition requesting humanitarian aide and evacuation help to Ukrainian citizens (EN4034)

From the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs to a petition regarding a commitment to intake 20,000 Ukrainian refugees (EN4042)

From the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs to a petition requesting special visas for refugees fleeing Ukraine (EN4046)

From the Minister for Health and Aged Care to a petition requesting lower age for National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (EN4055)

From the Attorney-General to a petition requesting banning the burqa and niqab in public places (EN4076)

From the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations to a petition regarding the appointment of the Member for Cook to ministerial positions (EN4417) (EN4426) (EN4432)

Received by the Committee on 25 January 2023

From the Minister for Transport to a petition requesting that a standard be implemented to warn if a child is left alone in a vehicle (EN3670)

From the Minister for Social Services to a petition requesting that accommodation costs be linked to JobSeeker or Austudy (EN3789)

From the Minister for Social Services to a petition requesting extension to Commonwealth Rent Assistance payments (EN4007)

From the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister to a petition regarding the introduction of a Parliamentary Accountability, Transparency and Disclosures Act (EN4045)

From the Minister for Financial Services to a petition regarding superannuation contributions for Members of Parliament (EN4048)

From the Minister for Home Affairs to a petition regarding banning person or representatives from certain Ukrainian groups (EN4071)

From the Treasurer to a petition regarding the suspension of fuel tax (EN4074)

From the Treasurer to a petition regarding petrol prices and fuel excise (EN4075)

From the Minister for Government Services to a petition regarding the implementation of contractor services across Government (EN4089)

From the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs to a petition regarding contingent visas to 60 persecuted Chinese Christians from deportation. (EN4091)

From the Minister for Industry and Science to a petition requesting free or affordable access to Australian Standard (EN4101)

From the Minister for Social Services to a petition regarding early retirement for veterans and emergency service personnel (EN4281)

From the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister to a petition regarding the appointment of the Governor General (EN4478)

From the Assistant Minister for the Republic to a petition regarding a referendum on becoming a Republic (EN4483)

From the Minister for Health and Aged Care to a petition regarding the reintroduction of mandatory isolation requirement (EN4520)

From the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to a petition regarding a PBS for Veterinary Services (EN4531)

From the Minister for Health and Aged Care to a petition regarding safety of MRNA vaccines (EN4554)

From the Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury to a petition requesting a review of the tax-free threshold each year (EN4555)

From the Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury to a petition regarding LGBTQIA+ topics in the Census (EN4557)

From the Minister for Transport to a petition requesting that a standard be implemented for seat belts in buses (EN4560)

From the Minister for Health to a petition regarding Medicare bulk billing (EN4566)

From the Minister for Health and Aged Care to a petition regarding a National Stuttering Awareness week (EN4568)

From the Minister for Home Affairs to a petition regarding immigration detention in Australia and regional processing arrangements (PN0536)

From the Minister for Foreign Affairs to a petition regarding Iran (EN4511) (EN4512) (EN4524) (EN4525) (EN4533) (EN4535) (EN4559) (EN4503)

Ms Susan Templeman MP

Chair—Petitions Committee