Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present report No. 13 of the Selection Committee relating to the consideration of committee and delegation business and private members' business on Monday 19 June 2023. The report will be printed in the Hansard for today and the committee's determination 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, 13 June 2023.

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, 13 June 2023, and determined the order of precedence and times on Monday, 19 June 2023, as follows:

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

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Notices

1 MS SHARKIE: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, and for related purposes. (Interactive Gambling Amendment (Ban on Gambling Advertisements) Bill 2023)

(Notice given 27 March 2023.)

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

2 DR SCAMPS: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, and for related purposes. (Broadcasting Services Amendment (Healthy Kids Advertising) Bill 2023)

(Notice given 13 June 2023.)

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 FERNANDO: To move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges the popularity of the Government's Fee-Free TAFE policy, demonstrated by the almost 150,000 enrolments in the first quarter of 2023;

(2) recognises that fee-free TAFE is:

(a) driving enrolments in sectors with recognised skills shortages and securing a domestic workforce to deliver on current and future priorities;

(b) providing training opportunities to priority groups including First Nations Australians, young people (between the ages of 17 to 24), people out of work or receiving income support, unpaid carers, certain categories of visa holders, women undertaking study in non-traditional fields, people with disabilities and people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities;

(c) enabling greater opportunities for Australians to gain skills for rewarding employment and to obtain secure, well-paid jobs;

(d) investing in our greatest resource, our people, and ensuring that no Australians are held back or left behind as the Australian economy transitions; and

(e) providing important cost-of-living relief to Australian students;

(3) commends the Commonwealth and state and territory governments for jointly establishing a $1 billion 12-month National Skills Agreement in 2023, delivering 180,000 places this year; and

(4) welcomes budgeting for a further 300,000 places to be made fee-free from 2024, supporting TAFE's central role in the Vocational Education and Training sector.

(Notice given 24 May 2023.)

Time allotted 40 minutes.

Speech time limits

Ms Fer nando 5 minutes.

Other Members 5 minutes each.

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

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

4 MS LE: To move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges:

(a) more than half of the Australian population was either born overseas or has one parent who was born overseas; and

(b) nearly a quarter of Australian residents speak a language other than English at home;

(2) notes:

(a) the importance of government in creating an inclusive society where everyone feels they belong;

(b) the importance of national broadcasters like SBS and ABC in reflecting and engaging with culturally and linguistically diverse and Indigenous communities and promoting social cohesion and inclusion; and

(c) perceptions of fair and adequate representation in the media directly correlates with multicultural communities' sense of belonging;

(3) encourages:

(a) policymakers and government bodies to engage with culturally diverse communities in policy development;

(b) the Australian Public Service to commit to ensuring that diversity of leadership representation is reflected across its leadership levels;

(c) media organisations to ensure staff, senior leadership and boards reflect Australia's rich diversity; and

(d) SBS to play an active role in ensuring talent from multicultural backgrounds is given opportunities to excel within the organisation; and

(4) calls on the Government to:

(a) take into account multicultural communities and their needs when formulating policies, allocation of funding, and resources;

(b) ensure English classes are funded for newly arrived migrants and refugees to ensure their successful integration into Australian society;

(c) ensure newly settled migrants and arrivals are aware of their rights and responsibilities;

(d) improve the process to recognise overseas qualifications so migrants and refugees can contribute to Australia's skilled workforce;

(e) effectively consult with cultural communities to inform the Government's Multicultural Framework Review.

(Notice given 13 June 2023.)

Time allotted 20 minutes.

Speech time limits

Ms Le 5 minutes.

Other Members 5 minutes each.

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

The Committee determined th at consideration of this matter should continue on a future day.

5 MR WALLACE: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that the Government is scrapping the 100 per cent pre-injury salary for veterans undertaking approved study from 1 July 2023;

(2) further notes that the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation and Other Legislation Amendment (Incapacity Payments) Bill 2022, which mirrors the Coalition's Maintaining Incapacity Payments for Veterans Studying Bill, was passed with bipartisan support in September 2022;

(3) recognises that at no stage did the Government flag the scheme was under review or to be cut, and on the contrary, the Minister for Veterans Affairs championed the scheme;

(4) calls on the Government to recommit to the bi-partisan support of our veterans and their families as they transition from the Australian Defence Force;

(5) calls on the Government to introduce a 'Diggers Bill'—similar to the United States G.I. Bill, also known as the Servicemen's Readjustment Act 1944 (United States); and

(6) acknowledges that it is our essential duty in this place to honour those who have given so much to protect Australia's interests at home and abroad.

(Notice given 30 May 2023; amended 31 May 2023.)

Time allotted remaining private Members' business time p rior to 12 noon.

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 matter should continue on a future day

Items for Federation Chamber (11 am to 1.30 pm)

PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Notices

1 MS TEMPLEMAN: To move:

That this House notes:

(1) that the arts and cultural sector provides benefits far beyond the arts community itself;

(2) that cultural activities make a tangible and valuable contribution to policy objectives in areas such as health, mental health, social cohesion, regional development, tourism, foreign affairs, disability support, skills development, education, environmental stewardship and issues affecting First Nations Australians;

(3) that the new National Cultural Policy, 'Revive', takes a whole of government approach that emphasises the potential of the arts to serve public policy objectives across a range of portfolios and advances a cross-portfolio commitment to creative endeavour;

(4) that the Government recognises the centrality of the arts to our national identity, community life and individual wellbeing; and

(5) Revive will provide new investment and new vision for the cultural sector, to begin repairing the damage caused by a decade of neglect of the arts by the previous Government.

(Notice given 13 June 2023.)

Time allotted 40 minutes.

Speech time limits

Ms Templeman 5 minutes.

Other Members 5 minutes each.

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

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

2 MRS ANDREWS: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that 1 July 2023 marks five years since the official establishment of the Australian Space Agency;

(2) recognises the growth of the Australian space sector over that time and the world leading advanced manufacturing that Australia's space industry is spearheading;

(3) acknowledges that space industry development is one of the highest return investments governments can make in modem economies; and

(4) calls on the Government to re-prioritise the space sector as an investment, including as a standalone sector under the National Reconstruction Fund.

(Notice given 23 May 2023.)

Time allotted 30 minutes.

Speech time limits

Mrs Andrews 5 minutes.

Other Members 5 minutes each.

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

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

3 DR GARLAND: To move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges the work the Government has undertaken in just over ten months to support Australia's higher education sector including:

(a) delivering 20,000 additional university places to areas of skills need for people underrepresented in our universities;

(b) facilitating the return of international students; and

(c) introducing the start-up legislation to support entrepreneurship, innovation and new ideas; and

(2) notes the once-in-a-generation universities accord process that the Government has commenced.

(Notice given 22 March 2023.)

Time allotted 40 minutes.

Speech time limits

Dr Garland 5 minutes.

Other Members 5 minutes each.

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

The Committee determine d that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day.

4 MR TED O'BRIEN: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) the Government has no plan to ensure replacement energy generation is built on time to replace the 20 gigawatt of baseload energy slated to withdraw from the National Electricity Market (NEM) by 2035, causing energy to become more expensive and less reliable;

(b) despite promising Australians it would reduce household electricity costs by $275 the Government has created energy chaos and has delivered consecutive price hikes including further increases of up to 33 per cent due from 1 July 2023;

(c) the closure of Liddell Power Station marks the start of a turbulent new era in Australia's energy market with 20 gigawatts of base load energy capacity (80 per cent of total baseload energy) to withdraw from the NEM by 2035;

(d) the Snowy 2.0 'mega battery' was commissioned by the former Government to support an orderly transition of the NEM, which is now under threat due to the current Government;

(e) the further delays to Snowy 2.0 will place further pressure on Australia's electricity market in coming years with 7.5 gigawats of baseload energy exiting the grid, before the 2 gigawatt Snowy 2.0 project is fully operational, from power stations including Liddell, Eraring, Yalloum and Vale Point B;

(f) the former Government actioned a comprehensive plan to enable a smooth powering down of the 2 gigawatt Liddell Power Station by extending its life, overseeing record investment in renewables and commissioning the 660 megawatt Kurri Kurri gas plant;

(g) since the Government came to office, there have been reports of massive blow-outs in both cost and the delivery timeframe for both the Snowy 2.0 and Kurri Kurri projects;

(h) the Government's uncommercial green hydrogen plan for Kurri Kurri has resulted in the project being delayed by at least a full year and has more than doubled the project's total cost; and

(i) the former Government worked with energy providers like AGL to extend the life of critical power stations to allow time for replacements to be built; and

(2) calls on the Government to:

(a) immediately reinstate a technology agnostic capacity mechanism;

(b) urgently work with Origin Energy to extend the life of the Eraring power station until replacement dispatchable capacity comes online;

(c) scrap its uncommercial green hydrogen plan for Kurri Kurri so it can start as a gas plant as soon as possible; and

(d) ensure Snowy 2.0 is operational as soon as possible.

(Notice given 9 Ma y 2023.)

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

Speech time limits

Mr Ted O'Brien 5 minutes.

Other Members 5 minutes each.

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

The Committee determined that consideration of this matter 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 COMMUNITY PHARMACIES: Resumption of debate (from 22 May 2023) on the motion of Mr Wallace—That this House acknowledges that:

(1) the Government:

(a) has not consulted with or listened to the genuine concerns of community pharmacists in regard to its proposed pharmaceutical 60-day dispensing changes; and

(b) must provide a strong guarantee that this change will not:

(i) harm the viability of community pharmacies;

(ii) affect medicine supplies especially in regional and rural communities; and

(iii) increase the stockpiling and wastage of medicines;

(2) the increased cost of living has placed enormous pressure on Australians, but questions remain on whether this policy will have perverse and unintended consequences; and

(3) community pharmacists play an integral role in the provision of primary healthcare in Australia, particularly in rural and regional Australia, as they stepped up when the nation needed them most through the COVID-19 pandemic and they deserve the support of the Government.

Time allotted 35 minutes.

Speech time limits

Mr Wallace 5 minutes.

Other Members 5 minutes each.

[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 7 x 5 mins]

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

Notices — continued

5 MR HILL: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that the development and implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly accelerating globally and in Australia;

(2) acknowledges that while there is much uncertainty surrounding both the development and adoption of AI technologies, and that 'AI' is a term used to describe a variety of techniques and applications, what is clear is that these technologies will transform human society, how we experience our lives and how we understand reality;

(3) recognises that harnessing the benefits of AI presents enormous opportunities for Australia, including:

(a) the potential for AI to boost productivity and revolutionise many industries;

(b) the capacity to transform our economy with advances in every conceivable field of human endeavour;

(c) new employment opportunities through human-centered AI;

(d) improving health, wealth and equality outcomes for all Australians including through improved government service delivery; and

(e) enhancements to environmental sustainability through better-informed decision making and accelerated scientific discovery;

(4) further notes that in order to safely harness these benefits, Australia must also act to mitigate the profound risks posed by AI, including:

(a) immediate and tangible threats to job security and industrial relations;

(b) the risk that AI could perpetuate or amplify existing biases and discrimination;

(c) the risk that AI could perpetuate or enable new forms of disinformation and misinformation;

(d) social and democratic harm through the use of AI in cyber attacks and large-scale disinformation campaigns;

(e) further digital marginalisation and inequality; and

(f) the threat of social disruption and national security risks;

(5) recognises that notwithstanding positive efforts underway to address matters related to AI—including responsible AI standards and policy—Australia has broader capability and governance gaps and needs to ensure that regulatory oversight of AI development and adoption in Australia is fit for purpose;

(6) affirms that:

(a) AI is one of the most transformational technologies of the 21st century, on par with the industrial revolution;

(b) the level of risk posed by unchecked AI, and the scope of policy development needed to curtail this risk, warrants urgent attention;

(c) industry leaders are calling for additional government action and regulatory cooperation;

(d) AI governance, regulation and public-good investment is too important to be left to industry or technical experts alone; and

(e) the Australian Parliament and Government have a responsibility to consider and act thoughtfully and promptly in responding to these changes; and

(7) further notes the recent regulatory moves underway in other jurisdictions, including diverse approaches to AI governance in the EU, the USA, China and the UK; and

(8) recognises that all Members of Parliament have a responsibility to engage with the transformative challenges presented by AI, and together explore what Australia should do to:

(a) foster and contribute to a national debate about AI;

(b) seize the enormous opportunities that AI technology will continue to generate;

(c) mitigate, through appropriate regulatory measures, community anxieties and the profound risks posed by unchecked AI; and

(d) deliver an Australian approach to AI governance and regulation informed by values of democratic participation, nation building, social justice, equality, consumer protection and international cooperation.

(Notice given 9 May 2023.)

Time allotted 30 minutes.

Speech time limits

Mr Hill 5 minutes.

Other Members 5 minutes each.

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

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

6 MS SHARKIE: To move:

That this House:

(1) recognises that regional print media:

(a) contributes positively to community well-being and maintains paramount civic value to rural Australians;

(b) facilitates opportunities for local journalists to cover stories of significant local importance;

(c) delivers media diversity in a highly competitive market dominated by two large conglomerates; and

(d) enables the collection and preservation of local and regional histories via national archives resources such as Trove; and

(2) acknowledges the following challenges endured by the regional print media industry:

(a) difficulties in maintaining consistent revenue streams;

(b) the closure of over 200 regional newspapers across Australia during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020; and

(c) changes in government communications policy with the change in Government; and

(3) calls on the Government to review communications policy and regional print media funding to ensure that:

(a) the regional print media industry survives declining economic conditions;

(b) regional print media continues to provide entirely localised news for regional communities, which maximises social harmony;

(c) opportunities for country Australians seeking careers in print journalism are maintained; and

(d) media diversity in regional Australia remains, to prevent a city-based newspaper from becoming the sole source of print media in an entire state.

(Notice given 9 May 2023.)

Time allotted 20 minutes.

Speech time limits

Ms Sharkie 5 minutes.

Other Members 5 minutes each.

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

The Committee determined t hat consideration of this matter should continue on a future day.

Orders of the day — continued

2 AGED CARE SECTOR: Resumption of debate (from 22 May 2023) on the motion of Ms Thwaites—That this House:

(1) acknowledges the Government's second budget delivers a record 15 per cent pay increase for aged care workers across Australia, and that this represents the biggest ever pay rise for aged care workers;

(2) recognises the work of the Government supporting the aged care sector to improve facilities and lift the quality of care for residents, including through increasing average care minutes and greater transparency; and

(3) commends the Government for having directly addressed 37 recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety since coming into office, and its commitment to continue delivering reform for the aged care sector.

Time allotted 30 minutes.

Speech time limits

Ms Thwaites 5 minutes.

Other Members 5 minutes each.

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

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

3 SUPERANNUATION TAX: Resumption of debate (from 22 May 2023) on the motion of Ms Bell—That this House:

(1) notes that the Government's superannuation tax will unfairly impact younger Australians;

(2) recognises that:

(a) a 20-year-old today earning an average salary will be caught in the net of the Government's doubling of superannuation taxes;

(b) an analysis of Australian Taxation Office and Australian Bureau of Census data reveals that this means more than two million Australians under the age of 25 today will be slugged with the Government's latest tax grab; and

(c) the Government has been misleading Australia and it is time for the Treasurer to come clean and confirm exactly how many people will lose out under these changes; and

(3) acknowledges that young Australians today will pay the price for the Government's reckless spending.

Time allotted 30 minutes.

Speech time limits

Ms Bell 5 minutes.

Other Members 5 minutes each.

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

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

Notices — continued

7 MS STANLEY: To move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is recognised on 15 June; and

(b) this day is an opportunity to increase awareness of the different forms of elder abuse, whether they be financial, psychological, physical or neglect; and

(2) acknowledges that the Government is committed to:

(a) implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety; and

(b) ensuring that older Australians are afforded the proper care and respect they deserve.

(Notice given 30 May 2023.)

Time allo tted remaining private Members' business time prior to 7.30 pm.

Speech time limits

Ms Stanley 5 minutes.

Other Members 5 minutes each.

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

The Committee determined that consideration of this matter sh ould continue on a future day.

THE HON D. M. DICK MP

Speaker of the House of Representatives

14 June 2023