The SPEAKER ( Hon. Bronwyn Bishop ) took the chair at 10:00, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.
Australian Education Amendment (School Funding Guarantee) Bill 2014
That this bill be now read a second time.
We're all in agreement that what the government is doing—
in relation to health and education is not acceptable.
These are simply unaffordable and unsustainable, and those who will be affected are ordinary Australian families …
Migration Amendment (Ending the Nation's Shame) Bill 2014
That this bill be now read a second time.
That this House:
(1) recognises that the maintenance of safe, sustainable rates in the trucking industry is essential for ensuring community safety on our roads; and
(2) calls on the Government to retain the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal intact, and not to allow profit-taking to take precedence over the reasonable safety of motorists and truck drivers.
That day in court, hearing all the detail of the case and how long the guy had been on the road; my thought was he should not have been the only one on trial. You know there's the whole industry should've been on trial … that day.
What I am getting to is red tape and paperwork that will not achieve anything. It will not provide safety and will be of no benefit.
Road accidents involving heavy vehicles cost our economy an estimated $2.7 billion a year, but the cost to victim's families can't be measured.
That this House:
(1) notes Australia's condemnation of the group responsible for the abduction of more than 200 school girls from Chibok in Borno State, Nigeria, and deep concern at reports of further abductions in north eastern Nigeria; and
(2) acknowledges that:
(a) the Australian government has made contact with the Nigerian High Commission in Canberra and the Nigerian government in Abuja to express concern;
(b) Australia:
(i) is working with Nigeria on counter-terrorism to prevent attacks including the recent bombings that took place in Abuja and these abductions;
(ii) has joined other members of the United Nations Security Council in condemning in the strongest terms the recent attacks committed by Boko Haram; and
(iii) is strongly committed to empowering women and girls socially, politically and economically, by ending violence against women and girls, and improving access to health care and education; and
(c) the Australian government continues to advise Australians to reconsider their need to travel to Nigeria given the high threat of terrorist attack and kidnapping.
In these girls, Barack and I see our own daughters. We see their hopes, their dreams … These girls embody the best hope for the future of our world … and we are committed to standing up for them not just in times of tragedy or crisis, but for the long haul.
I specifically stated that the coalition was really concerned about the large amount of funding going to the Middle East and Africa.
… an enormous amount of money was skewed. Between 2007 and 2008, there was also a 251 per cent increase in spending in Africa, from $111 million-$354 million.
Eradicating extreme poverty in a generation is an ambitious but feasible goal.
Only through global cooperation can individual nations overcome the crisis of extreme poverty, economic instability, social inequality and environmental degradation.
Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2014-2015
Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2014-2015
Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2014-2015
Appropriation Bill (No. 5) 2013-2014
Appropriation Bill (No. 6) 2013-2014
That so much of standing and sessional orders be suspended as would permit the member for Melbourne Ports to complete his speech on the motion moved by the member for Brisbane for a period not exceeding four minutes.
Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2014-2015
But there's a better way of operating a health system, and the change should hardly hurt at all. As economists have shown, the ideal model involves a small co-payment—not enough to put a dent in your weekly budget, but enough to make you think twice before you call the doc. And the idea is hardly radical.
We'd estimate around 1.2 million families that would be on average around $3,000 a year worse off by 2017-18, whereas the top income groups—so the top 20 per cent of households—would have either no impact or a very small positive impact—
This Government has cut the bottom rungs of the ladder of opportunity.
What we've seen is ideology dressed as economics. What we've got is politics masquerading as policy.
What we've seen in this budget is like an undergraduate university politics club in place of simple solutions for complex problems.
The notion that people under the age of 30 are somehow so well progressed in their life that they can lose their job, meet their rent, meet their utilities, feed and clothe themselves whilst unemployed, without a shred of government assistance for six months. Who on earth are they kidding?
Fire crews have spent the night clearing up two tonnes of building material containing asbestos.
… there's a better way of operating a health system, and the change should hardly hurt at all. As economists have shown, the ideal model involves a small co-payment—not enough to put a dent in your weekly budget, but enough to make you think twice before you call the doc. And the idea is hardly radical.
… there's a better way of operating a health system, and the change should hardly hurt at all. As economists have shown, the ideal model involves a small co-payment—not enough to put a dent in your weekly budget, but enough to make you think twice before you call the doc. And the idea is hardly radical.
Patient contributions will not be expected for many GP services that target patients with particular health needs, such as Health Assessments and Chronic Disease Management items.
(1) only the member speaking or, at question time, the questioner may seek leave to table a document, and only then after the minister has concluded his or her answer;
(2) a request by a private member for leave to table a document will not be put where the document is already on the public record; and
(3) a request for leave by a private member to table a document will not be permitted when used as a disruptive device.
For many purposes the Speaker is in effect 'Minister' for the Department of the House of Representatives and jointly with the President of the Senate is 'Minister' for the Department of Parliamentary Services.
That, in accordance with the provisions of the National Library Act 1960 , this House elects Mr Hayes to be a member of the Council of the National Library of Australia and to continue as a member for a period of three years from this day.
That the following matter be referred to the Committee of Privileges and Members' Interests:
Whether the Speaker's use of her Parliament House dining room for Liberal Party fundraisers constitutes an improper interference with the operation of the House of Representatives.
That the question be now put.
The House divided. [15:49]
(The Speaker—Hon. Bronwyn Bishop)
The House divided. [15:56]
(The Speaker—Hon. Bronwyn Bishop)
That the House take note of the report.
That the order of the day be referred to the Federation Chamber for debate.
Migration Amendment (Offshore Resources Activity) Repeal Bill 2014
In APPEA's view, ORA 2013 has been formulated to service an industrial relations agenda rather than a skills or health, safety or environmental agenda.
Extending Australia's migration zone through ORA 2013 in order to extend industrial relations laws to vessels and workers undertaking highly specialised work for a short time only adds to the regulatory burden applying to offshore construction and operations with no palpable benefit.
The industry is truly global in nature and must compete for a limited pool of international investment capital. Investment lost from the Australian oil and gas industry will be redirected to overseas competitors …
Even small delays can add significant costs to industry and, in turn, the Australian economy.
The ORA Act has created an unnecessary regulatory burden for the offshore resources sector that is significantly disproportionate to the original policy intent. Its application is unclear and confusing for industry.
Repeal of the ORA Act would support Australia's international competitiveness and encourage investment to maintain the economic benefits of a strong offshore resources sector.
Australian jobs and our overall economic success relies on a confident, growing offshore oil and gas industry able to do business consistent with international laws and practices ... With this much at stake, it is vital that sectional interests do not come before the national interest and that parliament delivers sustainable, proportionate and balanced regulation affecting offshore operations.
Australia is not the only place in the world with offshore oil and gas resources. International investors are all too aware of and are in the business of evaluating competing resource destinations.
The House divided. [17:43]
(The Deputy Speaker—Mr Vasta)
That this bill be now read a third time.
Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Legislation Amendment (Removing Re-approval and Re-registration) Bill 2014
The effectiveness of the industrial chemicals and agvet schemes is limited given that all existing chemicals were grandfathered, without modern assessment, at the inception of the schemes. These constitute the vast majority of chemicals 'approved' for use in Australia. NICNAS and APVMA have programs for assessing existing chemicals, with review priorities determined on the basis of perceived health and environmental risks. So far only a tiny fraction of existing chemicals have been assessed. Initiatives to greatly accelerate the pace of review under both programs are warranted. In particular, NICNAS should improve its engagement with international existing chemical review programs, and make greater use of modelling tools.
… we believe one of the bill's key modifications; the intention to install a system of mandatory re-registration lacks sufficient justification and is likely to create a new layer of compliance and bureaucracy on the pesticide and veterinary medicines industry without demonstrable improvements in efficiency or outcomes and that extra costs will be passed along to Australian farmers.
… too polluted with heavy metals and other chemicals to use for growing food, a Cabinet official said Monday, highlighting a problem that is causing growing public concern.
The threat from pollution to China's food supply has been overshadowed by public alarm at smog and water contamination but is gaining attention following scandals over tainted rice and other crops. The government triggered complaints in February when it refused to release results of a nationwide survey of soil pollution, declaring them a state secret.
The figure given at a news conference by Wang Shiyuan, a deputy minister of the Ministry of Land and Resources, would be about 2 percent of China's … arable land.
Removing re-registration removes an opportunity for the APVMA to confirm that chemical products supplied to the market are the same as the product evaluated and registered by the APVMA. This can be addressed in part by improving the ability of the APVMA to require a person who supplies an agvet chemical product in Australia to provide information (for example, a chemical analysis) about the product they are supplying.
It seems to be part of the DNA of regulatory bodies that they acquire their own interests and begin to grow.
Australian farmers need a system of chemical registration that facilitates the introduction of new chemicals onto the Australian market in a timely and cost efficient manner. Australian farmers compete in international markets and it is important that they have access to the tools that allow them to produce safe, fresh produce in a cost-effective manner.
The assessment of the registration process should be a transparent, efficient and effective process to reduce the cost burden on farmers to assess agvet chemicals. It should also shorten registration and reconsideration response and time frames. The National Farmers Federation commends the government on their commitment to this process and would support passage of the agriculture and veterinary chemicals legislation through the Parliament.
We should, I think, get rid of this belief …
In politics, one can never do more than decide which of the two evils is lesser, and there are some situations from which one can only escape by acting like a devil or a lunatic.
They promised something they didn't have the money for. They didn't allocate the money for it.
Bit disappointed … We thought … The fresh senator in the ACT would take an interest. He did say to the people out here that he wanted to help the people of Gungahlin. Well I haven't even received an email or a phone call from him besides before Christmas.
Unfortunately, the Commonwealth stripping funding from health won't make the costs go away. People will still arrive at the emergency department, they will still require operations, cancer treatment and renal dialysis. This decision simply shifts the burden to the states and territories.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Christian Porter) took the chair at 10:30.
Well, I certainly believe in her right to say what she said. I thought some of the things she said were an accurate reflection of what people feel.
… at Alikianos the outnumbered 8th Greek Regiment successfully charged the German lines with bayonets when their ammunition had run out. The German commander wired headquarters that at Alikianos that they were confronting a force of over 4,000 Greeks, but in reality, the 8th Greek Regiment had less than 850 men. This kind of bravery was to be duplicated by Greek units throughout the island.
During a year of unbroken triumph they [the Germans] had known nothing but the cowed submission of their victims. This unexpected defiance by a civilian population surprised and angered them.
That this House:
(1) notes that the recent Strategic Review of the National Broadband Network (NBN) revealed that the:
(a) Government's broadband plan can be completed using a mix of technologies to save $32 billion, keep monthly bills lower and deliver the NBN to all Australians four years sooner than under Labor's plan; and
(b) NBN is in a fundamentally worse position than Labor ever disclosed to Parliament or the Australian public;
(2) notes with concern that the review found that:
(a) if Labor's policies are left in place, Australian households could pay up to 80 per cent more for broadband each month; and
(b) the cost of completing the NBN under Labor's plan has blown out to $73 billion; and
(3) acknowledges that the Government is delivering on its election commitment to complete the NBN sooner, cheaper to consumers and more affordably for the Australian taxpayer.
If we don't go ahead with the NBN in its current form, that's about $50 billion less that the Commonwealth will need to borrow.
Downloading, uploading, fast, brilliant. Sending emails, instant. Downloading really big documents, we get it straight away.
… … …
Brilliant. We don't have any dramas, none whatsoever.
In 2007 Labor promised a National Broadband Network costing $4.7 billion and which would be completed by 2013. In 2009 they switched to an NBN costing ten times as much.
After six years of Labor government, only 3% of Australians had access to the NBN and fewer than 100,000 were using it. Labor's NBN achieved only 16% of its original rollout target for June 2013 and only 7% of its target for paying customers.
For many homes, farms and businesses in rural and regional Western Australia the rollout of the NBN will provide access to internet speeds and bandwidth that many in the big cities take for granted.
… I want to go back to your briefing at the start, just to be crystal clear. The NBN costs $37.4 billion. What veracity should then be given to assertions that the NBN cost could in fact be around $90 billion?
I can only repeat that we are confident of the $37.4 billion figure.
Do you know how that $90 billion figure was derived?
Under the coalition by 2016 ... there will be minimum download speeds of 25 megabits ... we will deliver a minimum of 25 megabits ... by the end of our first term.
"When I studied Australian history, we studied the tyranny of distance, about the problems for Australia being so far away," Ms Shepherd said.
"The internet and the NBN in particular for me down here in Kiama, that tyranny of distance is gone now. The world is right here in my living room because I've got a good connection."
The biggest problem the government has at the moment is that it doesn't understand technology broadly.
That this House:
(1) recognises that:
(a) Australia has one of the highest incidences of food allergy in the world;
(b) one in ten Australian babies aged 12 months have a food allergy;
(c) the number of reported life-threatening reactions due to a food allergy has doubled in the last 10 years; and
(d) in the past 20 years, hospital admissions for food anaphylaxis in Australia have doubled and increased five-fold in children aged zero to four years; and
(2) calls upon the Government to make anaphylaxis and food allergy a national health priority, including:
(a) establishing a national food allergy register to capture an accurate picture of food allergy reactions in Australia and statistics on patient outcomes; and
(b) developing a model of care for food allergy management—to provide timely diagnosis, current information and ongoing access to quality medical care for people with food allergies.
That this House:
(1) joins with the Prime Minister, Opposition Leader and Defence Minister in acknowledging the service of the more than 30,000 Defence Force personnel deployed in the Middle East since October 2001;
(2) supports the sentiment of appreciation outlined in the Prime Minister's speech at the welcome home parade for more than 250 Darwin-based soldiers marking the end of their deployment to Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan, during 2013;
(3) acknowledges the enormous sacrifice of Australia's mission in Afghanistan—during which 40 soldiers lost their lives and more than 260 personnel were injured;
(4) affirms its pride and ongoing support for the Australian Defence Force as one of the most highly trained, professional and respected forces in the world;
(5) pays tribute to these personnel through its support for the national day of commemoration to be held on 21 March 2015 to recognise the contribution and sacrifice of Australian troops who served in Afghanistan and the Middle East; and
(6) acknowledges the great courage and personal sacrifice of our Defence Force personnel and their families to keep our country safe and to build a better future for the people of Afghanistan and the broader Middle East.
All governments, in all countries, and whatever their policy or label, profess to favour international peace. All claim to be non-aggressive; all claim to be armed purely for defensive purposes. Not one admits the desire for war, but all are ready for participation in war.
That this House notes that:
(1) 2014 is the 25th anniversary of the Byron Bay Bluesfest, Australia's premier Blues and Roots music festival;
(2) Bluesfest has been acclaimed as a premier contemporary music, tourist and business event, winning multiple awards from New South Wales Tourism, the Australia Event Awards, the Australia Helpmann Awards, and the North Coast Tourism Awards;
(3) Bluesfest has also been internationally recognised for its work on environmental sustainability and minimising the environmental impact of the festival on its surroundings, being awarded the international 'A Greener Festival Award' seven years in a row;
(4) in 2013, Bluesfest director Peter Noble and Bundjalung woman and festival director Rhoda Roberts founded the Boomerang festival, which celebrates the valuable contributions of our Indigenous people through music, art, dance, film and cultural exchanges; and
(5) Bluesfest director Peter Noble received on 4 February 2014 the prestigious Rolling Stone Award recognising his outstanding career-long contribution to popular culture.
That this House:
(1) recognises the one year anniversary of the Rana Plaza building collapsed in Bangladesh, which killed more than 1,130 people in 2013;
(2) notes the:
(a) existence of the Bangladesh Accord, an independent agreement designed to make all garment factories in Bangladesh safe workplaces; and
(b) Accord has been signed by over 150 apparel corporations from 20 countries in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia, two global trade unions, IndustriALL and UNI Global Union, and numerous Bangladeshi unions; and
(3) calls on the remaining companies in Australia and abroad to sign and adhere to the spirit of the Accord.
The government of Bangladesh lacks the resources, administrative capacity and often the will to protect workers in garment factories. Local industry enjoys outsized influence in the country's politics, which impacts the establishment and enforcement of rigorous registration.
Like many of the pharmacies this year, Samantha saw that there were needs in the community that weren't being dealt with. For example, because Charnwood is an area where there is a considerable amount of diabetes and circulation problems, Samantha saw that there was a need for compression garments and wound dressings.
She deals with the local GPs, everybody in the area, and the pharmacy is known as the go to spot with anything to do with compression garments and wound management in the area.
To the Honourable The Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives
Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2014-2015
Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2014-2015
Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2014-2015
Appropriation Bill (No. 5) 2013-2014
Appropriation Bill (No. 6) 2013-2014
He used to tell me proudly that he had learned all of his economics at the feet of Bob Santamaria. I was horrified.
You see, we had a fire, and the budget is the fire brigade. And sure, sometimes the fire brigade knocks over a few fences in order to put out the fire.
If you're on $200,000 … your impact would be around $400 per year, and that compares to a single-earner family … who may be losing $3,000 to $4,000 per year by 2017-18 … the top income groups - so the top 20 per cent of households - would have either no impact or a very small positive impact.
… we have no plans to increase fees …
Selfishness has taken over from self-reliance. For our children's sake, we need to reverse the trend.
The history of inequality is shaped by the way economic, social and political actors view what is just and what is not, as well as by the relative power of those actors and the collective choices that result.
Hi Gai
I live in Kambah and have two sons studying at a school in Canberra, one currently completing Year 12 and the other in Year 10.
Two weeks before Christmas last year I lost my job via a "Voluntary" redundancy (which of course wasn't really voluntary at all). I had been a dedicated and efficient public servant for the past 25 years. I have been unemployed since and although I've applied for many jobs, I have been unsuccessful in being able to obtain one (even just an interview). I am 46 years old so it will be quite some time before I can draw a superannuation pension therefore I have to work.
Before the Election, my two sons both had apprenticeships lined up. However, since and because of the Budget, both offers of apprenticeships have been withdrawn by their potential employers. This has really upset them and I worry greatly for their futures.
I don't know how we are going to survive. Really, I am so terribly worried about our future. In my 25 years as a public servant, I've never seen it this bad in Canberra.
Please FIGHT and fight hard for us against this budget and this destructive Government. They have gone in too hard, too fast and hit the people who can least afford it. I ask that you strongly oppose this Budget with all your might and trigger another Election.
Dear Ms Brodtmann,
I am an expat Australian living in Asia. I was devastated to hear that the government has axed the Australian Network. I watch it almost every evening, and the AFL football on the weekend. It is my life line to home: the news, the drama series (world class) and of course the footy. I encourage my English language students to view the free language lessons available. Most importantly, it is 'Australia's presence' in the region, one of the G20, more powerful than a military base. The status it gives us, the prestige it bestows (most countries cannot have a global network), is uncountable, and surely worth more than the meagre millions being redirected. Please raise this matter with the government—Australians living and working o/s are collectively gutted! thank you for your time.
Dear Gai,
What a nightmare the budget is! I understand that we, as a country, need to make changes to reduce our deficit and plan for the increase in cost of some areas of the future, but we are so disappointed that this budget is just so unimaginative and base.
The policy that distresses us most at the moment is the deregulation of the University fee structure and the resultant higher fees. Our son is currently in his second year at the University of Sydney, so he will be less affected than younger people yet to start out.
Please Gai we need you and your colleagues to do something about this terrible policy. What amendments can you propose, what parts can you block? How will our young people ever be able to afford to buy houses when they will be saddled with an $80K debt? How will they afford higher degrees and what will it do to their general spending power, none of this can be good for the economy.
We want to commend and encourage you in your fight for the best for this country.
I am an ACT resident so I write to you all as representatives with a feeling of desperation for common sense and decency in this country.
I find it hard to stomach seeing our current government present and then defend their proposed budget that targets the less well off in the country while providing what is effectively a handout to big business.
I've been unemployed here in Canberra for 12 months. So all these young people will now have to wait with zero income and then only get 6 months cover before plunging back to zero income. Sure there will always be ways to improve targeting but can the government please see and acknowledge that crime rates will be affected for instance, severe hardship will be imposed on families, depression rates increase? I have always looked to the government and paid my taxes all my life in the belief that the money is a fair contribution to society and those on the margins and should always be there. You don't balance a budget by kicking unemployed people in the guts and handing big sums in a Paid Parental Leave scheme that no-one else but Tony Abbot was calling for!
This is the first time I have written to a politician since I was at university—a long time ago—but I feel I have a moral duty to say something now. As a sixth generation Australian I am appalled at what the government has done.
I see a government for the top 3 % in our society looking for the best possible way to fund reductions in their private and corporate income tax by reducing support for the most vulnerable in our society. The measures the government has announced are designed to create an underclass denied the long term health, education and social benefits we, as citizens of one of the wealthiest countries in the world, should make available to everyone.
How can it benefit our future to create an underclass of the chronically ill, under educated and disaffected? In this technological society there is and will continue to be fewer and fewer places for the unskilled. Why create more of them and how will these people work into their 70s? This budget will end any ambition that Australia might become 'the clever country'. It certainly would have ensured that I, as a policeman's daughter in the 1970s, would never have got to university. I am perfectly cognisant of the fact that we have an aging and longer living population but dumping half of them on a scrap heap of need doesn't seem to be a moral response. The ridiculous levy will be felt by few and paid by less.
These changes won't affect me much but they will affect my view of my country. Any society is judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members. The Prime Minister has cast his attempt to change the nature of this country as an 'act of political courage'. Maybe, but it is not an intelligent act nor a goodhearted one. I would prefer to describe it as an 'act of political bastardry'. As my elected representative I am requesting that you do everything in your power to prevent these appalling assaults on our social fabric—even if that means we end up going to the polls again this year.
Hi Gai,
I'm not normally one to write to politicians, however I feel in this case I need to express my concern with the way the country is being managed.
I am 28 years old, single with no children, earn around 100K per year with the federal APS and have private health insurance. I pay my fair share of taxes, contribute to the community through volunteer work and actively represent the Australian culture by being fair and equal to others.
However, I am greatly concerned with the recent federal budget and the impact it is going to have on me and the Canberra community.
Firstly, I am concerned with the large-scale public sector cuts being disproportionately thrown at the Canberra community. I am worried about the flow on effect this will have on the local economy including retail and hospitality, as well as the housing market, thus creating a mass exodus of locals finding greater stability in other areas of the country. I am so sick of having to defend my profession when I speak to non-locals, or continually view the Liberal Party's smearing of the public sector as lazy fat cats who sit ripe on high incomes. That 100K I'm earning—do you know how many Christmas's I have spent away from family, or holidays I have sacrificed to meet the government's policy objectives, or the late nights spent worrying about a deadline. I can assure you that I'm definitely not sitting around, smoking a cigar enjoying the so called lazy fat cat lifestyle of the public service.
Secondly, I am concerned about the federal government's withdrawal of $80 billion in state/territory funding for health and education, and the possibility that this may position the state and territories in a situation where they request an increase in the GST. Thankfully I am earning quite a nice salary, especially for my age, however how do you expect the general population to survive in this country when gas and electricity is going up, fuel prices continue to rise (especially in Canberra), healthy food is too expensive for a single income let alone a family, and on top of that the GST may rise.
Gai, how are people supposed to survive?
Lastly, I am concerned with the increase to the fuel excise in a city that heavily relies on cars because of an inadequate public transport system. Will the light rail project continue now that the ACT economy is going to lose funding?
I am very concerned about the way Canberra has been hit with this budget, and as a member of the voting public—a taxpayer and contributing member to the Canberra community—I want to ensure that my concerns are heard and acknowledged, and represented as necessary.
A dumb way—
would be to threaten family benefits or means test them further.
There are many examples of jobs in my home state of Tasmania, for example fruit picking …
If the Government wants us to be babysitters and to run these social welfare programs we will have a conversation about what's involved in that, but it won't be as a part of a commercial offering.
I am writing you to encourage you to stand up against the threats to the most vulnerable members of our community by the plans outlined in the Abbott government's budget. Why are we buying new jet fighters and giving tax breaks to big business while making it more and more difficult for the poorest to have the basic necessities of life? Cutting bulk-billing for children and pensioners is not just a $7 impost. I am a pensioner.
Recently I went to the doctor, who sent me for blood tests and then called me back because of some abnormalities, which led to new blood tests and an ultrasound. Then I had to go back to the doctor to get the results. These changes would have meant an extra $42 for me within a two-week period. I would not have spent that $42 on a beer, a cigarette or a cigar. It probably would have gone towards my power bill or on food. I am however more concerned that children will not receive the medical care they need because some parents must decide between food or medical treatment.
In Tasmania there is great youth unemployment, but maybe some do not want to work. However, most cannot find work. With no Newstart until they reach 30 we are going to see a rise in the number of youth homelessness. Surely the lucky country can do better than this.
Australia has always been our friend, but the change in their government last year has resulted in problems.
Should the Coalition win the election, Aboriginal people will be at the heart of a new government, in word and in deed.
No cuts to health, in fact health goes up. No cuts to schools, in fact schools go up.
The coalition has provided in-principle support for Closing the Gap initiatives and will maintain the funding in the budget allocated to Closing the Gap in Health.
Is his department currently funding or planning to fund the following grade separations on the Tonkin Highway: (a) Benara Road; (b) Morley Road; and (c) Collier Road; if so (i) when will these begin, and (ii) what sum is being allocated to each.
On 6 February 2014, I announced the Australian Government's commitment of $140.6 million to construct grade separations at Tonkin Highway's intersections with Benara Road, Morley Road and Collier Road.
The project, known as NorthLink WA – Tonkin Grade Separations, is part of the Australian Government's Infrastructure Investment Programme of works for Western Australia, which is currently being settled.
In respect of the Western Australia suburbs of (a) Atwell, (b) Banjup, (c) Beaconsfield, (d) Beeliar, (e) Bibra Lake, (f) Bicton, (g) Coogee, (h) Coolbellup, (i) East Fremantle, (j) Hamilton Hill, (k) Hilton, (l) Jandakot, (m) North Fremantle, (n) Palmyra, (o) Samson, (p) South Fremantle, (q) South Lake, (r) Spearwood, (s) Success, (t) Wattleup, (u) White Gum Valley, (v) Willagee, (w) Yangebup, and (x) the City of Fremantle,
(i) what is the schedule for delivering minimum broadband download speeds of 25mbps to each suburb, and
(ii) how many households in each suburb currently have access to download speeds of 25mbps, and when will each remaining household have access to minimum broadband download speeds of 25mbps.
(i) Labor failed Western Australians in rolling out the NBN. Prior to the time of the last election, as at 2 September 2013 NBN Co had connected just 91 active brownfields users in Western Australia. In the following 8 months the Coalition Government has increased active NBN brownfields users in WA by 28 times what Labor achieved in 6 years.
The Strategic Review found that the fastest and most affordable way to deliver the NBN is to apply a mix of technologies based on their best fit with the infrastructure already in place. NBN Co is now making preparations to implement the Government's directions. NBN Co's review into the wireless and satellite programs has been completed and is available on its website.
The outcomes of these reviews will feed into the process of determining which areas of Australia will be serviced by which technology. Meanwhile, the Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) build is continuing and the areas where build has commenced or where services are available are listed on the NBN Co website.
Once these processes have been completed and NBN Co has stabilised the FTTP rollout, the company will be in a position to provide further details. NBN Co is working on a new rollout schedule which will indicate when different parts of Australia will be connected to the NBN and which technology will be used in those locations. We expect this information to be released in the second half of this year.
Importantly, areas with no or limited access to broadband will be prioritised and will receive upgrades on average 2 years sooner than they would have under Labor.
(ii) Information about broadband speeds in particular areas is available from the Department of Communications' "My Broadband" website: www.mybroadband.communications.gov.au/
In respect of the Western Australia suburbs of (a) Atwell, (b) Banjup, (c) Beaconsfield, (d) Beeliar, (e) Bibra Lake, (f) Bicton, (g) Coogee, (h) Coolbellup, (i) East Fremantle, (j) Hamilton Hill, (k) Hilton, (l) Jandakot, (m) North Fremantle, (n) Palmyra, (o) Samson, (p) South Fremantle, (q) South Lake, (r) Spearwood, (s) Success, (t) Wattleup, (u) White Gum Valley, (v) Willagee, (w) Yangebup, and (x) the City of Fremantle,
(i) what is the schedule for serving each suburb with fibre-to-the-premises technology for the delivery of high-speed broadband, and
(ii) if already being rolled out, how many households in each suburb have received fibre-to-the-premises technology as of 17 March 2014, and when will each remaining household receive it.
See answer to House of Representatives Question in Writing HQIW80
When will the following suburbs in the Australian Capital Territory have access to minimum broadband download speeds of 25mbps: (a) Ainslie, (b) Aranda, (c) Belconnen, (d) Bonner, (e) Braddon, (f) Bruce, (g) Campbell, (h) Casey, (i) Charnwood, (j) Cook, (k) Crace, (l) Dickson, (m) Downer, (n) Dunlop, (o) Evatt, (p) Florey, (q) Flynn, (r) Forde, (s) Fraser, (t) Giralang, (u) Hackett, (v) Hawker, (w) Higgins, (x) Holt, (y) Kaleen, (z) Latham, (ai) Lyneham, (aii) Macquarie, (aiii) McKellar, (aiv) Melba, (av) Nicholls, (avi) O'Connor, (avii) Page, (aviii) Reid, (aix) Scullin, (ax) Spence, (axi) Turner, (axii) Watson, and (axiii) Weetangera.
Labor failed Australians in rolling out the NBN.
The Strategic Review found that the fastest and most affordable way to deliver the NBN is to apply a mix of technologies based on their best fit with the infrastructure already in place. NBN Co is now making preparations to implement the Government's directions. NBN Co's review into the wireless and satellite programs has been completed and is available on its website.
The outcomes of this and other reviews will feed into the process of determining which areas of Australia will be serviced by which technology. Meanwhile, the Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) build is continuing and the areas where build has commenced or where services are available are listed on the NBN Co website.
Once these processes have been completed and NBN Co has stabilised the FTTP rollout, the company will be in a position to provide further details. NBN Co is working on a new rollout schedule which will indicate when different parts of Australia will be connected to the NBN and which technology will be used in those locations. We expect this information to be released in the second half of this year.
Importantly, areas with no or limited access to broadband will be prioritised and will receive upgrades on average 2 years sooner than they would have under Labor.
When will the following suburbs in the Australian Capital Territory be served by fibre-to-the-premises technology for the delivery of high-speed broadband: (a) Ainslie, (b) Aranda, (c) Belconnen, (d) Bonner, (e) Braddon, (f) Bruce, (g) Campbell, (h) Casey, (i) Charnwood, (j) Cook, (k) Crace, (l) Dickson, (m) Downer, (n) Dunlop, (o) Evatt, (p) Florey, (q) Flynn, (r) Forde, (s) Fraser, (t) Giralang, (u) Hackett, (v) Hawker, (w) Higgins, (x) Holt, (y) Kaleen, (z) Latham, (ai) Lyneham, (aii) Macquarie, (aiii) McKellar, (aiv) Melba, (av) Nicholls, (avi) O'Connor, (avii) Page, (aviii) Reid, (aix) Scullin, (ax) Spence, (axi) Turner, (axii) Watson, and (axiii) Weetangera.
See answer to House of Representatives Question in Writing HQIW82.
In respect of the Future Fund,
(a) is it desirable for the Fund to act transparently and in the public interest,
(b) is it in the public interest to have publicly accessible information on the nature of the Fund's investments, for example, through the Fund's website,
(c) are the Fund's investments classified as commercial-in-confidence, if so, why,
(d) what is the ethical framework guiding the Fund's managers, and
(e) given the increasing level of investor concern about a carbon bubble and investments in fossil-fuels becoming 'stranded assets', what is the nature of the Fund's fossil-fuel investments, including the companies which are invested in and the individual sums invested in them.
(a) The Future Fund operates within the governance, performance and accountability framework for Commonwealth entities.
The management of the Future Fund complies with the reporting obligations of Commonwealth entities, including reporting to Parliament via the tabling of an annual report and the appearance of senior executives of the Future Fund Management Agency at Senate Estimates hearings.
The Future Fund was established with the clear objective to strengthen the Commonwealth's long-term financial position by making provision for the discharge of unfunded Commonwealth superannuation liabilities. The Future Fund Board of Guardians is responsible for deciding how to invest the Future Fund at arm's length from the Government. Under the Future Fund Act 2006, the Board is required to do this by seeking 'to maximise the return earned on the Fund over the long term, consistent with international best practice for institutional investment'. This is in the best interest for the taxpayer.
(b) The Future Fund makes information regarding its operations and investment activity available to the public via its website. Examples of the information available on the Future Fund's website include the Future Fund Board of Guardians Statement of Investment Policies, quarterly portfolio updates and the Fund's top 100 listed equity holdings.
(c) The appropriateness of public disclosure of the Future Fund's portfolio investments is a matter for the Board to decide, noting the independence of the Board, and having regard for maintaining the Fund's ability to pursue competitive investment opportunities and maximise returns on investments.
(d) The Future Fund Board has developed and published a Statement of Investment Policies, which includes its policy on environmental, social and governance (ESG) risk management. The Board's ESG Risk Management Policy provides a framework for managing the complex risks and opportunities related to ESG issues both directly and through external investment managers. It addresses the Fund's approach to integrating ESG considerations into investment decision-making, the exercise of ownership rights and engagement with investee companies, the Fund's approach to collaboration with other investors to enhance the financial system and its approach to considering exclusions from the portfolio.
(e) In accordance with its investment mandate and investment strategy, the Future Fund, through its external investment managers, has exposure to many thousands of entities across a breadth of economic activities.
In regard to 'fossil-fuel investments', entities in which the Fund invests will frequently have diversified operations, which may include fossil-fuel related activities, renewable energy-related activities as well as other unrelated activities. As such it is not a simple matter to identify 'fossil-fuel investments'.
However, using S&P's Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) it is possible to identify the size of the Future Fund's listed equity investments in the categories of diversified metals and mining, coal and consumable fuels, integrated oil and gas and oil and gas exploration and production. The Fund's listed equity investments in these categories at 18 March 2014 was $3.634 billion. As noted above many entities in these categories have diversified operations and, in addition, entities classified elsewhere in the GICS framework may also have activities associated with fossil-fuels.
In respect of the much needed upgrade of Bice Oval, Christies Beach in South Australia,
(a) will the $600,000 committed by the previous Government for improvements to change rooms and the installation of lighting be delivered so that the project can proceed as planned, and
(b) why has there been no response to my urgent correspondence about this matter on 2 October 2013 and 28 November 2013.
(a) No. The Australian Government will continue projects under the Liveable Communities Programme (formerly Liveable Cities Program) where contracts have been settled. However, it will not be progressing projects that were commitments of the former government that were not contracted prior to the caretaker period, including the upgrade to the Bice Oval.
(b) My Department advises me there is no record of your correspondence dated 2 October 2013 in the Department. A reply to your correspondence dated 28 November 2013 was sent to you on 14 April 2014. As noted in my letter of 14 April 2014, your correspondence was received by my office on 28 January 2014, having been referred from the Minister for Sport, the Hon Peter Dutton MP, for consideration and reply. In my response I apologised for the delay and I trust that my response addresses your concerns.
Since 7 September 2013, on (a) how many occasions, and (b) what date(s), has the Minister met with Australian Water Holdings Pty Ltd chief executive Mr Nick Di Girolamo, and can the Minister provide the nature of each meeting.
Consistent with previous questions on notice and the practice of Ministers of the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd Government, I do not disclose with whom I have or have not met.