The SPEAKER ( Hon. Bronwyn Bishop ) took the chair at 09:00, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.
That, in accordance with Section 5 of the Parliament Act 1974, the House approve the following proposal for work in the Parliamentary Zone which was presented to the House on 23 March 2015 namely: Parliament House security upgrade works—Perimeter security enhancements.
That the standing orders be amended as follows:
63A Ministerial statements
When the House has granted a Minister leave to make a ministerial statement, the House shall be deemed to have granted leave for the Leader of the Opposition, or Member representing, to speak in response to the statement for an equal amount of time.
That the House adopt the following resolution:
(1) The House permits Members’ use of electronic devices in the Chamber, Federation Chamber and committees, provided that:
(a) use of any device avoids interference or distraction to other Members, either visually or audibly, and does not interfere with proceedings—in particular, phone calls are not permitted and devices should be operated in silent mode;
(b) devices are not used to record the proceedings (either by audio or visual means);
(c) communication on social media regarding private meetings of committees or in camera hearings will be considered a potential breach of privilege; and
(d) the use of devices is as unobtrusive as possible and is directly related to the Members’ parliamentary duties; and
(2) The House notes that:
(a) communication via electronic devices, whether in the Chamber or not, is unlikely to be covered by parliamentary privilege; and
(b) reflections on the Chair by Members made on social media may be treated as matters of order just as any such reflections made inside or outside the Chamber.
Defence Legislation (Enhancement of Military Justice) Bill 2015
That this bill be now read a second time.
Law Enforcement Legislation Amendment (Powers) Bill 2015
Norfolk Island Legislation Amendment Bill 2015
That this bill be now read a second time.
Tax and Superannuation Laws Amendment (Norfolk Island Reforms) Bill 2015
That this bill be now read a second time.
A New Tax System (Medicare Levy Surcharge—Fringe Benefits) Amendment Bill 2015
That this bill be now read a second time.
Health and Other Services (Compensation) Care Charges Amendment (Norfolk Island) Bill 2015
That this bill be now read a second time.
Health Insurance (Approved Pathology Specimen Collection Centres) Tax Amendment (Norfolk Island) Bill 2015
That the bill be now read a second time.
Health Insurance (Pathology) (Fees) Amendment (Norfolk Island) Bill 2015
That the bill be now read a second time.
Aged Care (Accommodation Payment Security) Levy Amendment (Norfolk Island) Bill 2015
That the bill be now read a second time.
Private Health Insurance (Risk Equalisation Levy) Amendment (Norfolk Island) Bill 2015
That the bill be now read a second time.
That Ms Bird be discharged from the Standing Committee on Education and Employment and that, in her place, Mr O'Connor be appointed a member of the committee.
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
Private Health Insurance Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2014
That this bill be now read a third time.
That this bill be now read a second time.
That the order of the day be referred to the Federation Chamber for debate.
… on any measure for an Australian political leader to seek secret electoral funds from one of the most brutal and bloodthirsty tyrannical regimes the 20th century ever saw was a monstrous moral failing.
We will immediately move to assert our commitment to freedom and democracy—our opposition to socialism and communism.
—One of our first actions will be withdrawing recognition of the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states.
… … …
On December 13th, we will turn on the lights. …
Australia will come out of the darkness of the last three years.
You have made Australia your new homeland. Australia has offered new hope to many who have fled oppressive authoritarian regimes—new freedom to achieve and create, new opportunity to retain and nourish distinct cultural religious and ethnic traditions.
Your communities have seized this opportunity, and it is to your great credit that you have succeeded in maintaining your identity, preserving your languages and cultures.
Australia is not a country whose culture and traditions are drawn from one source alone. We are a multicultural society and we are all the richer for it.
… … …
I look to you to play a most active role in helping with the Government to improve community services available to migrants in need of assistance and in helping to make our country a great country to live for all Australians.
… we are unable to come to any conclusion other than one of deliberate delay in order to minimise the number of refugees.
It's not credible that, two and a half years after the end of the Vietnam war, these people should suddenly be arriving in Australia.
Multiculturalism is about diversity, not division—it is about interaction not isolation. It is about cultural and ethnic differences set within a framework of shared fundamental values which enables them to co-exist on a complementary rather than competitive basis. It involves respect for the law and for our democratic institutions and processes.
I wish to direct my attention now to the north of Australia where large areas are, as yet, hardly touched. In the Kimberleys area there are two river valleys, those of the Ord and the Fitzroy rivers … When those rivers are dammed, and I say "when" sure in the knowledge that this project must eventually receive the attention of the Australian Government, it will be possible to develop irrigation farms in the areas below the dams. I believe that is a national project which must be tackled by the Australian Government before long. When the work is done, new communities of Australians will spring up where now there are a few sparsely peopled and extensive cattle stations.
In my own part of the world, I have seen great examples of this in the agricultural and pastoral spheres. Three blades of grass have been made to grow where formerly there was only one. Three and four sheep are being carried to the acre on land that formerly carried only half a sheep. Private people are doing this throughout the whole country and it is adding to the national wealth of Australia …
I have always believed, both as farmer and as a politician, that farmers and pastoralists need to speak with a strong voice. You can deal with government much better if that is so. You can do it much better if you are speaking with one voice rather than with the two or three or four divided voices.
All my life I will have memories of calm nights beneath the sky, of waking before dawn to see the sun rise in the east, and of driving over the lonely bush roads with dust eddying all around. The deformed Mallee scrub and the ghost farms, the great plains and endless sand hills, the majestic mountains, the beautiful valleys and pleasant hills. All these are part of Australia and part of my memories. Among them I will find my home.
Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the President or any other public official …
The friendship he built in later life with Gough Whitlam spoke volumes about the character of both men at the centre of the crisis: in their own different ways, they were both fierce Australian patriots.
A ratio of debt to GDP at about 50 or 60 per cent is a pretty good result.
Debt as a percentage of GDP, which would have been 120 per cent under the policies of the former government—
—is about 60 per cent under the policies of this government. Now that is too high.
We want to get it in a much much better situation than that.
There will be nothing of any concern to the New South Wales government associated with this review.
If regional Australia had any hope of ever catching up with city Australia in university participation … it would be through an uncapped student system in a deregulated market.
(1) leading a chaotic and incompetent government;
(2) ruling out more cuts to foreign aid but not to schools, hospitals or pensioners;
(3) preparing a budget filled with more lies, more cuts and more chaos;
(4) having no plan for Australia's future; and
(5) using the budget in a desperate attempt to save his own job.
That so much of standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Leader of the Opposition from moving the following motion forthwith:
That the House condemns the Prime Minister for:
(1) leading a chaotic and incompetent government
(2) for ruling out more cuts to foreign aid but not to schools, hospitals or pensioners
(3) preparing a budget filled with more cuts and more chaos
(4) having no plan for Australia's future and
(5) using the budget in a desperate attempt to save his own job.
The House divided. [14:37]
(The Speaker—Hon. Bronwyn Bishop)
That the member be no longer heard.
The House divided. [14:37]
(The Speaker—Hon. Bronwyn Bishop)
That the question now be put.
The House divided. [14:37]
(The Speaker—Hon. Bronwyn Bishop)
The House divided. [14:54]
(The Speaker—Hon. Bronwyn Bishop)
That leave of absence be given to every Member of the House of Representatives from the determination of this sitting of the House to the date of its next sitting.
That leave of absence from the determination of this sitting of the House until 10 August 2015 be given to the honourable member for Higgins for parental leave purposes.
The Government's Budget chaos.
… but a ratio of debt to GDP at about 50 or 60 per cent is a pretty good result looking around the world …
That the leave of absence given to the honourable member for Higgins for parental leave purposes be amended to conclude on 25 June 2015.
Public Governance and Resources Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2015
Parliamentary Service Amendment Bill 2014
That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969, the following proposed work be referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works for consideration and report: residential accommodation and staff amenities at the Australian Embassy, Kabul, Afghanistan.
But they are an important beginning and we will do more.
The ability to carry through social reform cannot be separated from a government's capacity to provide the nation with responsible economic management.
Reducing inflation is central to our ability as a nation and as a government to assist those who are disadvantaged or living in poverty.
In this situation the government had to give priority to righting the economy and defeating inflation.
We have pursued a consistent economic strategy directed at achieving this goal.
Although there is still a long way to go, at the end of our first year in office, we have made substantial progress towards dealing with Australia's economic problems.
Beating inflation is and must be the dominant objective of this government and is not and cannot be the sole objective of a responsible government While we have been unrelenting in the fight against inflation, we have also been carrying through the commitment which all of us here share among the Liberals—to achieving major social reforms.
The Labor experience has shown us that one of the greatest traps that a government can fall into is to attempt to win political kudos by dressing up ill-considered change in reform.
But these reforms can only be a beginning …
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Hon. BC Scott ) took the chair at 09:30.
Please Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs, don't repeat the brutal mistakes of the past when people were kicked out of their remote communities and left to rot on the edge of towns.
Listen to the many voices including that of your chosen adviser, Warren Mundine, reminding you of what you know, that Aboriginal people have a deep relationship with country that is central to their lives. Remember that many Aboriginal families in remote communities lead healthier and more peaceful lives away from disorganised larger centres.
We want the timber industry to have a vigorous and dynamic future, not just a past. We want the timber industry to be a vital part of Australia's economic future, not just something that was a relic of our history.
… inquire into and report on matters that inhibit or discourage job-creation and employment by private sector small businesses and/or provide disincentives to individuals from working for such businesses.
Over the past five years, the fixed charges for electricity have more than doubled and the fixed charge for gas has gone up over 60 per cent.
That order of the day No. 1, committee and delegation business, be postponed until a later hour this day.
Increasing the amount of money going into real estate by facilitating access to super savings pre-retirement will not improve housing affordability.
It would increase demand for housing and, all other things being equal, would actually drive up house prices by more.
… if people think that this is going to have a long-term impact on their superannuation, blame Labor, they wouldn’t let us keep our election commitments.
… the world’s most attractive infrastructure destination …