The SPEAKER ( Hon. Tony Smith ) took the chair at 10:00, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.
PetPet
Trade Marks Amendment (Iconic Symbols of National Identity) Bill 2015
That this bill be now read a second time.
That this House:
(1) places on the record that:
(a) under the previous Government, at the time of the last election just 2 per cent of premises across Australia could access the National Broadband Network (NBN); and
(b) since the election the NBN rollout has ramped up significantly and today around one in ten premises can access the NBN and under the NBN’s new Corporate Plan, by June 2018, three in four premises will have access to the NBN;
(2) notes that:
(a) the NBN’s 2016-2018 Corporate Plan reveals that a full fibre to the premises (FTTP) NBN could not be completed until 2026 at the earliest and could be as late as 2028—six to eight years later than the current Government’s plan; and
(b) the NBN 2016-2018 Corporate Plan reveals that a full FTTP NBN would cost between $20 and $30 billion dollars more than the current Government’s plan; and
(3) recognises that it is essential to deliver fast broadband to Australians sooner—not force Australians with no or poor broadband to wait more than a decade for the NBN
Also, the cost of repairing and maintaining Telstra's ageing copper network was likely underestimated, as was the cost of retraining and maintaining a workforce with the wider range of skills needed to install and maintain the multi-technology-mix network—costs that are unique to the MTM.
In the space of two years, the lower-cost deal the Coalition spruiked to Australian voters has turned out to be not so affordable after all.
The strategic review took six weeks. This plan—
has taken a year … I think the truth is, prior to this work being completed we didn't really know how much it was going to cost. So much of the input was questionable.
The Coalition sold the Australian public a product that was supposed to be fast, one-third the cost and arrive sooner than what Labor was offering us. Instead the Coalition's NBN will be so slow that it is obsolete by the time it's in place, it will cost about the same as Labor's fibre-to-the-premises NBN, and it won't arrive on our doorsteps much sooner.
By my reckoning, we didn’t get a good deal.
All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible.
That this House:
(1) notes:
(a) the recent media investigation on the ABC program Four Corners about the abuse of 7 Eleven employees;
(b) complaints against the 7-Eleven franchise included employees being underpaid and forced to breach their visa requirements and work very long hours without a break; and
(c) these reports and the employment practices of 7-Eleven franchisees have caused significant community concern which must be addressed; and
(2) calls on the Government to:
(a) take immediate action to address the abuse of workers across the 7-Eleven franchise network; and
(b) ensure that workers that were forced by their employers to breach their visa conditions are not penalised.
They can’t run 7-Eleven as profitably as successfully as they have without letting this happen, … but the reality is it’s built on something not much different from slavery
… then the standard contracts put out by Wilmot's—
7-Eleven might be one of those declared unfair because they made it impossible for many franchisees to make a profit without using low-cost labour.
Indeed that’s exactly what former ACCC chief Allan Fels concluded on the program. Fels is now heading the 7-Eleven inquiry into its contracts. The Allan Fels I have known for a long time will honour his word and recommend changes to make 7-Eleven contracts fair—exactly what would have been required under the … “fair contracts” promise …
That this House:
(1) commends the fantastic work that the Minister for Trade and Investment and the Government are doing to make northern Australia’s economic development a priority;
(2) notes that the Northern Australia Investment Forum, the next stepping stone in bringing Australia’s broader strengths to Northern Australia, will focus on:
(a) the important initiatives highlighted in the White Paper on Developing Northern Australia to help business capitalise on the region’s strengths by removing barriers to investment; and
(b) showcase investment opportunities on offer and in prospect in the north; and
(3) recognises:
(a) that Northern Australia accounts for a significant share of Australia’s exports with more than half of Australia’s sea exports leaving via northern ports;
(b) that the north will account for 42 per cent of the Australian economy by 2040, up from 35 per cent in 2011; and
(c) the exciting potential for increased investment, trade, infrastructure and agriculture production in the north and the job opportunities this could create.
That the House:
(1) recognises the failure of the Western Australian and Australian governments to manage the Western Australian economy;
(2) notes that under the Western Australian and Australian governments in Western Australia:
(a) unemployment reached its highest rate in 13 years at 6.4 per cent, with 59,000 more Western Australians out of work since the Liberal Party formed government in Western Australia;
(b) business investment dropped 12.7 per cent over the year to June 2015;
(c) state final demand fell by 3.6 per cent in the year to June 2015;
(d) the state’s credit rating was downgraded by Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s;
(e) business and consumer confidence are at record low levels;
(f) state net debt has blown out from $3.6 billion in 2008 when the Liberal Party formed government in Western Australia to $30 billion in 2015; and
(g) cost of living increased sharply by 54.3 per cent; and
(3) condemns the:
(a) Australian Government for:
(i) cutting $3.1 billion from Western Australian schools and $5.8 billion from hospitals over 10 years; and
(ii) removing the level playing field from Western Australia in the manufacture of offshore patrol vessels; and
(b) Western Australian and Australian governments for squandering the mining boom and failing to diversify the Western Australian economy and create a jobs and growth plan for the future
I know, you know, that there’s not much wrong in this state. I know, you know, that there’s quite a bit wrong with our country right now but there’s almost nothing, my friends, wrong with our country that a change of government wouldn’t be improved.
Australian Defence Force Cover Bill 2015
Australian Defence Force Superannuation Bill 2015
Defence Legislation Amendment (Superannuation and ADF Cover) Bill 2015
Gene Technology Amendment Bill 2015
Passports Legislation Amendment (Integrity) Bill 2015
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bill 2015
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2015
Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Amendment Bill 2014
Acts and Instruments (Framework Reform) (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2015
Tax and Superannuation Laws Amendment (2015 Measures No. 4) Bill 2015
That all the words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:
"while not declining to give the Bill a second reading, the House condemns the Government's failure to address unfair and unsustainable superannuation tax concessions."
That this bill be now read a third time.
MPs expect Mr Turnbull to make it clear he would not reopen old divisions over climate change by arguing for an emissions trading scheme to cut greenhouse gases.
I will not lead a party that is not as committed to effective action on climate change as I am.
Now politics is about conviction and a commitment to carry out those convictions.
Many Liberals are rightly dismayed that on this vital issue of climate change we are not simply without a policy, without any prospect of having a credible policy but we are now without integrity. We have given our opponents the irrefutable, undeniable evidence that we cannot be trusted.
I'm worried about being the best possible Prime Minister.
If, for example, you came in, as you said, as a company wanting to set up an infrastructure project over $150 million, you are then bound by the system that says: you absolutely mandatorily have to test the labour market.
Nothing is being considered. Nothing is being proposed. Nothing is planned.
That:
Mr Ruddock be discharged from the House Committee and in his place Mr Buchholz be appointed a member of the committee.
That:
(a) Mr Hawke be discharged from the Standing Committee on the Environment and that, in his place, Mr Broad be appointed a member of the committee, and
(b) Mr Hawke be appointed a supplementary member of the committee for the purpose of the committee’s inquiry into the Register of Environmental Organisations.
Tax and Superannuation Laws Amendment (Better Targeting the Income Tax Transparency Laws) Bill 2015
Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.
That all the words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:
"the House declines to give the Bill a second reading because tackling tax avoidance demands more transparency, not less."
Confidentiality of taxpayer information is fundamental to the administration of taxation law. Confidentiality is protected because ensuring the privacy of sensitive information, including commercial information, goes to public confidence in the administration of taxation law.
The inconsistencies and ambiguities associated with the existing law have the potential to undermine its primary purpose—that is, to provide clear protection for taxpayer information. The taxation law has long recognised that such protection is fundamental to ensuring that taxpayers maintain their confidence in the operation of the tax system.
… taxpayers need to have confidence that the often sensitive financial information is not disclosed inappropriately …
I think if you look at the history of the matter, it was really for multinational companies operating here, disclosing quite low revenue …
By publishing extremely limited information selected specifically to put the targeted taxpayers in the worst possible light, it invites (incites) public action against the target taxpayers and potentially those associated with them. There are national and international examples of such actions against companies involving physical damage, reputational damage and commercial boycotts.
… the challenge is that everyone in Australia has to help to do the heavy lifting in the budget, because if the burden falls on a few, the weight of that burden will crush them.
Everyone is going to have to make a contribution …
In the wake of a declining resources boom, there is a growing gulf between those in the top range and those in the lower ranges of wealth and income distributions.
While proper audit procedures are in place in the sphere of ASX companies, there is a widespread failure of the audit profession and regulators in the foreign multinational space: accounts which don't stack up, myriad failures of disclosure, and a slew of failures to adhere to Australian accounting standards – and therefore the Corporations Act.
Under Australia's leadership, the first of the OECD/G20's base erosion and profit-shifting recommendations were delivered last year.
The budget continued the government's strong international leadership by actioning the 2014 OECD/G20 base erosion and profit-shifting recommendations on country-by-country reporting, anti-hybrid rules, harmful tax practices, and treaty abuse rules.
Australia will implement the OECD's country-by-country reporting from 1 January 2016. We are one of the first countries to commit to implementing it.
Country-by-country reporting to tax administrations will require large multinationals to report annually for each jurisdiction in which they do business the amount of revenue, profit, income tax and economic activity. For the first time tax administrations will get a global picture of multinationals' operations. This is a significant step in improving transparency for tax administrations.
Confidentiality of taxpayer information is fundamental to the administration of taxation law.
Confidentiality is protected because ensuring the privacy of sensitive information, including commercial information, goes to public confidence in the administration of taxation law.
The inconsistencies and ambiguities associated with the existing law have the potential to undermine its primary purpose—that is, to provide clear protection for taxpayer information. The taxation law has long recognised that such protection is fundamental to ensuring that taxpayers maintain their confidence in the operation of the tax system.
The Government affirms the importance of maintaining a high level of protection of information provided by taxpayers …
… I would have thought that everyone out there that was concerned about good public administration would see the common sense in observing what the Tax Office says about confidentiality provisions because they are important to every Australian and it's not a decision of the Government, it's the decision of the Tax Office.
… taxpayers need to have confidence that the often sensitive financial information is not disclosed inappropriately …
… not otherwise available to our competitive suppliers which has the potential to be used in a manner that will cause real financial damage to our business.
By publishing extremely limited information selected specifically to put the targeted taxpayers in the worst possible light, it invites (incites) public action against the target taxpayers and potentially those associated with them. There are national and international examples of such actions against companies involving physical damage, reputational damage and commercial boycotts. Publication of the data will give information that could be detrimental to their shareholders, including to their safety.
Australia has no harmful tax practices, but the ATO has already commenced exchanging information with other tax administrations on preferential tax regimes. This will help the ATO identify secret tax deals provided to multinationals by other countries that may contribute tax avoidance in Australia.
We will close the tax loophole that currently means digital products and services imported by the consumers are not subject to GST. Foreign providers will now be required to charge GST in the same way as domestic providers. The government has asked the Board of Taxation to work with businesses to develop a voluntary code for greater disclosure by companies of their tax information. I expect that the Board of Taxation will look at ways to provide more information to help inform the public about companies' tax information.
The House divided. [18:00]
(The Deputy Speaker—Mr Goodenough)
The House divided. [18:08]
(The Deputy Speaker—Mr Goodenough)
That this bill be now read a third time.
Water Amendment Bill 2015
Treasury Legislation Amendment (Small Business and Unfair Contract Terms) Bill 2015
Civil Law and Justice (Omnibus Amendments) Bill 2015
Omnibus Repeal Day (Autumn 2015) Bill 2015
The bill makes improvements to the acts it amends without making substantive changes to the law.
Significant progress is being made to help free up the time spent by small businesses in meeting red tape requirements and to alleviate some of the barriers to growth prospects confronting the sector.
The Coalition has already cut around 11,000 pieces of regulation and legislation that will reduce paperwork costs by around $2.4 billion.
… the measures in the Government's third Repeal Day built on the $2.1 billion in red tape reduction decisions announced by the Government in October 2014.
As at the Government's third Repeal Day today, we have made decisions designed to decrease the $65 billion regulatory cost burden by $2.45 billion. To date we have implemented $1.57 billion of that $2.45 billion …
The Commonwealth government is "in denial" over the performance of its online service portals, with MyGov coming in for savage criticisms from frustrated users of the system.
Centrelink and Medicare clients from around Australia reacted with anger and disbelief after the giant Department of Human Services denied last week that there were any problems with MyGov.
Users of the system reacted with disbelief to the department's insistence last week that there were no systemic problems with MyGov.
"They are in denial," one reader wrote. "Once you login, throughout the system, there are messages saying some clients will not be able to access, some things cannot be done, full acknowledgement of massive problems … maybe the boss has not been onto the site."
… efforts by the ATO that will allow myTax users to prepopulate online forms using existing government data will benefit users immediately and those same improvements will benefit users again next year, and the year after in perpetuity.
Angry taxpayers have slammed the Australian Tax Office's poor preparation for tax time as "systems issues" continue to prevent them lodging tax returns three days into the new financial year.
The ATO apologised via Twitter for the problems which people said included the myTax and myGov sites running at a snail's pace, conking out on them just as they were about to lodge a completed return, or simply not loading at all.
Part of the reason for the anger, is that the ATO suffered very similar problems last year. A technical issue stopped people lodging their tax return in 2014, and the ATO apologised.
Results from the 2015 survey reveal that the regulatory burden remains a pressing issue for industry. The majority of respondents believe the amount of red tape has increased over the past 12 months, affecting productivity, labour costs and business expansion.
73%—Reported that regulatory burden increased over the past 12 months.
More than 95 per cent of respondents stated they thought the burden of regulation either increased or stayed the same over the past 12 months.
Over half of businesses surveyed stated that they are unable to pass on any of these costs—
to their customers, leaving the cost burden of regulatory compliance firmly with the business.
… there is a reduction in the number of occasions on which mobile telecommunications companies are required to provide consumers with information about Mobile Premium Services (MPS), such as barring options and complaint mechanisms.
The single highest source of complaints for MPS between March 2007 and June 2009 related to customers receiving a charge for a subscription service they had not requested.
A number of problems with industry self-regulation were evident, such as a lack of transparency in the supply chain … and little incentive for content providers to comply with rules.
The CCI campaigns against excessive regulation at all levels of Government that stifle new growth.
… … …
Governments at all levels must be vigilant in their fight against red tape and continuously look at ways to cut unnecessary regulation.
I support unreservedly and wholeheartedly every element in the Budget. Every single one.
Every single member of the Government supported every element in the budget—of course.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mrs GRIGGS ) took the chair at 10:30.
Any man who raises his hand to woman is weak and gutless
Loving and adored mother of Anthony, Stephen, Jennifer, Vincent, Therese, Robyn, Alicia and Michelle. Cherished sister, grandmother, mother in law and friend, Jan will be greatly missed.
Jan's funeral will be held at 12:30 pm on Tuesday 15th September at St Patrick's Catholic Church ... Allawah Street, Blacktown. Her body will be laid to rest at Sydney Catholic Garden Cemetery at Kemps Creek. Following there will be a gathering to celebrate Jan's life.
In lieu of flowers, the family ask that you consider a donation to Parkinson's NSW.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) National Asthma Week was 1 to 7 September 2015;
(b) the theme of National Asthma Week 2015 was „You Care We Care—One Asthma Community‟;
(c) asthma affects around one in four children, one in seven adolescents and one in ten adults;
(d) 2.3 million Australians currently have asthma;
(e) asthma is the number one cause of hospital admissions amongst young children; and
(f) while many in our community lead highly successful lives despite their asthma, asthma continues to be a significant burden for too many including those who live below the poverty line and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; and
(2) congratulates Asthma Australia for its work promoting National Asthma Week and raising community awareness of asthma.
That this House:
(1) notes that the:
(a) majority of Australians believe the use of animal testing to evaluate the safety of cosmetic products and ingredients is unnecessary; and
(b) regulatory framework in Australia for chemicals, including cosmetics, is complex; and
(2) moves to phase out the unnecessary developing, manufacturing, selling, advertising or importing into Australia of cosmetics, or ingredients in cosmetics, which have been tested on live animals to evaluate the safety of those products and ingredients.
I am in favour of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way of a whole human being.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) nine men a day die from prostate cancer;
(b) September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month;
(c) Members of Parliament and members of the community are encouraged to host their own Big Aussie Barbie to raise awareness for the prevention of prostate cancer in Australia; and
(d) the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) encourages all men to:
(i) be aware of the importance of early detection;
(ii) consult with their general practitioner about prostate cancer; and
(iii) if they have a family history of prostate cancer and are aged 40 to 50 years, arrange with their general practitioner to be tested; and
(2) acknowledges the important work done by the PCFA through promoting research, raising awareness and supporting the families of prostate cancer sufferers and survivors.
… important priority for our region and this outcome is a great example of community partnerships. The Murrumbidgee Local Health District is keen to work with support groups and continue to meet regularly with them on the back of this good news story.
We are absolutely delighted the Federal Government has made the funds available. The Cootamundra Prostate Cancer Support Group advocated strongly with many letters going to various people. We are so happy; this will make a difference and it will save lives. It is a very, very important role the prostate nurse has, as they are there to follow-up with the patient and their family right through the journey.
That this House:
(1) celebrates:
(a) 16 September as the anniversary of the 1963 Malaysian federation; and
(b) the long term friendship that exists between governments and people of Australia and Malaysia; and
(2) acknowledges:
(a) the 23 Australian servicemen who died and 8 who were wounded during the Indonesian-Malaysian confrontation and the establishment of the state of Malaysia;
(b) that our security partnership, including defence cooperation and our joint participation in the Five Power Defence Arrangements, remains a key component of our bilateral relationship; and
(c) the efforts of the Australian Government to further strengthen ties between our two countries through stronger trade links and other initiatives such as the New Colombo Plan.
He can talk to Malaysian justice officials and find out about the kind of caning and other corporal punishment that boat people might be sent to if they are part of this Malaysian people swap that the Prime Minister wants to put in place.
That this House calls on the Government to:
(1) acknowledge that:
(a)the drop in apprentices currently in training from 417,700 in September 2013 to 319,700 in March 2015 will impact on the future availability of skilled workers in Australia; and
(b)apprenticeship commencements and completions are down approximately 20 per cent for the 12 months to 31 December 2014;
(2) recognise that the $1 billion in cuts to apprenticeship support, including Tools For Your Trade payments and mentoring and access programs, have had an impact on apprentice numbers;
(3) implement strategies as a matter of urgency to encourage more apprentices into training to prevent skills shortages in the future; and
(4) invest in skills and training young Australians to ensure that Australia does not have to rely heavily on Temporary Work (Skilled) visas (subclass 457) resulting from a lack of investment in skills and training.
That this House:
(1) notes that more than 27,000 Australian boys and girls participate in the Australian Defence Force Cadet program: Army, Air Force and Navy;
(2) expresses its support for the program and the role that it plays in youth development throughout Australia;
(3) encourages young Australians to consider joining their nearest cadet unit; and
(4) extends its appreciation to Australian Defence Force personnel, reservists and volunteers who assist in the delivery of the program.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) National Police Remembrance Day is observed on 29 September; and
(b) this year marks 100 years of women in policing;
(2) acknowledges the:
(a) significant role police officers across Australia make to our local communities and the great deal of risk and sacrifice that comes with their duty; and
(b) ultimate sacrifice that has been made by police officers who have been killed in the course of their duty and honours their lives;
(3) recognises the good work of Police Legacy who look after the loved ones of police officers who have died as a result of their duty; and
(4) reaffirms its support for the nation's 56,000 police officers whose dedication and commitment ensure peace and safety of our communities.
Marriage Legislation Amendment Bill 2015
LESS than half of Northern Tasmanian voters support same-sex marriage, an exclusive poll reveals.
The purchase of the land in Boorowa by CSIRO has been a big win for the region.
We hope that this purchase brings researchers, scientists and staff to the region and pays dividends for both CSIRO and the community. We look forward to working with CSIRO into the future for the best outcomes of the region and the country.
To the Honourable The Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives
This petition of concerned citizens of Australia
Draws the attention of the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives to the recent legislation withdrawing legal representation for Asylums seekers who are subject to the Fast-Tracking Process. Difficulties with inadequate English, ignorance of the legal processes involved, illiteracy in their native tongue, cultural differences and psychological disabilities resulting from past torture or trauma and the absence of any form of appeal have created a process that is stacked against the applicants.
We therefore ask the House that the Immigration Advice and Application Assistance Scheme (IAAAS) be reinstated.
To the Honourable The Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives
This petition of Barbara Block draws to the attention of the House the plight of children in detention in Australian centres and Nauru. We therefore ask the House to stop the detention of refugee and asylum seeker children and release all those detained, with their families, and all unaccompanied minors, into the Australian community.
To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives
This petition of concerned citizens of Australia
Draws the attention of the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives to the recent legislation withdrawing legal representation for Asylum seekers who are subject to the Fast-Tracking Process. Difficulties with inadequate English, ignorance of the legal processes involved, illiteracy in their native tongue, cultural differences and psychological disabilities resulting from past torture or trauma and the absence of any form of appeal have created a process that is stacked against the applicants.
Asylum seekers often lack the financial resources to pay for legal advice and representation .Without legal aid, asylum seekers will be left to present their protection visa applications on their own.
We therefore ask the House that the Immigration Advice and Application Assistance Scheme (IAAAS) be reinstated for all asylum seekers, regardless of their date or mode of arrival.
To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives
This petition of concerned citizens of Australia
Draws to the attention of the Honourable the Speaker an d Members of the House of Representatives our deep concern about the proven physical and psychological damage of indefinite and arbitrary detention of asylum seekers
We therefore ask the House to legislate time limits for detention with a maximum of 30 days for adults and 5 days for children.
To the Honourable The Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives
This petition of concerned citizens of Indi draws to the attention of the House, we are deeply concerned about the proven physical and psychological damage of indefinite and arbitrary detention of asylum seekers.
We therefore ask the House to legislated time limits in detention, with a maximum of 30 days for adults and 5 days for children.
To the Honourable The Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives
This petition of constituents of Indi and concerned citizens draws to the attention of the House the recent withdrawal of legal representation for asylum seekers subject to Fast-track processing. We therefore ask the House to reinstate IAAAS funding.
… to provide important contributions to peace operations around the world, but our support for peacekeeping extends beyond just the boots on the ground … through our bilateral relationships and multilateral engagements …
ChAFTA is the culmination of diplomatic efforts to create a strong relationship with China that commenced with the Whitlam Government in 1972. Since then China has become our largest trading partner and a major investor in Australia. It has underpinned the development of our economy and contributed to our current strength.
Firstly, nothing in ChAFTA or any associated instrument allows hordes of cheap Chinese workers to come to Australia. The obligations of the 457 visa program will still apply.
This includes the requirements that workers shall be paid market wage rates, the same paid to Australians, and that employers must abide by Australian workplace laws.
Secondly, the exemption from labour market testing (LMT) is no cause for concern. LMT is ineffective in protecting local jobs because no regulation, even one that forces an employer to advertise a vacancy, can force an employer to recruit one worker over another.
Other obligations in the 457 program are better suited to protect local jobs and will apply under ChAFTA. Sponsors must:
Thirdly, concerns around the Investment Facilitation Arrangement (IFA) proposed by the memorandum of understanding with China are also unfounded. This IFA for infrastructure projects greater than $150 million allows investors to enter into a labour agreement under the 457 program. This avenue (also open to Australian employers) is more stringent than LMT as it requires employers to provide evidence that:
Labour agreements allow concessions such as those mentioned in the ChAFTA MOU, but no concessions are available on the need to pay market wage rates and comply with all workplace laws. Again, there is no avenue through the IFA for "cheap Chinese workers".
Our industry is very concerned about the short sighted focus of the union’s campaign which fails to recognise the importance of the ChAFTA to a broad range of export industries and the flow on benefits it will bring to the broader economy including jobs throughout the country.
I want our NBN rolled out within three years and Malcolm Turnbull is the right person to make this happen.
… considerable scope to significantly increase the Defence presence in Northern Australia.
The Government expects Defence capital investment in northern Australia over the next decade to be significantly higher than the historical Defence average, reflecting the importance of the north to our nation’s current and future defence and national security. This will bring a range of economic and broader opportunities for this region.
I support unreservedly and wholeheartedly every element in the Budget.
The project which we inherited from the Labor Party in 2013 had failed. Construction had stalled if not stopped in many parts of the country.
… … …
At the time of the election it had missed every single target it had set, and by a very wide margin. It is now meeting its targets. It is now available to over 10 per cent of Australian premises. By June 30 next year the corporate plan shows it will be available to one in four Australian premises. By 2018, the corporate plan shows that it will be available to about three quarters of Australian premises. This project is moving along and moving quickly
As you know, the company resolved and the Government supported moving to what is called a multi-technology mix as opposed to undertaking an all fibre-to-the-premises build in the fixed line footprint. At the time this was looked at in the strategic review in December 2013, the conclusion of that review was that the all fibre approach would take four years longer and cost around $30 billion more … nobody knows more than the NBN because no one has done as much of it as the NBN Co now has.
So with all of that new information, new experience and really current insight into the construction process, the NBN Co has concluded that its peak funding requirement under the current model is between 46 and $56 billion, and their base case is $49 billion. And this is around $30 billion less than what it would cost to go down the route the Labor Party had set the company on when it was in government.
The man who kills a man kills a man. The man who kills himself kills all men. As far as he is concerned, he wipes out the world.
If history teaches anything, it is that there can be no peace without equilibrium and no justice without restraint. But I believed equally that no nation could face or even define its choices without a moral compass that set a course through the ambiguities of reality and thus made sacrifices meaningful.