The SPEAKER ( Hon. Tony Smith ) took the chair at 10:00, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.
That this House:
(1) recognises that the number of drownings in Australia increased from 267 deaths in 2014-15 to 280 in 2015-16 as stated in the Royal Life Saving's National Drowning Report (September 2016), which shows:
(a) a quarter of all drownings occurred in inland waterways such as rivers, creeks and dams;
(b) almost one fifth of all deaths occurred in people age 25 to 35 years;
(c) 86 per cent of all drowning deaths were males; and
(d) there was a 30 per cent decrease in deaths of people age 0 to 4 years;
(2) acknowledges that every incidence of drowning has a wider impact including family, rescuers and communities;
(3) recognises that the Government released the Australian Water Safety Strategy in April 2016, which aims to reduce drowning deaths by 50 per cent by 2020;
(4) acknowledges that the Government is partnering with the peak water safety bodies such as Royal Life Saving (RLS), Surf Life Saving (SLS) and AUSTSWIM as well as Australian Water Safety Council Members and federal, state, territory and local governments, to work to prevent drowning;
(5) recognises that the Government is providing funding of $3.6 million in 2016‑17 through the National Recreation Safety Program work towards the target of reducing drowning deaths; and
(6) congratulates RLS, SLS and other community groups for their work in educating people on the potential dangers of all our beaches and waterways.
1.Fence the pool
2. Shut the gate
3.Teach your kids to swim – it’s great
4.Supervise – watch your mate and
5.Learn how to resuscitate
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) the Government is short changing Australian pensioners;
(b) despite interest rates falling from 2.25 per cent in February 2015 to 1.50 per cent today, the Government has failed to adjust deeming rates for Australian pensioners;
(c) currently a single pensioner's savings are deemed at 1.75 per cent on the first $49,200 and any amount over that is deemed at 3.25 per cent;
(d) deeming rates are supposed to reflect returns across a range of investment choices available in the market, but the Government is failing to act by lowering deeming rates; and
(e) Australian part-pensioners are doing it tough in a low interest rate environment and pensioners are crying out for some relief; and
(2) calls on the Prime Minister to immediately reduce deeming rates in line with falling interest rates, so that pensioners' assets are deemed fairly and Australian pensioners finally get some relief.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) 11 November is Remembrance Day;
(b) on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month Australians observe one minute's silence in memory of those who died or suffered in all wars and armed conflicts;
(c) 2016 marks the 98th anniversary of the Armistice which ended World War I; and
(d) on Remembrance Day we pay our respects and honour the memory of those who have served in our country's defence forces;
(2) encourages all Australians to attend a commemoration ceremony in their local community, and to pause for a minute of silence to remember those who have served in the Australian Defence Force and made the ultimate sacrifice;
(3) remembers:
(a) those who lost their lives serving their country; and
(b) all who came home, wounded, or bearing the hidden scars of war; and
(4) recognises that the return to life in Australia, the journey from battlefield to towns and suburbs, can be a difficult one for those who serve and for the people who love and care for them.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Dairy Produce Amendment (Milk Marketing Board) Bill 2016
Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Television and Radio Licence Fees) Bill 2016
PwC forecasts that by 2020 internet advertising will dominate the advertising sector, reaching $10 billion, or approximately 50 per cent of the sector.
Unfortunately, local journalism and local production will not benefit from this growth, with an estimated 70 to 80 per cent of total Australian digital advertising revenue going overwhelmingly to two foreign technology companies, Google and Facebook …
Broadcasters have a unique role in preserving our national culture and the commercial television sector invests hundreds of millions of dollars each year in the production of local content.
What we're seeing around the world is firstly that there is a long-term structural decline in commercial TV's business model. That's acknowledged around the world.
In the UK in response to that a couple of years ago, they slashed licence fees. In Canada licence fees are around 1 per cent. So Australian commercial TVs are still paying the highest in the world even after this cut.
What we're seeing is the advent of IPTV that's coming on-stream as part of the national broadband network, but it's arriving on existing networks today. Enormous competition is coming to the commercial TV sector.
At the same time, the Government has taken from them an enormous amount of spectrum which we we'll be auctioning in the next few years which will be of enormous benefit both in a straight-dollar return from the auction, but more importantly, the productivity-enhancing boost that will come from allowing this spectrum to be used far more efficiently than it has been used in the last few years.
That this bill be now read a third time.
That the House:
(1) notes that:
(a) the Senate is today sitting while it remains unclear which Senators were validly elected under the Constitution; and
(b) the Government has not revealed how long it has known there were questions over the validity of the composition of the Senate and why it has kept this information secret from the Australian people;
(2) therefore, calls on the Prime Minister to immediately attend the Chamber to provide a full and honest account of the Government’s knowledge and involvement of the potential constitutional issues concerning the composition of the Senate;
(3) notes the chaos in the Senate has today extended to the House of Representatives, when for the first time a Government MP has seconded a private Members’ motion which condemned the Government for “short changing Australian pensioners”;
(4) congratulates the Member for Wright in joining the Minister for Revenue and the Minister for Justice in their willingness to condemn the Turnbull Government on the floor of the House; and
(5) condemns the Government for its failure to manage the Parliament where every week there is a new stumble in the House and we now know the Senate has been sitting with a cloud over whether its composition is valid under the Australian Constitution.
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Watson from moving the following motion forthwith:
That the House:
(1) notes that:
(a) the Senate is today sitting while it remains unclear which Senators were validly elected under the Constitution; and
(b) the Government has not revealed how long it has known there were questions over the validity of the composition of the Senate and why it has kept this information secret from the Australian people;
(2) therefore, calls on the Prime Minister to immediately attend the Chamber to provide a full and honest account of the Government’s knowledge and involvement of the potential constitutional issues concerning the composition of the Senate;
(3) notes the chaos in the Senate has today extended to the House of Representatives, when for the first time a Government MP has seconded a private Members’ motion which condemned the Government for “short changing Australian pensioners”;
(4) congratulates the Member for Wright in joining the Minister for Revenue and the Minister for Justice in their willingness to condemn the Turnbull Government on the floor of the House; and
(5) condemns the Government for its failure to manage the Parliament where every week there is a new stumble in the House and we now know the Senate has been sitting with a cloud over whether its composition is valid under the Australian Constitution.
That the member be no longer heard.
The House divided. [12:49]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
That the member be no longer heard.
The House divided. [12:57]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
That the motion be put.
The House divided. [13:00]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
The House divided. [13:02]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
Register of Foreign Ownership of Agricultural Land Amendment (Water) Bill 2016
We were promised a national agricultural land register. All we've got is a travesty … And we're told that this will show we've got nothing to worry about, because foreigners only own 13.6 per cent of agricultural land and Chinese outfits own less than 1 per cent of agricultural land.
Now if Scott Morrison and the government believe that this sort of bland whitewash will satisfy public concerns then they are kidding themselves.
If sold - we will lose the only multi-use open space for 4,000 Suffolk Park Residents.
It is the only open play area for the children of Suffolk Park and the only area for outdoor exercise, training & dog walking.
In the surf he was the master and perfectionist. Some experts say no one has ever equalled his surf sense. Many say he was the greatest.
Finance has concerns about how such a transaction might be perceived.
That the House:
(1) notes that:
(a) the Prime Minister was willing to trade guns for votes with Senator Leyonhjelm;
(b) the Prime Minister is willing to trade race hate protections to protect himself from his backbench;
(c) the Prime Minister has traded cash for votes with Senator Day; and
(d) today, in an extraordinary turn of events, it’s been revealed that the Prime Minister knew for more than two months that there was a potential issue under section 44 of the Constitution in relation to Senator Day and chose to bring the Parliament back and keep that information secret from the Australian people; and
(2) therefore, condemns the Prime Minister for:
(a) being willing to do absolutely anything to keep his job; and
(b) his weak leadership which is inflicting chaos on the Parliament and the country.
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Maribyrnong from moving the following motion forthwith:
That the House:
(1) notes that:
(a) the Prime Minister was willing to trade guns for votes with Senator Leyonhjelm;
(b) the Prime Minister is willing to trade race hate protections to protect himself from his backbench;
(c) the Prime Minister has traded cash for votes with Senator Day; and
(d) today, in an extraordinary turn of events, it’s been revealed that the Prime Minister knew for more than two months that there was a potential issue under section 44 of the Constitution in relation to Senator Day and chose to bring the Parliament back and keep that information secret from the Australian people; and
(2) therefore, condemns the Prime Minister for:
(a) being willing to do absolutely anything to keep his job; and
(b) his weak leadership which is inflicting chaos on the Parliament and the country.
That the Member be no longer heard.
The House divided. [14:48]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
The House divided [14:51]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
That the motion be put.
The House divided. [14:53]
The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith
The House divided. [14.56]
The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith
That the program for 2017 be agreed to.
The government manage the schedule of business, and we are prepared to let them keep on being incompetent. We will turn up—
We will keep showing them up for the failures that they are.
(1) Mr Falinski be discharged from the Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport and that, in his place, Mrs Wicks be appointed a member of the committee;
(2)Mr O'Dowd be discharged from the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties and that, in his place, Mr Alexander be appointed a member of the committee;
(3)Mrs Wicks be discharged from the Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training and that, in her place, Mr O'Dowd be appointed a member of the committee;
That the House take note of the report.
That the order of the day be referred to the Federation Chamber for debate.
Like many in the climate change area, I do not think that Australia's targets are nearly strong enough. The original Climate Change Authority report recommended a 45-to-65 per cent reduction, not the 26-to-28 per cent that we currently have as a target. There was a dissenting climate authority report put out a couple of weeks ago indicating that that level of ambition is inadequate to even meet the target of keeping temperatures below two degrees.
… Australia's commitment is not in line with most interpretations of a "fair" approach to reach a 2°C pathway: if most other countries followed the Australian approach, global warming would exceed 3-4°C.
The projections we have produced to date do indicate emissions rising for some period, but the important proviso there is that those projections do not take into account the suite of government policies that are in place. The government will, as I understand it, release updated projections before the end of this year.
I think the confidence stems from the fact that the government can implement policy. It is not locked into the settings that are in place today. The time it has decided to undertake that review is next year.
... with the repeal of the Clean Energy Future legislation we currently do not have any overarching legislation that says Australia is aiming for these cuts by a certain time. So, we have no legal apparatus to give effect to our Paris commitments.
To me it is quite obvious: you abide by every single economic textbook that has been published and you would price carbon; you would price the externality. I don't think that is politically acceptable or feasible right now. But there is a big gap between what economics and academia would suggest and what is politically feasible.
A global transition to renewable energy is an unavoidable condition to ensure a safe climate in the future. It is in the interest of the planet. It is in the interest of Australians today, and of generations to come. The dimming fossil energy past can be let go with confidence because the renewable energy future is bright.
That the order of the day be referred to the Federation Chamber for debate.
That Mr Conroy be discharged from the Standing Committee on Economics and that, in his place, Ms MMH King be appointed a member of the committee, and that Ms MMH King be discharged from the Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia and that, in her place, Ms O'Toole be appointed a member of the committee.
Register of Foreign Ownership of Agricultural Land Amendment (Water) Bill 2016
The amount of agricultural land owned by Chinese interests has soared above 3 million hectares—
The ATO said it did not comment on individual land holdings and acknowledged its register relied heavily on self-registration, with penalties up to $9000 …
International investors are circling Australia's water market, looking to snap up hundreds of millions of dollars worth of our most precious national resource, with almost no government limit on how much they can buy.
That this bill be now read a third time.
Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Amendment (Petroleum Pools and Other Measures) Bill 2016
That this bill be now read a third time.
Narcotic Drugs Legislation Amendment Bill 2016
Narcotic Drugs (Licence Charges) Bill 2016
It is important that the government is able to communicate on the full regulatory costs of this scheme as soon as possible in order to allow potential applicants to plan their businesses and complete their applications.
Labor gives this commitment today. We will work with the government and all interested parties to ensure that the Commonwealth government can provide national leadership to get the job done and ensure that we can—as we aspire to do—make these products available in a safe and legal way.
It is important that the government is able to communicate on the full regulatory costs of this scheme as soon as possible in order to allow potential applicants to plan their businesses and complete their applications.
That these bills be now read a third time.
Narcotic Drugs (Licence Charges) Bill 2016
That this bill be now read a third time.
Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.
We are not defined by race, religion or culture but by shared political values of democracy, the rule of law and equality of opportunity—a 'fair go'.
Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.
In other words, the problem in Australia is not with the people, but a leadership more intent on making political points than expressing empathy, or pressing the case that we all gain from an open, inclusive, pluralist society, or addressing inequality, or celebrating the multicultural success stories.
One of them is unfolding this weekend, whether or not the Western Bulldogs raise the Premiership Cup at the MCG: the story of how a club facing extinction survived and thrived by supporting all elements of a community facing multiple challenges. "At a time of widespread institutional weakness, the club is a model of how to win a social licence," says Labor MP Tim Watts.
Back in June, the club celebrated World refugee Day by hosting its 11th annual citizenship ceremony at the Whitten Oval, when 45 migrants and refugees from 21 countries sang the national anthem and then the Bulldogs' club song. Along with their citizenship, they received Bulldogs membership packs.
As club president Peter Gordon strolled among the throng at Thursday's final training session, he recognised many of them in the crowd, joyous, united and prepared to invest without reservation in a dream: the face of modern Australia.
If your home is damaged or destroyed by an insured event, we'll repair or build it no matter the cost to us.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms Bird ) took the chair at 10:30
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) National Stroke Week:
(i) ran from 12 to 18 September 2016; and
(ii) is about raising awareness to prevent stroke in Australia; and
(b) the National Stroke Foundation encourages all Australians to:
(i) be aware of what stroke is, how to recognise a stroke and what to do;
(ii) live healthy to reduce the risk of stroke; and
(iii) get a regular health check;
(2) acknowledges the:
(a) launch by the Minister for Health in June 2015 of the Acute Stroke Clinical Care Standard; and
(b) bi-partisan work done by past governments in the area of stroke; and
(3) notes the requirement for greater awareness and promotion of the prevention of stroke within the Australian community.
I suffered a stroke and have been forced to write to you with my left hand. (I am right handed.) I am working on my right side and I know I will recover.
That this House:
(1) recognises the parlous state of Western Australia's finances, brought on by the economic mismanagement of the Western Australian Government and a record low share of GST revenue, which was foreseeable;
(2) acknowledges the importance of Commonwealth infrastructure funding and state infrastructure spending for creating employment and driving economic growth;
(3) notes that $1.54 billion of Commonwealth infrastructure funding has been allocated to the Perth Freight Link (PFL) and Oakajee Port over the forward estimates, in circumstances where:
(a) the Western Australian Government has not committed to stage two of the PFL, a contract for which will be required before Commonwealth funding flows to Western Australia, and the Western Australian Opposition is opposed to the project; and
(b) the Turnbull Government has kept a $339 million allocation to Oakajee Port in the federal budget for more than two years after the project was abandoned;
(4) notes that although Western Australia takes up one third of Australia's land mass and holds 10.4 per cent of the population, the loss of Commonwealth funding for the PFL and Oakajee would cause Western Australia's share of the Commonwealth infrastructure budget to drop to just 9.5 per cent; and
(5) calls on the Australian Government to redirect funding allocated to the PFL to the infrastructure projects that Western Australians actually want and need—the Armadale/North Lake Road Bridge, an Outer Harbour and METRONET.
The shelling at Pozieres did not merely probe the character and nerve; it laid them stark naked as no other experience of the AIF ever did. The ruin of the Pozieres Windmill …
was captured on August 4th by Australian troops who fell more thickly on this ridge than on any other battlefield of the war.
Pozieres is more deeply sown with Australian sacrifice than any other place on earth.
The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.
We do not know this Australian's name and we never will. We do not know his rank or his battalion. We do not know where he was born, nor precisely how and when he died. We do not know where in Australia he had made his home or when he left it for the battlefields of Europe. We do not know his age or his circumstances – whether he was from the city or the bush; what occupation he left to become a soldier; what religion, if he had a religion; if he was married or single. We do not know who loved him or whom he loved. If he had children we do not know who they are. His family is lost to us as he was lost to them. We will never know who this Australian was.
We found a fine haul of wounded and brought them in, but it was not where I heard this fellow calling so I had another shot for it and came across a splendid specimen of humanity trying to wiggle into a trench with a big wound in his thigh: he was about 14 stone weight and I could not lift him on my back, but I managed to get him into an old trench and told him to lie quiet while I got a stretcher. Then another man about 30 yards out sang out, "Don't forget me cobber." I went in and got four volunteers with stretchers and we got both men in safely.
I fought and died in the Great War to end all wars. Have I died in vain?
Let those who come after see to it that his name be not forgotten.
He landed at Gallipoli with his unit on 12 May 1915 and fought there until being evacuated, on 10 September, suffering influenza. He was transferred to hospital in Malta; however, his condition worsened and he was sent to England. After, he was transferred to the 49th Battalion and joined his new unit, in France, in January 1917. He was wounded on 5 April 1917, with a gunshot wound to the heel, and rejoined the 49th from hospital in July. Harry was killed in action during the Battle of Polygon Wood on 26 September 1917—on his 22nd birthday.
There are no accounts of how he died; however, the 47th came up against many machine gun posts during the battle and many members of the battalion were killed whilst attacking these positions.
My final thoughts as I watched the silent headstones was that we have to live the life these soldiers gave us ... we have to live our lives to the fullest, love our friends and family to the utmost. It's the least we can do—live the life that these men never got.
That this House:
(1) recognises that:
(a) some young Australians are being forced into marriage against their will;
(b) child marriage and forced marriage are forms of slavery; and
(c) the Labor Government in 2013 introduced into the Criminal Code Act 1995 specific offences for forced marriage;
(2) notes that:
(a) there has been a gradual increase in people referring to community services for forced marriage since the law was introduced in 2013;
(b) investigations of forced marriage by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) have increased from 3 in 2012-13 to 69 in 2015-16;
(c) the Australian Red Cross and the AFP consider that part of the increase in identifications of forced marriage is due to better community awareness and access to help; and
(d) it is crucial that community awareness continues to be raised so that young people know their right to refuse to be forced into marriage;
(3) notes that:
(a) the Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans produced curriculum materials for the Australian forced marriage Pilot Program for Australian schools;
(b) in every school that participated in the Pilot Program, girls at risk of forced marriage were identified;
(c) funding for the Pilot Program ceased in 2015; and
(d) it is crucial that the Pilot Program is continued as teachers are often the first person a child will tell of their fear of being forced to marry; and
(4) calls on the Government to immediately renew funding to further provide awareness of child marriage and forced marriage in Australian schools and the broader community.
As our citizenship pledge makes clear, coming to Australia means obeying Australian laws and upholding Australian values. Australia's brand of multiculturalism promotes integration. If there is any inconsistency between cultural values and the rule of law then Australian law wins out.
(4) calls on the Government to immediately renew funding to further provide awareness of child marriage and forced marriage in Australian schools and the broader community.
Ending child marriage will help break the intergenerational cycle of poverty by allowing girls and women to participate more fully in society. Empowered and educated girls are better able to nourish and care for their children, leading to healthier, smaller families. When girls are allowed to be girls, everybody wins.
So appalling was the woman's life of abuse, which included claims that her father told her she could only leave her marriage "in a coffin", that—
Judge Joseph Harman made an unprecedented public appeal … for authorities to act.
That this House:
(1) acknowledges the northern Australians working within the tourism industry, which plays a vital role in supporting the northern Australian economy;
(2) recognises that tourist spending provides further opportunities for local small businesses within the community; and
(3) notes that:
(a) the Government is investing in small businesses through its Jobs and Small Business Package released in the 2015 budget; and
(b) this package provides small businesses, including most businesses within the tourism industry, with much needed assistance to grow and create jobs.
We have got such bad publicity out there at the moment about this backpacker tax, a lesser rate would have maybe made it more attractive to people who have already booked their flights to New Zealand or to Canada.
That reputation, I really have no idea how long it's going to take us to rebuild that …
The Federal Government included the proposed increase in the holiday tax—without any consultation or forewarning to industry—as part of its revised backpacker tax package.
… the Federal Government should simply scrap its decision to increase the holiday tax on travellers and instead work with industry to make Australia a more competitive destination for visitors.
You don't have to be Einstein to work out that if you want to encourage more people to visit your country you should be reducing the cost of travel not adding to it by hiking the Federal Government's holiday tax.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) widespread flooding has devastated large food growing areas in the Adelaide plains;
(b) the Adelaide plains are a major economic driver for South Australia, producing hundreds of millions of dollars of fruit and vegetables each year;
(c) the collective losses sustained by growers have run into tens of millions of dollars; and
(d) many of the producers affected by the floods are family enterprises with limited financial capacity to withstand the losses and damage; and
(2) calls on the Government to report back to the House on what assistance measures will be provided to growers seriously affected by the floods.
That this House:
(1) notes:
(a) that palm oil, because of its low cost, is a common ingredient in many packaged foods, often supplementing vegetable oil; and
(b) the misleading labelling of palm oil in Australian products, often labelled as vegetable oil, with 50 per cent of products sold in supermarkets containing palm oil;
(2) further notes that palm oil has high levels of saturated fat with over 50 per cent of its composition being saturated fat, which is very dangerous to consumers with heart or other conditions;
(3) recognises the damage to the environment and endangered animals as a result of mass deforestation in Malaysia and Indonesia which has led to the exponential threat of extinction to animals such as orangutans, tigers, elephants and rhinoceroses, all of which are already critically endangered; and
(4) calls on the Government to change the labelling laws on products sold in Australia to require products to clearly state when they contain palm oil.
That where sugars, fats or vegetable oils are added as separate ingredients in a food, the terms 'added sugars' and 'added fats' and/or 'added vegetable oils' be used in the ingredient list as the generic term, followed by a bracketed list …
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) more than $800 million was lost by Australians on legal sports betting in 2014-15, an increase of more than 30 per cent from 2013-14;
(b) while some restrictions on gambling advertising exist, there is an exemption that allows gambling advertising during televised sporting events at children's viewing times; and
(c) research shows that children are especially susceptible to such advertising;
(2) recognises the pressing need to act to reduce the level of gambling advertising, particularly during children's viewing times;
(3) calls on the Government to amend the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 to ban gambling advertising during sporting broadcasts; and
(4) further notes community concern about the recent increased level of gambling advertising on the SBS, and calls on the Minister for Communications to issue a directive under section 11 of the Special Broadcasting Service Act 1991 to
… it is important to make a machine that is perceived to present greater chances of payoff than it actually has within the legal limitations that games of chance must operate.