The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( AE Burke) took the chair at 12:00, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.
Broadcasting Services Amendment (Digital Television) Bill 2012
Telecommunications Interception and Other Legislation Amendment (State Bodies) Bill 2012
That the bills be referred to the Federation Chamber for further consideration.
Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Amendment Bill 2012
That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:
"whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House notes that if the Government was genuinely committed to achieving equality for working women, it would adopt the Coalition's better, fairer Paid Parental Leave scheme."
The Bill's proposed amendments to the current reporting framework give rise to concerns regarding the likely impact on employers. My Government is also committed to changing the culture in government, from one that promotes red tape to one that reduces red tape. I am concerned the Bill may impose an additional regulatory burden on Queensland businesses.
… employers remained concerned that unions will use this information on wage levels at a particular company to ask for industry wide wage rises.
I think it is easier a lot of the time to just try to ignore the discrimination and get on with being the best councillor you can be, or the best whatever it is, and ask intelligent questions and … I think you'll find the discrimination will just disappear.
I am actually more optimistic and confident of the outlook and potential of the Rex Group than I have ever been for the past nine years.
… Mildura will once again have direct flights to Adelaide and Sydney in addition to two daily return flights to Broken Hill.
In addition, Broken Hill will, for the first time, receive air services to Melbourne via Mildura.
Following a significant rise in charter enquiries resulting from growth in the resources sector Aeropelican and Brindabella Airlines will increase the availability of their aircraft in New South Wales and Queensland to take advantage of ad-hoc and contract FIFO opportunities.
The decision as to whether a project will have access to an EMA is entirely at the minister's discretion.
The uncertainty created by the Government's handling of the Roy Hill Enterprise Migration Agreement.
You said that that existing monitoring program will be extended to EMAs. Will there be any additional officers or resources to cover that new area of responsibility?
That will be covered within the existing number of inspectors and resources.
Mr Gray, the Special Minister of State, conceded yesterday that failure to communicate the arrangement to Ms Gillard had undermined the selling of the policy.
Mr Gray said EMAs were needed because there were not enough skilled workers.
In Parliament, Ms Gillard did not deny she had told union officials on Friday she did not support the agreement for 1700 foreign workers for the Roy Hill development and that she had not been informed about it.
Well this project needed to get a guarantee of supply of labour in order to secure its funding. So the first 6,000 jobs, remember this is going to create about 8,000 jobs—
6,000 of those will go to Australians under the agreement the government has approved. So we have never had a problem with Enterprise Migration Agreements—
and ensuring that our mining and resources sector has the certainty …
We have to accept that there are massive projects in the pipeline, worth $300 billion to $400bn, and this country has shortages in filling the skills needs. … Australia has been bringing in people to fill skills shortages since World War II.
As a union our job is to ensure we have a say—
that the people coming in are properly tested—
accredited and that we have agreements that also guarantee apprenticeships and the upskilling of the existing workforce.
Corporations Amendment (Phoenixing and Other Measures) Bill 2012
Family Assistance and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2012
Family Assistance and Other Legislation Amendment (Schoolkids Bonus Budget Measures) Bill 2012
Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Disability Support Pension Participation Reforms) Bill 2012
Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Income Support and Other Measures) Bill 2012
That business intervening before order of the day No. 7, government business, be postponed until a later hour this day.
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development) Bill 2012
… to get a tight water surface use agreement in place, before any mining activity starts.
“Make sure they reclaim the land, make sure they put up a sufficient bond to protect the water wells and don’t let them dump this water on the ground because if it’s salty like the water is here, it will kill the soil rather than improve it,” he said.
… the time it would take to repair the damage to critical land and water assets on his family ranch, caused by coalbed methane mining over the past decade, could take several lifetimes of his children and their grandkids—even with no more salt water running over it.
(1) Schedule 1, item 4, page 5 (after line 2), after subsection 505C(5), insert:
(6) The Minister must also ensure that a majority of the members possess scientific qualifications and expertise in one or more of the following areas:
(a) geology;
(b) hydrology;
(c) hydrogeology;
(d) ecology.
(1) Schedule 1, page 8 (after line 9), at the end of the Schedule, add:
12 Aquifer drilling—12 month moratorium
(1) A person commits an offence if:
(a) the person takes an action; and
(b) the person takes the action for the purposes of, or in connection with, coal seam gas extraction; and
(c) the action is, or results in, drilling through or into an aquifer; and
(d) the drilling occurs within 12 months after the commencement of this item.
Penalty:
(a) for an individual—$200,000; and
(b) for a body corporate—$2,000,000.
(2) Subitem (1) applies only if:
(a) the person is a corporation to which paragraph 51(xx) of the Constitution applies; or
(b) the action is taken for the purposes of trade or commerce:
(i) between Australia and another country; or
(ii) between 2 States; or
(iii) between a State and a Territory; or
(iv) between 2 Territories; or
(c) the action is taken in a Territory.
(3) Subitem (1) does not apply if the action is taken to facilitate safer coal mining.
(4) This item has effect despite any provision of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 or any other Act.
(1) Schedule 1, page 8 (after line 9), at the end of the Schedule, add:
12 Aquifer drilling—moratorium
(1) A person commits an offence if:
(a) the person takes an action; and
(b) the person takes the action for the purposes of, or in connection with, coal seam gas mining; and
(c) the action is, or results in, drilling through or into an aquifer; and
(d) the drilling occurs before the earliest of the following:
(i) 5 years from the commencement of this item;
(ii) the conclusion of the full 5-year research program of the Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development.
Penalty: 2,000 penalty units.
(2) Subitem (1) applies only if:
(a) the person is a corporation to which paragraph 51(xx) of the Constitution applies; or
(b) the action is taken for the purposes of trade or commerce:
(i) between Australia and another country; or
(ii) between 2 States; or
(iii) between a State and a Territory; or
(iv) between 2 Territories; or
(c) the action is taken in a Territory.
(3) Subitem (1) does not apply if the action is taken to facilitate scientific research to better understand the interaction of groundwater systems and the impact on those systems of coal seam gas mining.
(4) This item has effect despite any provision of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 or any other Act.
That this bill be now read a third time.
Telecommunications Interception and Other Legislation Amendment (State Bodies) Bill 2012
That this bill be now read a third time.
Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (2012 Budget and Other Measures) Bill 2012
That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:
"whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House condemns the Government for cutting assistance for families with children over the age of 18 at a time when Australian families are struggling with cost of living pressures and are about to face the world's biggest carbon tax."
That this bill be now read a third time.
That business intervening before order of the day No. 14, government business, be postponed until a later hour this day.
Clean Energy Finance Corporation Bill 2012
Clean Energy Legislation Amendment Bill 2012
Clean Energy (Customs Tariff Amendment) Bill 2012
Clean Energy (Excise Tariff Legislation Amendment) Bill 2012
We don't want to play games with the planet. So we are taking this issue seriously and we would like to see an ETS.
The Government will provide $108.7 million over 14 years to support the development and commercialisation of renewable energy technologies by making early-stage equity investments that leveraged private funds.
It is an independent authority, it isn't something that's going to have political interference.
The filter will not be as stringent as the private sector equivalent, as the CEFC has a public policy purpose.
Consequently, it has different risk/return requirements. For a given return, the CEFC may take on higher risk and, for a given level of risk, due to positive externalities, may accept a lower financial return.
The investment mandate will be in the form of a written legislative instrument. Because the investment mandate represents the policy direction of the Government and has the potential to impact on the Commonwealth Budget, it will be a non-disallowable instrument.
With the abundance of coal in Australia, our cost of electricity is one of the lowest in the world.
Under a section titled 'Exclusions' it states: The government has announced the CEFC will not invest in Carbon Capture and Storage projects or technology.
With a legislatively guaranteed stream of funding outside the budget, no future government will be able to undermine it without changing legislation.
So, the purpose of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation is to drive investment into renewable energy, but it is going to make zero difference to the renewable energy target. Is that correct?
The purpose is to overcome the financial barriers. The renewable energy target affects the pricing of renewable energy and what can be achieved, but the individual projects themselves may still have barriers which inhibit investment. The purpose of the CEFC is to address those barriers and not the target itself.
The fiscal and underlying cash balance impacts include a prudent recognition that some investments will not be recovered, and interest revenue. The fiscal balance impact also includes the concessional component of loans.
At the moment that is our best guess.
What about overseas investment? What about companies that are predominantly owned by foreign or overseas investors?
We are talking about where the assets would be located and not the ownership.
So, so long as the assets are here, for the purpose of this section of the bill, you would say that that makes it an Australian-based investment?
Yes.
Irrespective of the fact that the guidelines have not yet been drafted?
That is what is behind the solely or mainly based. It is a similar approach to what the UK Green Investment Bank is also taking.
But it would be up to the board to take a different view?
Renewables are one of the few global industries that registered continued growth throughout the GFC. Clean energy investment is up 500 per cent since 2004.
Investing now in diverse sources is critical for the holy trinity of power: energy security, insurance against price shocks and lower energy prices.
Most energy analysts believe it is only a matter of time before our cheap fossil fuels inflate to international prices, all because of that very successful LNG and coal export program we've got going.
Solar costs dropped by 50 per cent in 2011 alone.
Australians have more than $1 trillion invested in super funds, the majority of which is being battered by overexposure to global and domestic equity markets.
… part of the solution relies on a more diverse asset allocation in pension fund portfolios.
Indeed, when the global asset consultant Mercer investigated the overexposure of pension funds to climate risk, it came to the conclusion that 40 per cent of portfolios should be reallocated to climate-sensitive assets—such as clean energy.
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation, like its global cousins, responds to these challenges by broadening the energy infrastructure assets accessible to institutional investors. The corporation will help package these clean energy assets into something that a super fund, or other large investors, can finally take a stake in.
Industry Funds Management owns Pacific Hydro on behalf of the industry super funds, VicSuper seeded the Cleantech Australia Fund and REST super is a cornerstone investor in a major wind farm development in Western Australia.
… the CEFC is a commercially driven co-investment vehicle, run by independent, financially experienced staff, chaired at this point by the impeccably credentialled Jillian Broadbent—
… the winning strategy for mums and dads with their money in super and the investors who oversee it.
The Greens welcome the leap forward towards powering Australia with 100% renewable energy secured as part of the agreement to put a price on pollution announced today with the government and the independent MPs.
The Australian community is crying out for renewable energy and I am delighted that we have been able to deliver Australia's biggest ever public investment in renewable energy …
Securing a guarantee of 50% of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation fund for renewable energy … is the biggest single investment in renewable energy Australia has ever made.
The CEFC will be challenged in achieving this objective as there is a tension between funding the clean energy sector, applying a commercial filter, and maintaining the financial self-sufficiency of the corporation.
As I said, the government is prepared to provide funds at a target rate of return which is less than the private sector's but it does also recognise the positive externalities.
A broad-based carbon price is the most environmentally effective and cheapest way to reduce pollution. A carbon price puts a price tag on carbon pollution. Under the mechanism, around 500 of the country's biggest polluters will be required to pay for each tonne of pollution they release into the atmosphere. This will have two effects.
It creates a powerful incentive for all businesses to cut their pollution by investing in clean technology or finding more efficient ways of operating.
A price on carbon will also create economic incentives to reduce pollution in the cheapest possible ways, rather than relying on more costly approaches such as government regulation and—
direct subsidies.
These incentives will flow through the economy. The carbon price will make lower-polluting technologies, especially clean energy technologies, more competitive and will boost investment in these technologies. In this way, introducing a price on carbon will trigger the transformation of the economy towards a clean energy future.
The Corporation will apply capital through a commercial filter to facilitate increased flows of finance into the clean energy sector thus preparing and positioning the Australian economy and industry for a cleaner energy future.
… there are few industries where it makes a lot of sense for the government to complement the market by subsidising research and development. Renewable energy is one of them. That's because the energy market is not like most other markets. Indeed, the economics of alternative energy are such that private investors, left to their own devices, are bound to under-invest in it, since the considerable social benefits—cleaner air, fewer greenhouse emissions—accrue to everyone, not just to direct customers. That means that the economic rate of return is significantly less than the social rate of return. Energy markets are also dominated by entrenched, regulated companies, and that reduces the incentive for investment. Despite the immense size of the energy market, as of 2005 spending on energy R&D accounted for just 2 per cent of spending on R&D in the U.S. This creates an opportunity for the government to add value by investing smartly, just as it can add value by spending money on education or infrastructure, other areas where the social returns are greater than the economic ones.
With a legislatively guaranteed stream of funding outside the budget, no future government will be able to undermine it without changing legislation.
The Uniting Church has taken its own journey to a new Preamble of our Constitution which acknowledges Aboriginal and Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia.
27 May marks the anniversary of the 1967 Referendum in which more than 90 percent of Australians voted to remove clauses from the Australian Constitution which discriminated against Indigenous people.
3 June marks the anniversary of the judgment in the 1992 Mabo case in the High Court …
… recognition isn't just about the referendum, it's much broader, and has a lot to do with reconciliation. During NRW 2012—
… asking all Australians to think about the value of recognition, what it means to you personally and its importance to the nation.
The news that Grafton's Caringa Enterprises has received a $20,000 Federal Government grant to ready it for the National Disability Insurance Scheme is both welcome and a reward for a successful enterprise.
… a model for how disability services can be delivered.
This is about to change with the rollout of the NDIS.
It's an indication of how overdue this reform is that it has received bi-partisan support in the highly charged federal political sphere.
The current shortage of residential aged care places is impacting most heavily on residents in rural rather than urban Australia and is predicted to grow exponentially resulting in an estimated shortfall of 280 000 aged care places in Australia by 2050.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Hon. BC Scott) took the chair at 12:00.
Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2012-2013
Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2012-2013
Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2012-2013
Appropriation Bill (No. 5) 2011-2012
Appropriation Bill (No. 6) 2011-2012
The decision to abandon the company tax cut is dripping with politics and a low blow to the business sector …
While … there are environmental challenges—
with the Wilton site, I can also see enormous economic benefits for our region.
… the Wilton site … appears to have a partial overlap with a designated Mine Subsidence District and all these sites are underlain by coal measures which are actively being mined …
She sat on the board of HESTA, collecting board fees for many years, rarely attending meetings. But when the union decided the board fee should go to the union, she left the board.
Voting has now commenced for the election of two member elected directors to serve on the Equipsuper board.
As expected, employers are seeking election to workers' positions. Indeed, one such individual, John Azaris (General Manager—Operations and Services at SP Ausnet), has exploited his senior management role to frustrate the election chances of ASU candidates.
To illustrate this point, I wish to bring this one incident to your attention. SP Ausnet management allowed Azaris, a current employer director at Equipsuper, to use it's email system to promote his candidacy as a member director. When an endorsed ASU candidate employed there (with almost 40 years of service to the company) sought to use the same service, he was refused on the most flimsy of pretexts. Management will pull out all the stops to see one of their own elected at the expense of workers.
These are the sort of unfair tricks we can expect from management. It is a disgrace. Workers such as yourself need to send a clear message to management to keep their hands off Equipsuper.
Telecommunications Interception and Other Legislation Amendment (State Bodies) Bill 2012
(1) Clause 2, page 4 (at the end of the table), add:
(2) Page 21 (after line 8), at the end of the Bill, add:
Schedule 4—Independent Commissioner Against Corruption
Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979
1 Subsection 5(1) (after paragraph (i) of the definition of certifying officer )
Insert:
(ia) in the case of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption:
(i) the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption; or
(ii) the Deputy Commissioner referred to in section 8 of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Act; or
(iii) a person authorised to be a certifying officer for the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption under subsection 5AC(9A); or
2 Subsection 5(1) (after paragraph (l) of the definition of chief officer )
Insert:
(la) in the case of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption—the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption; or
3 Subsection 5(1) (at the end of the definition of eligible authority )
Add:
; or (e) in the case of South Australia—the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption.
4 Subsection 5(1) (after paragraph (j) of the definition of enforcement agency )
Insert:
(ja) the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption; or
5 Subsection 5(1)
Insert:
Independent Commissioner Against Corruption means the person who is the Commissioner (within the meaning of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Act).
6 Subsection 5(1)
Insert:
Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Act means theIndependent Commissioner Against Corruption Act 2012 of South Australia.
7 Subsection 5(1)
Insert:
member of the staff of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption means a person who is engaged under subsection 10(1) of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Act.
8 Subsection 5(1) (at the end of the definition of officer )
Add:
; or (m) in the case of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption:
(i) the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption; or
(ii) the Deputy Commissioner referred to in section 8 of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Act; or
(iii) a member of the staff of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption.
9 Subsection 5(1) (at the end of the definition of permitted purpose )
Add:
; or (i) in the case of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption:
(i) an investigation under the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Act into corruption in public administration (within the meaning of that Act); or
(ii) a report on such an investigation.
10 Subsection 5(1) (at the end of the definition of prescribed investigation)
Add:
; or (k) in the case of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption—means an investigation that the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption is conducting in the performance of the Commissioner's functions under the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Act.
11 Subsection 5(1) (at the end of the definition of relevant offence )
Add:
; or (m) in the case of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption—a prescribed offence that is an offence against the law of South Australia and to which a prescribed investigation relates.
12 After subsection 5AC(9)
Insert:
(9A) The Independent Commissioner Against Corruption may authorise, in writing, a member of the staff of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption who occupies an office or position at an equivalent level to that of an executive employee (within the meaning of the Public Sector Act 2009 of South Australia) to be a certifying officer of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption.
13 After paragraph 5B(1)(kb)
Insert:
(kc) a proceeding of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption; or
14 At the end of paragraph 6A(1)(c)
Add:
; (xii) the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption.
15 At the end of subsection 6L(2)
Add:
; or (e) in the case of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption—a reference to a proceeding by way of prosecution for a prescribed offence:
(i) that is an offence against the law of South Australia; and
(ii) to which a prescribed investigation relates or related.
16 At the end of subsection 39(2)
Add:
; or (j) in the case of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption:
(i) the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption; or
(ii) the Deputy Commissioner referred to in section 8 of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Act; or
(iii) a member of the staff of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption.
17 After paragraph 68(j)
Insert:
(ja) if the information relates, or appears to relate, to a matter that may give rise to an investigation by the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption—to the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption; and
Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2012-2013
Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2012-2013
Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2012-2013
Appropriation Bill (No. 5) 2011-2012
Appropriation Bill (No. 6) 2011-2012
… man does not and cannot know everything, and when he acts as if he does, disaster follows. … would-be planners arrogantly ignore traditions that embody the wisdom of generations; impetuously disregard customs whose purpose they do not understand; and blithely confuse the law written on the hearts of men—which they cannot change—with administrative rules that they can alter at whim.
This government is a wasteful and reckless government that continues to treat Australians with contempt and as fools by counting new or higher taxes as savings, continuing to deliver policies that lead only to a higher cost of living for all Australians and doing nothing for the future prosperity of our nation by leaving a legacy marred by debt, the interest on which will rob future generations of their wealth.
The imposition of the carbon tax from 1st July 2012 was a major factor and the final nail in the coffin for us in the decision making process. The removal of the en route rebate scheme, the addition of the carbon tax, and the introduction of increased passenger screening charges, all to take effect on 1st July 2012, have created the perfect storm for regional aviation.
I think we've done some recent things already by announcing the cut in the small business company tax rate from 30 to 29 cents …
It has not only affected productivity but has resulted in management being unable to operate its business in a fair and consistent way for all stakeholders.
The economic cost saving to society from operating one network instead of two networks is the difference between the resource costs of providing services to these customers using the HFC network and the resource costs of providing the same services to these customers using the NBN.
In a country like Australia the class war must always be a false war.
Well, very simply, this is no big deal.
The really blatant piece of spin is the claim that the government is almost doubling the Commonwealth investment in schooling. On the face of it, this claim is directly contradicted by the budget papers. Schools expenditure was $10.7 billion in 2008-09 and is projected to be $12.9 billion in 2012-13, rising to $14.5 billion in 2014-15. That's a real increase of around 20% over six years, which would be just about enough to cover growth in student numbers and modest increases in real wages for teachers and other school staff.
It turns out that the claim has been justified by comparing schools' spending for the four years from 2009 to 2013 with the four years from 2005 to 2008, and including the stimulus spending under the Building Education Revolution for the later period. Using the same basis of calculation, the government is actually cutting schools spending from a peak of $25 billion in 2009-10 to $15 billion in 2014-15.
… the new Parliament will also have a focus on the needs of regional Australia.
… … …
We don't have to re-discover regional Australia - because we never lost it.
From well before our election in 2007 we have taken the needs and interests of regional Australia as one of our priorities and this is reflected in our record in government.
The four years of surpluses I announce tonight are a powerful endorsement of the strength of our economy, resilience of our people, and success of our policies.
The problem with the entire fiscal debate in Australia today is that many economic concepts have been spun so far they have lost their meaning. There is serious economic damage being caused by attempting to reach political goals with no economic rationale.
The hiding of the headline deficit is just one example of the way the budget papers are becoming less informative rather than more, and the way the government's spin doctors are turning them into an exercise in media management rather than transparency and accountability.
The budget speech used to be a thorough and trustworthy exposition of the new measures announced in the budget; these days it's a made-for-television rave about the budget's good points.
I suspect one reason the budget papers have become less rather than more user-friendly over the years is the spin doctors' desire to drive journalists and others away from the budget papers proper …
So in this budget the funds for company tax cuts have been redirected to families …
We are particularly worried by the Euro-zone situation …
But there are also domestic risks. A key one is around the labour market … there is 'the possibility that frictional unemployment could temporarily rise as businesses adjust to changing patterns of demand and workers look to find new opportunities in emerging parts of the economy'.
The labour market is not the only thing that it is difficult to get a handle on at the moment. We know, for example, that the elevated terms of trade and the high exchange rate are having big effects on the broader economy. As are attitudes to debt, changing patterns of consumer spending, competitive pressures and technological change. But, as you would expect, translating the impact of these broad structural forces into precise central case forecasts is particularly challenging.
A range of factors, including the further write-down in tax receipts and the increase in the market value of CGS on issue, have contributed to a higher expected level of net debt, and lower expected net financial worth and net worth, than was forecast in the 2011‑12 Budget.
No Australian government has ever proposed such a huge withdrawal of spending from the economy … On Treasury's estimates, that—
would take at least 2.6 per cent of GDP out of the economy.'
That further proceedings on the bill be conducted in the House.
Broadcasting Services Amendment (Digital Television) Bill 2012