The SPEAKER ( Hon. Bronwyn Bishop ) took the chair at 09:00, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.
Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Amendment Bill 2015
That this bill be now read a second time.
Gene Technology Amendment Bill 2015
That this bill be now read a second time.
Social Services Legislation Amendment (Fair and Sustainable Pensions) Bill 2015
… we will not increase the rate of tax on those who have saved for their retirement.
The pension is a welfare payment, it is there for people most in need, it is a safety net payment.
Increasingly the lifestyle—and the savings for superannuation—are being seen as the opportunity to enjoy a few cruises and the luxuries of life—
… nothing other than the wilful sabotage of the nation's universal savings scheme. And sabotage for reasons only of prejudice.
… efforts to obtain short-term budget savings by tightening Age Pension benefits are likely to undercut community living standards in an inappropriate way.
ISA-Rice Warner modelling indicates that the proposed changes to the Age Pension asset test and taper rate in this Bill are misguided because they reduce the retirement incomes of Australians who currently are on modest incomes, and whose retirement incomes are projected to be below that sufficient for a comfortable standard of living in retirement. Over time, the changes would adversely affect about 40 per cent of Australians, and 8 in 10 single women.
Australia is comparatively well-placed in relation to Age Pension spending because the Pension is means-tested and targets poverty alleviation.
The claim that Australia's welfare system is "unsustainable" would surprise observers in most other OECD nations which spend a much higher percentage of their GDP on social security payments. Our emphasis on flat -rate, means –tested payments rather than earnings –related social insurance has limited the burden on Australian taxpayers.
Elderly people should not be penalised for working hard during their lives to own their own homes. I was a single mother and one of my main goals was to pay off my house on one wage and call it my own. Now that I am 72 and looking after my son with an untreatable disease, I feel that there should be some reward for working hard for most of my life.
Hitting the people who have worked hard all their lives, and paid their taxes, is a bullying tactic. It is just appalling, and will cause so many of us added stress at a time in our lives when we just want to have some peace and financial security: Shame, shame, shame!!!
The Prime Minister continues to tell us he is not getting the message across. Well he is, we simply don't think the message/policies are equitable.
Most of us worked hard in our lives and paid our taxes and what for? To suffer mistreatment in our later years? It is obvious that those making these decisions don't have to live on the pension and never will. Shame!
I condemn the Abbott federal government for not protecting pensioners and for Mr Abbott's tendency to continually break promises that he made when he was campaigning for his job as prime minister.
You must look after pensioners, those who have worked all their working life and have put back into the community what they can, volunteering etc, like myself, have paid taxes for all that time and should be looked after in our retirement.
The … point I make is that I don't do deals.
I don't do deals.
… if you sit down and start doing deals with the Greens, who do you represent? What do you believe?
What this Prime Minister did was say one thing before the election to win votes and then do the opposite in a squalid, shameful deal with the Greens to stay in the Lodge. Shame, Prime Minister, shame!
That the question be now put.
The House divided. [12:27]
(The Deputy Speaker—Mr Craig Kelly)
That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the remaining stages of the bill being passed without delay.
That the member no longer be heard.
The House divided. [12:46]
(The Deputy Speaker—Mr Vasta)
That the motion be put.
That the Deputy Speaker's ruling be dissented from.
The House divided. [13:18]
(The Deputy Speaker—Mr Vasta)
The House divided. [13:28]
(The Deputy Speaker—Mr Vasta)
The House divided. [13:47]
(The Deputy Speaker—Mr Vasta)
So, someone who is fighting in Al-Raqqah in Syria?
Well, you get them back here.
So, someone who is fighting in Al-Raqqah in Syria?
Well, you get them back here.
And then, if people seek to return to Australia, we want them arrested, prosecuted and jailed for a very long time and this is where this close cooperation between Australian and Turkish authorities will help because we will identify them better, we will get more information about them and that will help us to ensure that they can't do any damage back in Australia.
It is necessary for the Chair to consider the nature of the inquiry. Where the proceedings are concerned with issues of fact or findings relating to the propriety of the actions of specific persons the House should be restrained in its references.
… my report does not provide a justification for what they intend to do ... I am saying the opposite.
Consideration should be given to the introduction of a power for the Minister of Immigration to revoke the citizenship of Australians … where the Minister is satisfied that the person has engaged in acts prejudicial to Australia's security.
The AWU's experience in representing other elite sportspeople such as horseracing jockeys will help us to better represent the interests of some of the most talented women in Australian sport.
In the time that I have been the Chief Executive Officer of the AJA, I am not aware of any jockey in Victoria or elsewhere in Australia becoming a member of the AWU.
The Government hitting the household budgets of middle Australia
Bill Shorten has sparked doubts within the Labor caucus over his decision to vote against a $2.4 billion pension reform as Tony Abbott accuses him of looking after the wealthy rather than ordinary workers.
Labor caucus members said—
Labor caucus members said the issue could easily turn against Mr Shorten …
With the legislation now sure of Senate approval, opposition finance spokesman Tony Burke would not say whether a Labor government would restore the rules — the key test of Labor's objections to the changes.
Labor appears set to accept the changes at the next election rather than pledge to overturn them …
Customs Amendment (Australian Trusted Trader Programme) Bill 2015
Tax and Superannuation Laws Amendment (Medicare Levy and Medicare Levy Surcharge) Bill 2015
Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Amendment Bill 2015
Private Health Insurance (National Joint Replacement Register Levy) Amendment Bill 2015
Crimes Legislation Amendment (Penalty Unit) Bill 2015
Personal Property Securities Amendment (Deregulatory Measures) Bill 2014
Social Services Legislation Amendment (Youth Employment and Other Measures) Bill 2015
Continuing on from the Blues' State of Origin victory last night, three New South Wales clubs were presented with national Rescue of the Month awards at Parliament House, Canberra, this morning.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Hon. BC Scott ) took the chair at 09:29.
… there was "no consistent evidence that wind farms cause adverse health effects".
… … …
Never mind that there are other forms of power generation that actually do damage health about which we do nothing.
… we will have to start laying people off again at the end of this quarter and close the shipyard at the end of 2015.
Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2015-2016
It is not fair to taxpayers, or to retailers or their many employees, to exempt overseas online retailers from the GST, even if some consumers are enjoying the ride.
… the budget would be comfortably back in surplus in 2017-18.
… Government has returned the Budget to surplus three years ahead of schedule and ahead of any other major advanced economy …