The SPEAKER ( Hon. Tony Smith ) took the chair at 09:30, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.
Report relating to the consideration of committee and delegation business and of private Members' business
1. The committee met in private session on Tuesday, 8 November 2016.
2. The committee determined the order of precedence and times to be allotted for consideration of committee and delegation business and private Members' business on Monday, 21 November 2016, as follows:
Items for House of Representatives Chamber (10.10 am to 12 noon)
PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS
Notices
1 MR BANDT: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the law in relation to workplace relations, and for related purposes. ( Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Christmas) Bill 2016 )
( Notice given 8 November 2016. )
Presenter may speak to the second reading for a period not exceeding 10 minutes—pursuant to standing order 41. Debate must be adjourned pursuant to standing order 142.
2 MR BANDT: To present a Bill for an Act to establish Renew Australia, and for related purposes. ( Renew Australia Bill 2016 )
( Notice given 8 November 2016. )
Presenter may speak to the second reading for a period not exceeding 10 minutes—pursuant to standing order 41. Debate must be adjourned pursuant to standing order 142.
3 MS C. F. KING: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the law in relation to logos used by political parties, and for related purposes. ( Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Protect the Eureka Flag) Bill 2016 )
( Notice given 8 November 2016. )
Presenter may speak to the second reading for a period not exceeding 10 minutes—pursuant to standing order 41. Debate must be adjourned pursuant to standing order 142.
4 MR ALBANESE: To present a Bill for an Act to establish the High Speed Rail Planning Authority, and for related purposes. ( High Speed Rail Planning Authority Bill 2016 )
( Notice given 20 October 2016.)
Presenter may speak to the second reading for a period not exceeding 10 minutes—pursuant to standing order 41. Debate must be adjourned pursuant to standing order 142.
5 MS HENDERSON: To move:
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) UNICEF celebrates its 70th anniversary on 11 December 2016; and
(b) it is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and expand opportunities to reach their full potential;
(2) acknowledges the work of UNICEF which now operates in over 190 countries and territories and provides a range of important services including child protection, education and child survival needs (such as nutrition and sanitation);
(3) notes that the Government provides $21 million a year in core funding to UNICEF's regular resources as set out in the Strategic Partnership Framework 2016-2020 signed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs on 27 April 2016;
(4) acknowledges the Minister for Foreign Affairs' October 2016 announcement of $1.5 million in funding for UNICEF following Hurricane Matthew in Haiti; and
(5) congratulates UNICEF and its staff around the world for all the good work they do and wishes them well into the future.
( Notice given 8 November 2016. )
Time allotted—40 minutes.
Speech time limits—
Ms Henderson—5 minutes.
Other Members—5 minutes. each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.
Orders of the day
1 Marriage Legislation Amendment Bill 2016 [No. 2] ( Mr Bandt ): Second reading—Resumption of debate (from 12 September 2016 ).
Time allotted—20 minutes.
Speech time limits—
Other Members—5 minutes. each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 4 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.
Notices—continued
6 MS VAMVAKINOU: To move:
That this House:
(1) acknowledges that:
(a) 500 to 700 Palestinian children are arrested, detained and prosecuted in the Israeli military court system each year;
(b) Human Rights Watch reported in April that arrests of Palestinian children by Israeli forces had doubled in the preceding six months;
(c) Defence for Children International research, based on 429 affidavits from Palestinian children, indicates that 97 per cent of children had no parent or legal counsel available during interrogation and 75 per cent endured some form of physical violence following arrest;
(d) the United States State Department's 2014 human rights report on Israel states that military courts have more than a 99 per cent conviction rate for Palestinian defendants;
(e) UNICEF has reported that ill-treatment in the Israeli military detention system remains widespread, systematic, and institutionalised throughout the process; and
(f) Australia raised concerns with Israel about the treatment of Palestinian minors in 2011 and 2014, however there has been little improvement concerning the treatment of Palestinian children by Israeli forces; and
(2) calls on the Australian Government to raise concerns with the Israeli Government about the treatment of Palestinian children.
( Notice given 18 October 2016.)
Time allotted—remaining private Members' business time prior to 12 noon.
Speech time limits—
Ms Vamvakinou—5 minutes.
Other Members—5 minutes. each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 2 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.
Items for Federation Chamber (11 am to 1.30 pm)
PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS
Notices
1 MR PERRETT: To move:
That this House:
(1) recognises that:
(a) prior to the passage of the Parliamentary Privileges Act 1987 the Houses of the Australian Parliament had the power to expel a Senator or Member of the House of Representatives;
(b) the expulsion of a Member of this House is the most drastic of sanctions;
(c) on 11 November 1920, the then Member for Kalgoorlie, Mr Hugh Mahon, was expelled from this House; and
(d) Mr Mahon is the only Member to have ever been expelled from this House;
(2) acknowledges that Mr Mahon was expelled:
(a) by a motion brought on hastily and with limited time for debate;
(b) by a vote of the House on party lines; and
(c) without the due process and procedural fairness that such an important issue deserves; and
(3) recognises that:
(a) it was unjust on the limited evidence for the institution to which Mr Mahon had been democratically elected to reverse the decision of his constituents; and
(b) the expulsion of Mr Mahon was a misuse of the power then invested in the House.
( Notice given 10 October 2016.)
Time allotted—20 minutes.
Speech time limits—
Mr Perrett—5 minutes.
Other Members—5 minutes. each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 4 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.
2 MR ZIMMERMAN: To move:
That this House:
(1) acknowledges that the Government won the election and has been getting on with the job of governing; and
(2) congratulates the Government for the following achievements:
(a) securing Australia's 25 consecutive year of economic growth;
(b) protecting our borders and making our nation more secure with over 800 days having passed without a successful people smuggling venture;
(c) delivering:
(i) a personal tax cut to 500,000 middle income Australians;
(ii) a fairer and more flexible superannuation system; and
(iii) $11 billion of budget repair;
(d) establishing a process which makes bank Chief Executive Officers answerable to the public through appearances before Parliament;
(e) legislating to protect volunteer firefighters from union takeovers;
(f) reintroducing bills to restore the rule of law on the nation's construction sites;
(g) securing the naval shipbuilding industry and jobs for the future;
(h) strengthening trade and defence ties with Singapore, creating thousands of new jobs;
(i) strengthening the United States alliance in defence, counter-terrorism and cyber security;
(j) reintroducing legislation to crack down on illegal firearms trafficking;
(k) increasing protection for women and children against domestic violence;
(l) growing our industries with record commodity prices and a $2.5 billion water infrastructure rollout to support farmers and the resource sector;
(m) fixing the problems in Vocational Education and Training and cracking down on dodgy providers;
(n) increasing digital literacy and improved school resourcing;
(o) supporting more Indigenous Australians through skills, jobs and language;
(p) signing new City Deals to improve housing and expand public transport;
(q) accelerating the broadband build and connecting rural Australia;
(r) securing an agreement with the states and territories on energy security and reforms for affordable, reliable power;
(s) protecting Medicare, improving primary health care, making over 2,000 medicines cheaper and simplifying private health care;
(t) saving lives through a National Cancer Screening Register;
(u) supporting the South Australian steel sector and jobs by providing a $49.2 million loan to Arrium;
(v) addressing long term welfare dependence;
(w) delivering better:
(i) tax arrangements for working holiday makers and backpackers; and
(ii) child care for 1 million Australians and lifting immunisation rates;
(x) showing a commitment to new resettlement programs for genuine refugees as a result of strong border policies; and
(y) boosting Australia's place in the workforce with access to new markets and stronger ties including with East Asia, Europe, and the United Kingdom.
( Notice given 8 November 2016. )
Time allotted—40 minutes.
Speech time limits—
Mr Zimmerman—5 minutes.
Other Members—5 minutes. each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.
3 DR FREELANDER: To move:
That this House:
(1) notes:
(a) that the unemployment rate in Australia has barely fallen from immediate post Global Financial Crisis levels;
(b) Treasury projections that the unemployment in Australia is unlikely to improve in the next three years under current policy settings; and
(c) significant labour market indicators such as rate of under-employment and levels of long term and youth unemployment, are continuing concerns within the community and amongst economic commentators, as is the comparative decline in the availability of full time jobs;
(2) further notes that:
(a) rates on unemployment in many OECD counties have fallen significantly since 2012 while Australia's unemployment rate has remained stagnant; and
(b) Reserve Bank of Australia observations about the likely limited effect on economic activity of further interest rate cuts;
(3) recognises:
(a) the negative impact on the federal budget in continuing high levels of unemployment;
(b) the cost to individuals, the community and the economy in people not being able to find work; and
(c) the Government's failure to grow full-time employment opportunities; and
(4) urges the Government to give higher priority to addressing labour market stagnation and take whatever steps it can through fiscal policy and selective initiatives to address this ongoing blight on Australian society.
( Notice given 8 November 2016. )
Time allotted—30 minutes.
Speech time limits—
Dr Freelander—5 minutes.
Other Members—5 minutes. each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.
4 MR RAMSEY: To move:
That this House:
(1) acknowledges that reducing social harm caused by welfare-fuelled alcohol, drug and gambling abuse is a key priority nationally and for local communities;
(2) recognises that the Government is currently trialling the cashless debit card in two communities—Ceduna in South Australia, and the East Kimberley in Western Australia—in partnership with local community leaders in those communities; and
(3) acknowledges the:
(a) hard work, dedication and commitment of community leaders in Ceduna and the East Kimberley in co-designing the trials with Government, and their leadership in its implementation and delivery in their communities; and
(b) positive initial results of the cashless debit card model in the two trial communities, including the strong positive feedback from the community on the ground.
( Notice given 8 November 2016.)
Time allotted—30 minutes.
Speech time limits—
Mr Ramsey—5 minutes.
Other Members—5 minutes. each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.
5 MS L. M. CHESTERS: To move:
That this House:
(1) notes:
(a) the Fair Work Ombudsman's (FWO's) report Inquiry into the wages and conditions of people working under the 417 Working Holiday Visa Program (October 2016) found that more than one third of 417 visa holders claimed that they were paid less than the minimum wage;
(b) the inquiry found that the 417 visa program created an environment where unreasonable and unlawful requirements are being imposed on visa holders by unscrupulous businesses;
(c) the FWO, Ms Natalie James, said in a statement that the inquiry confirms that overseas workers seeking regional work to satisfy the 88 day requirement and obtain a second-year 417 visa are particularly vulnerable to exploitation;
(2) acknowledges:
(a) that in 2015-16, 76 per cent of litigations filed by the FWO involved visa holder workers;
(b) that the inquiry found instances of employers engaging in sophisticated labour supply chains involving sham contracting, where workers were in fact employees, to exploit vulnerable 417 visa holders to gain a competitive or commercial advantage through the reduction of labour costs; and
(c) findings from the inquiry found that the 417 visa program has been used to source an unpaid workforce, thus facilitating an unfair commercial advantage to these employers, distorting the market place and placing pressure on the domestic employment market;
(3) expresses its disappointment in the Government for announcing yet another taskforce, the Migrant Workers Taskforce, to look at the issue of worker exploitation, while there is still no legislation that has been presented to the Parliament that will change the law to protect exploited workers; and
(4) calls on the Government to join the Opposition in preventing workers from being exploited by supporting its legislation before the Parliament, the Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Australian Workers) Bill 2016.
( Notice given 18 October 2016.)
Time allotted—remaining private Members' business time prior to 1.30 pm
Speech time limits—
Ms L. M. Chesters—5 minutes.
Other Members—5 minutes. each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.
Items for Federation Chamber (4.45 pm to 7.30 pm)
PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS
Orders of the day
MS VAMVAKINOU: Debate to be resumed on the motion of Ms Vamvakinou—
That this House:
(1) acknowledges that:
(a) 500 to 700 Palestinian children are arrested, detained and prosecuted in the Israeli military court system each year;
(b) Human Rights Watch reported in April that arrests of Palestinian children by Israeli forces had doubled in the preceding six months;
(c) Defence for Children International research, based on 429 affidavits from Palestinian children, indicates that 97 per cent of children had no parent or legal counsel available during interrogation and 75 per cent endured some form of physical violence following arrest;
(d) the United States State Department's 2014 human rights report on Israel states that military courts have more than a 99 per cent conviction rate for Palestinian defendants;
(e) UNICEF has reported that ill-treatment in the Israeli military detention system remains widespread, systematic, and institutionalised throughout the process; and
(f) Australia raised concerns with Israel about the treatment of Palestinian minors in 2011 and 2014, however there has been little improvement concerning the treatment of Palestinian children by Israeli forces; and
(2) calls on the Australian Government to raise concerns with the Israeli Government about the treatment of Palestinian children.
( Notice given 18 October 2016.
Time allotted—20 minutes.
Speech time limits—
Other Members—5 minutes. each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 4 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.
Notices—continued
6 MR HASTIE: To move:
That this House:
(1) notes that as the terrorist group, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant comes under increasing pressure in Iraq and Syria, coming with the risk that more foreign fighters will seek to leave, with some trying to return to their home countries, including Australia;
(2) acknowledges that the Government:
(a) has given greater support, funding and legislative powers to law enforcement and security agencies; and
(b) continues to work in close partnership with international partners to counter the terrorism risk; and
(3) notes that the national security challenges facing Australia continue to evolve.
( Notice given 8 November 2016. )
Time allotted—30 minutes.
Speech time limits—
Mr Hastie—5 minutes.
Other Members—5 minutes. each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.
7 MR GILES: To move:
That this House:
(1) notes with deep concern that:
(a) income inequality in Australia is growing such that currently the top 20 per cent of households receive half of Australia's income while the bottom 20 per cent receive just four per cent; and
(b) in 2013 the top 1 per cent of Australian earners received 9 per cent of Australia's income, and the top 0.1 per cent received 2.5 per cent, in both cases representing the highest proportion since the 1950s, and a proportion which continues to increase;
(2) notes rapidly increasing executive and, in particular, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) remuneration, for example between 1971 and 2008, real CEO pay grew by nearly five times, while the real average weekly earnings grew just over one and a half times despite:
(a) research showing that executive pay increases are not closely related to company performance;
(b) the belief that large disparities between executive pay and average earnings might actually demotivate a company's employees and adversely affect priorities, as reported in the 2009 Productivity Commission inquiry into executive remuneration in Australia; and
(c) the belief that poor remuneration arrangements can promote inappropriate, risky short term decision making, carrying wider economic ramifications including a negative impact on productivity growth;
(3) notes the positive effect of past legislative efforts on ensuring corporate executive remuneration is transparent, particularly the 'two strikes' legislation which came into effect in 2011, acknowledging that mandatory disclosure of CEO pay ratios, as required in the United Kingdom and more recently in the United States, would:
(a) provide:
(i) important information to shareholders voting on executive remuneration; and
(ii) a more accurate measure of an important aspect of income inequality in Australia; and
(b) improve the health of our democracy by making important information more accessible to the public; and
(4) calls on the Government to consider following the lead of the United States in its Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in mandating that public companies disclose the ratio of a CEO's annual total remuneration to the average annual total of all company employees.
( Notice given 8 November 2016. )
Time allotted—30 minutes.
Speech time limits—
Mr Giles—5 minutes.
Other Members—5 minutes. each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.
8 MR LITTLEPROUD: To move:
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) on 8 November at Government House the Governor-General awarded ten soldiers with military awards for actions at the Battle of Long Tan;
(b) these soldiers received these awards 50 years after the Battle of Long Tan:
(i) which was the most costly single battle fought by Australian soldiers in the Vietnam War, involving 105 Australians and three New Zealanders from D Company 6RAR and more than 2,000 enemy troops; and
(ii) where a total of 17 Australians were killed in action and 25 were wounded, one of whom later died from his wounds; and
(2) acknowledges:
(a) the ten soldiers who received an award, some posthumously, including Lieutenant Adrian Roberts, Sergeant Frank Alcorta, Lance Corporal Barry Magnussen (deceased), Second Lieutenant Gordon Sharp (deceased), Privates Neil Bextrum, Ron Brett (deceased), Ian Campbell, William Roche, Geoffrey Peters and Noel Grimes;
(b) the service and sacrifice of all those who served their country in Vietnam; and
(c) all of Australia's service men and women who display courage, bravery and mateship above and beyond the call of duty.
( Notice given 8 November 2016. )
Time allotted—35 minutes.
Speech time limits—
Mr Littleproud—10 minutes.
Other Members—5 minutes. each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 1 x 10 mins + 5 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.
9 MR WATTS: To move:
That this House:
(1) acknowledges that White Ribbon:
(a) is a male led campaign to end male violence against women;
(b) is now active in over 60 countries around the world; and
(c) has ambassadors around Australia who are working to engage men and encourage them to take a leadership role in ending violence against women;
(2) notes that:
(a) in 2016 in Australia, each week approximately one woman is murdered by a partner or former partner;
(b) one in four Australian women has experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner;
(c) men's violence against women is a symptom of gender inequality in our society; and
(d) social policy initiatives and law reform addressing gender inequality are central to reducing attitudes that support violence against women;
(3) recognises that:
(a) 25 November is White Ribbon Day; and
(b) the white ribbon is the symbol of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women; and
(4) supports White Ribbon and other organisations to eliminate violence against women.
( Notice given 8 November 2016. )
Time allotted—remaining private Members' business time prior to 7.30 pm
Speech time limits—
Mr Watts—5 minutes.
Other Members—5 minutes. each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 10 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration of this should continue on a future day.
That:
(1) Mr Crewther be discharged from the Joint Standing Committee on Migration and that, in his place, Mr Vasta be appointed a member of the committee;
(2) Ms Henderson be discharged from the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme and that, in her place, Mr Wallace be appointed a member of the committee;
(3) Mr Wallace be discharged from the Publications Committee and that, in his place, Mr Falinski be appointed a member of the committee.
Civil Nuclear Transfers to India Bill 2016
That this bill be now read a second time.
Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Legislation Amendment (Defence Force) Bill 2016
That this bill be now read a second time.
Export Finance and Insurance Corporation Amendment (Support for Commonwealth Entities) Bill 2016
That this bill be now read a second time.
We want to learn from the Europeans, who unshackled Europe from a thousand years of war and bitterness, and enabled Europe's youth to substitute the hostility of their forefathers with brotherhood.
It would be wise to learn from their experience, to dream about a Middle East in which its countries will depart from the conflicts of their parents on behalf of peace for their children. Establish a modern regional economy that would fight new and common challenges: hunger, desertification, sickness and terror. Promote scientific cooperation to improve the standard of living and secure quality of life.
The common God of all is the God of peace, not the God of war.
Find a cause that's larger than yourself and then give your life to it.
If a problem has no solution, it may not be a problem, but a fact—not to be solved, but to be coped with over time.
Look, we have existed for 4,000 years—2,000 years in diaspora, in exile. Nobody in the Middle East speaks their original language but Israel. When we started 64 years ago, we were 650,000 people. So, you know, we are maybe swimming a little bit against the stream, but we continue to swim.
In Israel, a land lacking in natural resources, we learned to appreciate our greatest national advantage: our minds. Through creativity and innovation, we transformed barren deserts into flourishing fields and pioneered new frontiers in science and technology.
The last two decades we have witnessed the greatest revolution since Genesis. States have lost their importance and strength. The old theories—from Adam Smith to Karl Marx—have lost their value because they are based on things like land, labour, and wealth. All of that has been replaced by science. Ideas are now more important than materials. And ideas are unpredictable. Science knows no customs, no borders. It’s immeasurable, unpredictable, unprecedented. It doesn’t depend on distances or stop at a given point.
Science creates a world where individuals can play the role of the collective. Two boys create Google. One boy creates Facebook. Another individual creates Apple. These gentlemen changed the world without political parties or armies or fortunes. No one anticipated this. And they themselves did not know what would happen as a result of their thoughts. So we are all surprised.
It is a new world. You may have the strongest army—but it cannot conquer ideas, it cannot conquer knowledge. Now when you try to anticipate what is possible, you must go to books or laboratories, not simply to the stock exchange. You must exercise your brain. And you can keep your brain fresh if you use it.
The most important thing in life is to dare. The most complicated thing in life is to be afraid. The smartest thing in the world is to try to be a moral person.
It is Israel that has lectured the world against giving in to terrorism. If we give in now our prestige will suffer greatly. Should we ignore the fact that the hijackers have conducted a 'selection,' separating the Jews from the others aboard the plane? If the operation succeeds, the mood of the entire country will suddenly and dramatically improve. It's true that the operation will put our finest soldiers at risk. But we have always been ready to risk our lives to save a large number of lives by using our own forces, and without recourse to outside assistance."
I don't know if it's possible to apportion credit among those responsible for the decision to undertake this operation, but if it is, the biggest share of the credit goes to the defense minister—
The message of the Jewish people to mankind is that faith and moral vision can triumph over all adversity.
The Jewish people weren't born to rule another people. From the very first day we are against slaves and masters.
… a visionary and courageous statesman, who worked relentlessly for peace and never lost hope that this would one day be achievable.
Even in the most difficult hours, he remained an optimist about the prospects for reconciliation and peace.
Shimon Peres was a soldier for Israel, for the Jewish people, for justice, for peace, and for the belief that we can be true to our best selves—to the very end of our time on Earth, and in the legacy that we leave to others.
I am not sure whether all our guests here tonight know that the last time you fell into our hands was in 1945.
We caught you on a camel in a restricted military area and locked you up for two weeks.
History doesn't relate what happened to the camel.
Israel is small in geography but large in history.
But perhaps even more impressive than the achievements is the spirit of your people: pioneering, brave, resourceful, determined; an example of how indomitable will can overcome almost any problem.
That very fact makes it all the more urgent that you who have built a nation should also be able to build peace.
… your personal reputation as a man of peace, a man dedicated to seeking that peace with Israel's neighbours, is itself grounds for greater hope.
It is a special honour to be here this evening in the company of one of Israel' s most highly regarded statesmen, Shimon Peres. In various capacities over the fifty years of Israel's statehood, including three periods as prime minister, you have been an instrumental figure in setting Israel's course for the future. Your presence here tonight brings a special significance and lustre to these anniversary celebrations.
As a young man, he had fed his village by working in the fields during the day, but then defending it by carrying a rifle at night.
If it weren't for Israel's nuclear program, Peres argues, the historic Oslo Accords he helped negotiate with the Palestinians wouldn't have been possible.
Water Legislation Amendment (Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment) Bill 2016
That this bill be now read a second time.
It is an MDBA decision, it's not a decision of government, but I think there is an information gap so I am committed to asking the MDBA … and then there can be a bit more understanding on both sides …
Lack of management of the Hume Dam has turned what could have been a constrained flood into a catastrophic one.
The fact there was not enough air-space is beyond belief.
Everything the basin authority has said has been proven wrong and the management from the authority is incompetent and inexperienced.
I'm not necessarily confident the modelling has been good enough to inform the communities downstream from the Hume wall, particularly when you consider the inflows from the Kiewa River.
They've been slow to react to advice from state and local government authorities.
When conditions are very wet and Hume Dam is high—
the dam can store no more water and therefore has only limited impact on the passage of a flood. It's the rain that causes the flood, not the dam.
It's hard to anticipate what sort of airspace you need when you really don't have a conclusive idea of exactly how much is going to fall in your catchment and how much is coming in.
Protecting irrigators' water is listed as a higher priority for the MDBA in running Lake Hume than preventing flood events downstream.
… when water inflows no longer occur and water outflows are needed for irrigation demand, and the dam's not full when we're running into a drought, the authority will be in even more trouble.
We are trying to work with government and its agencies to explain to them that the situation we are seeing now is very likely to occur more often under the flow targets of the Basin Plan. The first wave of flooding was roughly equivalent to the flows modelled by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority in the development of the Basin Plan.
When Mother Nature brings flood events there is nothing we can do, but when human management of the system leads to damaging flood events it is unacceptable.
That this bill be now read a third time.
Migration Legislation Amendment (Regional Processing Cohort) Bill 2016
… the changes would merely ‘formalise’ existing protocols making it difficult for asylum seekers to obtain visas. Under the status quo, former asylum seekers considered to be at risk of breaching their visa conditions and staying in Australia were already likely to be rejected.
Working unilaterally and with our partner countries in the region, we have been able to significantly disrupt and degrade people smuggling networks throughout our region and ensure that people don't undertake perilous voyages in dangerous conditions by boat to attempt to come to Australia. In the event that people attempt this voyage, we're absolutely certain that we have the assets in place to disrupt and interdict those ventures and take them back to the countries from whence they departed.
It is very difficult when people smugglers are messaging to them, where we have advocates here messaging them saying 'Don't accept packages, eventually you will come to Australia.'
There is intelligence that I've seen about people wanting to travel to Manus Island to marry some of the people from the regional processing centre, to try and create a process where they might come here on a spouse visa. That is not acceptable.
You're looking at a process the department deals with very regularly. This is nothing new. Why not let the application go through the existing law that's already there? The legislation is there and being used, probably on a daily basis. There's no reason or logic why the law needs to be changed for such a small group of people.
If the department is worried it means they don't have confidence in their own internal processes. As far as I am aware there's a high threshold of evidence to show a relationship is not a sham relationship.
Settlement in a country like New Zealand would be used by the people smugglers as a marketing opportunity.
… we may be able to reunite families, for example, to take up third-country settlement options, if that's an arrangement that's appropriate …
Good to see that it looks like the government is now taking its cues from One Nation. Just like last time.
Good to see that it looks like the government is now taking its cues from One Nation.
(2AA) An application for a visa is not a valid application if it is made by a person who:
(a) is an unauthorised maritime arrival under subsection 5AA(1); and
(b) after 19 July 2013, was taken to a regional processing country under section 198AD; and
(c) was at least 18 years of age …
We've got no intention of having separate classes of New Zealand citizens.
A person must not arrange a marriage between other persons with the intention of assisting one of those other persons to get a stay visa by satisfying a criterion for the visa because of the marriage.
In this day and age when you've got people running around the world pretending to be refugees, who are not refugees, but are involved in terrorist activities, or are involved in terrorist organisations, you cannot afford to have people coming across your borders when you don't know who they are.
As of today, asylum seekers who come by boat without a visa will never be settled in Australia.
From now on, any asylum-seeker who arrives in Australia by boat will have no chance of being settled in Australia as refugees.
There was a time when Australia led the way on refugee protection.
Following World War II, Australia came second only to the United States on resettling European refugees. Its signature brought the Refugee Convention into force a few years later. And, in the 1970s, it resettled the third highest number of Indochinese refugees following the wars there.
If you share our common Australian values, whether your heritage is from over the seas or you are an Indigenous Australian, if you look forward not backwards and if you make a contribution to our nation's future, I am here for you.
… we're not on a unity ticket to stop tourists.
At the rate of 19 per cent, Australian wages are competitive with New Zealand and Canada and we can start to reconnect with working holiday makers …
We've got a big issue when you have got people coming here on 457, 417 visas, these are visas—
which give people from overseas temporary work rights in Australia yet we've got auto-electricians and mechanics and carpenters who can't get work in Australia. This government should be prioritising Australian jobs.
The Federal Court found senior officials from the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union have a "cavalier attitude" to complying with industrial laws as it handed out fines of $21,000 over a blockade at the $80 million Perth Airport expansion project.
The farce of this policy has become obvious to all … Labor has no plan on how this target would be reached.
… … …
Sadly, Labor is playing games with people’s lives. It is no good playing roulette and hoping your number comes up. The poor and pensioners particularly require certainty about lights and heat.
I am writing to advise you that I no longer have confidence in my capacity to resolve matters relating to integrity with you. This follows the sequence of events before and following the alterations to Hansard that were made in October 2014.
The Government failing rural and regional communities.
We've got a big issue when you have got people coming here on 457, 417 visas, these are visas which give people from overseas temporary work rights in Australia yet we've got auto-electricians and mechanics and carpenters who can't get work in Australia. This government should be prioritising Australian jobs. They should be prioritising helping the Hazelwood workers. They shouldn't be playing silly political games.
In 2009-2011, people living in Remote and Very remote areas had mortality rates 1.4 times as high as people living inMajor cities . For nearly all causes of death, rates were higher for people living outsideMajor cities , with people inRemote and Very remote areas faring the worst.
"Insurance risk mitigation seems the obvious model," Mr Fitzgibbon said.
"This is an initiative in the government’s Agriculture White Paper which I welcome.
An important issue for people who live in outer regional and remote Australia is access to services …
What have the Romans ever done for us?
The aqueduct.
Oh, yes, sanitation …
And the roads …
Irrigation … medicine … education … health.
… but apart from better sanitation and medicine and education and irrigation and public health and roads and a freshwater system and baths and public order, what have the Romans done for us?
Superannuation (Objective) Bill 2016
That this bill be now read a second time.
The government's commitment to defining the objectives of superannuation and enshrining this in legislation will provide an enduring reference point to guide future decision making by all policy makers.
The legislated objective of the $2 trillion superannuation system should not include references to achieving "comfort" or "adequacy" because it would open the way to constant political interference.
Treasury Laws Amendment (Fair and Sustainable Superannuation) Bill 2016
That this bill be now read a second time.
… pass the changes as soon as practical, in order to provide certainty for people saving for their retirement.
… the responsible thing to do for the superannuation system and for Australia's long term, fiscal sustainability.
… all Parliamentarians to reach consensus on a super tax package that better targets tax concessions and improves the fiscal sustainability of the system.
Superannuation (Excess Transfer Balance Tax) Imposition Bill 2016
That this bill be now read a second time.
Migration Legislation Amendment (Regional Processing Cohort) Bill 2016
In short I find this policy appalling. We are a better society than this. I cannot believe that this policy will succeed.
Mercy and courage also are needed to respond to the huge wave of refugees, migrants and displaced people all over the globe.
As of today, asylum seekers who come here by boat without a visa will never be settled in Australia.
... will be forever known as the place where, in 1994, genocide consumed every hill and corner, bodies clogged the rivers, and the 'international community' turned away.
I am writing to you today to express my deepest and most sincere gratitude. You and Jaki—
have done so much for my brother Pascal and I. The job is still not finished and I know it won't be easy, but I know that you won't give up. I will be willing to do whatever I need to in order to see my brother alive and safe in Australia. I will provide ways for him to contribute to the sustainability of this great country as people living here have given me.
The re-emergence of the culture wars is a sure sign the current PM has lost control of the political narrative, not to mention his party's right flank and the handle he would have hoped to have on the philosophical and cultural direction of the country.
The Contracting States shall not apply to the movements of such refugees restrictions other than those which are necessary and such restrictions shall only be applied until their status in the country is regularized or they obtain admission into another country.
Having signed up with an ISP in connection in July, they inform me that the NBN is not ready for another six weeks.
… work was completed in April yet we are still not connected and don't look like getting connected in the near future.
… NBN has come to Hallett Cove. Everywhere except 6 houses in my street. Our neighbours can get it. We have been left off the roll out. I have contacted NBN, the Ombudsman and various internet providers... no one can give us answers.
There is nothing greater in this world than enabling another person to become the best that they can be. Madame Curie believed that 'we must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.' So each of us here gathered in this room—
is gifted for something. I would suggest that we are here to act as catalysts of change for our nations and our people, but most importantly for our women and our girls.
I raise up my voice – not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard.
We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Ms Bird) took the chair at 10:00.
Dear Adam,
I am 12 years old. I live in Carlton with my 2 brothers, mother, and father. I am writing to you to express my feelings and worries about Pauline Hanson's opinion on Islam.
I find it hard to hear because my family and I follow the religion of Islam. And we are kind to people. Unlike Pauline Hanson's public statements, we are people who should not be feared. I don't like what she's saying about my religion because it goes to the media and the media shows to the world.
It's also affecting me because I am being called a terrorist. I don't like being called a terrorist because it puts me down and makes me upset. It upsets me because most of the time I am a normal grade 6 boy who lives in Australia. I love that Australia has freedom, I get a great education, I don't live in fear, I can play with my friends. I go for Carlton footy club, and I go for Real Madrid and Chelsea in football.
Adam, I would like to thank you and the Greens for not listening to Pauline Hanson's unkind words. If I could ask one more thing of you, it would be: ask Pauline to read this letter and when she's done tell her—is she still afraid of me? Hope she isn't.
In peace, Jibreel.
First Pauline Hanson targeted Asians, now Muslims. I mean, really? She hasn't even met us.
Now when I walk on the streets with my mum people stop and stare with us. They make me feel like I should be ashamed of wearing a hijab and being a Muslim.
Also when I went to a sports carnival I got called a terrorist and during the 800m race I stopped. This makes me feel so sad and scared.
I'm an ordinary 10-year-old girl from a Muslim family in Carlton. I'm not a terrorist, drug dealer, or ISIS member. I'm the same as everyone and I believe everyone should be treated equally as a person. I think people should have a voice.
I have seen on the street where a woman's hijab was pulled off her head. I ask why? Why did they do that? When Pauline Hanson says Muslims should be banned from Australia I am not scared. This is my place, this is my country, I call Australia home. But I am afraid for my future. Will I not be allowed a job or a home to live in?
I look after my family and friends. I mostly try hard at school. I like living in Australia. I want to tell Pauline Hanson that Muslims mean peace.
Why do so many people hate us?
A little less conversation, a little more action …
(1) Can he confirm reports that an agreement has been reached between Mrs Gina Rinehart and Shanghai CRED Real Estate to jointly purchase the S. Kidman & Co properties.(2) Have any Government officials been involved in any such discussions; if so, (a) what was the outcome, (b) what Ministers, if any, have been involved in those discussions, and (c) what assurances can he provide to the Australian people that a majority ownership will not be shifted to the foreign corporation over the course of this partnership.
An agreement between Mrs Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd and Shanghai CRED Real Estate to jointly purchase the S. Kidman & Co properties via a joint venture company Australian Outback Beef Pty Ltd was publicly announced on Sunday 9 October 2016.
No Treasury officials have been involved in the discussions between Hancock Prospecting and Shanghai CRED.
Based on the information that is publicly available, Australian Outback Beef Pty Ltd is required to seek the Treasurer's approval prior to making the acquisition as it meets the definition of 'foreign person' under the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975 and the relevant monetary and other thresholds are met.
Given its existing holding in Australian Outback Beef Pty Ltd, any increased interest by Shanghai CRED would be subject to the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975 and require FIRB and Treasurer approval.