The SPEAKER ( Hon. Tony Smith ) took the chair at 12:00, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.
That Mr Wood be discharged from the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade and that, in his place, Mr Ted O'Brien be appointed a member of the committee.
Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2016
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation Amendment Bill 2017
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Amendment Bill 2017
That all words after "notes" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:
"that global warming is the greatest threat to the Great Barrier Reef and calls on the government to immediately take all available steps to stop the Adani Carmichael coal mine".
Petroleum and Other Fuels Reporting Bill 2017
Petroleum and Other Fuels Reporting (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2017
There is an urgent need for a clear and early decision …
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 the Government’s:
(1) lack of national energy policy, which is causing an investment strike in new electricity generation; and
(2) failure to ensure an adequate and affordable gas supply for Australian industry while Australia becomes the world’s largest LNG exporter”.
… deeply concerned about the impacts of increasingly high prices on people who are disadvantaged and living on low incomes.
The price of electricity has increased by 114 per cent over the past decade, leaving many people having to choose between paying high bills or heating their house and buying enough food to feed their family.
Proposed laws appropriating revenue or moneys, or imposing taxation, shall not originate in the Senate.
Unfortunately that's the law … They were members of parliament, but it's quite clear on Section 44 you can't be a member of parliament and have dual citizenship—it's black and white.
This is so much utter nonsense - while Hipkins' questions were inappropriate, they were not the instigator. Australian media inquiries were.
It's extraordinary that a New Zealand member of Parliament has allowed himself to be used by a party in a different country with an intent to bring another party in that country down.
It's quite extraordinary. I just don't think we've seen anything like this before.
The distrust between Rudd and Shorten was intense and enduring.
The Gillard camp was contemptuous of [him].
Why is Barnaby Joyce different to anybody that has stood aside during this particular issue?
Questions should not raise matters awaiting or under adjudication in a court of law. In such cases the House imposes a restriction upon itself to avoid setting itself up as an alternative forum to the courts and to ensure that its proceedings are not permitted to interfere with the course of justice.
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:
(2) therefore, calls on the Prime Minister to;
That the member be no longer heard.
The House divided. [14:55]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
That the member be no longer heard.
The House divided. [15:08]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
The House divided. [15:15]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
Whatever happens in my time, I hope in this parliament we never pass a day without respecting and celebrating those enterprising men and women—or, as I say, doing all we can to energise enterprise.
It seems to be me versus some of the biggest businesses in the country … There were the franchising reforms … the Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman … All of this meant, as I said in my National Press Club speech, that small business is the new black. Everyone wants to wear it and be a part of it and get engaged.
MPs from both sides of politics said Mr Billson had been extremely active in lobbying them on franchising issues—which he was also involved in as small business minister—since he took on the role.
The Government’s failure to provide leadership on the economy.
References in the media this morning to modelling being released today by the Parliamentary Budget Office are incorrect … The analysis reported in the media this morning was not conducted by the PBO.
… Keating knew that the corporate tax rate needed to be cut to make Australia competitive, that capital and investment would flow to tax-competitive nations and that this was an important job-creation move. Today capital is even more mobile than it was then and it is important that our corporate tax rate is more competitive.
The economy is expected to grow at an annual rate of around 3 per cent over the next couple of years, which is a bit higher than estimates … The unemployment rate is accordingly expected to edge lower.
References in the media this morning to modelling being released today by the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) are incorrect … The analysis reported in the media this morning was not conducted by the PBO.
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Amendment Bill 2017
The House divided. [16:40]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
That the House divide again.
That the motion be put.
The House divided. [16:59]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
The House divided. [17:10]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
That this bill be now read a third time.
That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as is necessary to allow the Manager of Opposition Business to move the following motion forthwith—
That the House:
(1) notes that the following amendment was carried by a majority of members 69 to 61:
(1) the Government is failing to protect Australia’s iconic Great Barrier Reef by:
(a) failing to act on climate change;
(b) supporting the Liberal National Party in Queensland in blocking reef protections aimed at halting the broad scale clearing of trees and remnant vegetation; and
(c) winding back ocean protection, put in place by Labor, around Australia and specifically in the Coral Sea; and
(2) this Government cannot be trusted to protect the Great Barrier Reef and fight for Australia’s unique environment.”—
(2) notes that the Manager of Opposition Business indicated to the House that the opposition would be cooperative under standing order 132;
(3) notes that, despite the cooperation of the opposition, the government gagged debate to hide its incompetence and the failure of its members to turn up for the vote; and
(4) calls on the government to end the chaos and govern for the benefit of Australians.
That the member be no longer heard.
The House divided. [17:21]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
Petroleum and Other Fuels Reporting Bill 2017
Petroleum and Other Fuels Reporting (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2017
… Australia is in a position of significant vulnerability. A couple of themes emerged. We are a resource-abundant nation. We are the world's ninth-largest energy producer. By the end of the decade, we will overtake Qatar as the greatest producer of liquefied natural gas. We are geographically isolated. … Despite the strategic advantages that we have in the abundance of energy supplies, we are heavily dependent on imports of refined petroleum products and oils to meet the demands of Australian consumers and, also, to carry out essential tasks, like maintaining a defence force, maintaining supply chains throughout the country and all those other essential parts of the economy that we take for granted.
The House divided. [18:48]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
That so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent the motion for the third reading being moved without delay.
The House divided. [18.59]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
That this bill be now read a third time.
Petroleum and Other Fuels Reporting (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2017
That this bill be now read a third time.
Competition and Consumer Amendment (Misuse of Market Power) Bill 2017
That the amendment be agreed to.
Regional Investment Corporation Bill 2017
Consideration resumed of the motion:
That this bill be now read a second time.
(1) Clause 4, page 5 (after line 3), after the definition of start day , insert:
vacancy , in relation to the office of a Board member, has a meaning affected by subsection 20(3).
(2) Clause 16, page 14 (lines 2 and 3), omit the clause, substitute:
16 Membership
The Board consists of:
(a) the Chair; and
(b) at least 2, and no more than 4, other members.
(3) Clause 20, page 15 (after line 23), at the end of the clause, add:
(3) For the purposes of a reference in:
(a) this Act to a vacancy in the office of a Board member; or
(b) the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 to avacancy in the membership of a body;
there are taken to be 4 Board member offices in addition to the Chair.
(4) Clause 29, page 18 (lines 15 to 17), omit the clause, substitute:
29 Quorum
At a meeting of the Board, a quorum is constituted by:
(a) at any time when the Board consists of 3 Board members—2 Board members; or
(b) in any other case—3 Board members.
1.122 The committee requests the Minister's advice as to why it is appropriate for all of the ministerial directions under clauses 11 and 12 not to be subject to disallowance and sunsetting, and why it is appropriate that there is no requirement to table 'other directions' made under clause 12 in the Parliament.
1.123 The committee also requests the Minister's advice as to why there is no requirement to seek the Board's advice prior to the making of a direction about where the Corporation is to be located under subclause 12(5).
In order to facilitate appropriate parliamentary scrutiny of the operation of this Act (and the new Corporation), the committee suggests it may be appropriate for clause 53 of the bill to be amended to include a legislative requirement that any report of the review be:
• tabled in the Parliament within 15 sitting days after it is received by the Agriculture Minister, and
• published on the internet within 30 days after it is received by the Agriculture Minister.
Love knows no boundaries. It knows no limits. And love knows when it has found its partner. There have been many attempts throughout history to limit love, and all have failed. As we move further into the 21st century, I am confident that attempts to limit love will fail yet again and that full marriage quality will become a reality.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Irons ) took the chair at 16:00.
Learning to love and care for each other
Truthful and kind we respect one another
That order of the day No. 2 be postponed.
1.) What current or future plans exist to enable remote automation of the barrages on the Lower Lakes of the Murray River.
2.) Has his department or the Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) undertaken cost benefit analyses for the remote automation of the (a) Goolwa Barrage, (b) Mundoo Barrage, (c) Boundary Creek Barrage, (d) Ewe Island Barrage, and (e) Tauwitchere Barrage; if not, why not; if so, from where can copies of these analyses be accessed.
3.) Has his department or the MDBA undertaken modelling of sea level rise impacts on the Lower Lake Barrages, the Lower Lakes and Coorong; if not, why not; if so, from where can this modelling be accessed.
1) There are 593 bays in total across the 5 barrage structures. Of these, 39 gates on the Tauwitchere, Ewe Island and Mundoo barrages have been automated.
The Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) in conjunction with SA Water is investigating concepts to enable the automation of a small number of bays (likely around five) at the Goolwa barrage.
2) There have not been formal cost benefit analyses undertaken for automation of the barrages. I am advised that from an operational perspective additional automation at Mundoo, Boundary Creek, Ewe Island or Tauwitchere barrages would provide little benefit.
As noted in Point 1 above, concepts to automate a small number of gates at Goolwa are being investigated. This will inform the preparation of cost estimates and any subsequent investment decision.
3) Formal modelling of sea level rise on the barrages has not been undertaken. However, predictions of sea level rise are readily available and the likely impacts on the barrages can be qualitatively assessed.
As sea level rises, the frequency of higher levels in the Coorong and reverse head events at the barrages will increase. When these events occur small amounts of leakage passes through the barrages and waves splash over the structures. The salt water that enters the lower lakes during these times will extend a short distance upstream of the barrages before being flushed back to sea once the high level in the Coorong recedes. With predicted rates of sea level rise the barrages are expected to continue to perform adequately for some decades.