The SPEAKER ( Hon. Tony Smith ) took the chair at 09:30 made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) a fifth Crown Casino whistleblower has now made allegations consistent with earlier whistleblowers about serious misconduct at the Casino;
(b) one of the allegations is that one or more machines manufactured by Xcite were illegally tampered with, to reduce the payout to gamblers, through the removal of the "gamble button", a feature which allows users to bet on their winnings, and that the relevant button was replaced by a blank plastic cap;
(c) this modification is inconsistent with the regulator' s approval of this type of machine and is therefore illegal;
(d) to verify the veracity of these latest allegations, one of the Member for Denison's staff visited the Casino at approximately 10 pm on Sunday, 22 October and confirmed this machine was operating on the floor of the Casino on the river side, near the membership office, but when that member of staff revisited the Casino on Wednesday, 25 October at approximately 4 pm the machine had been replaced by a different machine and the first machine was nowhere to be found;
(e) the illegal machine disappeared after the Member for Denison raised allegations concerning Crown Casino in the Parliament, which is clear evidence of someone covering up criminal activity; and
(f) there is a record of this episode which will be forwarded to police and the Victorian gambling regulator as soon as possible;
(2) further notes, that it is reasonable to assume that the misconduct in question is not unique to Crown Casino and extends to the poker machine industry broadly; and
(3) calls on the Government, and the Opposition, to immediately support a parliamentary inquiry into the casino industry so that those who allege misconduct, and representatives of the industry, can have their say in an open and transparent way and so that the community, including the 17 million who visit Crown Casino annually, can be witness to this.
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Denison from moving the following motion immediately—That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) a fifth Crown Casino whistleblower has now made allegations consistent with earlier whistleblowers about serious misconduct at the Casino;
(b) one of the allegations is that one or more machines manufactured by Xcite were illegally tampered with, to reduce the payout to gamblers, through the removal of the "gamble button", a feature which allows users to bet on their winnings, and that the relevant button was replaced by a blank plastic cap;
(c) this modification is inconsistent with the regulator' s approval of this type of machine and is therefore illegal;
(d) to verify the veracity of these latest allegations, one of the Member for Denison's staff visited the Casino at approximately 10 pm on Sunday, 22 October and confirmed this machine was operating on the floor of the Casino on the river side, near the membership office, but when that member of staff revisited the Casino on Wednesday, 25 October at approximately 4 pm the machine had been replaced by a different machine and the first machine was nowhere to be found;
(e) the illegal machine disappeared after the Member for Denison raised allegations concerning Crown Casino in the Parliament, which is clear evidence of someone covering up criminal activity; and
(f) there is a record of this episode which will be forwarded to police and the Victorian gambling regulator as soon as possible;
(2) further notes, that it is reasonable to assume that the misconduct in question is not unique to Crown Casino and extends to the poker machine industry broadly; and
(3) calls on the Government, and the Opposition, to immediately support a parliamentary inquiry into the casino industry so that those who allege misconduct, and representatives of the industry, can have their say in an open and transparent way and so that the community, including the 17 million who visit Crown Casino annually, can be witness to this.
Commonwealth Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Bill 2017
That this bill be now read a second time.
Kieran Gilbert: It was emerged earlier in the day. Mr Albanese made the assertion, then reports emerged. Surely amid the speculation that there was a tip-off there would have been questions asked.
Minister Porter: Well, Mr Albanese's assertion was that the minister herself had called the media, which—
Kieran Gilbert: Was not far off.
Minister Porter: Well, that is a very serious assertion itself.
Kieran Gilber: It wasn't far off. It was from her office.
Minister Porter: It was very far off. It was absolutely wrong.
Commonwealth Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2017
That this bill be now read a second time.
Fair Work Laws Amendment (Proper Use of Worker Benefits) Bill 2017
The House divided. [10:31]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
That this bill be now read a third time.
That the report be agreed to.
Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Omnibus) Bill 2017
… are often dealing with emotions associated with the loss of their military career, their inability or reduced ability to provide for their family, difficulty in obtaining employment post-service if they are injured or ill and strained relationships with family
Dear Mike,
I am a member of your constituency living in Bega.
I have a lot of service injuries and they are getting progressively worse. I am in varying degrees of pain a lot of the time.
I own a small business and get by, but it’s pretty tight.
I have a lot of depression and anxiety around my injuries.
I’ve been sitting here for the last hour waiting to be linked into a directions hearing with the VRB—
which was supposed to take place at 10. I called at ¼ passed 10 and a lady was surprised and said she would get back to me. I’ve heard nothing and I am sitting hear waiting.
There are no advocacy services in Bega and I have been hooked into Woden – but it’s a long way and they don’t really know what’s going on for me. I really feel overwhelmed by all of this.
Respectfully,
Tony Cullinan
(1) Clause 2, page 3 (table item 10), omit "6", substitute "5A".
(2) Schedule 1, items 6 and 7, page 5 (line 25) to page 6 (line 6), omit the items.
(3) Schedule 1, item 8, page 6 (lines 17 to 19), omit subitem (4).
(4) Schedule 3, page 14 (line 1) to page 17 (line 15), omit the Schedule, substitute:
Schedule 3—International arrangements
Part 1—Main amendments
Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests and British Commonwealth Occupation Force (Treatment) Act 2006
1 At the end of subsection 7(1)
Add:
Note: Under section 203 of the Veterans ' Entitlements Act 1986 , the Minister may enter into an arrangement with a foreign country providing for the provision of treatment that is, or the making of payments that are, comparable to treatment or payments under this Act.
Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004
2 At the end of section 3
Add:
Note: Under section 203 of the Veterans ' Entitlements Act 1986 , the Minister may enter into an arrangement with a foreign country providing for the making of payments that are, or the provision of treatment or rehabilitation that is, comparable to payments or treatment or rehabilitation under this Act.
Veterans ' Entitlements Act 1986
3 Paragraph 199(f)
Omit "(Arrangements with Governments of other countries)", substitute "(International arrangements)".
4 Section 203
Repeal the section, substitute:
203 International arrangements
(1) The Minister may, on behalf of the Commonwealth, enter into an arrangement with a foreign country, being an arrangement:
(a) that relates to reciprocity in veterans' affairs matters; and
(b) that makes provision for and in relation to the making of payments, or the provision of treatment or rehabilitation, to or in relation to classes of persons specified in the arrangement.
(2) Without limiting subsection (1), the arrangement may make provision for and in relation to the making of payments that are, or the provision of treatment or rehabilitation that is, comparable to payments or treatment or rehabilitation under any of the following:
(a) this Act;
(b) the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 ;
(c) the Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests and British Commonwealth Occupation Force (Treatment) Act 2006 .
Provisions of arrangement have full effect
(3) The provisions of an arrangement that is in force under this section have effect despite anything in any of the Acts referred to in subsection (2).
Administration of arrangement
(4) The Commission, or the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission, may give effect to and administer an arrangement that is in force under this section.
Variation or revocation of arrangement
(5) An arrangement that is in force under this section may be varied or revoked by the Minister on behalf of the Commonwealth.
Publication of arrangement
(6) The Minister must arrange for a copy of an arrangement entered into under subsection (1), or of any variations to such an arrangement, to be published on the Department's website.
Arrangement is not a legislative instrument
(7) An arrangement entered into under subsection (1) is not a legislative instrument.
5 Transitional provisions
(1) An arrangement that:
(a) was entered into under section 203 of the Veterans ' Entitlements Act 1986 before the commencement of this item (including an arrangement having effect as if it were entered into under that section because of section 56 of theVeterans ' Entitlements (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Act 1986 ); and
(b) was in force immediately before the commencement of this item;
continues in force on and after that commencement as if it were an arrangement entered into under section 203 of the Veterans ' Entitlements Act 1986 as substituted by this Part.
(2) Subitem (1) does not prevent a variation or revocation, on or after the commencement of this item, of an arrangement continued in force under this item.
Part 2—Contingent amendments
Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence - related Claims) Act 1988
6 At the end of subsection 4AA(5)
Add:
Note: Under section 203 of the Veterans ' Entitlements Act 1986 , the Minister may enter into an arrangement with a foreign country providing for the making of payments that are, or the provision of treatment or rehabilitation that is, comparable to payments or treatment or rehabilitation under this Act.
Veterans ' Entitlements Act 1986
7 At the end of subsection 203(2)
Add:
; (d) the Safety, Rehabilit ation and Compensation (Defence- related Claims) Act 1988 .
(5) Page 23 (after line 14), after Schedule 5, insert:
Schedule 5A—Pharmaceutical benefits
National Health Act 1953
1 Subsection 84(1) (subparagraph (c)(ii) of the definition of concessional beneficiary )
Repeal the subparagraph, substitute:
(ii) who is eligible for fringe benefits under section 53A of the Veterans ' Entitlements Act 1986 ; or
(6) Schedule 6, item 1, page 24 (lines 11 and 12), omit paragraph 437A(b), substitute:
(b) an SES employee, or acting SES employee, in the Department.
(7) Schedule 7, page 25 (lines 3 and 4), omit the heading, substitute:
Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests and British Commonwealth Occupation Force (Treatment) Act 2006
(8) Schedule 7, item 6, page 25 (lines 26 and 27), omit " Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests (Treatment) Act 2006 ", substitute "Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests and British Commonwealth Occupation Force (Treatment) Act 2006 ".
(9) Schedule 7, item 44, page 33 (line 31) to page 34 (line 1), omit " Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests (Treatment) Act 2006 ", substitute "Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests and British Commonwealth Occupation Force (Treatment) Act 2006 ".
(10) Schedule 7, item 54, page 36 (lines 9 and 10), omit " Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests (Treatment) Act 2006 ", substitute "Australian Participants in British Nuclear Tests and British Commonwealth Occupation Force (Treatment) Act 2006 ".
That this bill be now read a third time.
Social Services Legislation Amendment (Cashless Debit Card) Bill 2017
Someone needs to tell them that the report does not say that.
… the Minister for Human Services, made various commitments to me prior to the introduction of the CDC—
trial in Kununurra, none of which were delivered on time or as promised.
… there is an urgent need for Aboriginal people to be at the centre of building their own capacity and purpose … growing local capacity and training opportunities so that Aboriginal people are equipped physically, mentally and spiritually to deal with the issues that confront them on a daily basis. For many it is on a 24/7 basis. Services have to be in place for a minimum of five years, not three.
If you were going to make life much more difficult for people on welfare you'd want to be sure there was a point. You'd want to trial the indignities, you'd want to know they helped.
Most trials have some initial effects, the Hawthorne factor, but these usually wear off, so good policy needs very solid data to justify major changes, particularly in areas that deeply affect people's lives.
Forty-five per cent of the of the users surveyed found they were better at saving. Less publicised was that 50 per cent found they were not. Twenty-three per cent said it had made their life better. Less publicised was that 42 per cent said it had made their lives worse.
Forty per cent said they could better look after their children. Less publicised was that 48 per cent said they could not.
There are serious flaws in data collection, described in the Orima report, some of the limits are acknowledged in the report … These are not acknowledged by the Government.
Our overriding concern with the proposed legislative extension of the Cashless Debit Card trials is the significant gap between the actual evidence of the impacts of the trials carried out to date and the claims being made politically about that evidence.
… this bill converts authority to run a trial program into a general power to implement that program.
You can only consult so much, and the people in Leonora … have had a gutful. Stop talking about it and just … do it.
Aboriginal people are the same; they don't want to sit down and meet, meet, meet all the time … Surely we've consulted enough.
It is perfectly consistent with the tradition of the trade union movement to have services provided by unions paid for by employers.
The AFP requires the ongoing assistance and support of the public to serve the community in which we all—
The AFP has this week been the subject of commentary and innuendo regarding its independence and the ability of AFP members to carry out their work objectively and without political interference.
The AFP requires the ongoing assistance and support of the public to serve the community in which we all live, and undertakes its activities without fear or favour. The AFP rejects in the strongest terms any suggestion to the contrary. The AFP makes all its operational decisions independently, based on experience, operational priorities and the law.
The AFP's primary obligations are to ensure the safety and security of the Australian community and enforce the rule of law.
The AFP prides itself on its independence and integrity, and has a proven track record of these values while operating under the remit of eight individual Prime Ministers and their governments since it was founded in 1979.
That is an offence that should result in the dismissal or resignation of a minister. It is perfectly clear.
That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Manager of Opposition Business from moving immediately:
That the House:
(1) notes:
(a) yesterday morning, the media aired an allegation the Employment Minister's Office had leaked the raids, which allowed television crews to turn up to the raids before the police did;
(b) by midday yesterday, the Employment Minister had five times denied that her office had been involved in leaking the raids;
(c) at the Prime Minister's Question Time briefing yesterday, attended by the Employment Minister and the Senior Media Adviser who has now resigned for leaking the raids, the Prime Minister, according to the Government's account, failed to ask a single question about the involvement of the Minister's office in leaking the raids;
(d) at 6.10 pm, Alice Workman of Buzzfeed reported that journalists received a leak about the raids from the Employment Minister's office before the raids began;
(e) at 7.30 pm, after the truth had been exposed, only then did the Employment Minister finally admit that she had misled the Senate on five separate occasions; and
(f) during the utegate scandal, the now Prime Minister himself said that misleading the Parliament "is an offence that should result in the dismissal or resignation of a Minister. It is perfectly clear"; and
(2) therefore, calls on the Prime Minister to:
(a) sack the Employment Minister for breaching Ministerial Standards by repeatedly misleading the Senate; and
(b) explain to the House his involvement, his office's involvement and his Government's involvement in this serious matter where the publicly stated version of events doesn’t add up.
That the Member be no longer heard.
The House divided. [14:54]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
That the Member be no longer heard.
The House divided [14:58]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
That the question be now put.
The House divided. [15:02]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
The House divided. [15:04]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
The failure of this Government to respect proper standards and accountability.
… is an offence that should result in the dismissal or resignation of a minister. It is perfectly clear.
The AFP has this week been the subject of commentary and innuendo regarding its independence and the ability of AFP members to carry out their work objectively and without political interference. The AFP … undertakes its activities without fear or favour. The AFP rejects in the strongest terms any suggestion to the contrary.
We recognise that the AFP is independent, they’ll make their own decisions about what they choose to investigate or not and that’s as it should be.
… mostly apply to our discretionary funding. That is areas that fund a large portion of our anti-narcotics, our organised crime work, our general operation work, our fraud and anti-corruption.
NBN chairman Ziggy Switkowski wilfully breached caretaker conventions during an election campaign and did so against the express advice of the nation's top public servant.
As Prime Minister, you take every opportunity to praise the operational successes of AFP employees, yet this adulation rings hollow if those same employees are rewarded by cuts to their pay and entitlements.
That the program of sittings for 2018 be agreed to.
Regulatory Powers (Standardisation Reform) Bill 2016
Australian Grape and Wine Authority Amendment (Wine Australia) Bill 2017
That this bill be now read a third time.
Fisheries Legislation Amendment (Representation) Bill 2017
That this bill be now read a third time.
Regulatory Powers (Standardisation Reform) Bill 2016
That this bill be now read a third time.
Social Services Legislation Amendment (Cashless Debit Card) Bill 2017
Neither leader signalled any plan to find an alternative resettlement option for those who are not sent to the US under the refugee rearrangements that they had.
Of most concern is the department's management of processes for contract consolidation and the open tender.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms Vamvakinou ) took the chair at 9:00.
Mark McGowan says a Labor Government will not increase gold royalties, labelling the move a counterproductive method of raising revenue …
In January last year we celebrated our golden wedding anniversary. I asked my wife what very special present I could give her. She replied, "Tony, please take me home".
… Glencore had breached the good faith bargaining requirements of the Fair Work Act by operating a "… quasi military" surveillance project, by delivering 26 workers disciplinary notices for alleged misbehaviour on picket lines and on social media, and by forcing union members to change their normal workwear to ensure that the union logo was not worn at the mine.
Australian Grape and Wine Authority Amendment (Wine Australia) Bill 2017
Fisheries Legislation Amendment (Representation) Bill 2017
The environmental, social and economic impacts of large-capacity fishing vessels commonly known as 'Supertrawlers' operating in Australia's Marine Jurisdiction.
Overall, Tasmanian recreational fishers assigned the highest importance to non-catch related motives – "being outdoors" and "relaxing/unwinding" - followed by catch-related motives – "catching fish for food" and "for enjoyment/sport". Social motives – "spending time with family" and "spending time with friends" - were next in importance.
This is an historic moment for marine conservation in Australia. The establishment of this national network of marine parks is a world-first at this scale. It’s an essential step forward for the protection of Australia’s diverse and unique marine wildlife.
Today’s announcement is in line with scientific advice and has strong public support. We understand that in this phase, the government received 80,000 submissions which overwhelmingly supported the new marine parks. This latest demonstration of support builds on the waves of enthusiasm from hundreds of thousands of people all around the country over the past couple of years.
Regulatory Powers (Standardisation Reform) Bill 2016
My daughter drives into university at night because our home connection is too slow. I worry about her returning to a deserted campus in the late hours and spending long periods alone in computer labs, but it's the only way she can get the speed she needs to get the core coursework done.
I'm trying to build a cyber security start-up, but it's hard to do it from home when we don't have a stable broadband connection.
… however due to the horrifically slow internet at our new house in Spence these devices have patches where they are useless. When connected to the home wifi (which we pay a lot for) there are moments when the internet isn't fast enough to get the data we need for the medical devices.
The horrible red band at the top shows "there seems to be an issue with your internet" and we see this altogether too much! Just below it shows NO DATA! Our worst nightmare, particularly through a long night of lows.
Gaps in data are life threatening.