The SPEAKER ( Hon. Tony Smith ) took the chair at 09:30, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.
National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Bill 2018
That this bill be read a second time.
National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2018
That this bill be now read a second time.
Social Services Legislation Amendment (Maintaining Income Thresholds) Bill 2018
That this bill be now read a second time.
Water Amendment Bill 2018
That this bill be now read a second time.
Australian Research Council Amendment Bill 2018
That this bill be now read a second time.
That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969 , the following proposed work be referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works for consideration and report: Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defence Capability Facilities Project.
Home Affairs and Integrity Agencies Legislation Amendment Bill 2018
Australian Capital Territory (Planning and Land Management) Amendment Bill 2017
I cannot honestly say that I liked Canberra very much; it was to me a place of exile; but I soon began to realise that the decision had been taken, that Canberra was and would continue to be the capital of the nation, and that it was therefore imperative to make it a worthy capital; something that the Australian people would come to admire and respect; something that would be a focal point for national pride and sentiment. Once I had converted myself to this faith, I became an apostle.
That this bill be now read a third time.
Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Competition and Consumer) Bill 2017
Telecommunications (Regional Broadband Scheme) Charge Bill 2017
It is a shame this current Government has virtually destroyed a brilliant idea but it is also extremely sad that the Post-Master General's Department was not re-established as the sole provider which would have been much better at organising a superior service for communications.
We've gone backwards in this house for speed and connectivity. NBN often drops out and speeds are sometimes like old dial up. It's so frustrating. We rarely do work at home as a result.
NBN have damaged my house … and they also managed to stuff up the installation in my elderly neighbour's property at well … All this hassle for obsolete technology.
This is the worst and slowest internet I have had in a long time.
The NBN is no better than what I had before, in some ways it is worse.
Australia is so far behind when it comes to the internet. This is outdated technology. If the government wants to spend tax payers money, give us something to be proud of and that is useful. Not this crap.
I can't say anything nice so I won't say anything at all.
It appears the reason for the delay relates to a physical network shortfall. At this stage, it has been identified in the field that the network design is incorrect—
The first and most notable consequence is the maximum speed limitations of copper versus the previous fibre-based model.
The use of copper in the last [approximately] 1 kilometre of the network is the increased fault rate and operating costs versus the all-fibre alternative.
(1) Schedule 4, item 13, page 187 (line 14), omit "November 2017", substitute "the applicable reporting period".
(2) Schedule 4, item 13, page 187 (lines 18 and 19), omit "month of November 2017", substitute "applicable reporting period".
(3) Schedule 4, item 13, page 187 (line 30), omit "month", substitute "applicable reporting period".
(4) Schedule 4, item 13, page 188 (line 5), omit "month of November 2017", substitute "applicable reporting period".
(5) Schedule 4, item 13, page 188 (line 10), omit "month", substitute "applicable reporting period".
(6) Schedule 4, item 13, page 188 (line 14), omit "month", substitute "applicable reporting period".
(7) Schedule 4, item 13, page 188 (line 18), omit "month", substitute "applicable reporting period".
(8) Schedule 4, item 13, page 188 (line 21), omit "month", substitute "applicable reporting period".
(9) Schedule 4, item 13, page 188 (line 24), omit "month", substitute "applicable reporting period".
(10) Schedule 4, item 13, page 188 (line 27), omit paragraph 102ZF(2) (d), substitute:
(d) do so within one month after the end of the applicable reporting period.
(11) Schedule 4, item 13, page 188 (line 31), omit "month of November 2017", substitute "applicable reporting period".
(12) Schedule 4, item 13, page 189 (after line 19), at the end of section 102ZF, add:
Applicable reporting period
(7) For the purposes of this section, applicable reporting period means:
(a) the second month that began after the commencement of this section; or
(b) if a later month is specified under subsection (8)—that later month.
(8) The Minister may, by legislative instrument, specify a month for the purposes of paragraph (7) (b).
(9) A month specified under subsection (8) must not be later than October 2018.
(13) Schedule 4, item 13, page 191 (after line 21), after subsection 102ZFB(3), insert:
(3A) If:
(a) notice of a motion to disallow the determination is given in a House of the Parliament within 15 sitting days of that House after the copy of the determination was tabled in that House under section 38 of the Legislation Act 2003; and
(b) at the end of 15 sitting days of that House after the giving of that notice of motion:
(i) the notice has not been withdrawn and the motion has not been called on; or
(ii) the motion has been called on, moved and (where relevant) seconded and has not been withdrawn or otherwise disposed of;
the determination is then taken to have been disallowed, and subsection (3) does not apply to the determination.
That this bill be now read a third time.
Telecommunications (Regional Broadband Scheme) Charge Bill 2017
That this bill be now read a third time.
That Ms Flint be appointed a member of the Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts.
… that Australia's permanent migration program is essential to Australian society and our economy and do not support any reduction to the scheme. … Our permanent migration program has been central to Australia's economic and social development and will be critical to Australia's future as a productive and globally integrated economy and society.
The government has also shown a commitment to fiscal prudence with its plan to return a balanced budget earlier than previously announced … These developments have helped ease the negative pressures on the Australian sovereign ratings.
… the budget is a positive step in improving the fiscal outlook … underpinned by solid economic growth … the improved outlook for both net and gross debt is positive.
… the budget is framed on a series of realistic and reasonably conservative economic forecasts for economic growth, wages and company profits …
Frankly it is hard to quibble with these underlying Budget assumptions.
The principal submission of the Commonwealth Attorney-General is that it is not enough for a candidate merely to have taken steps to renounce …
The Attorney-General's primary submission is clearly correct. It reflects the law as stated in Sykes v Cleary andRe Canavan .
The Tasmanian Government welcomes the Federal Budget, which will boost our Plan to take Tasmania to the next level.
Once fully implemented, the PIT plan doesn't change the progressivity of the tax system much. Overall, those on high incomes will pay a similar proportion of total tax revenues with or without the plan.
The Government making it even harder for Australians to get secure, well-paying jobs because of its cuts to TAFE, skills and apprenticeships.
What the best and wisest parent wants for his own child, that must the community want for all of its children.
Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2018
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 Coalition Government's failure to ensure tax integrity by improving tax haven transparency".
Many of these matters involve deliberate tax evasion, often using overseas tax havens or complex corporate structures to avoid detection and recovery.
That this bill be now read a third time.
Interstate Road Transport Legislation (Repeal) Bill 2018
Crimes Amendment (National Disability Insurance Scheme—Worker Screening) Bill 2018
Treasury Laws Amendment (ASIC Governance) Bill 2018
Crimes Legislation Amendment (International Crime Cooperation and Other Measures) Bill 2018
Protection of the Sea Legislation Amendment Bill 2018
Statute Update (Autumn 2018) Bill 2018
Communications Legislation Amendment (Regional and Small Publishers Innovation Fund) Bill 2017
Copyright Amendment (Service Providers) Bill 2017
Social Services Legislation Amendment (Drug Testing Trial) Bill 2018
The AMA considers substance dependence to be a serious health problem, one that is associated with high rates of disability and mortality. The AMA firmly believes that those affected should be treated in the same way as other patients with serious health conditions, including access to treatment and supports to recovery.
International experience shows when you push people to the brink, like removing their welfare payments, things just get worse …
There will be more crime, more family violence, more distress within society … Had [the government] spoken to the various bodies who work in this area and know about this work, we would have been able to advise them this is not the right way.
Pennington Institute chief executive John Ryan has called for the bill to be scrapped.
'These are people who rely on these social security payments for the bare necessities and this plan risks pushing them into crime or homelessness,' he said.
… this drug testing trial is clinically inappropriate and not designed in a way that will address the issues of substance dependence.
… the proposed measures are inconsistent with evidence based approaches to public policy … the Australian National Council on Drugs, concluded that there is no evidence that drug testing welfare beneficiaries will have any positive effects for those individuals or society and some evidence indicating that such a practice could have high social and economic costs.
… the bill is not written like a research trial; it's written as policy by stealth … and if this is about introducing new policy, then … it misunderstands the nature of drug problems and drug dependence …
It certainly hasn't got much chance of reducing crime. It does have the potential in some cases to aggravate it—
All of my experience tells me that this won't work. Really what it will do is create more damage, and most damage and most harm to those people who are most vulnerable and most in need of support and protection …
It's pretty stark that this can only aggravate an already pretty serious problem and make more vulnerable people who already need more help than they're now getting.
... by using our city as the trial site, the government is further stigmatising and discriminating against our local community …
Unfortunately for Logan we tend to get targeted for all these sorts of things, and this was just another arrow in the bullseye ... and we seriously get a bit tired of being targeted.
...we have some concerns that the rationale or justification behind Mandurah being chosen as a site doesn't clearly indicate that Mandurah exclusively has a greater problem than perhaps some of our other regional counterparts.
… cost of drug testing, doing it properly, would be anywhere between $500 and $900 per test.
… it is roughly $100 per drug class tested for a urine test. For hair testing, it is around $180 per class tested... if you want month by month it can be triple that.
It's important to distinguish the difference between the screening test and the confirmatory test. The screening test, which might be of a salivary sample or for a urine-screening drug test, may be reasonably cheap...but, if you then return a positive test, that is required to be confirmed with a confirmatory test which might be a very expensive process.
That business intervening before order of the day No. 5, government business, be postponed until a later hour this day.
Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2018-2019
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Georganas ) took the chair at 10:00.
… important health effects for individuals exposed to PFAS cannot be ruled out based on the current evidence.
… evidence does not support any specific biochemical or disease screening, or health interventions, for highly exposed groups (except for research purposes).
The main concerning signal for life-threatening human disease is an association with an increased risk of two uncommon cancers (testicular and kidney).
I have dealt with 4 couples this morning. They applied for age pension months ago. One was for November 2017. One told me this morning he is borrowing money from friends just to survive. Another has racked up $40,000 on his credit card. Another is trying to find work to make ends meet (he is 67 years old). One was escalated by—
a week ago and still nothing has happened.
Centrelink seems to be getting swamped with age pension claims. Any one would think it has a lot to do with baby boomers retiring. The government has been aware of how many baby boomers would be retiring and should have taken staffing requirements to process claims into account.
That order of the day No. 1, Committee and delegation business, be postponed until a later hour this day.