The SPEAKER ( Hon. Tony Smith ) took the chair at 10:00, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.
That the House take note of the report.
That the order of the day be referred to the Federation Chamber for debate.
… commends the Government for leading efforts to conclude the Trans-Pacific Partnership 11 nation (TPP-11) agreement …
Australian workers, jobs and business will benefit significantly from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP-11) trade agreement, with increased national income, exports, investment and wages …
Inclusion in the TPP-11 will give Australia a competitive advantage in the Asia Pacific region.
(1) expresses concern that despite recent improvements in the gender pay gap, Australian women continue to experience sustained economic disadvantage, in particular women working in undervalued, traditionally female dominated industries;
(2) notes that on 5 September, early childhood educators around the country staged industrial action to highlight the need for equal pay and proper recognition for the value of their work;
(3) acknowledges the important contribution these workers, along with workers in other undervalued care professions such as aged care, health and disability care make, not just to our nation's economy but to Australian society; and
(4) calls on the Government to take action to support equal pay and recognition for women working in undervalued care professions.
That this House:
(1) expresses concern that despite recent improvements in the gender pay gap, Australian women continue to experience sustained economic disadvantage, in particular women working in undervalued, traditionally female dominated industries;
(2) notes that on 5 September, early childhood educators around the country staged industrial action to highlight the need for equal pay and proper recognition for the value of their work;
(3) acknowledges the important contribution these workers, along with workers in other undervalued care professions such as aged care, health and disability care make, not just to our nation’s economy but to Australian society; and
(4) calls on the Government to take action to support equal pay and recognition for women working in undervalued care professions.
There is nothing I love more than when a new family comes into the centre and I get to settle their child, especially for first time mums who are having to go back to work.
I love that I can make them feel safe leaving their child with me—giving them the security they need to go off and work. And then being able to watch their child's progress from three months all the way to kinder.
Can you categorically rule out any personal connection or any other relationship between you and the intended employer of either of the au pairs?
That so much of standing ordering be suspended as would prevent the Leader of the Opposition from moving the following motion immediately:
That the House:
(1) notes:
(a) the last time this parliament sat, the Government shut down this House because this Government was unable and unwilling to govern itself;
(b) the next day the Government deposed the elected Prime Minister but nobody is able to explain why;
(c) the Government continues to be wracked by infighting, with Government Members leaking against each other on an almost daily basis;
(d) the current Prime Minister claims he remained loyal to Malcolm Turnbull, but his own Liberal Party colleagues have been briefing that he was plotting to depose the former Prime Minister for some time;
(e) the current Prime Minister has described his own Government as a "Muppet Show" and his own colleagues as Muppets;
(f) Government members don't trust each other, are only focused on fighting themselves, and cannot possibly be trusted to look out for the interests of the Australian people; and
(2) therefore, condemns this Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Government for only being focused on itself and not helping Australians.
The distrust between Shorten and Rudd was intense and enduring, the Gillard camp was contemptuous of Shorten, considering him weak and duplicitous. Neither side trusted him and neither side revised its view.
Enhancing Online Safety (Non-consensual Sharing of Intimate Images) Bill 2018
Farm Household Support Amendment (Temporary Measures) Bill 2018
Primary Industries Levies and Charges Collection Amendment Bill 2018
Migration and Other Legislation Amendment (Enhanced Integrity) Bill 2017
Space Activities Amendment (Launches and Returns) Bill 2018
Biosecurity Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2018
Customs Amendment (Illicit Tobacco Offences) Bill 2018
Treasury Laws Amendment (2018 Measures No. 3) Bill 2018
Treasury Laws Amendment (Enterprise Tax Plan Base Rate Entities) Bill 2018
Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2018
Crimes Legislation Amendment (Powers, Offences and Other Measures) Bill 2018
Higher Education Support Legislation Amendment (Student Loan Sustainability) Bill 2018
Intellectual Property Laws Amendment (Productivity Commission Response Part 1 and Other Measures) Bill 2018
Legislation Amendment (Sunsetting Review and Other Measures) Bill 2018
Primary Industries Research and Development Amendment Bill 2017
Public Sector Superannuation Legislation Amendment Bill 2018
Treasury Laws Amendment (APRA Governance) Bill 2018
Treasury Laws Amendment (Illicit Tobacco Offences) Bill 2018
Treasury Laws Amendment (OECD Multilateral Instrument) Bill 2018
Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Integrity and Other Measures No. 2) Bill 2018
Underwater Cultural Heritage Bill 2018
Underwater Cultural Heritage (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2018
Farm Household Support Amendment (Temporary Measures) Bill 2018
Biosecurity Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2018
Customs Amendment (Illicit Tobacco Offences) Bill 2018
Migration and Other Legislation Amendment (Enhanced Integrity) Bill 2017
Primary Industries Levies and Charges Collection Amendment Bill 2018
Space Activities Amendment (Launches and Returns) Bill 2018
Treasury Laws Amendment (2018 Measures No. 3) Bill 2018
Treasury Laws Amendment (Enterprise Tax Plan Base Rate Entities) Bill 2018
Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Foreign Media Ownership, Community Radio and Other Measures) Bill 2017
Enhancing Online Safety (Non-consensual Sharing of Intimate Images) Bill 2018
Family Law Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Bill 2018
That:
(1) Mr Fitzgibbon be discharged from the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Water Resources and that, in his place, Ms Keay be appointed a member of the committee;
(2) Ms T. M. Butler be discharged from the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services and that, in her place, Ms Kearney be appointed a member of the committee;
(3) Ms Kearney be discharged from the Standing Committee on Economics and that, in her place, Mr J. H. Wilson be appointed a member of the committee;
(4) Ms T. M. Butler be discharged from the Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training and that, in her place, Ms Lamb be appointed a member of the committee;
(5) Mr Conroy be discharged from the Select Committee on Intergenerational Welfare Dependence and that, in his place, Ms Kearney be appointed a member of the committee;
(6) Ms Templeman be discharged from the Joint Standing Committee on the National Broadband Network and that, in her place, Mr J. H. Wilson be appointed a member of the committee;
(7) Ms Macklin be discharged from the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme and that, in her place, Ms Burney be appointed a member of the committee;
(8) Ms T. M. Butler be discharged from the Standing Committee on Procedure and that, in her place, Mr Gorman be appointed a member of the committee;
(9) Mr Conroy be discharged from the Joint Committee on Publications and that, in his place, Mr Gorman be appointed a member of the committee;
(10) Mr Hill be discharged from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works and that, in his place, Ms Keay be appointed a member of the committee;
(11) Ms T. M. Butler be discharged from the Standing Committee on Tax and Revenue and that, in her place, Mr Gorman be appointed a member of the committee;
(12) Mr Hart be discharged from the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties and that, in his place, Mr J. H. Wilson be appointed a member of the committee.
Family Law Amendment (Family Violence and Cross-examination of Parties) Bill 2018
This is trial by ordeal. It is an added indignity, a further injustice, inflicted by the abuser who has already done enough damage. Cross-examination in family violence by unrepresented perpetrators is a re-injury. It is new harm on top of the old, we must put a stop to it.
Without cross-examination, a Court is left in the unenviable position of determining a dispute without a proper and fulsome testing of the evidence. In short, where there is a dispute of fact but no cross-examination, the court cannot make a finding one way or the other.
If new funding is not made available to support the scheme, legal aid commissions would be unable to provide legal representation outside existing legal aid funding. Legal aid commissions operate within an already stretched funding regime and strict guidelines that prioritise those in our community that are the most vulnerable and in need of assistance.
… we note that women who have experienced family violence often fall into the "missing middle"—the gap between those who are eligible for legal aid and those who can afford to pay a private lawyer.
The committee believes there should be a commitment to additional funding for Legal Aid before the bill is put to a vote in the Senate, including the amount, timeline for distribution and method of distribution; and in any additional funding for Legal Aid that is announced, the government make clear the eligibility of litigants who do not meet regular eligibility requirements but could not otherwise afford a private lawyer.
The committee recommends that details regarding the funding of the measures contained in the bill be made public prior to the commencement of debate on the bill in the Senate.
… as a matter of urgency, we are asking you—
and the Attorney-General to provide a guarantee of funding before this bill is put to the Senate for a vote. This is fundamental to making the reform worthwhile. We have often attended events together where we've both spoken of the need for parliament to do more to eliminate the scourge of family violence from our national life and to deliver better services and resources for survivors and their families. It's a policy area we all care deeply about. By allocating a small sum of money alongside an overdue reform, we have the opportunity to make a difference as soon as parliament resumes. So let's get it done.
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 calls on the Government to provide adequate funding for Legal Aid to ensure sufficient access to legal representation in order to facilitate a ban on direct cross-examination of family violence survivors in court"
The House divided. [21:15]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
Immediately the then Abbott government hosed down any prospect of a royal commission. I drove to Canberra to implore Mathias Cormann not to trust CBA.
I told him that ASIC had trusted CBA who had then made monkeys out of them. I warned him that the same thing would happen to him. It was in vain, of course, three weeks before CBA's annual general meeting, Cormann obligingly ruled out the royal commission in exchange for yet another self administered compensation scheme.
Family Law Amendment (Family Violence and Cross-examination of Parties) Bill 2018
Violence against women and their children is a crime and a fundamental breach of human rights. Experiencing violence has significant implications for victims, their children, families, friends, employers and co-workers. The implications of violence can include long term social, health, psychological, financial, and economic—
The committee believes there should be a commitment to additional funding for Legal Aid before the bill is put to a vote in the Senate, including the amount, timeline for distribution and method of distribution; and in any additional funding for Legal Aid that is announced, the government make clear the eligibility of litigants who do not meet regular eligibility requirements but could not otherwise afford a private lawyer.
… … …
The committee recommends that details regarding the funding of the measures contained in the bill be made public prior to the commencement of debate on the bill in the Senate.
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Manager of Opposition Business from moving the following motion immediately—That the House:
(1) notes:
(a) the bill currently before the House is urgent and should be given precedence over all other items, other than question time and this motion, for the remainder of the day;
(b) at 11.23 am today the Minister for Home Affairs made a statement to the House in which he said, "On 26 March 2018, the shadow minister for immigration asked me a question, asserting I had granted a visa for a person to be employed by me and my wife as a nanny";
(c) however, on 26 March the actual question asked by the shadow minister for immigration, the member for Blair, made no reference to whether the minister had granted a visa to a person to be employed by him and his wife as a nanny. Instead it read: "I refer to concerns raised in the media today relating to the minister's use of his ministerial discretion to grant a tourist visa to an au pair. Was his decision based on departmental advice? If not, what prompted the minister to intervene? And will the minister undertake to provide the opposition with a department briefing at the earliest opportunity so that the facts can be made clear?";
(d) today the Minister for Home Affairs also stated, "On 27 March, the member for Melbourne, after a short preamble, asked me, 'Can you categorically rule out any personal connection or any other relationship between you and the intended employer of either of the au pairs?'";
(e) however, once again the Minister for Home Affairs changed the words of the question to make it look like he had not misled the parliament; and
(f) the question the member for Melbourne actually asked read: 'I note your recent statements in relation to your personal intervention to prevent deportation of two foreign intended au pairs. Can you categorically rule out any personal connection or any other relationship between you and the intended employer of either of the au pairs?"
(2) therefore resolves to provide an opportunity for the minister to act in accordance with the Ministerial Standards to explain why he provided the House with false information in his statement today when he next attends the House.
The need is not diminishing, nor can our support. It is the Australian thing to do.
Each box represents a portfolio. Cabinet Ministers are shown in bold type. As a general rule, there is one department in each portfolio. However, there is a Department of Human Services in the Social Services portfolio and a Department of Veterans' Affairs in the Defence portfolio. The title of a department does not necessarily reflect the title of a minister in all cases. Assistant Ministers in italics are designated as Parliamentary Secretaries under the Ministers of State Act 1952.
That further statements on indulgence on the death of former United States Senator John McCain be permitted in the Federation Chamber.
When placed in command, take charge.
This Approval letter, together with the Conditions of Funding, make up the agreement between the Commonwealth and You …
Standing Committee on Agriculture and Water Resources: Dr Gillespie be appointed a member of the committee;
Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity: Mr Sukkar be appointed a member of the committee;
Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts: Mr Alexander be appointed a member of the committee;
Joint Select Committee on Constitutional Recognition relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples: Dr McVeigh be appointed a member of the committee;
Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services: Mr Sukkar be appointed a member of the committee;
Standing Committee on Economics: Mr C. A. S. Laundy and Mr T. R. Wilson be appointed a member of the committee;
Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters: Mr Pitt be appointed a member of the committee;
Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport: Mr Drum be appointed a member of the committee;
Standing Committee on Industry, Innovation, Science and Resources: Dr Gillespie be appointed a member of the committee;
Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories: Dr McVeigh be appointed a member of the committee;
Standing Committee on Petitions: Mrs Prentice be appointed a member of the committee;
Committee of Privileges and Members' Interests: Mr Ted O'Brien be appointed a member of the committee;
Standing Committee on Procedure: Mrs Prentice be appointed a member of the committee;
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works: Dr McVeigh be appointed a member of the committee;
Selection Committee: Mrs Prentice be appointed a member of the committee;
Joint Standing Committee on Treaties: Mr Broadbent be appointed a member of the committee.
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Perth making a statement immediately and that the Member speak without limitation of time.
Labor is a peace-loving party. Its struggle has always been on behalf of the weak against the strong; for the poor, for those who never had a chance as against those whose privileged positions enabled them to prosper—even though millions suffer.
Animal Export Legislation Amendment (Ending Long-haul Live Sheep Exports) Bill 2018
That the second reading be made an order of the day for the next sitting.
That the words "the next sitting" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:
"17 September 2018, where it shall be the first item of private Members' business, and if the second reading debate has concluded on 17 September 2018, the bill be called on immediately for its third reading as the first item of private Members' business on 15 October 2018, and on each day it shall be permitted for the debate to conclude and the question to be put".
I have researched the science, the facts, the economics and the opinions. I have not allowed emotions to overcome reason.
The case for continuing long-haul live sheep exports fails on both economic and animal welfare grounds.
The House divided. [16:39]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
The House divided. [16:45]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the order of the day for the Live Sheep Long Haul Export Prohibition Bill 2018 standing in the name of the Member for Farrer being returned to the House from the Federation Chamber, called on immediately and given priority over all other business for passage through all stages by no later than 6 pm today.
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Hunter from moving the following motion forthwith:
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the order of the day for the Live Sheep Long Haul Export Prohibition Bill 2018 standing in the name of the Member for Farrer being returned to the House from the Federation Chamber, called on immediately and given priority over all other business for passage through all stages by no later than 6 pm today.
That the Member be no longer heard.
The House divided. [16:55]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
That the Member be no longer heard.
The House divided. [16:59]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
The House divided. [17:01]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
Family Law Amendment (Family Violence and Cross-examination of Parties) Bill 2018
Family Law Amendment (Family Violence and Cross-examination of Parties) Bill 2018
… likely to prompt parties who have experienced family violence, who may previously have avoided court action for fear of direct cross-examination, to proceed with their cases. This could subsequently cause further delays to court listings and add to the workload of the family courts.
It is not the bruises on the body that hurt. It is the wounds of the heart and the scars on the mind.
It is well recognised that direct cross-examination of victims of family violence not only perpetuates the abuse but can result in the court receiving incomplete or poor quality evidence.
… the government was "working closely" with National Legal Aid on implementing the new law.
However, he said there would be no extra legal aid funding as a result of the legislative change, and those prevented from cross-examining their ex-partner would only be able to access legal aid if they met its usual rules for qualifying.
It is foreseeable that the Bill will have the consequence of trials being adjourned or trial listings being vacated so that legal representation can be obtained. The new provisions may also give parties the opportunity to delay for strategic reasons.
My name is Eleanor and I thank-you for the opportunity to speak to you today. Section 221 of family law restricts my ability to identify myself fully particularly in the media. In all interviews I have taken the name 'Eleanor' to ensure I am not in breach of this federal law. This law was introduced to protect children in family law proceedings but unfortunately it has also been a factor in muting the victims of their experiences in the courts once they leave their perpetrator.
I am someone who has had direct experience of escaping a perpetrator of violence, then having to deal with the complexity of the system in keeping myself and my children safe from the abuser. My ex-partner was sentenced, finally after five years, this last January. Throughout the last five years I have been subjected to intense system trauma both via the Victorian system and the federal family law.
The criminal system and civil system for intervention orders and the family law system are not aligned. Navigating your way through these systems is complicated, emotionally draining and, dare I say, dangerous. After a contested hearing I was granted an intervention order on the grounds it was not safe for me to have my perpetrator near me. I remember looking over to the mantel in the room where a quote by Henry VIII was in pride of place. He too was a rapist. A week later I was back in that same courtroom for family law proceedings. I was sick to my stomach to discover on day 1 of the hearing that he, my previous partner, had become a self-litigant and was going to be directly cross-examining me. That day I stood on the stand and the Federal Court allowed him to directly cross-examine me. It was a massive slap in the face. How could they give my rapist his power over me back? He asked questions I was forced to answer. He was only metres from me. How could this happen when another magistrate had already said that this circumstance was not appropriate or safe? It is this system flaw that I was able to identify as a major flaw, an obstacle in my recovery from trauma. Having your rapist stand only metres from you, asking intimate and personal questions about your relationship, your parenting, your social media account—every aspect of your personal life—is invasive, disempowering and cruel. This person does not deserve the right to cross-examine his victim.
This is what drove me to seek support in reforming the family laws that are massive obstacles to women escaping violence. I created an online support group called Tea Leaves, named from the quote of Eleanor Roosevelt, "Women are like tea leaves. You don't know their strength until they are in hot water." This group enabled me to have a place to discuss issues and find solutions and share those solutions with other women like me. I have listened to the journey of others, and all have the same link—that same thread of system abuse that they are faced with when the family law process is started.
I began writing letters to all who would listen. I have corresponded and met with federal leaders and representatives. I have received sympathy and empathy for the predicament I and other victims have been placed in, but what I haven't received till that time is real action by the federal government on this issue. It seems simple to me. No person, male or female, should be cross-examined by the person who raped or beat them. When I had no joy from local members of parliament or from the Attorney-General, I began to turn to the media. My letters and emails came before the likes of Angela Lynch and Pasanna Mutha, who have taken on this issue in the media and at high levels of government. These women have been relentless and beside me in addressing this flaw. Working with the WLSA has helped me to politicise this issue and keep it in the foreground of discussion in a variety of forums. Angela and Pasanna were able to provide the legal knowledge of how this change could occur. I was an example of why it should occur.'
Meeting Sally Sara from the Lateline program was life-changing for me. She listened to my story and cried with me over the injustice of the trauma of not only being cruelly abused by my intimate partner but the system trauma I had suffered at the hands of the government. Sally gave me a voice, and this was the first time I had to use a false name, due to section 221. I chose Eleanor. In the media, the voice of Eleanor has been loud and it has been heard. The headline is catchy, I guess, and a shock for many. How can our community allow a woman to be cross-examined by her abuser? It sounds dreadful, doesn't it? But not dreadful enough for the government to amend its laws and use other avenues to stop this event from happening to criminals on a daily basis. The voice of Eleanor has enabled me to speak on behalf of those who have no voice, those who have been unable to fight for change as they are fighting too hard to survive each day. It has enabled me to talk to important people … who each day deal with victims of violence who are restricted and challenged in a system that should be supporting them and helping them to recover and progress as a protective parent. While we have laws that force mothers to be cross examined by their perpetrator then are given family orders that force her to co-parent with her rapist we are eroding a woman's ability to heal and become the strong parent she needs to be for her children. This is not about stopping fathers [having] access to their children it is about protecting the vulnerable from further trauma and abuse by their perpetrator.
I will not rest until this law is amended and I know that what I went through has some purpose.
The Bill envisages that legal aid commissions will provide assistance where parties are prohibited from personal cross-examination but cannot afford to access private representation. However, R&DVSA are concerned that legal aid commissions are not equipped to respond to even the current level of demand for legal assistance in relation to family violence.
The Law Council struggles to see how the family courts can oversee parties acquiring legal representation without, at least, one more extra procedural for each case before trial, adding to the costs of any represented litigant and delays. It is foreseeable that the Bill will have the consequence of trials being adjourned or trial listings being vacated so that legal representation can be obtained. The new provisions may also give parties the opportunity to delay for strategic reasons.
It was extremely traumatic being cross-examined by my [ex-partner]. Even having him sit in the courtroom while I was questioned earlier on in the process was enough to make me feel uncomfortable and intimidated—he was laughing and smiling and making comments as I spoke and staring at me the entire time.
The cross-examination process makes the victim feels like they are partly to blame, it re-traumatises the victim and brings up unnecessary history to shame and rattle the victim.
… the mere possibility that direct cross-examination could occur can … cause victims of violence to agree to unsafe consent orders—
A Court is left in the unenviable position of determining a dispute without a proper and fulsome testing of the evidence.
The suggestion in the Explanatory Memorandum that an unrepresented party would be able to receive a fair hearing on the basis that there " would also be some scope for the court itself to ask questions of a witness who was unable to be cross-examined " ignores the likelihood of procedural fairness complaints arising from the intrusion or intervention of a trial judge in adversarial proceedings.
Dear future,
You may not know it yet but we have plans for you. We want to make a difference and have an impact. We want to pave our own path and colour it in our favourite shades. We also want to have a say. Every time our parents go to vote, we go with them. We take the flyers shoved in our face, we read the policies, we consider our options but then we just feel frustration. We feel frustrated because everyone is voting on issues that impact on us. And yet we are silenced. University fees, education, the future of housing affordability, medical care, infrastructure, the environment and many other areas of interest and importance. Why does someone else get to have a say in our life, why are they allowed to thrust their hand into the clay of our future that is just beginning to take shape? Why can't we remove their hand until we are 18, when we are classified as an adult? Why does my age define my maturity?
We know many adults who couldn't hold a flame to the political understanding we have at 16 years of age and yet someone who has never or will never be linked to the path we are travelling gets to shape the policies influencing this path? How do we justify that approach? Voting is just one of the ways we should get to have a say. There needs to be more opportunities for us and all other young people to stand out and speak up.
There is nothing more empowering than delivering a jaw dropping speech on issues which put a fire in our belly. But then the spotlight shifts, and we take our seat, once more leaving our inspiring words and plans to shape our world lingering in the air. Without a hand to catch these sparks, they soon fizzle out. Opportunities like public speaking and debating are vital as they give young people a voice. Competitions run by parliamentary members—thank you so much, Andrew Wallace MP—are even more crucial as young people can be heard by someone who can put their ideas into action. But there is no point to giving us a voice if only the confident and outgoing speak. Our peers, many who won't get up in front of a room full of people, deserve their say too. Voting will give young people the option to express their views.
So dear future, despite all the negativity that surrounds our generation, we plan on making a difference in this world but first we need a chance. Dear future, we are ready for you, but are you ready for us?
The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Georganas) took the chair at 10:31.
If I could turn back time, I would have gone to uni straight out of school. At the time, I didn't think I was smart enough to go, but now there are all these programs to make the pathway easier.
The programs are really about raising aspirations for university study, so people can see university as an option for them to raise their outcomes in life.
Fair Work Amendment (Restoring Penalty Rates) Bill 2018
There are a number of structural trends that are undermining our capacity to raise the revenue that we have come to expect from a growing economy.
One such trend is a shift in the composition of growth away from wages and towards corporate profits.
… a number of businesses with large numbers and values of contracts in 2016-17 that appeared to have been classified as SMEs. These included major consultancy/accountancy firms and other Australian arms of large global business with thousands of employees.
Live Sheep Long Haul Export Prohibition Bill 2018
It's unjustifiable that gentle sheep are 'cooking alive' on export ships.
I can't actually comprehend that they are still permitting these vessels to go.
… … …
Voters have been waiting for political action …
It's also so wrong that sheep could be sent overseas during times of hot weather. It's clear that … heatstress is a terrible way for animals to be treated.
The latest heart-breaking expose of the live-export industry shows the horrifying conditions endured by nearly 64,000 sheep sent from Fremantle to the Middle East last August. Approximately 2,400 of those sheep died from heat stress … the deaths of so many …
Producers want best animal welfare outcomes. We want to know the same high standards of animal care are maintained once our sheep leave our properties. We are pleased that the livestock export industry is moving to make changes and we look forward to the trade's animal welfare outcomes being improved in future.
The case for continuing long-haul live sheep exports fails on both economic and animal welfare grounds.
Mental health knows no geographical … boundaries; however, the provision of services does.
… it's just not an issue for me and I'm not planning to get engaged in the issue.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) increased immunisation of children, which is essential for protecting them against diseases including pneumonia, polio, rotavirus diarrhoea, meningococcal and measles now saves the lives of 2 to 3 million children per year globally but, nevertheless, 1 million children globally still die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases;
(b) in 2017, 85 per cent of children globally received the full course of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine, a key measure of vaccine coverage, however, this left nearly 20 million children not covered by this vaccine;
(c) globally, 85 per cent of children receive the polio vaccine, however, gaps in polio vaccine coverage allow some children to contract the disease, with 15 cases in 2018 so far in Afghanistan and Pakistan;
(d) Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to which Australia has been a consistent contributor, has supported the vaccination of more than 640 million children, and saved an estimated 9 million lives; and
(e) in December 2018, Gavi will hold a mid-term review to assess what changes to its strategy are needed to achieve increased and equitable access to vaccines;
(2) recognises that:
(a) Australia co-sponsored a resolution at the 2017 World Health Assembly to accelerate access to vaccines, calling for the extension of immunisation services beyond infancy, increasing domestic financing, and strengthening international cooperation to achieve global vaccination goals; and
(b) current funding by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), to which Australia contributes, is due to decline significantly as polio nears eradication—this funding covers one fifth of the World Health Organisation's costs, and accounts for a high proportion of the health and vaccination workforce in several countries; and
(3) calls on the Government to:
(a) participate in planning to accelerate progress in making vaccines available to all children, including through the Gavi mid-term review; and
(b) work with countries now receiving polio support and multilateral agencies to ensure that transition from GPEI funding results in increased resources for other health and vaccination programs.
Before working with Ann Sudmalis, I felt the same way about politics as I did about parliament house. That it was confusing, huge, and a bit overrated. When I got the chance to actually be in the thick of it I got excited by how fast paced and chaotic it could be yet I was amazed how smoothly things seemed to run. I was impressed by the way the politicians were able to run with the punches and think on their feet, the way that they stood up for their beliefs, and how they protected the lives of the people they represented.
During my time there, politics and the workings of parliament house became clearer to me, and the more time I spent there, the more I understood it. Politics is more than paper pushing, it's about personality. Having the people skills to communicate the wants and needs of the people you represent and the team work skills to work with people that are doing the exact same thing.
I saw that this is not an easy job, nor is it for the faint of heart, but I learnt that there are people who do the job well. I was proud to work with Ann and see how caring she is about the people of Gilmore, I saw her passion for representing the farmers and making sure that they have a good quality of life. I was amazed at her back bone and her ability to strike up a conversation with anyone.
My time in parliament was wonderful and I learnt a lot about myself and the people that represent us.
That this House notes that:
(1) this Parliament condemns the exploitation of workers and communities by unscrupulous shipping and port operators;
(2) exploitive deals with unscrupulous dictatorships are not acceptable;
(3) contracts with unscrupulous dictatorships and dictators will not stand in the international shipping community; and
(4) companies that are linked to harsh dictatorships, responsible for the suppression of democracy, are not welcome in the Australian shipping industry, and that:
(a) such companies negotiating contracts with dictatorships are on notice; and
(b) exploitative industrial behaviour will not be tolerated on our shores.
I'm very bullish about Iran, Congo and Cambodia. We're taking a very long-term view. We've learned from past experience. It's okay to say that if you make investments in bad places, right now, over time, you'll gain without competition.
I'm very bullish about Iran, Congo and Cambodia. We're taking a very long-term view. We've learned from past experience. It's okay to say that if you make investments in bad places right now, over time, you'll gain without competition.
Africa is a very good place for us. There is very little competition and they need the investment badly … Returns are best there with high yields in the handling business. To handle a box in our terminal in Yantai, [China], we charge about $45-$50. The same container in Africa easily goes for $200-$250.
These new HELE plans would produce energy at an estimated two and a half times the cost of our existing coal-fired power stations.
…let's not think that there's cheap new coal, there's not.
… … …
…new cheap coal is a bit of a myth.
…the federal government's protracted efforts to reduce the renewable energy target have made long-term capital investments in energy assets in this country nearly impossible.
… on this vital issue of climate change we—
are not simply without a policy, without any prospect of having a credible policy but we are now without integrity. We have given our opponents the irrefutable, undeniable evidence that we cannot be trusted.
In terms of energy policy and climate policy, I think the truth is that the coalition finds it very hard to get agreement on anything to do with emissions.
Restoring Territory Rights Bill 2018
We believe the Farm Household Allowance has potential to be a successful output of the IGA but that the delivery mechanism needs further review.
Issues over the life of the FHA included: telephone 132316—the person phoning may have to wait up to an hour or longer to gain a Helpline support person
Complexity of the application process (including number of forms)
Delay in outcome (in some cases up to 10 weeks) and clarity of requests for further information can provide frustration.
I don’t depend directly on the land for my livelihood but many of our patients do, and the farmers and their families are struggling.
We live 10km out of Tamworth. Our garden is dying, we have no grass except the little bit watered by the grey water outflow. Everything is dusty and so dry. I have been buying water for most of the last year, every month another truckload.
Normally you don’t see roos except at dawn and dusk—now we see them any time of the day, they have come out of the hills and are in the paddocks, eating the last of the tall dead grass … They are even coming into town, eating any grass or plants they can find. They are desperate.
Even the indigenous trees are dying. Driving in through the pass in the hills behind Tamworth, the gums on the ridgelines are starting to die—dead leaves, dead branches on almost every tree.
There are no frogs—the last six months we have hardly heard any frogs at all.
We are losing things that are precious to us – the breed lines for the farmers, the special trees and plants in our gardens and parks, the lovely green lawns we used to have. It seems so long since we have seen green grass, since we have heard rain on the metal roof. It is a hard slog, minimising water use, shuffling buckets of water out to the remaining treasured plants, knowing that it may all be useless unless the rain comes.
And yet, on the mainstream news bulletins, it is as if we don’t exist on the other side of the sandstone curtain. Weather reporters blab on about lovely clear skies and sunny weather as if the cities were all that mattered. But how will the people in the cities eat if the country isn’t producing food for lack of water?
(1) Was it necessary for the Australian Government to collaborate with the states to introduce vegetation management laws in order to meet its Kyoto Protocol commitments.(2) Would it be possible for Australia to meet the Paris Agreement targets without the Queensland Government's recent amendments to the vegetation management laws.
Australia's emissions reduction target in the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol is an economy wide reduction consistent with five per cent below 2000 levels by 2020. It does not imply a particular reduction in any particular sector or impose any specific obligation on state or territory governments. Emissions reductions in all sectors contribute to meeting this target.
Australia's first nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement, a reduction of 26-28 per cent below 2005 levels in 2030, is also an economy wide target.
The Australian Government's emissions reduction policies, including the Emissions Reduction Fund, targets low-cost emissions across the economy, including the land sector.