The SPEAKER ( Hon. Tony Smith ) took the chair at 12:00, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent private Members’ business order of the day No. 8 relating to the High Speed Rail Planning Authority Bill 2018 standing in the name of the Member for Grayndler being called on immediately and being given priority over all other business for passage through all stages by 1.30 pm today.
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Grayndler from moving the following motion forthwith:
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent private Members’ business order of the day No. 8 relating to the High Speed Rail Planning Authority Bill 2018 standing in the name of the Member for Grayndler being called on immediately and being given priority over all other business for passage through all stages by 1.30 pm today.
Of course we would love to see high speed rail servicing our State but for this to be viable it would need to travel beyond NSW and it would require federal involvement.
The NSW Government will start work on a fast rail network in the next term of government, linking regional centres to each other and Sydney …
Intelligence Services Amendment Bill 2018
Fair Work Amendment (Family and Domestic Violence Leave) Bill 2018
Including this family violence clause in Surf Coast Shire's new EBA is a socially progressive measure that shows our commitment to the wellbeing of all staff.
The personal toll of domestic violence alone is unacceptable. It also poses a cost to employers and organisations. … The best way to reduce any costs is to ensure any staff suffering are supported.
Dear Kate
We write to you as Federal Member for Adelaide, to express our concern at the chronic shortage of crisis, social and affordable housing that is forcing women who want to flee a violent household to have nowhere to go. We have attached a photo of our congregation at the Parkside Baptist Church (Adelaide) reflecting on this issue at our services on 25 November. We were shocked to discover that domestic violence is the leading contributor to homelessness in Australia. Housing experts anticipate that if we are to be a country where every person can enjoy safe and secure housing we will need an additional 500,000 social and affordable homes by 2026. Yet present trends show that social housing is declining as a proportion of housing stock and a large number of crisis accommodation services report that they do not have sufficient resources to accommodate all those who need it, and as a result, regularly turn people away. Please make this a priority issue and keep it as priority issue until every woman, child and man fleeing violence has a safe and secure place to go.
Thank you for your time.
Kind regards
Frances Hardy
On behalf of Parkside Baptist Church
… we are not satisfied, at this time, that it is necessary to provide ten days paid family and domestic violence leave to all employees covered by modern awards.
… … …
The ACTU has not provided a satisfactory explanation as to how it arrived at ten days and the evidence does not support a finding that ten days paid leave is necessary.
Employers have different capacities to provide support to employees who are experiencing family and domestic violence. … Smaller employers often do not have written policies but they typically adopt a reasonable and compassionate approach when their employees suffer genuine hardships. The Bill implements an appropriate safety-net entitlement.
There was a minority of Coalition MPs who effectively torpedoed what was fundamentally a very good technology agnostic policy, which united climate and energy policy, and would enable us to bring down prices and keep the lights on.
There's never been a national energy policy that has had more universal support than the NEG.
I have not endorsed "Labor's energy policy". They have … not demonstrated that their 45% emissions reduction target will not push up prices.
It has been abandoned by the federal government, I regret that, naturally, as does just about everyone in the federal government.
The State Government is committed to working with the Federal Government to implement the Gonski reforms, and this positive result reinforces our support for the new model.
Subclause (1) does not apply to the disclosure or publication by a person of a matter of which the person has become aware otherwise than because of the giving of any evidence before, or the production of any document to, the Committee.
The Government's failure to take effective action on climate change.
We are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change and the last generation that can do something about it.
The emissions target of 26% is appropriate and achievable. 45% is an economy wrecking target.
… an increased renewable energy target of 50 per cent by 2030 will increase the cost of electricity for manufacturing and ordinary households while being a poor tool to reduce Australia's overall global warming emissions.
The target is not based on detailed economic analysis of its impact on growth, living standards and energy costs. … The proposed target has the look and feel of an ambit claim.
Growers facing increased charges of more than 100 per cent. Exorbitant electricity costs will only hasten the demise of our small communities.
How can a country like Australia with its vast natural resources allow people to sit in the dark and in the cold and not be able to pay for an essential service? How can any government allow this to happen?
I worked hard to keep my wife as a stay at home mum which we succeeded in doing, what is going on?
My electricity provider just put my weekly payment up from $52 pw to $91 pw. We are using less electricity now than we have done in the past, but paying more.
These electricity charges are killing me—worse still they are stopping me putting on more staff.
In fact I have had to put some of our casuals off as a result.
Australia is in an energy crisis … Power bills are out of control … Labor has a plan to deliver more renewable energy and cheaper power.
Labor's Household Battery Program will provide a $2,000 rebate for … households …
The world's people have spoken. … Time is running out. They want you, the decision-makers, to act now.
Leaders of the world, you must lead. The continuation of our civilisations, and the natural world upon which we depend, is in your hands.
Leaders of the world, you must lead. The continuation of our civilisations and the natural world upon which we depend is in your hands.
The continuation of our civilisations, and the natural world upon which we depend, is in your hands.
The House divided. [16:23]
The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith
Customs Amendment (Product Specific Rule Modernisation) Bill 2018
Telecommunications Legislation Amendment Bill 2018
Fair Work Amendment (Family and Domestic Violence Leave) Bill 2018
The House divided. [16:42]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
… we are not satisfied, at this time, that it is necessary to provide ten days paid family and domestic violence leave to all employees covered by modern awards.
The ACTU has not provided a satisfactory explanation as to how it arrived at ten days and the evidence does not support a finding that ten days paid leave is necessary.
The committee did not receive evidence which would challenge the basis of the FWC's decision.
(1) Title, page 1 (line 2), omit "unpaid".
(2) Schedule 1, item 1, page 3 (after line 7), after the definition of family and domestic violence , insert:
family and domestic violence leave means:
(a) paid family and domestic violence leave; or
(b) unpaid family and domestic violence leave.
paid family and domestic violence leave means paid family and domestic violence leave to which a national system employee, other than a casual employee, is entitled under subsection 106A(1).
(3) Schedule 1, item 1, page 3 (lines 9 and 10), omit "a national system employee is entitled under section 106A", substitute "a national system employee who is a casual employee is entitled under subsection 106A(4)".
(4) Schedule 1, item 2, page 3 (line 13), omit "unpaid".
(5) Schedule 1, item 3, page 3 (line 16), omit "unpaid".
(6) Schedule 1, item 4, page 3 (line 19), omit "unpaid".
(7) Schedule 1, item 5, page 3 (line 22), omit "Unpaid family", substitute "Family".
(8) Schedule 1, item 5, page 3 (line 23) to page 4 (line 21), omit section 106A, substitute:
106A Entitlement to family and domestic violence leave
Paid family and domestic violence leave—employees other than casual employees
(1) An employee, other than a casual employee, is entitled to 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave for each year of service with his or her employer.
(2) An employee's entitlement to paid family and domestic violence leave:
(a) accrues progressively during a year of service according to the employee's ordinary hours of work; and
(b) does not accumulate from year to year.
Note: If an employee's employment ends during what would otherwise have been a year of service, the employee accrues paid family and domestic violence leave up to when the employment ends.
(3) An employee may take paid family and domestic violence leave as:
(a) a single continuous 10 day period; or
(b) separate periods of one or more days each; or
(c) any separate periods to which the employee and the employer agree, including periods of less than one day.
Unpaid family and domestic violence leave—casual employees
(4) A casual employee is entitled to 5 days of unpaid family and domestic violence leave in a 12 month period.
(5) An employee's entitlement to unpaid family and domestic violence leave:
(a) is available in full at the start of each 12 month period of the employee's employment; and
(b) does not accumulate from year to year.
(6) For the purposes of subsection (5), the start of a casual employee's employment with a particular employer is taken to be the start of the employee's first employment with that employer.
(7) An employee may take unpaid family and domestic violence leave as:
(a) a single continuous 5 day period; or
(b) separate periods of one or more days each; or
(c) any separate periods to which the employee and the employer agree, including periods of less than one day.
(8) To avoid doubt, subsections (4) to (7) do not prevent the employee and the employer agreeing that the employee may take more than 5 days of unpaid leave to deal with the impact of family and domestic violence.
(9) Schedule 1, item 5, page 4 (line 22), omit "unpaid".
(10) Schedule 1, item 5, page 4 (line 23), omit "unpaid".
(11) Schedule 1, item 5, page 5 (after line 11), after section 106B, insert:
106BA Employee not taken to be on paid family and domestic violence leave at certain times
Public holidays
(1) If the period during which an employee takes paid family and domestic violence leave includes a day or part-day that is a public holiday in the place where the employee is based for work purposes, the employee is taken not to be on paid family and domestic violence leave on that public holiday.
Other periods of leave
(2) If the period during which an employee takes paid family and domestic violence leave includes a period of any other leave (other than unpaid parental leave) under this Part, or a period of absence from employment under Division 8 (which deals with community service leave), the employee is taken not to be on paid family and domestic violence leave for the period of that other leave or absence.
106BB Payment for paid family and domestic violence leave
If, in accordance with this Subdivision, an employee takes a period of paid family and domestic violence leave, the employer must pay the employee at the employee's base rate of pay for the employee's ordinary hours of work in the period.
Note: For casual employees, family and domestic violence leave is unpaid.
(12) Schedule 1, item 5, page 5 (line 23), omit "unpaid".
(13) Schedule 1, item 6, page 6 (line 11), omit "unpaid".
(14) Schedule 1, item 7, page 6 (line 25), omit "an employee", substitute "a casual employee".
(15) Schedule 1, item 7, page 7 (lines 1 to 7), omit subclause 39(2), substitute:
(2) For the purposes of this clause, the start of a casual employee's employment with a particular employer is taken to be the start of the employee's first employment with that employer.
(16) Schedule 1, item 7, page 7 (line 9), omit "unpaid".
(17) Schedule 1, item 7, page 7 (line 18), omit " unpaid ".
(18) Schedule 1, item 7, page 7 (line 23), omit "unpaid".
An amendment may be moved to any part of a bill, if the amendment is within the title or relevant to the subject matter of the bill and conforms to the standing orders.
That this bill be now read a third time.
Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Legislation Amendment Bill 2018
That this bill be now read a third time.
Intelligence Services Amendment Bill 2018
That this bill be now read a third time.
Higher Education Support (Charges) Bill 2018
Higher Education Support Amendment (Cost Recovery) 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 that, over five years, the Government has cut billions in funding from Australia's universities and vocational education and training, making it harder for Australians to attain a university or TAFE qualification".
…underwrote the growth of a mass higher education system in Australia and it continues to support expansion of access and opportunity.
The principle of asking universities to meet the costs of Government administration is an unfortunate precedent and one which should be, at the very least, interrogated …
Inevitably, cuts impact the delivery of teaching and research, the core functions of universities in Australia. Funding cuts will be passed onto undergraduate and postgraduate students, whether they are built into tuition costs for full fee-paying students, result in increased student to academic staff ratios, or lead higher education providers to otherwise reduce the "cost of delivery" of education.
… the costs of administering HELP are already shared by the university sector and government – the University of Newcastle, like other universities, provides a range of administrative and student services in order to ensure it properly administers HELP funding.
If young people had a greater say in decision-making and setting our policy agenda, our world would be kinder, safer, and healthier. If young people had a greater say, our world would truly be more united.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Ms Lucy Wicks) took the chair at 16:00.
It's hard to tell, hard to say. I don't know if the bush babies found me or I found the little creatures.
I believe passionately that politics is for people. It is not an elite sport played only by members of parliament.
We remember the courage and the fighting skill of the Australian and American naval forces. Their valour spared Australia from invasion and stemmed the tide of totalitarianism.
In the Persian Gulf we stood together against Saddam Hussein's aggression. Indeed, the first two coalition partners in a joint boarding exercise to enforce the United Nations resolutions were Australians from the HMAS Darwin and Americans from the USSBrewerton .
We are a nation of communities … a brilliant diversity, spread like stars, like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky.
No problem of human making is too great to be overcome by human ingenuity, human energy and the untiring hope of the human spirit.
I come before you and assume the Presidency at a moment rich with promise. We live in a peaceful, prosperous time, but we can make it better. For a new breeze is blowing, and a world refreshed by freedom seems reborn; for in man's heart, if not in fact, the day of the dictator is over. The totalitarian era is passing, its old ideas blown away like leaves from an ancient, lifeless tree. A new breeze is blowing, and a nation refreshed by freedom stands ready to push on. There is new ground to be broken, and new action to be taken.
The mission was not George H. W. Bush, the mission was: how do we serve the United States? How do we help the United States? How do we make the United States better? Which is very important in establishing a culture that can succeed.
Beyond the poetry of the Statement from the Heart is the prose of political reality—the need to ensure that our recommendations provide for a form of constitutional recognition that is legitimate and acceptable to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as well as our parliamentary colleagues across the spectrum, and ultimately to the Australian people.
1 There shall be a First Nations Voice to Parliament;
2 The Voice shall not be a third chamber of the Parliament;
3 The Voice shall be advisory only and its advice will not be justiciable; and
4 Its powers and functions shall be determined by the Parliament of Australia.
The Committee also recommends that the Australian Government consider the establishment, in Canberra, of a National Resting Place, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander remains which could be a place of commemoration, healing and reflection.
We seek constitutional reforms to empower our people and take a rightful place in our own country. When we have power over our destiny our children will flourish. They will walk in two worlds and their culture will be a gift to their country.
It will take the government of the day passing a law to make possible any constitutional change. Then it will take the opposition of the day and the parties of the crossbenches to support the question and the process for any referendum. Then it will take a majority of the voters nationally and in the majority of the states in favour of the question that has to be put to the nation. This is where we, as politicians and our parties, come in—
National Seniors is concerned about the large number of its members and non-members who could be affected by the policy.
So, we will end up with a two-class system of retirees: one group protected; the other not.
Labor has pushed this ill-conceived policy by claiming it would only hurt the rich and deliver significant savings for the government ...
Far from being 'rich', 69 per cent who completed our poll earn $90,000 or less a year and 53 per cent would be forced to reduce their family's living standard and quality of life in order to accommodate the loss of income.
We must challenge the government to reconsider the role of austerity in undermining social infrastructures, creating new forms of poverty, weariness and exclusion, and, in these ways, exacerbating loneliness.
If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.
In respect of the Government's announcement on 5 July 2018 of a proposed transition to a new Horizontal Fiscal Equalisation mechanism for determining the allocation of GST revenue to states and territories as well as the establishment of a minimum floor of 70 cents from 2022-23, rising to 75 cents from 2024-25, with measures to deliver an effective 70 cent floor to Western Australia from 2019-20: (a) on what date (i) was the Treasury first instructed to undertake the modelling or other analysis that was the foundation of this proposal, (ii) did the Treasury first provide this modelling or other analysis to the office of the Treasurer, and (iii) did the Treasurer first take this proposal to the Cabinet for consideration, and(b) why was the commitment to provide funding to Western Australia to ensure the state receives an equivalent GST allocation of 70 cents not made in the 2018-19 budget.
The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:
(a)
(i) The Treasurer requested modelling and analysis of horizontal fiscal equalisation (HFE)
reforms from Treasury following the delivery of the Productivity Commission's (PC) final report on its inquiry into HFE to government on 15 May 2018.
(ii) Treasury provided modelling and analysis to the Treasurer as part of the policy development process, ahead of the release of the interim response.
(iii) Treasury provides advice and analysis to the Treasurer. It is up to the Treasurer to determine how this advice is circulated.
(b) The Government's commitment to provide short-term funding over three years (from 2019-20 to 2021-22) to ensure that no State receives less than 70 cents per person per dollar of GST was announced as part of its interim response to the PC inquiry into HFE on 5 July 2018.
In 2017-18, what sum was spent on replacing lost, stolen or misplaced equipment in all ministerial offices supported by the Minister's department, and what goods were replaced?
My Department is unaware of any items that have been lost, stolen or misplaced in any of the ministerial offices supported by the Department.
(1) The AusNCP is responsible for promoting and implementing the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. The Guidelines are recommendations addressed by governments to multinational enterprises operating in or from adhering countries. They represent a global framework for responsible business conduct which can positively influence business activity and ultimately economic, environmental and social progress. In the past year the AusNCP has increased its promotional work to a broader network of stakeholders, including events held in Sydney and Canberra in October 2017, June 2018, and further events planned for November 2018.
The AusNCP also offers a non-judicial complaint handling mechanism to help parties resolve conflicts. The focus of the mechanism is to bring parties together for dialogue that may lead to resolution and increased awareness of the Guidelines. The AusNCP has no legal powers to order compensation or other forms of redress, but it can make recommendations to enterprises in line with the Guidelines.
(2) As at 25 September 2018, the AusNCP has 15 concluded cases and two (2) active cases. One (1) of the concluded cases is currently subject to further follow-up by the AusNCP at the request of the notifier. Further details on the specific instance complaints handled by the AusNCP are available at www.ausncp.gov.au.
(3) The AusNCP has closed four (4) cases where mediation (or similar) was conducted. The shortest duration of ten (10) months was for a case where the issue arose within Australia. The other cases all related to issues that occurred in non-adhering countries, these cases took 23, 43 and 45 months.
In the past 12-18 months the AusNCP has reduced the overall case load by putting significant effort into progressing cases that had been with the AusNCP for a protracted period. In July 2018 following consultation with stakeholders, the AusNCP released revised specific instance handling procedures which are intended to improve case handling timeframes into the future.
Consistent with OECD guidance, the current procedures state that in ideal scenarios the AusNCP aims to complete the mediation stage (which can involve mediation or conciliation) in 25-30 weeks and the full process in 48-55 weeks. OECD guidance on timing recognises that timeframes may need to be extended particularly when the issues arise in a non-adhering country. Other common factors that can affect timing include the complexity of the case, willingness of parties to engage in the process and whether mediation (or similar) is undertaken. For these reasons, average case processing time is generally not a reliable indicator of effective outcomes.
(4) In 2017 the Treasury commissioned an independent review into the AusNCP's administrative structure and the final report of this review was provided to Treasury in October 2017. The report's recommendations included suggesting that Treasury assign a dedicated staff and budget to the AusNCP. Resourcing for the AusNCP was increased in 2017 to enable improvements. The review made no recommendations in relation to legislative changes, although Treasury notes that the function is not currently legislated and this is not required by the OECD Guidelines.
Further recommendations including restructuring to a model independent of government, developing revised procedural guidance and developing a proactive engagement strategy. The full report is available on the AusNCP website at www.ausncp.gov.au.