2019-07-25 46 1 1 House of Reps 0 1

Thursday, 25 July 2019

The SPEAKER ( Hon. Tony Smith ) took the chair at 09:30, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.

COMMITTEES 1 COMMITTEES Regional Australia Select Committee 1 Appointment 1 09:31 Mr EVANS 61378 Brisbane by leave—I move: That: (1) a Select Committee on Regional Australia be appointed to inquire into and report on steps that can be taken to progress towards a successful referendum on Indigenous constitutional recognition; (2) the committee present an interim report on or before 27 March 2020 and its final report on or before 31 July 2020; (3) the committee consist of twelve members, seven Members to be nominated by the Government Whip or Whips, and five Members to be nominated by the Opposition Whip or Whips or by any non-aligned Member; (4) every nomination of a member of the committee be notified in writing to the Speaker of the House of Representatives; (5) the members of the committee hold office as a select committee until presentation of the committee's final report or until the House of Representatives is dissolved or expires by effluxion of time, whichever is the earlier; (6) the committee elect a:    (a) Government member as its chair; and    (b) non-Government member as its deputy chair who shall act as chair of the committee at any time when the chair is not present at a meeting of the committee; (7) at any time when the chair and deputy chair are not present at a meeting of the committee, the members present shall elect another member to act as chair at that meeting; (8) in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, have a casting vote; (9) three members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee; (10) the committee:    (a) have power to appoint subcommittees consisting of three or more of its members, and to refer to any subcommittee any matter which the committee is empowered to examine; and    (b) appoint the chair of each subcommittee who shall have a casting vote only; (11) at any time when the chair of a subcommittee is not present at a meeting of the subcommittee, the members of the subcommittee present shall elect another member of that subcommittee to act as chair at that meeting; (12) two members of a subcommittee constitute the quorum of that subcommittee; (13) members of the committee who are not members of a subcommittee may participate in the proceedings of that subcommittee but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum; (14) the committee or any subcommittee have power to:    (a) call for witnesses to attend and for documents to be produced;    (b) conduct proceedings at any place it sees fit;    (c) sit in public or in private;    (d) report from time to time; and    (e) adjourn from time to time and to sit during any adjournment of the House of Representatives; (15) subject to the concurrence of the Senate, the committee or any subcommittee have power to consider and make use of the evidence and records of the Joint Select Committee on Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples appointed during the 44th Parliament and the Joint Select Committee on Constitutional Recognition Relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples appointed during the 45th Parliament; (16) the provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders; and (17) a message be sent to the Senate requesting that it concur with the use of the records of former joint select committees. Question agreed to. BILLS 2 BILLS Royal Commissions Amendment (Private Sessions) Bill 2019 2

Royal Commissions Amendment (Private Sessions) Bill 2019

First Reading 2 Second Reading 2 09:32 Mr MORTON 265931 Tangney I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The Royal Commissions Amendment (Private Sessions) Bill 2019 enables the private sessions regime in part 4 of the Royal Commissions Act 1902 to be applied to other royal commissions. The private sessions regime was inserted into the act in 2013 to support the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Private sessions allowed that commission to hear from survivors and victims about their experience of abuse in a private and supportive setting. Participation was voluntary. The commission heard over 8,000 personal stories in private sessions. For some survivors, telling their story in a private session was the first time in their life they had told someone about their abuse. For others, it was the first time they had been heard by someone in a position of authority. One survivor told the royal commission: 'After 50 years I finally feel I've been heard. People have listened to me before, but no-one has really heard me.' The substantial work of that commission is well documented. The government is committed to ensuring it comprehensively and appropriately responds to that work. This includes the national apology delivered by the Prime Minister in this parliament, on behalf of all Australians, to the victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse. The chair of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, the Hon. Richard Tracey AM, RFD, QC, and the chair of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, the Hon. Ronald Sackville AO, QC, have told the government that private sessions will assist in their important duties. These are challenging and confronting royal commissions. They are tasked with identifying what should be done to improve the quality and safety of aged-care services in Australia and what should be done to prevent violence and abuse against Australians with a disability. These inquiries will help identify how systems can be strengthened to prevent and respond to this conduct in the future. Like the child sexual abuse royal commission, both inquiries are engaging with people about their experiences of mistreatment or abuse. Subject to passage of this bill, it is the government's intention to recommend to the Governor-General that both the aged-care royal commission and the disability royal commission are able to use private sessions. Private sessions are just one way that the royal commissions can gather sensitive and personal information from individuals. Their use can have implications for the constitution of a royal commission as well as funding implications. For that reason, the bill provides that private sessions are enabled through a regulation. That mechanism will require a discrete decision on whether private sessions will be useful for a particular inquiry. The bill largely preserves the framework for private sessions used for the child sexual abuse royal commission. However, some changes are proposed to supplement the way that a commission gathers information and to give more flexibility to a commission. However, limitations on the use and disclosure of information given at a private session will be retained. Sessions are conducted in private and are not open to the public. Private session information can only be used in a report if it's deidentified or if the information is also given in evidence. Other limitations include a secrecy offence and a provision that overrides other laws that compel the production of records—for example, subpoenas. Information can be disclosed with the consent of the individual who gave the information. Private session records are also excluded from the operation of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 and are treated in the same way as census records under the Archives Act 1983. That means that these records will not become publicly available until 99 years after the year the record was created. These limitations on use and disclosure are designed so that people are not discouraged from sharing their personal stories. Importantly, as private session information is not given on oath or affirmation, these provisions also serve to protect the privacy and reputations of other individuals. In practice, commissioners and members of the staff of a royal commission need to engage with individuals before and after their private session. Before a private session, a royal commission may need to gather preliminary information about the individual's story so that the attending commissioners or assistant commissioners are familiar with the person's situation. After a private session it may be appropriate for a royal commission to contact the participant to discuss any concerns arising from the private session and to offer counselling or support. To achieve consistent protections, it is proposed to apply existing limitations on use and disclosure of information obtained at a private session to this kind of information. For some, attending a private session to talk about mistreatment or abuse they have experienced may be traumatising. It is proposed that the protections will apply whether or not the private session is ultimately held. Under the model used by the child sexual abuse royal commission, only a commissioner could hold a private session. Under this bill, private sessions must be held by a commissioner unless the chair or sole commissioner considers that there are circumstances that justify authorising assistant commissioners to hold private sessions. Assistant commissioners must be appropriately qualified and senior staff members are to be authorised to hold private sessions. These individuals would be authorised by the chair of a multimember commission or, if an inquiry is constituted by a single commissioner, that commissioner. This provision is to give more flexibility to the commission. It may enable more sessions to be held, particularly in the case of a royal commission that has only one or two commissioners. Royal commissions are the highest level of public inquiry and are reserved for matters of significant public importance. The private session framework can be a very important format to supplement the way that a commission gathers information to complete its reporting obligations. Debate adjourned. Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2019-2020 3

Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2019-2020

First Reading 3 Second Reading 3 09:40 Mr EVANS 61378 Brisbane I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The parliament passed the 2019-20 supply bills before the election to facilitate the continuation of normal government business through until the end of November (around the end of the spring parliamentary sittings). At the same time, for transparency about funding for the balance of the year, we also introduced annual appropriation bills for scrutiny by the estimates committees. Following convention, the pre-election version of the annual appropriation bills then lapsed when the parliament was prorogued. The re-introducedAppropriation Bill (No. 1) 2019-2020, together with Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2019-2020and Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2019-2020, form the principal bills underpinning the government's budget. These bills are substantively the same as the bills of the same names that were introduced into the previous parliament in April this year. Minor changes have been made between the pre-election and post-election versions of these annual appropriation bills to reflect new machinery-of-government changes resulting from the Administrative Arrangements Order and new decisions made since the 2019-20 budget. Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2019-2020 seeks approval for appropriations from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of approximately $58.4 billion. The provisions in the bill seek authority for appropriations broadly equivalent to seven-twelfths of the 2019-20 annual appropriations and other measures. Together with the Supply Act (No.1) 2019-2020, this bill provides appropriations for the ordinary annual services of government for the full year of 2019-20. I will now outline the significant items provided for in this bill. First, the Department of Defence will receive just over $19.7 billion to protect and advance Australia's strategic interests through the provision of military capabilities, the promotion of security and stability, and the provision of support to the Australian community in accordance with government direction. Included in this amount is funding to support ongoing major Defence operations, including operations OKRA, ACCORDION, HIGHROAD, RESOLUTE and MANITOU. Second, the Department of Health will receive approximately $6.3 billion to continue to strengthen health services for all Australians. This will include funding for: new medical research, including administration of the Medical Research Future Fund; better mental health and drug and alcohol support services, including the expansion of the national headspace network; further support for improved access to quality of aged-care, residential and home care services; and workforce priorities, improved access to medicines and implementing the Sport 2030 National Sport Plan. Third, the Department of Social Services will receive just under $5.6 billion, including funding for the Commonwealth's contribution to the fourth action plan to prevent violence against women and their children, the expansion of the cashless debit card to tackle drug, alcohol and gambling misuse, and the establishment of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. Fourth, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will receive just under $3.2 billion to advance Australia's international strategic, security and economic interests and to manage and distribute Australia's official development assistance. Fifth, Services Australia will receive just under $2.7 billion to support individuals, families and communities to achieve greater self-sufficiency; and providers and businesses through convenient and efficient service delivery. Sixth, the Department of Home Affairs will receive just under $2.5 billion, which includes funding for national security, the management of noncitizens within onshore and offshore detention, facilitation of people and goods across the border, and the provision of refugee and humanitarian assistance. Finally, the Australian Taxation Office will receive just over $2.1 billion to manage Australia's taxation and superannuation systems, including through helping people understand their rights and obligations, improving ease of compliance and access to benefits, and managing noncompliance with the law. In particular, the bill contains funding for the continuation of the corporate Tax Avoidance Taskforce and the expansion of Single Touch Payroll. Details of the proposed expenditure are set out in the schedule to the bill and the 2019-20 portfolio budget statements. Debate adjourned. Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2019-2020 4

Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2019-2020

First Reading 4 Second Reading 4 09:47 Mr EVANS 61378 Brisbane I move: That this bill be now read a second time. (Quorum formed) The SPEAKER 10000 Before people leave, I need to remind the House, those members who are here, when a quorum is called, if you're in the chamber or you happen to come into the chamber when the bells are ringing, you're not permitted to leave. We had that yesterday and we've just had it now with one member that I'll deal with later. We won't delay the debate. Mr EVANS 61378 Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2019-2020, along with Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2019-2020 and Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2019-2020, are the budget appropriation bills for this financial year. These bills are substantively the same as the bills of the same names that were introduced into the previous parliament in April this year. Minor changes have been made to reflect new machinery-of-government changes resulting from the Administrative Arrangements Order and new decisions made since the 2019-20 budget. This bill seeks approval for appropriations from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of just over $7.4 billion. This broadly represents seven-twelfths of the estimated 2019-20 annual appropriations and new measures since the 2019-20 budget. Together with Supply Act (No. 2) 2019-2020, this bill provides appropriations that are not for the ordinary annual services of government for the full year of 2019-20. I will now outline the significant items provided for in this bill. First, the Department of Defence will receive just over $2.3 billion to enable the purchase of military equipment and the construction of support facilities and infrastructure, in line with the commitment to invest in Australia's strategic capabilities outlined in the 2016 Defence white paper. Second, the Department of Communications and the Arts will receive just over $1.7 billion to continue to provide NBN Co Limited with a government loan on commercial terms to support the completion of the National Broadband Network. Third, the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development will receive approximately $1.3 billion, including equity investment for the delivery of Western Sydney Airport and Inland Rail, concessional loan funding for the National Water Infrastructure Loan Facility, and payments to the states made through the Roads to Recovery Program. Finally, the Department of Agriculture will receive $295 million for concessional loans to farm businesses. This includes loans for those affected by drought or the North Queensland floods. Details of the proposed expenditure are set out in the schedules to the bill and the 2019-20 portfolio budget statements. Debate adjourned. Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2019-2020 5

Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2019-2020

First Reading 5 Second Reading 5 09:54 Mr EVANS 61378 Brisbane I move: That this bill be now read a second time. Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2019-2020 provides appropriations for 2019‑20 for the operations of: the Department of the Senate; the Department of the House of Representatives; the Department of Parliamentary Services; and the Parliamentary Budget Office. This bill is substantively the same as the bill of the same name that was introduced into the previous parliament in April this year. Together with Supply (Parliamentary Departments) Act (No. 1) 2019-2020, this bill provides appropriations for the expenditure of the parliamentary departments for the full year of 2019-20. The most significant item in this bill is for the Department of Parliamentary Services, which will receive almost $126 million for the maintenance of the Australian Parliament House and to support the functions of parliament and parliamentarians through the provision of professional services, advice and facilities. This amount also includes funding to replace the original Australian Parliament House auxiliary power system to ensure the continued supply of power for critical systems and to upgrade the mobile phone antenna for the benefit of building occupants and visitors. Details of the proposed expenditure are set out in the schedule to the bill and the 2019-20 portfolio budget statements. Debate adjourned. Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Amendment (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2019 6

Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Amendment (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2019

First Reading 6 Second Reading 6 09:56 Mr EVANS 61378 Brisbane I move: That this bill be now read a second time. This bill contains important measures making amendments to the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006. The bill will transfer regulatory oversight for offshore greenhouse gas storage environmental management and well operations from the responsible Commonwealth minister to the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority, or NOPSEMA. Currently, NOPSEMA is the regulator for offshore petroleum environmental management and well operations. The reason for the division of petroleum and greenhouse gas responsibilities is largely historical. NOPSEMA did not have any environmental management functions in 2008, when the greenhouse gas regulatory provisions were introduced into the act. With the potential for an increase in greenhouse gas storage activities in future, there is a renewed focus on the adequacy of regulatory arrangements. NOPSEMA has developed expertise in the regulation of offshore environmental management and well operations through its responsibility for regulation of offshore petroleum activities. The Australian government proposes to transfer regulatory oversight for offshore greenhouse gas storage environmental management and well operations from the minister to NOPSEMA. This will ensure we have an experienced and independent regulator for offshore greenhouse gas operations. The proposal will be effected through a suite of amendments. The minister will retain responsibility for major resource related decisions concerning the granting of greenhouse gas titles, the imposition of title conditions and the cancellation of titles, as well as core decisions about resource management and resource security. The amendments in this bill will strengthen and clarify the powers of NOPSEMA inspectors to determine whether regulated entities are compliant with their obligations under the act and associated regulations. The amendments will expand and clarify the categories of premises that inspectors may enter without a warrant to monitor compliance with environmental and occupational health and safety obligations. This will include premises of a body corporate that is related to a titleholder— Mr Husic 91219 Mr Speaker, I'd like to draw your attention to the state of the House. The bells being rung— The SPEAKER 10000 I'm going to make the point quite early on that, if members read the Practice, of course they're entitled to draw attention to the state of House, but there are precedents where Speakers have said a reasonable period of time should elapse before the calling. I'm just flagging that now. While you're waiting for the bells to ring, there's some quite interesting reading there in the Practice, which I'm sure is in your drawer. (Quorum formed) Mr EVANS 61378 The amendments will expand and clarify the categories of premises that inspectors may enter, without a warrant, to monitor compliance with environmental and occupational health and safety obligations. This will include premises of a body corporate that is related to a titleholder, such as a parent company which may make decisions about operations carried out under the title. It will also include the premises of titleholders' contractors, including entities who have agreed to provide response equipment in the event of an oil spill. The amendments in this bill will also enable inspectors to undertake inspections without a warrant to monitor compliance by titleholders with well integrity-related obligations under the act and regulations. These powers will be equivalent to existing powers that inspectors may exercise to conduct environmental or OHS inspections. In the context of a high-hazard industry, it's particularly important that the regulator has sufficient powers to ensure that regulatory obligations are being complied with. Noncompliance may increase risks to health or safety or to the environment, with potentially serious consequences. The requirement to obtain a warrant may impede NOPSEMA's ability to conduct inspections. This is due to the difficulty in accessing offshore facilities and changes to titleholders' operational decisions on the timing of well activities. The requirement to obtain a warrant may also impede NOPSEMA's ability to respond quickly in an emergency. Inspectors will still be required to obtain a warrant before exercising any powers to search for or gather evidence of contraventions of provisions. The bill further amends the act to introduce enforceable undertakings. This will enable the minister, the National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator and the CEO of NOPSEMA to accept and enforce undertakings in relation to compliance with provisions of the act and regulations. The introduction of enforceable undertakings form part of a graduated enforcement framework. Although regulators currently have access to a range of enforcement tools, enforceable undertakings offer a unique benefit. Existing tools can require a duty holder to cease an activity or reach a minimum standard of compliance. Enforceable undertakings can go beyond these enforcement tools to effect meaningful changes to overall compliance culture. Enforceable undertakings allow the regulator to secure more timely and cost-effective outcomes than a prosecution. For example, a prosecution may take months or years to achieve a result, whereas an enforceable undertaking can require the duty holder to take steps to comply as soon as the undertaking has been accepted by the regulator. Enforceable undertakings remove the need for the regulator to pay the potentially sizeable costs associated with prosecutions. Undertakings also enable the regulator to tailor the enforcement response, taking specific titleholder and broader industry considerations into account. In accordance with a graduated enforcement framework, regulators will determine if it is appropriate to accept an undertaking given by a person, taking into account a range of factors. These factors include the circumstances in which the undertaking is given and the compliance history of the person giving the undertaking. The bill includes specific circumstances in which the regulator must not accept an undertaking in response to an alleged contravention of an OHS provision of the act or regulations. For example, the regulator must not accept an undertaking if an alleged contravention contributed to the death of another person or if the alleged contravention involved recklessness. These express limitations are considered to be appropriate in the context of a high-hazard industry. The bill was previously introduced into parliament on 28 March 2018 but lapsed when parliament was prorogued for the 2019 federal election. On 28 June 2018, the Senate referred the provisions of the bill to the Senate Economics Legislation Committee for inquiry and report. In its report, the committee recommended that a two-year review period for enforceable undertakings be inserted into the bill to ascertain if enforceable undertakings are the most suitable way of ensuring compliance with the act. The bill has not been amended to provide a two-year review period specifically to consider the effectiveness of enforceable undertakings. However, the government will ensure that this matter is considered within a suitable period after the commencement of the relevant provisions of this bill. The bill also amends the act to retrospectively designate particular areas as 'frontier areas' for the purposes of the designated frontier area tax incentive, to correct a recently discovered historical administrative oversight. The DFA tax incentive was designed to encourage petroleum exploration in Australia's remote offshore areas. It was active between 2004 and 2009. Under the scheme, the resources minister could designate up to 20 per cent of each year's offshore petroleum acreage release areas as 'frontier areas'. Where a permit was awarded over an area designated as a frontier area, the registered holder or holders of the permit could claim up to 150 per cent of exploration expenditure as a deduction for the petroleum resource rent tax, or PRRT. Under the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax Assessment Act 1987, the resources minister was required to formally designate frontier areas in writing. Due to an administrative oversight, this requirement was not met for the 2005 acreage release. As a result, four petroleum exploration permits were awarded over areas promoted in 2005 as frontier areas which were not validly designated. This bill will amend the act to retrospectively designate these areas as frontier areas. This will remove any doubt that the relevant titleholders are entitled to the uplifted PRRT deductions. No persons will be disadvantaged by retrospective application. Finally, the bill makes technical amendments to the act to futureproof specific references in provisions of the act to regulations made under the act. There are several sets of regulations made under the act dealing with separate matters, such as safety, environmental management and resource management. Each of the regulations are scheduled to sunset over the next few years. There is a risk that current references in the act to the specific titles of regulations will become ineffective when the regulations sunset and are remade with a new title. The amendments made by this bill are necessary to ensure that the act does not need to be amended each time regulations under the act sunset and are remade, with associated risks to the ongoing effective operation of the act. Effective references to regulations are critical to the operation of a number of provisions of the act, including provisions which set out regulations subject to monitoring and investigation under the Regulatory Powers (Standard Provisions) Act 2014, and polluter pays and financial assurance obligations. The amendments will enable the titles of the regulations, or provisions of regulations, relevant to each affected provision of the act to be prescribed by regulation. When the title of a set of regulations changes as a result of remaking those regulations, the reference can be updated by regulatory amendment. Overall, this bill underscores this government's ongoing commitment to the maintenance and continuous improvement of a strong and effective regulatory framework for offshore petroleum and greenhouse gas storage. Further, it ensures the framework's currency and alignment with international best practice. I commend this bill to the chamber. Debate adjourned. Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Regulatory Levies) Amendment Bill 2019 8

Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Regulatory Levies) Amendment Bill 2019

First Reading 8 Second Reading 8 10:10 Mr EVANS 61378 Brisbane I move: That this bill be now read a second time. This bill amends the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Regulatory Levies) Act 2003 as a consequence of related amendments to the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006. The amendments to the OPGGS Act will transfer regulatory oversight for offshore greenhouse gas storage well operations from the responsible Commonwealth minister to the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority, or NOPSEMA. NOPSEMA operates on a fully cost-recovered basis through levies and fees payable by the offshore petroleum and greenhouse gas storage industries. This includes well related levies imposed in relation to petroleum titles. To ensure NOPSEMA can also recover the cost of its oversight of well operations under greenhouse gas titles, this bill will amend the levies act to extend the application of the well related levies to greenhouse gas wells. This bill also amends the levies act as a consequence of amendments, which commenced on 1 January 2016, made to well related regulations under the OPGGS Act, or the Wells Regulations. Prior to the amendments to the Wells Regulations, a new 'well operations management plan' was required to be submitted every five years. The amendments instead provided for a single plan to cover all stages of the life of a well and required revision of the plan every five years. Currently, under the levies act, well activity levies are only imposed on applications for acceptance of a new plan. To ensure NOPSEMA continues to be fully cost-recovered, this bill will amend the levies act to impose a well activity levy on submission of five-yearly revisions of plans. The amendments to the Wells Regulations also removed the requirement for a titleholder to apply to NOPSEMA for approval to commence well activities. This bill removes well activity levies that relate to those applications. The bill also makes technical amendments to the levies act to futureproof specific references in provisions of the levies act to regulations made under the OPGGS Act. The amendments are equivalent in purpose and effect to the amendments made to the OPGGS Act by the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Amendment (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2019. Effective references to regulations are critical to the operation of a number of provisions of the levies act, including provisions which impose levies to fund the operations of NOPSEMA on a cost-recovery basis. I commend this bill to the chamber. Debate adjourned. Social Services Legislation Amendment (Overseas Welfare Recipients Integrity Program) Bill 2019 9

Social Services Legislation Amendment (Overseas Welfare Recipients Integrity Program) Bill 2019

First Reading 9 Second Reading 9 10:14 Mr FLETCHER L6B Bradfield I move: That this bill be now read a second time. This bill implements a measure announced in the 2018-19 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook to confirm that Australian pensions are only being paid to overseas pensioners who are still alive. Australia is a multicultural country, with around a third of Australians born overseas and over half of Australians with at least one parent born overseas. The government recognises that many people wish to return to their country of birth or to be with family and friends. (Quorum formed) Therefore, it is not unreasonable to expect a large number of Australian pensioners to retire overseas. In fact, Australia pays a pension to approximately 96,000 Australian pensioners who live overseas. It is a longstanding policy of successive Australian governments to recognise that Australian pension recipients have contributed to Australia and are not required to remain in Australia to participate economically and socially. Australia has international social security agreements with 31 countries that allow people who have lived part of their working life in Australia to claim an Australian pension while living overseas. The effect of this bill is that, from 1 September 2019, pensioners aged 80 years and over and residing permanently overseas will need to complete and return a proof of life certificate to continue receiving their pension overseas. This will confirm that Australian pensions are only being paid to pensioners who are still alive. The government estimates that approximately 25,000 pensioners who are aged 80 and over and live overseas will be required to provide proof of life. Limiting this process to pensioners aged 80 and over will minimise the administrative burden on pensioners, while helping to ensure that Australian pensions are only being paid to pensioners who are still alive. This measure is expected to help modify, where needed, the behaviour of some Australian pensioners and their families living overseas by reminding them of their reporting responsibilities. It is possible that there may be some misunderstanding by pensioners and their families overseas that Australian pensions may be bequeathed to, or inherited by, partners or family. Many overseas pension or national insurance schemes contain survivor or reversionary provisions that may be payable to partners or family. This misunderstanding can be compounded when a person is concurrently receiving pensions from Australia and another country, and the other pension remains payable to a widow or widower under the laws of that other country. The introduction of the proof of life process brings Australia in line with current international practice. Many other countries have regular assurance processes for people living overseas and receiving a pension from that country. For example, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, France and Italy all have processes to verify that a pensioner living overseas is still alive, including a requirement to complete a proof of life certificate. The measure proposed in this bill would require age pension, disability support pension, widow B pension and carer payment recipients who are aged 80 and over and permanently living overseas to complete a proof of life certificate every two years to continue receiving their payment. If a pensioner does not return their completed proof of life certificate after 13 weeks, their payment will be suspended. If the pensioner does not provide the certificate after a further 13 weeks, making 26 weeks in total, their payment will be cancelled. The measure includes safeguards to reinstate a living pensioner's payment if they are suspended or cancelled. If the pensioner makes contact with the Department of Human Services and provides a completed proof of life certificate, the Secretary of the Department of Social Services or an appropriate delegate will have the discretion to reinstate the payment. A pensioner who has their payment reinstated will be paid any arrears to which they are entitled. This process will make sure only people entitled to an Australian pension continue to receive it, while minimising the impact on pensioners who do the right thing. To help protect against fraud, there is a requirement that the certificates are verified. Pensioners will have a range of options available to have their certificate verified. These may include, but are not limited to, a judge or magistrate of a law court, a medical doctor who is registered or licensed to practice in that country, or an Australian official at an embassy, consulate or high commission. This will provide overseas pensioners with multiple options for verifying their proof of life certificates, making this process as easy and practical as possible. This government is committed to maintaining a welfare system that is fair and sustainable. The measure introduced in this bill strengthens the integrity of the welfare system by making sure that Australian pensions are only being paid to pensioners who are still alive. Debate adjourned. Social Security (Administration) Amendment (Cashless Welfare) Bill 2019 10

Social Security (Administration) Amendment (Cashless Welfare) Bill 2019

First Reading 10 Second Reading 10 10:23 Mr FLETCHER L6B Bradfield I move: That this bill be now read a second time. Today I rise to speak on a bill that continues the government's work on one of the most positive developments in welfare for decades and demonstrates our commitment to make a real difference to the lives of all Australians. The Social Security (Administration) Amendment (Cashless Welfare) Bill 2019 makes a number of important changes to the trial of the cashless debit card that operates in the Ceduna, East Kimberley, Goldfields and Bundaberg and Hervey Bay regions. The cashless debit card program is delivering significant benefits for these communities. The program has the objective of reducing immediate hardship and deprivation, reducing violence and harm, encouraging socially responsible behaviour, and reducing the likelihood that welfare recipients will remain on welfare and out of the workforce for extended periods. The program is showing positive results. There have been over a dozen pieces of research done on both the cashless debit card and income management programs. Most recently, the baseline report into the Goldfields trial site has confirmed previous findings, with its key findings including decreases in drug and alcohol issues, decreases in crime and antisocial behaviour, improvements in child health and wellbeing, improved financial management, and ongoing—and even strengthened—community support. These findings are not new. The independent evaluation released in late 2017 states that the card has shown 'considerable positive impact' in the initial trial sites, including: 41 per cent of participants surveyed who drank alcohol reported drinking less frequently; 48 per cent of participants surveyed who used drugs reported using drugs less frequently; and 48 per cent of those who gambled before the trial reported gambling less often. The most consistent themes across all of this research mirror those of the two pieces of research I have just quoted. The bill continues the operation of the cashless debit card program but improves the processes introduced through recent non-government amendments for participants to exit the program. The amendments were put forward by the opposition to the Social Security (Administration) Amendment (Income Management and Cashless Welfare) Act 2019 in April this year. The government agreed to include these opposition amendments to allow cashless debit card participants to apply for an exit from the program on or after 1 July 2019 if they could demonstrate reasonable and responsible management of their financial affairs as a primary consideration, taking into account a number of secondary factors. The amendments also outlined that the local community body is the decision-maker for those who live in a trial area where there is a community body. For other trial areas, the Secretary of the Department of Social Services is the decision-maker. Since this amendment was introduced, consultation in all four of the current cashless debit card trial areas have identified concerns regarding the exit process. The government is introducing this legislation, following these consultations with communities, to ensure that there is an effective, consistent and fair process for participants to exit the cashless debit card program, while also continuing our commitment to provide the best support to people, families and communities in places where high levels of welfare dependence co-exist with high levels of social harm. To improve the operation of processes for participants to exit the cashless debit card program, the bill proposes a number of reforms to the application process and decision-making framework. Firstly, the bill provides that the Secretary of the Department of Social Services is the decision-maker for all cashless debit card exit applications. Community body representatives have stated that they do not support the exit process as it is currently designed, particularly the role of community bodies as the decision-maker. While ongoing consultation and engagement on the impact of the new exit process will continue with communities, including community bodies, providing that the Secretary of the Department of Social Services is the decision-maker for all exit applications will ensure consistency and fairness for all participants in the program. The bill also broadens the criteria for the exit provisions to allow the secretary to take into account a person's ability to manage their affairs generally. For example, the bill will enable the secretary to require the person seeking to exit to not only meet the criteria based on financial grounds but also take into account matters such as contact with authorities for non-financial reasons, such as child protection or family violence issues. The bill also enables the secretary to require the person seeking to exit to be able to demonstrate that they are acting in the best interest of children, family and the community, such as positive school attendance outcomes. The development of this change followed consultations where stakeholders stated that any process to exit the cashless debit card program should be based on a participant meeting social norms, consistent with the objectives of the program, as well as the current criteria relating to the management of their financial affairs. It is critical that we listen to this feedback and ensure that the cashless debit card maintains its focus on reducing social harm. Finally, the bill also clarifies that exit applications need to be in a form that is approved by the secretary and makes a number of minor amendments to move the exit and wellbeing exemption arrangements for the cashless debit card program under one subdivision in the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999, without any alteration to the existing wellbeing process. The bill will not change the effectiveness or day-to-day operation of the program. It simply proposes administrative amendments to the exit application process and streamlines legislative provisions around cashless debit card exit and exemption pathways in the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999. The government remains committed to the continuation of the cashless debit card to provide a strong social welfare safety net through reducing social harm in areas with high levels of welfare dependency and supporting vulnerable people, families and communities. I commend the bill to the House. Debate adjourned. Migration Amendment (Repairing Medical Transfers) Bill 2019 11

Migration Amendment (Repairing Medical Transfers) Bill 2019

Third Reading 11 10:30 The DEPUTY SPEAKER 248181 Is leave granted for the third reading? 10:30 Ms LEY 00AMN Farrer I move— The DEPUTY SPEAKER 248181 My question was: is leave granted for the third reading to be moved immediately? Mr Burke DYW The government might want to grant themselves leave, but we don't grant leave. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 248181 Leave has not been granted. 10:31 Mr DUTTON 00AKI Dickson I move: That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the motion for the third reading being moved without delay. The SPEAKER 10000 The question is that the motion moved by the minister be agreed to.

The House divided. [10:36]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)

 74 AYES Alexander, JG Allen, K Andrews, KJ Andrews, KL Archer, BK Bell, AM Broadbent, RE Buchholz, S Chester, D Christensen, GR Coleman, DB Conaghan, PJ Connelly, V Coulton, M Drum, DK (teller) Dutton, PC Entsch, WG Evans, TM Falinski, JG Fletcher, PW Flint, NJ Frydenberg, JA Gee, AR Gillespie, DA Goodenough, IR Hammond, CM Hastie, AW Hawke, AG Hogan, KJ Howarth, LR Hunt, GA Irons, SJ Joyce, BT Kelly, C Landry, ML Leeser, J Ley, SP Littleproud, D Liu, G Marino, NB Martin, FB McCormack, MF McIntosh, MI McVeigh, JJ Morrison, SJ Morton, B O'Brien, LS O'Brien, T O'Dowd, KD Pearce, GB Pitt, KJ Porter, CC Price, ML Ramsey, RE (teller) Robert, SR Sharma, DN Simmonds, J Stevens, J Sukkar, MS Taylor, AJ Tehan, DT Thompson, P Tudge, AE Van Manen, AJ Vasta, RX Wallace, AB Webster, AE Wicks, LE Wilson, RJ Wilson, TR Wood, JP Wyatt, KG Young, T Zimmerman, T 67 NOES Aly, A Bandt, AP Bird, SL Bowen, CE Burke, AS Burney, LJ Burns, J Butler, MC Butler, TM Byrne, AM Chalmers, JE Chesters, LM Clare, JD Claydon, SC Collins, JM Conroy, PM Dick, MD Dreyfus, MA Elliot, MJ Fitzgibbon, JA Freelander, MR Georganas, S Giles, AJ Gorman, P Gosling, LJ Haines, H Hayes, CP Hill, JC Husic, EN Jones, SP Kearney, G Kelly, MJ Keogh, MJ Khalil, P King, CF King, MMH Leigh, AK Marles, RD McBride, EM Mitchell, BK Mulino, D Murphy, PJ Neumann, SK O'Connor, BPJ O'Neil, CE Owens, JA Payne, AE Perrett, GD Phillips, FE Rowland, MA Ryan, JC (teller) Sharkie, RCC Shorten, WR Smith, DPB Snowdon, WE Stanley, AM (teller) Steggall, Z Swanson, MJ Templeman, SR Thistlethwaite, MJ Thwaites, KL Vamvakinou, M Watts, TG Wells, AS Wilkie, AD Wilson, JH Zappia, A 0 PAIRS

Question agreed to.

 10:40 Mr DUTTON 00AKI Dickson I move: That this bill be now read a third time. 10:41 Mr GILES 243609 Scullin I am very proud to stand in this House in support of the medevac process, which is working. I am very proud to stand here with all of my Labor colleagues and our friends on the crossbench in defence of Australian values of humanity, of looking after people in need in our care. This is something which is absolutely extraordinary in this debate. There are 77 members of the government in this chamber. How many of them spoke? How many of them put their names to speak? How many of them had the courage to set out in this place why they think the medevac system should be repealed? There were none. Not a single member other than the minister—the minister who had to introduce this legislation—spoke. I ask members on this side and members opposite to have a look at his second reading speech and to think about how much he had to say in working through the complex and detailed arguments that go to providing medical treatment for people in need in offshore centres. His speech couldn't have lasted more than 90 seconds, and yet it remains the sum total of the government's position in dealing with this critical question. He didn't even make a contribution to the summing up on this bill. And let us remember that this is a bill that will not, that cannot, come before the Senate until November. The government, this opposition in exile, put this legislation in the House and then had nothing to say about it—absolutely nothing to say about it! I'm concerned that there are members on the government benches who may have thoughts on the operation of this medical treatment process, who may have concerns about the government's agenda, but it is very disappointing that they did not embrace the virtues that they claim are part of the Liberal Party—the opportunity they have to speak their minds in this place, to put their values before the parliament. Ms Butler interjecting— Mr GILES 243609 It is more than disappointing, as the member for Griffith reminds me, that these people fight so hard to get here. They've been elected to this place to speak in this parliament and have chosen not to do so, either to express their support for this process, which they should do, because it is working, or to perhaps reject the mischaracterisation of this process, which they should do, because the minister has not been accurate in reflecting this process in the concerns that he has expressed—not in this place, unfortunately. He hasn't set them out into the Hansard. He has used inflammatory and divisive language entirely consistent with the tone of the government the member for Cook leads. He had the opportunity to work through any concerns he had with the process. He chose not to do so. That is perhaps the most telling indictment of the government's position on this. It is all politics. Consistently, we on this side of the House have shown our determination to put politics aside, to make sure that sick people can get medical attention based on medical advice. It's a pretty simple proposition, isn't it? There is at least one doctor on the other side of the House who I would have thought would have had some views on this matter. It is disappointing that we have not heard from the member for Higgins. Perhaps she was not allowed to make a contribution to this debate. I think we could all have benefited from her views on the operation of medical treatment, particularly for children. Some of the most egregious issues going to medical transfers prior to the introduction of the medevac regime related to children. I spoke in particular about a two-year-old child, who was evacuated under the previous arrangements. Mr Dutton interjecting— Mr GILES 243609 It's not a concession. It's a statement of fact. It wasn't working; the previous arrangements compromised the health of a two-year-old child. That is an absolutely shocking thing. Fifty-two transfers were affected previously before we took action with the crossbench and we took responsibility. Minister, you should have taken responsibility. Having not done so, you should do one of two things. You should either put the record straight and withdraw the extraordinary allegations and misrepresentations you have made, or put clearly the concerns you have about the detailed operation of the scheme. You haven't done so for one simple reason: it is because you cannot. For all your talk about the concerns you have about the operation of the scheme— Mr Dutton interjecting— Mr GILES 243609 The Minister for Home Affairs has not put forward his concerns because he cannot do so. There is still time for him; there is still plenty of time. There is a Senate committee process, which I'm sure his department will participate in. I am sure that that Senate committee process will make clear that this parliament, earlier this year, did the right thing. We stood up for humanity without compromising our borders. The challenge for members opposite is to do exactly that. Let us keep in place something that is working. 10:46 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler The fact is you can be strong on borders without being weak on humanity, and that's what this legislation is about. Why do we support this legislation? We support it because of our commitment to basic humanity. That basic commitment says that if someone is sick then you should look after them and give them care. It is a basic proposition that says that these people are our responsibility. It's a basic principle that you shouldn't just turn your back on suffering. That's why we worked, and tried to work, across the parliament—and particularly worked with the crossbenchers—to achieve this outcome last year. The fact is that the only person undermining border security at the moment is the minister with his rhetoric. He sends a message each and every day, at every opportunity, that somehow legislation such as this undermines our national security and undermines our border security, when, in fact, he knows that this is not true. Then again, this is a minister who is an expert at inflammatory rhetoric. It's not surprising that, on other issues that are being debated in the national political arena at the moment, such as a voice to this parliament for First Nations people, the minister has stuck with the line that it's a third chamber. Even the member for New England has reversed that position but, then again, he did walk out on the national apology. We should always remember that that was his response there. The minister knows full well that the border argument is nonsense. The legislation passed by this parliament only applies to the people who were already, at the time of the passing of the legislation, on Nauru and Manus Island. Anyone who arrives by boat, or attempts to arrive by boat, simply isn't eligible and isn't relevant for this legislation. It's as simple as that. That was a sensible proposition to ensure that—if there was any doubt about it—this legislation could not provide a pull factor. That is why this is simply not a fact from the minister. The way that the minister told it, the moment the medevac legislation was passed, the horizon would be full of an armada of boats. Remember that? They were all going to be here within days. Everyone on Manus and Nauru were going to be here and there'd be an armada on the horizon. We had the infamous media conference on Christmas Island. The palm trees at Cronulla Beach would've done the same job. They could have gotten some little plastic red crabs and pretended it was Christmas Island, if they wanted to do that. Mr Snowdon interjecting— Mr ALBANESE R36 Warren, the member for Lingiari, could have provided it, because it's in his electorate of course. But they had that extraordinary press conference in order to create fear and promote division. Of course, none of their rhetoric has matched the reality. We're now in July, some seven months after the legislation was carried, and what have we found? We've found that, of those people who have been brought to Australia to receive medical assistance, less than 10 per cent of those have been brought under this legislation. More than 90 per cent were brought without this legislation. Ninety were brought here under this legislation, but pretty close to 1,000 people had been brought here already. The minister's own rhetoric is that the boats that have attempted to come here since this legislation was carried have been from the north. They haven't been from the north; they've been from the west. They've been from Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka had a devastating terrorist attack over Easter. In the wake of that there have been some boats arriving here. I don't know the motivation of people, because I'm not privy to that. The government, of course, is privy to that, and so are journalists briefed by the government about these national security issues for political partisan purposes. What I do know is that those asylum seekers have been returned. That's the government's policy. That's Labor's policy. That's not an issue for this legislation whatsoever. Maybe the minister could actually have a read of his policy just to jog his memory about it. He could take up the Prime Minister's dictum of, 'How good is reading your own policy?' Maybe that would be a good thing. When you have 1,000 people brought here by the government and only 90 going through the medevac process, it's hard to see why the government is putting this position forward. Even for someone who appears to struggle with basic facts as much as this minister, the legislation is very clear. It's very straightforward. It allows for the minister himself to appoint the committee that makes the decisions about medical evacuations. Really, the minister's position on this is a vote of no confidence in himself because he appoints the committee that makes the decisions and he says that's a disaster, so the minister is calling himself a disaster in terms of his position. You would think that that had escaped his knowledge, but the legislation is working. It works as it was designed. A number of the objections have been upheld by the committee when the issues have been raised. Given that his committee has been a success, the minister shouldn't be coming here with this legislation. He should be giving himself a little pat on the back for doing so well. He could even practise his smile. Remember that? How good is the smile? Cheer up, son. It's not that bad; your legislation is working. Opposition members interjecting— Mr ALBANESE R36 You are. This mob over there are the most miserable winners of an election I've seen. They should cheer up. But instead of that, what we're seeing is a government acting on its only instinct. The member for Warringah's gone—replaced by a much better version, it must be said, who gave a terrific first speech in this place—but his spirit lives on, this determination to oppose things. This minister is even opposing himself now. They've gone to the next logical step of saying no to everything. Now they're saying no to this legislation, which the minister is in control of because he appoints the committee and presides over these processes. I say to the parliament that they should reject this attempt to undermine this legislation. We should be proud of the fact that we've carried legislation in a difficult area that's making a difference, which is consistent with the government's own policies because it does nothing to undermine our borders, and it is very important that that occur. This is all about politics. They sat around in their tactics committee and they worked out, 'What have we got for the agenda for the third term?' They've said: 'We'll just oppose the Labor Party. We'll work out where we can have a little wedge and that's what we'll advance on.' You can't do that for three years. This legislation should be rejected. It will undermine legislation that is working, that's consistent with the framework, that doesn't provide any pull factors and that's providing health care for people in need. That is something that is just basic decency, basic humanity, and that's why the parliament should continue to support the medevac legislation. 10:56 Mr KATTER HX4 Kennedy Where I come from, we have a saying: when your neighbour starts preaching religion, look for your branding iron. On one occasion, I was preaching religion and an old cocky said, 'You know the saying: when your neighbour starts preaching religion?' I said, 'Yes.' He said, 'When your politician starts preaching religion reach for your shooting iron.' We have a basic mistrust of ideology. We find that ideology is usually at our expense when we live in a world where we have to grow something and produce something to get paid for it. This debate has always fascinated me. I have written and published a history book by Murdoch press. Kevin Rudd was kind enough to launch it to over a thousand people in Sydney and Barrie Cassidy was kind enough to launch it to over a thousand people in Melbourne. In that history book, I touched upon the refugee problem, particularly concerning Jewish people in Europe. There were seven million refugees at the end of the war and none of them got on boats to come to Australia. They were fleeing across the border for their lives, firstly from the Nazis and then from the communists. The poor Jewish people—our country will wear the black mark on its soul forever that we took 15,000 of those poor people and six million of them perished in the death camps. We'll have to live with that as a nation. Some will say, 'You are doing the same thing again now.' No, we're not. These people fled in terror across the border to get away. This is not fleeing across the border. They're not fleeing from. They are going to. The Burmese that have fled are in Malaysia. The people in the Second World War were in Europe. Have a look at your globe. They are on one side of the globe and Australia is on the other side of the globe. That's not fleeing from; that's going to. Where are they going to? People say, 'You know, your mob out there—I've got at least one forebear that came from the Middle East. I come from an area where very heavily the Afghan camel drivers are most certainly huge numbers of our people—I might argue they're the greatest of our citizens. So, what's different? They came to this country because they knew there was an opportunity to provide a service, have a business, make a lot of money and improve their lot. They came here and they knew they could make a contribution and make money out of it. Now, that is a hell of a difference from people that are jumping on a boat and going to Sydney and sitting on welfare. Well, you've got your chance. You can have your say, my friend, but you're the same mob that refused to let the Jews in. And, quite frankly, our policies at the present moment are not very partial to the Sikhs, the Jews and the Christians. If you're going to let people in from the Middle East and from Africa, surely, precedence should be given to the clearly identifiable persecuted minorities. The Sikhs, depending on who you want to listen to—4,000, or maybe 20,000, were murdered in one year in India and Pakistan. Surely the Sikhs—and I make no apologies for being their representative in this place—should be given precedence over someone who decides to get on a boat and travel right around the world to come to a nation where our welfare payments are $60,000 and they're coming from nations where their income is $5,000. Surely, the preference should be given to the Sikhs, the Jews and the Christians—identifiable persecuted minorities from this area. I've used the example of refugees—Burma, World War II. There are two nations—I have read about in the newspapers and the media—that do not take refugees in the Middle East. Those two countries are Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. They're not going to take them. Saudi Arabia, the leading nation in the world promoting, defending and protecting the Islamic religion, will not take refugees. Why? Because there are grave dangers in taking refugees. And I can speak with authority, because the gentleman that walked out here couldn't sit and tolerate this. There were three people stabbed to death in the Kennedy electorate—this is not in Sydney; this is in North Queensland. The gentleman yelled out proselytising comments while stabbing three people to death in Clare, a farming area. One of them came back to life. The other recent mass murder was in Sydney, where, again, that person would fit into the category of refugees. So, you bring them in but you leave others behind and say: 'No. No Sikhs can come here, no Christians can come here, no Jews can come here, but we'll take these people any time they want to climb on a boat.' You will live with the same shame and the same condemnation that those governments before the war lived with and our poor nation has to live with, because we, on racial lines and ideological lines, refused to allow those people to come to this nation. Why would you not leave those countries? Almost every single one of them is on fire. You would desperately want to leave those countries. And why wouldn't you want to go to a country with the highest welfare payments probably in the world? I'll make a political comment here. The ALP, according to the figures that have been provided to me, allowed 80,000 people to come in on refugee boats. So, anyone who decides they want to jump on a boat, under the ALP, can get in here, right? You've got to think about that. There are some decent people on both sides of this parliament. To the decent people in the ALP, please think about this. If you're saying that anyone can get on a boat and come any time they feel like it, think about that. Why wouldn't the whole of Egypt climb on a boat and come over here? It's arguably the poorest country on earth, and it comes across to what should be the richest country on earth. Why wouldn't all of them come here? Now, under the LNP—and I'm no great fan of the LNP; we're about to have a big fight over industrial matters, but in this case I have to give them full marks—they have simply stopped that from happening. Before that, anyone who decided to get on a boat could come to Australia—80,000 of them. Under the LNP, no, you can't get on a boat and come here any time you feel like it. Everyone in this parliament would've seen decent people that wanted to come to Australia get knocked back. We can only take so many people, so we've got to knock some back. But you don't have to be knocked back if you come on a boat, if the ALP is in power. I plead with the good people in the ALP to think about what I'm saying. If this medevac act is fair dinkum—and I don't know if the report is correct; I have no way of verifying it, but I'd appreciate it if the minister would verify it. According to TheSydney Morning Herald, I think,there were 332 applications, out of some 400 people on the island, the day after the medevac bill got passed or put into the parliament. Immediately they saw it as a way of getting into this country, simply as a ticket. People that could climb on a boat, knowing they could come here, came here but got caught. Now they've found there's another way of climbing on a boat and getting here. It's called medevac. As a person who has published a history book, as an aspiring historian with a great knowledge and love of my country—as I hope everyone else here has—I would say that we have the shame of what happened before the war. Six million Jewish people were murdered. Hitler's first preference was for them to leave. He ordered them to leave, and no-one on earth would take them. We wouldn't take them. And I hate to say it, because my family are very strong people— (Time expired) The SPEAKER 10000 The question is that the bill be now read a third time.

The House divided. [11:11]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)

 77 AYES Alexander, JG Allen, K Andrews, KJ Andrews, KL Archer, BK Bell, AM Broadbent, RE Buchholz, S Chester, D Christensen, GR Coleman, DB Conaghan, PJ Connelly, V Coulton, M Drum, DK (teller) Dutton, PC Entsch, WG Evans, TM Falinski, JG Fletcher, PW Flint, NJ Frydenberg, JA Gee, AR Gillespie, DA Goodenough, IR Hammond, CM Hastie, AW Hawke, AG Hogan, KJ Howarth, LR Hunt, GA Irons, SJ Joyce, BT Katter, RC Kelly, C Laming, A Landry, ML Leeser, J Ley, SP Littleproud, D Liu, G Marino, NB Martin, FB McCormack, MF McIntosh, MI McVeigh, JJ Morrison, SJ Morton, B O'Brien, LS O'Brien, T O'Dowd, KD Pasin, A Pearce, GB Pitt, KJ Porter, CC Price, ML Ramsey, RE (teller) Robert, SR Sharma, DN Simmonds, J Stevens, J Sukkar, MS Taylor, AJ Tehan, DT Thompson, P Tudge, AE Van Manen, AJ Vasta, RX Wallace, AB Webster, AE Wicks, LE Wilson, RJ Wilson, TR Wood, JP Wyatt, KG Young, T Zimmerman, T 69 NOES Albanese, AN Aly, A Bandt, AP Bird, SL Bowen, CE Burke, AS Burney, LJ Burns, J Butler, MC Butler, TM Byrne, AM Chalmers, JE Chesters, LM Clare, JD Claydon, SC Coker, EA Collins, JM Conroy, PM Dick, MD Dreyfus, MA Elliot, MJ Fitzgibbon, JA Freelander, MR Georganas, S Giles, AJ Gorman, P Gosling, LJ Haines, H Hayes, CP Hill, JC Husic, EN Jones, SP Kearney, G Kelly, MJ Keogh, MJ Khalil, P King, CF King, MMH Leigh, AK Marles, RD McBride, EM Mitchell, BK Mulino, D Murphy, PJ Neumann, SK O'Connor, BPJ O'Neil, CE Owens, JA Payne, AE Perrett, GD Phillips, FE Rowland, MA Ryan, JC (teller) Sharkie, RCC Shorten, WR Smith, DPB Snowdon, WE Stanley, AM (teller) Steggall, Z Swanson, MJ Templeman, SR Thistlethwaite, MJ Thwaites, KL Vamvakinou, M Watts, TG Wells, AS Wilkie, AD Wilson, JH Zappia, A 0 PAIRS

Question agreed to.
Bill read a third time.

 COMMITTEES 18 COMMITTEES Membership 18 11:17 The DEPUTY SPEAKER DZP I have received a message from the Senate informing the House of the change in membership of certain joint committees. As the list is a lengthy one, I do not propose to read it to the House. Details will be recorded in Votes and Proceedings. BILLS 18 BILLS Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty Consequential Amendments Bill 2019, Passenger Movement Charge Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2019, Treasury Laws Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2019 18

Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty Consequential Amendments Bill 2019

Passenger Movement Charge Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2019

Treasury Laws Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2019

Second Reading 18 11:17 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler This is, indeed, uncontroversial legislation but there's been anything but an uncontroversial lead-up to it being presented in this parliament. It must be said that some of that lead-up has not done a great deal for Australia's standing as good neighbours to one of the newest nations on the planet. But Labor will, of course, be supporting this legislation because it is critical, as we move forward with our friends in Timor-Leste. Indeed, I am looking forward to travelling with the Prime Minister to Timor-Leste next month for the 20 years commemoration of the popular consultation which led to Timor-Leste's independence. The treaty enforcement will be an important component of that. It is important that this legislation pass the parliament during this fortnight's sitting so that the Prime Minister and I can indicate to the leadership and, importantly, to the people of Timor-Leste that Australia does indeed mark that commemoration as friends, not as people in conflict over what is the absolutely critical single factor in economic growth and, therefore, an improvement in living standards for the people of Timor-Leste. The treaty replaces the treaty and joint administration arrangements between our two nations made in 2003, and the treaty recognises new maritime borders for Timor-Leste. We on this side of the House are proud of the role that we played as a political party. Of course, many people in the Australian Labor Party—I think of my friend Robert Tickner and many others—played a very long role. I think of Laurie Brereton, of the member for Lingiari and of the member for Solomon and the critical roles that they have played. The former member for Page, Janelle Saffin—a very close friend of the leadership and people of Timor-Leste—and, indeed, the member for Sydney, who was shadow minister for foreign affairs, raised the issue of ensuring that Australia behaved honourably on these issues. While Timor-Leste now has the petroleum rights within its maritime boundaries, it recognises Australian oil and gas companies' current operations in the Timor Gap. The treaty allows for a Greater Sunrise special regime area to be established. That includes the Sunrise and Troubadour gas fields. The special regime area will be jointly administrated by Australia and Timor-Leste, with a revenue-sharing arrangement expected to benefit Australia by between $2 billion and $8 billion over the life of the resource. Two international areas will also be implemented for gas pipeline corridors. The government will introduce a tax amendment to the treaty bill that ensures that no Australian company will be worse off because of the treaty. The treaty demonstrates Australia's commitment to international law and rules, Australia's intention to have robust bilateral relations with Timor-Leste and to jointly develop the Greater Sunrise gas fields. Labor warmly welcomed the signing of the historic treaty in March 2018 between our two countries, establishing their maritime boundaries in the Timor Sea. The treaty brings to an end more than 40 years of uncertainty over our shared maritime border and vindicates the strong position taken by Labor to take decisive steps to settle our dispute with Timor-Leste. Labor believes the maritime boundary dispute with Timor-Leste strained our bilateral relations and that it was very much in the national interests of both our countries to resolve this dispute in a fashion which didn't see a winner and a loser but saw a winner and another winner. We believe that this is what this legislation codifies. We're therefore very pleased that this treaty is the first ever to be achieved by conciliation under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Australia and Timor-Leste have agreed that, from the date that the treaty enters into force, Timor-Leste will receive all future upstream revenue derived from petroleum activities from the Kitan oilfield and Bayu-Undan gas field. Previously, both Australia and Timor-Leste received benefits from revenue derived from petroleum activities in the JPDA, including these two fields. In addition, Australia and Timor-Leste have agreed that the Buffalo oilfield, which previously fell within the continental shelf of Australia, will fall within the continental shelf of Timor-Leste and that Timor-Leste will receive all future revenue from that oilfield. The development of the Greater Sunrise fields is expected to yield significant revenue over the life of the project. The divergent revenue estimate of $2 billion to $8 billion is dependent on the terms of the development concept that is still to be agreed between Australia, Timor-Leste and the Greater Sunrise joint venture for the development of the Greater Sunrise fields. The exact financial benefit to Australia will depend upon a range of factors, including this concept, as well as the economics of the project and prevailing market prices for oil and gas. In the previous parliament these bills were referred to a committee and evidence was provided that the length of time required for a treaty that recognised Timor-Leste's claims to be negotiated and signed had in some quarters undermined Australia's international standing. It is important that Australia is recognised as a trusted partner with our closest neighbours. The Australian government has had six years to work on the treaty and now there is timing pressure to pass the bills before those 20th anniversary celebrations. Yesterday the government introduced tax legislation to ensure that the treaty can come into force. Labor has agreed to not send the tax legislation to a committee, because we want to make sure that there is speedy passage of this legislation over the next fortnight. It is, indeed, time critical. It shouldn't be viewed that this is a precedent for how we deal with tax legislation. We recognise this as a one-off occasion. It is in our national interest that this occurs. It is important to recognise though—and I say this to the new Leader of the House, who's struggling with the procedures before this House—that these bills were first introduced on 28 November last year and were not dealt with in the 45th Parliament. It is up to the government to prioritise its legislation. I suggest they prioritise legislation based upon the national interest rather than play politics. This is a good example of bills that should have been an absolute priority. Labor will ensure that they go through. I've been very pleased to have an association on a personal level with Timor-Leste. Tom Uren was my father figure and mentor. Tom was captured in Timor in World War II before he went on what he called his tour throughout Asia, which included the Burma-Siam railway, Changi Prison in Singapore, and Japan, where he saw from a distance the second nuclear bomb dropped on Nagasaki. He never forgot the support that Australian troops were given by the people of what we then called East Timor. Australia has particular obligations to this fledgling nation because of the sacrifice that they made to assist Australia's troops during our darkest hour in World War II when our nation was under threat. Australia hasn't always repaid that debt in an appropriate way. This legislation does that. When Tom passed away, having received the highest honour from the government of East Timor—the Order of Timor-Leste medal—the government issued a release describing him as a man of dignity and courage, who always stood up. The one memorial in Australia to the troops who were captured in East Timor—and it's a joint one acknowledging the sacrifice of the people of East Timor—is in my electorate in Marrickville Park. It's unfortunate that there is not more recognition of what occurred. In June I appointed the member for Solomon to head our special regional trade task force of the caucus to work with the shadow minister for trade and to work with caucus colleagues. That will focus on trade links with the Asia-Pacific region. It is particularly important that we increase our engagement with Timor-Leste, as well as with Papua New Guinea—and I got to meet the PNG Prime Minister earlier this week—Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia. There is a real prospect of us being good neighbours in terms of how we deal with them. We need to deal with them in a way that is mutually beneficial to our economies. We live in a region in which we are seeing an explosion in the growth of the middle class. The growth in our region is the fastest economic growth that we have seen at any time in human history, including the Industrial Revolution that spurred Europe into dominance for a long period of time. That pales into insignificance compared with the growth we're seeing in our region at the moment. We need to be good neighbours. We need to recognise the opportunity that is there to assist our neighbours, particularly assisting people to get out of poverty. That is in our interest. It is also in our economic interest and our interest in the way that we stand in the world, our place in the world, to be good neighbours. Because it's gone through a conciliation process rather than the big guys trying to use their power over the little guys through economic dominance, this is a very good thing indeed. I commend the legislation to the House, I thank the shadow minister for the work that he has done and I look forward to being in Timor-Leste next month. 11:31 Mr FITZGIBBON 8K6 Hunter I begin by congratulating the Leader of the Opposition, who just demonstrated here in this place his deep understanding of the people of Timor-Leste, his deep understanding of the relationship between our two countries, his very strong knowledge of the history between our two countries, his deep commitment to further developing and strengthening our relationship and, most importantly, his remembering what the East Timorese people have done for Australia in the past and the importance of remembering and acknowledging that whenever we're engaged in conversation or negotiation with our near neighbour. Next month, as the opposition leader reminded us, our friends to the north will celebrate 20 years of independence. It's a source of joy for all of us that this treaty will be ratified in time for the celebration of that occasion. As the opposition leader indicated, Labor will not ask again for this bill to go to any committee process, because we want to ensure that it is ratified in time for that very important celebration. As the opposition leader also said, this is an uncontroversial bill, but the path to securing this place has been anything but uncontroversial. We've been too long arriving here, and as a nation we have to be frank and say we have not covered ourselves in glory. It's been a rough road, a tough road and a long road. Like the Leader of the Opposition, I want to acknowledge some people in our party who have played significant roles in bringing us to this point today. The first is my good friend Laurie Brereton, the former member for Kingsford Smith, who in my view pushed the greatest shift in foreign policy in this country that we've seen since the Second World War but did so from opposition. In my view, that is an extraordinary achievement. As the Leader of the Opposition did, I also acknowledge the member for Sydney who, as the shadow minister for foreign affairs, recommitted Labor and redoubled our efforts to ensure that the treaty negotiations were put back on track and absolutely committed us to subjecting ourselves to international legal arbitration and to accepting the outcomes of that arbitration and conciliation. It was something, sadly, the Howard government refused to do. As defence minister, I had the very good fortune of visiting East Timor on more than one occasion. My last visit there was on 6 March 2009, and it was a particularly rewarding one. I was joined by then Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao to officially open the specialist training wing for the East Timor defence force, which we had built for them. We flew by helicopter to Metanaro and opened that facility, and it was most rewarding to know we were doing such substantial things to assist them in their efforts to keep stability in the country and to protect their sovereignty as a nation. Of course, that defence cooperation program was not begun by the Rudd government; it was well and truly commenced by the Howard government, and I acknowledge that. There was good work done by both the major political parties on that front. I just want to acknowledge a couple of other people. First of all, there is the member for Lingiari. I have with me, just by chance, speeches by the member for Lingiari that go back to 1987. I spoke about the Leader of the Opposition's full comprehension of the history of East Timor, both the positives and the negatives, the happy and the sad. But, in my view, no-one in this place would have a more comprehensive understanding of the issues and the people of East Timor than the member for Lingiari, who has been a very solid defender of their interests in this place for all of that time. Not all his words have necessarily been totally consistent on every occasion with the policies of the Australian Labor Party, and I give him very great credit for that. It's something of which he should be very proud. Over that time he has scoped well beyond the issue of maritime boundaries to the complexities of our relationship with Indonesia, the role of oil and gas companies—particularly throughout the 2000s—our attitude on the maritime boundaries and our intervention through the defence forces. Of course, the member for Lingiari was the Minister for Veterans' Affairs when I was the Minister for Defence. He's had a deep-seated interest in these matters for many, many years. The Leader of the Opposition referred to the enormous assistance that the East Timorese gave Australia throughout the course of the Second World War. He reminded me that, in 1942, the 2/2 and 2/4 independent companies—now known as the commandos—were well known to many Australians who were actively engaged in East Timor. But he also reminded me that some 40,000 East Timorese lost their lives throughout the course of the Second World War. That should be something that's always at the forefront of our minds when we're entering into negotiations with our near and, of course, very, very poor neighbour. It is a country with, we all trust and hope, a very bright future. But it is a country still very much in its developing stage. It is a country that will have a lot of work to do if it is to meet our aspirations for it and, of course, its own people's aspirations for their own country. I also want to mention the member for Solomon. I was just referring to the commandos, and the member for Solomon is himself a former member of the commandos and, of course, the Australian Army. He's done his country great honour with his contribution as a soldier under the Australian flag, but he continues to make a contribution towards our relationship and towards the growth and prosperity of Indonesia here, as a member of parliament. Indeed, his brother, Lieutenant Colonel Dan Gosling, is currently serving in East Timor. His family has made a magnificent contribution. I'm not going to read into the record the technical details, because the Leader of the Opposition has done that for me by taking the opportunity to speak first. For those listening in galleries, I'm going to try to simplify what we're trying to achieve with these bills, which will give effect to or ratify a treaty, a treaty which has been 15 years at least in the making. Below the oceans, in the gap between our two countries, are very, very rich oil and gas fields which will deliver in the future great revenues to a very poor country. But for many, many years, we've had a dispute about who owns those revenues. We've had various attempts to change the boundaries in a way which delivers a better outcome for the East Timorese people. So, obviously, if a gas field, or oil field, on one side of the boundary is closer to Timor-Leste, it's their revenue. If it's on this side of the border closer to Australia, it's our revenue. There are two approaches to where those boundaries historically lie. There's the idea of using Australia's continental shelf. There is still a land mass beyond our seashore or taking an equal distance approach—that is, the halfway line between the two countries. We, for many years, took a continental shelf approach, which delivered more ownership for Australia at the expense of the poor fledgling nation of Timor-Leste. It gets more complicated than that because, for a period, we had a joint development area which was a sharing arrangement. However, finally this treaty will give effect to a new boundary which is much closer to Timor-Leste—sorry, the other way, actually—and will put more of the resources into the area of that underground land mass which falls into the jurisdiction of Timor-Leste. This treaty will give them enormous amounts of revenue—probably more than we ever give in foreign aid. It will give them a new source of independence. It's very, very good news for them and it's very good news for us because what we are doing today is honouring what we say about our own approach to the international community, our approach to social justice and our approach to fairness and equity. It's exactly where Australia should be, and we can all collectively be proud of where we've landed with the consideration of these bills. The oil and gas industry is a very, very important one to Australia. I'm very proud to be, once again, serving as the Labor Party's spokesperson in this area. I said at a petroleum and gas function here in Parliament House last night that the Leader of the Opposition has put me in this role as a clear signal to the industry that we support it, we acknowledge its importance and we recognise its amazing contribution to the economy and to jobs in this country. I intend to ensure that that is Labor's very strong message and that we will continue to produce policies conducive to facilitating more and more investment in the sector and therefore more growth in the sector, more output in the sector and more jobs in the sector. I'm very happy, in terms of doing that work, to have the member for Burt assisting me as the assistant shadow minister with a particular focus on Western Australia—Western Australia, a resource-rich state, critical to our national economy and a state in which we want to help further develop revenue opportunities in the near and the long-term future. I was very, very happy to attend a celebration last Wednesday night in Perth, hosted by Shell, where we marked the occasion of the first shipment of LNG from the Prelude project—a massive undertaking. It's a project now providing very significant jobs in the west, adding to the economy and providing much-needed gas to both Australia and the rest of the world. We need to be facilitating more gas exploration and exploitation in this country. Our economy—our manufacturing industry in particular—desperately needs supplies of gas. As a parliament, we need to be facilitating, at every opportunity, the further exploitation of those valuable reserves. I said last night that sometimes government can get in the way by doing things but government can also get in the way by not doing things. Our reluctance to extract more gas from our ground is a threat to our local economy. For example, dragging out decisions on tenements can be almost as bad as denying applications for further exploitation. We need to be very, very aware of that and conscious of it. We do need to work with state jurisdictions to ensure that, while we apply the most stringent environmental tests and put the appropriate hurdles in the way of these projects, we don't put the hurdles so high that they become unviable. This is not just important for our economy and our manufacturing sector but also important to households in Australia who desperately need affordable supplies of gas to their homes. The only way we're going to put long-term downward pressure on consumer prices and prices for businesses is to get more supply into the market, and it's absolutely critical that we do so. Going back to the bill, the Leader of the Opposition made the point that there will be amendments to our taxation arrangements to ensure that no Australian company is disadvantaged by the changes to the maritime boundaries. We'll do so by ensuring that the capital expenditure can still be deducted into the future, even though there won't be revenue sources from those same areas of investment—that's very, very important. The opposition supports those changes. There are also changes to the passenger movement charge, which make absolute sense. On that front, we'll be supporting those changes. We are very pleased, after a long and unhappy period of time, that the government is now putting these issues to bed. I won't have the opportunity to be there celebrating, as will the Leader of the Opposition, the 20th anniversary next week. I would dearly love to be there. My engagement with the people of Timor-Leste, both here and in their own country, leaves me with very, very fond memories. They were all very, very happy occasions. They are a wonderful people and they deserve to be given every opportunity to meet their aspirations and the aspirations of the international community for them. Let's hope that, together, we watch them rapidly grow and prosper over the coming decade. They've certainly earned that right. The road to independence, of course, wasn't an easy one. In fact, it was a violent one and an unhappy one, involving at one point the attempted assassination of President Ramos-Horta. They were very, very difficult times. I very fondly remember spending some time with the now Prime Minister—the chief of the defence force at that time. I'm just going to call him TMR, as most people do, because I have no idea how to pronounce his name properly, so I won't try. But I could see in his eyes, each time I had a conversation with him, the pain of many years in the jungles fighting for his people, and it was a wonderful thing to see him now in uniform, heading, at that time at least, the defence force. He's a remarkable person and a person I've developed a great deal of respect for. So, we all look forward to the ratification and the celebrations. It will be a good day for Australia, but it will certainly be a good day for Timor-Leste. 11:50 Mr GOSLING 245392 Solomon I want to acknowledge the Labor leader for his contribution to this debate on the Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty Consequential Amendments Bill 2019 and related legislation, and also the member for Hunter. Hopefully we'll hear from the member for Lingiari, my colleague from the Northern Territory, who's had a very long history working in solidarity with the people of Timor-Leste and supporters of Timor-Leste in Australia to assist in getting us to the position we're in today where we can have a fairer treaty that's a credit to both nations. The Labor leader acknowledged my friend Janelle Saffin, formerly the member for Page in this place. I really got to know her through my time working in Timor-Leste, and she did an enormous amount to get us to where we are today. There's a lot of history in these bills, which I'll refer to later. I've been very privileged to be part of Timor's story in more recent years through a time of development, through a time of restoring their independence. As the member for Hunter said, my brother Daniel is a lieutenant colonel in the Australian Army and is currently the team leader for the Defence Cooperation Program in Timor-Leste and continues to do a great job over there. I might be a bit biased in saying that my brother's doing a great job, but he really is. As a Portuguese and Tetum linguist, he was one of the first troops ashore with INTERFET 20 years ago, and he's there again now, continuing to assist the F-FDTL become a professional force and helping them to establish their own international peacekeeping capability, which is very important and a great credit to all of those countries and of course a great credit to TMR—Taur Matan Ruak—whom the member for Hunter mentioned was a guerrilla leader who became the chief of their defence force and is now the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste. So there's a lot of history here, and it would be remiss of me not to point out and get onto the Hansard some of it that we can be less proud of but also some of it that we can be extremely proud of. Kim McGrath's book Crossing the Line: Australia's Secret History in the Timor Sea sets out Australia's role in negotiations with Timor-Leste over the maritime boundary between the two nations and, sadly, the bullying tactics Australia used to gain greater access to the oil wealth in the Timor Sea. Allegedly, these tactics went as far as the installation of listening devices in the room used by the Timorese negotiating team during the 2004-05 negotiations on the Sunrise field. The principal negotiator for Australia during this period was the foreign minister of the time, Alexander Downer, a former member of this place. McGrath describes how Downer pounded the table as he bluntly warned that Australia could leave all the Timor Sea resources where they were until he got his way. That period—and I was in Timor-Leste in that period—did great damage to our relationship. Alexander Downer at the time said, 'We don't have to exploit the resources. They can stay there for 20, 40, 50 years,' whilst the Timorese tried to rebuild their country, one of the poorest countries in Asia, very dependent on that oil and gas revenue. The former foreign minister, Mr Downer, then retired from politics in 2008 and set-up a lobbying company with certain petroleum companies as his clients. I'm glad that we've moved past that. I'm very proud of the role that Labor has played to getting us where we are today, where the bills before the House give effect to a treaty between Australia and Timor-Leste recognising the extended maritime boundaries for Timor-Leste and making new arrangements for petroleum development and revenues. These bills go a long way to repairing our relationship with Timor-Leste, a relationship, as we've heard from the Labor leader, in which Australia has not always acted with honour. We did sign a new treaty in March of 2018, which did bring to an end more than 40 years of uncertainty over our shared maritime border. It also vindicated the strong position taken two years earlier by Labor under the leadership of the then deputy leader, Tanya Plibersek, the member for Sydney, where we took decisive steps to settle our dispute with Timor-Leste. I think it is worth reminding the House of what the member for Sydney said on 10 February 2016 at the National Press Club. The member for Sydney said: If we want to insist that other nations play by the rules, we also need to adhere to them. We have a good record in doing so, but not a flawless one. Timor-Leste suffered decades of war and starvation before gaining independence. Australia played a key role in securing that independence – a proud moment for many Australians. The maritime boundary dispute has poisoned relations with our newest neighbour. This must change, for their sake, and for ours. A Shorten Labor government will redouble efforts to enter good-faith negotiations with Timor-Leste to settle the maritime boundaries between our two countries. If we are not successful in negotiating a settlement with our neighbour we are prepared to submit ourselves to international adjudication or arbitration. It is in the national interest of both Australia and Timor-Leste that we do so, but just as importantly it is in the interest of the system itself that we are willing to freely participate in it. That address to the National Press Club was a result of many, many people's efforts, and certainly the leadership of the member for Sydney on this issue, to get us to that point which provided the catalyst which changed the nexus of this issue and got us on a path towards the treaty being signed. I also wanted to mention the efforts of our current shadow minister for foreign affairs, Senator Penny Wong, who reconfirmed Labor's commitment to multilateralism and a rules-based international system, and who said at the time of the treaty signing: We believe all nations benefit from abiding by international norms. If we want to insist that other nations play by the rules, we would adhere to them. We, of course, therefore are very pleased that this treaty is the first ever to be achieved by conciliation under the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea. Now that that treaty has been signed, bringing certainty over this region in the Timor Sea—north of my electorate in Darwin—we'll see the development of the Greater Sunrise gas field for the benefit of both Australia and Timor-Leste. I've indicated Labor's position, and I am very pleased that the signing of this brings to an end more than 40 years of uncertainty over this maritime border. I also want to mention quickly another aspect of the bill, which was alluded to by the member for Hunter, and that is in relation to the passenger movement charge amendments. I just want to make a quick ad: the Australian carrier that you can fly to Dili with, Airnorth, flies from Darwin to Dili daily. They currently have great tourism packages where you can fly to Darwin and then go over to East Timor, have a tour and stay in great accommodation. In addition to the oil and gas industry, the tourism industry is going to become a really sustainable part of Timor-Leste's economic future. So I commend travelling to Timor to everyone, with a warning: once you travel to Timor-Leste, it gets under your skin and you'll be going back again and again. My friend and former boss Jose Ramos-Horta—the former prime minister, foreign minister and President of Timor-Leste was one of the people I worked for when I was there—strongly believes Timor-Leste coffee to be to some form of aphrodisiac. So that is just a quick warning. Yes, it's true. Indeed, that's from Jose Ramos-Horta, and I'm not making it up. Just quickly, I want to acknowledge some of the people that introduced me to Timor-Leste's history. It has been a great privilege to get to know that country and people over the last 20 years. I've worked over there in a variety of roles. I established a charity in Timor-Leste; we built schools in the mountainous and isolated regions of Timor-Leste, education being such an important part of their future. Maternal health—maternal morbidity and mortality—is a serious problem in Timor-Leste. It's improving slightly, but it requires more focus from us. I was proud that we ran maternal health education programs in the districts of Timor-Leste. Serving in the Australian military, with the Timorese military, gave me an appreciation for the resilience of those people who lived and fought in the hills of Timor-Leste to restore their independence over those very difficult decades when they were very much isolated and weren't receiving much support at all. But some that were supporting the East Timorese during those difficult years were the veterans of the 2/2nd and 2/4th independent commando companies—Australian soldiers, like Paddy Kenneally. I want to acknowledge Paddy and his family—his lovely wife, Nora, and their children. Over the decades, Paddy never forgot the assistance that he was given by the East Timorese people. He's gone to God now, but Paddy used to always say that the Australian soldiers in East Timor would not have lasted five minutes in 1942 without the assistance of the Timorese people, who sheltered them and fed the commandos in the hills as they conducted what has come to be known as one of the greatest examples of guerilla warfare in modern times. With the assistance of the Timorese, a couple of hundred Australian commandos, at the height of the Japanese occupation of Timor-Leste, kept 20,000 Japanese soldiers away from places like the Kokoda Trail, where those Japanese troops could have been very important and might even have led to the Japanese taking Port Moresby. Many people don't appreciate the importance of the Timorese support to Australia during those very difficult years. In fact, the bombing in my electorate, the bombing of Darwin, was to stop the counterattack on the invasion of Timor-Leste. The invasion of Timor-Leste occurred on 19 and 20 February 1942, and the bombing of Darwin on 19 February 1942 was very much to stop us from going into Timor. A couple of hundred Australian commandos, with the assistance of the Timorese, fought on there without assistance for many months. But one thing they were always gutted by was the fact that we had then gone and turned our back on the people of Timor-Leste. I'm very proud to say that coming up is not only the 20th anniversary of them reclaiming their independence but also the 20th anniversary, on 20 September, of our Australian-led INTERFET force going back into Timor-Leste and helping to restore order, which, of course, led the way for the new nation of Timor-Leste to start self-governing. We wish them all the best. I want to again say how much I support this bill for both of our nations. Debate adjourned. BUSINESS 24 BUSINESS Rearrangement 24 GOVERNOR-GENERAL'S SPEECH 24 GOVERNOR-GENERAL'S SPEECH Address-in-Reply 24 12:05 The SPEAKER 00APG Before I call the honourable member for Reid, I remind the House that this is the honourable member's first speech, and I ask the House to extend to her the usual courtesies. 12:06 Dr MARTIN 282982 Reid Thank you, Mr Speaker. It is an honour and a privilege to address this House today as the new member for Reid, and I thank the people of Reid for the trust they have placed in me to represent them. As the federal member for Reid, I have been elected to serve and advocate on behalf of my constituency, and it is a privilege to serve a community that I grew up in and that I will now raise my family in. I would like to acknowledge the Wangal people of the Eora nation, the First Peoples to inhabit what we now know as the Division of Reid, and I pay my respects to all Indigenous elders past, present and emerging. It is hard to believe that it was only two months ago that I was standing alongside the many volunteers who supported me and the campaign as we watched the results pour in from across the electorate. The campaign was a whirlwind. I found myself facing a five-week sprint to the finish line against an opposition who had campaigned for over 12 months. There were many people who believed it would be impossible to run a successful campaign in such a short period. Others simply could not understand what would motivate me to enter the race at all, especially at a time when meaningful engagement with our democratic system is as its lowest in generations. I believe that, as Australians, we should celebrate our democracy. We are privileged to have the opportunity to cast a vote in our nation's elections and to take part in our nation's debate. Our democracy is made stronger by the participation of more Australians in political conversation, and, as a member of parliament, it will be my priority to engage with as many voters as I can to ensure the voices of our quiet Australians in Reid are represented in this place. I have always believed it is honourable to serve your community and your country. We must be the change we wish to see. We must be willing to put up our hands to serve, and that's what I did. I am proud to be the first female member for Reid and to work alongside so many accomplished women in this parliament. It is so important that women are represented in all levels of government, because women can bring a broader range of issues to the table and can use different methods to problem-solve, and that can only make us stronger. There were a number of key factors that led to our convincing win in May. The first was good leadership. The Prime Minister led us to victory through his strong convictions, through his humility and by placing the Australian people front and centre. He sought to rebuild the nation's trust in our political system by elevating the voices of quiet Australians. I can say with confidence that the strongest leadership is marked by authenticity, respect and a desire to serve—to place the needs of the public at the centre of every decision and debate. This is exactly what it means to truly serve your community. Good leadership requires one to be fixed on a goal but flexible on the details. As Sir Robert Menzies remarked in 'The Forgotten People' speech, the ingredients of a good leader are flexibility of mind, constructive capacity and marked judgment. And as Australia's longest-serving Prime Minister, he was clearly onto something. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has truly modelled this transformational leadership not only for our party but for our country. Today I honour the clear vision and drive he has demonstrated and will no doubt continue to demonstrate as leader of our nation. During the campaign, the majority of Australians were able to see the difference a strong economy makes. Investment in key infrastructure and services, delivering personal income tax cuts and support for small businesses and families were significant issues that needed to be addressed. And what a strong start as a member of parliament to be part of a government that has already delivered on tax cuts and is getting on with the work we were elected to do. As a small-business owner myself, I understand the hard work that goes into running a business, the pride you have in delivering your products and services to the community and the challenges and risks that small-business owners face. Reid's thousands of small businesses are as diverse as our cultural heritage and they're often family owned. As a government, we have never doubted the value of small businesses. Only we truly understand that small businesses are the backbone of the Australian economy and we can promise to never take for granted the business community or the jobs it provides. The electorate of Reid is named after the Right Honourable Sir George Houston Reid, a former Premier of New South Wales and the fourth Prime Minister of Australia. Like me, George Reid believed in liberalism and understood the importance of free trade and the benefits of free enterprise in building our country's prosperity. Reid is a beautiful electorate to live in, to do business in or just to visit. It stretches from Drummoyne's marina to its most western point in Silverwater, from Rhodes on the Parramatta River down to Strathfield. Its bustling urban setting is balanced by stunning waterfronts and green spaces. Reid is home to sprawling parks such as Bicentennial Park and historic sites including the Arnott's Biscuits factory in North Strathfield. Of course, Reid has flaunted itself on the world stage through its world-class entertainment and sporting facilities at Sydney Olympic Park. I remember, as a student of Rosebank College, standing with my peers in the early nineties at Homebush as we heard, 'And the winner is Sydney!' and all the celebrations of the 2000 Olympics that followed. Reid is a corridor that links Sydney's eastern CBD to the growing western CBD. It was just over a week ago that I joined the Deputy Prime Minister and the NSW Premier in the opening of the first stage of WestConnex, a core piece of infrastructure that our city has needed. I'm looking forward to improvements to Homebush Bay Drive and working with local families and businesses to tackle other local traffic blackspots to get us home sooner and safer. I'm proud the coalition government has invested so much into local sporting and community infrastructure. I am passionate about sport and what sport offers to young people and I'm so pleased that I live in an electorate where local sporting groups such as the Strathfield Strikers, the Inner West Suburbs Netball Association and the Wests Tigers offer these exact opportunities to youth. I am looking forward to continuing this work. Education is the pillar of our society. Effective school and family partnerships are necessary for children to develop, learn and thrive. I'd like to acknowledge the outstanding government, Catholic and independent schools in Reid. It is our committed teachers and parents that make up our school communities and nurture our future leaders. It is important to acknowledge the role our heritage and personal history have in shaping our ways of leadership. My grandparents in particular were outstanding examples of everyday, ordinary leaders—leaders who served their families and communities. As the granddaughter of migrants, I understand the hard work, sacrifices and, in many cases, trauma, that motivated millions of people to come to Australia to build a better life for themselves and their children. My papou, Mark Barbouttis, migrated to Australia in 1926 from a small Greek island in the Aegean Sea, Kastellorizo. He would become a small business owner, trained in the Australian Air Force and eventually represented his local community as an alderman. His wife, my yiayia, Mersina Manettas, also from Kastellorizo, arrived a little later, in 1947. She lived through occupations and bombings, eventually became a refugee of the war and migrated to Australia in search of a better life. She and my papou had a desire to create a new home for their family in Australia. Australia is one of the most successful multicultural societies. We have become one of the most culturally diverse, yet socially cohesive, nations in the world. My electorate is one fine example of this—made up of people from different cultures, languages and religions. I have said on many occasions that being the member for Reid is like traveling around the world in one day. We have migrant communities from China, Korea, India, Italy, Greece, Lebanon and so many more, and the diversity of our people is visible in our streets. I have great admiration for those who, like my grandparents, uprooted their lives to make a go of it in this lucky country. It takes strength, resilience and courage to show that sort of leadership in everyday life. As a Liberal, I believe in the rights and freedoms of all people, including freedom to practice religion, culture and beliefs without intimidation or interference, as long as those practices are within Australian law. We respect and celebrate our diversity. And in the words of former Prime Minister John Howard, we should look to 'the things that unite us rather than the things that divide us'. While Reid's cultural diversity makes it unique, I have seen everyday leadership modelled through the strong veterans community that exists in our electorate. The service and sacrifice of our service men and women has shown Australia that leadership is not about obtaining authority or power, but is through exerting mateship, resilience and courage. When I look out of my office and see the Burwood War Memorial Arch, I am reminded of this. Concord hospital's historical ties to the Australian Army during the Second World War remind me of this. When I visit the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway in Rhodes, I am reminded me of this. My maternal grandfather, George Kenneth Dashwood, was 18 when he and his brother James enlisted in the Australian Army. During World War II, Poppy Dashwood was stationed in Darwin with the Australian Infantry Battalion before being discharged five years later. His brother James had a more harrowing fate, becoming a prisoner of war in Changi, Singapore. Their stories are part of our veteran community's collective story that again, to me, encapsulates what it means to be a leader. When I reflect on my years growing up in Reid, my education was instrumental in giving me the tools to be a good leader. After finishing school, I completed a degree in government and psychology—an odd combination at the time, but clearly something was emerging. My love of politics started at about 18 years of age when I joined the Young Liberals and became involved in student politics. During this time, I was surrounded by other young people who wanted to make a difference, many of whom remain friends to this day and supported me through the campaign, and some of whom sit in this place today. The values of the Liberal Party which I identified with as a young adult will pave the road I will walk during my time in parliament. I stand with a government that nurtures incentive and encourages aspiration. I stand with a government that protects the fundamental freedoms to allow democracy to flourish. I believe a society built on these principles is a strong society—one where we can protect those who may be vulnerable. During the completion of my PhD at the University of Sydney, my academic mentor, Emeritus Professor Susan Hayes, instilled in me the scientist-practitioner model and the importance of evidence based medicine, as well as the significance of early intervention in all aspects of disability and mental health policy. Consequently, much of my research has focused on early intervention for children with neurodevelopmental disorders, people with intellectual disabilities, improving the accuracy of children's eyewitness testimony and the important area of resilience. Resilience is the foundation for good mental health. Resilience is key not only to our individual mental health but to the wellbeing of our society and our democracy. Our ability to recover from setbacks through flexibility and fortitude is necessary in federalism as much as it is necessary in our day-to-day lives. Good fiscal management is not in opposition to providing evidence based health services and supports, but rather it is the means through which it can be achieved. One of the biggest challenges our country faces in the 21st century is the mental and psychological wellbeing of our citizens. My professional career as a psychologist has infused me with a strong desire to see all Australians realise their full potential, develop resilience and better cope with life's many challenges. I come from a unique position. I've been a clinician for over 15 years and an academic researcher, and I am now a member of parliament. I have the opportunity to bring this experience from the front line to contribute to policy to help close the evidence-policy gap. The need for innovative research and a strong policy agenda represents one of our greatest opportunities and challenges in the field of not only mental health but health care more broadly. Placing an emphasis on prevention and early intervention is the key to addressing an array of mental health conditions so we can combat the many societal issues that arise from poor mental health. It is a tragic statistic that suicide remains a leading cause of death for Australians aged between 15 and 44. Few among us have not been impacted by suicide. It has become a silent epidemic. While the link between suicide and mental disorders is well established, many suicides happen impulsively in moments of crisis, with a breakdown in the ability to deal with life stresses. We must recognise that some groups are at greater risk. Suicide rates are higher among men, among Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander people and among our veteran communities. By far the strongest risk factor for suicide is a previous suicide attempt. Those most at risk are the people who have recently been discharged from hospital. And this is where effective discharge plans, follow-up care and support are vital. Suicides are preventable with timely, evidence based and often low-cost interventions. This is why our government is providing greater support for all Australians needing mental health and suicide prevention services. It is our national priority to work towards a zero suicide goal, and I look forward to using my professional skills and taking an active role in the work that must be done to reduce our suicide rates. Poor mental health often affects more than just the person and can have a terrible impact on those around them. Prioritising mental health is at the core of addressing a number of societal problems in this country, but particularly domestic violence. Living free of violence is everyone's right and reducing violence is everyone's business. We must continue to make reducing violence a priority. All forms of violence against women and children are unacceptable in any community and in any culture. We must acknowledge that women and children are far more vulnerable to family violence, often, tragically, leading to fatalities. More than three million Australian women have since the age of 15 experienced violence by an intimate partner. Police respond to a domestic violence incident every two minutes. People who witness partner violence as children are two to four times more likely to experience partner violence as adults. Since 2013 the coalition government have invested $840 million on programs and services for survivors of domestic, family and sexual violence. I commend the government in particular for its 1800RESPECT service, offering a one-stop shop to support Australians who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing domestic violence. Investment in women's and children's safety is critical to the wellbeing and success of our nation. While intervention and recovery services for victims are absolutely essential, if we want to substantially reduce domestic and family violence, we must see domestic and family violence as a mental health problem. I am proud to be part of a government that has invested more money into mental health than any other previous government. However, scientific evidence should take a greater role in informing our decisions when it comes to mental health and domestic violence. There will always be more work to be done. Before I express my gratitude to the people who supported me I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge my Labor opponent. I wish him all the best in his future endeavours. I'd like to thank my predecessor, Craig Laundy, the former member for Reid. He had been a strong and passionate voice for our community since 2013. His guidance, support and advice through the campaign were vital to our strong result in Reid. I know he's very happy to be back as a publican. I'm looking forward to many more words of advice over the years to come. Mr John Sidoti, the member for Drummoyne, and our local team of Liberal councillors across Canada Bay, Burwood, Strathfield, Parramatta and Cumberland councils: thank you for the support you offered me during the campaign. I thank our Liberal leaders in New South Wales. It was an honour to have alongside me in Reid the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, and the New South Wales Premier, Gladys Berejiklian. The New South Wales division of the Liberal Party is led by the very dedicated Chris Stone—thank you for the support and guidance you offered me from day one. The federal campaign team was led by Andrew Hirst—congratulations on an outstanding campaign. I thank Kellie Sloane and David Miles, who provided advice and guidance in the early stages of my candidacy. I'd like to thank the many ministers, MPs and Liberal Party stalwarts who stood on pre-poll, train stations and street stalls with me. My sincere thanks go to the Reid FEC and in particular members of the executive for their support and trust in this short sprint of a campaign. The work of our local branches can never be taken for granted. My campaign team was led by Olivia Simpson and Will Nemesh, who worked tirelessly for the six weeks of the campaign. I also thank my new team—Vanessa, Olivia, Klaudia, Jodie, Alex, Matthew and Chanel. Thank you for taking up the challenge of working with Team Reid. Many supporters and volunteers—many of them friends and family—backed the campaign and helped man booths on election day. Thank you for your time and energy that helped get us across the line in Reid. I'm pleased so many of you could join me here today. I particularly would like to acknowledge the work of the Australian Chinese Political Forum, the Australian Korean Political Forum, the Liberal Friends of Korea and the Liberal Friends of Israel. I'd also like to acknowledge Joel Hornsey and Shane Hale for the boost in manpower and morale. Then there is my family. Firstly, there is my 92-year-old nan, Marie Dashwood. Stand up. As she says, she's 92 and not out. She's the matriarch of our mostly Irish-blooded Dashwood-Harvey clan. It is such a blessing to have you here today. I'm only able to be here because of the sacrifices of my family, particularly of my husband, Nicolai. Nico, your willingness to embrace this journey makes it possible for me to be here. You have supported me to pursue this very ambitious goal of mine. Your attention to detail is often a frame of reference for me, as is your Danish sense of humour, which has helped me get through many life challenges. To my four children, Sophia, Zachary, Nicholas—who are in the gallery today—and little Olivia, who is having more fun at Capital Hill Early Childcare Centre, I am excited for you to learn about politics in such a hands-on way. I know it is not easy being the child of a politician. At times, it will be a great challenge having mum away from home, serving the country. I hope what you are able to take from this is the importance of contributing to the community and broader society. Particularly to Sophia and Olivia, you come from a long line of strong, independent women. I hope I am able to be a role model to you in the same way my mother and grandmother were to me. Kids, as the Irish say, 'When I count my blessings, I count you twice.' Thank you to my mum, Kathy. Elle, Diana and I have all grown into confident and capable women because of the person you are. You are empathic, intelligent and hardworking. Thank you for everything you have done for me. To my Dad, George, who was part of the Australian soccer squad back in the day, your sporting career certainly inspired my competitive nature. You always emphasised the need to keep your eye on the ball. I'll be hearing your mantra for the rest of my life: 'When you wake up, the game is over.' As it turns out, that's good advice for this place. I'd like to acknowledge my sisters, Elle and Diana; my stepfather, Geoff; and Ben, Peter and Kate. Thank you to the rest of my family who have joined us here today. It takes a village to raise a child. I would like to thank the whole team of people who contribute to my children's lives, but particularly Nicolai, Jeremy and my mother. Finally, and most significantly, thank you to the people of Reid, who have put their trust in me to serve and represent their issues in this place. Reid, I'm ready for the challenge and I will not let you down. As Churchill said: I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. Debate adjourned. BILLS 28 BILLS Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty Consequential Amendments Bill 2019, Passenger Movement Charge Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2019, Treasury Laws Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2019 28

Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty Consequential Amendments Bill 2019

Passenger Movement Charge Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2019

Treasury Laws Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2019

Second Reading 28 12:35 Dr CHALMERS 37998 Rankin Before the member for Reid leaves the House, I congratulate her on her first speech—her first contribution to this parliament in the new term. I thank you for the opportunity to speak on these really important bills: the Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty Consequential Amendments Bill 2019, the Passenger Movement Charge Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2019 and the Treasury Laws Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2019. Labor will be supporting these bills that give effect to the treaty between Australia and Timor-Leste, which extends the maritime boundaries of that country and establishes new arrangements for the development of petroleum resources in the Timor Sea. It's a pleasure to follow the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Hunter and others, who have pointed out just how significant these bills are and just how important it is that we right what is essentially an historical wrong. There have been a lot of people in this parliament who have been supportive of this outcome for a long time, whether it be the member for Sydney, the member for Solomon, the member for Lingiari or others like the member for Kingsford Smith, who joins me here at the dispatch box. This is a really important development and a really important day, and I am proud to be able to speak on it. As members would know, 20 years ago almost to the day—20 years next month—the population of Timor-Leste voted overwhelmingly in favour of independence from Indonesia. Of course, as we know, there was widespread violence in Timor-Leste after that which left an estimated 1,400 civilians dead and resulted in the decimation of Timorese infrastructure. The World Bank Group estimates that 70 per cent of the country's infrastructure and 95 per cent of the schools were destroyed during the violence that followed independence in 1999. That's shameful. As a result, the newly independent country emerged as one of the world's poorest nations, with over 50 per cent of the population living below the national poverty line in 2007. Although this figure has declined to around 40 per cent at the last estimate in 2014, and there have been some improvements in some of the development indicators, there is still a long, long way to go to get the people of Timor-Leste's living standards up to what most of us would consider to be an appropriate level. Today's bills are really about part of that effort. Like a lot of members in this House—I think especially on this side of the House—I have a connection to Timor-Leste, not as developed as some of my other colleagues, but I have spent time there. In 2007, I spent some time there doing some training for local political activists ahead of their next elections. What I observed there was heartbreaking. It was heartbreaking to be in Timor-Leste and to see, even where some progress had been made around the building of schools or the building of basic infrastructure, that some of the political conflict in that country that spilled over to physical conflict had impacted on some of the public infrastructure. I saw a lot of schools with roofs burned out. I saw a lot of infrastructure sabotaged. It's heartbreaking, as a citizen of a rich country like ours, to see a poor neighbour like Timor-Leste having to go through that kind of destruction as a consequence of some difficult politics. That really is part of my motivation for speaking on these bills today. We do have an opportunity to get some additional funding into that country. I hope that we can make and build a lasting difference in Timor-Leste. There are also tax aspects to this bill that are of interest to me and my Treasury portfolio. As honourable members would be aware, we Australians have been close friends with the people of Timor-Leste for a long time now—certainly since the dark days of World War II, when 151 Australian servicemen died during the Battle of Timor, and in the following years something like 40,000 to 70,000 Timorese civilians were killed by Japanese reprisals for supporting allied forces. Regarding the contribution that the Leader of the Opposition made earlier, particularly about Tom Uren, it really is fascinating to think that a remarkable guy like Tom Uren had a connection with Timor—that's where he was captured, of course—and that they have found ways in the opposition leader's electorate to mark that relationship, which exists on so many different levels, but it is certainly something that was important to Tom Uren. And if it was important to Tom Uren, it's important to all of us in this place—a remarkable man. The support that the Timorese gave Australia was not something we forgot. I'm told that during the closing days of the Second World War Australian warplanes dropped flyers over Japanese-occupied Timor saying, 'Your friends do not forget you.' While we haven't forgotten our friends in Timor, I think it is fair to say that we could have been better friends. We could have behaved as better friends to the people of Timor-Leste. One example of this, of course, is the maritime boundary dispute between our countries, which these bills and the treaty itself go some way to resolving. When the anniversary of independence is celebrated next month, it is important that this legislation be in place. So I support the steps that have been taken by the government, with the support of the opposition, to make sure that we can get these bills in place and the treaty in place so that when the people of Timor-Leste celebrate on 30 August, the anniversary of their independence, this can be locked in and can be something that becomes part of the celebration. The signing of the treaty brings to an end more than 40 years of uncertainty over that shared maritime border, and I think it does vindicate the strong position we've taken on this side of the House to take those decisive steps to settle our dispute with Timor-Leste. I want to particularly pay tribute to the member for Sydney for her role in that three years ago. To give some context as to why this is such a big issue, royalties generated from projects in the Timor Sea funded more than 95 per cent of Timor-Leste's budget in 2016. That's extraordinary. Just imagine the challenges of being a country that is trying to rebuild virtually all your schools and your infrastructure and having a dispute over your primary source of revenue with one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Obviously resolving that international maritime dispute is a really complicated thing and it has taken us time to get to this point. But we as a country need to recognise how important it is and how this is part of doing the right thing in our region. We can't afford to turn our back on our international neighbours. Many of them face the challenge of dealing with the disastrous consequences of climate change, for example, as well as other challenges in our neighbourhood, in our part of the world, and we do need to do better in supporting our neighbours in their economic development. Across the Asia-Pacific we're seeing a significant change, which makes it more important than ever that we work with people and countries to support their economic development and maintain international security and stability in our region. Labor believes that the maritime boundary dispute with Timor-Leste has strained our bilateral relations and that it is in the national interest of both Australia and Timor-Leste that this dispute is resolved in the way that we are attempting to do with these bills today. So we're pleased that this treaty is the first ever to be achieved by conciliation under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. We welcome the resolution of this dispute with Timor-Leste, which will improve relations between our countries and provide ongoing benefits for both countries but especially for the people of Timor-Leste. Others have gone through the details of the bills that are combining here for this debate, the ones that we support enthusiastically—the Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty Consequential Amendments Bill, the Passenger Movement Charge Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2019 and, from my point of view, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2019, which amends the tax arrangements for companies that operate projects covered by the treaty. As part of the treaty, Australia agreed or provided that Australian companies would face conditions equivalent to petroleum activities affected by the 2018 treaty, which is another way of saying that we're ensuring here that Australian companies aren't worse off. Some tax changes are necessary to enforce that agreement, and that's what is in the detail of this bill, which I won't go through in any more detail. In conclusion, three years ago Labor made it clear that we wanted to be constructive and work with East Timor to reach a binding international agreement to settle the maritime border dispute between our countries. As a country, Australia has worked with East Timor to reach a permanent resolution to the development of petroleum resources in the Timor Sea, and it really is terrific to see that this has finally been achieved. That's why we are such enthusiastic supporters of the progress in these bills and in the treaty. To the people of East Timor, our friends to the north: on the anniversary of your independence next month, we wish you all the very best. Ever since the Second World War we've been proud to be your friends. We are grateful for the opportunity to rectify what has been a historical wrong, and we wish you all the best for the years ahead. 12:46 Ms CLAYDON 248181 Newcastle It's a great honour to rise today to speak in support of these bills before the House, the Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty Consequential Amendments Bill 2019, the Passenger Movement Charge Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2019 and the Treasury Laws Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2019, which outline the new arrangements with regard to the Timor Sea maritime boundaries treaty. A number of Labor speakers have come before me, so I don't intend to speak to the detail of these bills that we now are debating in this cognate debate. Rather, I will just put on record the sheer joy I feel in the fact that the Australian parliament is finally dealing with what has been some particularly challenging unfinished business in this nation with regard to our relationship with East Timor. We had played a leadership role in the independence struggles that took place in East Timor, so it was to our great shame that, as time passed, our relationship became quite strained when it came to discussions around the maritime boundaries between our two nations. I was really honoured to be part of a delegation that visited East Timor last October in the term of the last parliament. The member for Flynn chaired that, and I went with senators Patrick Dodson and Rex Patrick from the other place. Whilst many extraordinary things happened during that delegation in terms of the people we got to meet in East Timor and the conversations that we had there, so many people raised with us the need to get these maritime boundaries settled. There is great excitement in East Timor about the upcoming celebrations of independence on 30 August—indeed, I met with the ambassador only last week—and people are rightly very anxious that the Australian parliament have its matters in order and that our legislation be passed. It's one thing to ratify this treaty, but there's a lot of legislation, like that before us now, that is required to implement that treaty. As I said, it remains unfinished business for Australia and East Timor, and until that takes place we won't really have reconciled the difference that grew out of some very strained relationships. There is a long history of people seeking to redress this past wrong around the maritime boundaries. I know a number of my colleagues have spoken of this. As the Leader of the Opposition did earlier in this debate, I would like to acknowledge the role and connection of Mr Tom Uren, a giant within the Australian Labor movement and a man who had a deep and personal connection with Timor-Leste, having been taken as a prisoner of war there. But there have been many champions on the Labor side to seek redress for Timor-Leste over these last few decades. I acknowledge the work of the member for Lingiari, who will be speaking after me, who has had a very long association not just with Timor-Leste but with this great project that we need to now settle with our neighbours. I also acknowledge the work of former member Janelle Saffin, who has long championed the rights of Timor-Leste people in Australia, and of my colleague the member for Sydney, both in her personal capacity and in her former capacity as the shadow minister for foreign affairs and international development. She is steadfast in her determination to have these maritime boundaries settled. I was very fortunate to attend the National Press Club luncheon in which she delivered a terrific speech outlining Labor's approach now. It reminded us all that we call on other nations across the world to abide by international norms and to settle our disputes within rules based systems. She challenged us by saying, 'If we expect that of other nations then we need to actually adhere to that advice ourselves.' We traditionally have had a good record in doing that, but it is far from a flawless record. Certainly, it drew attention to the situation in Timor-Leste at that point because Timor-Leste had suffered decades of war and starvation before gaining their independence. Australia played a key role in gaining that independence. That was a really proud moment for many of us in Australia. But the maritime boundary dispute poisoned relations with our new neighbours, and I don't think we should understate the damage that has been done. The member for Sydney rightly stated at the National Press Club in very clear terms that this was a situation that had to change both for the sake of Timor-Leste people and for our own sake, because we want to regard ourselves as good global citizens. I think it would be fair to say that that was the time at which Labor redoubled our efforts to enter into good-faith negotiations with Timor-Leste to settle those boundaries between our two countries. There were many representatives of Timor-Leste present at that National Press Club speech, and they were truly delighted to hear this news that there was going to be a shift in Australia's approach. Not only did we say that we were going to seek to settle the maritime disputes but the then shadow minister for foreign affairs, the member for Sydney, made the important additional statement that, if we weren't unsuccessful in negotiating a settlement with our neighbour, we would be prepared to submit ourselves to an international adjudication or arbitration system. That was a very important statement to make. We would subject ourselves to the international frameworks because it would be in the national interests of both Australia and Timor-Leste to do so. That's because it was a matter that required settlement. We had both signed up to using these international frameworks and entering into a rules-based system for the settling of disputes. It was only right that we would be willing to freely participate and submit ourselves to that as well. It was a big shift of momentum in the debate. I believe this is one of those remarkable examples in which oppositions can actually lead and shape debates in the national interest and encourage governments to come on that journey as well. We stand here today, some years later. That speech that the member for Sydney delivered was back in February 2016. We are a few years on, but I am truly delighted that the government has also committed itself to the settlement of this unfinished business between Australia and Timor-Leste. As I said, it is critical that these bills get passed by the Australian parliament in this sitting. We need these laws to be enacted so that the treaty can do what it is intended to do. It should be the centrepiece of celebrations for Timor-Leste's Independence Day at the end of this month. Time is short. I am going to leave my speech there to enable my colleagues to continue with their contributions, but it is with tremendous joy that we get to take part in a parliament that might finally sign off on some of that unfinished business between Australia and Timor-Leste. 12:57 Mr SNOWDON IJ4 Lingiari I thank the member for Newcastle for her contribution on the Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty Consequential Amendments Bill 2019 and associated bills and her acknowledgement of others who have participated in the debate not only in this chamber but also the Senate over the many years passed in support of the Timor-Leste people. She mentioned Janelle Saffin, and I do want to reaffirm the importance of Janelle's advocacy and support here. Previously, of course, in former parliaments, advocates such as Ken Fry, Cyril Primmer, Tom Uren, Jean McLean and Jean Melzer were all very important in advocating around the issues to do with East Timor, particularly after the occupation of Timor-Leste, as it is now known, by Indonesia way back in December 1975. Since that time, neither side of this parliament has covered itself in glory. Today is a chance for us, as the member said, to rectify what has been an anomalous situation and, much to our shame, one where we have been the bovver boy. The member for Solomon mentioned the 2/2nd and 2/4th independent companies. The 2/2nd arrived in December 1941-early 1942, in East Timor. They were out by September or October. The 2/4th took over, and they left in December 1942. My father subsequently served with the 2/2nd, so I am fully aware and very cognisant of the importance of the role of these independent companies, later commandos, and the protection that was provided to them by the East Timorese, where we were able to contain 12,000 Japanese troops. But, at the same time, whilst that was happening, and post the departure of the Australians, 40,000 Timorese lost their lives. There's a debt of blood here. In 1975 we saw the Indonesians march in, and we acquiesced. Subsequent to that Indonesian takeover, up to a quarter of a million East Timorese lost their lives. When you think about what that means to us and our responsibilities just as human beings, we've got to rectify this. And today we get a chance to do a bit of that. We had the Fraser government sitting by, complicit, as the events of 1975 unfolded, and subsequently giving de jure recognition, which was reaffirmed by the Hawke government, shamefully, in 1984. I remember these days vividly because I was involved in working with supporters of Fretilin in Australia post December 1975, and I had the great privilege of being involved—'involved' is a difficult word in this sense. After 1999, at last, under the Howard government, the Australian government took a position that was morally the right thing to do, to head INTERFET. That was very important, and that was referred to by the member for Solomon. My office in Darwin was really very active in talking and working with members of the East Timorese community, both in East Timor and in the Northern Territory, in particular. Today—and I should have said this at the beginning—we have in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly the first East Timorese person to be a member of a parliament in Australia, Sandra Nelson. Her mother, Rosa, is the sister of Jose Ramos-Horta—so he's her uncle—and the member for Solomon told me that her brother, Joao Carrascalao, was his medic when Major Gosling, as he then was, was serving in East Timor. So there are connections here. Post the start of INTERFET on 20 September 1999, I went to Dili—I think in November. Subsequently I had the great privilege of doing a number of things, but these most clearly stick in my mind. I had the opportunity to attend the first Fretilin conference after the Indonesian occupation. As well as being at the launch of that party's first campaign for the election of the constituent assembly, I also attended the National Council of the Timorese Resistance, CNRT, after the United Nations took over East Timor. I also had the great privilege of being at the opening of the Constituent Assembly when it was elected in June 2002. At that first meeting of the Constituent Assembly, the first meeting of the new parliament, there was no official Australian representative. That says more about Alexander Downer and John Howard than it does about the rest of us. But I went there, and the guests of honour on the floor of the chamber at the swearing in of the new members of parliament included the then Northern Territory Chief Minister. When you think that in a couple of weeks the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition will be in East Timor together, that is a good thing. That is a really good thing. But it really only marks the rebalancing of the ledger. It doesn't cover the enormity of what's gone on in the past and the bullying behaviour of Australian governments—the role of Alexander Downer in negotiating the Timor Gap treaty. I remember two things in particular. In 1989 there was the initial negotiation of the joint area between Australia and Indonesia with Ali Alitas, who was the Indonesian foreign minister, and Gareth Evans, the foreign minister for Australia, in Darwin. I can still visualise the media at the time of them signing a document in the air over the Timor Sea. That was all fine and terrific, except it excluded the role of the East Timorese; it was all about Indonesia and Australia. Subsequently, in 2002, when there was a renegotiation after Timor-Leste gained independence, there was still no permanent maritime border negotiated. Regarding Alexander Downer—and the member for Solomon referred to this earlier—Mari Alkatiri, who was a good person, was the Prime Minister and was negotiating with Alexander Downer over the Timor Gap. Downer, in a most belligerent fashion, stood over Mari Alkatiri. And here I quote from a book by Kim McGrath, a great Australian—Crossing the Line: Australia's Secret History in the Timor Sea—in which she quotes Paul Cleary, who writes about those meetings and the interaction between the two. At the end of this interaction a lecture was being given by Alexander Downer to Mari Alkatiri in which he said: We don't like brinkmanship. I think your Western advisors give you very poor advice that public opinion supports East Timor in Australia. We are very tough. We will not care if you give information to the media. Let me give you a tutorial in politics—not a chance. What a disgrace. What an absolute bloody disgrace. And that was Australia's foreign minister. We learned subsequently that they'd bugged the conference. We've still got Australians in the courts for belling the cat, because of the role of an Australian government. It's about time we got over ourselves and treated people properly, fairly and with respect. This treaty gives us that opportunity. And I do lay credit at the feet of the member for Sydney, and the speech that was referred to by the member for Newcastle, in bringing this forward so that we end up with conciliation over the boundary issue and we end up seeing a proper allocation of resources from this area to Timor-Leste, and that is as it should be. We shouldn't be afraid of accepting the critique that we've really had our hands in their pockets for too long. It should've been 100 per cent from day one, not 80-20, 90-10 or 70-30—a very nifty drawing of boundaries to make sure we get a huge slice of the action at the expense of almost the poorest people in the world. So it is important that that situation is rectified, and it is rectified as a result of this legislation. I want to thank the government, although, as the Leader of the Opposition said, this stuff could have been debated in November of last year. Why has it taken so long? They had no business prior to the election; we knew that. But, nevertheless, it's being done. It is important that we move forward but also have an eye to the past and understand the challenges that the people of Timor-Leste confront, that we appreciate their heroes that led them to the position that they're in today and that we appreciate that we need to do a lot more than we've done in the past in working with our near neighbours. I commend particularly the member for Solomon for his ongoing relationship with the people of Timor-Leste and in the new role he's achieved and been given by the Leader of the Opposition in trade with our near neighbours. The Timorese are wonderful, forgiving people, really, and I think we should show our appreciation in a proper way. I had the great privilege of welcoming Xanana Gusmao to Australia after he was released from Indonesia, and I escorted him onto the floor of this House. That was a great honour, and it is a great honour to speak in this debate today to support this legislation to see, at least partially, wrongs of the past rectified. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 125865 I call the member for Moreton and, in so doing, compliment him on his tie. 13:12 Mr PERRETT HVP Moreton Thank you, Deputy Speaker, I'll tell my wife. We have matching Queensland colours today, Deputy Speaker—good to see! I rise to speak on the Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty Consequential Amendments Bill 2019 and acknowledge the great contributions from those from the Labor side already in this debate. I'm just going to give a little bit of history first. Timor-Leste, previously called East Timor, was the eastern half of the island of Timor—the area colonised by Portugal in the 16th century. Why Portugal? Well, because the countries of Spain and Portugal sat down together—they were the big maritime powers of the time—and struck the Treaty of Zaragoza in 1529, which basically divided the world in two—on this side of the planet, on the 141st degree of longitude, which is basically that bit of the Queensland border west of Toowoomba. If you kept going west, from Haddon Corner down to Cameron Corner to the western boundary of New South Wales down until it hits the Murray—it's actually not quite on 141st degree of longitude from the Murray down south, because Victoria actually stole 3½ kilometres off South Australia and went a little bit further west. There are lots of arguments as to what happened. They actually had a big argument for 60-odd years about that 1,800 square kilometres on the western side of Victoria that Victoria took off South Australia and it ended up in the Privy Council in 1914, where the Privy Council basically said: 'South Australia, you're never getting that back. That's now a part of Victoria.' I mention the world being divided in two because that's what this legislation is all about: where people draw lines on maps in terms of who owns what. That's what this legislation, which I commend the government for, is sorting out. Timor-Leste was a Portuguese colony until Fretilin—the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor—declared independence. That lasted only about nine days before the Indonesians came in and declared East Timor to be the country's 27th province in 1976. That continued until 1999, when, after the United Nations sponsored an act of self-determination, Indonesia relinquished control of the territory and Timor-Leste became the first new sovereign state in the 21st century on 20 May 2002. It has been a close friend of Australia ever since. The reason this legislation is here is mainly resources. Timor-Leste is a very poor country, with nearly half the population living in extreme poverty. It is one of our closest neighbours and a country to which Australia owes a great debt, because of the great work that the East Timorese people did in World War II supporting Australian farmers, but it is a very poor community apart from the fact that they have petroleum. The Timor-Leste Petroleum Fund provides most of the East Timorese government's income. In fact, the International Monetary Fund has called Timor-Leste the most oil-dependent economy in the world. So it is important to get this right for East Timor, a land where many people in villages are still relying on subsistence farming; anything we can do to assist our good friend and neighbour is a good thing, obviously. Previous speakers have touched on the fact that the call to correct this wrong and to get it right came mainly from the member for Sydney, Tanya Plibersek, in one of her recent speeches. She was calling for justice and not just because of that debt stretching back to World War II, when people like Tom Uren, who was a prisoner of war, were assisted by the East Timorese. Tom has been a great friend of the East Timorese. He was a prisoner of war on the Burma railway and the like, as the previous speaker, the member for Grayndler, mentioned. The member for Sydney called for justice to make it right, to repay the debt, because to do so is obviously in our national interests. Why? Because we must have a safe, stable community. Timor-Leste is a Christian country in the middle of Asia, a country that we have great connections with and a country that we need to make sure is stable, developing and growing. We obviously need to get the balance right. The Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty Consequential Amendments Bill 2019 gives effect to the treaty that has been struck between Australia and Timor-Leste that recognises the extended maritime boundaries for Timor-Leste, and makes new arrangements for the petroleum development and revenues and the opportunities that will flow from making sure that the East Timorese are able to access all of those resources. There is an area struck out—the special regime area—where the gas fields known as Sunrise and Troubadour have their own set of arrangements, which include protection for current Australian petroleum activities, because the Greater Sunrise Special Regime area is a joint venture between Timor-Leste and Australia. There will also be some international areas to do with the gas pipelines to make sure that we get the best possible outcomes in terms of the value of the resources, and there are a few other things we need to sort out in terms of taxation arrangements for the companies that are operating in this area. It is a great opportunity for this government to do the right thing and to do things that are in the national interest that will benefit Australians. We know that this coalition government doesn't have a big legislative agenda. This treaty was concluded on 6 March last year, so this could have actually taken effect much earlier. Instead, we see stunt after stunt from those opposite. They're all about the cheap politics and trying to wedge Labor rather than doing things that are in the national interest. This is important legislation on the world stage. We have a shadow over us because of the behaviour of past governments, as detailed by the member for Lingiari in her speech, which should be listened to and read. We have a shadow that springs from the Liberal and National parties and now there's a chance to do it right. I'm glad to see that the Leader of the Opposition and the Prime Minister will be travelling to Timor-Leste to make this right. But I would ask the coalition, the government of the day—the government about to enter its seventh year—to actually start focusing on the nation and on the people it's supposed to be benefiting rather than on the cheap politics. I commend these bills to the House. 13:21 Ms RYAN 249224 Lalor In the debate on these bills, the Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty Consequential Amendments Bill 2019 and related bills, we've heard the military and geopolitical history traversed ably by the member for Solomon, the member for Lingiari and the member for Morton. I want to take this opportunity to join with the member for Newcastle to celebrate, if you like, that this legislation is before the House. Our relationship with Timor-Leste over decades has been a point of great shame for me personally. I have always felt strongly that the previous treaty did not do justice to our nearest neighbours and that the previous positions of Australian governments of both colours did not go to the fairness that Australians like to see themselves espouse. It is terrific to see the bills come into the parliament today and before us to ensure that the new treaty does represent the values of our great country. It is an incredibly important relationship with our neighbour to north. Like the member for Newcastle, I was incredibly proud when federal Labor changed its position in 2016 under then shadow minister Plibersek's leadership. I join the member for Newcastle in reading into Hansard a quote from the member for Sydney's National Press Club speech. She said: Timor-Leste suffered decades of war and starvation before gaining independence. Australia played a key role in securing that independence—a proud moment for many Australians. The maritime boundary dispute has poisoned relations with our newest neighbour. This must change, for their sake, and for ours. It is terrific to be here today to see that change forever, to see that the new treaty is going to be enacted, and to be able to proudly say that we've now come to a point where our values are driving our actions and our friendships with our nearest neighbours. We've traversed the fact that we haven't always been the best neighbours. Today is a proud moment for all of us in this chamber. This treaty demonstrates our commitment to international law and rules—and, I would add, to fairness. I commend Australia's intention to have robust bilateral relationships with Timor-Leste and to jointly develop the Greater Sunrise gas fields, and I commend the bills to the House. 13:23 Ms SHARKIE 265980 Mayo These bills implement the first tranche of measures to implement the recent treaty on maritime boundaries between Australia and East Timor. Sadly, the history of Australian negotiations with East Timor over maritime boundaries has been shameful and fraught with scandal. Australia unlawfully bugged the East Timorese cabinet to give it an unfair advantage in negotiations on the original maritime boundary treaty—to give it the upper hand in dividing the benefits of oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea. That is a fact, and we did that to one of the poorest nations in Asia, which is really reprehensible. As I mentioned, East Timor is one of the poorest countries in our region, with little revenue base other than these oil and gas reserves. In 2012, after learning that former foreign minister Alexander Downer had become an adviser to Woodside Petroleum, which was benefiting from the treaty, an ASIS agent, now known as 'Witness K', followed the proper internal processes to raise his concerns about the unlawful bugging operation. And now our government is prosecuting Witness K, and—unprecedented—his lawyer Bernard Collaery, for speaking out. The case of Witness K and Bernard Collaery will likely stand for a long time as a landmark in Australia's democratic history. The question is: what sort of landmark will it be? Will the case of Witness K ultimately demonstrate the power of individual conscience against the abuse of power by the state, or will it be another step towards a future in which government secrecy and the power of secret agencies crowd out democracy and the rule of law? That has yet to be decided, but much will depend on the campaign to support Bernard Collaery and Witness K and, more broadly, on the effects of bringing our intelligence and national security agencies under full and proper scrutiny and control. At the heart of this case is an illegal act. At the heart of this case is a government decision to use the Australian Secret Intelligence Service, our overseas espionage organisation, to spy on our small and impoverished neighbour, East Timor. Our government did not seek to protect our national security but to advance narrow commercial interests for financial gain. If there was ever a case of shooting the messenger, this has been the case. Collectively, we have worked with many members across the parliament, including former senator Tim Storer, and together we have referred the matter of the 2004 spying case on East Timor to the AFP. We ask the AFP to pursue the matter with diligence and rigour, knowing that no-one should be above the law, especially not our intelligence agencies. This disgraceful case of spying should never have taken place, and this is a very real moment of shame for this nation. What we have now is the opportunity to right the wrong. I hope that, to right one of the wrongs, our Attorney-General decides to drop the case against Witness K and Bernard Collaery. However, in returning to the bill, this bill does take a positive step in the right direction. I again urge the Attorney-General to drop the case, and in the meantime I commend this bill to the House. Debate adjourned. COMMITTEES 35 COMMITTEES Regional Australia Committee 35 Appointment 35 13:28 Ms LANDRY 249764 Capricornia by leave—I move: That the resolution of appointment of the Select Committee on Regional Australia be amended in the following terms and a message be sent to the Senate requesting that it take no action in relation to message No. 23, dated 25 July 2019, from the House— That the resolution of appointment of the Select Committee on Regional Australia be amended in the following terms and a message be sent to the Senate requesting that it take no action in relation to message No. 23, dated 25 July 2019, from the House— That: (1) a Select Committee on Regional Australia be appointed to inquire into and report on; (a) examining the effectiveness of existing regional service delivery and development programs; (b) examining the contribution and role of regional Australia to our national identity, economy and environment; (c) promoting the development of regional centres, cities, towns and districts including promoting master planning of regional communities; (d) Promoting private investment in regional centres and regional infrastructure; (e) examine the key drivers for unlocking decentralisation opportunities for both the private and public sectors; (f) promoting the competitive advantages of regional location for businesses; (g) investigate the development of capital city size regional centres in strategic locations and the benefits this offers regional cities, capital cities, the Australian economy and lifestyle; (h) examine the potential for new developments, towns and cities to be built in regional Australia; (i) examining international examples of nations who have vast and productive regional areas, which are sparsely populated; (j) examining ways urbanisation can be re-directed to achieve more balanced regional development; (k) identifying the infrastructure requirements for reliable and affordable health, education, transport, telecommunications, clean energy, water and waste in a new settlement of reasonable size, located away from existing infrastructure; and (l) consider other measures to support the ongoing growth and sustainability of regional Australia. (2) the committee present an interim report on or before 27 March 2020 and its final report on or before 31 July 2020; (3) the committee consist of twelve members, seven Members to be nominated by the Government Whip or Whips, and five Members to be nominated by the Opposition Whip or Whips or by any non-aligned Member; (4) every nomination of a member of the committee be notified in writing to the Speaker of the House of Representatives; (5) the members of the committee hold office as a select committee until presentation of the committee’s final report or until the House of Representatives is dissolved or expires by effluxion of time, whichever is the earlier; (6) the committee elect a: (a) Government member as its chair; and (b) non-Government member as its deputy chair who shall act as chair of the committee at any time when the chair is not present at a meeting of the committee; (7) at any time when the chair and deputy chair are not present at a meeting of the committee, the members present shall elect another member to act as chair at that meeting; (8) in the event of an equally divided vote, the chair, or the deputy chair when acting as chair, have a casting vote; (9) three members of the committee constitute a quorum of the committee; (10) the committee: (a) have power to appoint subcommittees consisting of three or more of its members, and to refer to any subcommittee any matter which the committee is empowered to examine; and (b) appoint the chair of each subcommittee who shall have a casting vote only; (11) at any time when the chair of a subcommittee is not present at a meeting of the subcommittee, the members of the subcommittee present shall elect another member of that subcommittee to act as chair at that meeting; (12) two members of a subcommittee constitute the quorum of that subcommittee; (13) members of the committee who are not members of a subcommittee may participate in the proceedings of that subcommittee but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum; (14) the committee or any subcommittee have power to: (a) call for witnesses to attend and for documents to be produced; (b) conduct proceedings at any place it sees fit; (c) sit in public or in private; (d) report from time to time; and (e) adjourn from time to time and to sit during any adjournment of the House of Representatives; (15) the provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders. Question agreed to. STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS 36 STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS Kealy, Mr Clem, AM, MID 36 13:29 Ms CLAYDON 248181 Newcastle Today I'd like to recognise and celebrate the extraordinary life of an extraordinary man from my electorate, Clem Kealy AM, MID. Sadly, Clem passed away on Sunday aged 95. To say Clem was a highly decorated soldier would be an understatement. Indeed, he served in more than three separate theatres of war over decades of service. Clem started his military service in the Second World War, where he served in Papua New Guinea. He also served in the Korean War, where he fought in the epic battle of Kapyong, and did two tours of duty in the Vietnam War. This is an incredible record of service on its own, but Clem also did peacekeeping in Japan, trained elite parachutists in the United States and became a regimental sergeant major in the Australian SAS. Since retiring, Clem has been a greatly respected member of the Newcastle veterans community. He's a long-serving patron of the Newcastle and Hunter Region Vietnam Veterans and a member of the Waratah Mayfield RSL sub-branch. The home base for the Newcastle and Hunter Region Vietnam Veterans in Wallsend is named the Clem Kealy Centre in his honour. In addition to his service, Clem is well known in Newcastle as a true gentleman who would do anything to help others. He's renowned for his quick wit and larrikin ways that endear him to everyone who crosses his path. On behalf of the people of Newcastle, I pay tribute to Clem and thank him for his remarkable contribution to our community and nation. My heartfelt condolences go to his two sons, Laurie and Michael, six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Thanks for sharing Clem with us all. His legacy, for which we remain truly grateful, is immense. Coal Industry 36 13:30 Mr CRAIG KELLY 99931 Hughes Last April, at the height of the anti-coal hysteria that was sweeping the latte belts of the nation, a small group of coalition backbenchers created and formed the Monash Forum to counter the fake news. We sought to acknowledge that the coal industry provides an element of strength that is invaluable to our nation. It has 150,000 direct and indirect jobs. It is our largest export earner, underwriting the state budgets of both the New South Wales government and the Queensland government. With hundreds of coal-fired power stations opening up around the world, it is an industry with a great future. After the election and the success of the Monash Forum, it now appears that there are many who want to get on board. This year we've had the member for Hunter argue the case for coal, saying that in this parliament he would argue with 'great energy and commitment'. We've also had the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, in a bit of a turnaround, say that the coal industry should be celebrated. With all this new-found support, I propose the formation of a parliamentary friends of Australian coal exports group. I intend to write to every member of the opposition, hoping to find a co-chair for that committee and inviting all of them to join. I look forward to coming back soon with a list of those who have signed up. Johnston, Ms Lisa 36 13:32 Ms KEARNEY LTU Cooper 'Beautiful memories woven in gold—this is the picture we tenderly hold. Deep in our hearts your memory is kept—to love, to cherish and never forget.' Today I rise to speak about the life of a wonderful woman, Lisa Johnston. This month marks a year since Lisa's passing. The circumstances of her death will not be how she is remembered in the hearts of those who knew and loved her. Lisa was a tireless student at Melbourne Polytechnic in my electorate of Cooper. After facing challenges during her young life, Lisa found herself in our TAFE sector. She was supported by her teachers and loved by her fellow students. She flourished in the TAFE learning environment. Although she faced challenges, Lisa never let life bring her down. During her time at Melbourne Polytechnic, she found her passion for advocating for individuals experiencing homelessness. This is what she wanted to dedicate her life to. The last assignment she handed in was on managing and promoting diversity. Lisa focused on the discrimination faced by individuals experiencing homelessness. When asked what she was planning to do with her completed assignment, Lisa said, 'I'll give it to my local MP, Ged Kearney. She'll know what to do with it.' Sadly, Lisa's life was taken before she could hand it to me, but her TAFE teachers did honour her wishes. I tell her story today to honour her work and I will continue to fight against the scourge of homelessness that Lisa so desperately wanted to work on. Hulse, Lieutenant Colonel George (Retd) 37 13:33 Mr SIMMONDS 282983 Ryan I rise in this place today to congratulate a Ryan resident from St Lucia, Lieutenant Colonel George Hulse (Retd), who is the vice-president of the Australian Defence Force Trackers and War Dogs Association. He has recently written a book, which he released this year, titled In Dogs We Trust. I've had the privilege of reading it. It provides some very vivid and mesmerising firsthand accounts of military working dogs and their handlers in both the Australian Army and the Australian Air Force. I would like to encourage all members and, in fact, all Australians to read it so they can understand the unique efforts and sacrifice of military working dogs and their handlers. The book is easily available online for purchase, for those who wish to do so. I would also encourage all Australians, particularly Ryan residents, to observe Military Working Dog Day on 7 June as a way of recognising these efforts and this sacrifice on a yearly basis. In particular, I recognise in this place the sacrifice of Sapper Darren Smith and his explosives dog, Herbie, whose story is one of those recounted in the book and who were killed in action in the service of our nation on 7 June 2010. Again, congratulations to Mr Hulse both for his advocacy in this space as part of the Australian Defence Force Trackers and War Dogs Association and for the enormous work that he has put into this book. Those who do get the chance to read it will not be disappointed. Moreton Electorate: Annerley Community Bookshop 37 13:35 Mr PERRETT HVP Moreton Last Sunday, one of the icons on Brisbane's south side closed its doors for the last time. The Annerley Community Bookshop on Ipswich Road has sold its last book. I'm proud but sad to say that I was one of its last customers, picking up a few hardback treasures for my youngest son. With its creaking polished wooden floors and comfy crimson couches, this not-for-profit store sold well-priced, quality second-hand books to people across the south side of Brisbane for nearly 20 years. The bookstore has been a warm and welcoming place for many a book lover to spend hours browsing through the many books it had on offer, and it also provided a meeting place for many local groups. The bookstore was opened in 2000 by Anglicare Refugee and Migrant Services. At the time, it was a combined bookshop and literacy centre. It provided cheap books and language and literacy services for refugees and migrants. The shops and classes were run by community workers and volunteers. Over the years, the focus changed and the bookstore has run as a not-for-profit, channelling its funds into local community projects. But times change. People are buying more books online and, with the rise of ebooks, the sales in places like Annerley Community Bookshop have been in decline. With the decline in sales coupled with the cost of rent, times started to look pretty tough for the bookstore a few years ago, but it didn't go down with a fight. The management committee and the 50 or so volunteers tried hard to save the bookstore from going under. The local councillor, Nicole Johnston, also did a lot of work to help it out. Sadly, our community bookstore had nowhere else to go. I want to thank: Naomi Frampton, president of the management committee; Paul Hodges, the bookstore manager; and the many volunteers. Berowra Electorate: Hornsby Gang Show 37 13:36 Mr LEESER 109556 Berowra In June I had the pleasure of attending rehearsals for the Hornsby Gang Show. The Hornsby Gang Show has trained hundreds of Scouts and Guides in all aspects of stagecraft, acting, singing, dancing and behind-the-scenes skills such as lighting and prop building. Hornsby Gang Show involves members from the Sydney North region Scouts, Venturers, Rovers, leaders and Guides, with people aged 11 and up participating in the show. The production is enormous: 130 cast members and 250 crew. Bec Canty as production director, Yvonne Barton-Leach as musical director and Amanda Muxlow as general manager did an incredible job to pull the production together again this year. They were joined by highly capable and experienced people like Julia Ralton, Lauren Webb, Cameron Porter, Ben Dennis, Priscilla LeGuier and so many others. Community organisations like these are full of people who come back again and again to invest selflessly in the next generation. Special mention should be made of those who have done many shows—Barry Greenland, who has done 40; Penny Becchio, 37; Betina-Ann Campbell, 31; Doug Chilvers, 25; and Andy Davis, 20—all of whom have a combined 153 years in the show. The Hornsby Gang Show started in 1973 as the Hornsby Troop Concert. The show was set to run only one night but, because of its popularity, it added another, packing out the house on both nights. Over the years, the Hornsby Gang Show has given many people a start working in the performing arts. I congratulate the Hornsby Gang Show cast and crew on a fantastic and highly successful 46th season. Lalor Electorate: City of Wyndham 38 13:38 Ms RYAN 249224 Lalor This has been a bit of a sad week for me in the House and in the Federation Chamber as I have listened to member after member on the other side go through their lists of commitments to their local communities. I sit on this side knowing that this government made not one single commitment to the seat of Lalor and not one single commitment, indeed, to the city of Wyndham. It ignored 270,000 people that live in my community. The worst demonstration of this, I think, came with the MRI licensing. On this side of the House, we made a commitment to provide a fully Medicare-rebated licence to the public Werribee Mercy Hospital in my electorate which serves my community. In contrast, on that side of the House they made a commitment to give a third fully Medicare-rebated licence to Geelong, a city which is not as large as Wyndham and already has two licences to serve it. There is nothing clearer to demonstrate that this government only cares about some Australians. Those of us in Wyndham know that this government made not one commitment to our community—not one road and not one MRI licence. Groom Electorate: Civic Assist 38 13:40 Dr McVEIGH 125865 Groom Every community represented in this House has those organisations and those champions who simply exist to support others, particularly those in need. I'm proud to speak of one of those organisations in the electorate of Groom, Civic Assist, today. This is a not-for-profit organisation that focuses on collaboration with the whole community to develop very targeted and innovative programs that empower people to better themselves, to get ahead, to 'equip themselves for a better tomorrow', as Civic Assist promotes. I know that their services are so very much valued throughout Toowoomba. For example, there is the Winter Warmth Appeal, the donation of warm clothing and bedding for those in need; the Civic Assist Street Crews, our safe night precinct safety services for late nights on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; and the Loads of Love Appeal, getting gifts to families who need them at Christmas time, particularly for young children. A real champion of Civic Assist is a friend to many in Toowoomba, a young man by the name of Matt Greg, who finishes his time with Civic Assist next week. He is truly a champion of those in need in Toowoomba. Our community looks forward to the next exciting step for him, as he tells me, to continue to serve the Toowoomba community. Macquarie Electorate: Queen's Scout Award 38 13:41 Ms TEMPLEMAN 181810 Macquarie I had the privilege of attending 1st Oakville Scout Group recently to recognise two Queen's Scout awardees. To have one Queen's Scout in your troop is an achievement; having two is a real credit, not just to the young people but to their leaders and to the family support that these young people have. James Miller is a quiet young man with a passion for electronics and building projects, and his last one was a drone. Gabrielle Milne, better known as Gabby, challenged herself to abseil, in spite of her fear of heights. They had to achieve on a number of levels to receive their award, including community service, and both these young people have already made a significant contribution to the Hawkesbury. They're not alone. There are other Scouts from 1st Oakville. There are 1st Glossodia scouts who have achieved Queen's Scout awards, and various Blue Mountains Scout and Girl Guide units have shone in this area. What strikes me when I go and hear about their journeys to Queen's Scout is the years of work involved and the commitment that they have. They are a real inspiration. While it gives me enormous hope for the future, it also makes me even more determined that the decisions we make here be made in the best interests of those young people. They're working hard; they deserve that we work hard and make the best decisions so their future allows them to shine. Fisher Electorate: Small Business 38 13:43 Mr WALLACE 265967 Fisher Our 20,000 small and family businesses in Fisher are at the heart of our prosperity on the Sunshine Coast. A central part of my mission as a federal member is to do everything I can to support and promote them in our region. For many in 2019, effective use of digital and social media platforms can make all the difference to their success. That's why I invited Google to the Sunshine Coast last year to hold a terrific small business workshop, and it's why I've been working with Facebook over recent months to get them to Fisher to do the same. I'm delighted to say senior representatives of Facebook are on the coast this week, and tomorrow they'll be holding one of their Facebook Community Boost events at the Caloundra RSL. We had to move this event to a bigger venue after a huge amount of interest, and, even with 300 seats, it was sold out within hours—not that it costs any money; it's free. Facebook's team will be holding interactive workshop sessions on how to manage your business on Facebook and Instagram, how to take advantage of mobile technology effectively, how to grow your business on Facebook and how to use stories creatively to boost one's revenue. These sessions will be fantastic for local businesses in every sector, and I'm grateful to Facebook for coming and showing their commitment to the Sunshine Coast. Domestic and Family Violence 39 13:44 Ms STEGGALL 175696 Warringah I want to raise attention to one of the greatest health risks posed to women of all ages in Australia but, importantly, the greatest health risk for women aged 18 to 44. For these women, this disease is a leading contributor to depression, anxiety, disability and premature death. This disease kills one woman in Australia every week. Nearly 18 per cent of all depression and 17 per cent of anxiety disorders impacting women are associated with this disease. It is the leading cause of homelessness amongst women and contributes to female unemployment. Yet this disease has not mobilised the attention it requires or seen legislation passed to implement greater preventative steps. This health crisis is too often talked about as a social issue. This disease is domestic and family violence. Like any disease, we need more funding and resources for prevention and greater support for women and victims. I would like to commend the work of the Northern Beaches Women's Shelter in my electorate of Warringah and the work of shelters all around Australia. As a former family law barrister, I can strongly attest to the need for increased funding and support for victims and for harsher penalties for perpetrators. Drought, Cost of Living 39 13:45 Mr JOYCE E5D New England This winter is going to be the decisive factor on what is happening with the drought. There is no doubt that people are getting to the ends of their bank overdrafts. The banks are going to lose patience. If they don't get a crop in, if they don't get fats ready for market, this will be dire. One of the aspects of what's happening, of course, is that farm workers, people who work on farms, have been put out of work because farmers just don't have the money. We don't want these people to leave our district. We want them to stay. We also want these people, as they lose their jobs—not by reason of being lazy but there not being the capacity to pay for them—to be treated with some respect, and we have to acknowledge the circumstances they are placed in. People who are poor have poor electrical appliances, which are always dearer. They have a bad car, which is always dearer. I want to read you something about the two major household statuses of clients in my electorate: of members who are single, 48 per cent are on, I think, Newstart; 27 per cent are sole parents. We've got 2,549 people that are being assisted by St Vincent de Paul in New England. Of those that they assist, they believe that 18 per cent are paying more than 50 per cent of their incomes on rent and 16 per cent are classified as homeless—people who live on the street. I think we have to have a lot of empathy for them. Superannuation 39 13:47 Mr THISTLETHWAITE 182468 Kingsford Smith Last night, Senator Andrew Bragg belled the cat about what those opposite in the coalition really think of compulsory superannuation in Australia—that is, that it should not be compulsory. Yesterday Senator Bragg argued that low-paid workers should be able to opt out of compulsory superannuation and it shouldn't be compulsory. We all know that those opposite do not believe in the notion of workers saving for their retirement to avoid being on the age pension. They don't believe in compulsory superannuation for low-paid workers. Senator Bragg's comments come after others in the coalition this week, most notably the member for Goldstein and the member for Mackellar, have been arguing that the coalition government should stop the compulsory increase in superannuation payments from nine to 12 per cent, with the member for Mackellar saying that frustration is building with the government's policy. Those opposite have never, ever believed in compulsory superannuation. At every stage they have voted against it. When Labor moved to establish compulsory superannuation in the 1990s, they voted against it. Those opposite have voted against every single increase in the level of compulsory superannuation. It comes when Australian workers are facing record low wages growth, families are struggling and now this lot want to rub salt into the wound by saying that low-paid workers don't deserve an increase in their compulsory superannuation. You are a disgrace. Craney, Mrs Lorna, Murchie, Mrs Eileen 40 13:49 Mr O'DOWD 139441 Flynn On Thursday the 11th of this month, I had the pleasure of attending Lorna Craney's 100th birthday at Carinity Summit Cottages in Mount Morgan. Lorna marked this magnificent milestone in style. She started the celebrations with a show-stopping cruise around town in a cherry red Corvette. The occasion was marked by a simple morning tea with friends and families to celebrate her remarkable life. Earlier in the month, I also had the pleasure of attending a tree-planting ceremony for Eileen Murchie to celebrate her 100th birthday. A tree was planted in the Gladstone botanic gardens to commemorate joining the elite centenarian group. I'm sorry to say Elaine passed away not long after this ceremony. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family and close friends. Long, Mr Jack 40 13:50 Mr GOSLING 245392 Solomon The AFL king has passed; long live the king. The life of Jack Long was celebrated at Gardens Oval last week. Jack Long is the patriarch of the famous AFL footballing family the Long family. As well as being Michael Long's father, he's the grandfather of four-time premiership winner and Norm Smith medallist, Cyril Rioli; St Kilda player Ben Long; and Essendon player Jack Long. There were about 500 mourners gathered at Gardens Oval, the spiritual home of AFL up in Darwin, to celebrate the life of Jack Long. Tony Shaw gave the eulogy and spoke about a great hunter. He was born in Ti Tree but was then removed to a mission on Melville Island. Jack Long knew every single inch of the Tiwi Islands. He played football there. He hunted crocodiles there, which he sold to be able to get over and play football for his beloved St Mary's Football Club. I have the green and gold tie on for St Mary's today and for Jack and his wonderful family. May he rest in peace. Agriculture Industry 40 13:51 Mr PASIN 240756 Barker I rise to speak about something that's threatening not only the future of rural and regional Australia and our ability to produce the food and fibre that feeds and clothes the world but also our economic prosperity as a nation. I'm talking about the sustained and coordinated attacks by activists who seek to undermine the right to farm. While this phenomenon is not new, its increase in frequency is alarming. So too is the change in attitudes towards agriculture caused by misinformation and outspoken minority groups. Studies recently showed that 75 per cent of primary and secondary school students think that cotton socks are made from animal products; 45 per cent don't think that bread, bananas and cheese come from farms; and 40 per cent think that farmers harm our environment. The expectations and attitudes of future generations are critical. Those opposite agree. Long term, we need to change the negative attitudes towards farming and address the gap in the understanding of where our food and fibre comes from, particularly amongst our youth. But in the short term Australia's farmers at the very least have a right to feel safe in their businesses and in their homes. Our farmers should be celebrated, not persecuted. Some farmers are questioning their place in the industry, and others have left. We can't afford to have hardworking farmers driven out of their businesses, pressured by activists. Superannuation 40 13:53 Mr STEPHEN JONES A9B Whitlam When you're a government that has no policy, you can see the results. You see backbenchers trying to fill in the gaps, trying to make it up as they go along, and that's exactly what's happening with superannuation policy. Until yesterday lunchtime, we used to call them 'the super 12'. These were the 12 rebel backbenchers led by the member for Mackellar and the member for Goldstein. But now we have the super 13, because the new senator from New South Wales has added his name to the list as well. These are the people who think the people who clean their offices aren't entitled to the same sort of superannuation benefits that they take home themselves. It's an absolute disgrace! We have seen this movie before. When it came to energy policy, you had some of the biggest blockheads on the government side of the House setting policy for the rest of the government. Of course I'm talking about the member for Hughes, who was able to dictate to Malcolm Turnbull what their energy policy was going to be. We're seeing the whole movie roll out again. We have the Treasurer, the Prime Minister and the finance minister saying, 'We have no plans to change superannuation policy.' All the while they're grinding away in the background, making it quite clear that the condition of this bloke keeping his job is that they cut superannuation benefits to some of the lowest-paid workers in Australia. It's a disgrace. Queensland: Infrastructure 41 13:54 Mr PITT 148150 Hinkler Whilst once again it's beautiful weather in Queensland it's also estimates time for the Queensland state government. Recently, the member for Bundaberg, Mr Batt, put a question to the Coordinator-General about the state development area for the Bundaberg port and whether there were any state capital investment plans. We know that this has been an ongoing saga but it is important to note the quote from one Mr Barry Broe, the Coordinator-General. What he said is: I am not saying 'build it and they will come', but if we do not build it and do not provide it then they definitely will not come. They will go somewhere else or the industry will not happen at all. This is a very, very accurate quote, because right now the Queensland state government continue to play political games. In August 2017 we announced $6 million under BBRF funding for Pacific Tug. Pacific Tug are still waiting for approval. A project in Brisbane that was almost exactly the same was approved within 12 weeks and, fact, it is underway, it's finished. Construction has been completed. I say to the Queensland state government: stop playing political games. Stop focusing on the absolute south-east corner and not the regions. There are real people out there. We have jobs for them. The Deputy Premier, Jackie Trad, should stop looking at investment houses and start focusing on jobs for regional people. There are more important things to do than look at the south-east corner. I say to Premier Palaszczuk: step up, put Premier Trad aside and make some decisions in the best interests of people we represent. National Security 41 13:56 Mr HUSIC 91219 Chifley National security is one of the most critical functions of government. The safety of the nation is a principal threshold priority. It should remain shielded from politicisation, so that the Australian public can remain confident that no-one is playing games with national security. Yet, through his actions, the Minister for Home Affairs has demonstrated he is not worthy of this portfolio. He cannot be trusted and he cannot help himself from promoting politicking above the solemn duty to do the right thing when it comes to national security. Look at his track record. He has trashed the bipartisanship that's guided national security debate. He's deliberately misled the public with falsehoods about the medevac legislation that have proven to be wrong. Under his watch journos' homes get raided yet investigations into how ASIO documents fall into the hands of the media gets dropped. He ratted on deals to fix up the encryption legislation that's hurting Aussie tech firms. Metadata that is supposed to be used under strict terms is being abused and his department refuses to provide legally required reports on what's happening with its use. Millions of dollars in government contracts were awarded to Paladin under his watch. Foreign fighter laws that took years to get here still aren't here properly. He cannot be trusted. We are on to him and we will not rest. Grey Electorate: Compulsory Acquisition 41 13:57 Mr RAMSEY HWS Grey In 2004 the Commonwealth moved a compulsory acquisition order for five family properties outside of Whyalla for the extension of the Cultana training facility. In 2012, eight years later, the federal government finally moved and acquired those properties. Now, seven years after that, four families remain in dispute regarding compensation. Prices for pastoral land have risen by 80 per cent over that time. One of those families, the Nicolson family of Roopena and Middleback, had been on their land for 95 years before being evicted. They are having their first day in court next week. Fifteen years in limbo—a third of a working life for people not knowing how to invest, how to go forward and they certainly couldn't sell their properties. It is just not good enough. Compulsory acquisition in this country is a broken model. It is an absolute stinker. I'm ashamed to be associated with it. We need a completely new arrangement that is generous and grants respect to the legal owners of the land. I have spoken to the minister on a number of occasions about this and I believe that he is open to having that type of review. I won't rest until (a) this is righted and (b) we make sure it cannot happen again. It happens to only a small percentage of people around Australia at any given time, but we need people in this place to stand up for them and get a better deal. Select Committee on Regional Development and Decentralisation 41 13:59 Mr FITZGIBBON 8K6 Hunter After 5½ years and after running out of any other ideas to help our farmers or to support regional communities, last year the government appointed a Select Committee on Regional Development and Decentralisation. It took a year to report but its recommendations have been ignored. Now what have they done? They've appointed another select committee. When will it report? On 30 July 2020 at about the same time the drought fund will start to draw down $100 million to assist our farmers. Our farmers need support now, Prime Minister. They need help now. A committee, Prime Minister, won't help our farmers now, or indeed in the future, because you've shown in the past that you don't even acknowledge the recommendations of your own parliamentary committee. When are you going to seriously do something for our farmers? It's been six years of this government, Prime Minister, and we're seven years into drought, and all we get from you is spin, spin and more spin. We will continue to promote the cause of our drought-affected farmers. We won't just talk about them; we will take every opportunity to do something for them, but we still stand ready to offer bipartisanship support. Put something forward worthy of support. Put something forward which is actually going to help our drought-affected farmers and our drought-affected communities. (Time expired) The SPEAKER 00APG In accordance with standing order 43, the time for members' statements has concluded. QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE 42 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE Superannuation 42 14:01 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. Given the government has ruled out changes to the legislated increase to the superannuation guarantee, making superannuation voluntary and including the family home in the pension assets test, what is the Prime Minister's response to the many members of his government still campaigning for those very policies? 14:01 Mr MORRISON E3L Cook As the Treasurer reminded the House yesterday—and I made it very clear in the lead-up to the last election—our policy on those matters is unchanged. What I also know is unchanged is the fact that the Labor Party have a policy for $34 billion of extra taxes on superannuation. They also have a policy that continues to strip away the dividend imputation credits for retirees. That remains their policy. They continue to pursue these matters of policy as fixed items on the Labor agenda. We know why. It's because Labor are always for higher taxes. The SPEAKER 00APG The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Leader of the Opposition, on a point of order? Mr Albanese R36 Yes, it goes to relevance. The question was about the government's policies and about the government's backbench, not about the Labor's Party. The SPEAKER 00APG There were a number of components to the question and, as I've said before, as much as anyone asking the question wants the minister or Prime Minister to answer it in a particular way, the Prime Minister is on the policy topic. The Prime Minister is in order. Mr MORRISON E3L Labor are for higher taxes, and I'll tell you why: it's because they don't know how to control spending either. They went to the 2016 election and were not voted in because their deficits were too big. At the 2019 election, they were not voted in because their taxes were too big. The reason is consistent: Labor cannot manage money. That means Labor will always be for higher taxes and bigger deficits. That's why they cannot be trusted with the management of our economy, and that's why Australians who depend on the essential services that depend on a stronger economy can never rely on Labor. Trade Unions 42 14:03 Mr TED O'BRIEN 138932 Fairfax My question goes to the Minister for Industrial Relations. Will the minister inform the House whether militant unionism has impacted the occupational health and safety of workers in my electorate of Fairfax and in Queensland more generally? 14:04 Mr PORTER 208884 Pearce I thank the member for his question. As the member is aware, the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment (Ensuring Integrity) Bill 2019 is designed to see that our courts have the ability to ensure lawful behaviour on Australian worksites. It is a bill that will apply equally to employer and employee organisations, and there are a number of reasons why this bill is critical and why maintaining lawful conduct on workplaces is critical. Unlawful conduct adds to the costs of infrastructure borne by the Australian taxpayer. One of the very important reasons that unlawful behaviour on worksites must be stopped is that it puts the safety of workers at risk. We know that the CFMMEU has racked up $16 million in court fines for unlawful behaviour for over 2,000 breaches. What is less well known is that many of those breaches themselves relate to violations of occupational health and safety standards. Last year the full Federal Court found that a CFMMEU official had acted in an improper manner to a Victorian government occupational health and safety officer. The grotesque behaviour of the CFMMEU to that official is behaviour directed not at another worker or an employer but at a safety official. When we look at Queensland, there are proceedings that were commenced in December last year against a CFMMEU organiser for his behaviour towards a Queensland government occupational health and safety inspector. The construction site was Cairns Performing Arts Centre. The safety inspector was in the course of inspecting exit signage. He was confronted by the CFMMEU official, who within centimetres of the face of the safety officer said, 'You are an effing dog'—not once, not twice but three times. And the upshot of all this— The SPEAKER 00APG If the minister could pause there, I'm just going to make a point I've had to make before, about a year ago. I appreciate that the minister is seeking to—let me just say this: unparliamentary language cannot be introduced by way of a quote. It's quite clear in Practice, and I just caution all members, when they're even abbreviating a quote, to be mindful of the audience. Mr PORTER 208884 Indeed, no-one should have to put up with that language in their workplace—no-one. The Queensland Public Sector Union now has a list of 17 sites that they will not let their members, their safety inspectors, visit—and I'm quoting from that union—because: Members will not attend work at locations which are deemed unsafe by the State Secretary due to the likely presence of individuals or organisations whose behaviour is deemed a risk to members' workplace health and safety. The public sector union representing safety inspectors in Queensland will not allow its members to go to workplaces because of abuse by the CFMMEU, because it is unsafe. This is a quote from the website of the public sector union: Inspectors will not attend sites to resolve right of entry issues under s81[3] of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 where there is a risk of occupational violence. Yet the Labor Party's national executive includes the CFMMEU Queensland secretary as its member. (Time expired) Superannuation 43 14:07 Dr CHALMERS 37998 Rankin My question is to the Prime Minister. When will the Prime Minister cave in to pressure from members of his government on changing the legislated increase to the super guarantee, making super voluntary and including the family home in the pension assets test, just as he did on the National Energy Guarantee? 14:08 Mr FRYDENBERG FKL Kooyong We've had 44 questions from those opposite, and the shadow Treasurer hasn't asked one of the Treasurer—not interested in the economy. Now, we dealt with that issue yesterday. But, as the Prime Minister has told the House, there's only one side of this place that is promising $34 billion of higher taxes, and it's those opposite—$34 billion of higher taxes. Those opposite, when it comes to superannuation, want to ban the catch-up contributions. So, if you're a mother who's a teacher or a nurse and you want to take four years out of the workforce to raise a child or look after a sick relative and you want to make a catch-up contribution, the Labor Party won't let you; 230,000 Australians will be affected by that. And, if you're a 30-year-old worker in the workforce today and you take four years off and you want to make a catch-up contribution, then as a result of Labor's policy you will be more than $300,0000 worse off in retirement. The fact of the matter is: we're for lower taxes, and Labor is for higher taxes, particularly on superannuation. Trade Unions 43 14:09 Mr LAMING E0H Bowman My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations. Will the minister inform the House of the contributions made by militant unions to political parties in recent years? Is the minister concerned that law-breaking unions are funding the activities of political parties? 14:10 Mr PORTER 208884 Pearce I thank the member for his question. As the member is aware, the ensuring integrity bill would allow for a court to make a finding, for instance, that a person was not a fit and proper person to be a public official for a union—or, indeed, for an employer association; the bill applies to both instances. The court might make a decision that someone's not a fit and proper person, for instance, because they had a significant history of breaking the civil law or criminal law in Australia, especially on criminal laws punishable by two years or more imprisonment. Why is that important? That is important because unlawful behaviour risks the safety of workers. It costs the taxpayer and it means that there is behaviour occurring in our workplaces that simply should not be tolerated. Unfortunately, the present laws have not provided sufficient deterrence to repeated unlawful behaviour of a small number of militant unionists. What sort of behaviour are we talking about here? The Leader of the Opposition says that John Setka is not a fit and proper person to be a member of the Labor Party. Why does he say that? Because of John Setka's record of law-breaking. What is that record? John Setka has, to this point, amassed around 59 court convictions for a multitude of offences, including: assault police, five times; assault by kicking, five times; wilful trespass, seven times; resisting arrest, five times; theft, attempted theft by deception and intent to coerce, nine times; coercion, 10 times. These things, now, finally, have formed the basis of a conclusion by the opposition leader that militant unionist John Setka is not a fit and proper person to be a member of the Labor Party. But, interestingly, the same remarkable record of offending has not also given rise to a view from the opposition leader that it is not fit and proper for Labor to accept the $1 million that John Setka sent to Labor as a Victorian branch secretary. Likewise, it's remarkable that that criminal record doesn't now appear to be the basis for a view that it was not fit and proper for Labor to accept $13 million from the CFMEU in total. What we have here is a situation where the character of John Setka is now rejected fulsomely by Labor, but his cash is still warmly accepted—as much of it that can flow as possible. Who is actually standing up for workers here? Who is actually on the side of workers? Labor accept a million dollars directly from a man they say is not a fit and proper person to be a member of the Labor Party and, at the same time, the ABCC has just announced that it has recovered $1 million in underpaid wages for almost 1,400 workers. Following Labor's view, put to them by John Setka, the ABCC— (Time expired) Rockhampton: Roads 44 14:13 Mr DICK 53517 Oxley My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister. When will work on the Rockhampton Ring Road commence? 14:13 Mr McCORMACK 219646 Riverina As I said yesterday, work is phased in. When you have a $100 billion infrastructure rollout across this nation, work gets rolled out. When Labor makes election commitments in their own electorates, prior to an election, we don't have to meet those particular commitments, because Labor didn't win the election. News flash: Labor didn't win on 18 May; we did. But we are, indeed, rolling out $100 billion of infrastructure across the nation. When it comes to the member who asked the question's electorate: on the Ipswich Motorway from Rocklea to Darra, we're spending $200 million; urban congestion funding for the Ipswich Motorway, $50 million; financial assistance grants, up to $50 million; the Major Project Business Case Fund, $25 million. But if the member— Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG The Minister for Home Affairs will cease interjecting. The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order. Mr Albanese R36 The question was very specific. It's about Rocky. When will it start? The SPEAKER 00APG The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. Mr Buchholz interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Wright! If he wants to ask a question, he'll have to get on the list, I presume. The Deputy Prime Minister has the call. He needs to be relevant to the question, and, as I said yesterday, that relates to the subject matter. I'm prepared to be tolerant, provided he keeps it to the location that the question has asked about. Mr McCORMACK 219646 I hear the opposition leader say it's not local government. It's also state government. We have to work in conjunction with state governments. Maybe, if the Queensland Treasurer's house were somewhere near the road, they might be a little bit more forthright in actually approving these projects and letting us get on with building them. Climate Change 44 14:15 Ms SHARKIE 265980 Mayo My question is to the Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management. Farmers in my electorate are grappling with the impact of climate change, hotter and dryer seasons and more frequent severe weather events. For two successive years, we've had hail storms that have devastated our apple orchards, leaving our growers desperate for horticulture netting to safeguard against such disasters in the future. Minister, in April 2018 you initiated a national strategy on climate change and agriculture. Minister, will you please advise the House around the content, funding and time frame for this strategy? 14:16 Mr LITTLEPROUD 265585 Maranoa I thank the honourable member for her question. You are right: in April last year, one of the first achievements after becoming agriculture minister, at my first ministerial council of all agriculture ministers—the states and myself—was to be able to get an agreement on a nationally coordinated approach towards supporting our farmers with the changing climate and adapting to climate. We were able to with the support of the Victorian government. I need to acknowledge the former agriculture minister there, Jaala Pulford, who took the lead on that and commissioned a report that was provided to the last ministerial council meeting in September last year, and the final report will be provided to the ministerial council in September this year. It's important that we get a coordinated approach between state and federal agencies to ensure that we're not duplicating expenditure. But it's also important to understand the work that our farmers and the government have already done, particularly since we first put a till in the soil. Our farmers have been adapting to a changing climate, and we're putting in over $1.1 billion a year, between government and farmers, to give them the tools to be able to adapt to a changing climate—the cutting-edge research and development they need. It's also important that we continue to improve our landscapes. One point one billion dollars has gone to Landcare itself—a great movement that has changed the land practices of our farmers for the better, in terms of not only the environmental outcomes but also profitability. Only last night, proudly, this government, as a signature piece to drought policy into the future, was able to pass the Future Drought Fund—a $100 million dividend, year in, year out. It is legislated. We will be going out and consulting with the community. What a crazy idea that a government might go out and ask those whose money it is how it should be spent! We will look at things like climate risk, extension work and how we can actually ensure our farmers take up the research and development that we've got and better equip them to adapt to a changing climate. That's what a government should be: agile and there to ensure that we deliver money that is purposeful and will be spent properly. Workplace Relations 45 14:18 Mr RICK WILSON 198084 O'Connor My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations. Will the minister update the House on the government's actions to protect the wages of Australian workers from the actions of militant unions? 14:18 Mr PORTER 208884 Pearce I thank the member for his question. As the member is aware, right now in Australia there is over $2 billion under management in what are known as workers' entitlement funds. Those funds are meant to keep safe and secure money that may, in the future, be needed to pay for events such as long service leave, sick leave or, very importantly, severance and redundancy payments. There are nine large workers' entitlement funds in operation. We described yesterday that one of those funds, known as Protect, transferred, just before the last election, $32 million worth of workers' money, meant to be kept safe and secure for the purposes of future severance payments, back to the Electrical Trades Union. There is no rational explanation as to why that occurred. So bad is it that there's a loan facility in case Protect run out of money to pay for severance payments. They might be able to borrow some back if they ask nicely. It is outrageous. But today there is another example of the complete misappropriation of workers' funds, from the same severance fund, Protect. There are a range of enterprise agreements that have a clause that insists and requires that two per cent of workers' wages go not to the worker but to the fund Protect for the purposes of income protection insurance. There's nothing wrong with that on its face. That is money that could be kept in the fund Protect for the income protection insurance of the workers. But it's money that doesn't go into the pockets of the workers and it's money they earned. For instance, there's a two per cent of payroll clause for income protection for Dubai Ports' operations in Australia. Keep in mind these are very large operations. Dubai Ports' payroll in Australia is, we think, in excess of $260 million per year. Today in the media it emerged that there is a document that no-one has ever seen before which outlines an agreement between the Electrical Trades Union and Protect, under the heading 'beneficial term', and it is really beneficial: the ETU will receive a benefit from the income protection insurance payments in the amount of approximately 16 per cent of the total fund income insurance contributions. So, of those millions of dollars worth of wages, year on year, that go into the Protect insurance fund, 16 per cent goes straight back to the Electrical Trades Union. This government says that, in the banking sector, a secret commission is deplorable; in this sector, it is equally deplorable. This is workers' money that they get no benefit from that is siphoned off to the ETU. And right now the MUA, part of the militant CFMMEU, is pushing very hard for another two per cent of wages clause so that the money, millions of dollars, will flow into this organisation, Protect. What everyone here and, I think, the workers would like to know is: is there going to be a similar kickback in that arrangement? The only way we will ever know is if this legislation passes, to make the relationship transparent. (Time expired) Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction 45 14:22 Mr BUTLER HWK Hindmarsh My question is to the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction. I refer to the minister's answer yesterday about his declaration, and I refer the minister to the requirement to declare any relevant interest in any shares, whether held directly or indirectly. The minister has not declared his indirect interest in Jam Land on his statement of interests. Why? 14:22 Mr TAYLOR 231027 Hume As I made absolutely clear yesterday, my indirect interest in Jam Land, which is part of our family farms, has been widely reported in the media and was declared in accordance with the rules—in accordance with the rules. Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG Members on my left! Mr TAYLOR 231027 It is very clear of that interest, and, as I say, it has been declared in accordance with the rules. To add to that, let me emphasise that I had no association— Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG Could the minister pause for a second—he is perfectly fine. Again, I need to do this every day. If people on my left keep bellowing into my left ear, I can't be expected to rule on any potential point of order. I'm trying to listen very carefully to what the minister says. The minister has the call. Mr TAYLOR 231027 As I said yesterday, I had no association and have no association with the compliance action and I have never made a representation in relation to it. But I tell you what I've made representations with respect to: with respect to the farmers in my electorate. I note the comment from the member for Eden-Monaro yesterday that the issue wasn't raised with him. I have to confess I wasn't surprised by it, despite the fact that this listing covers his electorate as much as mine. I wasn't surprised by it one bit. I'll tell you why. I know why the farmers of Eden-Monaro aren't raising the issue with their local member. It is because he doesn't care. His constituents are raising it with me, as are mine. We stand up for farmers on this side of the House. Those opposite simply don't. The SPEAKER 00APG The Minister for Home Affairs. Mr Dutton 00AKI Mr Speaker, whilst the minister was on his way to the despatch box, there was an unparliamentary and offensive comment made by the member for Chifley. It was clear for all to hear— Mr Husic interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG Member for Chifley— Mr Dutton 00AKI and I would ask to you direct him to withdraw it. The SPEAKER 00APG I will ask the minister to stay there. I didn't hear the last bit. The member for Chifley, I'm trying to hear a point of order relating to him. He's not going to interject all the way through it. He just needs to be quiet. Let's start with occasionally. Minister, if you could make point of order. Mr Dutton 00AKI Whilst the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction was making his way to the dispatch box, there was an unparliamentary and offensive comment made by the member for Chifley. It was clearly heard by many within the chamber. He should have the decency to withdraw it without direction. If he doesn't do so, I'd ask you to direct him to withdraw it. The SPEAKER 00APG It's a fairly straightforward issue. I will ask the member for Chifley whether he made an unparliamentary remark. Mr Husic 91219 No, I didn't. The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Chifley will resume his seat. The member for Monash has the call. Biosecurity 46 14:25 Mr BROADBENT MT4 Monash My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development. Will the Deputy Prime Minister update the House on how the government is ensuring that farmers—from Gippy Goat at Yarragon to my many, many dairy farmers who feel under pressure—are getting the security they need to grow our nation's food and fibre? 14:26 Mr McCORMACK 219646 Riverina I thank the member for Monash for his question in relation to issues having an effect on regional Australia and on our hardworking farmers, who are the world's best environmentalists and the world's best land carers. Regional development is important to our farmers; it's important to our government. The member for Monash knows full well the risk of biosecurity breaches caused by animal activists—criminals—illegally trespassing on farms. They're breaking the law. Australian agricultural experts estimate that an outbreak of highly contagious animal diseases would cost our agricultural industry up to $16 billion. That's more than a quarter of what the industry is worth. Anyone who intentionally puts one of Australia's most important industries at risk should be thrown in jail for a very, very long time. In the member for Monash's electorate, the Gippy Goat Cafe in Yarragon was invaded by 70 activists. They stole three goats from the property. Goodness knows what they did with them! The cafe chose to close, with the owners blaming constant harassment by abusive vegan activists. The green-collar criminal who was found guilty— Honourable members interjecting— Mr McCORMACK 219646 Listen to this! The chamber should be quiet to listen to this. The green-collar criminal who was found guilty was fined just $1 by the magistrate. That magistrate needs to go back to magistrates' school. This is an outrage. It is an absolute disgrace. Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Hunter is now warned. Mr McCORMACK 219646 I can flick it to him if he's that short of cash, Mr Speaker. The SPEAKER 00APG No, you can't. Mr McCORMACK 219646 Our government has listened to the concerns of farmers and we have acted to secure their properties, to secure their homes and their livelihoods. Their farms are critical and crucial to our nation and they should be protected. Most Australian farms are family owned and operated. They're good people. I come from a generational farming family and I know how hard our farmers work. They deserve our respect. If you illegally storm a farm, we will throw the book at you. Under the new legislation, if you're found guilty of using personal information of farmers to incite trespass, you will face up to a year in jail, as you should. If you go a step further and incite damage or theft on agricultural land, you could be—and should be—living in a jail cell for the next five years. You shouldn't be allowed out in those five years. We are taking this very, very seriously. I commend the Attorney-General and the minister for water resources and drought for their work in helping to form this legislation. I hear the Opposition Leader say, 'It is bipartisan.' That is good, and that is as it should be. It's a shame that we had to drag you kicking and screaming to the Future Drought Fund. I also commend the state minister for agriculture in New South Wales, Adam Marshall, who is in the House today. This week the New South Wales government announced $1,000 on-the-spot fines for individuals—and further fines of up to $220,000 per person and $440,000 for corporations—who illegally enter farmers' properties creating biosecurity risks. Our farmers need protecting. We're doing just that. The SPEAKER 00APG Before I call the member for Port Adelaide, I remind the members for Hunter and Moreton to cease interjecting. The member for Hunter has been warned. The member for Moreton—who I regularly ask to cease interjecting, only to have him agree with me—that's it for the rest of the day, okay? The member for Chisholm. Ms Liu 282918 My question is— Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG Sorry, the member for— Government members interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG No, no, no. Members on my right will cease interjecting or I will give them two in a row. The member for Hindmarsh was on his feet. Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction 47 14:30 Mr BUTLER HWK Hindmarsh My question is again to the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction. I refer the minister to his previous answer and to the requirement for members to disclose indirect interests. I have a copy of the minister's statement of interests. Will the minister confirm that it contains no reference whatsoever to Jam Land? 14:30 Mr TAYLOR 231027 Hume As I said a moment ago, my indirect interest in Jam Land has been widely reported in the media and it was declared, in accordance with the rules, through my family company. There are many on this side of the House who are part of family farms. We invest through our family companies. That's how we own our farms. Those opposite, who have never participated in small businesses or farming, wouldn't understand that for a moment. This issue has been raised by those opposite as a grubby smear campaign against me and my family. I can safely say that the work that I did with respect to the listing that has been referred to in this place in the last 24 hours was to protect the interests of the farmers in my electorate. They need protection against, most of all, the sorts of policies that those opposite brought to the last election. Mr Burke DYW Point of order. The SPEAKER 00APG The minister has concluded his answer, but I'm happy to hear the point of order as always. Mr Burke DYW It relates to the dignity of the House. I just want to confirm that there has been, even though it's not reflected in the standing orders, a practice on both sides that we don't question and don't make allegations about people's families. I just want to assure you that the opposition has deliberately not referred to families in any of these questions and will not. The SPEAKER 00APG I do thank the Manager of Opposition Business. I'm not quite sure what the point of order was, but I appreciate that he wished to make a statement. Taxation 48 14:32 Ms LIU 282918 Chisholm My question is to the Treasurer. How will the Morrison government's lower taxes help families and small businesses in my electorate of Chisholm? Is the Treasurer aware of any alternative policies? 14:32 Mr FRYDENBERG FKL Kooyong I congratulate the member for Chisholm on her historic victory in bringing that electorate back to the coalition as the first Chinese-born Australian woman in this place. She and the Liberal Party have made history. She brings to this place experience in small business, the types of skills that our members bring to this place in the construction of policy. She knows that, of her electors—people in Box Hill, Box Hill North and Glen Waverley—71,469 taxpayers in the electorate of Chisholm will be better off as a result of the tax cuts that passed this parliament. More than 26,000 of them will receive the full $1,080 as a result of the legislation that passed this parliament. I can inform the House that, as of today, 3½ million Australians have lodged a tax return for the 2018-19 year. That's nearly 25 per cent more than at the same period last year. I can also inform the House that the Australian Taxation Office has paid out refunds of $4.1 billion. That's money flowing into the pockets of Australians, because this side of the House believes that Australians should earn more and keep more of what they earn. The legislation that we passed will ensure that Australians will pay a marginal rate of no more than 30c in the dollar if they earn between $45,000 and $200,000. That is tackling bracket creep. So, if you get a promotion, you work a few extra hours or you take a second job, you're not likely to pay a higher marginal rate of tax. We're abolishing a whole rate of tax—the 37c bracket has gone, against the wishes of those opposite—and we're lifting the threshold for the 19c bracket from $37,000 today to $45,000. While we stand for lower taxes, those opposite stand for $387 billion of higher taxes. The member for Rankin said he was proud and pleased of the retiree and housing taxes. The member for Barton said that the tax policies they took to the last election were good policies. No wonder the Leader of the Opposition has not changed his tax policies; he still believes tax reform means higher taxes for all Australians. Only the coalition will deliver more money into the pockets of hardworking Australians. (Time expired) Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction 48 14:36 Mr BUTLER HWK Hindmarsh My question is again to the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction. I refer the minister to his previous answer. When did the minister tell the Prime Minister that he had an interest in Jam Land Pty Ltd? 14:36 Mr TAYLOR 231027 Hume I have answered the question about the disclosure of my interests before. You need to answer the question of why you are part of a grubby smear campaign against my family— Mr Dreyfus interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Isaacs is warned. Mr TAYLOR 231027 in this parliament and in the New South Wales parliament, and you are well aware of that. As I've said, my indirect interest in that farm, in Jam Land, has been widely reported in the media and was declared in accordance with the rules. On this side of the House, many of us were involved in farming and business before we came into the House; that's what many of us did. The result of that is we have interests in family farms, and mine are fully declared through my family company, as has been widely reported in the media. The reason this issue came up is that several years ago, before I was in this current role, I sought to ensure that my farmers in the electorate of Hume were being fairly treated under a revised EPBC listing. That revised EPBC listing was having an impact on and creating concerns with my farmers, which were raised by the New South Wales Farmers and the National Farmers' Federation on several occasions. I read from a letter to the Treasurer at that time: 'At the time the listing was made, the NFF raised the following points in a submission to the department of the environment'—this is a letter to the now Treasurer, the then Minister for the Environment and Energy. The letter goes on to say: 'The information available for public consultation did not provide any quantified assessment of the extent, distribution and the quality of the listing. The information provided as part of the review did not adequately analyse the ongoing risks.' And, thirdly, 'Based on the information provided, in the NFF's view it is highly unlikely that an individual farmer would be able to assess their responsibilities under the EPBC.' These were legitimate concerns, and they were properly raised in the right context because I stand up for my farmers. The SPEAKER 00APG Is the Manager of Opposition Business seeking to table a document? Mr Burke DYW I'm asking the minister to table the document that he was reading from. We have a copy of a document, that appears to have the same language, which was actually months after the meeting, not before. The SPEAKER 00APG Was the minister quoting from a confidential document? It is a confidential document. Mr Burke DYW I seek leave to table a letter to the then Minister for the Environment and Energy from the National Farmers' Federation, dated 3 October 2017. Leave not granted. Roads 49 14:39 Dr MARTIN 282982 Reid My question is to the Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure. Will the minister please update the House on the Morrison government's efforts to bust congestion, including the latest developments on the WestConnex project that will benefit motorists across Sydney? 14:40 Mr TUDGE M2Y Aston I thank the member for Reid for her question and also for her outstanding maiden speech this morning. We congratulate her on her magnificent victory in the seat in Western Sydney. Her supporters are up in the gallery today. As the member for Reid knows, two weeks ago we reached another incredible milestone of the $16 billion WestConnex project—and that was the opening of the M4 tunnel from Homebush to Haberfield. This 5.5-kilometre tunnel is an absolute game changer for constituents in the member for Reid's electorate and right across Sydney because it now means that a person driving from Parramatta to the CBD can avoid 22 sets of traffic lights and will save 20 minutes when going from Parramatta to the CBD. If you were doing that daily over the course of a week you would save 3½ hours. Every single week that's 3½ hours you could spend with your family, with other loved ones, on the sporting field or doing things you want to do rather than being stuck in traffic. This is an absolute congestion-busting project at its best, making a real difference to thousands of people's lives on a daily basis. What's more it has a great economic impact, because when you clear some of the traffic—like is happening on Parramatta Road—and make that journey 20 minutes faster, it's better for tradies and for trucks distributing goods. So it's better for the economy overall. There were also 4,000 jobs in construction on this project and 16,000 jobs overall during the construction of the WestConnex project. So it is a great congestion-busting project and it's great for the economy. Given these fantastic attributes, I'm both disappointed and astounded that the Labor Party, the opposition, are still so against the WestConnex project. Just a few years ago the Leader of the Opposition, when he was the transport spokesperson, said that he didn't support this project, because 'it's a road to nowhere'. Parramatta is a road to nowhere? Furthermore, he said, 'If I'm the transport minister, there will not be a single dollar going into this project.' We don't believe that Western Sydney is nowhere. We're on the side of those residents in Western Sydney who want to be able to get through traffic more quickly. We're building infrastructure in Western Sydney to make it easier for them to get home sooner and safer. We're on the side of all Australians who want to bust congestion, improve the economy and get home sooner and safer. (Time expired) Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction 49 14:43 Ms BUTLER 248006 Griffith My question is to the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction. I refer the minister to his claim that he did not ask for a compliance officer from the Department of the Environment and Energy to be present at his grasslands meeting and his confirmation that a compliance officer was there. If it wasn't his idea to have a compliance officer there, whose was it? Did the Treasurer ever advise the minister that the compliance officer was present at the request of the Treasurer? 14:43 Mr TAYLOR 231027 Hume The department determines who comes to these meetings. Let me be very clear: I didn't ask for or, indeed, even know that a compliance officer was present at the meeting. Environment 49 14:44 Mrs WICKS 241590 Robertson My question is to the Minister for the Environment. Will the minister update the House on how the Morrison government is empowering communities to protect and preserve their own local environments? 14:44 Ms LEY 00AMN Farrer I thank the member for Robertson for her outstanding representation when it comes to local conservation volunteers. She is a fabulous advocate for the Central Coast. You only have to visit to see her, sleeves rolled up, not sitting behind a computer making lofty statements but out there with her people and working hard. She has already secured $600,000 of funding through the Environment Restoration Fund. That fund is for cleaning up waterways and coastlines, removing litter and protecting threatened species. Opposition members interjecting— Ms LEY 00AMN I'd like to talk today, if members opposite would allow me, about a new fund: the Communities Environment Program. It is open to all members of the House, with up to $150,000 per electorate. I'm not sure whether members opposite would like to participate, but they're invited. They can apply for grants of up to $20,000 for projects just like this to repair riparian areas, working hard with their local volunteer groups and Landcare groups. Caring for the environment is a shared responsibility. Our community groups are the ones we rely on. We can't do without them. They deliver excellent projects across the vast and amazing landscape of rural and urban Australia. The program guidelines will be out soon. There will be information sessions next week. Again, this is for members opposite, as well as members on this side of the House. We look forward to you promoting this program amongst your constituents, stepping up and understanding that the government is on the side of conservation volunteers and on the side of Australians who want to take practical action to protect our environment and to preserve its precious features. Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction 50 14:46 Ms BUTLER 248006 Griffith My question is to the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction. At the meeting to which the minister has previously referred, did he ask for the grasslands listing affecting Jam Land to be varied without scientific advice and then kept secret? Was that the minister's idea or the Treasurer's idea? 14:46 Mr TAYLOR 231027 Hume I make absolutely no apology for seeking and receiving briefings on policies that affect the farmers in my electorate. I am a proud farmer in my electorate. I will always seek and receive briefings on policies that impact them. Rural and Regional Services 50 14:47 Mr O'DOWD 139441 Flynn My question is to the Minister for Regional Services, Decentralisation and Local Government. Will the minister update the House on how the government is delivering on its commitment to create jobs, boost the economy and productivity, improve digital connectivity and support drought-affected farmers and communities in regional Australia? 14:47 Mr COULTON HWN Parkes I would like to thank the member for Flynn for his question. I know how important regional connectivity is to him and his electorate. This government is committed to supporting Australians through adversity. The member would well know the challenges being faced by many communities across Australia. We are focused on delivering better connectivity for the people in our communities to grow their businesses, employ more people, stay connected with their family and friends, and respond to emergency situations. I can confirm that the base station in Maroondan, in the southern end of the member for Flynn's electorate, was recently switched on to provide improved coverage for the communities in the area, such as Gin Gin. This tower is further evidence of the member for Flynn's record of delivering for his constituents, with 22 base stations now reducing blackspots in his electorate. It's also evidence of this government's continued and wide-ranging support of drought-affected communities, like Gin Gin, through infrastructure investment throughout those communities. As well as direct financial support, these communities need a way to communicate, share stories and be connected to the services that they need. It is thanks to the government's $380 million Mobile Black Spot Program that more regions like Maroondan are being provided with better mobile coverage. The member for Page and his constituents would also know the benefits that the Mobile Black Spot Program is providing, with a tower at Yorklea, just near Casino, switched on only this week. The record investment has funded 1,047 towers across all corners of the country, with more than 740 already on air and delivering their coverage. With a base station in his electorate turned on just yesterday, the member for Wide Bay, as a former police officer, would be pleased to know that having these towers on air has enabled more than 25,000 triple 0 calls to be made. More towers make more of these life-saving calls possible. And we're not done yet. Round 5 of the program is currently open so we can continue to forge ahead with our commitment to improve rural connectivity. We're committed to providing those who choose to live and run businesses in the regions with the same coverage as their city counterparts. That's why the Liberal-National government is building new phone towers across the country, while those on the other side have built none. There has been some talk on the other side about dates and time frames. I'd like to give the members opposite a date and a time frame. How about we try February 2008? I know what the view's like from that side of the chamber, because I was sitting there. It was the week I made my first speech in parliament. It was also the week that the legislation was introduced to remove the $2.4 billion black spot— (Time expired) Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction 51 14:51 Ms BUTLER 248006 Griffith My question is to the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction. On Tuesday the minister said: I have always disclosed my interests and I've been very clear about those interests. When did the minister relinquish his interests in the Cayman Islands? Mr Porter 208884 Mr Speaker, I fail to see how that has anything to do with the minister's portfolio. The SPEAKER 00APG Actually, I think the Leader of the House has made a reasonable point. As I heard the question, it simply asked when he relinquished his interests in the Cayman Islands. I'll hear from the Manager of Opposition Business. Mr Burke DYW Mr Speaker, the final paragraph is exactly as you have described. The paragraph before that refers specifically to the answer he gave on Tuesday and is therefore inquiring with respect to that. Government members interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG Members on my right are not helping. As I heard the question—and I'm happy to hear it again—it referred to an earlier answer but then just asked a question about when he relinquished his interests. I'll hear it again and then I'll make a ruling. Ms BUTLER 248006 My question is to the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction. On Tuesday the minister said: I've always disclosed my interests and I've been very clear about those interests. When did the minister relinquish his interests in the Cayman Islands? The SPEAKER 00APG No, I'm going to rule that out of order. National Security 51 14:53 Mr HASTIE 260805 Canning My question is for the Minister for Home Affairs. Will the minister update the House on Australia's strong and consistent border security measures? Is the minister aware of any alternative approaches that would put those border security measures at risk? 14:53 Mr DUTTON 00AKI Dickson I thank the honourable member for his question. As all Australians know, under the Labor Party 50,000 people arrived on more than 800 boats, at least 1,200 people drowned at sea and, shamefully, 8,000 children were put into detention by Labor. There was nothing humane about Labor's border protection policies. We know that Labor's policies— Mr Husic interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG I just remind the member for Chifley of my earlier warning. Mr DUTTON 00AKI resulted in a record 2,453 people in detention. We've brought that offshore cohort down from almost 2½ thousand under Labor to 740, and we're reducing it, as quickly as we can, down to zero. We've been able to negotiate third-country resettlement options, including with the US, and 585 people have departed, as at 18 July, to go to the United States. Others have received provisional approval and are in the process of their predeparture arrangements. We want to make sure that the people smugglers hear a consistent message, because this government is on the side of Australians who want strong border protection policies to make sure that we can decide who comes to our country and the way in which they can be screened before they arrive. It's a very important point. There are biosecurity issues. There are identity issues in the modern age. The thought that somebody could turn up to our country without a passport or without identity documents in the 21st century is simply inconceivable. The reality is that we have been consistent from day one in relation to border protection matters. We've been able to stand up to the people smugglers, but there is a very significant departure now between the two positions. The position of the government is in contrast to the position of the Labor Party. We know that during the course of this last election, only in May of this year, vessels had already departed in anticipation of a Labor government being elected. There were 41 people on a boat on their way to Australia anticipating a Labor government. The Labor Party had just before the election decided to introduce a very dangerous bill called the medevac law which again sent the wrong message to Sri Lanka, Indonesia and elsewhere. They have been all over the place for years now when it comes to border protection policy. This Leader of the Opposition is trying to be as sneaky as the last leader of the Opposition. He's trying to pretend to the Australian people that he's on their side when it comes to border protection policies, but of course he is not. The Australian public has worked out Labor. They know that Labor remains weak on border protection policies and they know that if Labor was ever re-elected the boats would restart and kids would be back in detention. (Time expired) Endangered Species 52 14:56 Ms BUTLER 248006 Griffith My question is to the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction. I refer to as previous answer. Did the minister's meeting with departmental issues discuss any of the following matters— Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG There were a couple of interjections there, and I'm struggling to hear the member for Griffith anyway. I ask the member for Griffith to start again, a bit louder. Ms BUTLER 248006 You don't usually ask me that! The SPEAKER 00APG I know that's unusual for me to ask anyone to speak louder. Ms BUTLER 248006 Especially not me! My question is to the Minister for Energy and Emission Reduction. I refer to his previous answer. Did the minister's meeting with departmental officials discuss any of the following matters later referenced in departmental correspondence about the Threatened Species Scientific Committee: whether the environment minister could vary the listing without the committee's advice; whether the minister could act against the committee's advice; and, if the minister acted against the committee's advice, could the minister keep the reasons secret? 14:57 Mr TAYLOR 231027 Hume The briefing was a technical briefing with respect to a revised listing of the EPBC which had the potential to impact thousands of farmers in my electorate—their livelihoods, their wellbeing. Federal Election 52 14:58 Ms STEGGALL 175696 Warringah My question is for the Prime Minister. Businesses in Warringah are bound by Australian Consumer Law. In particular, they're not allowed to mislead and deceive customers about their products or services, yet in contrast it's a free-for-all in political advertising during campaigns, where misleading and outright false claims are made by all sides of politics, resulting in a loss of trust in our political system and undermining of our democracy. Will the government introduce or support legislation for a minimum standard of truth in political advertising during political campaigns? 14:58 Mr MORRISON E3L Cook I thank the member for Warringah for her question. She would be aware that the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters undertakes a review of all matters in relation to the conduct of the most recent election. It will bring forward a report, and that would be considered by the government and the parliament. That is the appropriate place for those matters to be addressed and to be considered as they come before this parliament. But I would agree with the member for Warringah that the activities by GetUp! in the most recent election, and the actions they took against the former member for Warringah, were some of the grubbiest and some of the most despicable actions I've seen by what is indeed a political organisation masquerading as something independent. That includes the actions that GetUp! took against the former member for Warringah and that were stood up to by the member for Boothby. I commend the member for Boothby for staring down the bullying that was done by GetUp! to her in the last election. I also commend the member for Dickson, the member for Kooyong and the member for Menzies. I'm so pleased to see them here again, because the Liberal Party and the National Party will never be intimidated by the bullying tactics and the big union money that goes into GetUp! and the Labor Party. Morrison Government 52 15:00 Mr SHARMA 274506 Wentworth My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister update the House on further action the government has taken this week to deliver on its priorities? Opposition members interjecting— Mr Bowen interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG Members on my left will cease interjecting or I'll start ejecting. The member for McMahon is warned! 15:01 Mr MORRISON E3L Cook He got a warning at the last election, the member for McMahon. A government member: They haven't heeded it, though! Mr MORRISON E3L They haven't listened to it, though. They got a big warning at the last election. Australians said they didn't want high taxes and they didn't want the Labor Party. I thank the member for Wentworth for his question. I couldn't be more pleased to see the member for Wentworth sitting on these benches. I commend him for his outstanding maiden speech to the parliament last night. It's been a big week this week. We've talked a lot about the impact of thuggish unions and their impact on trying to thieve workers' wages. We know a lot about the union movement coming here and trying to kick down doors in Parliament House as we saw back there in 1996, but this week we had a Labor state member of parliament come down and try and kick down the door of a hotel room. That's the sort of behaviour they think is okay in the Labor Party, and we're seeing that in the same way— The SPEAKER 00APG The Prime Minister will resume his seat. Members on my right! The minister for drought and the Minister for Health, I just refer you to what I said yesterday. The Manager of Opposition Business, on a point of order? Mr Burke DYW I accept, with a question like that, it is really hard to not be relevant. The question was as broad as it could possibly be— The SPEAKER 00APG It certainly was. Mr Burke DYW and the Prime Minister has managed to not be relevant to the question. The SPEAKER 00APG I think the Prime Minister has almost concluded his preamble. I would say to those on my left: I'm certainly not going to intervene. Just so I'm really clear, if there's going to be a wall of interjections as the Prime Minister stands up to answer it, I'm going to allow him and ministers to answer those, as I've done in the past. If you lead with your chin, you'd better be ready to deal with it. The Prime Minister has the call. Mr MORRISON E3L This week in the parliament, once again, our government demonstrated whose side we're on, and it was very clear whose side the Labor Party was on. When it came to the issue of the drought fund on Monday, we came in here and stood up for the farmers, but the Labor Party had to be dragged kicking and screaming to actually support Australian farmers through the establishment of the drought fund. Last October at the Drought Summit—which brought together state and territory leaders and people from all around the country—this was one of the key actions. I'm so pleased that this week we've been able to get the result and have been able to legislate this drought fund, which is part of a $7 billion response by this government to the drought, backing Australian farmers and rural communities and graziers all around the country. On top of that, we took action just like we did a couple of weeks ago when we took legislation through this parliament to provide tax relief to all Australians through a comprehensive plan. Again, the Labor Party showed they are not on the side of aspirational Australians who want to keep more of what they earn. They had to be dragged kicking and screaming. On this side of the House, we know what we want to do: we want to provide tax relief to hardworking Australians and we want to keep Australians safe. That's why we brought legislation into this parliament that deals with the risk presented by foreign fighters. This is something we have been consistent on as a government, to keep Australians safe. We have taken action on this to ensure we can keep Australians safe in the face of the threat of foreign fighters. We've taken action this week as we bring legislation into this House to ensure that dodgy, militant unions cannot thieve the earnings of workers in this country—that they cannot go and set up these dodgy funds and siphon off the earnings to their mates in all sorts of union funds which end up— (Time expired) MOTIONS 53 MOTIONS Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction 53 15:05 Mr BURKE DYW Watson I seek leave to move the following motion: That the House calls on the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction to immediately make a statement to the House for a period not exceeding 20 minutes explaining: (1) why he met with Department of the Environment and Energy officials and the office of the then Minister for the Environment and Energy, and now Treasurer, in March 2017 to discuss the listing of a critically endangered grasslands while the department was investigating the alleged poisoning of the same grasslands on land he part-owned; (2) why, and how, an officer from the compliance unit of the department responsible for the investigation was present at the March 2017 meeting; (3) why, following the meeting, the office of the then Minister for Environment and Energy asked for advice on whether he could vary the relevant listing without the advice of the Threatened Species Scientific Committee, whether he could act against the Committee's advice and whether he could keep the reasons for the variation secret; (4) why, despite stating that his interest in Jam Land Pty Ltd was declared in accordance with the rules, he has failed to list his indirect interest in Jam Land Pty Ltd on his Member's Statement of Registrable Interests; (5) what declarations, if any, the Minister has made to the Department of the Environment and Energy, the office of the then Minister for the Environment and Energy and the Prime Minister about his interest in the land subject to a compliance investigation by the Department of the Environment and Energy; and (6) how his conduct is consistent with the Statement of Ministerial Standards. Leave not granted. Mr BURKE DYW I move: That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Watson from moving the following motion immediately—That the House calls on the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction to immediately make a statement to the House for a period not exceeding 20 minutes explaining: (1) why he met with Department of the Environment and Energy officials and the office of the then Minister for the Environment and Energy, and now Treasurer, in March 2017 to discuss the listing of a critically endangered grasslands while the department was investigating the alleged poisoning of the same grasslands on land he part-owned; (2) why, and how, an officer from the compliance unit of the department responsible for the investigation was present at the March 2017 meeting; (3) why, following the meeting, the office of the then Minister for Environment and Energy asked for advice on whether he could vary the relevant listing without the advice of the Threatened Species Scientific Committee, whether he could act against the Committee's advice and whether he could keep the reasons for the variation secret; (4) why, despite stating that his interest in Jam Land Pty Ltd was declared in accordance with the rules, he has failed to list his indirect interest in Jam Land Pty Ltd on his Member's Statement of Registrable Interests; (5) what declarations, if any, the Minister has made to the Department of the Environment and Energy, the office of the then Minister for the Environment and Energy and the Prime Minister about his interest in the land subject to a compliance investigation by the Department of the Environment and Energy; and (6) how his conduct is consistent with the Statement of Ministerial Standards. I bet he loved Butlers before he got to this parliament, but now, under— 15:08 Mr PORTER 208884 Pearce I move: That the Member be no longer heard. The SPEAKER 00APG The question is that the Manager of Opposition Business be no further heard.

The House divided. [15:12]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)

 74 AYES Allen, K Andrews, KJ Andrews, KL Archer, BK Bell, AM Broadbent, RE Buchholz, S Chester, D Christensen, GR Coleman, DB Conaghan, PJ Connelly, V Coulton, M Drum, DK (teller) Dutton, PC Entsch, WG Evans, TM Falinski, JG Fletcher, PW Flint, NJ Frydenberg, JA Gee, AR Gillespie, DA Goodenough, IR Hammond, CM Hastie, AW Hawke, AG Hogan, KJ Howarth, LR Hunt, GA Irons, SJ Joyce, BT Kelly, C Laming, A Landry, ML Leeser, J Ley, SP Littleproud, D Liu, G Marino, NB Martin, FB McCormack, MF McIntosh, MI McVeigh, JJ Morrison, SJ Morton, B O'Brien, LS O'Brien, T O'Dowd, KD Pasin, A Pearce, GB Pitt, KJ Porter, CC Price, ML Ramsey, RE (teller) Robert, SR Sharma, DN Simmonds, J Stevens, J Sukkar, MS Taylor, AJ Tehan, DT Thompson, P Tudge, AE Van Manen, AJ Vasta, RX Webster, AE Wicks, LE Wilson, RJ Wilson, TR Wood, JP Wyatt, KG Young, T Zimmerman, T 69 NOES Albanese, AN Aly, A Bandt, AP Bird, SL Bowen, CE Burke, AS Burney, LJ Burns, J Butler, MC Butler, TM Byrne, AM Chalmers, JE Chesters, LM Clare, JD Claydon, SC Coker, EA Collins, JM Conroy, PM Dick, MD Dreyfus, MA Elliot, MJ Fitzgibbon, JA Freelander, MR Georganas, S Giles, AJ Gorman, P Gosling, LJ Haines, H Hayes, CP Hill, JC Husic, EN Jones, SP Kearney, G Kelly, MJ Keogh, MJ Khalil, P King, CF King, MMH Leigh, AK Marles, RD McBride, EM Mitchell, BK Mulino, D Murphy, PJ Neumann, SK O'Connor, BPJ O'Neil, CE Owens, JA Payne, AE Perrett, GD Phillips, FE Rowland, MA Ryan, JC (teller) Sharkie, RCC Shorten, WR Smith, DPB Snowdon, WE Stanley, AM (teller) Steggall, Z Swanson, MJ Templeman, SR Thistlethwaite, MJ Thwaites, KL Vamvakinou, M Watts, TG Wells, AS Wilkie, AD Wilson, JH Zappia, A 0 PAIRS

Question agreed to.

 15:15 The SPEAKER 00APG Is the motion seconded? 15:16 Ms BUTLER 248006 Griffith I second the motion. The minister is going to have to come clean eventually. He should just do so now— Mr Porter 208884 I move: That the Member be no longer heard. The SPEAKER 00APG The question is that the member for Griffith be no further heard.

The House divided. [15:17]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)

 74 AYES Allen, K Andrews, KJ Andrews, KL Archer, BK Bell, AM Broadbent, RE Buchholz, S Chester, D Christensen, GR Coleman, DB Conaghan, PJ Connelly, V Coulton, M Drum, DK (teller) Dutton, PC Entsch, WG Evans, TM Falinski, JG Fletcher, PW Flint, NJ Frydenberg, JA Gee, AR Gillespie, DA Goodenough, IR Hammond, CM Hastie, AW Hawke, AG Hogan, KJ Howarth, LR Hunt, GA Irons, SJ Joyce, BT Kelly, C Laming, A Landry, ML Leeser, J Ley, SP Littleproud, D Liu, G Marino, NB Martin, FB McCormack, MF McIntosh, MI McVeigh, JJ Morrison, SJ Morton, B O'Brien, LS O'Brien, T O'Dowd, KD Pasin, A Pearce, GB Pitt, KJ Porter, CC Price, ML Ramsey, RE (teller) Robert, SR Sharma, DN Simmonds, J Stevens, J Sukkar, MS Taylor, AJ Tehan, DT Thompson, P Tudge, AE Van Manen, AJ Vasta, RX Webster, AE Wicks, LE Wilson, RJ Wilson, TR Wood, JP Wyatt, KG Young, T Zimmerman, T 69 NOES Albanese, AN Aly, A Bandt, AP Bird, SL Bowen, CE Burke, AS Burney, LJ Burns, J Butler, MC Butler, TM Byrne, AM Chalmers, JE Chesters, LM Clare, JD Claydon, SC Coker, EA Collins, JM Conroy, PM Dick, MD Dreyfus, MA Elliot, MJ Fitzgibbon, JA Freelander, MR Georganas, S Giles, AJ Gorman, P Gosling, LJ Haines, H Hayes, CP Hill, JC Husic, EN Jones, SP Kearney, G Kelly, MJ Keogh, MJ Khalil, P King, CF King, MMH Leigh, AK Marles, RD McBride, EM Mitchell, BK Mulino, D Murphy, PJ Neumann, SK O'Connor, BPJ O'Neil, CE Owens, JA Payne, AE Perrett, GD Phillips, FE Rowland, MA Ryan, JC (teller) Sharkie, RCC Shorten, WR Smith, DPB Snowdon, WE Stanley, AM (teller) Steggall, Z Swanson, MJ Templeman, SR Thistlethwaite, MJ Thwaites, KL Vamvakinou, M Watts, TG Wells, AS Wilkie, AD Wilson, JH Zappia, A 0 PAIRS

Question agreed to.

 15:18 The SPEAKER 00APG The question is that the motion moved by the Manager of Opposition Business be agreed to.

The House divided. [15:19]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)

 66 AYES Albanese, AN Aly, A Bandt, AP Bird, SL Bowen, CE Burke, AS Burney, LJ Burns, J Butler, MC Butler, TM Byrne, AM Chalmers, JE Chesters, LM Clare, JD Claydon, SC Coker, EA Collins, JM Conroy, PM Dick, MD Dreyfus, MA Elliot, MJ Fitzgibbon, JA Freelander, MR Georganas, S Giles, AJ Gorman, P Gosling, LJ Hayes, CP Hill, JC Husic, EN Jones, SP Kearney, G Kelly, MJ Keogh, MJ Khalil, P King, CF King, MMH Leigh, AK Marles, RD McBride, EM Mitchell, BK Mulino, D Murphy, PJ Neumann, SK O'Connor, BPJ O'Neil, CE Owens, JA Payne, AE Perrett, GD Phillips, FE Rowland, MA Ryan, JC (teller) Shorten, WR Smith, DPB Snowdon, WE Stanley, AM (teller) Swanson, MJ Templeman, SR Thistlethwaite, MJ Thwaites, KL Vamvakinou, M Watts, TG Wells, AS Wilkie, AD Wilson, JH Zappia, A 74 NOES Allen, K Andrews, KJ Andrews, KL Archer, BK Bell, AM Broadbent, RE Buchholz, S Chester, D Christensen, GR Coleman, DB Conaghan, PJ Connelly, V Coulton, M Drum, DK (teller) Dutton, PC Entsch, WG Evans, TM Falinski, JG Fletcher, PW Flint, NJ Frydenberg, JA Gee, AR Gillespie, DA Goodenough, IR Hammond, CM Hastie, AW Hawke, AG Hogan, KJ Howarth, LR Hunt, GA Irons, SJ Joyce, BT Kelly, C Laming, A Landry, ML Leeser, J Ley, SP Littleproud, D Liu, G Marino, NB Martin, FB McCormack, MF McIntosh, MI McVeigh, JJ Morrison, SJ Morton, B O'Brien, LS O'Brien, T O'Dowd, KD Pasin, A Pearce, GB Pitt, KJ Porter, CC Price, ML Ramsey, RE (teller) Robert, SR Sharma, DN Simmonds, J Stevens, J Sukkar, MS Taylor, AJ Tehan, DT Thompson, P Tudge, AE Van Manen, AJ Vasta, RX Webster, AE Wicks, LE Wilson, RJ Wilson, TR Wood, JP Wyatt, KG Young, T Zimmerman, T 0 PAIRS

Question negatived.

 15:23 Mr MORRISON E3L Cook I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper. On indulgence, as members depart, can I commend and congratulate all the new members who gave their first speeches in the House this week. I particularly extend to the member for Dunkley all the best wishes of the House. Honourable members: Hear, hear! DOCUMENTS 58 DOCUMENTS Presentation 58 15:24 Mr PORTER 208884 Pearce A document is tabled in accordance with the list circulated to honourable members earlier today. Full details of the document will be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings. COMMITTEES 58 COMMITTEES Selection Committee 58 Report 58 15:24 The SPEAKER 00APG I present report No. 2 of the Selection Committee relating to consideration of bills. The report will be printed in the Hansard for today, and copies of the report have been placed on the table. The report read as follows— Report relating to the consideration of bills introduced 4 July 2019 to 25 July 2019. 1. The committee met in private session on Thursday, 25 July 2019. 2. The committee determined that the following referral of a bill to a committee be made— Standing Committee on Economics: Banking Amendment (Rural Finance Reform) Bill 2019. THE HON A. D. H. SMITH MP Speaker of the House of Representatives 25 July 2019 MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE 59 MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE Morrison Government 59 15:25 The SPEAKER 00APG I have received a letter from the honourable member for Corio proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely: The government's failure to outline its purpose in this term. I call upon those members who approve of the proposed discussion to rise in their places. More than the number of members required by the standing orders having risen in their places— 15:25 Mr MARLES HWQ Corio As we gather here this afternoon, on the 66th day of its third term, there is one question above all others that screams from this place: what is the point of the Morrison government? I know what the point of the member for Dunkley is: she came here and, in her wonderful first speech, talked about a commitment to the reform and funding that our health system needs and to do whatever is required to ensure that Australia trains, retains and invests in the healthcare professionals and researchers who make our system great. But, if you are expecting any action from that side of the House with respect to health, you are sadly mistaken. For the last six years, they've cut money from health, and that's all we can expect over the next three. I know what the point of the member for McNamara is, because he stands here ready to help ensure that our First Nations people are duly recognised in Australia's Constitution. But, if you're hoping for action on recognition by the government, we saw everything we needed to see when the Minister for Indigenous Australians made his statement and was cut down by the Prime Minister within 24 hours. I know what the member for Jagajaga stands for. She believes there is a climate story powerful enough to drive the action that will allow humanity to survive and to flourish. But all we've heard from that side of the parliament in the last six years in relation to climate change is the steering of this country to a place of being a pariah in the international community when it comes to our action on climate change. I know what the member for Canberra stands for, because she said: We should invest in our nation's children and give them the best start in life. Social security is one of the most powerful tools governments have to address and prevent poverty. That was said by a person who understands what social security can do to address poverty. But, if you look over to that side of the parliament, notwithstanding that the Prime Minister is a former Minister for Social Services, all you see is a policy-barren wasteland when it comes to social security. And I know what the member for Lilley is about. She's here because nothing has more power to make or dismantle this nation's future than this House. The work this House does shapes lives now and long into the future. But, if you were hoping for action from that side of the House to make this place more purposeful, you are sadly mistaken. They cannot even fill the speakers list with respect to their own legislation, and we are watching, as we stand here right now, the Senate, in its third week, running out of business. When you look at the wonderful first speeches that were made by the Labor members of this place—bursting with a sense of optimism, a sense of purpose, a sense of intent; why they have come to this place and want to make a difference on behalf of Australians all around this country—you cannot feel anything but proud of being a member of the party that we belong to. But, on that side of the House, there is absolutely nothing. The date of 18 May was significant. To be honest, it was a moment that harboured a lot of pain for those of us on this side of the House. But there is no group of Australians who are more surprised to be sitting where they are right now than those opposite. They spent most of last year and all of summer thinking about what they were going to be doing after politics. They were wondering where they were going to be going on their holidays. Now they are sitting there wondering what on earth it is they're actually going to do. To give them a little bit of credit, they have managed to kind of effect a smugness distillery. You only need to look at the faces of all the members of their frontbench to see smugness in its purest form. If you look at the Prime Minister, it is literally dripping from him. The younger at heart amongst them no doubt have been bouncing back into the ministerial wing late at night when no-one's watching. They're doing the snow fairy on their blue carpet. You can imagine the cabinet meetings where they're all getting round, wondering what to say and comparing which department has the best chesterfields and which departmental secretary is offering the best Scotch. But don't for a moment think that they have anything that resembles a policy and agenda for this country. The only people who have been busy at all are those responsible for spin. This week they came up with a line which was: whose side are you on? There's a certain irony about that, because the one thing we know about these people is that they are certainly not on the side of the Australian people. If it is measured by who they are focused on, the only side they seem to care about is this side. Because, since 2 July, when they came back here, the only thing they have done in this parliament is seek to wedge Labor. In the very first week, the week of 2 July, we were seeking to put $1,000 into the pockets of nurses, shop assistants and people who work in restaurants. But the government urgently wanted to hold all of that hostage to a tax plan which wasn't going to come into effect for six years, and they did that because they wanted to wedge Labor. Last week, the Leader of the Opposition attended the Bush Summit in Dubbo. He made clear to all assembled that Labor was willing to support a drought package of whatever size the government wanted to put forward out of recurrent funding and wanted to ensure that that package actually got into the hands of farmers right now. But what we had from the government was a proposition which sought to attach all of that to the Building Australia Fund, a fund which they have been trying to destroy since the day they were elected to office back in 2013. What's worse, not a cent would flow from their proposition for an entire year. Of course, we've had old faithful: national security. The Minister for Home Affairs came up here and talked about temporary exclusion orders, a regime which he knows we support. But he has tried to attach it to the junking of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, a committee which has done critically important work in this country to make sure that national security legislation is fairer, better and stronger for our nation. Whatever else is going on here, there is no agenda for the Australian people. Anyone in this parliament would know it, and people in this town know that the government haven't been governing for years. It's why our economy is stagnant right now. It's why we've got net debt which, under this mob, has doubled. Gross debt is at a record level. Indeed, debt is growing faster now than at the time of the global financial crisis. When they came to office, we were the eighth-fastest-growing economy in the OECD. Today we are the 20th. There is not a worker in this country who doesn't know that the stand-out stat in the economy today is stagnant wages, and this government has been responsible for the single biggest deindustrialisation in our economy since Federation. Since 2013, we have had one of the most severe droughts that this country has ever faced. Yet do you imagine that we would get anything like a long-term strategic drought policy from the government? We've had none of it. What we have had is a drought envoy, a drought coordinator, a drought summit and a drought task force. Now we're going to get a drought parliamentary committee. But, if you think our farmers are going to get a meaningful drought policy from the government, you've got another think coming. When it comes to national security and the very difficult issue of our borders, at a time when we have the largest number of displaced people on the planet since the Second World War, what you have is Labor coming to the table every day with sincerity, trying to solve a wicked problem in a way that stops people dying and has Australia taking its part in the world. But what you've got over here is deep cynicism. You've got a Prime Minister who went to Christmas Island this year to do nothing other than put out a welcome sign by opening the Christmas Island detention centre in the most cynical way in the lead-up to the election. And whenever you hear that number from the Minister for Home Affairs, as we did today, of the 1,200 people who lost their lives between 2010 and 2013, just remember that 650 of them died after this mob cynically stopped the Malaysian solution back in 2011. So what I do know is that they are not for the Australian people, but I also know this: when you look at the wonderful first speeches from this side of the House, when you look at the intent and purpose which they embody, that is the spirit which is going to carry us from this side of the House to that side of the House in three years time when we face the people. 15:35 Mr HAWKE HWO Mitchell I don't know what to make of that contribution from the member for Corio except to say that, when you've won one of the last nine elections, you'd think you might learn a thing or two from the signal that the Australian people have been trying to send you. In case the Labor Party hasn't picked it up, winning one out of nine means you're doing something wrong. There is no greater tribute to a government's agenda or a political party's agenda than when your opponents copy your agenda completely. Since the re-election of the Morrison government, what have we heard from the Labor Party? What are the issues that the Labor Party have been talking about in this parliament? They've asked us to pass more tax cuts and to pass faster and deeper tax cuts. They've told us that they're in favour of drought relief. They've said to us that they are tough on intelligence and national security. And we've just heard from the member for Corio the absolute clincher that they are for stronger borders. What do we make of a Labor Party that tells us that they're for lower, simpler, fairer taxes, that they want more drought relief, that they're tough on national security and intelligence, and that they're for stronger borders? Whose agenda does that sound like? I've got a news flash for the member of Corio. If we did a quiz and asked the Australian people to pick the government—if we asked, 'Is this a Liberal-National government or a Labor government?'—99 per cent of Australians would tell you, 'That's a Liberal-National government for sure.' And who is it that's passing the tax cuts? Who is it that's keeping economic confidence moving in this country? It's the Morrison government. The first thing that this government did was to pass tax cuts for hardworking Australians in defiance of a year's assault on the working class of this country from the Labor Party—a socialist assault from a left-wing Labor Party. And the Australian people are supposed to forget or to blank out the rhetoric that you brought to this parliament over the last 12 months against hardworking people, against the middle class, against anyone who owned and operated their own business in this country, and against people that have worked hard their entire lives and put aside money for their own retirement? You brought the economic pain to this parliament over the last 12 months, and the Australian people rejected it in favour of a Liberal-National government. And now you want to replicate us. You've become replicators. We should pass more tax cuts and pass them faster. Have you blanked out the first week of the parliament? You tried to lecture us on tax cuts. We weren't passing our tax agenda fast enough, you told us. Do you suppose we've forgotten who you are and what you represent? Of course we haven't. On national security, to hear members of the Labor Party today tell us that we should pass our foreign fighter laws faster and that Minister Dutton isn't strong enough on national security—what an absolute farce you have become! I've served in the Home Affairs portfolio with Minister Dutton. We have tried to pass these foreign fighter laws for years. We've been slowed down by the Labor Party's obfuscation on bill after bill, year after year, amendment after amendment. As we heard in question time the other day, there were 41 amendments put up, only for you to vote for the bill. Not one of them got up. What are you trying to achieve? Then you say we aren't moving these bills through the parliament fast enough. I've got a news flash for you again: this is your fault. The reason they haven't moved through this parliament fast enough is that you have delayed their passage. When you had the numbers in the Senate, you used those numbers to delay passage of these bills. Don't come in here in a new parliament, where you've won one out of the last nine elections, where you've had a signal from the Australian people yet again—why? Because we now have the ability to work with the crossbench and we're passing bills. We've already passed tax cuts for hardworking Australians, for the middle class of this country, to make sure that the marginal tax rates are lowered, that bracket creep's addressed, that our economy is moving again but also that our national security is the top priority of the government. That's called a real agenda. Our temporary exclusion orders bill that we are dealing with now in this place is the top priority of the Morrison government. Why? Because foreign fighters—we tried to deal with this in the last parliament, made unworkable by the obfuscation of the Labor Party. So it is unbelievable for you to come in here and say: 'Minister Dutton is not tough enough on national security.' You'd be laughed out of every pub in Queensland—indeed, you were laughed out of every pub in Queensland at the last election. Take it to the pubs in your electorate and say, 'Minister Dutton's not tough enough on national security'. I dare you to go down there and tell them, because you aren't seeing this picture—and it's not my job to tell you, I've got to confess, what you're doing wrong. I'll probably stop in a minute because I don't want to give you too many pointers. Keep doing what you're doing. For you to tell this government that when we take our responsibilities for national security, the security of the country, as our prime responsibility to Australians—moving legislation through this House that we've tried in previous parliaments that we are now delivering to make sure that those foreign fighters cannot return to our borders to commit acts of harm and violence against Australian citizens and against our own territory—you are wrong to suggest that we do not have a very strong agenda. You're wrong to suggest that dealing with drought relief as an immediate priority of a re-elected government is not a national priority—that somehow that's not an agenda. This is the most critical economic issue in the entire country, as my colleagues will tell you. An opposition member: What? Mr HAWKE HWO What? The drought. Yes, it is. It is the No. 1 issue in our country right now—the ongoing drought. It is the No. 1 economic challenge that we face. We very much understand that. The National Party understands it. We understand it. We're acting on it. Our Future Drought Fund package is going through now, and you're still playing this game with this parliament. The economy, the drought and our nation's security are just a fraction of this government's agenda but, yes, they are priorities. We make no apology for passing tax cuts up-front. We make no apology for dealing with the foreign fighters challenges. We make no apology for dealing with the drought as our top priority. For the Labor Party to tell us that that does not constitute an agenda is offensive. It's offensive to millions of people in drought. It's offensive to millions of middle-class hardworking small mum-and-dad businesses around the country and, for every person in this country who wants to protect our future and our children, dealing with foreign fighters and national security couldn't be more important. We're getting on with the business the Australian people elected us to do. The Morrison government is clear-eyed about the challenges that face us. We're tackling them week by week, day by day. We'll keep doing that, and we won't take advice from the opposition. 15:43 Ms TEMPLEMAN 181810 Macquarie I think after that it's time to have a bit of logic to this debate. Most people recognise that our job here is to govern. In fact, especially when you're in government, that's really job description 101. It seems that those opposite haven't clocked that the election is over, they won and now it's time to get on with the job. They've had six years, and I still don't think they've worked out how to govern and what it means to have a vision for this country. They're still obsessed with Labor. Their words suggest they're driven by one goal and one goal only, and that is to do things that are meant to be a test for Labor. We are up for any test that you care to put our way. There's no discussion on the other side about what's best for this country, what's best for Australia. There is no vision. Or perhaps there is, and they're too afraid to outline it to us. There are no plans to deal with the myriad of issues that we are facing. What's the plan for the NBN in my electorate of Macquarie where we need to see how we can improve FTTN and we need to see how uneven technologies that are creating different playing fields for different people are going to be fixed? There is no plan for the forgotten houses of NBN who might never get that connection. What's the plan for the water supply for the growing Western Sydney population? What's the plan for flight paths from the second Sydney airport at Badgerys Creek? What's the plan to protect the Blue Mountains, and the rest of Western Sydney, from aeroplane noise 24 hours a day? They have no idea what they're in for. What's the plan for improving funding for schools, hospitals and preventative health care? Wait a minute. The plan is to keep cutting health and education. What's the plan to make sure that people get proper access to the NDIS and that providers can stay viable in the face of long plan delays? What's the plan for providing improved mental health services, especially for the Hawkesbury and for young people when there's no access to headspace? What's the plan for ending homelessness? What's the plan for housing affordability? What's the plan for lower power prices? What is the plan for PFAS contamination at Richmond RAAF base? There is no plan to decontaminate mass areas of soil and water. What's the plan for dealing with drought now? What's the plan for Newstart, for making sure that people who are unemployed are adequately supported while they search for work? What's the plan for raising the rate? What's the so urgently needed plan for making ParentsNext a less punitive program? What's the plan for tackling climate change? We know the answer to that one. There just flat out isn't one. This is in the too-hard basket not because science and industry don't have answers but because implementing anything meets opposition not from us but from within the coalition. What's the plan for recognising First Peoples? Again, nothing; not because they expect opposition from us but because they can't get agreement between themselves and appear to not even be trying. No wonder the Senate has again run out of business. There is no vision, no plan and no destination that this government is taking us to. The problem is: if you leave a vacuum, something will fill it. What we're seeing is that the backbenchers can see that there's no plan and they're filling it. Every backbencher is coming up with an idea they dreamt up over Sunday lunch. What plans have we had so far? We've had the plan for nuclear power plants. Earlier in the week we had the plan to ditch the legislated superannuation guarantee increase to 12 per cent. Today it's a plan to scrap superannuation altogether and make it something you do if you feel like it. Goodness knows what the plan will be tomorrow. With no agenda it is no wonder that this government is failing to steer the economy, which really needs some direction. We all know that interest rates are at their lowest since the GFC. It might be okay for people trying to buy a house, but it isn't good for anyone trying to live off their earnings. Net debt has more than doubled and gross debt is at record highs. Both of these have gone up faster under the Liberals' watch than when we were in government. Remember that we dealt with the global financial crisis. We need direction and we're not getting it from this government. It's about time they realised that they need to do the job. 15:48 Mr DICK 53517 Oxley Mr Deputy Speaker, doesn't it say it all that you had to give me the call? The government are so proud of their record and so proud of their agenda that they can't get more than one speaker to defend their record. What's the member for Lindsay doing over there? She has a lot to say in here and has a lot of slogans about having a go and getting a go. Now is the time to put your money where your mouth is and start defending the government. I'll give some leeway to the member for Curtin; she hasn't given her first speech yet. But the chamber is empty. The MPI came through today. How good is this government? How good is the Prime Minister? Not one member of his government can defend or has any idea what this government is. Welcome to the club; neither do we. Neither do the people of Australia. I'm going to do something I never thought I'd do. In the debate today I'm going to quote The Australian today. The editorial states, 'Ill-disciplined coalition MPs are indulging their egos.' They are not my words and are not the deputy leader's words; they are the words of The Australian. The article states: The Canberra Balloon Spectacular may have been in March but the Festival of the Lazy Thought Bubble is playing out in the capital this week. We've been treated by freestyling Coalition members and senators to a range of random ideas, from the superannuation guarantee to nuclear power, the pension assets test on the family home to the indigenous voice to parliament. The breakdown in discipline has got up the nose of Scott Morrison, who urged his team on Tuesday to stop airing the issue of a rise in the Newstart allowance and other "thoughtlets" via the media. "Where there are issues that need to be explored, I would urge colleagues to use the internal processes available to each of us… Cue the new senator for New South Wales: 'Super row as new Lib senator defies PM.' That lasted 24 hours from when the great man spoke to his party room meeting. Why is there so much breakout happening? I'll tell you why. Because this government, as the deputy leader said, had no clue for a third term, because they simply had no idea that they would be in a third term of government. The people of Australia have spoken. What are they delivering? A big fat zero. We know that the Australian economy has slowed to its weakest level since the tail end of the global financial crisis. Interest rates are three times lower. Growth is just 0.4 per cent for the March quarter and 1.8 per cent for the year. Australia is still in a GDP per capita recession. The national economy has gone from the eighth fastest growing economy in the OECD in 2013 to the 20th. Wages are growing eight times slower. Productivity has fallen for four consecutive quarters. Household spending is weak. Living standards are growing slower under the Liberals than under the previous Labor government. If I am wrong and this is incorrect, I will sit down and one of you people can take the call. Absolute silence as always—time and time again. The facts speak for themselves. It seems the members of the backbench aren't the only ones coming forward with their own ideas on how to fix things. When you are in trouble in this place you always go to one person, the member for Hughes. Time and time again we know that. His idea this week was to rip-off and attack pensioners with that great idea of allowing the family home to be included in the assets test for the pension. I can't wait to tell pensioners in my electorate about that one. He went on to say, 'You don't want to force people out of their homes, but it is something you could look at.' What planet are these people on? Give me a break. Then, during the break, I had the revelation of actually finding out who Senator Anne Ruston is. Two weeks ago I had to Google whoever she was when she went out and said, 'Pensioners have it too good as it is. They're getting a generous payment.' Does anyone over there actually talk to anyone on a low income? Do you actually talk to pensioners? I challenge any member of the government to find a pensioner who says they've got it good, because the pensioners I and every Labor member speak to are doing it tough. They need advocates and voices in this parliament. Sadly, because of the wacky thought ideas, the ill discipline and the crazy ideas that are coming forward from those opposite, we do not have an agenda for this third-term Morrison government. I simply say to the government today: get your act together. Start governing for Australia. 15:53 Ms RYAN 249224 Lalor There it is again. We've got a government bereft of an agenda and devoid of a vision. Let's face it: they've just now proved that they are an organisational blackspot. They are the blackspots that they want to talk about all the time. They tell us they'll fund blackspots if they're in regions. Well, this chamber is a blackspot region today. They can't manage to get speakers up on the MPI. There are flights leaving Canberra. They're in a hurry to get home. Again, they're avoiding work in this place. The Australian people returned this government with some expectations. When they see this MPI today they will be sorely disappointed to find out that they can't get speakers on their own legislation, and to find out today that three times they've failed to provide a pair in this place for someone on maternity leave. They can't get anything organised. They certainly have no agenda but they have got slogans. They've got slogans and they've got a new one every day. We started, before the election, with, 'If you have a go, you'll get a go.' They persisted with that. I'm going to share a constituent's story here, because I think it pretty much tells the story of the last six years of the ATM government. I was contacted by a single mother in my electorate. She has three children all under 10 years of age. Her husband left her and her children. She sought support from our safety net. She applied in May 2018 for a single parent pension. This payment was not granted until February 2019. If there's an agenda item that those opposite need to put on their meeting schedule, that's it: Centrelink. They have no plan to improve the wait times, not for that mother, not for pensioners and not for students waiting for Austudy for over a semester. They have no plan to address those things. They have no plans to support growth areas, like the area that I represent. They have no plan to deal with the tens of thousands of bridging visas that they are granting. They are completely unaware that there are people who are tied up in that bridging visa program coming to my office to say, 'Joanne, my son is turning five. He needs to go to school.' They come into my office, as I am an educator and a former school principal who knows the rules. There is no place for that child in the education system in this country without their family paying international fees, but you give them a bridging visa and tell them that their child can just sit at home and do nothing. Shame on this government. This is a government that not only is without an agenda and without a vision but also doesn't even know what's going on in this country. They don't even know how people are living. I tell you what they do have. They have some ideology. Every time we raise an issue, they come back with ideology. There is no vision and no plan; just ideology. They just have a determination to punish the most vulnerable in our communities. They just have a determination to ensure that those who live in certain postcodes know their place and stay in their place. They have no plan for education other than to entrench privilege and to keep those who have come from a lesser background down in their place. That is their agenda—if the government have one. I don't think they even know that they're doing that. I don't think they know much at all about what's going on. I think the absolute best example of their ideology, over having a plan or vision, is that we are in this place waiting for legislation to deal with the recommendations of the Hayne royal commission into the banks. The whole country knows that that behaviour was not acceptable. The whole country knows that the government have done nothing to address those issues in this place over these last two sitting weeks. The government have done absolutely nothing. With the royal commission into aged care or the royal commission into abuse of the disabled, what hope do the Australian people have that they will get anything from those royal commissions? What this government is doing in this country is absolutely shameful. Instead of saying, 'How good is Australia?' they are saying, 'How good is ideology?' 15:58 Ms STANLEY 265990 Werriwa The signs were there in the lead-up to the election that the Liberals had no agenda and no purpose for this country. In my electorate of Werriwa, the government announced no plans, no additional spending and no additional infrastructure—nothing. The Labor Party had a plan for Werriwa. We had a long list of commitments: $2 million for the Middleton Drive extension, half a million dollars for the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, a fuel line to Western Sydney Airport and over $25 million in additional funding for schools. On a litany of issues, this government has no plan, no agenda and no purpose. It is a really strange place in history in which we currently find ourselves. We are confronted with major issues and existential challenges. Yet, despite these challenges, we are in a bizarre situation where we have the answers and we have solutions, but what we don't have is a government willing to act. The answers are there. The experts are telling us. The business sector is telling us. The community is telling us. On energy policy, the answers are there, and also on climate change and on reconciliation. In the previous term I had the privilege of sitting on the Energy and Environment Committee. In both public and private hearings the message was loud and clear: a well-functioning energy grid needs policy certainty. A stable energy grid must be underpinned by stable energy policy. Policy certainty addresses both pricing and supply. Policy certainty allows genuine long-term investment in power generation and provision. Certainty provides a stimulus for supply through new investments in plan and for innovation through funding, research and development. Instead, all we've got from this government is big sticks, then little sticks, then no sticks. And now apparently they're replacing all those sticks with rods—nuclear fuel rods. We've got backbenchers freelancing on nuclear power plants and the energy minister backing them in. Apparently he has an open mind when it comes to nuclear power. The minister needs to tell us where these nuclear power plants are going. Are we expanding Lucas Heights? What does the member for Hughes think about that? Or Perth? Perhaps the Gold Coast? Maybe Port Phillip Bay? While we're discussing the energy minister, if you're hoping for climate change action on the part of the Morrison government you're going to be waiting for a long time. With government ministers saying A and backbenchers saying B and C, it's clear that the Morrison government can't reconcile its own energy policy with its backbenchers. And while we're on reconciliation, the way forward is clear: the Uluru Statement from the Heart is a national Indigenous consensus position. Our First Nation Australians are dying too soon, are educated far less, are incarcerated too often and suffer more preventable disease. The numbers show the tragedy in real terms. Over a quarter of incarcerated adults in this country are First Nation Australians. Nearly half of all juveniles incarcerated are First Australians. In 2017, suicide was the leading cause of death among our First Australian children. And we can't come to any policy certainty. It is terrible. One in 10 households in public housing are Indigenous. That says how much we are helping them and looking towards their future. The Constitution can no longer be a mark of a white man settlement here. It must recognise those who were here first and their deep connection to their land and their culture. The Minister for Indigenous Affairs appears to share the Labor Party's views on constitutional recognition. But in no less than a week after apparent bipartisan commitment we saw a captain's recall from Prime Minister Morrison in respect of what Minister Wyatt had said. We on this side are committing to ensuring that our First Nation people are recognised, respected and supported. Where is the government's plan? What is the plan on climate change and on energy policy? This government is short on plans and has no purpose. I'm feeling generous. The Labor Party and I and all my colleagues on this side of the House took lots and lots of great ideas to the election. And do you know what? Lots of people voted for those policies. I really encourage those on the opposite benches to take some of ours. We'd be happy for our people to start getting what they deserve out of this country. 16:03 Mr GEE 261393 Calare I rise to draw the House's attention to the important work that is happening on the part of this government in drought relief. The devastating effects of this drought and dealing with this drought is the No. 1 priority for the communities of my electorate. I was really heartened by the visit to the region recently by the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, Senator McKenzie and the member for Parkes, as well as a number of state MPs. It highlights the importance of this issue and the driving purpose of this government to deal with the devastating effects of drought in this region. This week, in terms of priorities, I think we saw it writ large in the passing of the Future Drought Fund Bill and how important that will be to country communities. How disappointing it was that, in the face of what is a national emergency, the opposition chose to play politics with it right until the end—the very end! There can be no more important priority than dealing with the fallout from the drought. It is affecting farmers. It's having a devastating impact at the farm gate. But the impact of drought is also being felt in our country communities. I've spoken to constituents in the electorate of Calare who are running small businesses, and some of them haven't had a decent income for two or three years now. They are burning through retirement savings just to keep open the doors of their businesses. I think that's one of the reasons why our communities were so pleased to see key decision-makers putting this issue front and centre, making sure that dealing with the devastating impacts of this drought was one of the key purposes, one of the key drivers, of this government. I know the Drought Communities Program has been very well received right across the central west. I've called in this House many times for drought relief to be ramped up as conditions worsen. I've been very pleased that the call has been answered, particularly with respect to the Drought Communities Program. I know, for example, Bathurst Regional Council has submitted about 14 projects, which are currently being assessed. Mr Chester interjecting— Mr GEE 261393 I thank the minister for his interjection. I will move on to Dixons Long Point shortly. My point is that, as the conditions have worsened in this drought, the response has been ramped up. We now have the biggest drought relief effort in Australia's history. Mr Fitzgibbon 8K6 No, you haven't. That's just not true. Mr GEE 261393 We have got the biggest drought relief effort in Australia's history, and you have tried to sabotage it at every turn. It's been a disgraceful display, and I think farmers across Australia were appalled at the petty politics played by the member for Hunter, who had his face slapped badly at the last election. What's your margin, Member for Hunter? It's three per cent. It was a massive drop. You were punished for selling out the people of country Australia. I note that infrastructure is also a key priority of this government in this term. The Deputy Prime Minister has made it very clear through the dozens of questions—if you could call them that—that were put to him in question time this week about the many great things that are happening in infrastructure right across Australia. In my own part of the world, Dixons Long Point, the crossing over of the Macquarie River between Orange and Mudgee, is a priority. I note that Deputy Speaker Hogan was out there recently, about three weeks ago, inspecting the site. We've been progressing that project. I had discussions with the department and Mid-Western Regional Council just this morning about how that project can be progressed and how we can get the money out the door, because this government is all about delivery, unlike those opposite, who continue to play petty politics on matters of public importance when legislation is passing through this House. They've been calling quorums all day. I think it shows a very petty approach and shows that they are sinking to the lowest common denominator. We saw that in question time today. This government is getting things done. We have a clear purpose and we are driving ahead, unlike those opposite, who have recorded the lowest primary vote in 100 years. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 218019 The member for Hunter on a point of order. Mr Fitzgibbon 8K6 I think the member for Calare should clarify his own political margin in his own seat, which I understand fell dramatically at the last election. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 218019 I don't think that's a point of order. 16:09 Mr FITZGIBBON 8K6 Hunter I'm very happy to make a contribution to this matter of public importance. What an outstanding speech we heard from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and what fantastic speeches we heard from those who followed! I need to pick up on a couple of points made by the member for Calare in his contribution. It was one full of inaccuracies. Let's reflect on what has happened in the drought space over the last six years. For six years they have had an opportunity to do something for our drought-affected farmers, and what have they done? It is pretty much zip. We've had a drought envoy, a drought coordinator, a drought summit and a drought task force. We had the Select Committee on Regional Development and Decentralisation. It took a year to report, and its recommendations were, of course, ignored. And now we've got the Select Committee on Regional Australia. All they have done is change the title of the committee. And when is it going to report? July 2020. They're going to take another year now, after six years, to work out what we should be doing about the worst drought in our history. And what is familiar about that date? I know! That's when the Future Drought Fund starts to come into operation. Our farmers have been in drought for seven years—seven years—and there is no sign of that drought abating. Our farmers need help today, not in 12 months time. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 218019 The time for the discussion has concluded. BILLS 66 BILLS Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty Consequential Amendments Bill 2019, Passenger Movement Charge Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2019, Treasury Laws Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2019 66

Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty Consequential Amendments Bill 2019

Passenger Movement Charge Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2019

Treasury Laws Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2019

Second Reading 66 16:11 Mr SUKKAR 242515 Deakin I want to thank members for their contribution to the debate and the passage of the Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty Consequential Amendments Bill 2019. This bill gives effect to the majority of the 2018 treaty between Australia and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, establishing maritime boundaries. The treaty, as has been said on a number of occasions, is a historic achievement for Australia and Timor-Leste, and its implementation is firmly in our national interest. The bill implements the new maritime boundaries agreed under the treaty and transfers the Joint Petroleum Development Area and some adjacent areas to Timor-Leste's exclusive jurisdiction. The bill provides the necessary transitional arrangements for petroleum activities in the areas adjacent to the Joint Petroleum Development Area that will transition either to Timor-Leste's exclusive jurisdiction or to the other areas of jurisdiction, including the Greater Sunrise special regime area. The bill also makes amendments to the petroleum title areas affected by the boundary and provides for two new international offshore areas for the purposes of the Bayu-Undan pipeline corridor and a potential Greater Sunrise pipeline corridor. I thank you. Question agreed to. Bill read a second time. Consideration in Detail 66 16:13 Mr SUKKAR 242515 Deakin I present a supplementary explanatory memorandum to the bill and move the government amendment as circulated: (1) Schedule 1, item 133, page 67 (after line 4), after subitem (5), insert: (5A) However, the Joint Authority must not consent under section 270 of the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 to the surrender, in whole or in part, of the new licence unless the pipeline to which the licence relates has been removed from the surrender area to the satisfaction of NOPSEMA. This has effect despite subparagraph 270(3)(c)(ii) and subsection 270(5) of that Act. 16:13 Mr BURKE DYW Watson The amendment that's in front of us the opposition is just working through now. We take the government at its word that it's not controversial, but, with respect for due process, we're going through it now. We don't in any way want this to undermine the fact that this is a very important, bipartisan moment for the parliament. What's happening right now is that, in many ways, the parliament is taking Australia's reputation and Australia's relationship with our neighbours very seriously. We're working through the amendment right now. For the sake of detail, I might invite the minister, if he has some specific notes—he might; he might not—to give a quick description. If not, for the benefit of the House I might read out the amendment that's in front of us, just so that everybody, when they're voting, knows exactly what they're dealing with: (1)    Schedule 1, item 133, page 67 (after line 4), after subitem (5), insert: I'm sure that will help everyone listening on the radio— (5A)   However, the Joint Authority must not consent under section 270 of the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 to the surrender, in whole or in part, of the new licence unless the pipeline to which the licence relates has been removed from the surrender area to the satisfaction of NOPSEMA. This has effect despite subparagraph 270(3)(c)(ii) and subsection 270(5) of that Act. The shadow minister has just left the chamber to, I think, get that detail confirmed right now. So, in terms of the process, I let people know that we'll be dealing with this quickly for the very simple reason that we all want to make sure that, before we hit half past four, we haven't got through just this bill but also the two ancillary bills that are attached to it. We'll be limiting speeches accordingly to make sure that's dealt with. I'll stop now. 16:16 Mr FITZGIBBON 8K6 Hunter In the short time available to us, we've come to the conclusion that we have not been consulted on this. We're happy to be corrected if that is untrue, but we are unaware of it. I can't have any confidence that I know what this amendment does. I have a fair idea and I'm fairly relaxed about it. On the basis that I doubt very much, on what is very much a bipartisan issue, that the government would put forward anything that would disturb us, the opposition is prepared, regrettably in the circumstances, to support the amendment. 16:16 Mr SUKKAR 242515 Deakin I'm advised this was provided to your office two days ago, but we appreciate that the shadow minister may not have seen it. This amendment essentially ensures that the relevant section of the pipeline be removed before the Australian licence for the pipeline, and therefore the responsibilities of the relevant licensee will end. It's a technical amendment just to ensure the intention, as has always been the intention of both sides of the House, is given effect. We believe it's an uncontroversial amendment but appreciate the shadow minister needs to look at it at the very least. But I think it's very uncontroversial. Question agreed to. Bill, as amended, agreed to. Third Reading 67 16:17 Mr SUKKAR 242515 Deakin by leave—I move: That this bill be now read a third time. 16:18 Mr BANDT M3C Melbourne I want to put a few remarks on the record, but we don't have any intention of taking it past 4.30, as I understand the significance to the House of passing this on time. I'll endeavour to limit my remarks to that time so that it can certainly pass in due course. This is, in many respects, obviously, a very good day for East Timor. Timor-Leste has had such a long struggle for self-determination, and Australia's role in that has not always been covered in glory, from the beginning—there was the Indonesian invasion, and Australia did not come to the aid of those in Timor-Leste but, instead, stood by and in fact endorsed the invasion—through to some of the more recent acts. The history of Australia's relationship with Timor-Leste, which has led us to the point of this treaty, has not always been glorious. It has caused an immense amount of pain and suffering in some respects to the people of Timor-Leste. But the long struggle for self-determination for the people of Timor-Leste and control over their own resources, including over their oil resources, is something that has now reached a point—again, perhaps not in the fairest of ways—and the Timor-Leste parliament has said this is a treaty that should be approved. And it is now something that the Australian parliament and the Australian government is going to do, which is also very significant, because of course the amount of resources that are the subject of this treaty is significant. Of course, the Greens will have our view about the future role of fossil fuels, and we will continue to push for a phasing-out of fossil fuels and replacement with renewable energies, including the oil that is subject to this debate. But what we do not quibble with is that the country—in this case, Timor-Leste—that has responsibility for those resources in its area should be the one to decide what happens to them and the one who gets the benefit. So, yes, we will be making a transition away from fossil fuels, but that should not come at the expense of countries like Timor-Leste. In regard to the negotiations that have led up to this treaty or agreement that we're being asked to ratify in this legislation, there is in law a concept of unconscionability. The concept of unconscionability basically says that, where there's a massive imbalance of power between two parties and one has access to knowledge and resources that the other doesn't, that should be taken into account in determining what is fair and that you've got to, if not show restraint, at least conduct yourself as a model nation. That is not what Australia has done in the lead-up to this treaty that forms part of this bill. That is not what Australia has done. You would think that, at a minimum, basic principles of fairness and decency to our neighbours would mean you would sit down and have negotiations on a level playing field. You wouldn't think that the more powerful side would go in and bug the negotiations of the other side. That is the kind of stuff that we accuse other companies or other countries of doing and condemn it when it happens. It's the kind of stuff that we say is about manipulating the outcomes of elections or should be the subject of legislation to restrict it. Instead, what happened? We had a neighbour whom we have not always treated well, although at some stages we have come to their assistance. I should note that previous governments—indeed, previous Howard governments—deploying Australian military forces to assist the people of East Timor was something that even the Greens supported, notwithstanding our founding principles of peace and nonviolence. That was actually a good use of international deployment to ensure that people who were otherwise being oppressed might have the opportunity to take their place as an independent nation and then be able to conduct negotiations like this. What did we do instead? Instead, we went in and bugged their negotiations. That is unconscionable. That is not how a country should behave towards someone else in its region, especially when it's got a past that it has to atone for, especially when there's such a massive power imbalance and especially when there is so much at stake. The whistle was blown on that, and rightly so. And what did we do? In this country, we should be applauding whistleblowers, especially whistleblowers who say, 'Hang on, we're treating a neighbour in a not very neighbourly way. We're treating a neighbour in a way that is going to cost one of the poorest countries in the world a lot of money and make it harder for them to continue to develop.' But that's not what we did. When someone blew the whistle, they were prosecuted. They and their lawyer have been hounded. I'm talking about this treaty that we're being asked to ratify. Since then the prosecution of lawyer Bernard Collaery has been conducted by the government in a way that is incredibly oppressive. That is coming at a massive toll to him and is probably, I would say, designed on the government's part to do that. I'm not criticising the conduct of the courts here; I'm criticising the conduct of the government during this prosecution. Then there are other things that are within the government's control, like the ratification of this treaty that we are being asked to legislate today. The government has even dragged its heels on that. We know that Timor-Leste, until now, has been largely an aid-dependent country. Its revenues have been rapidly dwindling. The country's sovereign wealth fund could have been empty within a few short years, in part because this government has dragged out the timing of ratification. That has come at enormous cost. It has come at a benefit for some companies and perhaps the government thinks that it has come at a benefit to this country, Australia, but it has come at enormous cost to Timor-Leste. Some estimates suggest that the revenue taken by Australia since the signing of the treaty now totals more than what Australia has given to Timor-Leste in foreign aid and more than Timor-Leste spends on health in a year. In other words, there is the history of the relationship and the history of the negotiations and then there is the prosecution of the whistleblower and the delay in ratifying the treaty to the point where it is costing a poor neighbour money that it simply cannot afford. This is a good day for Timor-Leste. We should not stand in the way of that, but we should also not attempt to whitewash the history and our failure to act in a way that we should to one of our neighbours. Question agreed to. Bill read third time. Passenger Movement Charge Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2019 68

Passenger Movement Charge Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2019

Second Reading 68 16:27 Mr SUKKAR 242515 Deakin I thank members for contributing to the debate on the Passenger Movement Charge Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2019, which complements a range of other measures to give effect to the treaty. This package of bills is again another step in the great relationship between Australia and Timor-Leste. Question agreed to. Bill read a second time. Third Reading 69 16:28 Mr SUKKAR 242515 Deakin by leave—I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time. Treasury Laws Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2019 69

Treasury Laws Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2019

Second Reading 69 16:28 Mr SUKKAR 242515 Deakin I thank everyone for contributing to the debate on the Treasury Laws Amendment (Timor Sea Maritime Boundaries Treaty) Bill 2019. The bill fulfils Australia's tax related obligations under the treaty by ensuring that these arrangements apply to transition petroleum activities in accordance with annex D to the treaty, which sets out the transitional arrangements. I, therefore, commend the bill to the House. Question agreed to. Bill read a second time. Third Reading 69 16:29 Mr SUKKAR 242515 Deakin by leave—I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time. ADJOURNMENT 69 ADJOURNMENT Australian Sikh Games 69 16:30 Mr BYRNE 008K0 Holt On 20 April this year I was honoured to participate alongside Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, the mayor of the City of Casey, Amanda Stapledon, and the member for La Trobe in the official opening of the 32nd annual Australian Sikh Games at Casey Fields. This event was attended by over 130,000 people in two days. We collectively welcomed over 3,500 athletes who competed in over 14 sports during this year's Easter weekend. Attendance numbers reached an all-time high at this year's event, with Victoria Police and traffic wardens doing a great job dealing with that sort of crowd and the ancillary parking that resulted from it and confirming an attendance of 65,000 people on day 1 and over 70,000 people on day 2. Participants and their supporters arrived from major cities and regional areas of Australia. Overseas participants had travelled from New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, India, Canada and the United States. A total of 232 teams participated in various sporting competitions, which is a record in itself. Sports like swimming and touch football were added to the games this year. The president of the Melbourne organising committee, Davinder Singh Garcha, stated that we had an AFL cup that was part of the Australian Sikh Games for the first time ever, and we even had men's and women's ICC T20 world cups that were on site for the games. Kabaddi was a major drawcard, but so was soccer. Soccer was the most popular sport, with 91 teams competing. Apart from that, 40 teams competed in volleyball, with hockey competitions being moved to another venue to accommodate all of the games. The 32nd Australian Sikh Games was a wonderful community event. A total of $700,000 was raised by individual contributions from the Indian and Sikh community across Australia. I'd like to commend the Australian government for their grant of $120,000 for the Sikh Games. I also congratulate Daniel Andrews and his Victorian government for their grant of $220,000 for these games and the City of Casey, led by the mayor, Amanda Stapledon, for their grant of $50,000 and for providing brilliant venues such as Casey Fields for these games. One of the highlights was the festival area that was created to cater for the large crowds, and there were massive crowds, as I've said. It included large-scale cultural and entertainment performances, as well as food stalls, which were provided absolutely free for everyone that attended the games. I especially wish to thank and congratulate a very unique individual, Amanjot Bedi, and his family from Melbourne, who served meals to all those who visited the games over the three days. That's 180,000 to 200,000 plates of food that were provided by the Bedi family, which is an amazing achievement. We can't thank the Bedi family enough for their outstanding contribution in providing that food to these games. I also especially want to thank the hundreds of volunteers who were on hand when needed to serve food and to provide assistance during the sporting events. Sporting events like these just can't run without the support of volunteers, and I congratulate them on their community spirit. I also wish to thank and congratulate the SBS Punjabi team, who were at the venue, for their extensive coverage of these games during the Easter weekend. When I attended it was amazing to see the large crowds not only visiting the stalls but also watching the sporting events throughout the day. We had good weather during the Easter long weekend, and it is claimed that, as a consequence of the crowds and the offerings from the sports and cultural stalls that were there, this 32nd annual Sikh Games at Casey Fields were the best ever. They were made possible by the tireless efforts of the organising committee, led by Davinder Singh Garcha, the president of the games organising committee, and the many volunteer organisations that helped. I also want to pass on a special word of thanks to the Sikh Volunteers Australia team, who did an amazing job to not only serve but also help with the clean-up and removal of rubbish from the venue. In my constituency we have a large Sikh community, and it's great to see that they were able to attend these games at Casey Fields and also to participate at the Casey Stadium, Casey RACE, Bunjil Place, the Hunt Club and Clyde Recreation Reserve. The City of Casey, when it's mentioned, is not obviously associated with multiculturalism, but there is a growing group of communities from all over the world that are making Australia their home, making the city of Casey their home and doing it tremendously successfully. The City of Casey is starting to tell the story of the great movement of people from all over the world who are making Casey their home and making their life there. This is an outstanding example of a group of people who have done that and have contributed not just to their community but to the broader community through these games. Australia 70 16:35 Mr LEESER 109556 Berowra In one of his first speeches as Prime Minister, Scott Morrison reflected on what he wanted to achieve. He said: My ambition is for an even stronger Australia—to keep our economy strong, to keep Australians safe and to keep Australians together. I want to reflect on his third aim of keeping Australians together. Nations are at their strongest when they're united, when they believe they have more in common than in difference, when they see special significance in their shared identity and when they feel bonds of kinship that extend to the past, present and the future. The nation is important because, as Aristotle wrote, men are not self-sufficient. Our political community is necessary for us to flourish as people. Furthermore, a united nation is more confident and a confident nation is more creative, resilient and prosperous. As Kenneth Clark said in 1969: It is lack of confidence, more than anything else, that kills a civilisation. We can destroy ourselves by cynicism and disillusion, just as effectively as by bombs. One of the most powerful forces of division in recent years has been the rise of identity politics. Identity politics is the idea that people should be defined not by the national identity but by other personal attributes, such as gender, race, religion, class, sexual orientation, disability, cultural background or the experience of being a migrant. In a bewildering world where people are struggling to find meaning in their lives, a sense of identity can foster a sense of meaning, community and connection with other people. We are social creatures. As Frances Fukuyama observed, we crave dignity and respect from those around us. The rise in identity politics has accelerated with the decline of mass media and the rise of highly personalised news feeds and on-demand services, but the problem is not when people identify with others. It is when, in the context of public debate, the appeal to identity claims special standing for certain people based on their personal characteristics and experiences. These individual claims of identity threaten to eclipse our shared identity as Australians. In the context of political debate, identity claims to elevate the speaker beyond criticism, because no other speaker can access the speaker's lived experience so they can't be in a position to judge if the speaker is right or wrong. Identity politics encourages us to talk past one another rather than engaging with one another to find common ground. Identity politics encourages groups to look inwards to their struggles and backwards to past injustices instead of outwards and forwards to cooperation. It is pessimistic and not constructive; it focuses on circumstances over capacities. It is the pursuit of emotional validation over a program for change. It is a dead end, especially for the most vulnerable. Ultimately, it is a recipe for more tribalism, loss of faith in our institutions and for abandoning those bonds that unite us as Australians. Many people have rightly criticised identity politics, but few have sought to acknowledge that the rise of identity politics reveals a need to bolster a greater sense of the national identity. How then should we bolster our national identity? We can start by reminding people of the things that we share in common and by making more opportunities to bring Australians together. I think we can do this in three ways, through education, national commemoration and the broader culture. First, we should amplify what young people are learning from Australia's civic and political history so that they can take their full place as active citizens in this nation. They should understand the context of today, anchored in the traditions of our past. They should have an understanding that our democratic system of government is designed to serve them. They should believe they have a stake—indeed, the largest stake—in Australia's future. Second, we must make more of occasions of national commemoration. In recent years, the commemorations of the Centenary of Anzac were a great example. Australians remembered and reflected on the stories of heroism and sacrifice of Australia's citizen soldiers in World War I, which did much to shape our character. These events were bolstered by public commemorations in every town and suburb—indeed, in every ethnic community—across Australia. The next major opportunity for national commemoration is 2020, when we will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the arrival of Captain Cook in Australia. This is not only another chance for us to reflect on Cook's achievements and on where Australia sits within the history of the West, but it's also a chance for all Australians to reflect on their own beginnings in this land. Third, we can make more of the national identity through its reflection in the broader culture. We can start this by making more of Australia Day. Other than citizenship ceremonies, most Australians use Australia Day to enjoy the sunshine; but we need to use Australia Day as a day to gather as a family, to tell stories, to learn more about our Indigenous heritage—which is the heritage of all Australians—and to see the day for what it really is: a day to reflect on our beginnings. Those are not only our national beginnings but also the story of how each of our families came to Australia and how this narrow story fits into the broader shared national story. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but they are a few steps we can take to help achieve the Prime Minister's aims of bringing Australians together. Diabetes 71 16:40 Dr ALY 13050 Cowan I really enjoyed the member for Berowra's contribution. I wish I could sit down and have a discussion with him. So perhaps we can do that in private. Today I want to talk about type 1 diabetes, which is an issue that I've taken up that is very close to my heart. This year my husband, David, and I were once again honoured to be invited to attend the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation gala dinner in Perth and to hear from a range of speakers, including the CEO Mike Wilson, who does a wonderful job in raising awareness of type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disorder that is not associated with lifestyle. We still don't know where it comes from. At the gala we also heard from a young lady, named Ayesha Razvi, who talked to us about her trials of living with type 1 diabetes. Also at that event, we heard from the CEO Mike Wilson and some other contributors about some of the trials of young people in accessing continuous glucose monitors. I must commend the government for making continuous glucose monitors more available to people suffering from type 1 diabetes. However, the conditions for accessing continuous glucose monitors are such that, after the age of 21, young people no longer have access to the CGMs. We heard at the JDRF gala dinner that for some young people the only way they can get access to the continuous glucose monitors after the age of 21 is to allow themselves to go into a hypoglycaemic state, which requires either ambulance attendance or hospitalisation. Once they've done that they again become eligible to access the funding for the continuous glucose monitors. This situation means that young people are putting their lives at risk to access these life-saving monitors that help them to manage their diabetes and that they've spent some years getting used to. Consequentially, I wrote to the health minister, asking him to consider increasing access to continuous glucose monitors for people over the age of 21 who may be in financial hardship and unable to afford them so that they don't risk their lives by deliberately going into hypoglycaemic incidents where they have to be hospitalised or where an ambulance has to attend. Typically, type 1 diabetes appears and is diagnosed in adolescence. So it is a disease and a disorder that predominantly affects young people, though I've also met with some adults who have type 1 diabetes and who got type 1 diabetes in adulthood. Recently, one of my constituents, who is in his 70s, came to talk to me about his type 1 diabetes. He actually got type 1 diabetes after a motorcycle accident. As I said earlier, we don't know what causes type 1 diabetes or what brings it on. It's not hereditary. We desperately need more research into what causes type 1 diabetes—not just in the management of type 1 diabetes but also in the attempt to find a cure for type 1 diabetes. There are currently around 120,000 Australians living with type 1 diabetes and seven Australians a week get diagnosed with T1D. As I said, recently we heard the announcement to increase funding for the continuous glucose monitors, covering people under the age of 21, pregnant women and some other people—for example, people with a valid concessional status and people who have a high risk or a clinical need that requires evidence. I would like to finish by commending the JDRF for the amazing work they do, and the CEO, Mike Wilson, for his dedication to finding a cure for type 1 diabetes; and all people who generously donate to the JDRF. Hopefully, one day we can end T1D. Herbert Electorate: Employment 72 16:45 Mr THOMPSON 281826 Herbert In the words of our fantastic Prime Minister, 'If you have a go, you get a go,' and that's exactly what I had the pleasure of seeing in my electorate of Herbert just last week at the Townsville Jobs Fair. On a regular Wednesday afternoon, the Murray stadium was abuzz with hundreds and hundreds of jobseekers meeting face-to-face with the people who could well become the ones that give them that go. The jobs fairs have been operating around the country as part of the Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business initiative. I want to thank the minister for bringing the jobs fair to our city for the first time, because it was an absolute success. Here are some of the numbers. There were 1,352 jobseekers through the doors; 53 exhibitors set up stalls in the stadium; and 931 jobs were on offer, a description of each one pinned on the jobs board. This was probably the most popular aspect of the event, giving attendees a one-stop shop to see if there was anything out there that might suit their skills and abilities. It was so great to see people eagerly taking note of career opportunities which could potentially spell the beginning of a promising new chapter in their lives. But, of course, not everyone has experience in writing resumes and applying for jobs, and time-pressured bosses are looking for one piece of paper in a pile of hundreds which really stands out. That's why experts were on hand to give practical assistance on how to lay out CVs and even how to approach the most nerve-racking of job interviews. It's still being determined how many jobs were filled, but my assessment from the feeling on the ground was that the day had been an overwhelming success. To me, the Townsville Jobs Fair highlights the increasing confidence in the local economy of my electorate and shows that the Australian government's policies are working. Our nation has seen 11 consecutive months of employment growth, and 20,000 full-time jobs were created in the economy last month. Since the 2013 election, businesses have created almost 1.4 million jobs, and around 58 per cent of those have been full-time jobs. The Prime Minister has committed to the Australian people that, over the next five years, the government will set the stage for another 1.25 million jobs. We know that small and medium businesses are the engine room of our economy, and that is absolutely true for my electorate of Herbert. There are over 13,000 businesses in my electorate, and we need to make sure this number continues to grow. That's why the coalition government is providing a hand-up for those wanting to start a small business. Many have been benefiting from the research and development tax incentive, which helps businesses offset some of the costs that come with having a great idea and making it profitable. Over the last three years, nearly $1 million has been granted to 23 businesses in my electorate as part of the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science's Entrepreneurs' Program. Let's not forget the student sponsorships, Australia-China Science and Research Fund, Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship, and National Science Week grants, all of which provide a cash injection to help small businesses in my electorate to get ahead and create new jobs. We also know that infrastructure projects create jobs too, and Townsville has a huge number of those, at just the right time. Last week, as part of the Townsville City Deal, the Deputy Prime Minister signed off on $195 million for stage 2 of the Haughton pipeline, which will see a staggering 691 construction jobs created, along with a further 30 new full-time ongoing roles. In addition, it will provide a boost to agricultural output of $3 million a year by making extra capacity from the Haughton channel available to irrigators. And of course the North Queensland Stadium will soon be home to the North Queensland Cowboys. Touching back on the jobs fair, it was wonderful to see people walking around in suits and ties as if it were an interview, taking it very seriously because in Townsville we have had high unemployment for a long time. This is the first time the jobs fair has been held there, and it was very humbling to see young people walking around, wanting to ask all the hard questions and wanting to speak to real employers because people want a job. I look forward to getting back to the electorate to speak to these jobseekers to find out exactly how they went. Mining 72 16:50 Mr DICK 53517 Oxley Not so long ago I had the opportunity to address a Queensland Day rally. In fact this year was the 160th birthday of Queensland, as its official separation from New South Wales as an independent colony was on 6 June 1859. At this Queensland Day rally I had the opportunity to meet with, speak with and show my support to the thousands of Queenslanders and Australians employed by the mining and resources sector as part of recognising and celebrating the contribution of mining and resources to our great state and country. For decades, mining and resources have been the backbone of the Queensland economy. Over 300,000 Queensland jobs are supported by resources. In 2017-18 alone, mining and resources contributed $5.2 billion in wages for Queensland workers; $4.3 billion in royalties to pay for our schools, hospitals and roads; and a total of $69.9 billion to the Queensland economy. That's $1 in every $5 of the Queensland economy and one in every eight jobs provided, thanks to mining and resources. It's not hard to see why mining is so important to Queensland. On top of this, the mining and resources sector has a supply chain of over 14,000 Queensland businesses and assists with more than 1,200 community organisations. It seems like every day that the latest national economic data is showing Australia's economy weakening, with the slowest growth in a decade and, sadly, living standards continuing to fall. This government, however, seems not to be bothered by this. Even calls from the Reserve Bank governor to give the economy the boost it so desperately needs have gone unheard and ignored. Despite this, the mining and resources sector continues to provide stability not only in my home state of Queensland but right across the country. In May 2019, Australia's world-class resource sector generated a record high of $24.9 billion in export earnings for the nation, or 60 per cent of total export income. This was also a record-breaking month for Australian iron ore exports, which accounted for $8.8 billion in export earnings. In fact, the ABS monthly figures show that in the first five months of the calendar year 2019 compared with 2018 iron ore exports increased by 35.4 per cent to $34.6 billion; coal exports by seven per cent to $27.5 billion; and LNG exports by 45.1 per cent to $20.7 billion. In the same period, total resources and energy exports increased by 19.8 per cent compared with the same period in 2018, to $115.8 billion. But we must not take these figures for granted. We must ensure that Canberra and governments of all persuasions back in our resources sector and regional communities to support the economy, support jobs and support our councils that are doing it tough. We must strengthen our ties and commitments to our communities and our councils to make sure that they keep delivering for our mining communities. There are many bodies who already provide leadership in this area, like the Minerals Council of Australia, and I offer my welcome and congratulations to the newly appointed chair of the Minerals Council, the Hon. Helen Coonan. The council has a long history of not only supporting traditional mining but also leading the sector in the 21st century with initiatives like hosting the Women in Mining and Resources Leadership Summit in Perth next month to help drive the business case for diversity and inclusion in Australia's world-class resource sector. It's not just the Minerals Council who are taking these innovative steps. In an Australian first for the mining industry, Peabody Australia has recently announced eShepherd, an innovative technology to assist in cattle grazing trials on rehabilitated land. The industry's innovation doesn't just stop there. Even as the country moves forward towards more renewable energy, the demand and need for mining will remain strong. Electric vehicles, solar panels, wind turbines and battery storage technologies all require a complex mix of metals, many of which have previously been mined only in small amounts. These include cobalt; nickel; lithium for batteries used for electric vehicles and storage; and rare earth metals for permanent magnets, electric vehicles and some wind turbines and solar panels. There is no renewable future that does not include a strong mining and resources sector. Following the 2019 election, I've been working alongside my friends the member for Hunter, the member for Brand and the member for Burt to work closer with our mining and resource industry to ensure their voices are heard and listened to. Today I recommit to listening to the voices of miners and those who work in our mighty resource industry. I'm proud to say I'm a friend of the mining and resources sector and will continue to support the industry in my role as a federal member so that Queenslanders and all Australians continue to enjoy the standard of living we have today and we provide the jobs of tomorrow in mining. I would like to add in conclusion that today is the last day of one of the attendants here, Mr Peyton Butler. I'd like to thank him for his service. I know all members wish Peyton and his family the best for the years ahead. Honourable members: Hear, hear! The SPEAKER 00APG I thank the member for Oxley, and we all wish Peyton well. Ryan Electorate: Roads 73 16:55 Mr SIMMONDS 282983 Ryan I rise this afternoon in the House to talk about my most favourite topic: infrastructure in the Ryan electorate, particularly its delivery. Our newest piece of federally funded infrastructure in the Ryan electorate is the stop, drop and go facility at Indooroopilly State School, which opened just last week at the start of the new school term. For the benefit of the House, this was a $3 million commitment made by the LNP government at the 2016 election. Following the election win, the funding was handed to the Brisbane City Council. I was pleased as the local councillor to shepherd this project through its design, consultation and then construction and to see it completed for our community. Now that it has been completed, it is an absolutely tremendous result for the local community. It's helping to reduce congestion around the school and it's helping to make our kids safe. As part of the facility, we have extra drop-off room, which ensures that there isn't congestion queuing around onto Moggill Road. There are wider footpaths for the kids. There's more shade and there's more seating to make sure that they wait away from the road. Importantly, there's a separation now between the through traffic, the drop and go traffic and the school traffic, so there are no more illegal U-turns. It is a great example of what I talked about in my maiden speech, where federal funding can be used for great local projects. A small amount of federal funding got this project out of the too-hard basket and got it built. I'd like to pay tribute to Brisbane City Council. There were two people in particular who helped me see this project through to fruition, and they are Councillor Amanda Cooper, who is the infrastructure chairman, and Jacqui Neill in her office. They both did a tremendous job. Building infrastructure is hard, Mr Speaker, as I'm sure that you know from your local area. Not everybody was happy, but it was an important project to get right. We did a lot of consultation with the school. We consulted with the local community as well. In the end, we got the best result that ensures the safety of our schoolchildren and also a reduction of congestion around this bottleneck which then flows onto Moggill Road. The project had one more very important benefit. When Scott Morrison made his visit to the Ryan electorate during the recent campaign, I took the Prime Minister to see this project, which was then under construction. Having seen the benefits of this project and seen what the relatively small amount of federal funding—$3 million—had yielded in congestion benefits in the Moggill Road corridor, I think it was no coincidence that, in the 2019-20 budget, further funding was made available to reduce congestion on the Moggill Road corridor. That includes a $25 million commitment for the Indooroopilly roundabout to see its transition into a T-intersection, which will help with reduced congestion on the Coonan Street corridor as well as on the through traffic on the Moggill Road corridor. I look forward to working with Brisbane City Council and Councillor Cooper on that project to get it delivered, having spent some time as the local councillor making sure that we purchased the land that was required as part of this and that we did a lot of design work as well. In the next few months, we will be going out to the local community to consult on those design options. I look forward to having that conversation with my community about how we can implement that structure project. And then of course there was funding available in the budget—$12.5 million—for the Kenmore roundabout to see an upgrade to bust congestion. I have to work with the state minister, Minister Bailey, to see that project to fruition. I haven't had a lot of success with that in the past, but I'm willing to give him and the state government the benefit of the doubt and assume that they won't look the gift horse of infrastructure funding in the mouth and that they'll work with the federal government and work with the federal minister, Minister Tudge, and myself in order to see this project come to fruition. At the recent election, I went to the people of Ryan and was elected on the back of protecting our lifestyle. A most important part of protecting our lifestyle is seeing us reduce congestion and undertake these congestion-busting projects. I'd like to again thank the Indooroopilly State School community and congratulate them on a fantastic new facility. It was a great pleasure to be down there just last week, before I came to Canberra, to spend a morning opening the doors for parents and kids alike down at the drop and go and to see the smiles on their faces as they realised that they were able to have a safer and less-congested trip to school. It's the federal government's funding that has allowed that to occur. So thank you very much to the federal government for that and also of course to the Brisbane City Council for their support in building the project. House adjourned at 17:00   The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Zimmerman) took the chair at 10:00.

Thursday, 25 July 2019

The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Zimmerman) took the chair at 10:00.

CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS 75 CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS Telecommunications 75 10:00 Ms ROWLAND 159771 Greenway One of the fundamental tenets of the co-regulatory telecommunications framework that we have in Australia is that it operates in the long-term interests of end users. Unfortunately, there are many things that happen outside that framework that can influence and dampen that, and one of those is scams. Scams are not a recent phenomenon that affects consumers; in fact, scams have existed for centuries. As long as humans have the propensity to occasionally misplace trust, scammers will thrive. This reality underscores why we must be stronger and more determined to safeguard consumers in the way of such harm. We cannot stand idle while scammers adapt old tricks to new technology, and we cannot be ignorant of how global communications platforms are being leveraged to carry out such scams. Australians deserve better. In April this year, the ACCC revealed the total combined losses reported to Scamwatch and other agencies exceeded $489 million. That's nearly half a billion dollars, and that doesn't even account for losses which have not been recorded. This scale highlights the devastating financial and emotional toll this is having on Australians, and it's growing. The ACCC has also highlighted the disproportionate impact scams are having on vulnerable Australians. We commend the consumer watchdog for its sustained focus on highlighting these and other risks and for educating the community on how to avoid them. It's no secret that one of the most prominent channels for scammers is the plain old telephone line. There are callers pretending to call from the NBN, claiming that your service is about to be disconnected. Given the prominence of the NBN rollout, it is alarming that monthly losses from reported NBN scams have tripled in 2019. There are callers impersonating the ATO, threatening unsuspecting customers with arrest for supposedly not paying their taxes. These lowball tactics are designed to shock and scare Australians into engaging with the caller. A key problem is the ability of overseas scammers to generate illegal calls which appear as Australian numbers, which is known as call spoofing. When your phone rings and the caller ID appears to be from a legitimate and more trusted Australian number, that call is more likely to be answered. That allows scammers to get a foot in the door, and from there the risks increase. Call spoofing also makes it more difficult for operators to block such numbers, because that number could in fact legitimately belong to someone in Australia. It's not good enough, and it's surely not beyond the collective will of industry, standards bodies and regulators to restore integrity to our numbering system. Network based caller ID authentication, as is being implemented in the US, is just one option that could restore trust, strengthen privacy and reduce scams by making unauthorised numbers detectable. Another potential tool is having a scam blacklist. Even with the latest technical solutions, the reality is it won't be possible to stop every scam call, but Australians expect us to tackle scams better, and their expectations are justified. Housing Affordability 75 10:03 Mr LAMING E0H Bowman Homeownership remains at the heart of the aspirations of many young Australians, both urban and regional, and we've increasingly seen the deposit being a key barrier to homeownership. This has changed; even as recently as 20 years ago, servicing the loan was the key focus of homebuyers. It's really important to note that, after over 106 consecutive quarters of economic growth, homeownership in Australia has actually slowly, very subtly, declined. It's extraordinary to think that there may not be a greater proportion of Australians moving to own their first home. Increasingly, young Australians are saying to me and to my colleagues that the size of the deposit—the 20 per cent requirement—is the barrier, far more so, for those in stable jobs, than simply servicing the loan. People are effectively rent-trapped unless they have wealthy mums and dads who, through a single electronic funds transfer, could provide the deposit. It's incumbent upon the federal government, which already has a strong record in this area, to help Australians own their homes. We've had the First Home Super Saver scheme and tax incentives for affordable housing; we've worked very hard to ensure there are limits on overseas ownership of new developments; and we've had clearer reporting and a much better understanding, ultimately, of where investment is coming from around the world in the potentially overheating elements of our property market. But it was the federal government that took this move in May of this year, and I want to commend the federal opposition for backing the scheme as well, which virtually guarantees its rollout for suburbs all around Brisbane, as a major city which will benefit from it. While it's number-limited, it also has some caps, of $125,000 for an individual and $200,000 for a couple. If we are going to be incentivising homeownership, we need to make sure it's not regressive. Many countries around the world make homeownership interest tax-deductible. That's a highly regressive way of doing it. As the OECD has pointed out, the best possible way is to reduce the deposit barrier, because that's what gets people into homes. When I designed the deposit assistance scheme and presented it to Treasury staff in August of last year, my prime concerns were affordability, effectiveness and targeting. We can't afford to have this being taken up by people who were going to purchase a house in any case. With the property market potentially levelling out and prices about to increase again in some areas, there is a smaller risk of negative equity. Now is the time to implement this policy as a trial. Cameron Handley, in my electorate, has had horrible treatment by the state government and was asked to pay back his first home owner payment for no other reason than that they found a technical glitch in who had constructed the property back in 2012. I support him, as he has said the federal government scheme would have had him in homeownership up to a year earlier than he otherwise would have been. He has lost a lot of capital gain opportunity. I think Prime Minister Morrison's policy announcement in May was a real turning point for young homebuyers. Diabetes 76 10:06 Mr BOWEN DZS McMahon Today I want to address an important matter in my electorate but also a very important matter right across the country, and that is the increasing prevalence of diabetes in our country, which is approaching—I hesitate to use the word but I use it advisedly—crisis levels. We have an urgent national task of tackling diabetes, and it is a task that needs to be tackled by governments—federal, state and local—but also by communities. In my community of McMahon—particularly in Fairfield, where over 15,000 people have been diagnosed with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes—certainly we are doing that. Last week was National Diabetes Week. I took the opportunity to issue a video about the issue of diabetes in my electorate and across Australia. The theme of National Diabetes Week was 'It's about time'—it's about time to get checked, it's about time to take preventative measures, it's about time to tackle the issue. Of course we would all agree with that. Diabetes has several different forms and it affects our communities in different ways. In Western Sydney it is a very big issue to be tackled. As I said, 15,000 people, just in the Fairfield local government area, have been diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. It does impact on socioeconomically disadvantaged areas much more strongly than others. It also impacts Indigenous Australians, our Indigenous brothers and sisters, more than non-Indigenous Australians, as well as those people living in remote and rural areas. Western Sydney is the metropolitan capital of diabetes in Australia, but it's certainly not the capital of diabetes when compared to rural and regional areas. This is also an issue which affects many young people. Many honourable members and colleagues would have been impacted by their discussions with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. In my own case, I've had a long relationship with young Jennifer Biggin, who doesn't actually live in my electorate—she lives just outside my electorate in the electorate of my friend and colleague the member for Fowler—but has been a very regular interlocutor with me about the need to lift the profile of juvenile diabetes in Australia. She approached my office when she was 10, seeking a meeting, and I've met with her on several occasions since then. She is a fine individual. I've also had pamphlets distributed from my office outlining important information for people tackling diabetes. We have held diabetes forums arranged by my electorate office. We will hold more of those in coming weeks and months. I want to take this opportunity in the House to urge all involved, including the federal government and other levels of government, to tackle the issue of diabetes. Fairfield City Council, in my electorate, has a proactive plan which involves the installation of exercise equipment in local parks. It's good to see, when I'm out walking in our local parks, people using that exercise equipment. I congratulate the Fairfield City Council for that initiative. But we all need to be doing more to tackle the issue of diabetes in Western Sydney and more broadly in the community. Certainly that will be a focus of my time as shadow minister for health. Page Electorate: Sporting Achievements, Page Electorate: Community Events 76 10:09 Mr HOGAN 218019 Page In Lismore the Gahan family and baseball go hand in hand. In 2011, Michael Gahan played for Queensland, taking out the national youth championship. In 2015, he took up a position with the United States college team of Miles Community College in Montana. In 2018, he was selected in the Australian under-23s team that competed in the world cup. Michael's great-great-grandfather, Herb, was a scorer and his great-great-uncle Michael Sr played for Marist Brothers. Second-generation cousins Michael Jr and Peter both represented Queensland, with Peter being selected in the 1981 Australian All-Stars World Cup team. Michael's grandfather Maurice represented Queensland and his three great-uncles all represented at a national level. Chris played in the Australian team, Terry played in the All Australian Country team and Paul played in the Australian Public Service team. Michael's uncle Matthew represented Australia and was signed to the New York Mets, while his uncle Andrew was the Far North Coast Rookie of the year. His dad, Anthony, has also represented Queensland. In 2013, Michael's mum, Emma, received the Far North Coast Commissioner's Award for her outstanding commitment to baseball, and Michael's younger brother Jordan was also selected in the Australian under-14s squad several years ago. This family obviously has a very proud tradition and history around baseball, and they do our community and our nation proud in the world of baseball. Congratulations to all of them. The annual Glenreagh Timber Festival is in its 15th year and will be on again this Saturday. It celebrates the early heritage of the village, with wood chopping, sheepdog trials, whip cracking, horse carriage rides and plenty of entertainment for everyone to enjoy. The organising committee consists of executive members Chris Hanson, Judith Hanson, Ross Neil and Faye Neil, plus representatives from 12 organisations from around Glenreagh. Those representatives are Tonia Shipman, from the tennis club; George Bennett, from the progress association and the Anglican Church; Rebecca Hooklyn, from the public school; Leanne Grocott, from the pony club; Lisa Orme, from little athletics; Geoffrey Hicks, from Heartstart; Michelle Close, from the rural fire brigade; Jennifer Seed, from the Lions Club; Honi Reifler, from the Sherwood Cliffs Christian Rehab Centre; Tara van Anen, from the community preschool; and Bessie Webb, who is 97 years old and still involved, representing the progress association. Glenreagh has a very rich history in timber dating back to the first settlement of the village. This festival is all about preserving the skills developed by the industry. I congratulate the Glenreagh community and I very much look forward to being there on Saturday. Stanton, Mrs Anne Majella 77 10:12 Ms WELLS 264121 Lilley Today I rise to pay tribute to a great Australian and iconic Lilley citizen, Anne Majella Stanton. Anne passed away on Sunday, 21 July 2019 after a 32-year battle with cancer. Anne was a wonderful teacher and was well-known and loved by our local schools. She taught at St Pius Banyo and, most recently, St Kevin's in Geebung. She and her family lived in Nudgee, where she was also a proud St Pat's mum. She was the adored wife of Neil and the dearly loved mother and mother-in-law of Mitchell and Bridget, Lachlan and Liz, Dominic and Sarah, and Rebecca. She was also a loving nanny to Elijah, Charlotte, Evelyn and Annabelle and the loved sister and sister-in-law of Peter, Mary, Dan and Gillian, Mick and Robyn, Kathleen and Mike, Sean and Deanna and Brendan and Christine, and aunt to all their families. On behalf of the Lilley community I send the family our thoughts and respects on this difficult day. Anne was first diagnosed with choroidal malignant melanoma in 1987, when she was only 27 years old. She underwent surgery, which took her eye and marked the beginning of a very long battle. In July 1997, Anne was diagnosed with secondary melanoma, which took 60 per cent of her liver, and she fought this disease as it returned again and again and again. In 2003, Anne commenced her first fundraising gala dinner, which she fondly called Walking on Sunshine. It was named after her favourite song by Katrina and the Waves. She decided to call her fundraiser Walking on Sunshine to remind everyone that, while it is important to take time in life to appreciate a sunny climate, we must be very cautious of the sun. Queenslanders face the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world. While a cure is yet to be found, the money that has been raised for medical research has helped Anne with her battle. She gave so much of herself, her time and her efforts to fundraiser so that others may receive help too. To date, Anne's foundation, Walking on Sunshine, has raised nearly $300,000. Inroads are being made into melanoma treatments which are prolonging life and hopefully working towards a cure. It is a cure that we all want and that we will continue to work towards in Ann's memory. Ann's funeral mass will be held at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Nundah today, commencing at 1.30 pm. As I cannot make it from this place, I honour Ann's memory from here in the federal parliament and thank her for her many years of service to our local community, to our local schools on the north side and to all Australians and their families who live with the plight of melanoma. Ann was a great Australian, and we will remember her. Walhalla: Mobile Black Spot Program 77 10:15 Mr BROADBENT MT4 Monash Like all parliamentarians, I would like to identify myself in this parliament with the address just given by the previous speaker. There's nobody in this House that is not touched in some way by the scourge of cancer in one way or the other. I acknowledge that there are so many people out there really doing it hard, and I just want you to know this House is with you. The residents of historic goldmining town of Walhalla are now able to access mobile phone reception for the first time through the 600th mobile phone tower under the Commonwealth government's Mobile Black Spot Program. The mobile coverage will improve communication and emergency services situations, enhance visibility of Walhalla online—I'll go into that in a minute—help grow tourism and local businesses, and make life easier for the town's residents. Team Telstra were great—Loretta Willaton, Nikos Katinakis and Garry Austin—but the great leaders of this were Councillor Michael Leaney and Russell Wright, who have been absolute stalwarts in their determination to get this. To understand this, tourists these days expect to pay for their coffee online. They expect to pay for their accommodation online. They expect to book their next place online. Tourists go to Walhalla and get nothing. They are in shock. They say: 'What do you mean, we can't pay for our things? We can't access our phones?' We don't even think about accessing communications. You go to a place like Darwin, for instance, and the world responds only on communications that we need. The tourists are forever on their phones, doing what they have to do. Walhalla was completely in another world. It won't surprise you, Deputy Speaker, but Telstra had some promotional items there to promote themselves. Some of them were those squeeze balls. So I threw all the squeeze balls into the air, and they all landed in front of all the 200 people gathered for this momentous celebration, and we kicked the balls around. It was exactly the same as communication: bouncing off one another, making things better for people and giving opportunities for tourists to come into the place for the first time and still have access back to their families, back to their children and back to what was happening, which people expect these days. Congratulations, Michael Leaney. You have been a pain in the neck for me for so long. Councillor Michael Leaney has been desperate for this tower for so long. It was a very expensive tower. I thank the government for their intervention in this. It will make a difference when the next bushfire hits Walhalla. It'll make a difference to the next rockfall. It'll make a difference to people who are going up to travel on Tim Fischer's great train ride to Walhalla. Northern Territory: Queen's Birthday Honours 78 10:18 Mr GOSLING 245392 Solomon I just want to acknowledge those Territorians who recently became members of the Order of Australia. The first cab off the rank is Clare Martin AO, former Labor Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, for distinguished service to the people and the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory, and as a community advocate; our current administrator of the Northern Territory, Vicki O'Halloran AO; Lilliane Gomatos AM, who founded our world-famous GleNTi Festival, for significant service to the Greek community of the Northern Territory; Doug Phillips AM, for significant service to the business community in the Northern Territory; Ann Brown OAM, for service to the community of Palmerston, whom I was able to personally congratulate at the Palmerston markets recently; Suzan Cox OAM, for services to the law as NT Legal Aid director; and my good friend Benny Lew Fatt OAM, for services to Australian rules football and the Darwin community. There is Anita Newman OAM, for services to youth and the community of Darwin; Penny Stewart OAM, the director of intensive care at Alice Springs Hospital, for services to rural medicine; Alan Wright OAM, for services to the minerals and mining sector; Arthur Mitcherson OAM, for meritorious performance in his duties in the field of marine engineering; Ron Green ESM, for improving conditions for the Northern Territory SES Volunteers Association—he was behind setting that up; Lieutenant Commander Laurence Choate CSM, recognised for improving outcomes in the Royal Australian Navy; Anthony Sues CSM, for meritorious achievement in fuel installation at RAAF Base Darwin; Wayne Stubbs AFSM, for his service in Katherine and its surrounds; Jeff Whittaker AFSM, for his work around the Darwin fire community; and Keith Currie APM, for his services around the Katherine community, in particular serving with the northern crime scene examination unit and working for a long time doing excellent work out of the Katherine Police Station. Finally, I want to acknowledge a Territorian who wasn't acknowledged in the NT list because he's currently not serving in the NT: Squadron Leader David Burns, who received a Conspicuous Service Medal on top of his Medal of the Order of Australia. Well done, David. Chisholm Electorate: Schools 78 10:21 Ms LIU 282918 Chisholm As I stated in my inaugural address only two days ago, as the local member of parliament, a mother of two and a qualified speech pathologist, I maintain a keen interest in education, particularly in the local schools. I also stated that it was no accident that my first official engagement as the local member was to visit Ashwood High School. Thank you to Bardia Zarrinnam and Lula Tadeffe for showing me around the school. Ashwood High is a great school. It received a $15.5 million investment from the previous state Liberal government to rebuild the school. But, like with many schools in Chisholm, I'm sure that there is always more that can be done. Many schools just need that little extra to assist with playground and sporting equipment, procurement of musical facilities, furniture, computer equipment or library resources. Some schools may need small-scale extensions or refurbishments, while others may need funds for their master planning. I encourage all schools in Chisholm to apply for funding through the Australian government's Local Schools Community Fund website. The fund is open to eligible government, Catholic and independent schools—not just the 57 schools but all 63 campuses—and schools in my electorate can apply for one project between $1,000 and $20,000. Applications open today and close at 5 pm on 30 September 2019. Projects will need to be completed by 31 December 2020. Applications can be submitted online through SchoolsHUB at schools.education.gov.au. As the member for Chisholm I promise to be a strong voice for Chisholm, and that includes for all schools in Chisholm. I note that funding for all 34 public schools in Chisholm will increase by around 55 per cent per student over the next decade. As such, I'm proud to be part of a government that prioritises education, as this government seeks to ensure projects can be covered for all schools regardless of size. Abudusalamu, Mr Sadam, Nizamidin, Mr Almas 79 10:24 Mr ZAPPIA HWB Makin I've previously spoken about the detention and oppression of the Uygur people in the Xinjiang region of China. On 17 September last year I moved a motion in this place, which was debated, and also presented a petition, signed by 11,144 people, on this issue. I've also met with several Uygur families in Adelaide and heard firsthand accounts of detention, disappearance and surveillance and the restrictions placed on their family members living in Xinjiang. The situation in Xinjiang has also been the subject of ongoing media reports, including, most recently, the ABC Four Corners program last week. I understand that 22 countries have signed a joint statement condemning China's mass detention of Uygur and other minorities in the Xinjiang region. Yesterday, I and several parliamentary colleagues met with Almas Nizamidin and Sadam Abudusalamu, two Australian Uygurs who appeared on the Four Corners program and who are pleading to have their respective wives and Sadam's two-year-old son brought to Australia. Their cases are being supported by Amnesty International. Last year, I wrote to Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs about Almas's case. Almas has lost all contact with his wife and mother and has no knowledge of their whereabouts or wellbeing. The emotional strain on both Almas and Sadam of not being able to be with their wives was clearly visible at the meeting yesterday, and it's understandable—particularly as there is no clear reason why their wives and Sadam's two-year-old son are being detained or prevented from coming to Australia, or, indeed, from leaving Xinjiang. The families are pleading to be reunited so that they can get on with their lives, and I've no reason to believe that they pose any security threat to Australia or to China. I urge both the Chinese embassy here in Australia and the Australian government to do all they can to allow these two young families to be reunited and to do so expeditiously. They have been separated for much too long. Indeed, when Sadam's son was born in Xinjiang, Sadam was not even able to be at his son's birth. In fact, he has never even met his own son. I can only imagine the torment and stress that places on him and his wife and his little son. These are innocent people caught up in a political situation, and their interest is solely in being given the opportunity to live a normal, peaceful life with their loved ones. La Trobe Electorate: Women's Sport 79 10:27 Mr WOOD E0F La Trobe In the electorate of La Trobe—and I'd say this is no different from most areas in Australia—participation in women's sport is greatly increasing, especially in newer women's sports such as Australian Rules Football and cricket, but also, traditionally, netball, and that is a sport for which upgrades in facilities have been very much lacking. Over the last couple of years, I've been working closely with people like Marg Jones, President of the Pakenham netball club; Mel Broadley, President of the Berwick Netball Club; Valerie Edge, President of Beaconsfield Netball Club; Penny Asling, the netball coordinator, and Mickey Uren, the coach, of the Gembrook Cockatoo netball club; and, from the Emerald Football Netball Club, Mark Pedder. What really drew this issue to my attention was my visit to the Pakenham netball club last year. It was actually a tour of the senior sports facilities, where you had the footy and the netball. It was one of those days where it was raining cats and dogs out in Pakenham, and the guys decided to show me around the club. We walked outside, and I saw that all the girls from the netball were lined up. Then I think we went to look at the gym, and then we came back and the girls from the netball club were all still lined up. I actually asked why the girls were all standing there in the rain and they said, 'They're waiting for the blokes to finish in the change rooms.' That's just totally unacceptable, and it's pretty much the standard for those clubs I've mentioned. The great news for the Pakenham netball club is that we have $500,000 on the way to assist them. In fact, the senior netball and football clubs get, in total, $1.5 million for major upgrades. It's the same with the Berwick football netball club—$1.5 million. Again, when I went and visited the girls, Mel Broadley and the team, out there, they were all waiting for the guys to finish in the change rooms. They had no toilets and no facilities. It was pretty disgraceful. The Beaconsfield Netball Club overall has fantastic facilities, and we also provided them with a $16,000 grant for a new LED scoreboard. I went up to Gembrook Cockatoo Football Netball Club. It seems every time I visit the netball clubs it's always raining; they put the rain on for me! It was a freezing cold night again. They showed me the little shed they use as a change room—totally inadequate. We've provided $450,000 for them. At the Emerald Netball Club, we provided $500,000, and the great news is that at the ROC Netball Club in Officer they already have $380,000 worth of new courts and facilities. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 203092 It's proposed that, if there is no objection from members, the time for constituency statements will be extended to 60 minutes rather than the usual 30. I take it there are no objections. Appin Colliery Disaster 80 10:31 Dr FREELANDER 265979 Macarthur 24 July 1979 was a truly devastating day for the Macarthur community and for the surrounding communities of the Illawarra and the Hume electorate. On this day, 14 individuals lost their lives in an underground explosion that took place at the Appin coalmine. Fourteen lives were taken in this disaster, 38 children were left fatherless, families were left to mourn and a community was severely shaken. Yesterday's anniversary was commemorated locally with a service at the Appin Mine Memorial Garden. Unfortunately, with the parliament sitting, I was unable to attend. However, by all accounts the service was a very moving one, and it was attended by hundreds of local residents. I wish to take the opportunity to thank the event organisers for inviting me and to thank the Macarthur community for their resolve to commemorate the disaster and for their determination to pay homage to those whose lives were affected by this tragedy and, indeed, those who lost their lives. I recall the day and the impact it had upon my community vividly, as do my wife and her family. While the blast of the explosion was reportedly felt over a kilometre away, this disaster has reverberated through my community for the past four decades. Over 100 volunteers assisted in recovery efforts at the time, demonstrating some of the best attributes of people from the Macarthur and Illawarra communities. A division having been called in the House of Representatives— Sitting suspended from 10:32 to 10:44 Dr FREELANDER 265979 In continuing my speech, today we pause to remember the following men, all of whom died far too young, and acknowledge their sacrifice: Alwyn Brewin, 37; Francis James Garrity, 37; Ian Victor Giffard, 36; Geoffrey Ernest Johnson, 35; Jurgen Lauterbach, 30; Alexander Hardie Lawson, 34; James Oidcorn, 58; Peter Andrew Peck, 35; Robert Edward Rawcliffe, 45; Roy Rawlings, 31; Karl Staats, 49; John Leslie Stonham, 45; Roy Williams, 26; and Gary John Woods aged 30. May they rest in peace. We've come a long way since 1979. However, it's worth noting that the individuals who work in coalmines and in other dangerous industries are reliant upon unions to protect them in the workplace and to ensure their safety. We must never compromise on safety standards in the workplace, and we must remain mindful of the vital role that the union movement has played and will continue to play in this field. We know that the Appin mine disaster had a long-lasting effect, not only on the Macarthur community but also on the wider Australian community. People who work in dangerous industries need to be protected. The union movement has stood up for these people over many, many years and will continue to do so. The Appin mine disaster was a tragedy for the wider community, as well as for those involved. May they rest in peace. Groom Electorate: Infrastructure 80 10:46 Dr McVEIGH 125865 Groom Just last week we had a great visit from the federal Treasurer, the honourable Josh Frydenberg, to the electorate of Groom. We had a very significant Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce event: a business breakfast with well over 200 people in attendance. I took the Treasurer to inspect works on the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing. We visited InterLinkSQ, an intermodal freight facility under development adjacent to the inland rail alignment, just to the north-west of the city of Toowoomba. We visited the Pulse Data Centre, the first Tier 3 data centre in regional Australia, and, adjacent to the data centre, ATLAS, the emerging innovation centre particularly focused on ag-tech that will get behind research and development led by the private sector. Prior to his departure, I was able to show the Treasurer the Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport, the iconic airport that now connects our region to the world. The Treasurer in his former capacity as Minister for the Environment visited the Groom electorate in September 2016—so almost three years ago—to consider final required approvals from a Commonwealth perspective under the EPBC Act for the New Acland coalmine stage 3 proposal, which is still being considered by the state Labor government some three years later. This recent visit reminded me very clearly, and I guess it also displayed for the city of Toowoomba and the Darling Downs very clearly, that we are experiencing significant hold-ups on some major projects in relation to the state Labor government. The Toowoomba Second Range Crossing—at a cost of $1.6 billion, with 80 per cent of that funded by the federal government but being managed by the state government—is almost complete, but our community still doesn't know when it's going to be open or how much the toll is going to be. On inland rail, whilst Victoria and New South Wales have signed intergovernmental agreements with the federal government to get the project going, the Queensland state government has not. For New Hope stage 3, as I've said, we're still waiting on state government approval some three years after federal approvals were provided—and the Oakey Together Street Parade this weekend will focus on that very fact. I say to the state Labor government in Queensland: at the last federal election, just a few months ago, we had a resounding result. Our community spoke so very clearly about these projects, the need to get on with infrastructure and the need to support our community. The Oakey Together Street Parade this coming weekend will be a parade through the township of Oakey, celebrating its heritage but also recognising pending job losses from New Hope if those approvals don't come through in time, and recognising that the state government needs to get on with it. Adelaide Electorate: Heritage Listing 81 10:49 Mr GEORGANAS DZY Hindmarsh I rise to speak on something that's very important to my electorate of Adelaide, and that is the preservation of the heritage-listed buildings that are along South Road. We know there is a proposal for works along South Road that will be stretching from Thebarton through to Darlington, roughly 10 kilometres of expansion. But there is limited commitment given by both the state Liberal government and the federal government to preserve some iconic heritage buildings that are in that pathway. I'm talking of many buildings, including pubs, but two main ones are the Queen of Angels Church, a Catholic church built in 1915 which is 104 years old, and Thebarton Theatre, which recently celebrated 90 years of providing arts, music and cinema to the community. These buildings cannot be lost to South Australia. Once we lose these buildings, they are gone forever. We're talking about buildings that have played a very big part in the formation of our local communities. For example, I remember as a child attending Saturday matinees at the Thebarton Theatre, watching everything from the Three Stooges to the Walt Disney movies. The Queen of Angels must be spared, and so must the Thebarton Theatre. These two most iconic buildings must be preserved. I've written to the Prime Minister and the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure asking them to assure the people of Adelaide that works associated with the South Road upgrade will not damage historic buildings, including Thebarton Theatre and Queen of Angels. There are ways of preserving these buildings. Now is the time for the state Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government, Stephan Knoll, to ensure he has discussions with Prime Minister Morrison and asks for additional funding from the Prime Minister to ensure that these iconic buildings are saved. There are ways of saving them—for example, a tunnel has been proposed. If a tunnel is needed, so be it, because these buildings are iconic and both properties should be completely hands off. The Thebarton Theatre has provided a stage for artists such as The Angels, Cold Chisel, Kylie Minogue, John Farnham, Iron Maiden—and I attended that concert last year!—Midnight Oil, Ed Sheeran, children's performers like the Wiggles, the Hoodoo Gurus et cetera. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 203092 You went to the Wiggles as well, didn't you! Mr GEORGANAS DZY I spoke to Peter Garrett recently, who has performed at Thebarton Theatre with the Oils many times. He was outraged that this fantastic venue may be demolished. We're asking the government to preserve it; we're asking Mr Morrison, if extra funding is needed, to give that extra funding to South Australia to ensure that these iconic buildings remain for South Australia to enjoy and for Adelaide to enjoy. Ryan Electorate: National Tree Day 81 10:52 Mr SIMMONDS 282983 Ryan I am rising in this place to encourage Ryan residents to get involved in National Tree Day this Sunday, 28 July. It is Australia's largest community tree-planting day. I know how important it is to Ryan residents that we protect our national environment. The local residents love their green and leafy suburbs, as I do. We spoke during the recent election in particular about protecting our lifestyle locally. It is not just a slogan but a call to arms to roll up our sleeves as a community, and planting trees for our local community is a big part of that. National Tree Day, founded in 1996, has grown to Australia's largest community tree-planting event, and we are aiming to plant, together, as a nation, over one million native trees and shrubs across the country. I will be part of it. Those community residents who take part will be part of the 300,000 volunteers who are getting out this weekend to engage in activities, along with school students tomorrow, on Friday. I'd like to promote two local events within the community and encourage people to get along: first of all, Nature Freedom, a not-for-profit social enterprise organisation for young people with disabilities, is getting involved in National Tree Day. They are working with Habitat Brisbane and Cubberla-Witton Catchments Network for an inclusive tree-planting event. This will occur at Handle Street Park near UQ Long Pocket Campus on Sunday from 8 am. The other event happening in our local community is at Hilder Road State School on Sunday, 28 July, from 10 am to 3 pm. This is more of a community event, organised by Hilder Road State School, working with Save Our Waterways Now and Paten Park Native Nursery, along with the support of Brisbane City Council. They have organised an amazing day of performances and planting, a wildlife show, and stalls and food for everyone. So that will be exciting to be part of. I will be at both those events over the course of the day on Sunday, as I participated in these events in previous years in my role as a local councillor, when we were part of a Brisbane City Council administration that helped plant some two million trees across Brisbane. We have so much natural beauty in our electorate of Ryan, particularly Mount Coot-Tha and Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, and some tremendous local groups that I want to pay tribute to who help us look after that local environment, including but not limited to: the Cubberla-Witton Catchments Network, Pullen Pullen Catchments Group, Moggill Creek Catchment Group and Save Our Waterways Now. I conclude by encouraging very much local residents to be part of these two events or any event they'd like to be part of on Sunday to help us protect our local environment. Join with me, roll up your sleeves and let's work together to make sure our suburbs stay green and leafy and to protect our local lifestyle. Dobell Electorate: Toukley Torchbearers for Legacy, Dobell Electorate: Ourimbah Combined Hospital Auxiliary 82 10:55 Ms McBRIDE 248353 Dobell Today I rise to congratulate two outstanding local community groups in my electorate on the Central Coast of New South Wales: the Toukley Torchbearers for Legacy on 34 years of support and fundraising and the Ourimbah Combined Hospital Auxiliary on 73 years of service. I particularly congratulate the seven members of the Toukley Torchbearers who were awarded life membership at their 34th Annual Friendship Luncheon. Life membership recognises over 10 years of service by Torchbearers and the awards were presented by the President of the New South Wales Torchbearers, Trish Berghaus. Congratulations to Alma Russell, Jean Aitken, Faye Robinson, Hazel Duckett, Lyn Whitby, Judy Ford and Roma Lawler on your service. Legacy cares for 60,000 people across Australia and almost 1,300 on the Central Coast, many of whom are elderly widows. There are some school aged children and, currently, nine university students supported by Legacy scholarships. Toukley Torchbearers currently has around 30 active members contributing to an annual fundraising effort of $25,000 to $30,000 each and every year. This year alone the Toukley Torchbearers has already organised at least two events each month, including at the Morisset and Gosford shows, the Scottish Spectacular and many market and street stalls. Activities planned for the remainder of the year include afternoon teas, cake stalls, golf days and the much anticipated annual fete. Their efforts help Legacy care for individuals and families living with significant loss and trauma. I offer the Toukley Torchbearers for Legacy my personal thanks on behalf of our grateful community. Thank you, President Judy Willmette, Secretary Ruth Condon, Treasurer Maz Cleary and all the members of Toukley Torchbearers for Legacy. I was also delighted to join members and friends of the Ourimbah Combined Hospital Auxiliary at their 73rd annual general meeting recently. The United Hospital Auxiliaries motto is, 'Let us hold high the lamp of service for the welfare of our hospitals.' Their objectives are threefold, and include assisting the welfare of patients and staff at all hospitals and healthcare centres within the state of New South Wales by providing all kinds of services and to assist in fundraising. The Ourimbah Combined Hospital Auxiliary more than lives up to this objective. Having worked at our local hospitals for almost 10 years I'm personally grateful for their efforts. The wisdom and warmth in the room was overwhelming, and it was a privilege to join so many local people who care and take care of our hospitals. The auxiliary has a longstanding tradition of presenting guests to its AGM a box of locally-grown fruit and then sharing a homemade afternoon tea. Congratulations to 2019-20 President Toni Brewster and her executive team. The Ourimbah Combined Hospital Auxiliary has been running election-day stalls since 1946 and will continue to raise funds through raffles and coach trips. In the last financial year the auxiliary raised $9,600 for Gosford Hospital, contributing funds for much-needed monitors for both the cardiac and medical wards. It was a privilege to be in the company of so many people with such deep roots in our community and who care for our hospital. Petrie Electorate: North Lakes Resort Golf Club 82 10:58 Mr HOWARTH 247742 Petrie I rise today to speak about a very topical issue in my electorate of Petrie. That issue is the development of the North Lakes golf course. You only have to look at the map of the suburbs of North Lakes and Mango Hill in the western part of my electorate to notice the large green space in which these suburbs not only are situated but also based around. Many families have told me that their choice to purchase a home in North Lakes or Mango Hill was largely influenced by the 68 hectares of beautiful green golf course space which is available for families to enjoy in their own backyards. It's not just the golf course and the trees that grow there but the kangaroos, the koalas, the reptiles and amphibians that live on the golf course—the swans on Lake Eden. Sadly, part of this is at risk because this golf course, whilst at the moment the lungs of North Lakes, is at risk of being developed. This was brought to my attention in 2018 and has very quickly become a huge issue for locals. More than 200 residents turned out to peacefully protest the development of this land in July last year and, since then, residents have continued to express their disgust at the thought of overdevelopment and congestion within their community if this project goes ahead. The village retirement group is proposing to build a three-storey retirement home on roughly 11 hectares of the land in the middle of this green space, and this isn't just a few houses on a golf course. The footprint of this development is equal to the size of Westfield North Lakes. If locals looked at the recently distributed North Lakes Common propaganda brochure and thought it looked too good to be true, that's because it probably is. The promise of parks, sporting fields and a fitness precinct on the remainder of the land comes at a price. Whether you're renting as a resident in North Lakes or buying your own home, this will have an effect on your family's lifestyle due to the cost of wildlife displacement, the cost of overdevelopment and much more traffic on the roads, which are already experiencing high congestion from people in North Lakes. I want to be clear that I'm for development and progress, but it needs to be done in line with the needs of the community—and this project is not. This propaganda brochure recently put out made no mention of who is going to pay for the new fitness and community precinct. The people of North Lakes already pay a levy, and we want to make sure that council don't increase it. So I say to the Moreton Bay regional councillors: listen to the people of Petrie, listen to the people of North Lakes and do not allow this golf course to be developed. Moreton Electorate: Law Enforcement 83 11:01 Mr PERRETT HVP Moreton There's been growing concern among residents of Sunnybank Hills and Macgregor in my electorate of Moreton that some crimes are on the rise. In fact, the LNP candidate during the recent election, on one of her rare visits to the electorate, personally towed around Moreton a sign saying that crime was on the rise. Everyone deserves to feel safe in their homes and workplaces, and I would like to commend the Queensland Police Service for their implementation of the southside community safety action plan rolled out to address these concerns. Operation Romeo Airtight commenced on 1 June and it consists of high-visibility police patrols and community engagement strategies by South Brisbane District and Operations Support Command. The operation has conducted high-visibility active patrolling and detection and disruption of offences in those suburbs, including at licensed premises, restaurant precincts, local businesses, thoroughfares and residential areas. Mounted police patrols are now commonly seen around the Sunnybank area. I know this because my office is in Sunnybank. I work and eat there, and I've seen these patrols. So far, these tactical operations have made 224 arrests and have conducted 715 street checks. Part of the action plan is to conduct information blitzes around local shopping centres. Tonight will be their third week around the Sunnybank Plaza shopping centre. Police will be in attendance, with members of Crime Stoppers, to provide information about crime prevention. They'll also be in attendance at the Pinelands shopping centre. Last week, police conducted a meeting at the Kuraby mosque to address issues around safety in the park and the train line beside the mosque, the Beenleigh line. Prior to that there was also a Chinese community safety day at Macgregor. As I said at the start, this is a very appropriate response from the Queensland Police Service, who look after Moreton. I know they're passionate about making people in the Sunnybank area feel much safer. However, there is more that can be done by the Liberal National Party Brisbane City Council. I've called on the unelected new mayor to match a commitment I made during the election for an upgrade of the Mains Road pedestrian overpass at Sunnybank. Most importantly, the upgrade would include the installation of security cameras so that we can make sure we catch any criminals in the area. Local police officers have told me that security cameras are an enormous help to law enforcement. They help catch those few bad eggs who do harm in our community. So far, no commitment has been made by the mayor or the local Liberal National Party councillors Steven Huang, Krista Adams, who is the deputy mayor, or Kim Marx. They were happy to play politics during the federal election, but now they've vanished like thieves in the night. Labor mayoral and council candidates, including my good friend John Prescott, who is running for Runcorn, have committed to this important safety investment. The CCTV and upgrade are essential. I again call on the LNP lord mayor and Liberal National Party local councillors to step up and fund this essential upgrade of the pedestrian overpass in Sunnybank. Fairfax Electorate: Reimagine Nambour 84 11:04 Mr TED O'BRIEN 138932 Fairfax It's a wonderful time in the parliamentary cycle, because we are hearing so many wonderful maiden speeches—from across the aisle included. It makes one reflect on one's own maiden speech—and many of the ones we're hearing talk about their individual electorates. I recall only three years ago speaking about my electorate of Fairfax on the Sunshine Coast and making the point that my vision—and it remains my vision—is for the Sunshine Coast to be the healthiest place on earth with the healthiest environment, the healthiest community, the healthiest economy, the healthiest relationships, the healthiest way of life and the healthiest civil society. Within that vision lies different, discrete communities that make up the region of the Sunshine Coast, which I share, as a federal MP, with the member for Fisher. In Fairfax, my electorate, which is on the northern end, there's a town called Nambour, which is key to the region. Nambour has had its challenges after the closing of a sugar mill, the Moreton mill, in 2003. Nambour is one of those unique places in Australia that maintains those values of the past but also possesses all of the opportunities of the future. It has been an absolute pleasure over the last 12 months working with community leaders as well as other tiers of government. I want to acknowledge local councillor Greg Rodgerson and state MP Marty Hunt. They have worked with me and other community leaders on a project called Reimagine Nambour, which has been partly funded by the federal government but also by the mayor and Councillor Rodgerson. Reimagine Nambour is a project that is casting the map of the future for the town. In particular, the town wants to maintain its distinct, unique identity, but it wants to transition its economy. We are now only weeks away from presenting to the community what Reimagine Nambour looks like, and I wanted to take this opportunity to let the parliament know that I look forward to speaking again in this chamber or in the House and presenting what that future plan is. A division having been called in the House of Representatives— Proceedings suspended from 11:07 to 11:19 Climate Change 84 11:19 Ms MURPHY 133646 Dunkley Caitlan Hohneck is a student at Mahogany Rise Primary School. I heard her give a terrific speech at a Project O event last month, with a message in it for everyone in this parliament. So it's my pleasure to now deliver that speech on her behalf. 'My name is Caitlan and I am in year 6. In the future I would like to be a politician, something I have wanted to do since I was in grade 4. Just ask my teacher, Shannon. Politicians have the power to change things, to have influence and use that power and influence to help people. And I want to help people. One of the things I am passionate about is climate change. Climate change is not a problem that is going to go away if we ignore it. I am passionate about it because, if we don't pay attention to it , it is going to affect us all, especially my generation. Here are some facts about climate change. The rate at which Antarctica is melting has tripled in the last decade, Wildlife populations have declined by 60 per cent since 1970. Koalas are at risk of being critically endangered in some states of Australia. Trees are scientifically proven to help reduce the effects of climate change by absorbing CO2 and producing oxygen, but still, in 2017 alone, 39 million acres of tropical forest was cleared. I have heard so many times adults saying, "Oh, they're just kids," or that because we're young we don't understand the world or have experience of what's come before us. But I say to those adults: we are the present and we are the future. We see the emergency and we know that, if the adults today don't start making the right decisions, we will be the ones having to deal with it in the future. And when I am an adult I will have to tell the children that, even though we tried to speak up, past generations didn't act on it and it created irreversible change. We also have easy ideas on how we can start to fix the problem. We can stop using our cars so much. We can use our bikes and walk more. We can really commit to stopping our use of plastic bags. We can plant trees. We can take the time to educate ourselves and check twice before we buy something, to know the ethical and environmental impact of the things we buy. So, yes, we might be young, but it doesn't mean we aren't just as capable as adults of reading about the science and coming up with solutions. The only thing we can't do is change the laws and policies. That, for now, is in the hands of the adults. But we can keep speaking up, and we will keep reminding the adults that our future is in your hands. My name is Caitlan, and I want to be a future leader.' Well, Caitlan, you're a leader now. Let's keep working together with everyone else who cares about the climate to make sure that the adults in this parliament look after our planet and your future. Grey Electorate: Seafood Industry 85 11:22 Mr RAMSEY HWS Grey On the 18th and 19th of this month—only last week—I had our new Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries in Port Lincoln, which is one of the gems of seafood production in Australia. We toured Tony's Tuna and observed the processing, and then we met with the tuna industry—all of the owners of the licences—and talked through a number of issues that they need to face. We went and met with the people from the abalone industry and the rock lobster industry. The next day we went out to the tuna pens and witnessed the harvesting procedures. I must say this is very important for a minister, because this is an international industry. It relies on international quotas. It relies on trust between the nations who are signatories to those quotas. So for the minister to actually understand what we do on the ground is very important. We took extra time while we were in Port Lincoln to meet with the Great Australian Bight trawler industry, which supplies 90 per cent of the fresh seafood into Adelaide markets. I'm sure you'd be quite well known to some of these people, Mr Deputy Speaker Georganas. They come from your culture. In this case, they were Greek families that came from Thevenard and had built wonderful industries. They have a lot of different concerns, but to once again have the minister there to talk through their challenges and opportunities for the future was a really good thing. We went on and met with the sardine industry. There was a fair bit of discussion around pelagic fish in this place a few years ago, let me say, but these people are the ones that are harvesting the sardines for our tuna industry. That's the raw feed. It's interesting that we hark back to those debates about supertrawlers. People in the industry think that maybe the public misunderstood what they were about. We are harvesting sardines that are only suitable for animal consumption at the moment, when they could be suitable for human consumption if we could process them and freeze them on the vessel. That is probably a grave mistake. But it's something that can perhaps be addressed in the future. But right across the board there was a real determination and enthusiasm to tap into the international markets so we can add value to the tonnage that we are already capturing, and a real commitment to ensure that these fisheries are sustainable and will be yielding outcomes for Australians for generations to come. The DEPUTY SPEAKER DZY In accordance with standing order 193, the time for members' constituency statements has concluded. ADJOURNMENT 85 ADJOURNMENT Bendigo Electorate: Medical Workforce 85 11:26 Ms CHESTERS 249710 Bendigo I rise today to speak about the growing GP crisis that we are experiencing in Bendigo and the towns and communities of greater Bendigo. It's a crisis that we have not seen since 2004, when it was widely reported that GPs in Bendigo had closed their books. New people moving to our town could not access a GP and would quite often spend many mornings ringing around trying to get any appointment that they could. Here we are in 2019, and the crisis has reoccurred. We now find ourselves in another GP crisis in Bendigo, and it is of this government's making. But don't take my word for it. Take the word of local GPs. Many have spoken out in our local media recently about the growing crisis and the problems that we are experiencing. Take the word of Bendigo Community Health Service's director of primary health care services, Graem Kelly, who said that people in our community were being put 'dramatically at risk' because of the GP shortage. He said that there was a 'real medical crisis' on a number of fronts, putting pressure on bulk-billing clinics. He said that two groups were affected who need urgent attention: people who might have colds or flus, and those with chronic disease who can't get regular appointments to see GPs. Bendigo Primary Care Centre chief executive Glen Careedy has also spoken out and said that there is an increased demand for health care in our region but we are struggling to find new doctors. He said that the clinic is fully booked early each morning. And I would know, because this is my own clinic, and I also struggle to get appointments on the days that I require them. I'm not alone in that. He said that they've been advertising for GPs for about two years, with virtually no response. He went on to say that Bendigo's doctor shortage is becoming similar to what it was in 2004, when anyone who moved to the area could not get a doctor because most had closed their books. It's not just these bigger clinics that are struggling to attract GPs to the area. Many of our smaller clinics have also spoken out, whether they are in Woodend, Castlemaine, Heathcote or Bendigo. Creek Street clinic has also spoken out about the struggle to attract new doctors, young doctors, to Bendigo to work in general practice. At the end of the day, it is our GPs, in their day-to-day practice, who help keep our communities healthy and keep the pressure off emergency rooms. The government did make an announcement, after much pressure from local GPs. It did look like we were going to be excluded from the District of Workforce Shortage list, meaning that we could not attract overseas doctors or new doctors to the area. But the government has seen that that was a mistake and has said that, from 1 July 2019, the new health workforce classification system, called Distribution Priority Areas, will commence, and Bendigo is on the list. This means that we will have recruits who are restricted to work in these areas. Overseas trained doctors and Australian bonded doctors will be encouraged to move to these areas if they wish to practise medicine. That is welcome. However, it is not the solution to our problem. The GPs highlighted to me that the bigger problem is that Bendigo's geographical classification has been changed. From 1 January 2020, bulk-billing rebates will be reduced. They will be cut per patient. They'll be cut from $9.50 to $6.30. That starts to put real pressure on GPs and clinics. It means that the income that a full-time GP who bulk-bills every patient will lose will be about $400 a week. It will force more GPs to charge gap fees for all their patients. We already have high gap fees. We know that once you charge a gap fee you lose the bulk-billing incentive. This will mean that fewer doctors will come to the area to set up and establish practices or take on roles in practices. We are not a wealthy area. While some areas are doing well, others aren't. The average income is less than $50,000 a year, meaning people will put off going to the GP. The crisis in Bendigo will worsen if the government is going to cut GP bulk-billing incentives. I urge the government not to. Fisher Electorate 86 11:31 Mr WALLACE 265967 Fisher During the recent election campaign the people of Fisher showed once again that they are engaged, that they are discerning and that they have high expectations for those who would seek to represent them in this place. The people of Fisher expect and require that their member of parliament will work hard for them every day, and they expect to see results. That is what I've delivered during the past three years, and it is what I am passionate about delivering in the three years to come. My first priority has been the first priority of the people of my electorate—expressed to me in hundreds of conversations over the past three months—and that is to make the Sunshine Coast economy stronger. We've helped to do that by passing the Morrison government's tax cuts package. The government's tax cuts are going to make sure that hardworking Australians get to keep more of their own hard-earned money. They are going to reward effort and aspiration and help make sure that, in Fisher and all over Australia, if you have a go, you'll get a go. They are going to stimulate our economy to help ensure that the Sunshine Coast continues to grow and to thrive. That is what the people of Fisher voted for so decisively on 18 May, and that is what we are delivering. It was disappointing to see members opposite and their Labor colleagues in the Senate do all they could to prevent the passage of the tax cut legislation through the parliament. I know that the people of Fisher will remember how members on each side of the House responded to their clearly expressed wishes. For me, I will not stop there. With the government's tax cuts in place, over the next three years I'll be working hard every day to continue to grow our economy and to bring new businesses, new industries and new jobs to Fisher. I'll work hard to deliver the infrastructure that we need on the Sunshine Coast to keep our tens of thousands of businesses moving. This includes delivering on the $3.2 billion the coalition government has invested in upgrades to the Bruce Highway, and it includes delivering on the North Coast rail duplication, to which this government has allocated $390 million. The first two phases of the Bruce Highway upgrades are underway, and we have 70 per cent of the funds we need for the rail. But our community cannot go forward with endless construction works. I'll work hard to deliver the extra lanes, the extra track and the improved interchanges that we've committed to fund, but I'll do it so that we deliver these as early as humanly possible. I'll also continue to push harder for action on the crippling congestion affecting local state government roads. In the last federal budget, the Morrison government delivered $5 million to advance planning for congestion-busting solutions on routes like Caloundra Way, Nicklin Way, Kawana Way Link Road and Brisbane Road. As well, the government provided $12 million to fund the building of a new four-lane bridge on Brisbane Road in Mooloolaba. In the next three years I'll work hard to deliver on these projects and get more action on congested local roads. It's all well and good to have a fantastic Bruce Highway, which is what we're building, but there's no point if you can't get to it. Beyond our roads and rail I'll work with local businesses to grow and develop new industries in our community, which will bring the jobs of the future to Fisher. I'll progress my Fisher defence industry initiative to make sure that more of the coalition's $200 billion investment in defence flows to my community in the form of new jobs in defence and high-tech manufacturing. I'll work to deliver new projects in health care in Fisher, and contribute further towards making our community a national hub—even an international hub—for cutting-edge health. This will include delivering on the government's $12 million for Wishlist's low-cost accommodation hub, on our $6.2 million for endED and it's Australia-first residential treatment facility for eating disorders, and on further research and treatment at the Thompson Institute. In the next three years I'll work hard to progress some of the big projects that my community needs to take its rightful place among Australia's leading artistic, cultural, economic and sporting centres. This will include upgrades to Sunshine Coast Stadium, new tourism and arts infrastructure in the hinterland and a world-class convention and exhibition centre for our community. Tasmania: Discrimination 87 11:36 Mr WILKIE C2T Clark The introduction of federal religious freedom legislation puts at risk the rights and freedoms already enjoyed in Tasmania. This is because the existing Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Act provides protection to a number of minority groups, including members of the LGBTI+ community and people with disability. The implementation of federal legislation runs the very real risk of overriding these protections and allowing discrimination and hate speech in the name of religious freedom. To be clear, I support religious freedom if that means not discriminating against people of faith. But, regrettably, reform is being driven in part by people who feel that they are persecuted if they're prevented from persecuting others. In other words, I'm deeply concerned that federal reform will allow for discrimination and hate speech in the name of faith, allow discrimination in employment by faith based organisations or allow faith based schools to teach that marriage is only to be between a man and a woman despite same-sex marriage being lawful. Tasmania is the only state that prohibits discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity and relationship status by faith-linked organisations including schools, hospitals and charities. It is one of the few states that prohibits all hate speech without a religious exception, and it has the strongest protections against discrimination for minority groups. Frankly, Tasmania has the most to lose if this religious freedom bill goes ahead. The Attorney-General has said reform is not intended to replace state laws. However, there's simply no denying that Tasmania's Anti-Discrimination Act will be undermined if a religious freedom bill is passed. That would trample over the Tasmanian parliament, which has twice upheld the state's hate speech laws, and Tasmania's Supreme Court, which has found those laws to be constitutionally sound. Moreover, federal reform is likely to impact any person or group that falls outside the sphere of traditional religious precepts, including LGBTI+ people, people with disability, single parents, divorcees and people living in de facto relationships. It will create a direct conflict between state and federal laws, which could allow people complaining of religious discrimination to sidestep state laws and practices. This would be inappropriate and would show a blatant disregard of the laws of the states and territories. That's not the end of it. Reform has the potential to go beyond just the impact on state and territory autonomy. For example, it could sanction religious practices such as genital mutilation and forced marriage. Yes, it seems ridiculous to believe that this could happen in Australia. But federal reform without appropriate limitations does have the potential to lead to substantial persecution of minority groups. Consequently, the federal government must exert the utmost vigilance if it is to ensure that all people, not just those exerting their religious views and beliefs, are protected from discrimination. To that end, the government could legislate for a positive right while still maintaining state and territory laws by, for example, importing article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights into Australian law. Article 18(1) says: Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching. However, if the government does decide to pursue this road and import article 18 (1) , I must stress the importance of legislating the equivalent of article 18(3) , which states : Freedom to manifest one ' s religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health, or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others. This limitation would ensure the protection of all rights whilst maintaining the autonomy of state and territory laws. In wrapping up, Tasmania has effective antidiscrimination legislation that protects minority groups from persecution and discrimination. It also protects Tasmanians from discrimination and hate speech on the grounds of religious belief and practice. To implement federal legislation that cuts across this would be reckless, counterproductive and potentially dangerous. Remember, any reform at this time should not be about advocating for one group of Australians against another but rather about moving towards a more inclusive and accepting society that promotes equal rights for all, not special rights for some. Goldstein Electorate: Rotary Clubs 88 11:41 Mr TIM WILSON IMW Goldstein Since 1921, Australian Rotary clubs have united men and women with a shared belief in securing a more inclusive society which promotes fellowship, integrity and goodwill. Building our social fabric is critical to securing this great nation ' s future. It is part of its past, its present and our future success. Our government has invested a record amount of money in local projects that help associations build that sense of community. But the reality is that money from Canberra is not the solution. Critically, as Liberals we realise that this great nation should be governed from the citizen and community up, n ot from Canberra down. It ' s for that reason that we celebrate the Australian Rotary clubs and their incredi ble community-building success. All of Australia ' s 30,000 Rotarians — including my mother — deserve recognition for their contribution. Today I would particularly like to acknowledge the outstanding leaders of Goldstein ' s Rotary community. At the Rotary Club of Sandringham, which I visited only recently , they were engaging with the community in consultations for the establishment of a new community garden. I would like to congratulate Ian Wells and Gar r y Thompson , who were elected president and vice- president of the club. I was lucky enough to attend a recent meeting , as I said, and the friendly atmosphere and community spirit on display were fantastic — something I ' m sure is common to all of Goldstein ' s Rotary community. At the Beaumaris Rotary club we also had incredible contributions from community members who have done wonderful work in years past and present. I ' d also like to recognise all the other community members who have assisted at the Rotary Club of Glen Ei ra, the Bentleigh Moorabbin Central Rotary Club , the Rotary Club of Hampton and the Rotary Club of Brighton , as well as the Brighton North Rotary club — all have made a contribution over the previous year. What these community groups and these Rotary clubs do is hit the ground running. As many of you will know, they have made an incredible contribution towards the eradication of polio across the world t hrough their efforts and innovation , and by raising money at local community activities. One of my favourite things to do on a Saturday morning is to go to the local Rotary market down at Trey Bit Reserve , as well as the one at Brighton North primary . Our local Rotary clubs organise community markets , which are an opportunity for st all holders and others to come together to sell their wares but also raise money for important community activities and events. Each one of those makes an enormous contribution to the work we can do to strengthen our local community and make sure that we get the best out of our community ' s success. What I see every time the community invests in developing the talent and the capacity of Rotary clubs is that it builds the social bonds across lots of community organisations. Very regularly , I get community groups coming up to me and say ing they want to do important work and bring together sometimes local shop s and trading groups as well as other community organisations and schools. The Rotary clubs are always the first point of contact that you connect with. They have resources available. More critically than that, they have willing volunteers and participants and are in a position to make a contribution, whether it's from something as simple as community establishment, as I said, of a local market or in organising volunteers for things for things like barbecues. When you get elected to this place, people say that one of the biggest challenges you have is controlling your weight because you might be enjoying too much food and drink, depending on the circumstances, and that even includes some of the members opposite. But, of course, we also know there's a big risk every time you turn up to one of those community markets and there's somebody selling a sausage for only about two bucks. There is the temptation you have and the guilt if you don't buy one. I had that only last weekend at the community market in Sandy. We want to thank them for their incredible contribution and everything they're doing. It makes a huge difference to our community locally but also to the state and to the nation. I know that regularly they hold nationwide conferences which bring together huge numbers of people who do great work and share in that success. We want to extol them and encourage them to keep doing so. You are the backbone of this great country, you are what makes it great and you are what makes it successful. In between what government does and what the private sector and the market economy do sit volunteer organisations and volunteers, who are so critical as part of sewing the stitch of our social fabric, binding people together and being able to make and strengthen the bonds of this great nation. Homelessness 88 11:46 Mr CLARE HWL Blaxland A couple of weeks ago I met a bloke named Kevin. He lives in Campbelltown in Western Sydney, and he told me his story. Kevin was an ice addict. His addiction to that drug cost him his kids and his job. His kids were taken away from him and looked after by his parents. For a long time he was living in a car. He was sleeping in a car with his wife, until one day a bloke who ran a community organisation in Campbelltown helping homeless people got in contact with him, provided him with shelter and got him in touch with services that could help turn his life around. He's now got a job. He's the manager of a business in Campbelltown. He's got his kids back. He's a volunteer at the same organisation that helped get him out of that car, and he's now on the board of that organisation. It's a fantastic story of how one small organisation can help one Australian turn their life around. Last week, I went on the night walk that Father Chris Riley's Youth Off The Streets does in the streets of Sydney, looking out for young people who are sleeping rough or need a helping hand or just need a hot meal in the depths of winter. I met a young woman who had been homeless since she was 14. She's not homeless anymore, thanks to Danny, the bloke who runs that night walk, and the work he did to help get her off the street, get her into a home and get her an apprenticeship as a chef at one of the biggest restaurants in Sydney. She's now been doing that for six months, and I got to meet her and see the life that she's living now and the changes made by great organisations like Father Chris's. He also told me a story—this is a hard one to tell, and I'm sure my colleagues opposite who have experience in law enforcement will have heard these stories before—about a 13-year-old girl who was injected with heroin for the first time by her mum, what that did to her life and how it spiralled out of control. That young woman was found by Danny and the team and Father Chris. They gave her an education. She finished high school through Father Chris's organisation. She's 30 now, and she is now a schoolteacher, teaching in our public education system. If we're talking about heroes, you can't go past two friends of mine, Hilton Harmer OAM and Joyce Harmer OAM. An honourable member: Hear, hear! Mr CLARE HWL You know Hilton? Well, if there's a God up there then Hilton and Joyce are gifts from him or her. I'd like to let the parliament know that it's Hilton's 80th birthday today. If you're watching, mate, happy birthday. Hilton and Joyce have been helping homeless people and disadvantaged people for almost 60 years. Then, when they retired from the Salvos, they went out and collected food from OzHarvest and distributed it to different refuges and boarding houses in my local area in Sydney. Hilton got really crook a couple of years ago and couldn't do that anymore, so instead they opened their own home and encouraged people who were struggling to come every Wednesday to their house, where they would distribute food and everything from toasters to fridges to mattresses. Anything people need they would find and get to people. Despite all of that good work from all of those organisations, the challenge that we face in this area is just getting harder and harder, because there are more people who are going to be homeless tonight than ever before. Almost half of them are mums and kids. I heard the story last week about a mum who's got six kids sleeping in a car just on the outskirts of Werribee and has been doing this for six months. One in 10 homeless people are veterans—people who wore our uniform and protected our country. The area where this is rising fastest is not young kids or old blokes; it's women aged 65 to 74. In my own area, in Western Sydney, homelessness has increased by almost 200 per cent in the last few years. This is a massive problem, and I don't think it's melodramatic to say it's a crisis. It's not just people that are sleeping rough; that's the tip of the iceberg. Only seven per cent of homeless people are sleeping rough. It's people that are sleeping in cars, sleeping on couches and staying on the train just to keep warm or people that are in boarding houses, fed and helped by people like Hilton. It's Homelessness Week in just over a week's time. Can I use this opportunity to encourage my colleagues to get out, visit refuges and listen to people—some of the quietest Australians in this country. If you're watching this, please be inspired by these stories and to go out and volunteer for these organisations. Can I encourage the government to not talk about the spin on the positiveness of homelessness but do something real like these great Australians and help the most disadvantaged people in our community. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 00AMT On behalf of the chamber, we wish Hilton a happy 80th birthday. O'Connor Electorate: Live Animal Exports 89 11:51 Mr RICK WILSON 198084 O'Connor I rise today to update the House on the ongoing uncertainty that overhangs a critical industry in my electorate of O'Connor—that being the livestock industry and, more particularly, the sheep industry. This uncertainty stems from the incident that occurred nearly two years ago, in August 2017, where the Awassi Express was caught off the port of Doha in Qatar and there was an unacceptably high loss of sheep on that voyage. Subsequently some footage was released and was played on 60 Minutes, and the industry was brought into disrepute. There were a series of events that followed that which have put extreme pressure on those sheep producers across my electorate who had nothing to do with that initial incident. Just to emphasise the importance of the industry, around 40 per cent of the 3.5 million sheep turned off in Western Australia are exported. That's about 1.5 million head of sheep, or about $180 million worth of product. This uncertainty commenced around May last year, when we saw an incident where the Emanuel company had 56,000 sheep in a feedlot. They were seeking final permission to load the boat and for that boat to sail to the Middle East. At the very last minute, literally five minutes to midnight, the permission to load was withdrawn and we saw 56,000 sheep stranded in a feedlot in Baldivis, just south of Perth. More devastating for the industry itself was there were a lot of sheep in the system ready to be exported that all of a sudden didn't have a home. It was a pretty tight season in Western Australia last year, so that caused an enormous amount of difficulty for the producers across my electorate. Come November we saw the trade resume. We had the EMS company's licence suspended in August, but come November voyages to the Middle East resumed. I want to report to the House on the results of some of those voyages. Since 12 November, we have exported 712,000 sheep out of Western Australia. That's about half the annual turn-off. The sheep mortalities across those 11 voyages have totalled 1,800 sheep, and the mortality rate on average is 0.0261 per cent per voyage, which is an extraordinary result. As a sheep farmer all my life, I know you can't run those numbers of sheep in a normal paddock situation and expect any fewer mortalities than that. So well done to the industry for producing some terrific results that we can be very proud of, I believe, as an industry. The uncertainty going forward revolves around the heat stress review that is being conducted at the moment by the regulator, which has recommended a maximum 28-degree wet-bulb temperature on the voyages. That temperature can be reached in 10 of the 12 months the boats sail to the Middle East. That would effectively close the industry down for all but two months of the year, and that would make it completely unviable. The other area of uncertainty that we are looking at is the discussion paper that was put out by the regulator essentially recommending that the industry's self-imposed moratorium from June to September be extended to include October. That is four months of the year, which is a big chunk of the business that is done during the year, and it is the peak turn-off period for Western Australian sheep producers. Those are a couple of areas I have great concern about going forward. However, I am optimistic. Minister McKenzie visited Western Australia several weeks ago. She met with live sheep and cattle exporters. She emphasised that she wanted to see decisions made around the industry being based on science and hard data. The results we have seen from the industry since the resumption of shipping in November last year prove that the industry can be conducted safely and sustainably. I absolutely welcome the minister's approach to the industry going forward. Question agreed to. Federation Chamber adjourned at 11:56