MOTIONS

2020-02-06 46 1 2 House of Reps 0 1

Thursday, 6 February 2020

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

MOTIONS 1 MOTIONS Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction 1 09:31 Mr BUTLER HWK Hindmarsh I seek leave to move the following motion: That the House: (1) notes: (a) New South Wales Police detectives formed Strike Force Garrad in November 2019 to investigate the creation of a fraudulent document that was disseminated by the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction as part of a political attack on the Lord Mayor of Sydney; (b) New South Wales Police concluded "the document had to have been doctored from Canberra"; (c) the criminal investigation by New South Wales Police, encompassing the use of the fraudulent document by the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, was referred to the Australian Federal Police in December 2019; (d) the Australian Federal Police has not concluded its assessment of the state referral; (e) the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction has not provided a full statement to the House about the role the Minister and his office played in the creation and dissemination of a fraudulent document which gave rise to long-running, and not-yet-concluded, criminal investigations in two jurisdictions; (f) the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction has not advised if he and/or his office has assisted the criminal investigations related to his conduct by providing statements, documents and access to data; (g) the Prime Minister has failed to uphold his ministerial standards by failing to sack the Minister for Emissions Reduction for repeated breaches of those standards, including bringing the government and this House into disrepute by creating and/or disseminating a fraudulent document; and (h) the Prime Minister has failed to explain why the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction holds a place in his Cabinet when the former Minister for Agriculture, Senator McKenzie, was forced to resign her place; and (2) requires the: (a) Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction to attend the House at any time before 1 pm today and, for a time not exceeding 10 minutes: (i) provide a full statement to the House about his role in the creation and dissemination of a fraudulent document that targeted the Lord Mayor of Sydney; (ii) advise how he has assisted New South Wales and Federal police in the conduct of their inquiries; and (iii) apologise to the House for his conduct; and (b) Prime Minister to attend the House at any time before 1.30 pm today and, for a time not exceeding 10 minutes, explain to the House why the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction is fit to serve as a Minister in his government but Senator McKenzie is not. The SPEAKER 10000 Just before I ask whether leave is granted I'm going to make the point that—and there could be various reasons for it—these motions are becoming far too long. That's gone on to two pages. It's taken more than three minutes. I would, in the first instance, make that point to anyone moving a motion, and I'm doing that as fair warning before I adopt the practices of Speaker Snedden. Leave not granted. 09:34 Mr BUTLER HWK Hindmarsh Thank you for your earlier guidance, Speaker, for the future. I move: That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Hindmarsh from moving the following motion immediately—That the House: (1) notes: (a) New South Wales Police detectives formed Strike Force Garrad in November 2019 to investigate the creation of a fraudulent document that was disseminated by the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction as part of a political attack on the Lord Mayor of Sydney; (b) New South Wales Police concluded "the document had to have been doctored from Canberra"; (c) the criminal investigation by New South Wales Police, encompassing the use of the fraudulent document by the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, was referred to the Australian Federal Police in December 2019; (d) the Australian Federal Police has not concluded its assessment of the state referral; (e) the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction has not provided a full statement to the House about the role the Minister and his office played in the creation and dissemination of a fraudulent document which gave rise to long-running, and not-yet-concluded, criminal investigations in two jurisdictions; (f) the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction has not advised if he and/or his office has assisted the criminal investigations related to his conduct by providing statements, documents and access to data; (g) the Prime Minister has failed to uphold his ministerial standards by failing to sack the Minister for Emissions Reduction for repeated breaches of those standards, including bringing the government and this House into disrepute by creating and/or disseminating a fraudulent document; and (h) the Prime Minister has failed to explain why the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction holds a place in his Cabinet when the former Minister for Agriculture, Senator McKenzie, was forced to resign her place; and (2) requires the: (a) Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction to attend the House at any time before 1 pm today and, for a time not exceeding 10 minutes: (i) provide a full statement to the House about his role in the creation and dissemination of a fraudulent document that targeted the Lord Mayor of Sydney; (ii) advise how he has assisted New South Wales and Federal police in the conduct of their inquiries; and (iii) apologise to the House for his conduct; and (b) Prime Minister to attend the House at any time before 1.30 pm today and, for a time not exceeding 10 minutes, explain to the House why the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction is fit to serve as a Minister in his government but Senator McKenzie is not. Australians with even a passing interest in politics are asking, 'How does this minister still have his'— 09:37 Mr PORTER 208884 Pearce I move: That the Member be no longer heard. The SPEAKER 10000 The question is that the member for Hindmarsh be no further heard.

The House divided. [09:41]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)

75 AYES Alexander, JG Allen, K Andrews, KJ Andrews, KL Archer, BK Bell, AM Broadbent, RE Buchholz, S Chester, D Christensen, GR 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 Wallace, AB Webster, AE Wicks, LE Wilson, RJ Wilson, TR Wood, JP Wyatt, KG Young, T Zimmerman, T 70 NOES Aly, A Bandt, AP Bird, SL Bowen, CE Burke, AS Burney, LJ Burns, J Butler, MC Butler, TM Byrne, AM Chalmers, JE Champion, ND 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 Mitchell, RG Mulino, D Murphy, PJ Neumann, SK O'Connor, BPJ O'Neil, CE Owens, JA Payne, AE Phillips, FE Plibersek, TJ Rishworth, AL 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.

09:44 The SPEAKER 00APG Is the motion seconded? 09:44 Mr DREYFUS HWG Isaacs Seconded. Why is the member for Hume still in the cabinet— The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Isaacs will resume his seat. The Leader of the House? 09:44 Mr PORTER 208884 Pearce I move: That the member be no longer heard. The SPEAKER 00APG The question is that the member for Isaacs be no further heard.

The House divided. [09:46]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)

76 AYES Alexander, JG Allen, K Andrews, KJ Andrews, KL Archer, BK Bell, AM Broadbent, RE Buchholz, S Chester, D Christensen, GR 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 70 NOES Aly, A Bandt, AP Bird, SL Bowen, CE Burke, AS Burney, LJ Burns, J Butler, MC Butler, TM Byrne, AM Chalmers, JE Champion, ND 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 Mitchell, RG Mulino, D Murphy, PJ Neumann, SK O'Connor, BPJ O'Neil, CE Owens, JA Payne, AE Phillips, FE Plibersek, TJ Rishworth, AL 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.

09:47 The SPEAKER 00APG The question is that the motion of the member for Hindmarsh be agreed to. 09:47 Ms BUTLER 248006 Griffith This corrupt minister should resign— The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Griffith will resume her seat. Just before I call the Leader of the House, the member for Griffith needs to withdraw that imputation. Ms BUTLER 248006 I withdraw. The SPEAKER 00APG And she can now resume her seat. 09:48 Mr PORTER 208884 Pearce I move: That the question be now put. The SPEAKER 00APG The question is that the motion be put.

The House divided. [09:49]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)

Question negatived.

09:54 The SPEAKER 00APG The question is that the member for Hindmarsh's motion be agreed to.

The House divided. [09:54]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)

67 AYES Aly, A Bandt, AP Bird, SL Bowen, CE Burke, AS Burney, LJ Burns, J Butler, MC Butler, TM Byrne, AM Chalmers, JE Champion, ND 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 Mitchell, RG Mulino, D Murphy, PJ Neumann, SK O'Connor, BPJ O'Neil, CE Owens, JA Payne, AE Phillips, FE Plibersek, TJ Rishworth, AL 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 79 NOES Alexander, JG Allen, K Andrews, KJ Andrews, KL Archer, BK Bell, AM Broadbent, RE Buchholz, S Chester, D Christensen, GR 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 Haines, H 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 Sharkie, RCC Sharma, DN Simmonds, J Steggall, Z 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 0 PAIRS

Question negatived.

COMMITTEES 8 COMMITTEES Road Safety Joint Select Committee 8 Membership 8 09:57 The SPEAKER 00APG I have received a message from the Senate informing the House that Senator Gallacher has been discharged from the Joint Select Committee on Road Safety and that Senator Sterle has been appointed a member of the committee. BILLS 8 BILLS VET Student Loans (VSL Tuition Protection Levy) Bill 2019, Higher Education Support (HELP Tuition Protection Levy) Bill 2019 8

VET Student Loans (VSL Tuition Protection Levy) Bill 2019

Higher Education Support (HELP Tuition Protection Levy) Bill 2019

Consideration of Senate Message 8 Treasury Laws Amendment (Reuniting More Superannuation) Bill 2020 8

Treasury Laws Amendment (Reuniting More Superannuation) Bill 2020

First Reading 8 Second Reading 8 09:58 Mr TUDGE M2Y Aston I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The bill will facilitate the exit of all eligible rollover funds from the superannuation system by 30 June 2021. An eligible rollover fund is a superannuation fund that holds superannuation accounts of lost members and those with low account balances that are no longer receiving contributions. Eligible rollover funds were intended to temporarily hold these accounts in a low-fee, low-cost environment to avoid further balance erosion until they could be reunified with the member. However, the unclaimed superannuation regime, together with the recent passage of government's Protecting Your Super package, mean that the eligible rollover funds have become redundant. Going forward, most eligible rollover funds are unlikely to remain commercially viable, because the Protecting Your Super reforms now redirect small inactive accounts to the ATO—accounts that may otherwise have been paid to an eligible rollover fund. Additionally, the Productivity Commission's 2018 report Superannuation: assessing efficiency and competitiveness found that, overall, eligible rollover funds have not been successful in reuniting members with lost superannuation. By contrast, the ATO's data-matching program has achieved outstanding results, far exceeding those previously achieved by eligible rollover funds. In just six weeks, the ATO reunited more than 2.1 million lost or forgotten superannuation accounts—worth around $2.8 billion—with their rightful owners in the end. The Productivity Commission recommended that the ATO be responsible for holding lost accounts, and that APRA should oversee the wind-up of all eligible rollover funds within three years. This bill gives effect to recommendation 5 of the Productivity Commission's report by allowing eligible rollover fund trustees to voluntarily transfer any amount to the ATO, with a requirement to transfer all accounts below $6,000 to the ATO by 30 June this year, and all remaining accounts to the ATO by 30 June 2021. The deadline of 30 June 2021 for larger accounts provides sufficient time for funds to arrange mergers or transfers of members to put larger accounts in a new fund if a trustee decides that's in the best interests of members. The ATO will work to proactively re-unify amounts it receives from eligible rollover funds, together with interest, to members' active superannuation accounts where possible, or in some cases directly to the individual. These changes build on the successes of the government's Protecting Your Super package, passed by the parliament last year. By reuniting these lost and forgotten accounts with their rightful owners, members will benefit from higher account balances and no longer be paying multiple sets of fees. Through these changes, the Morrison government is building a stronger and more efficient superannuation system, improving outcomes for members. Full details of the measure are contained in the explanatory memorandum. Debate adjourned. Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Simplifying Income Reporting and Other Measures) Bill 2020 9

Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Simplifying Income Reporting and Other Measures) Bill 2020

First Reading 9 Second Reading 9 10:04 Mr TUDGE M2Y Aston I move: That this bill be now read a second time. This bill will improve the process of reporting employment income to Centrelink. From 1 July 2020, social security recipients will report their income to Centrelink when it is paid by their employer, instead of when it is earned. Assessing employment income when paid will make it easier to report income correctly. This will better support people receiving the right amount of income support each time it is paid—no more and no less than they are eligible for—reducing the likelihood of overpayments. It will also pave the way for the future prefilling of employment income using Single Touch Payroll information, supporting easier reporting arrangements for recipients. Around 550,000 people report income to Centrelink in any given fortnight, and around 1.2 million people report income at least once a year. Current arrangements can appear complex and confusing to recipients when reporting employment income. Social security recipients trying to get ahead through work must currently report the valueof the shifts they have worked during the past fortnight, not what they have actually been paid. In practice, keeping track of earnings requires individuals to keep a detailed record of the work they do. At present, recipients work out how much to report based on the number of hours they worked and how much they earned each hour. This can involve multiple calculations for casual employees who may need to factor in penalty rates or shift loadings and for people who may work for more than one employer. For example, a recipient of youth allowance can work on a Friday night, Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon for the same employer with a different rate of pay for each shift. It can be difficult to report the correct amount of income if recipients have to factor in varying hours and duties, multiple employers, and changing award rates. Over the course of 2017, there were over 15 million corrections to recently reported earnings, where people discovered when they got their pay that they had incorrectly reported their earned income for the previous fortnight. Through this bill, the government will deliver a simpler way for social security recipients to report employment income. This government believes strongly in the dignity of work. Importantly, this bill will further support people in the transition from social security into work by ensuring they aren't financially disadvantaged in the short term by getting a job. Under the current system, individuals can have their support payment reduced when they start a new job but before they have been paid their first pay. This is because they have to report income they have earned but have not necessarily received. Assessing employment income when it is paid means that a person can start work and continue to get income support for the short time before they receive their first pay. This will also mean that any perceived barrier to employment as a result of a short time without any income will be removed. Assessing employment income when paid will make it easier for individuals to understand the ways in which the social support system interacts with paid employment, delivering a simpler system that rewards work. This new method of assessment will treat all types of employment income consistently. At present, different types of employment income must be reported to Centrelink at different times. An individual who is paid both wages and commissions must report their wages when earned and commissions when received. From 1 July 2020, employment income will only need to be reported when paid, and the two pieces of employment income information that recipients need to report will appear on their pay slips or be available from their employers—their gross income and pay period dates. Income paid every two weeks will affect a single support payment because entitlements are calculated fortnightly. A recipient who is paid by their employer every 30 days will have their income assessed over the next 30 days. Under this bill, employment income that does not have a corresponding earning period will be assessed over an appropriate period, such as over a year for an annual bonus. Assessing employment income in this way will only change the timing of when employment income is assessed, not the amount of income support someone is entitled to. Transitioning to the new model of assessment will require individuals with ongoing employment to undertake a one-time calculation to ensure that their income is not double counted—once when reported as earned and again when paid. The bill has been designed to make this transition as simple as possible. In their social security entitlement fortnight within which 1 July 2020 falls, social security recipients will be asked to subtract income they have previously reported from the income they report when paid by their employer. For example, an individual who is paid $200 and already reported $50 of that amount the previous fortnight will report $150. To assist with this process, recipients will be notified through a bulk mail-out and targeted messaging well in advance. A specially designed calculator will also help people work out what they should report. The transitions calculator will be available online along with examples of how to report, frequently asked questions and video messages. Messages advising of the changed requirements will also be included in the regular Services Australia income reporting tools during the transition, such as the online portal and the app. People will also be able to contact a staff member for help if needed. In addition to the benefits I've already described, assessing employment income when paid will facilitate the use of Single Touch Payroll information to make reporting income even simpler. As employers begin reporting additional information through Single Touch Payroll over the course of the 2020-21 financial year, recipients will start seeing their employment income prefilled in their reporting solutions in the same way that income from interest appears prefilled when completing a tax return. This will mean that for most people reporting income at the end of each fortnight will be a simple process of confirming that their prefilled income is correct. It is important to note that tax information obtained through Single Touch Payroll will not be automatically applied and will not remove the obligation for recipients to report their income accurately. People will still have control of their information. Individuals will have the option to edit their prefilled income before they report—for example, to add amounts paid by an employer who does not use Single Touch Payroll. The ability to change prefilled amounts will mean that individuals will not have to immediately contact their employer in cases where their STP data does not match what they have been paid. In this way, Single Touch Payroll will be used to assist recipients to report accurately, but will not entirely automate the process or remove human oversight. This bill recognises the legitimate privacy concerns involved in the sharing of tax information, and so only the tax data for individuals with a relationship with Centrelink will be shared. The changes made by this bill, in combination with the use of tax data to assist recipients to report accurately, will deliver savings of $2.1 billion over four years to government. These savings are not achieved through changes to payment rates or eligibility criteria. They are delivered through improved payment accuracy because it will be easier for payment recipients to correctly report income. Over 80 per cent of savings delivered through this reform will be from working-age recipients because these recipients are the most likely to incorrectly report employment income. Preventing overpayments in this way will contribute to the sustainability of the welfare system and mean that these individuals are paid what they are entitled to. In combination with tax data provided through Single Touch Payroll, these changes will make it much harder to misreport as a result of genuine error. For most recipients the biggest change will be the time they save when reporting to Centrelink every fortnight, and the reduced likelihood of receiving an overpayment from reporting their income correctly. Assessing employment income when paid will contribute to the simplification and delivery modernisation of Australia's social security system by allowing the use of technology to prevent overpayments before they happen, but without reducing the responsibility of the individual to ensure they report correctly. This bill will also help to ensure Australia's welfare system remains sustainable into the future. I commend the bill. Debate adjourned. Paid Parental Leave Amendment (Flexibility Measures) Bill 2020 10

Paid Parental Leave Amendment (Flexibility Measures) Bill 2020

First Reading 10 Second Reading 11 10:12 Mr TUDGE M2Y Aston I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The Paid Parental Leave Amendment (Flexibility Measures) Bill 2020 (the bill) introduces changes to the Paid Parental Leave scheme aimed at better supporting working mothers and families to access their payment more flexibly. There are around 300,000 births in Australia each year, with nearly half of all new mothers accessing paid parental leave. The scheme provides eligible working parents with 18 weeks of payment at a rate based on the national minimum wage, currently $740.60 per week—a total of $13,330.80 over 18 weeks. The Australian government understands the important role of paid parental leave in supporting the health and wellbeing of mothers and babies and encouraging workforce participation. To this end, the measure in the bill introduces greater flexibility to support working women, including self-employed women and small-business owners, who cannot afford to leave their businesses for 18 consecutive weeks. The measure will help thousands of new parents who currently return to work before they have used all of their parental leave pay and lose valuable time with their young children. Currently, parental leave pay can only be taken as a continuous 18-week block, within the first 12 months after the birth or adoption of the child. From 1 July 2020, families will be able to split their parental leave pay into blocks over a two-year period, with periods of work in between. Parents will be able to use an initial 12-week block of their entitlement any time within the first 12 months after the birth or adoption of their child, without returning to work during this initial block. This gives parents a period of recuperation and bonding in the months immediately following the birth or adoption. Parents will be able to take their remaining entitlement of up to six weeks any time before their child turns two years old and can return to work any time during this period. This totals the 18 weeks currently allowed, but with greater flexibility. Pending passage of the changes to the Paid Parental Leave Scheme, the government also intends to make complementary amendments to increase the flexibility of the existing unpaid parental leave entitlement in the Fair Work Act 2009. This will help ensure that parents who wish to access their parental leave pay flexibly will have access to a corresponding flexible unpaid parental leave entitlement. For many small-business owners and self-employed women, 18 weeks is a significant amount of time to be away from their work. Under these changes, mothers will be able to take an initial period of 12 weeks parental leave pay before returning to run their businesses. They will then be able to choose when to take the remaining six weeks of their entitlement at a time that suits their personal and business needs—for example, over the Christmas and New Year period if their business is quiet at that time. Some mothers may choose to use their parental leave pay to support a part-time return to work. For example, after returning to work following an initial period of parental leave, parents could negotiate with their employer to work a four-day week and receive a day of parental leave pay for the fifth day they are not working, for up to 30 weeks. The increased flexibility will also make it easier for mothers who are eligible for paid parental leave to transfer entitlement to eligible partners who take on the role of primary carer, where it suits the family's circumstances. For example, a mother may choose to take 17 weeks of her parental leave pay entitlement to recuperate after the birth of her child and transfer the remaining week to her partner, who may choose to take a week off work when the child is transitioning into child care at 18 months old. The changes to paid parental leave will give parents more choice and allow them to tailor their payments to their family's needs and situation. Increasing the flexibility of paid parental leave may encourage greater uptake of parental leave pay by secondary carers, contributing to changing social norms around sharing care and encouraging men to take parental leave. The bill helps to expand on the important safety net for working families who do not have access to an employer scheme or who only have access to a few weeks of funded leave. It also ensures mothers, particularly self-employed and small-business owners, are better able to facilitate choice and flexibility when balancing work and family. It is expected around 4,000 parents will choose to take their parental leave pay flexibly each year. I commend the bill to the House. Debate adjourned. Australian Business Growth Fund Bill 2019 12

Australian Business Growth Fund Bill 2019

Second Reading 12 10:18 Mrs McINTOSH 281513 Lindsay When the Morrison government talks about backing small businesses and creating jobs, what follows is considered measures to enable Australians to unlock their potential, expand their business and employ more people. The Australian Business Growth Fund Bill 2019 will fill the gap in the equity market that leaves entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized business owners unable to reach their growth potential. There are almost 15,000 small and medium-sized businesses in my electorate of Lindsay, and I want to see each and every one of those able to achieve their goals. The Morrison government is implementing policies to enable just that. (Quorum formed) I want to ensure that every single one of those almost 15,000 small and medium -sized businesses in my electorate of Lindsay can reach their potential, and the Morrison government is implementing policies to enable just that. Access to capital can be a barrier for small and medium businesses trying to grow, while entrepreneurs often struggle to receive the capital required to conduct their day-to-day trading activities. What these businesses need is access to something called 'patient capital'. The Reserve Bank and the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman have both identified the lack of a long-term patient equity capital market in Australia. The Morrison government has taken this on board. We will explore every opportunity that seeks to back Australian small, medium and family businesses, and entrepreneurs in both metropolitan and regional Australia. Established Australian businesses will be eligible to apply for equity capital investments between $5 million and $15 million. Small-business owners will not have to give up control for this investment and nor should they. The Business Growth Fund's investment stake will range from 10 to 40 per cent, striking the balance between business owners keeping control of their business while providing sufficient incentives for investors, backing small businesses to grow and attract investors. This is what is the Business Growth Fund has been designed to achieve. Having run my own small business, I know just how important this fund will be to support small-business owners as they look to take that next step. Initially, the Business Growth Fund could support 10 investments per year, with the aim to increase to 30 per year as the fund develops. We expect to see banks and superannuation contributions to see the fund grow to $500 million. The Business Growth Fund will be based on similar successful models that are in existence in both the United Kingdom and Canada. It will undertake minority equity investments in small and medium enterprises that have demonstrated growth potential. It will be a patient investor, holding long-term stakes in small and medium enterprise and offer managerial support to the business owners to navigate their next step and fulfil their potential. It is important in this process that we provide the necessary support and advice to business owners so they can sustain their growth. As Liberals we believe in Australian businesses. We want to see government supporting local small and medium businesses but not getting in their way, because when Australian businesses are strong our workforce is strong. In December 2019, labour force statistics demonstrated that there are more Australians in work than ever before. From the start of last year to December 2019, employment rose by an average of 2.1 per cent, which was higher than the decade-average growth rate of 1.8 per cent. These statistics show that the measures the Morrison government is implementing are supporting aspirational Australians. We've already implemented policies to back small businesses—delivering tax relief, extending the instant asset write-off, incentivising more businesses to expand and employ more people—but we won't stop there. The Business Growth Fund is yet another measure to back small and medium businesses, to fuel the engine room of our economy and to create more jobs. It's an exciting time for small and medium-sized businesses in my electorate of Lindsay. The Morrison government's investment in Western Sydney and the Western Sydney international airport is unlocking the potential for business growth in my community. We are creating industries and attracting emerging industries in our region, backing Australian businesses and creating local jobs. Eligible entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized businesses in these emerging industries in Western Sydney will now be able to access the capital they need to expand their business opportunities. I am passionate about local jobs and about the future of these emerging industries, particularly coming with the development of the airport and aerotropolis. This fund will give local small and medium-sized businesses the chance to grow and expand. As businesses in my community are able to grow, I want to see more and more local jobs and more local people taking advantage of those jobs. That's why on Friday this week I'll be hosting a jobs fair in Penrith, so we can connect local employers and businesses with jobseekers. The Business Growth Fund is yet another example of another supportive measure. It's providing advice to business owners so that they can take these next steps to success. I am proud to be part of a government that will continue to explore innovative and world-leading initiatives to back small and medium-sized Australian businesses. 10:27 Mr KEOGH 249147 Burt Since coming into the shadow portfolio of minister assisting for small and family business, I've had the opportunity to travel all over the country to meet with small and family-sized businesses—Darwin, Hobart, Gosnells, the Central Coast of New South Wales, Katoomba and Melbourne—and discuss what government can do to help them, to understand what is confronting them in their lives and in their businesses. And whilst they have raised many issues that are quite specific to their industry or their town or city, or the businesses in which they operate, there are some commonalities. One of the biggest commonalities that comes up time and time again is access to finance, particularly getting access to capital. It's hard for small and family businesses to get off the ground or to find that necessary finance to expand, especially when they're being forced into the situation of having to put up their own home as security. After all, you wouldn't feel that secure if your business or your home, and especially not both, was at risk of being lost in the current economic circumstances. The Council of Financial Regulators tells us that lending to small business has hardly grown over the past year. In November last year, they reported that lending to small businesses has hardly grown over the past year, compared to a five per cent increase in lending to large businesses. One of the consequences of anaemic wage growth in our country that we're seeing under this government is there is no money flowing into small businesses around Australia. I've heard this frequently on the high streets around our country: there is no income for people to spend in their shops. Small businesses and their representatives tell us frequently that banks are not lending money to small business and the life support that this country's economy is currently relying on means that people are holding onto money; they're not spending. So even if small businesses are able to get off the ground, it's difficult to survive, let alone expand. The banks tell us that they're not doing anything to throttle the small businesses of our nation, they're not restricting access to capital, but we are now in a circumstance where it's time for them to put their money where their mouths are. The Australian Business Growth Fund Bill 2019, by all intents and purposes, should be a step in the right direction with regard to supporting small and medium enterprises around Australia. Small and medium businesses, after all, are a huge proportion of our businesses across the nation, with about 3 million SMEs across the country employing over seven million Australians. For years, the sector—specifically, the Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman—has been crying out for assistance for small business in getting access to finance. That's why they've championed the Business Growth Fund model that is before us today. Because these businesses need help, they need our support, and, frankly, in the current circumstances that confront so many areas of our nation that are dealing with the tragedy of bushfire, they need even more. Labor absolutely wants to see small business across our nation grow and thrive, and that's why we will support this legislation in this place. But we do also want to be sure that this fund will work properly, in order to best benefit commercially viable small and medium enterprises who legitimately need finance but are unable to access it now. Questions must be asked about such legislation when only four days of consultation were provided in relation to it. You would think that if this government were serious about getting this legislation right and making sure that it actually delivers on its promise more time for consultation would have been provided. Frankly, the engagement that the Treasurer has had with relevant stakeholders has been woefully inadequate. As with any piece of legislation within the economic realm, the devil is absolutely in the detail, and we don't have all of that detail in front of us. The government has not publicly provided sufficient detail on the governance and operation of the fund. The fund will not be in a Commonwealth business enterprise or a Commonwealth company and nor will it be within the public service, but it will be an incorporated company, meaning that the Commonwealth will end up as a minority shareholder in a private company. The fact that this is a private company—not a government business enterprise, which brings with it government regulation and oversight—raises questions about how the Commonwealth and the banks will end up working together for this common purpose. This is difficult to determine, given that there has not been any demonstration of the mandate that will govern the fund. A short Senate inquiry will of course provide an opportunity to get clarity on the mandate and the government's arrangements for the fund. It will also ensure that anything that is required to guarantee the success of this program can be done. It's our prerogative as a parliament to ensure the success of this fund and to properly oversee any proposals. Frankly, small and medium enterprises across the nation are relying on us to do that with this legislation. We are still waiting on promised reform to support small businesses in so many different areas from this government, whether it's unfair contract terms, fair payment times, dealing with the unfairness of the current franchising regimes or, indeed, phoenixing. So we want to ensure that at least this initiative before us today will come into effect as soon as possible and operate as it is intended, to make sure that we have this positive benefit that small and family business is so desperately crying out for right now, and that's why we're happy to support the legislation in this place. 10:33 Dr WEBSTER 281688 Mallee I rise to support the Australian Business Growth Fund Bill 2019, which will authorise the Commonwealth government to participate in forming and acquiring shares or debentures of the Australian Business Growth Fund, appropriating— (Quorum formed) With more than three million small businesses employing seven million Australians—and in Mallee, 15,000 small to medium businesses—the government recognises that small and medium enterprises are a key driver of activity and growth in the Australian economy. Through strategic support and capital investment, the Nationals and Liberals in government support the Australian BGF, which will help these businesses reach their growth potential. The Business Growth Fund is an investment model where a company owned collectively by financial institutions provides long-term patient equity capital investment and business guidance to small and medium businesses. The model was initially developed in the United Kingdom and has also been adopted in Canada. Since the UK's fund was established in 2011, it has invested $2.7 billion in a range of sectors across the economy, including health care, energy, manufacturing and technology. In separate reports released in 2018, the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman identified that a long-term patient equity market for small and medium enterprises is absent in Australia. Venture capital and private equity are not filling this shortage. The Australian Business Growth Fund is therefore designed to fill this gap in Australia's equity finance market by opening a new pathway to investment for small and medium enterprises. The $100 million investment by the Morrison-McCormack government is being met by $400 million from the four big banks—NAB, CBA, ANZ and Westpac. The Macquarie Group have also invested $20 million each. As it stands, the initial capacity of the fund could support up to 10 investments per year. Given that this fund is one of the best opportunities that Australian banks will ever have to undertake equity investments in small and medium enterprises, there will be scope to increase the fund's size to $1 billion and with a capacity to support around 30 investments per year. I am aware that the government is in active discussions with other financial institutions, including superannuation funds, and I look forward to learning of any new developments in this regard. The fund will invest between $5 million to $15 million in small and medium enterprises that have a turnover of between $2 million and $100 million, where they can demonstrate three years of revenue growth and a clear vision to expand. By selecting high-performing businesses which meet these requirements, the risks sometimes associated with investing will be mitigated. I would ask the Treasurer to monitor the performance of the fund once it is established to ensure that the risk to taxpayers remains low and so that we may see strong returns on the government's investment. Another feature of the fund circumvents a problem often found with private equity investment. Private equity is not always an attractive option for small and medium-sized enterprises, due to the loss of management control of the enterprise. The equity position taken by the Business Growth Fund will be a minority stake of up to 40 per cent of the company in which it invests, meaning the existing owner can retain a controlling interest in the business. The Business Growth Fund will aim to hold a diverse portfolio, investing in a range of small and medium-sized businesses that will benefit from an equity injection to support their growth plans. There are thousands of businesses across the country that would benefit from accessing this fund, including 15,000 in my electorate of Mallee. The horticultural industry in the northern part of my electorate continues to grow. However, the industry faces extreme difficulty with the rising cost of conducting business, due to increased input costs. I recently spoke to a local farmer, Rocky Lamattina—a carrot farmer operating out of Wemen and Kaniva, in my electorate. Rocky has been in business for almost 30 years and runs the business with his sons. He employs over 80 people and maintains an integrated transport service to deliver his produce around the country. He exports his carrots internationally but says his focus is on a more reliable domestic market. Rocky, like so many other innovative and passionate producers across Mallee, has an eye to the future. He has recently invested in on-farm and transport infrastructure upgrades and has plans to grow further to secure the ongoing viability of his business. However, Rocky is concerned that small and medium-sized operators will not survive against large corporate entities that are increasing in size. He says that accessing finance and investment is an ongoing challenge for growers in the industry, which is adding to this problem. Some growers don't want to lose management control over their business to secure private equity. Many, like Rocky, want to keep the business in the family to secure the livelihood of their family for generations to come. Other growers have reached a ceiling in their borrowing capacity, having pledged all their assets as collateral to secure finance. This can lead to businesses stagnating as plans to expand are put on hold until finance can be secured. Mr Lamattina was pleased to hear that this government is addressing these issues through the Business Growth Fund. Patient or long-term equity investment through the fund will allow growers to retain control of their businesses, and the capital injection received will be an attractive alternative to incurring debt. The Business Growth Fund will offer choice and flexibility to small and medium-sized enterprises, and will foster growth and expansion in this competitive industry. This is an important bill that, as a Nationals member, I am happy to support. It will deliver positive outcomes for many businesses in the Mallee and across the country. I thank and applaud the Treasurer for the introduction of this bill, and I encourage other banks and superannuation funds to seriously consider this fantastic opportunity to invest in the future of small and medium-sized enterprises and the ongoing strength of the Australian economy. 10:43 Mr STEVENS 176304 Sturt I begin by commending the member for Mallee on the very eloquent way she has outlined the exact types of businesses that are going to benefit from this government initiative. Generally, as a free market capitalist, I'm not in principle comfortable with governments investing in the private sector. But this is a very important and specific initiative to address what is a real problem for our smaller businesses in this country—that is, the way in which they can access alternatives to debt finance, specifically, in this case, through equity. We've got a very mature equity market for larger businesses through the stock exchange and other avenues where, if they're of a certain scale, they can pursue equity financing to expand and grow their business. But there's a point at which the cost of pursuing that becomes completely prohibitive, if their scale isn't significant enough. In this bill, the Australian Business Growth Fund Bill 2019, we are talking about businesses with a turnover of between $2 million and $100 million a year. Clearly, businesses of that scale are not in a position to go through the very significant cost of developing an IPO, going into the equity market and satisfying all of the hoops they should jump through before they can access finance through listing. For businesses that find that cost prohibitive, clearly their only real source of capital for their business at the moment can be through debt. We certainly have historically low interest rates at the moment, but we can't count on that being the case indefinitely into the future. Regardless of interest rates and the cost of debt finance, there's a big difference between financing business growth through debt and financing it through equity. This is clearly an initiative that will provide that opportunity. (Quorum formed) I've slightly lost my train of thought there. I think I was talking about the narrow opportunities that debt-only as an avenue provides to smaller businesses that are covered in this fund. What we're doing is creating a mechanism where these smaller businesses—small and medium-sized businesses—can pursue equity financing to expand their businesses. This is going to make a really big difference to those businesses, because until now there hasn't been a logical avenue for them to pursue that sort of capital. It does change the dynamic of capital raising and how you can pursue business expansion, because when you borrow money there's a completely different objective, a different risk profile and a different set of criteria that someone who's lending money provides over a new business expansion plan than that of someone who's investing equity, particularly in this case, which is going to be long-term equity—not capital to be moved in and out of the business quickly for short-term profit seeking but patient capital that is going to be in the business for the long term to help support a new business-growth plan. That's completely different to borrowing money. Borrowing money requires, obviously, a process that is going to be relevant to the lender as far as repayment of the loan and confidence in repayment of the loan are concerned—that is, being able to meet those repayments in the period that the loan is provided. When you're investing in equity, given you're on the ownership side rather than on the debt side, you have to take the risk that the idea and expansion are going to have a return in the long term. It takes the risk off the business and the idea to expand the business when you don't have to meet very-strict repayment criteria, particularly in the early years of the expansion that you're pursuing. I think this is going to be very exciting. I hope it's going to see a lot more new opportunity created for small and medium-sized businesses in this country—that is, businesses with up to $100 million in turnover. We're talking about businesses that can be quite significant but not quite big enough to warrant going into the mature equity markets in this country and the other avenues that are there for the bigger players. So I'm very excited about this. I note that in the United Kingdom and in Canada—two economies quite similar to the Australian economy, with the same kind of profile of SME businesses—it's been remarkably successful. Initially, we're talking about a fund towards about $500 million, with $100 million of government funding and then money from the four banks and Macquarie. Hopefully, as proof of concept comes through in the initial stages of this fund, businesses will get off the ground and start to make investment decisions, and hopefully those decisions will be successful. Of course, the scheme does require that businesses have demonstrated revenue growth over three years and profitability. So it's not overly speculative; it does require track record. I hope that there will be more enthusiasm from other people in the financing sector to put their money into this fund as it proves its concept. But we need to seed it and we need to show that we're backing it, and that's exactly what this bill does with $100 million. I've got a lot of businesses in my electorate who will fit the profile of the type of business that can access equity funding through this fund, and there will be many, many thousands—tens of thousands—of businesses across the country that will be able to consider this. It's an option. There'll be some businesses that will still seek to finance through debt. They might find that more appealing based on the business plan that they've got and based on the trajectory that they're on, but there'll certainly be categories of businesses that will see this as a new way of expanding their business that they didn't have open to them earlier. What that's going to mean is not only business growth but, more importantly, jobs. It's going to mean more employment outcomes in our economy, and I warmly commend the bill to the House. 10:52 Mr HUSIC 91219 Chifley On the face of it, there are some in this place, as we heard from the previous speaker, who welcome the opportunity for the injection of these types of funds, the raising of equity in this way for smaller businesses. We've come a long way in this chamber from debating government involvement in the financial services or in the investment part of banking, given that we on both sides of politics were all so pro the privatisation of formerly government owned banks. We said that there was no role for banks to be involved in financing in the way that they were involved way back when the Commonwealth Bank was in government hands. We've taken the view that capital, in particular, should be raised externally and that government funds should be liberated to invest in—in many respects, picking up the form of words that we use time and time again, that we stick to our knitting—the things that provide a broader community benefit and have much more enduring enhancements to people's quality of life. Now we've got those opposite arguing that we should set aside potentially $100 million of government money to support this fund, buttressed by approximately $400 million from other sources, designed to be extended to smaller and medium enterprises to help them achieve what they want to do in their business. So government, as much as it was described by the previous speaker—taking a role in providing patient capital—will, in effect, step in in a way that banks haven't been able to. But also curiously, the government is taking yet another step in this area of providing a framework for the extension of capital to smaller and medium enterprises. In this chamber during the last parliament we debated the establishment of a particular form of equity raising designed to do exactly what this bill is saying it will do today. That bill was the equity crowdfunding bill that was passed by this parliament. It was passed despite advice from those who would benefit from this, especially start-ups—tech start-ups—and smaller businesses who wanted a much more liberalised framework than what was being offered by the government. Despite the fact that we said the government would have to come back and fix this bill, that it should just defer it and get a proper bill in place and then institute that new regime. The government ignored our advice and, sure enough, within six months we are back doing what the opposition advocated—to work with the government to ensure that there was a framework that would provide equity capital, especially for smaller businesses, and start-ups in particular, and that would be in place and be workable. We have heard very little out of this government as a result of that equity crowdfunding framework. How much has been raised for small business? It would not require a dollar of government funding; it would rely on investors outside supporting these small firms. This is an important thing. Having access to capital has previously been—and I emphasise the words 'previously been'—a priority, because a lot of small businesses and particularly start-ups had found challenges in accessing capital. But, having said that, we've had no report out of this government as to what their previous initiatives have done to ensure that privately held capital of people who want to invest of their own volition to support small businesses or where that is at. Why have we heard nothing there? We have had taxation arrangements changed to allow for angel investors to be able to support smaller businesses as well and receive a taxation benefit through the Commonwealth, and we've had very little detail about whether or not that has been successful—none. On top of that, we've changed employee share ownership schemes, particularly for start-ups that can't necessarily pay income in a way that many other people would expect when they're working for a firm: there is a deal struck, which is perfectly reasonable, that someone will be given an equity stake in return for income. There have been reforms. There was a second round of reforms that had been announced and have gone nowhere as well. So we've had all these announcements, one after another, where we were told that this would revolutionise the way money is made available for smaller business but there's no accountability; none what so ever is provided to us about what's happening. Now we're being asked to do this, which the opposition said in a bipartisan way we will support. But, again, we've got no clear metric, no real figure that the government will put forward that will say, 'This will provide X benefit to so many small businesses as a result of the investment of $100 million by government.' Bearing in mind there's an opportunity cost when you're making a decision, as we will here today in this chamber, to set aside this amount of money which will mean that there is money not going to some other investment in the community. That is a very important point that should be made. I make these comments because I think it is about time, given the raft of different decisions taken, be they equity crowdfunding, taxation reform for angel investors or employee share ownership reforms, that have not progressed and now we have this bill. We should have a point in this debate where we say: 'We want to come back and get details out of the government about all these things they have done. What they have achieved?' Then, if they haven't achieved them—not to criticise them necessarily, though I think they should be open to that criticism—we should find out how to improve them, because that is very important. The final remark I'll make is this. We'll spend $100 million to make more capital available on top of everything else I have said. But when you talk to start-ups and when you talk to venture capital and you talk to angel investors, guess what they say? They say the capital is there; they're awash with capital. What they're having problems finding is the deal flows, the type of businesses they can invest in, so that rightly, as investors, they'll get a return on that money, on that investment that has been made. But they can't find enough firms to invest in. That's very important—if that capital is there and then we are adding to it as a government. A few moments earlier, I said we are making a $100 million investment here through this but we are making a decision not to do it elsewhere. The thing that a lot of small firms want to see is access to talent, to human capital. Financial capital is available; human capital is not. And they are struggling to find people. This government should be investing in human capital, and the best avenue for that is through education—and ensuring Australians have longer term skills that will hold them in good stead to hold down jobs that will be in high demand over the years to come. Where we are seeing transition in the economy through automation and technology, we must ensure our people are ready. And they should be from a wide range of backgrounds—not just from the closest parts of the biggest cities but also from the suburbs and the regions. We need to ensure that that skills development is happening there right now. A lot of firms are saying they can't find the talent here, and they are increasingly dependent on what? On overseas labour. So then we ramp up the visas to bring in skilled labour. I believe that is absolutely crucial. There is no point in seeing our small firms wither because they don't have the talent available. But the government is doing very little to invest in skills development for the very businesses they are saying they are going to help through this fund or through all the other things I've mentioned in my contribution today. That should be the priority of this government—that the nation has a pool of skills that will not only meet the needs of firms now but will also have the biggest long-term benefit for this nation, which is to make us smarter. That will allow us to devolve, to broaden out the capacity of the economy, to create new firms and new jobs and make people's lives better in the longer term. Being a smarter nation through development of and investment in human capital should be this nation's priority. That is why I have made these remarks today. As much as this is a very noble plan by the government, it ignores everything else it has done. It has failed to report on whether it has been successful. It is putting more government resources into an area where capital is quite plentiful. And it is neglecting the longer term investment required in our nation's people to ensure we have a more prosperous, stronger, robust and diversified economy for the years ahead. I ask that the government today, or at some point in the near future, account for all the measures it has taken to support capital within the innovation space, tell us whether those things have been successful, and demonstrate that what it is doing today will actually deliver for what is required for the nation in the longer term. 11:03 Mr CONNELLY 282984 Stirling It's my pleasure to rise today in favour of the government's proposed Business Growth Fund. This fund will offer capital and strategic support to growing companies and entrepreneurs to assist them to reach their growth potential. In Stirling, there are 19,818 small and medium businesses— Ms Wells 264121 Madam Deputy Speaker, I draw your attention to the state of the House. The bells being rung— Mr Joyce E5D Madam Deputy Speaker, can I bring your attention to the fact that we have a condolence motion over the bushfires currently going in the Federation Chamber. Every time we call a quorum we are breaking from the capacity of those people to express those condolences to come down here. I think that should be an item of consideration in the future. The DEPUTY SPEAKER DZP I thank the member. The standing orders require the quorum to be called as it's called, so I have called a quorum. (Quorum formed) Mr CONNELLY 282984 I was just making the point that in my wonderful electorate of Stirling there are 19,818 small to medium businesses. So for me, this policy is absolutely relevant and I look forward to its implementation. Those businesses in Stirling will continue to thrive with strong and ongoing support from the Morrison government. Our support to small and medium enterprises is broad and it is detailed. To contextualise this new legislation, it's worthwhile to briefly reflect on just how extensive this government's support is for SMEs—support which includes tax cuts, instant asset write-offs, red tape reduction and cash flow improvements. Ahead of the election we announced increased support to SMEs through the instant asset write-off scheme, which enables businesses to invest in machinery and equipment up to the value of $30,000. The tax rate for small businesses with a turnover of less than $50 million has also been reduced from 30 per cent to 27½ per cent, and this will be reduced further to just 25 per cent. When it comes to cash flow, the Morrison government is setting an example to make sure that small businesses are paid on time. From January 2020, the government has started paying invoices within five days for contracts up to $1 million. We will also require large businesses seeking to tender for government contracts to match this policy. Now let's talk about trade. With regard to trade and export opportunities, the Morrison government has boosted the Export Market Development Grants scheme by $60 million for small and medium Australian exporters. We have provided more opportunities for Australian businesses with China, with Japan and with North Korea, as well as via the Trans-Pacific Partnership. We've signed the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations and agreements with Indonesia, Peru and Hong Kong. Just last week I visited ADENCO, a water management and civil engineering company in my electorate of Stirling. This company is supporting the crucial mining sector in Western Australia. I was really pleased to congratulate them also on securing an Export Finance Australia loan. ADENCO proudly display an award they received from BHP iron ore called an 'Oresome effort' award. It's displayed in their reception because it's in recognition of their contribution to BHP's charter values, including sustainability and safety, which they are very passionate about. Increasing opportunities for Australian businesses to sell goods and services overseas and partner with larger corporations forms a critical part of the Morrison government's plan to deliver a strong economy and another 1.25 million new jobs over the next five years. But we are not stopping there. It's our intention to improve SMEs' access to finance as well. That is because we on this side of the chamber understand what businesses need to thrive and understand that when SMEs thrive they create local jobs; they invest in the local community. Many small and family businesses find it difficult to attract passive equity investments without additional debt or giving up control of their businesses. The Business Growth Fund will provide long-term capital, enabling small businesses to grow while their owners retain control of their business. The Business Growth Fund will invest in established Australian small and medium-sized enterprises with revenue between $2 million and $100 million and a track record of three years of revenue growth and profitability. The Business Growth Fund will have a diverse portfolio, investing in a range of industries in both urban and regional areas. The final investment mandate for the Business Growth Fund will be agreed upon by shareholders within the next few months. By contrast, Labor took an atrocious handful of policy settings to the last election—policies that would have taxed Australians and hurt businesses. Our coalition government's support for small and medium-sized businesses is steadfast, and we will continue as long as we have breath in our bodies because we are the party of small businesses and of local jobs. 11:11 Mrs ANDREWS 230886 McPherson I start by thanking those members who have contributed to the debate here today. The Australian Business Growth Fund Bill 2019 introduces new legislation that authorises the Commonwealth government to participate in forming, and acquiring shares in or debentures of, the Australian Business Growth Fund, the BGF, and appropriates $100 million for that purpose. The government recognises the challenges that small and medium-sized enterprises, SMEs, face in accessing capital and the lack of a patient capital market for SMEs in Australia. Through the Australian Business Growth Fund, the government will offer growing established companies patient capital and strategic support to assist them to reach their growth potential. The government is making a substantial contribution to the BGF, which will have an initial investment capacity of $540 million with the potential to grow to around $1 billion as it matures. The government wants to take the opportunity to thank the other banks involved in the announcement made last week for their investment in the BGF: NAB, CBA, Westpac, ANZ and HSBC. The government also wants to take the opportunity to thank stakeholders, such as the Australian British Chamber of Commerce, that have assisted with the development of the BGF. With this bill, the government is delivering upon its election commitment to invest $100 million to help establish the Australian Business Growth Fund and its wider promise to support Australian small businesses. I'd also like to take the opportunity to speak on behalf of the many small businesses—small and medium-sized enterprises, but particularly small businesses—right around Australia. We do understand how difficult it is for many small businesses at the moment, particularly those that have been affected by bushfires. We know the fires have had a significant impact on them, particularly over the Christmas period, when they have had significant disruptions to their ability to earn income through their businesses. We know that many of the small businesses that have been affected rely on the revenue they get during the Christmas holiday period to sustain them throughout the year and to get them ready for the following period of time. We are aware that those businesses have been hit quite hard. I appreciate the opportunity to be able to add those comments. I commend this bill to the House. 11:15 Mr CRAIG KELLY 99931 Hughes I'm pleased to rise this morning to speak on the Australian Business Growth Fund Bill 2019, and as I do it's good to see some clouds overhead in Canberra. I understand that back in my hometown of Sydney we're looking at about nine days of substantial rain, which I'm sure will be great news for all those small businesses across the country that have been looking for the drought to slowly come undone. Even though there's a long, long way to go these recent rains are most appreciated. This bill introduces new legislation that requires the Commonwealth government to participate in forming and acquiring shares in or debentures of the Australian Business Growth Fund, and the bill appropriates $100 million for this purpose. The small-business growth fund was an investment model established in the UK, and which has also been adopted in Canada, where a company collectively owned by financial institutions provides long-term capital and business guidance to small and medium-sized businesses. One important point there is that it's not just the capital—although the capital is very important, and almost every small business in the nation is always looking for more capital—but also the business guidance it gives. It's very important for many small businesses to have their investors providing that oversight and some guidance. (Quorum formed) I will not overly delay the House on the vote on this most important legislation but I will add that this legislation shows the government's commitment to supporting Australian small business. We on this side understand that governments do not create jobs. The only time that we in government create jobs is when we take money from small business and spend it. It is those small-business entrepreneurs who get up every morning and who put their own capital on the line and go out who create the wealth that we in this nation need to pay for our hospitals, our schools, our aged care, the things we need for kids with disability. It is the wealth created by the small businesses of this nation that pays for all these things. We must never forget that. We are not the creators of jobs here in Australia; it is those small-business people who go out there every single day. With this legislation we show that we in the coalition are right behind them. The SPEAKER 00APG The original question was that this bill be read a second time. To this the honourable member for Rankin has moved as an amendment that all words after 'That' be omitted with a view to substituting other words. The immediate question is that the amendment moved by the member for Rankin be agreed to.

The House divided. [11:26]
(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 Champion, ND Clare, JD Claydon, SC Coker, EA Collins, JM Conroy, PM 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 McBride, EM Mitchell, BK Mitchell, RG Mulino, D Murphy, PJ Neumann, SK O'Connor, BPJ O'Neil, CE Owens, JA Payne, AE Phillips, FE Plibersek, TJ Rishworth, AL 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 78 NOES Alexander, JG Allen, K Andrews, KJ Andrews, KL Archer, BK Bell, AM Broadbent, RE Buchholz, S Chester, D Christensen, GR 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 Haines, H 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 Sharkie, RCC Sharma, DN Simmonds, J Steggall, Z 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 0 PAIRS

Question negatived.
Original question agreed to.
Bill read a second time.
Message from the Governor-General recommending appropriation announced.

Third Reading 21 11:30 Mrs ANDREWS 230886 McPherson by leave—I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time. Treasury Laws Amendment (Research and Development Tax Incentive) Bill 2019 21

Treasury Laws Amendment (Research and Development Tax Incentive) Bill 2019

Second Reading 21 11:31 Mr BRENDAN O'CONNOR 00AN3 Gorton I rise to speak to the Treasury Laws Amendment (Research and Development Tax Incentive) Bill 2019, but before I do that I move as a second reading amendment: That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words: "whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House: (1) notes that: (a) research and development continues to fall in Australia and sits at 1.79 per cent of GDP; (b) private research and development is only 0.9 per cent of GDP; and (c) Australia is close to the bottom of the OECD ratings for collaboration between industry and researchers; and (2) criticises the Government for its staffing cap at the CSIRO and its continued attempts to politicise science and research and development in Australia". As we debate the Treasury Laws Amendment (Research and Development Tax Incentive) Bill 2019, first and foremost we need to understand the floundering economic environment we find ourselves in under the Morrison government. Undoubtedly, the devastating bushfires and the coronavirus are having a dampening effect on the Australian economy, but the Prime Minister and the Treasurer should not be using the fires and that virus as excuses for their longstanding failures on the economy. The most recent labour force figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics are a reminder of the deep structural issues in the labour market and in our economy. There are, for example, almost two million Australians looking for work or for more work because of the economy, which is floundering on the Liberals' watch. Labor has been highlighting the issue of underemployment and calling on the government to take action for more than five years. The underemployment rate at 8.3 per cent and the underutilisation rate of 13.4 per cent for the month of December are far too high. Under the Morrison Liberal government serious structural issues in the labour market continue to generate insecure work and historically low wages growth. Labor, and particularly my colleagues the Labor leader and shadow Treasurer, have consistently been calling on the government to heed the warnings of the Reserve Bank and the warnings of business and economists about the floundering economy, an economy that was struggling before the bushfires fully hit and the coronavirus became a health emergency. As they've noted, the most recent growth figures were quite lacklustre. Annual growth was well below trend in the budget forecasts. The midyear budget update said unemployment would rise and downgraded growth and wages. It said consumption was at its slowest pace since the global financial crisis and the private domestic economy had already gone backwards for two quarters. Wages are growing at a fraction of company profits: just one-fifth of the pace of profits. This is a result of the marketing based approach of the Prime Minister, whose strategy is to buy an election but who has no plans for economic growth except slogans. The lack of an economic plan certainly extends to the issues before us in this bill. This is a government with no plan for science, no plan for research and development and no plans for innovation. Research and development are fundamental components for growth, particularly in Australia's developed, knowledge-based and high-skills economy. The jobs of the present and the jobs of the future depend on both public and private research and development. Research and development is particularly important for the capital formation and capital deepening of companies operating in the country. In general terms, this means businesses are investing in their physical and intellectual property, creating jobs in the process. In the Productivity Commission's annual Productivity Bulletin published in May 2019 they note that although capital growth hovered around 1.9 per cent for the last few years, this was well below the historical average of four per cent from 1974-75 to 2017-18. In its words: This is troubling because investment typically embodies new technologies, which complement people’s skill development and innovation. This is especially so for investment in research and development, where capital stocks are now falling. And even more so new investment. Growth in R&D capital formation is even more subdued than capital formation generally, so that R&D investment share of total investment has also fallen. What confidence can Australian researchers—our best and brightest—have as R&D continues to be smashed under this government's watch? The latest gross expenditure in research and development as a proportion of GDP decreased from 1.88 per cent to 1.79 per cent according to the latest data from the ABS. The total human resources devoted to business R&D are still well below what was devoted when the government took office. In 2013-14 the total person years of effort had fallen almost five per cent. Business R&D spend has hit 0.9 per cent of GDP, falling below one per cent of GDP in the previous data. This is a continuation of an overall downward trend in research and development under this government's watch, and one that stakeholders suspect could be exacerbated by this bill. I will return to this point later as I outline why this bill requires further scrutiny. As a recent Australian Institute of Company Directors report detailed, Australia's total gross domestic spending on research and development is currently ranked 21st within the OECD, and, while the global trend is for national business expenditure on R&D to grow, Australia's has fallen. As such, investment levels are below countries such as South Korea, Israel, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Singapore, and many, many more. Australia is close to the bottom of the OECD ratings for collaboration between industry and researchers. According to the OECD index of research and development investment by government, Australia is falling. This is a trend that must be reversed if we want to support jobs, support economic growth and remain globally competitive. By investing in R&D, governments provide the resources for universities and research institutions to produce results that inspire innovation, private investment and further research and development. Strong investment in R&D allows all Australians to share in the benefits of new industries, new products, good jobs and a higher standard of living. In this context, it is concerning that the current government has reintroduced this controversial bill amending the research and development tax incentive. In the last parliament, when the government first sought to cut around $2 billion from R&D, it slipped the measure into a bill entitled 'Making Sure Multinationals Pay Their Fair Share of Tax in Australia'—a misnomer if there ever was one, given that a large number of firms affected are Australian start-ups and small and medium enterprises. Labor supports the intent of measures to maintain public confidence in the integrity and financial sustainability of the research and development tax incentive as per the Senate economics committee's report. The government, however, is yet to properly explain how the minor tweaks to the bill before parliament have heeded the concerns—and I make the point: the bipartisan concerns—of the Senate committee. That Senate committee unequivocally stated that the research and development measure 'should be re-examined in order that Australian businesses are not fully disadvantaged.' Labor is proud of creating the R&D tax incentive, the single largest investment the Commonwealth makes in supporting science, the research industry and innovation in our economy. I contend that only Labor has sought to address the decline in R&D spending in Australia. Labor continues to consult widely on the impact of the R&D tax incentive measure and fight for researchers against the government's anti-science agenda. But I would say again: it is clear the government's lack of an economic agenda, coupled with the anti-science backbench, poses a serious threat to our economy, our industries and present and future workforces. Just take, for example, the recent call for an oversight of research in this country. Indeed, the government's arbitrary staffing cap has seen jobs cut at the CSIRO while others are placed on insecure contracts and conditions. We never hear a peep from this government about supporting those scientists. We have a situation where one of our most remarkable and iconic institutions is being undermined by the insecure work and the lack of security for those researchers. The government is doing that wilfully—not by neglect—by making sure that there is no secure employment for many researchers, and that is of course leading to major problems of morale and proper research. It has consequential effects upon the research and the work undertaken by that remarkable institute. The anti-science mob in the Queensland LNP also passed a motion at the Nationals' Federal Council, calling for a national science watchdog to oversee scientific papers. Now, that is a blatant attempt by members of the government to undermine the integrity of peer review with political intervention. Can you imagine the member for Dawson oversighting the work of scientists to see whether they're getting it right? Can you imagine those members who are involved in supporting that motion of the Nationals' Federal Council interfering with the work of scientists? But that's the sort of rubbish we're hearing from government members and their intent to subvert proper research and interfere with the work of eminent scientists and researchers. After months without meeting scientists after the election, the minister met with Australian scientists, including the CSIRO and the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre in response to the bushfire crisis. The question remains: what real action will result from that meeting? Minister Andrews, who's at the table now, comments that debating the existence of climate change is a waste of time. Indeed, she says it is a concern. For that reason, Labor urges the minister to defend Australian scientists who have consistently warned of the effects of climate change on natural disasters. We've just been privy to firefighters coming out and talking about the change in the nature of fighting fires. They've been telling us what has happened. We've had that. But of course, in 2008 we had the Garnaut report and review that already made that clear—and scientists told us what would happen. We need to encourage scientists to speak openly, without fear or favour, on the facts. And we need a minister and a government to support that good work. We would argue that is not happening and, in fact, that they're being dissuaded from speaking out on such important matters. The government should take the opportunity to, firstly, provide funding certainty to the bushfire cooperative research centre; funding is set to expire at the end of June 2021. The centre is building disaster resilient communities across the country by bringing together all of Australia and New Zealand's fire and emergency service authorities with leading experts across the range of scientific fields; hence the warning of CSIRO scientists on climate change. As The Australian reported earlier this month, at a meeting of the Australian Disaster and Climate Change Resilience Reference Group in late 2018, CSIRO senior climate scientist Dr Pep Canadell warned senior mandarins from two dozen government departments and agencies that a warming planet will trigger a rising likelihood of angry summer events associated with severe heatwaves, power blackouts and fierce bushfires. Indeed, we would also ask the government to take an opportunity, and indeed the minister, to confirm that they have listened to the CSIRO scientists. We need to make sure that that has occurred and that there's no further obfuscation about these issues. We believe that it's critical for government to do those things and send the right message to scientists and others that they're on their side. We need to make sure that the government's listening while also making a determination on the impact of climate change and developing a plan to deal with the ramifications. We would also need the government to clarify that it agrees with CSIRO scientists who state unequivocally that 'recent warming can only be explained by human influence'. Before anyone opposite argues this is a segue, the minister for science herself noted after meeting these scientists that the government bushfire response would focus on the factors contributing to the extent and severity of the fires as well as new technology and citizen science to aid 'medium and longer term solutions'. Labor is concerned, and I mentioned this earlier, that the Morrison government's cap on public sector staffing numbers is hurting the CSIRO and undermining its role in advancing science and innovation. The CSIRO staff association recently made a submission to the Senate Standing Committees on Legal and Constitutional Affairs inquiry outlining the impact of a 5,193 person cap on permanent staff on Australia's scientific capability. The submission highlights reports of increased use of external contractors, which is putting a number of major projects at risk and is sidestepping secure local jobs. Reports have revealed that staff recruitment has been placed on hold and outsourcing has increased to avoid the cap. This is the institution that invented Wi-Fi, plastic bank notes, Aerogard—just to name a few. Research and innovation like this are under threat, we would contend, by the government's approach and the way it treats this body. We would say that the government has no regard or little regard for scientists, and this staffing cap is another example of simply a continuation of its war on science. In the big scheme of things, the government appears to be if not at war then ambivalent about Australia's modern and innovative manufacturers. Stakeholders have indicated the significant reductions in research and development. Support that's outlined in this bill dwarfs the Morrison government's announcement of funding to support local Australian manufacturers. Fifty million dollars is an insult to the industry while it is slashing $2 billion in research and development tax incentives. The government's recent announcement of $160 million of a Manufacturing Modernisation Fund only contains $50 million of government funding, with the majority investment onus put back onto industry. Research and development is key to the future of Australian industry, particularly the future of manufacturing in Australia. The advanced manufacturing research centre competitiveness plan calls on the government to improve government support for business-led R&D and encourage industry research and collaboration. We would argue that if the government were serious about helping manufacturers to grow, to become more competitive globally and to develop technologies, they would be investing in research and development either directly or indirectly. So let's look at the research and development tax incentive in more detail. R&D incentives have been a feature of the tax system since the 1980s, but the current research and development tax incentive was introduced in 2011 by the previous Labor government. The incentive is the principal mechanism used by the Australian government to stimulate industry investment in research and development by providing a tax offset for eligible R&D activities and is considered to encourage such activities that might not otherwise be conducted and recognises that the new knowledge gained is likely to have a wider Australian economic benefit. The two core components of the incentive are a refundable tax offset at the rate of 43.5 per cent for certain eligible entities whose aggregate turnover is less than $20 million a year and a non-refundable tax offset of 38.5 per cent for all those other eligible entities that may be used to reduce an entity's income tax liability for an income year with excess carried forward to be applied in future income years. The incentive is currently subject to a $100 expenditure threshold. This and some associated provisions are currently legislated to sunset on 1 July 2024. According to Treasury, approximately 13,000 companies are registered in the R&D tax incentive scheme, which is jointly administered by the Australian Tax Office and the Board of Innovation and Science. Of these, approximately 10,000 companies claim the refundable tax offset and the remaining 3,000 companies claim the non-refundable tax offset. In late 2015—just to give some context to this bill—the then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull commissioned a review of the incentive. The review panel was chaired by the then chair of the Board of Innovation and Science, Mr Bill Ferris AC. Along with him, there was Australia's Chief Scientist, Dr Alan Finkel, and the then Treasury Secretary, Mr John Fraser. It is now known colloquially as 'the three Fs review'. The review panel found that the program fell short of meeting its stated objectives of additionality and spill overs, and made six recommendations to be considered as a package of measures to improve the overall effectiveness and integrity of the program while encouraging additional research and development. This bill is a partial implementation of some of those recommendations. Following an announcement in the 2018-19 budget, Treasury conducted a consultation process on proposed changes to the incentive—from 29 June to 26 July 2018. In a telling sign of the government's aversion to scrutiny and transparency, submissions to the consultation were only made public, and publicly available, in late January 2020 after a freedom of information request from my office. I won't go into those submissions at length; no doubt, there are other occasions on which we will speak to those, and I can assure this place that I will be engaging with the authors of those submissions. But those submissions raised a number of concerns about the proposed changes to the incentive scheme. Labor will consult closely with those stakeholders and scrutinise their concerns through the Senate committee process, which will have a bearing on the outcome of this bill. The bill has the following proposed reforms. Schedule 1 to the bill claims to improve the targeting of the incentive through the following changes: increasing the R&D expenditure threshold from $100 million to $150 million and making the threshold a permanent feature of the law—I note that 'the three Fs review' recommended a $200 million threshold and made no recommendation about a sunset clause; linking the R&D tax offset for refundable R&D tax offset claimants to claimants' corporate tax rates; and a 13.5 per cent premium, which ensures an alignment of changes to the corporate tax rates with lower tax rates for businesses with a turnover of less than $50 million. Another component of the bill is capping the refundability of the R&D tax offset at $4 million per annum. However, offset amounts that relate to expenditure on clinical trials do not count towards that cap. Further, the bill increases the targeting of the incentive to larger R&D entities with high levels of R&D intensity, reducing the benefits provided to certain entities undertaking R&D activities and increasing the benefits to others. Large R&D entities with aggregated turnover of $20 million or more for an income year are entitled to an R&D tax offset equal to their corporate tax rate plus one or more marginal intensity premiums—that is, rather than a flat 8.5 percentage point premium. This is based on R&D expenditure expressed as a proportion of the entity's total expenses. The intensity premiums differ from those of the three Fs review but are slightly more generous than those proposed in the previous term. So, as I say, there's a small change to the bill that was proposed in the previous term. Schedules 2 and 3 to the bill make a number of amendments to improve the integrity, administration and transparency of the incentive. These are non-controversial. Many stakeholders have reached out to Labor and reiterated their concerns about the intensity thresholds. Stakeholders have argued that the bill may impact upon existing business decisions and is of concern to many firms of all sizes and across many industries, including manufacturing, mining, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, biotech and others. Of course, it's also worrying small businesses and start-ups. As the tiered intensity premium rewards those who dedicate a higher proportion of their expenditure to R&D, manufacturers are concerned that this may punish firms that manufacture domestically and thus have high non-research-and-development expenditures domestically. For example, the base premium would be 4.5 per cent compared to 8.5 per cent under the current arrangements; however, there is a higher premium, of 12.5 per cent, for those who dedicate a significant proportion of their spending to research and development. Australian manufacturers, who spend proportionately more on their domestic operations, including on workers and ongoing capital expenditure, note that it would be very difficult for them to reach the higher premium unless they were to offshore their manufacturing. Industry is also very concerned that the government is not implementing the three Fs' second recommendation of 'a collaboration premium of up to 20 per cent for the non-refundable tax offset to provide additional support for the collaborative element of R&D expenditures undertaken with publicly funded research organisations'. Labor, we would contend, is the party of research and development. We invented this scheme; we put it together. We knew that there had to be something in place that encouraged public and private investment in research. And, of course, we have long held aspirations of increasing R&D as a percentage of GDP. Labor has publicly supported the intent of measures to maintain public confidence in the integrity and financial sustainability of the tax incentive scheme, as per the Senate Economics Legislation Committee's report. So let's be very clear: our position at the moment is that we've got some major concerns about the way in which the government deals with these issues, including the way in which it approaches science and relying on our scientists for good public policy. We are not saying that there are not considerable issues that might beset this scheme. That's why we have an open mind on some of the issues that have been raised either by the government or by stakeholders. We're not saying the scheme is by any means perfect; you can always look to improve upon a scheme. We don't want to see taxpayers' money wasted in a deadweight loss situation where companies are accessing taxpayers' money but not providing benefit to the taxpayer or acting in the national interest. These things have to be considered, which is why we will be referring the bill to a comprehensive Senate inquiry. We want to have a very good look at this bill. We want to have real and genuine engagement with the stakeholders who are going to be impacted, adversely or otherwise, by the proposed bill if it is not defeated or amended. These are important things that need to be done. The opposition will hold the government to account. If this bill is to pass, Labor will seek to improve the bill if we get an opportunity. But, before we formalise our final position on this matter, we do need a comprehensive examination of the effects of this proposition upon companies across all sectors of our economy. The bill, of course, is being debated at a time when public and private research and development continue to slide as a percentage of GDP. The government is yet to properly explain how measures or their minor tweaks from the last iteration of the bill before parliament have heeded the bipartisan concerns of the Senate committee that the research and development measure 'should be re-examined in order to ensure that Australian businesses are not unfairly disadvantaged'. As such, Labor believes it is imperative that we refer the bill to the Senate Economics Legislation Committee and interrogate the potential impacts of the bill, including its timing and the economic impacts of these reforms. The DEPUTY SPEAKER DZP Is the motion seconded? Ms Rowland 159771 I second the motion. (Quorum formed) 12:04 Ms O'NEIL 140590 Hotham Deputy Speaker, thank you so much for the opportunity to contribute to what is a critically important debate about a crucial piece of legislation. A lot of what we talk about in this chamber must feel a little bit esoteric, but we're actually addressing here one of the most pivotal questions that we face as a parliament: how are we going to use the powers and the laws that we have to create a high-wage and high-skill economy for today's Australians and for their children and grandchildren? Arguably, the single most important lever that we have to influence how innovative we are as an Australian nation is the program that we're talking about today, and that is the R&D tax incentive. It's a huge program. It's important. It's very expensive—we're spending $2 billion a year on this program. And if it's well designed it is an incredibly powerful driver of productivity. I really want to echo a lot of the comments that were made by the shadow minister who spoke before me. What is most notable about this bill, from my point of view, is not some of the detail that has been included in the bill but it's actually what's not here. What I see when I look at this piece legislation is a gut-wrenching lack of ambition about how much this parliament could be doing to fix the very significant problems that our innovation system faces as country. With so many of the big structural problems that we should spend our time in this parliament dealing with the government comes in and it goes to the margins. It picks off the detail of, 'Should we do this per cent or that per cent or should it be this amount or that amount,' when really there are some fundamental things wrong with the system that we could be here debating today and we're not doing it. I see that as a tragic missed opportunity. I wonder sometimes why people fight so hard to be here in this chamber if all they do with the opportunity of government is just tinker at the margins. There are much bigger problems and much bigger issues and, unfortunately, the bill before us—as it has its good points and bad points—is not going to go the fundamental issue of how we are getting the incredibly creative and clever people of our country innovating and creating new things that are going to drive the jobs of the future? I note that the bill seeks to implement some of the recommendations of the R&D tax incentive review, which will, I'm sure, in some ways improve the integrity and effectiveness of this scheme, but it doesn't structurally or systemically fix our deficient innovation system. Most importantly, it does not invest any more government capital in direct or indirect R&D support, and I will come to this very significant problem in a few minutes. It also doesn't really contemplate any type of substantial public policy reform to create a high-skill, high-wage economy. And that's the bottom line for us as a parliament. We don't need any more speeches from the RBA governor, or renowned economists around Australia and around the world, to know that we need to start thinking about some new ideas in this country, in this parliament, and the bill before us is not going to help us do that. That R&DTI, as this program is known, is something that's been under debate in the chamber here for a long time. In fact, it was 35 years ago that the Hawke government first introduced a kind of broad based tax incentive to try to encourage Australian companies to innovate. It was intended that that concession be temporary, but I think the government saw that this was actually driving big productivity benefits in the economy and so the Keating government later decided to make this a permanent feature of our tax system. Since that time we have gone through four big reforms. Some of those were done by the Howard government and some by the Rudd and Gillard governments. In its current incarnation, in 2011 the previous Labor government made some very substantial changes to the scheme. I'm very proud of what that Labor government did to the scheme. It made very significant improvements to the way that the R&DTI operated. But we are in a new age now. Believe it or not 2011 was nine years ago. Since that time we have seen countries around the world streak past us when we look at measures of how we compare on various innovation statistics. It's pretty clear that we need to think about some new ideas, some fresh thinking on this subject, and again, unfortunately, the bill today doesn't help us do that. As we continue the debate in the parliament about what is the most effective way for us to support innovation, one of the things I'd like to be a part of the discussion is an issue about whether we provide direct support for innovation or indirect support for innovation. It might sound banal and techie but it's actually a very important decision for us to make. When we look at best practice countries around the world what we see is that they are very reliant on direct forms of support for innovation. So what we see is that they create grants programs where they thoughtfully assess project by project what it is that companies would like to do in the way of innovation. The measure that's before us today is something called an indirect measure. Basically that tells us it's agnostic to what type of project you're doing. It doesn't matter whether you're innovating in renewable energy, or in the start-up sector, or some other area of the economy. And it doesn't ask anything really in terms of performance outcomes. Often makers of public policy start to hear alarm bells ringing when we're funding inputs but not asking much in the way of outputs to see how hard our money is working for us. One of the things that's really interesting in the way our program for innovation has evolved as a country is how we've leaned more and more on direct rather than indirect measures, and that, during that time, the best practice countries in the world have gone in exactly the other direction. In fact, there are very highly innovative countries around the world today where 100 per cent of their innovation programs are funded directly; so with the RDTI, this very important, powerful measure we're talking about today as a way to drive innovation, all of the $2 billion per year is indirect spending. One of the interesting things about that is how different an approach it is to that taken by previous coalition governments. It was Howard and Costello who really pushed for direct measures. They also pushed for an increase in R&D spending. I'm perplexed and fascinated by the different approach that we see from this current incarnation of the coalition government. These days, under the Liberals, the R&D tax incentive measures have been a much bigger part of the program overall for how we fund R&D in Australia. What I don't hear is a clear explanation of why that is. That worries me. We need to be super strategic about this. We're a small country. We're competing in a world of almost seven billion people. We need to be really strategic about every dollar we spend on this. What I see when I look opposite is a little bit of a blindness. This program is growing and growing, and it's a bit unwieldy, but we're not making a big, strategic choice about how we redesign the program; we're just tinkering at the margins and trying to make performance improvements here and there. One of the other things notable about the way this government is approaching R&D compared to previous incarnations of coalition governments is the lack of government as an actor in this system. For example, our universities are being defunded and run down. In previous incarnations of Liberal governments, there's been a real acknowledgement that some of the smartest people in the country are in these universities and that they want to be engaged in developing research that's used to grow our economy and create jobs. But we're really missing that opportunity when we create programs like this, which don't ask for any collaboration between the different sectors of our economy. I have a suspicion that some of the reason why we're seeing some of these issues occur is more continental drift than strategic thinking. It shouldn't surprise us that we see that in the area of innovation. All Australians have watched how this debate has unfolded during the last seven years. When the previous member for Warringah, Tony Abbott, became Prime Minister his only objective seemed to be cutting things in the budget, and that's exactly what he did; he took big amounts of money out of pieces of our innovation system. We had one of the previous members for Wentworth, Malcolm Turnbull, come in as Prime Minister for round 2, and the ideas boom was suddenly a thing. That lasted for about five minutes. Since Malcolm Turnbull left the prime ministership, it's really felt like Scott Morrison is just terrified of the word 'innovation'. We did a count in the last election campaign, the lengthy election campaign, in May last year. The Prime Minister uttered the word 'innovation' four times—come on! It's like he's banished innovation into the Albanian forest with Voldemort; it's the word whose name cannot be spoken. Mr Tehan 210911 Maybe you should have been focused on something else rather than on how many times the Prime Minister said the word 'innovation'. Ms O'NEIL 140590 I'm going to get to the education sector. The minister's agitating me here. Don't worry, Minister Tehan, I'm about to come to your portfolio. One of the things that is frustrating about all of this is that it's so obviously an area where we can be doing better. Instead what we see is a Prime Minister who can't even mention the word 'innovation', and that leads to policy timidity across this whole, expansive sector. I find that incredibly disappointing. I want to mention three other big directions that I think the parliament needs to look at as it reviews and discusses this important bill over the coming months. One of the issues that cannot be papered over is the simple fact that we are not spending enough on research and development as a country. Our R&D spending has dropped to less than 1.8 per cent of our GDP, whereas best practice countries around the world are spending more than four per cent. This is an enormous problem for our country to consider. We're ranked ninth out of 11 comparable countries on R&D spending. In fact, the biggest lagging area when we break R&D spending into the different sectors of the economy where that spending is being conducted is private sector innovation spending, and the biggest thing this chamber does to promote private sector innovation spending is the R&D tax incentive, so that should tell us right off the bat that there's a pretty significant problem not just with the edges of this policy but with the driving force of it. What I really want to be clear about—and those on the other side of the chamber need to understand this too—is that the bill that's before us, as proposed by the government, will see R&D spending in Australia decline further. This is not about increasing funding. We know we're not spending enough, and the bill is going to see this go backwards for us as a country. We see the same in the university sector. The problem there is so profound. Of 34 advanced nations, Australia ranks 30th for government spending on universities. The government introduced cuts of $2.2 billion from universities over the coming years via the funding freeze for degree courses. A further $3.7 billion was removed from the sector with the closure of the Education Investment Fund. Government spending on tertiary education in Australia is 0.7 per cent of GDP. The OECD average is 1.1 per cent. Serious! What kind of government, going into the economy that we know we need to embrace, is cutting spending on our skills sector when we know the best thing a person can do for themselves in this new economy is to get as skilled and educated as they can? It makes absolutely no sense. I also want to mention the problem of something called additionality, which is like the Holy Grail in this policy area. Basically, success for a program like this one is when the program incentivises companies looking around the world to see where they may do research and development to do it in Australia. That way we get the knowledge, the skills and the jobs that come with those initiatives. Failure for a program like this is when a company is going to do R&D in Australia anyway and we give them government funding to do something they would already have done. That seems simple in principle, but creating public policy to determine which project is which is much more difficult. Something the shadow minister talked about is that we're conducting a Senate inquiry into this bill. Something that Labor will be looking at very closely is what evidence there is that this program is going to create more additionality so we're wasting less money paying companies, often very large companies, for doing things they would have done in Australia anyway. I also want to mention a perennial and growing problem for us in our R&D program and that is the lack of strategy in how we're spending our R&D dollars. Australia's spending on R&D is about two per cent of global spending. We can't be the best at everything. In fact, in most other areas of policy and economy, we don't try. We do the smart thing that one does when you have limited resources in a globally-competitive world: you think about where you've got a special advantage that might make you particularly good at something and you try and invest and grow that. Renewable energy, for example, the absolutely biggest no-brainer, is right there in front of us. Because our R&D program is indirect, it's letting a thousand flowers bloom—in fact, many thousands of flowers bloom. We're not taking the opportunity to ensure that every dollar is working as hard as possible for us, because it's basically scatter gunned right around the economy. And that's something, again, that doesn't meet best practice when we look around the world and isn't fixed in any way in the reforms that are before the parliament right now. Again I want to reiterate some of the shadow minister's comments about Labor's history in this area. We're really proud of the importance that we place on things like the R&D program. We're very proud of the support that we've long given to universities in this country. We know there are certain undeniable facts about the future world that we're going into—we've got these brilliant pockets of creativity and innovation in our economy. Government needs to bring these things together. We're not seeing big ideas on that side of the chamber, but we'll engage with this bill in good faith to make sure we get the best out of it we can. 12:19 Mr KEOGH 249147 Burt R&D is an essential part of ensuring that Australian business and our economy as a whole survive and thrive in the modern 21st century globalised economy, yet Australia is ranked as low as 21st in the OECD for R&D investment. As such, it's important that we support research and development across the board. It's the only way that we will continue to be world leaders, in particular across the resources sector, and, similarly, it's the only way that we'll be able to make a significant positive impact on developing further initiatives in Australia's defence industry, as well as across many, many other areas. The Treasury Laws Amendment (Research and Development Tax Incentive) Bill 2019 is being debated at a time when public and private research and development funding continues to slide as a percentage of GDP. However, this legislation before us is somewhat concerning. It will essentially suck nearly $2 billion out of R&D investment in Australia. However, its objective of ensuring that the government's R&D incentives spend is efficient and effective is also very important. It is essential, though, to ensure that these changes do not produce any unintended consequences, because entirely legitimate projects may well be adversely affected. For example, Northern Minerals, a company focused on the development of heavy rare-earth projects, say that the $4 million cap on research and development rebates will have a negative impact on groundbreaking, critical mineral resources projects like theirs. They say the cap will force innovative projects, such as their Browns Range project, to develop much more slowly and will result in missed opportunities for Australia in this new and growing sector. This unique project is expected to provide a critical commodity vital to current technological developments, as well as jobs in one of the most remote parts of Australia, by producing a mixed rare-earth carbonate, which includes a high grade of dysprosium and terbium, and will see WA become the first heavy rare-earth producer outside China. This is a fantastic opportunity for Australian trade as we continue to see increasing demand for the critical minerals used in technologies that save energy and produce low-cost or renewable energy, including dysprosium and terbium. Indeed, the critical rare-earth sector is something that we on the Labor side are championing and want to see grow more. Northern Minerals' Browns Range project is a beneficiary of the current Commonwealth government's research and development tax incentive scheme arrangements. To put it simply, the pilot project is unlikely to have ever gotten off the ground without such a scheme. Northern Minerals freely admit the current R&D scheme added to the company's confidence in undertaking the detailed studies into hard rock heavy rare-earth mining and processing, resulting in several innovative enhancement initiatives as the project has evolved. Their business case is built up around the R&D incentive, as currently configured, as is the case for many R&D intensive businesses across the country. Analysis by Deloitte Access Economics indicated that the full-scale stage of the project will boost the gross regional product of the Kimberley region by some $393 million by 2030, as well as providing hundreds of jobs during the build and operation—an overall package of over $773 million. So we must ensure that there are no unintended consequences in throttling R&D investment and growth in this nation from this legislative change. Late last year, the member for Brand and I had to opportunity to visit Fastbrick Robotics, a robotic bricklaying company in High Wycombe, east of Perth. Fastbrick Robotics is yet another success story built on the foundation of the government's encouragement of Australian research and development through this tax scheme. They are currently in the pre-revenue research and development cashflow-negative stage, and expect that it will be about three years before they are able to begin to commercialise and export their promising automated technology, which will significantly speed up and lower the cost of housing in Australia and around the world. Research and development continues to fall in this country, when it needs to do the opposite. We have some amazing minds and opportunities to develop amazing technologies for our diverse industries, including the resources sector, defence industries and manufacturing as a whole. However, under this government the lack of investment in research and science and in the CSIRO is seeing opportunities dwindle. As a recent Australian Institute of Company Directors report said, while the global trend is for national business expenditure on research and development to grow, in Australia it has fallen. Australia is close to the bottom of the OECD ratings for collaboration between industry and researchers. According to the OECD index of research and development investment by government, Australia is falling. This is a trend that must be reversed if we want to support jobs and economic growth and remain globally competitive in resources, defence industry, science, medicine—the list goes on and on. Strong investment in research and development allows all Australians to share in the benefits of new industries, new products, good jobs and a higher standard of living. Labor supports the intent of measures to maintain public confidence in the integrity and financial sustainability of the research and development tax incentive, as per the Senate economics committee report when it last looked at this legislation. However, the government is yet to properly explain how the minor tweaks to the bill that is now before parliament have heeded the bipartisan concerns that were raised by the Senate committee. That Senate committee unequivocally stated that the research and development measure should be re-examined in order to ensure that Australian businesses are not unfairly disadvantaged. Labor is proud of creating the research and development tax incentive, the single largest investment the Commonwealth makes in supporting science, research, industry and innovation in the Australian economy. Only Labor has sought to address the decline in research and development spending in Australia. Research and development is key to the future of Australian industry, particularly the future of manufacturing in Australia. The advanced manufacturing research centre competitiveness plan calls on the government to improve government support for business led research and development and encourage industry research collaboration. If the Morrison government were serious about helping manufacturers to grow, become competitive globally and develop new technologies, they would be investing more in research and development either directly or indirectly. Labor has publicly supported the intent of measures to maintain public confidence in the integrity and financial sustainability of R&D tax incentives, however we are debating this bill at a time when public and private R&D continues to slide as a percentage of our GDP. The government is yet to properly explain how these measures or the tweaks that they've made since they last had this legislation before us have heeded the bipartisan concern of the Senate committee that the research and development measures should be re-examined. As such, Labor believe that it is imperative we refer this bill to a Senate committee and interrogate the potential unintended impacts of this bill, including its timing and the economic and sectorial impacts of these reforms, because frankly we can't afford not to. 12:27 Ms MADELEINE KING 102376 Brand I'm pleased to speak today on the Treasury Laws Amendment (Research and Development Tax Incentive) Bill 2019. This bill seeks to implement some R&D tax incentive review recommendations from the 2015 review called by then Prime Minister Turnbull, sometimes known as the three Fs review, which was done in order to improve the effectiveness and integrity of the R&D incentive program while at the same time encouraging additional research and development from participants in the scheme. There is, as other speakers have noted, significant concern among industry participants that this bill will affect existing business decisions across a number of sectors, particularly surrounding the intensity thresholds and the lack of a collaboration premium, which is a premium designed to encourage private enterprise collaborating with public universities in their research and development efforts. I think it's worth reflecting briefly on some key points regarding the scheme in the last decade, which will of course inform future decisions around the bill and the broader incentive scheme itself. The original R&D tax incentive was introduced in 2011 by the Gillard Labor government after extensive consultation with academics in industry and universities, and is the primary incentive mechanism used by the federal government to stimulate industry investment in research and development, by providing a tax offset for eligible projects. The objective was that industry would participate in research and develop activities that they otherwise might not have without the scheme, which then has a significant flow-on effect for the Australian economy and the broadening of Australia's knowledge pool and scientific research capability. When Prime Minister Turnbull commissioned this review in 2015 the chairs were Bill Ferris, Alan Finkel and John Fraser. It was handed down in 2016 as part of Prime Minister Turnbull's innovation agenda, with slogans like 'Innovation Nation' and 'Ideas Boom' which were thrown around the parliament and the media in place of any actual policy to do with research, development or science. We all know where that went; the innovation agenda went down the drain eventually and we've yet to see anything take its place from this government. Any remaining interest that the coalition government had in science went out the window with Prime Minister Turnbull, as well as some of the more reasonable coalition MPs that followed Turnbull out the door recently, last year. And what do we have left? Any action on the Three Fs report has been delayed for three years, leaving industry in the dark about its future while those opposite choose to squabble over energy policy, the realities of climate change and the science associated with climate change, as well as having them review a conga line of leadership aspirants whose commitment to the university sector continues the tradition of former Prime Minister Abbott's notion of continual cuts to that sector. Industries have been strongly voicing concerns about these changes for a long time. I've been pleased to meet with many industries which are affected by this change to the R&D tax incentive. They've been waiting a very long time for certainty—for nearly five years now—to know what their tax position will be with regard to their research and development spend. They are concerned about the impact this will have on their forward plans, including made-and-paid business decisions. Manufacturers are also particularly concerned, as well as those in mining and mining exploration, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, and a number of small businesses and start-ups around the country. Industries are concerned that the government is not implementing the recommendations of the report commissioned by Prime Minister Turnbull in full. They are not initiating the collaboration premium of up to 20 per cent for the non-refundable tax offset to provide additional support for the collaborative element of R&D expenditure undertaken with publicly funded research organisations, which we know are the universities and the CSIRO. Labor is supportive of a collaborative premium commitment and an R&D spend of three per cent of GDP by 2030 target. That went to the last election and is the commitment which no doubt will be considered as part of our post-election policy review process. A very important commitment it was too and, of course, it was utterly ignored by those on the other side. Our proposals went with wide support from a range of sectors, particularly the all-important university sector. Indeed, Universities Australia CEO, Catriona Jackson, said late last year: Since 2015, Universities Australia has advocated for a premium tax concession for businesses collaborating with our nation’s universities on research and development. A premium tax concession would boost the number of businesses that tap into the wealth of expertise inside universities and enhance innovation in Australia. … … … Australia’s expenditure on R&D (1.88 per cent of GDP) now lags most of the OECD, as well as the OECD average of 2.38 per cent. This statement followed a statement from the Group of Eight CEO, Vicki Thomson, who expressed disappointment at the ongoing drop in R&D investment by the government last year. She said: A nation walks away from investing in research at its peril. Research creates jobs, stimulates the economy, saves and changes lives and contributes significantly to the economic, social and environmental well-being of the Australian community. I couldn't agree with her more. The cuts to research that have been seen in this country under the leadership of the Liberal and National parties in government have been extraordinary. In 2017, the MYEFO attacked research by ripping $328.5 million from universities. So while other OECD nations are increasing their research funding, or at least maintaining their support for research and science, this Liberal government has slashed research and consequently has slashed the potential of this nation. It's also capped undergraduate places of course, leaving regional and outer suburban communities much worse off. This government has slashed $2.2 billion from universities, denying 200,000 students a place to study. What I've never understood when it comes to research, development, science and the funding of universities is why the National Party and National Party members in this place don't stand up to their coalition partners in the Liberals when they attack research funding and universities. The remarkable agricultural faculties around this country have formed the basis of the success of the agricultural industry in this country. If I could, I'd just point to a few examples of scientific research that I know have underpinned the development of Western Australia. In the 1930s, Professor Eric Underwood, at the Institute of Agriculture at UWA, led a team that looked into the deficiencies of the soil in the south-west of Western Australia. At the time there was an extraordinary wasting disease that was causing sheep and cattle to no longer be able to process the nutrients that would keep them alive and make them productive beasts for our agricultural industry. He and his team, and also a team in South Australia, discovered, after a number of years, that the missing essential ingredient from the soil was in fact cobalt, and that if we were able to put more cobalt into the soil of south-west Western Australia then the sheep would live and the cattle would be good livestock capable of supporting an industry. This research, and how they went about implementing changing the soil content of Western Australia and South Australia, saved that industry—and that was back in the thirties. Professor Eric Underwood is rightly recognised in street names and the names of halls right around Western Australia for his magnificent contribution to agriculture. In the 1940s in Western Australia the ewes in our flocks had an extraordinary infertility problem—it was on a massive scale—that was identified as oestrogen deficiency. You can't inject every sheep with oestrogen; it's an inefficient way to try to help them and help the farmers who are trying to maintain their flocks. But what you can do is apply your mind to the problem with science and research and development. What they ended up doing was create a subterranean clover strain that contained that essential hormone. They went about planting it and they saved those flocks. Of course, now the sheep and beef industries in the South West in Western Australia are very important parts of our agricultural industry. If I could, I'll now turn to wheat, which is one of the biggest exports out of Western Australia; it's very important in my electorate as we host the Co-operative Bulk Handling company. Wheat was also a marginal practice in the thirties and forties, but thanks to the science and research and development that we entered into—cooperatively, I might add, with farmers assisting scientists—Western Australia farmers, along with scientists, developed dry farming techniques. The addition of superphosphate to their soils, the improved varieties of wheat: these were all down to the application of science and research and development and the collaboration of primary producers and farmers with universities and public-funded institutions like the once great WA Department of Agriculture. So why don't the Nationals stand up to the Liberals when they cut science funding and introduce bills, like this one, which have floundered for five years and have failed to take on the recommendations of leading scientists in our community to have a collaboration premium? Well, I don't know. The Nationals deny a lot of other science, we know that. They deny the science of climate change; they like to pass judgements about what science is wrong and what science is right in their humble opinion. I even believe a Queensland LNP motion was moved at the national federal council or some such organisation to have some kind of oversight body for science run by parliamentarians, which seems to go against the notion of the peer review of scientists judging scientists. They are trained to be objective; this is what science is. The Nationals, in ignoring their past and the heritage of farmers having contributed greatly to the research and development efforts of our nation, are denying the great efforts farmers have put into developing cooperative science in this nation. In the 1950s the Farmers Union of Western Australia was the first group to introduce a voluntary levy of one farthing per bushel on all wheat. That one farthing per bushel went into a pool and was used to fund science and research and development that would the increase the fertility of soil that's more suited to an hourglass, perhaps, than producing wheat in the Western Australian Wheatbelt. This was farmers, off their own bat, understanding the importance of research and development and science. In 1954, the WA parliament passed the Soil Fertility Research Act, which was the first such cooperative based research program that would take voluntary levies from farmers to produce research and development. Now, of course, we have widely respected research and development corporations that have all sprung from that move of the Farmers Union of Western Australia: Meat and Livestock Australia, Grains Research and Development Corporation, Fisheries Research and Development Cooperation, the former Grape and Wine RDC, among many others. We should be very proud of our approach to cooperative science and where it has got us and our agricultural industries in this country. Again, I do not understand why the Nationals in this place, and for that matter outside this place—anyone involved in the National Party—don't take it up to their coalition partners and ask them: 'What on earth are you doing by making it harder for people and private enterprise to collaborate with publicly-funded research organisations to undertake research and development across all sectors—not just farming and agriculture, but all sectors? This should be your legacy as a National Party. Your people—the farmers that you claim can only be represented by you, the Nationals—are betrayed by you at this point, when you fail to support science and research and when you fail to support the funding of science and research; when you let the Liberal treasurers, in the plural, take out money from the proper funding of the science and research capabilities of our great publicly funded universities in this country. You are denying the heritage of farmers in this country—their cooperation with science and scientists and their legacy.' We know farmers in this country depend on science and research and development, whether it be satellite technology, wi-fi technology, new strains of grain, or wheat or whatever crop they have. Instead you, through you, Madam Deputy Speaker Claydon, flounder in the denying climate science space. It's like you're choosing what science you want to back—as if you can choose your facts. That's a very sad state of affairs for your supporters, or so-called supporters. I hope this will go to a Senate committee and we hear about the timing of the implementation of a program that will cause less money to be spent on research and development—which will be very tough at a time when higher education cross subsidies that require international students to support research in universities is under threat from a disease that is beyond our control. But when you don't plan for the future and you deny proper funding to science and universities, that is the result you will get: an overdependence on other forms of income that are susceptible to global shocks. Good luck to you! 12:42 Mr THISTLETHWAITE 182468 Kingsford Smith Of course Labor will support the passage of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Research and Development Tax Incentive) Bill 2019 through the House, but we will refer it to a Senate committee because there are further issues that need to be dealt with by looking at the details. Yesterday, we heard the Reserve Bank Governor give an insightful speech into his view of the outlook for the Australian economy, particularly over the year ahead. Something that stuck with me in terms of the RBA Governor's speech yesterday was his view that government and business investment needs to grow in Australia if we're going to tackle the problem of the productivity malaise that's developed in our economy. In his words, 'Business investment has been weak for a long period of time.' That's the view of the Reserve Bank Governor of business investment under a Liberal government that claims to be all about representing the business community and boosting investment in Australia. It also proves that the government's claim that reducing company taxes would spur a business investment boom simply hasn't occurred, and that the notion of trickle-down economics is complete rubbish. Reflecting this is the fact that business expenditure on research and development has fallen by about 30 per cent under this Liberal government. We see that in the national accounts, where expenditure on government tax concessions associated with research and development in Australia is also falling under this government. Australia now has a woeful record when it comes to supporting private sector research and development. Business R&D expenditure in Australia is now at a level below one per cent of GDP, sitting at 0.9 per cent—a level it hasn't been at for many, many decades. We are ranked 21st in the OECD when it comes to investment in research and development by private corporations. The global trend in research and development throughout the world is to increase investment in important innovation and research and development. In Australia, the opposite is occurring under this government: investment in research and development by corporations is falling. In the coming years Australia's wealth will increasingly be tied to our ability to innovate, to develop and create new industries in what is becoming an increasingly competitive global economy. Australian businesses that invest in research and development need to be the engine of growth, innovation and productivity in Australia in years to come. If they are not making the investments now, we will suffer the consequences in the future. Leveraging the talents of our educated workforce, Australia has the ability to build on some of the wonderful innovations that have been developed in this country—like wi-fi or the bionic ear. These, along with other innovations in new and established industries, create the jobs of the future in Australia and ensure our nation's future economic prosperity. But innovation and research and development as a focus, as an agenda, from this government has been sadly lacking. In 2011, when Labor Party in government, we implemented the current framework for research and development tax concessions to spur on and boost private research and development in this country and drive innovation and investment—because we know R&D is integral to a modern information driven and innovative economy. The incentive is currently one of our principal mechanisms to stimulate investment in research and development and to encourage R&D activities that might not otherwise be invested in and taken up by the business community. Currently, around 13,000 companies take advantage of the two levels of the scheme—the refundable tax credit and the non-refundable tax credit. The vast majority of those companies are in the lower turnover bracket. Labor took a pro-industry and pro-innovation policy to last year's election, including the collaboration premium that industry and research bodies have been crying out for. Labor committed to establishing an electric vehicle manufacturing and innovation strategy to support the Australian Centre for Innovative Manufacturing and to invest in the expansion of the Mackay Renewable Biocommodities Pilot Plant. We had a plan to establish a hydrogen industry in Queensland. Unfortunately, Labor was not elected at the last election. These commitments were put in place with the stated aim of boosting research and development and getting to a target of three per cent of GDP by 2030. Labor was the only party in the election that had that stated aim, that looked at boosting R&D expenditure to three per cent of GDP by 2030 and bringing it back on track with what is going on in other nations. That is a stark contrast to what the Liberals have been doing, with R&D investment falling. This bill proposes some new recommendations. It comes on the back of the 2015 review conducted by Bill Ferris, Alan Finkel and John Fraser, which has become known as 'the three Fs review', and the Treasury consultation that went with that. The government's bill claims to improve the operation of the incentive through increasing the incentive's expenditure threshold, capping the refundability of the tax offset and increasing the specificity with which the tax incentive levels are applied as a reward to organisations that have a higher proportion of research and development investment. This bill will implement a $150 million expenditure cap, allowing an increase in the cap from $100 million but well below the $200 million that was recommended by the review. In that vein, it may not provide the business confidence required to bring R&D expenditure to those GDP target levels. This aspect of the bill, we believe, should be examined by the Senate committee if the Senate Economics Legislation Committee gets the opportunity to look at the details of this bill. The government intends to cap the value of the refunded tax offset credits at $4 million per annum. This aims to contain the costs of the incentive whilst continuing to provide financial support for companies engaging in R&D expenditure. The bill seeks to increase the specificity of the application of the tax incentive levels through the use of an intensity premium, a mechanism to ensure the proportional R&D investment of an organisation. Through these reforms, companies that spend proportionally more on R&D compared to their overall turnover will receive an increased tax offset. This mechanism rewards companies that spend more of their overall turnover on R&D; however, it does also complicate the policy. The aim of the policy is to benefit smaller organisations than the Liberal government has in the past, but it may in some respects be a disservice to those smaller organisations because you're actually increasing the complexity of the system with those three different levels of specificity when it comes to that offset. We're saying that that is, again, another issue that should be dealt with by the Senate economics committee. It should look at whether or not that's simply complicating the system too much to encourage people to actually invest and take up those opportunities for the R&D tax offset. If a private corporation has made a decision to invest money into research and development then they should be rewarded and supported for that endeavour and given incentives by the government. But it's important that the government is also serious about considering the non-legislative recommendations put forward by the FFF review. They include plain-language guidance for businesses and a simplified application and administration process to assist smaller business in accessing the incentives. The government must also consider the introduction of a collaboration premium in order to stimulate cooperation between different organisations in pursuit of bold new research. So this is a bill that has potential to provide an encouragement to R&D in Australia and to boost the uptake of the R&D tax offset in Australia, but we are sceptical about that given that they haven't taken up the recommendation for the $200 million. There's now a cap on the level of R&D research expenditure that can be tax offset, and you've got those specificity levels in terms of intensity which are very, very complicated. There's nothing that's been said by the government to make the system easier to understand or to provide plain-language guidance for businesses so that, hopefully, more of them take this up. We can't afford to get this wrong. We need to make sure, given the flailing levels of investment in research and development by private industry in Australia, that we don't get this wrong. That's why Labor's suggesting that this bill be referred to a Senate inquiry so that the Senate economics committee can look into these issues and can recommend to the parliament whether or not this particular bill meets the stated aims of boosting research and development in Australia. We all know that Australia is falling globally and we're falling domestically in terms of the amount of money that's being devoted to research and development. That will only mean that in the future our economy will be less competitive and less efficient. We'll have difficulties boosting productivity, and overall Australian living standards will fall if we don't get this incentive right. 12:54 Mr HUSIC 91219 Chifley I rise to speak on the Treasury Laws Amendment (Research and Development Tax Incentive) Bill 2019. If you take a long-term view of the way economies are evolving and our role as people within economies, we have rapidly moved away from the muscle towards the mind. We are relying less on human labour in physical effort and replacing that, in times past, with machinery. Now robotics, you would anticipate, will take up more and more of the load. Some of the difficult and dangerous, and dull and repetitive, tasks that people carry out will be done by machine. Where the difference will be is where people can bring imagination, creativity and problem-solving to make a difference in workplaces. This is where things have headed. Big movements happened through the fifties and sixties. If you look at agriculture and manufacturing—obviously, everyone goes back to the start of the industrial revolution—we've had truly big shifts occur from the way in which we employed people in earlier generations, and we can see it continuing now. A lot of people think that there are a lot of jobs that will always be done by people. Some will, yes, but a lot won't, no. As we advance through the application of artificial intelligence and robotics, we are potentially going to see some changes that people thought wouldn't happen in our lifetime happen quicker than we imagined in our lifetime. The pressure is on countries to invest in human capital and to think about how they can evolve their communities and their economies. The belief seems to prevail that we can just play catch-up. This will increasingly become more difficult as those who invest in R&D, those who do longer-term planning around what their economies will look like, steal a march on us. It will be increasingly difficult for us to play catch-up, to bring ourselves on par with where they are. This whole notion of first-mover advantage becomes clearer and clearer. If you look at what China, in particular, are doing in our region, they're putting a serious, committed investment in artificial intelligence. They see a $150 trillion industry potentially emerging out of their investments in AI. It's not just an economic investment for their nation; it's a strategic investment as well. We see other countries devoting significant amounts of money to the development of artificial intelligence and a national game plan. This is serious stuff, and we as a country cannot afford to see where AI will—some of the biggest companies on the face of the planet, like Amazon, Google, Facebook, Tencent, Alibaba and Baidu, that are using AI in this way will just propel themselves further. With the mountains of data they're collecting they will become even more efficient and advanced, and they will leave us even further behind. As parliamentarians, particularly in this country, we have to take this more seriously. While we will have our debates in this place, I actually believe that most parliamentarians get that Australians are incredibly smart and innovative people. Given our continent and our isolation here, we have had to in times past have very bright people. We know that. This is not just simple rhetorical flourish by me; we can look at it. Most other places pinch our people—our best and brightest get taken overseas—because they know of the talent that exists here. I hear stories, as many people in this place do, of people who have dedicated themselves to the area of scientific endeavour and then left it. The brother of a colleague of mine had worked in the area of scientific endeavour, but he now works for a major financial institution. He is not doing what he wanted to do; he is now working for a financial institution. He said of science, 'There was no opportunity for me there.' This is the type of story that should make our collective blood boil, because we are wasting talent. We are not applying skill or know-how in a way that will make an enduring impact on our nation. As a country, we should be ensuring that every element of government investment twinned with business focus, that effort, puts Australia in a position where we are doing smarter and better than we've previously done. If we don't, we will be left behind. We will be absolutely left behind. People will reflect on the impact of traditional industries, like mining and agriculture, on our economic fortune and think that that's going to basically deliver us income and wealth for years to come. I note that in the Financial Review last year someone had pointed out that researchers from Harvard had examined the concentration of effort that was dedicated purely in resources and agriculture in this country and then contrasted the complexity of other economies. The Financial Review of all places said, 'If we are doing so badly why are we so rich?' Yes, we are rich. The question is: how long for? Some of the most advanced thinking and automation has occurred in our mining sector, because if you look at the number of people employed in the sector versus what the belief is it's completely different. There is the challenge for us to think ahead and to invest and to back it up. When you look at research and development, and all the things that we would use to measure how smart we are as a nation and what that will do longer term for us, all the major metrics are going the wrong way and this should be ringing alarm bells in this place. For example, gross expenditure in R&D as a proportion of GDP has dropped from 1.88 per cent to 1.79 per cent, according to the ABS. If you look at business research and development it's hit 0.9 per cent of GDP, falling below one per cent of GDP in the previous data from 2015 to 2016. The total human resources devoted to business R&D is still below what was devoted when the government took office. In 2013-14, total, as it's known, person years of effort was 78,839, but the most recent data shows up as 74,991, so a contraction of five per cent. The recent Australian Institute of Company Directors report has let us know that for Australia's total gross domestic spending on R&D we are currently ranked 21st within the OECD. And that while the rest of the planet is getting the whole notion that we've got to increase national business expenditure Australia has fallen. All the metrics are going to wrong way for us as a country, and we need to do better on this because there is a long-term imperative to do so to ensure that we've got the type of economic prosperity and opportunity, and employment growth that people will expect longer term. So, if we see ourselves as a smart people, and we think this is a smart nation—when you look at some of the stats, you look at the international rankings on the inputs, human capital, we do quite well but the outputs are nothing to be proud about. I said earlier that we should be making sure that we twin everything that is happening in government with everything that's happening in business to ensure that R&D in this country. The thinking about where we want to be as a country advances. This is the problem with this bill: people have been concerned that what this bill is largely about is a budgetary saving but not an investment in the productive capacity of the economy longer term. We have had one Senate review of those proposed changes come out and say that the government should not go ahead with what it was thinking in this regard. We've got now, as we've rightly moved as an opposition, a focus on doing another review on these laws to ensure that the economy is not short-changed longer term. The other thing that has happened as well, not just in terms of this structural reform, that a lot of people are concerned about—and they are concerned for instance about what this will do on smaller firms. I do note, for instance, that some people—for example, the R&D tax incentive specialist Daniel Ronai believes that these reforms will have a disproportionate impact on smaller businesses. He says that: Around 1,030 (almost two thirds) of the non-refundable companies claiming the R&D tax offset have intensities of 4 per cent or lower. And he believes: This would result in their benefit dropping from the current 8.5 per cent to 4.5 per cent – in real terms a drop of almost 50 per cent. An applicant in the four per cent or lower R&D intensity would have been spending $1 million previously and received $85,000. But now, that same applicant, with the same expenses, would receive $45,000. So there are people saying that the change to the type of thinking that's being applied by the government will shortchange small and medium enterprises, the same ones which were championed a few moments ago in another bill, where we want to set up the Business Growth Fund to help businesses expand. We're putting money in there, but in this bill we'll take money away from small and medium enterprises that are doing the thinking around research and development. Other firms—tech start-ups—have been caught up by the change of treatment of the research and development tax incentive as it applies to software development. Start-ups have been screaming that the types of assumptions they had made on what would be acceptable in terms of receipt back as part of that incentive are then having to second-guess what the tax department and AusIndustry would do in deeming invalid the applications that had been made for the use of the RDTI. And that had been dragging on for ages. It was attempted once in the 2013-16 term of government, it was supposed to be fixed up and then it reared its head again in the 2016-19 term. Huge amounts of effort were expended to try to get the ATO to reconsider what it was doing to a number of Australian start-ups that would be impacted by this. Investors were particularly concerned that assumptions were being made about how the R&D tax incentive could be drawn upon. Those investors were concerned that those assumptions may be founded on very shaky ground and would inhibit their ability to make a return in the longer term. And so there was a concern about the chilling effect on investment as well. I totally get, and a number of speakers from the opposition also totally get—and I've said on the public record a number of times—that if people are abusing the R&D tax incentive then we should all, collectively, with one voice, be going after those people: absolutely. Any reforms to improve that operation, for sure! And we should absolutely crack down on bigger businesses that are using the incentive and masking business-as-usual activity behind the incentive, because that's not advancing the national interest. But can we do it in a way that ensures the nation progresses because we have smart people thinking about problems confronting the nation, coming up with new opportunities to grow as firms and then advancing economic prosperity because of the application of those smarts. That's absolutely what we should be encouraging. My most heartfelt wish is that we, as parliamentarians, start to say: 'Do you know what? We do the reform element and we make the changes to stop the shonks from taking advantage of these types of incentives. But we actually don't just look at this is an opportunity for a budgetary saving; we look at it as an investment in the productive capacity of the economy.' We want Australia to grow; we don't want us to become, effectively, a vassal state dependent on trade with other countries where the inputs are at a lower quality level and we shortchange ourselves economically because we didn't do the longer term thinking of investing in this activity: government and business working together to ensure that the nation does well in the longer term. We should be having an argument in this place, outbidding each other on what we'll do on R&D. There should be an active competition between both sides of politics that will put more money into R&D, that will put more money into science and that will invest more in human capital, all with a longer term vision which says that as the economy evolves we will, with other nations, be at the front. Dare I say it—if I can make this final point—that we aim to be the best and not be embarrassed about pushing for that. Other nations do it, why can't we? 13:09 Dr ALY 13050 Cowan I just want to first of all commend the member for Chifley for so eloquently outlining some of the issues we have with this Treasury Laws Amendment (Research and Development Tax Incentive) Bill 2019 and also for his passionate commitment to research, development and innovation. I'm a very proud Australian and very proud to be part of a nation where we have such a wealth of talent in the research and development space. In my own electorate of Cowan I have met with so many people who have wonderful ideas and who really just need the investment into their ideas. We can, I believe, be a great nation, be a world-leader in research and development but we have to get the policy settings right. We are lagging behind so many other nations and it's not because we have a lack of talent. An opposition member: It's a national embarrassment. Dr ALY 13050 It is a national embarrassment. It is not because we have a lack of talent. It is not because we have a lack of resources. Australians are some of the world's smartest people in areas of innovation. Within my own electorate of Cowan I have people working on renewable energy innovation and medical imaging. I have a start-up that is looking at a world-first way of using thermogenics—the temperature in the space between your eyes—as a very accurate lie detecting test. But they need the backup, they need the money and they need the support to be able to carry out the research that will take their innovation that step further. We have the capacity to be a world leader in so many fields if we invest. The key word that the member for Chifley used here was 'investment'. We have to view this as an investment into our research and development capabilities. Sadly, though, I don't think that is happening. I don't think we see that as investment. I think this government sees that as a spend not as an investment. Other countries, countries that we lag behind in the OECD, see this as investment and see the value of investing in their in research and development and, as a consequence, Australia is being left behind. Our young talent is being left behind. There is a bleed of talent moving out of Australia and into those other countries where research and development is encouraged, where young people in particular but people of all ages with great ideas, with innovative ideas, can go and actually bring their ideas to fruition. This Treasury Laws Amendment (Research and Development Tax Incentive) Bill 2019 seeks to put in some reviews into an existing bill. Just by way of background, the research and development tax incentive was introduced in 2011 by the previous Labor government, which, I believe, shows our history of commitment to research and development, and to innovation. And the principal mechanism used by the Australian government to stimulate industry investment in R&D is by providing these tax offsets for eligible R&D activities. As we heard from the member for Chifley, because some big companies are abusing that in various ways, there is absolutely no reason why we need to take our eye off the ball and introduce measures that are also going to prove a disincentive for those smaller companies and those smaller organisations, those start-ups, those Australians with those brilliant ideas, from pursuing research and development because of the policy settings. The original bill that Labor introduced was intended to encourage R&D activities that might not otherwise be conducted, and that is an important aspect of the original purpose of this bill—to support R&D that might not otherwise be conducted and to recognise that the new knowledge gained is likely to have a wider Australian economic benefit. That is the crux of investment. That is the crux of what it means to invest in research and development. This bill was previously introduced, there were some issues raised with it and there was a review of the bill. This new bill still falls short and there are still some issues with this new bill. Many of the industry stakeholders in this bill are concerned about the intensity thresholds and the lack of a collaboration premium. We recognise that the bill may impact existing business decisions. It's of concern to many firms of all sizes including manufacturers and firms across many industries—mining and renewable energy, pharmaceuticals and biotech—and particularly among small businesses and start-ups. The reforms will reduce concessions to businesses and deliver significant savings. I think that's an important consideration here. This should not be about delivering savings to the government. It should be, as the member for Chifley rightly pointed out, about investing in Australia's future and, indeed, Australia's present. As the tiered intensity premium rewards those who devote a higher proportion of their expenditure to R&D, manufacturers are concerned that this may punish firms that manufacture domestically and thus have non-R&D expenditure domestically. We want to encourage domestic manufacturing. We want to diversify our economy. Australia's economic diversification has fallen. We now lag behind many countries in the world. The way forward for Australia, the way to sustain the Australian economy, is to diversify our economy. Industry is also concerned that the government is not implementing the second recommendation of the three Fs review: 'a collaboration premium of up to 20 per cent for the non-refundable tax offset to provide additional support for the collaborative element of R&D expenditures undertaken with publicly funded research organisations'. I note that Labor took to the 2019 election a commitment to a collaboration premium and an R&D target of three per cent of GDP by 2030. These things are now being considered as part of our post-election policy review process. Labor's position is that we've publicly supported the intent of measures to maintain public confidence in the integrity and financial sustainability of the R&D tax incentive, as per the Senate Economics Legislation Committee's report. However, this bill is being debated at a time when research and development, public and private, continues to slide as a percentage of GDP. It's now at just 1.79 per cent of GDP in total, with business research and development at just 0.9 per cent of GDP. I think that's abysmal in a country like Australia. As I mentioned earlier, I see so many talented people with so many fabulous ideas and so much potential, and they are just so frustrated because they cannot take advantage of R&D opportunities. This is a country where those opportunities should be encouraged. We should be encouraging people with great ideas for innovation. We should be taking advantage of the level of talent in this country. We should not be introducing policy settings that are going to quash that talent and frustrate those people even further. I don't want to take up too much time on this bill except to reiterate Labor's position and ask the government to properly explain how their minor tweaks from the last iteration of the bill have heeded the bipartisan concerns of the Senate committee that the R&D measure 'should be re-examined in order to ensure that Australian businesses are not unfairly disadvantaged'. Those opposite can't stand here in this place and talk about their support for Australian business and then introduce a measure that's going to unfairly disadvantage Australian business. They cannot talk about growing the economy, having a strong Australian economy, and then introduce measures that are going to weaken it by weakening research and development, taking opportunities for research and development away from small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups. In conclusion, I urge the government to heed industry concerns, to look at the reviews that have already been done, to take a look at the impacts the measures in this bill will have on Australian industry and, through this bill, to stay true to their spoken commitment to Australian business, which they often talk about. 13:19 Mr STEPHEN JONES A9B Whitlam One of the consequences of the weak economy under this government's management is that consumption is low, household expenditure is low and confidence throughout the economy is low. That has only been added to. It was a problem before we came into the summer of fires. It was a problem before we were hit by the uncertainty arising out of the coronavirus. The consequence of all of this is that you've got weak business investment. Capital accumulation is very low. We're deeply concerned about this on this side of the House because it means we are kicking the productivity problem down the road. We know that if we're going to get a boost in productivity which is going to underpin growth in wages we need to get new business investment and, particularly, research and development moving again. That's not happening. The tragic thing about this is that the government hasn't got a plan to turn it around. My great concern is that the bill before the House, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Research and Development Tax Incentive) Bill 2019, is not going to fix this. We on this side of the House agree that the research and development tax incentives need reform. There's no doubt about the fact that there are some distortions in the system. There's no doubt about the fact that there are some claimants in the system that shouldn't be there. If you've got a system which enables people to claim tax offsets and tax incentives for business-as-usual arrangements, then that's not incentivising new investment and new research and development; it's just rewarding people for things that they should be doing anyway. When Labor set the system up that's not what we intended to occur. There has been a review. The review put forward a range of recommendations, some of which are reflected in this bill and some which aren't. We think we need a thorough inquiry into the consequences of this. In my own electorate, for example, the steel industry is one of the nation's biggest investors in research and development, but they also have a very high level of ongoing operating costs because of their input costs. The intensity formula within the proposal will have an impact on those sorts of businesses. We want the Senate inquiry to have the opportunity to have a look into this, give stakeholders the opportunity to have their say and hopefully improve the legislation on its way through the other place. With those very brief comments, we commend the bill to the House and consideration in the other place. 13:22 Mr IRONS HYM Swan Firstly, I'd like to thank those members who have contributed to this debate. The government is committed to supporting research and development in Australia and the economic opportunities and jobs it creates. These reforms are a response to the 2016 review into the incentive, chaired by former Treasury Secretary John Fraser; the then Chair of Innovation Australia Bill Ferris; and Australia's Chief Scientist, Alan Finkel. The changes proposed in the Treasury Laws Amendment (Research and Development Tax Incentive) Bill 2019 will improve the tax incentive's effectiveness as well as the sustainability, integrity and administration of the program. Importantly, the reforms will ensure that the incentive is true to its name, providing an incentive to undertake additional R&D rather than subsidising activity that would have been undertaken anyway. Undertaking these reforms to the incentive will ensure it remains an important part of the government's overall support for R&D in Australia. I commend this bill to the House. The SPEAKER 00APG The original question was that this bill be now read a second time. To this the honourable member for Gorton has moved as an amendment that all words after 'that' be omitted with a view to substituting other words. The immediate question before the House is that the amendment moved by the member for Gorton be agreed to. The House divided. [13:28] (The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith) The division was unavailable at the time of publishing. Question negatived. 13:31 The SPEAKER 00APG The debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 43. The debate may be resumed at a later hour. STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS 38 STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS Climate Change 38 13:32 Mr KHALIL 101351 Wills The people of Wills have been advocating for urgent action on climate change for decades. They're dedicated, passionate and want only a better Australia, a better world for future generations. Yet how do the Liberals and Nationals respond to the voters I represent in the inner north of Melbourne? They dismiss them! The member for New England says we are 'inner-city trendies', 'latte sippers' while he's on the side of 'people from the real world'. It's unclear what world the Liberals and the Nats are living in, but I'm here to stand up for the people of Wills, who do live in the real world. Unlike the Liberals and the Nats, we accept the science of climate change. We want to see Australia take urgent action; we, when faced with a global challenge, don't shy away and say, 'It's all too hard.' We say, 'Let's be leaders.' The people of Wills can imagine a clean energy future with a safe climate for their kids. Why can't the Liberals and Nats see that future? The PM says we can't reach zero emissions by 2050. We can't make a difference. Better to just adapt he says; better to just give up. We in Wills refuse to accept this. We can reach zero emissions, invest massively in renewables, lead a just transition for workers and use this policy base to give us the moral standing to push the other big emitters to reduce their global emissions. We can, because we've done it before. Labor governments led international agreements to protect Antarctica and the ozone. We can do it again, and all we need to act is courage and leadership. That's what the people of Wills will continue to call for, and that is what I and my colleagues will continue to fight for in 2020 and beyond. (Time expired) Breckenridge, Mrs Judith Ann (Aunty Jude) 38 13:34 Mr HOGAN 218019 Page Aunty Jude Breckenridge was born in Maclean on 26 January 1947 to be a blessed part of the strong Yaegl and Gumbaynggirr family. Aunty Jude was the second daughter, a dearly loved sister to Lenore. Then came Wallace, Elizabeth, Lois, Keith, Beris, Stuart, Neil and Kaylene. Aunty Jude had strength and courage and has done much work in Maclean and the lower Clarence to shape the reconciliation movement. She did this in her own constant and unwavering way simply by participating in everything. Aunty Jude was a woman of many talents. As a child, she was a great athlete. She was an excellent swimmer and would win the Maclean public swimming competitions and was crowned 'grand champion athlete' at school titles. At the age of 16 Aunty Jude met her future husband, Arthur Breckenridge, and they had six children—Dwayne, Steven, Cheryl, Gary, Bevan and Deborah. She was a loving and devoted grandmother to Merinda, Nghaeria, Jesse, Jacob, Mahli, Jirra, Zac, Charles, William, Isaiah, Noah and Myah. She was also very blessed to be the great grandmother to Jessirrah, Ella, Joyce, Korbin, Elijah and Bruce. Aunty Jude has been a very important leader in our community. She was loved at Maclean High School, was loved in the Clarence and Lower Clarence, was a very important part, as I said, in the reconciliation movement. She died late last year; may she rest in peace. Prime Minister 38 13:35 Ms RYAN 249224 Lalor This summer has been a disaster for this Prime Minister, and we have watched in horror as he dials up the smugness to belie that reality. Seeing the actions of the Prime Minister over summer, I was reminded, surprisingly, of the Simpsons. It was like watching Homer chase after his roast pig, where no matter what happened he was trying to reassure himself that everything is okay. I'm in Hawaii while Australia burns—it's still good! People won't shake my hand—it's still good! The member for New England is yelling at clouds—it's still good! Those sports grants are getting called dodgy—it's all good; it's all good! The ag minister's resigned and the Nats are in revolt—it's all good! Prime Minister, it's not still good. It's not all good. It's not good that your government fails to act on climate change and fails on accountability and transparency. It's time for the Homer Simpson of Australian politics to lift his game. Here is a tip, Prime Minister: try less smirking, more thinking, more leadership and stop pretending everything in the country is fine. This country needs a Prime Minister with a serious face doing some serious work. Please, dial down the smugness and get on with your job. Coronavirus 39 13:37 Ms LIU 282918 Chisholm Last Friday, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the coronavirus a global health emergency. The Morrison government has responded swiftly and decisively in taking precautionary measures to protect Australians from the spread of the virus. Many Australians who had travelled back to Australia made the decision to self-isolate. These individuals put the community's interest ahead of their own. Sadly, I have regularly been contacted by members of the community regarding attacks on Australians of Asian descent. Tabloids have openly called coronavirus 'the Chinese virus', and used the taglines such as, 'Panda—monium.' This is not funny. Let's call it what it is—racism. I urge Australians not to overreact and not to use the coronavirus as an excuse to be divisive and racist to others in the community. Once again, I thank the Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Health for the constant updates and assistance. Dunkley electorate: Australia Day Awards 39 13:38 Ms MURPHY 133646 Dunkley At this year's Australia Day Order of Australia awards, locals from Dunkley were well represented. I'd like to stand today on behalf of the people of Dunkley to congratulate Dr Christopher John Clements on his Member of the Order of Australia. Dr Clements has been recognised for significant service to international public health through immunisation programs. He has been a medical practitioner for 40 years. He's a published intellectual, he's worked for international and local medical organisations, and he's also been a volunteer chaplain at Frankston Hospital and an advisor to City Life Mission. Receiving the Medal of the Order of Australia was Mr Klaus Cimdins for his service to veterans and their families and is himself a Vietnam veteran. He's been the honorary treasurer, secretary and newsletter editor for the 9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment Association of Victoria since 2015. He's part of Mornington Peninsula Legacy Club and he does so much for local members of our community. Mr Robert Dance received the Medal of the Order of Australia in recognition of his services to waterskiing, as a life member of the Victorian Water Ski Association and as organiser of waterskiing events across the world. Mr Russell Kerr received the same award for services to education. A local Frankston high-school teacher and the man who set up Hands On Learning, he is dedicated to making sure disenfranchised and disengaged children have the best chance in life through education. Boothby Electorate: Youth Opportunities 39 13:40 Ms FLINT 245550 Boothby I recently had the pleasure of visiting Youth Opportunities to meet with CEO Erin Faehrmann about their life-changing work. Based in Somerton Park, Youth Opportunities was founded in 1997 by Peter Marshman AM with the aim of developing leadership skills in young people and breaking the cycle of long-term unemployment and disadvantage. The Youth Opportunities personal leadership program provides school students with a 60-hour wellbeing and life skills training program to increase self-confidence and motivation for school or study and to develop personal and career goals, followed by two years of ongoing mentoring. Each year, Youth Opportunities works with around 600 students across South Australia, and over 10,000 have participated in the program to date. As a not-for-profit organisation, Youth Opportunities relies almost entirely on the generosity of donors and fundraising efforts to deliver their program, which is why I was pleased they successfully obtained a stronger communities grant of $5,000 to upgrade some office equipment. I, along with my office, attended their Melbourne Cup Day fundraising lunch, which was generously supported by Peter and Jenny Hurley at their Marion Hotel. If anyone is interested in supporting the very important work of this wonderful organisation, please donate online. Thank you to the board, CEO Erin Faehrmann, immediate past CEO and Glenelg footy club legend Peter Carey, staff and all the Youth Opportunities team for the incredible work they do with young people across South Australia. Morrison Government 39 13:41 Mr ROB MITCHELL M3E McEwen In Australia, we generally enjoy ourselves in summer and go out and have a good time. But what we found over this summer was a Prime Minister who has left this country wanting. The Prime Minister went to the election pretending he was the daggy dad, the everywhere man. But what we found out was that the Prime Minister is actually a white shoe salesman; when you shake his hand, you want to count your fingers. Over Christmas, the Prime Minister lied about being on holiday. Then he lied about where he went. Then we found out, through someone's Instagram photos, that he was in Hawaii. When he came back, what did he do? He absolutely dismissed everything that was going on with the bushfires and everything that was going on around him. And then we had the sports rorts, an amazing piece of government grant corruption the likes of which we have never seen before. Wherever on the front bench you look, you see minister after minister after minister under a cloud because they have treated Australian taxpayers' dollars like their own. We've even seen videos emerging of the Prime Minister's staff standing on chairs saying, 'Yay, we've got barbecues for our sailing club!' Well done! Meanwhile, many Australian sportswomen have to go out and change in cars or not have change rooms at all because the government corrupted a process to ensure that it looked after itself and not the Australian people. We've heard that the Prime Minister often gets compared to Homer Simpson. I think that's a bit unfair. He's really a cross between Ralph Wiggum and Barney Gumble! Whichever way you look at it, this bloke is not fit for the office he holds. Lyne Electorate: Australia Day Awards 40 13:43 Dr GILLESPIE 72184 Lyne I rise today to congratulate two deserving men who have been honoured in the Australia Day Awards 2020. Dr Geoff Irvine received a Medal of the Order of Australia for his services to the Chiropractic Association. He has previously been awarded Chiropractor of the Year by the New South Wales branch and awarded life membership. The second person I would like to congratulate is Corporal Lachlan Walker O'Kane, who received a Conspicuous Service Medal for meritorious achievement as a surveillance technician in Air Task Group 630 whilst deployed on Operation Okra from August 2018 to February 2019. I would also like to give a great shout-out and congratulations to Colin Howarth, who has been named inaugural winner of the MidCoast Volunteer of the Year award. Colin deserves this award. He spends his spare time volunteering not only for the Bucketts Way Neighbourhood Group but also for aged-care services, the Cancer Council of New South Wales and Hunter New England health services. I would also like to congratulate Alan Vaile, of Gloucester, who was awarded Local Citizen of the Year. He has dedicated many years to the RSL sub-branch as well as the New South Wales SES and the Gloucester Men's Shed. I would also like to congratulate Halliday's Point Lions Club for their Australia Day awards ceremony. They awarded Local Citizen of the Year to Jan Kempe and Leo Fransen. (Time expired) Petition: Petroleum Exploration Permit 11 40 13:44 Ms STEGGALL 175696 Warringah I rise to table a document, subject to the approval of the Standing Committee on Petitions, signed by more than 60,000 concerned residents who are united in their opposition to offshore seismic blasting and drilling for gas in the pristine waters that stretch from Newcastle to Manly. This much-loved and beautiful marine environment is an area of rich biodiversity and is part of the whale migration path. This coastline is also home to internationally famous beaches and sustains significant local industry and tourism. This stunning area has become rather clinically known as PEP 11 in reference to petroleum exploration permit 11, which it is subject to. A private company, Advent Energy, has been given approval for underwater seismic testing and is now applying for a permit for underwater gas drilling. The very thought that we would use these waters to drill for fossil fuels is appalling, and 60,000 people agree. I commend the Save Our Coast group for their concerted efforts in drawing the public's attention to this issue and for compiling this petition. Whilst the planned seismic testing has been abandoned, Advent Energy is proceeding with its plans for drilling. This is totally unacceptable and brings renewed energy and urgency to the petition I submit today. Thank you, Natasha and Save Our Coast, for your care of our precious coastline. Moore Electorate: Water 40 13:46 Mr GOODENOUGH 74046 Moore Expanding our water supply to include non-rainfall-dependent sources to provide water security to Perth's northern corridor is one of my main priorities for our community. In the environmental context of a dryer climate and a growing urban population over the past 20 years, increased groundwater extraction has resulted in a fall in the watertable, with local lakes and wetlands drying up. Our horticultural industry, businesses, local governments and households have all been impacted by water licensing, reduced allocations and sprinkler bans. I'm pleased to inform the parliament that Australis's first full-scale groundwater replenishment scheme is operating within the Moore electorate. Annually, 28 gigalitres of treated water from the Water Corporation's wastewater treatment plants in Craigie and Neerabup is being recharged into our groundwater supply, the Leederville and Yarragadee aquifers. New bores are being drilled in Beldon, Heathridge and Neerabup, which are being connected to the plants by pipelines being constructed in Joondalup, Currambine and Neerabup. I call upon the government to secure the future water supply for our growing population by expanding water recycling to other wastewater treatment plants in our north, such as Alkimos. Tuxworth, Hon. Ian 41 13:47 Mr GOSLING 245392 Solomon Sadly, the Northern Territory's second Chief Minister, Ian Tuxworth, passed away on 21 January. A state funeral was held yesterday at St Mary's Star of the Sea Cathedral in Darwin. As NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner said in his eulogy yesterday, Ian Tuxworth was one of the key players in the transition to self-government in 1978. We must remember that he and his political colleagues needed to create an executive arm of government from scratch and to build an effective public service. His battles with Canberra were the stuff of legend. Ian Tuxworth represented the seat of Barkly for 16 years and was influential in the first Northern Territory ministry after self-government. Born in 'the Gong' in 1942, he moved with his family to Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory in 1952. He was educated in a public school at Tennant Creek and went to college in Adelaide, returning to Tennant Creek as a young man. He was one of the driving forces of the construction of the Mary Ann dam north of Tennant Creek and, as Chief Minister, was a very strong advocate for the Territory. There's no doubt that the Territory would not be where it is today if it were not for the work done early on by people like Ian Tuxworth. Vale Ian Tuxworth, second Chief Minister of the Northern Territory. Curtin Electorate: Schools 41 13:49 Ms HAMMOND 80072 Curtin Back-to-school season is upon us already. To the children in my electorate who have returned to school over the last week: I wish you all the best for the coming year. To the teachers in the schools in my electorate: I wish you too the best for the coming year and, in advance, thank you for your patience, your perseverance and your passion. While there are plenty of kids all over the country who are excitedly walking out the door with their backpacks overflowing with new stuff and their names carefully plastered on pens, pencils and rulers, there are also a lot of families in our communities for who the expense of the annual book list and stationery requirements is just too great. The sad reality is that there are many kids who start the school year with an empty bag. For those kids, the impact of not having what they need can be enormously detrimental both from a learning perspective and from a social perspective. A wonderful woman in my electorate, Anita Bell, was talking about this with a school friend teacher of hers last year. It dawned on her that, while there were lots of kids going to school with nothing, there were also lots of families who had shelves and cupboards and drawers filled with second-hand stationery—pens, pencils, rulers. So Anita; her husband, Jeff; and 16-year-old son, Ben, decided to do something about it, and they started their own charitable organisation—Give Write. In the space of four months, Give Write has already managed to distribute 600 stationery starter packs to kids across WA with a total of over 80,000 items donated, sorted and— The DEPUTY SPEAKER 218019 I thank the member, and I call the member for Shortland. Morrison Government: Climate Change 41 13:50 Mr CONROY 249127 Shortland The Prime Minister continues to fail this country on climate policy. He continues to be misleading about meeting their inadequate Paris targets and the Kyoto target. This year our emissions will be only 0.3 per cent below 2000 levels, and in 2030, incredibly, they'll be only 4.7 per cent below 2000 levels. He was humiliated at the Pacific Island Forums over climate policy, and he played a wrecking role at the recent climate conference in Madrid. But you would think that after the recent bushfire crisis, which we're still right in, he would have had a conversion to taking action on climate policy. You'd think he'd recognise that the vast majority of Australians want Australia to actually take climate seriously. But, no. When Australia zigs, this Prime Minister zags. He has appointed the member for Hinkler to his cabinet as Minister of Resources and Water, possibly the only member of parliament more anti-action on climate change than Senator Canavan. He's the member of parliament who is the most pro-nuclear power. He's the member of parliament who, when he was a minister, resigned due to Australia signing up to the Paris treaty, the last best hope for getting climate action around the world. This raises the question: is this government even nominally committed to Paris again? I think the answer is no. The Prime Minister is a disgrace on climate change. He intends to do nothing while Australia burns, and the point of Keith Pitt as the minister in cabinet further proves this. Australia Day Awards 41 13:52 Mr HASTIE 260805 Canning Every Australia Day we celebrate our great country, our democratic values, our freedoms, our beautiful landscape, our oceans and our national character of resilience forged over many years. I'm reminded of this quote from Charles Bean, who, after returning from the outback, wrote a column for The Sydney Morning Heraldin 1907. In it, he said: The Australian is always fighting something. In the bush it is drought, fires, unbroken horses, and cattle; and not infrequently strong men … All this fighting with men and with nature, fierce as any warfare, has made of the Australian as fine a fighting man as exists. It's a great quote and something to think about as we think on Australia Day. We also celebrated outstanding members of our local community. We had five honour recipients from Canning who were appointed a Member of the Order of Australia last month. They are the late Mr Eric Lumsden AM PSM for significant services to public administration and to planning, the Hon. Fred Riebeling AM of Dudley Park for significant service to the people and parliament of Western Australia—and I note he's a Labor member and he's done great service to his party—Mr David Hicks OAM of Meadow Springs for service for people with a disability, Mrs Joanna Randell OAM of Carmel for service to the community through music and Ms Christine Thompson OAM of Furnissdale for service to the local government and to the community of the Murray Shire. On behalf of us all, congratulations. Coalition Government 42 13:53 Mr CLARE HWL Blaxland There's a lot wrong with this government, but here are my top 10. No. 10: they reckon they're great economic managers. Yeah, right! Last year economic growth was less here than it was in Greece. No. 9: wages are flat as a tack. It's easier to get a sports grant in a safe seat at the moment than it is for most people to get a decent pay rise. No. 8: the cost of living is through the roof. Childcare costs, for example, have gone up by 34 per cent. No. 7: wholesale power prices have gone up under this government by a whopping 158 per cent. No. 6: aged-care waiting lists have blown out by a massive 300 per cent. No. 5 is the dodgy, second-rate NBN. In the last six years we've gone from 30th in the world for internet speeds to now 68th. No. 4 is climate change. They've got no plan on that. No wonder—most of them think climate change is something that happens when you go to Hawaii for a holiday! No. 3: they're always at each other's throats; the bloke who tried to put down Johnny Depp's dogs was at it again this week. No. 2: the bushfires exposed that we have a Prime Minister who doesn't want to lead or doesn't know how to. And No. 1—we know what it is—the sports rorts scandal. That was the rorting of $100 million of taxpayer money—just plain old corruption. The Australian people are starting to work this mob out. They could smell smoke in January and they can smell the stench of corruption from that side of the House now. The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Swan on a point of order? Mr Irons HYM Mr Speaker, I ask that the member withdraw that unparliamentary remark. The SPEAKER 00APG I'm just going to say that I'm concerned with the remark, because it's referring to members of parliament and it does need to be withdrawn. It does. Yesterday, the word was used with respect to a program but once it's used with respect to members of parliament that is an imputation that is not only undesirable but it lowers the tone of the debate. Mr CLARE HWL I withdraw. Leichhardt Electorate: Kapani Warrior Program 42 13:56 Mr ENTSCH 7K6 Leichhardt I rise this afternoon to highlight the amazing work of Dr Tim White, one of the founders of the highly successful Kapani Warrior program. The Kapani Warrior program, composed mainly of veterans, and nearly entirely self-funded, was established in 2012 and has become an outstanding success and a beacon of hope for many. Kapani Warrior program is an anger inoculation program for Indigenous men aged 18 to 30 and living in remote communities. Participants are coached by veterans through rigorous training camps designed to boost confidence and self-esteem, and also learn ways to manage their own emotional situations. Such is the program's success that there has been an astounding 75 per cent reduction in public nuisance offences across a number of Cape York communities that the Kapani Warriors are involved with. The program has also led to valuable employment opportunities for participants, including with defence, the SES and local and regional employers. In fact, more than 157 program graduates have entered military service, of which 87 per cent have graduated recruitment training. This is an amazing success by anybody's standards. I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank Dr White and his dedicated team for the amazing work that they're doing. They are literally saving lives and changing lives. I say thank you very much indeed in that acknowledgement. Morrison Government 43 13:57 Mr HUSIC 91219 Chifley If there is one thing that Australians cannot tolerate it is people in positions of authority doing things that ordinary Australians can't do and which, if they did do them they would have the book thrown at them. But we have seen that happen through the course of the last few months. There was the sports rorts affair, in particular, where taxpayer money was used as a political slush fund, delivering decisions to mates that could never be done—nor should be done—outside, and no-one was accountable for that until the very last moment. If someone were putting in a document to Centrelink that was not right and if there were a family benefit, a childcare benefit or an age pension dependent on it and it turned out that the document were false, then they would have the book thrown at them. And yet we can have a minister of the Crown in this place use a forged document to gain political benefit and absolutely nothing happens at all! There is the way in which accountability runs in this place. The Nationals, who see themselves as the tail wagging the dog, have had one of their people thrown out of a ministerial position, but a Liberal Party minister can hold onto his position and even have the Prime Minister ring a police commissioner to help him! The double standards are appalling, and should end. Climate Change 43 13:59 Mr JOYCE E5D New England We don't deny climate change, but what we absolutely deny is that the Labor Party can change it back—that a policy from this chamber has the capacity to change the climate back to something that is more tolerable so that we can deal with droughts and deal with fires. I look forward to this chamber having the capacity to have a cogent debate about alternative forms of zero emissions, such as nuclear power. If we are going to move on, if you do want to transition, then nuclear power, of course, is going to be one of the mechanisms to do that. It would stand to reason, as coal is our major export, that we have to have the capacity for the most efficient use of that coal, so the least amount of coal produces the greatest amount of power. That would be an effective mechanism. I know that you have trouble in Central Queensland and you have trouble in the Hunter Valley because you don't support workers anymore. You have given up on those workers. We look forward to looking after them, to bring them into the National Party fold and to make sure that they become part of our constituency as they are. If you wish to go down the path of continuing to move away from the workers who once thought the Labor Party was their party then we're waiting with open arms to take them over. The SPEAKER 00APG In accordance with standing order 43, the time for members' statements has concluded. STATEMENTS ON INDULGENCE 43 STATEMENTS ON INDULGENCE 14:00 Mr HOGAN 218019 Page I've been advised by the Deputy Prime Minister that I am to be appointed to the ministry following the rising of the House today. As a consequence, I will be resigning from the Deputy Speaker role prior to my swearing in. 14:01 The SPEAKER 00APG Can I thank the Deputy Speaker very much for his service. I've very much enjoyed working with him. I will miss him when he does tender his resignation to me prior to his swearing in. As the Deputy Speaker said, he'll tender his resignation to me prior to his swearing in. We will then need to elect a new Deputy Speaker by ballot. I can inform the House that that ballot will take place on Monday immediately following question time. Members will be aware that prior to question time our item of business is an address from the Indonesian President, followed by a suspension of the House before a resumption for question time. So immediately following question time on Monday we will have a ballot for a new Deputy Speaker. QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE 43 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE Pensions and Benefits 43 14:02 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. Does the Prime Minister regret administering an illegal robodebt scheme, a fact that was revealed in an answer to a question on notice in the Senate today by the Australian Taxation Office? 14:02 Mr ROBERT HWT Fadden As the House would know, on the morning 19 November last year the government announced a further refinement of the income compliance program. This is part of the ongoing commitment to continually strengthen and improve the scheme. The program has already a undergone a number of iterations and refinements since its inception under Labor in 2011. In response to community feedback, these changes will make the program more robust by requiring additional evidence when using information to identify— Honourable members interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG The minister will resume his seat for a second. Members on both sides. The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order. Mr Burke DYW It goes to relevance. This wasn't a refinement. It wasn't due to community feedback. It was against the law— The SPEAKER 00APG The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. That was a statement, not a point of order, but I'm going to take it as a point of order on relevance. Mr ROBERT HWT These changes are designed to make the program more robust by requiring additional evidence when using income information to identify potential overpayments. As stated in November last year, this means we'll no longer raise a debt where the only information we're relying on is the averaging of ATO income. For those debts raised to date, the statement was made that Services Australia will be carefully and methodically working to identify those customers whose debts may have been calculated using apportioned ATO PAYG employment income data. It is complex to do that. It's a highly manual process. It's not appropriate to pre-empt the outcome of this process. We'll advise the House in the future when that process comes to its conclusion. Coronavirus 44 14:04 Dr ALLEN 282986 Higgins My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister update the House on how the Morrison government is responding to the important issue of the coronavirus outbreak? 14:05 Mr MORRISON E3L Cook I thank the member for Higgins for her question and for her advice and support in the actions the government has taken, given her medical background. The government has taken decisive action when it comes to addressing the very real threat of the coronavirus globally and to Australia specifically. We've been at the leading edge of global initiatives to contain the virus. Those measures, working together with the states and territories, have so far proven very effective. The national incident response room was set up immediately and led by the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Brendan Murphy. I had the opportunity to visit that incident response room as it was running, very early on in the piece, with the Deputy Prime Minister. Enhanced biosecurity and health screening measures were quickly put in place and strict new travel restrictions were announced for a 14-day period commencing from 1 February. It took more than 24 hours for that travel ban to be put in place and, indeed, for the measure for the United States to be put in place. Self-isolation requirements for Australians and residents returning from mainland China have been put in place. A total of 1.4 million masks have been made available from the national medical stockpile, including for vulnerable people and border, airline and health staff. We are supporting Australians to return home safely, in particular those who found themselves isolated and vulnerable in the Hubei province in Wuhan. On the first flight 243 Australians were assisted to leave Wuhan, with 241 Australians transferred to Christmas Island and one pregnant woman and her partner transferred to Perth for her support. All repatriated Australians and their families are now being well looked after on Christmas Island. The Defence Force and the Department of Home Affairs are identifying overflow facilities and contingencies should other facilities be required as we work through those issues. The New Zealand government has assisted, and I thank Prime Minister Ardern for her support with some 36 Australian nationals and residents, who have now been transferred to Christmas Island. DFAT is now in the process of registering our intention to undertake a second chartered flight. I spoke to the chief executive of Qantas earlier today and thanked Qantas in particular for their great support through this very difficult period. I want to stress that people should not assume that further flights may be able to be organised into the future, whether from mainland China or, indeed, Wuhan. Scenario planning is underway with our health professionals to advise the National Security Committee. The economic impacts are being carefully considered, but it is still too early to tell the broader impact. I thank the Treasurer for the work that he's doing with states and territories. We are affording ourselves maximum flexibility to respond to this ongoing crisis. The National Coronavirus Health Information Line is 1800020080. McKenzie, Senator Bridget 44 14:08 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler My question is again addressed to the Prime Minister. Is the Prime Minister aware that the Deputy Prime Minister foreshadowed yet another reshuffle when he told Kieran Gilbert on Sky News yesterday that Senator McKenzie would be coming back? Does the Prime Minister intend to return Senator McKenzie to his cabinet? 14:08 Mr MORRISON E3L Cook I thank the member for his question. I want to congratulate the outstanding members of this House who will soon, this afternoon, be going out to Government House to be sworn in as ministers in our cabinet and in our ministry. I congratulate those members: the new ministers for water and resources and, of course, northern Australia. I congratulate, in particular, the Minister for Veterans and Defence Personnel. Coalition governments in this country have given Australians stronger economies, safer borders, stronger national security and a focus on the needs of rural and regional Australians, which is demonstrated by the large number of rural and regional members from the Nationals and the Liberals, who know how to represent their constituents, because they understand the needs of rural and regional Australians. When it comes to drought we are there and we have been there. Those opposite voted against the drought fund. The SPEAKER 00APG The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order. Mr Albanese R36 Yes, Mr Speaker. The Prime Minister is misleading the House with that last statement. He should withdraw it. The SPEAKER 00APG There's no point of order. Mr MORRISON E3L Mr Speaker, I withdraw it. What they sought to do was oppose it every step of the way. They had to be dragged kicking and screaming. Mr Albanese interjecting— Mr MORRISON E3L I'll take the interjection from the Leader of the Opposition— The SPEAKER 00APG The Prime Minister will resume his seat for a second. I'm very much focused on the question. The Prime Minister had a comprehensive preamble, can I say, but I'm not going to have a situation where we move from the question to interjections. Interjections are disorderly. The Leader of the Opposition's point of order was not a valid one. We're now— Mr Albanese interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG He did, but I didn't require him to withdraw. I didn't. I actually didn't, because there are other forums of the House to deal with what the Leader of the Opposition was talking about—namely, after question time, as he well knows. I'm just going to ask that the Leader of the Opposition not interject and that the Prime Minister not take interjections and start another debate. Mr MORRISON E3L Thank you, Mr Speaker. They are the members who will be sworn into the ministry and the cabinet today. They are the only members who will be sworn into the ministry and the cabinet today. They are very deserving members and they are going to do an outstanding job. This each-way Leader of the Opposition—he's for a drought fund, he's against a drought fund; he's for tax cuts, he's against tax cuts— The SPEAKER 00APG The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order? Mr Albanese R36 Yes, it goes to relevance. It went to who are the temporary people? Who's going to make way for Bridget McKenzie? Because she's coming back; he said it. The SPEAKER 00APG The Leader of the Opposition will not debate his question. We once had supplementary questions in the standing orders. We don't anymore, okay? The Prime Minister in conclusion. Mr MORRISON E3L So this each-way Leader of the Opposition—he's for things; he's against things—what is the Leader of the Opposition for— The SPEAKER 00APG No, the Prime Minister will resume his seat. Economy 45 14:12 Mr ALEXANDER M3M Bennelong My question is to the Treasurer. How is the Morrison government's responsible fiscal management building the resilience of our economy and protecting Australians from threats like the coronavirus? Will the Treasurer remind the House why a calm and considered approach is important when facing challenges like this? 14:13 Mr FRYDENBERG FKL Kooyong I thank the member for Bennelong for his question and note his deep commitment, like that of all members on this side of the House, to strong economic management and the creation of more jobs. When we came to government, unemployment was 5.7 per cent. Today it's 5.1 per cent. When we came to government, we inherited a budget deficit of $48½ billion, or three per cent of GDP. Today we have the first balanced budget in 11 years. When we came to government, under Labor in their last year, 62,000 small businesses closed their doors. In the last reported year, under the coalition, 75,000 small businesses were created. This is why, under disciplined economic management by the coalition, we've got the first current account surplus in more than 40 years, we've got the lowest welfare dependency in 30 years, we've got the biggest tax cuts in more than 20 years and we have the first balanced budget in 11 years. This has given us the flexibility to respond to economic crises that are beyond our control. We've had the ongoing drought, and our thoughts are with all those families and communities affected. We have announced $1.3 billion of commitments since the election on top of everything else that we have announced. When it comes to the fires, we have announced an additional $2 billion through a national bushfire recovery fund. And we've made these initiatives without increasing taxes, which those opposite would have done. Indeed, when the Labor Party went to the last election, they were promising $387 billion of higher taxes—taxes that are still on their books. Could you imagine responding to the virus, the drought, the floods, the fires and the trade tensions by whacking $387 billion of higher taxes on the people of Australia? Only those geniuses, the member for Rankin—Sir Tax-a-lot—and the member for McMahon, with their $387 billion of higher taxes that they came up with. The reality is that, when it comes to responding to the virus, we are taking the measures necessary to protect Australians. It will have a significant impact on the Australian economy, but we are prepared. We have the fiscal flexibility to respond to economic crises whenever they may occur. Under this government, more jobs are being created, the budget is back in balance and tax cuts have been provided to millions of Australians. Australian Bushfires 46 14:16 Dr MIKE KELLY HRI Eden-Monaro My question is to the Prime Minister. The Longstocking Brewery in Pambula, in my community, would be paying 24 to 30 casual shifts a week at this time of year. Because of the bushfires, they're currently paying four. Loss of wages for casual and permanent staff is hurting my community. We're losing jobs. They're leaving the region, and the government, they tell me, is not providing any help. Why is that, after bushfire-affected businesses were promised immediate relief, they're still unable to access that help? 14:16 Mr MORRISON E3L Cook The government has responded to the bushfire crisis with a $2 billion national bushfire recovery fund, and that is administered by the National Bushfire Recovery Agency. When it comes to small businesses, as the member would be aware, there are qualifying criteria for businesses that have been directly impacted by the fires. It is the same criteria that applied to small businesses that were affected by the floods that occurred in North Queensland this time last year. That same criteria applies to those affected businesses in the bushfire-affected zones today. That is important. We'll provide the same support to those in this disaster that was provided to those in previous devastating disasters. What is important, whether it's that business or the many other businesses, is the recovery work that is being put in place, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, to clear sites. We are doing that with the New South Wales government. We are providing the $50,000 grants and providing the $500,000 zero interest loans with nothing to pay for two years and at a concessional rate of 0.6 per cent, which is half the bond rate; that's where it's currently at now. All of that is there to provide working capital and support for those businesses that may not have been directly impacted by the bushfires but are otherwise going through the very challenges that the member has outlined to this House. The measures in response to the North Queensland floods have proved to be enormously helpful as those businesses have gone about the repairing and rebuilding process over the last year. If the member is suggesting that the disaster recovery arrangements should change—that the taxpayer should be the insurer of last resort on all matters—that is not a policy that his government pursued and it is not a policy that this government is pursuing. Those grants will get to the small businesses that need them. We have put through support, with the New South Wales government, to assess with financial counsellors, to help them get access to the support they need. For these individual cases I am sure the minister responsible for emergency management would be pleased to pass that on through the recovery agency, to provide whatever assistance we can. This government is providing the most significant package of relief that we have seen in relation to a disaster of this nature. It's initial, it's additional and it'll keep rolling every single day, and it will be there for years and years and years to come. Australian Bushfires 46 14:19 Ms SHARKIE 265980 Mayo My question is to the . Minister, thank you for visiting my electorate and allowing me to drive you through the Adelaide Hills firegrounds, including the devastated townships of Harrogate and Brukunga in the Mount Barker district council region. Thank you also for meeting with council and listening to their detailed account of the $1.4 million in costs they've incurred through the clean-up process. Yet, thus far, Mount Barker remains excluded from category D disaster local government funding assistance. Minister, when will the government commit to ensuring Mount Barker council receives the category D funding they so badly need? 14:20 Mr LITTLEPROUD 265585 Maranoa I thank the member for Mayo not only for her support for her community and for her leadership in making sure that the impacts of the devastation that I saw firsthand with her are understood; I also thank her now in the recovery phase. It's important, as the government has said from the start, that this has to be a locally led recovery—not Canberra led. We work with our disaster recovery payments with the states, who make those assessments. We're working with the South Australia government now with respect to Mount Barker. Let me make it clear that what I saw there was truly devastating, and the Australian government is working as quickly as we can. After meeting with the council and you, under your leadership we are working through that list as quickly as we can to make sure the category C application is strengthened from the South Australian government and the finalisation of that is complete. Then, obviously, category D will be on top of that. In fact, as early as today Andrew Colvin, who is running the National Bushfire Recovery Agency, is on a plane to go and sit with the Mount Barker council. He will sit down and engage with them, along with other councils in South Australia, to make sure that we coordinate this approach as quickly as we can—so that the assessments are made as quickly as the South Australian government possibly can, we get it right and there aren't any gaps in this. So it's important that we get that announcement out imminently to those people in Mount Barker and other shires, as quickly as we possibly can, as that assessment's made in South Australia. Can I thank the member for Mayo and her office, and even her mother, for the hospitality I was awarded in Mayo. I can say with great authority that her mother's mulberry jam is the some of the best I have ever tasted! QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: ADDITIONAL ANSWERS 47 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: ADDITIONAL ANSWERS Australian Bushfires 47 14:22 Mr MORRISON E3L Cook Adding to an answer I gave today to a question from the member for Eden-Monaro, and in the same vein as the previous question, I'm sure the member for Eden-Monaro would like to know that the New South Wales government opened their program, which is funded by the federal government, in relation to small business recovery on 2 February 2020. Two hundred and nine expressions of interest had been received before the program opened and 68 applications have been received, with an average amount requested of $30,981 per grant. For the information of other members, the Victorian program has not yet opened. It's expected to open this week. These programs are run by the state governments and funded by the federal government. One hundred and fourteen expressions of interest had been received by 5 February. For South Australia, that opened on 30 January 2020 with 14 grants totalling $329,435 paid so far, and they have approved a further five grants. In Queensland, there has been nil small business impact—this is my advice—with no grants program in place for Queensland at this point. The New South Wales loans opened on 3 February 2020, just a few days ago. That is also run by the New South Wales government. Queensland concessional loans opened on 3 February also, and guidelines are now being considered by South Australia and Victoria. I hope that information is helpful. QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE 47 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE Community Sport Infrastructure Grant Program 47 14:23 Mr CONNELLY 282984 Stirling My question is to the Treasurer representing the Minister for Finance. Will the Treasurer outline to the House how the Morrison government is taking action to extend the application of the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines and why this Auditor-General's report, and previous reports from the Auditor-General into other grants programs, underlines the importance of the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines? 14:24 Mr FRYDENBERG FKL Kooyong I thank the member for Stirling. The Leader of the Opposition might like to listen closely. As the House is aware, the Auditor-General has conducted a report into the Community Sport Infrastructure Grant Program. The government takes this very seriously. We have accepted all its recommendations, including the extension of the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines to situations which involve Commonwealth entities such as Sport Australia and when the minister is the decision-maker. Finance is preparing advice for the government about how ANAO recommendation 4 is best implemented and will consult with corporate entities, but one effect will be to improve the reporting requirements. Now, as those opposite will be aware, this is not the only report of the Auditor-General that's made some interesting observations. I'm reminded there was a report—ANAO audit report No. 3 of 2010-11—into a $550 million infrastructure program. It said on page 38: … Ministers made an explicit decision to approve an application that was known to be otherwise ineligible under the Guidelines— and also went on to say: … the equitable consideration of all applicants was not evident in the processes employed. Who were the beneficiaries of this process? The Auditor-General went on to say on page 48: The awarding of funding to projects also disproportionately favoured ALP held seats … In fact, the Auditor-General found that, when it came to funding, ALP electorates had a success rate almost three times the coalition's. So who was the responsible minister overseeing this $550 million grant program? It was none other than the member for Grayndler. Hypocrisy, thy name is Labor. Australian Bushfires 48 14:26 Ms TEMPLEMAN 181810 Macquarie My question is to the Prime Minister. Why is the Prime Minister forcing my community, which has been burning for months, to wait until the middle of this year before their blocks are cleared of bushfire debris? 14:27 Mr MORRISON E3L Cook The arrangements that have been put in place with the New South Wales government—the contract tender was issued by the New South Wales government, I think, about a week ago now. They're seeking, as was the case after the Black Saturday fires—and we've taken that as the model—to have overarching contractors which can move in and clear all of these sites. That will be done at government expense done fifty-fifty between the Commonwealth and the state government. That will mean that, for those who have blocks that have been impacted by fire, their homes burnt or destroyed, that cost will be met by the government. That means the insurance they have will go further. For the underinsurance that may be there, it means that they will have a bigger impact from the insurance they have available to them. Those who don't have insurance will at the very least, as a result of the government's actions, working with the New South Wales government, who are running this program, who are issuing the tenders, who are selecting the contractor and implementing the program—we are going to pick up half of that bill, as was the precedent established after the Black Saturday fires. We'll be entering into a similar agreement with the Victorian government, and that is underway now. These contracts, these works will be run by the New South Wales government, and I have no doubt that they are moving as a government as quickly as they can to provide that support. I would think that that type of approach would have the support of the opposition, but I say to the member what I said to the member for Gilmore yesterday: we understand the great distress in their communities. Again I would pass onto the member, as I did to the member for Gilmore yesterday, our deep sympathy and strong support through the recovery programs we'll be putting in place and are delivering, with over $100 million in disaster recovery payments already delivered on the ground to over 70,000 Australians and over 30,000 children. We will continue to deliver this support and work with the state and territory governments who deliver this on the ground. We are meeting all of those responsible costs at a fifty-fifty basis, and I look forward to working with the New South Wales Premier and her ministers to ensure that they can get that done as quickly as possible. Coronavirus 48 14:29 Mr DRUM 56430 Nicholls My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development and the Acting Minister for Agriculture: Will the Deputy Prime Minister inform the House how the Morrison Government is managing the coronavirus outbreak to ensure Australians are safe and that our agricultural and biosecurity reputation is protected? 14:29 Mr McCORMACK 219646 Riverina I thank the member for Nicholls for his very serious question. This government's biosecurity measures play a critical role at our borders, and none more critical than for the agricultural industry. We want to make sure that agriculture is a $100 billion industry by 2030, and we're working towards that. Our measures include protecting Australians from the coronavirus. We are working hard around the clock to minimise the impacts this outbreak may have on our nation. An opposition member: What about Brendan O'Connor? Mr McCORMACK 219646 They may find it funny, they may find this hilarious, but the coronavirus is a very serious threat to our nation. The SPEAKER 00APG No, Deputy Prime Minister; if you could just return to the question. I heard the interjection. It's hard when you're answering a question, but it didn't have that motive about it. The Deputy Prime Minister has the call. Mr McCORMACK 219646 Small minds, Mr Speaker. Australia is well-placed to respond to travellers who may be at risk of contracting infection, with border isolation surveillance and contact-tracing mechanisms already in place. Our actions have been swift, they've been appropriate, they've been calm, they've been measured. Temporary travel restrictions have been introduced for foreign nationals seeking to enter Australia within 14 days of departing or transiting through mainland China. Protection measures relating to both aviation and maritime passenger arrivals, including crew members, have been put in place. In relation to aviation, all airlines flying to Australia are incorporating into their mandatory passenger announcements a specific health announcement from the Australian government regarding the coronavirus. This broadcast is made on board before the aircraft lands, with similar announcements being made at sea ports. I'm aware that Qantas and Chinese airlines have suspended or are suspending services to China, and I invite those passengers impacted to contact airlines in the first instance in relation to future travel plans. In relation to those evacuated in the assisted departure from Wuhan, 241 passengers have been transferred to Christmas Island for quarantine. Again I say this: it's a calm, considered approach. That's what this government does in relation to all of these things, and most importantly to protecting our borders. I'd like to thank Qantas for its assistance at this time. In maritime, our focus is on providing information to assist the protection of marine pilots, stevedores and harbour masters. I appreciate the fact that unions have been taking part in discussions between departments for these critical interventions. We're working hard to minimise the impact on our shipping trade, bearing in mind that 80 per cent of the value of Australia's trade is moved by ship. Our agricultural biosecurity is absolutely paramount. Managing maritime aspects of travel restrictions are twofold: managing cargo vessels and managing cruise ships. All international vessels entering Australia are required to report information about biosecurity before they arrive. I say again: our response has been considered, it's been measured, it's been appropriate and it's been swift. (Time expired) Prime Minister 49 14:33 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. Does the Prime Minister regret saying that volunteer firefighters don't need economic compensation for lost income because they 'want to be out there'? 14:33 Mr MORRISON E3L Cook Once again, the Leader of the Opposition is misrepresenting what occurred for political purposes, as he always does. There is no issue that the Leader of the Opposition will not seek to exploit for personal political gain, and this is just another example of his lack of character. What he has suggested was not what I outlined when those remarks were made. What was raised in the press conference I was at was in relation to—the first time when the suggestion was made that there may be some— An opposition member interjecting— Mr MORRISON E3L It was raised by the journalist about whether we would be considering— An opposition member interjecting— Mr MORRISON E3L If he would cease interjecting, I'd be happy to answer his question, Mr Speaker. It was being raised with me as to whether the Commonwealth would be providing compensation for Rural Fire Service volunteers. Now that is not a matter that is normally dealt with by the federal government. I said it was not normally dealt with by the federal government. It is a matter that is traditionally done by the Rural Fire Service. On that occasion, I was reflecting comments made to me when I visited with Rural Fire Service members. They had put to me that, when they were out there, they wanted to be out there protecting their communities. That's what I was talking about. They know that they would prefer not to have fires. They know that they would prefer to be at home with their families and their communities. What I was saying was that, when duty calls, they want to answer that call to duty, because that's what our volunteers do. The Leader of the Opposition has wilfully for months sought to misrepresent that comment to take political advantage of the bushfires, and it shows an appalling quality in his behaviour to politicise any event. Mr Dreyfus interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Isaacs is warned! Mr MORRISON E3L This government, working closely with the New South Wales Rural Fire Service Commissioner, acted on the basis of the advice we received to provide for income loss payments for Rural Fire Service members when they are out there for more than 10 days, and we did so at the request of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service Commissioner. When we received that request from the New South Wales government, we acted on that request. I think more than $6 million has since been paid to those fire service members on the basis of their being out there for more than 10 days. That same offer was made to other states. It has not been taken up by Victoria; it has a different view. (Time expired) The SPEAKER 00APG Is the Manager of Opposition Business seeking to table a document? Mr Burke DYW Mr Speaker, I seek leave to table a transcript from 10 December 2019, where the Prime Minister, in answer to the question, 'Should we be looking at starting to pay them?' said, 'They also want to be out there.' The SPEAKER 00APG The Manager of Opposition Business is seeking to table a document. He gets the opportunity to seek leave to table it, not to read the document to the House. Leave is not granted. Coronavirus 50 14:37 Mrs WICKS 241590 Robertson My question is to the Minister for Health. Will the minister update the House on what actions the Morrison government is taking to protect Australians from the outbreak of the coronavirus? 14:37 Mr HUNT 00AMV Flinders I want to thank the member for Robertson, who has been a long-term advocate for public health, in particular in relation to respiratory conditions. The coronavirus is, of course, a condition which can have catastrophic respiratory outcomes. The latest advice that I had before coming to question time was that 28,261 cases had been confirmed globally. Sadly, 565 people have been confirmed as having lost their lives to this condition, and it has now spread from mainland China to 27 other countries or regions. One of the things that members may notice is the rapid rise. The increase in confirmed cases has been tracking at between 15 and 20 per cent per day around the world. This is a very serious moment. Obviously, we are well prepared for this. In Australia we have now had a 14th confirmed case. Of the 14 cases in Australia, all bar one have come from Wuhan in some way, shape or form. The remaining one has had contact with a confirmed case that had been in Wuhan. In addition to that, I am advised by the Chief Medical Officer that all of those 14 are well and three have been discharged. As well as that, 243 Australians were airlifted, with the support of Qantas; 241 are now on Christmas Island and two, as the Prime Minister mentioned, are in Perth. The good news, of which I was advised—again, by the Chief Medical Officer—just before coming to question time, is that, amongst those, the two that had been tested for coronavirus are now free of it; they have been declared to be negative. Similarly, we have had the arrival of 36 passengers via New Zealand on Christmas Island, and the national incident centre has just reported to me, in fact during question time, that none of those passengers are suspected of having coronavirus. Again, two Australians on the cruise ship in Yokohama have been found to have coronavirus. The Japanese authorities—and we thank them—have taken very good care of them and transported them to a medical facility. Across the country, state and territory health authorities are doing a wonderful job. Indeed, I spoke with the West Australian health minister shortly before question time, who outlined their actions, and I thank him. This is beyond party, beyond boundary, beyond state, beyond anything. The country is working together with the national incident centre, the National Medical Stockpile, the national trauma centre. They are all coming together. It is the country working to contain and to protect, and working as it should. Australian Bushfires 50 14:40 Mr MARLES HWQ Corio My question is to the Prime Minister. Does the Prime Minister regret saying, 'I don't hold a hose, mate,' when Australians were looking to him for national leadership? 14:40 Mr MORRISON E3L Cook I recall those comments. I was simply making the point that the operational response that was going on at that time was being handled excellently by the New South Wales Rural Fire Service. Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG Members on my left. Mr MORRISON E3L And I stand by those comments that I support the amazing efforts of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service which, only a few days ago, we were in here commending and I commend them here again today. Each and every day, we have been working closely with that service, as we have with the CFA in Victoria, and the others around Queensland and South Australia. I note today, as they did yesterday, those opposite sought to politicise the bushfires over summer and they continue to do it now. Coronavirus 50 14:41 Mr SIMMONDS 282983 Ryan My question is to the Minister for Home Affairs. Can the minister outline to the House how the Morrison government is building the resilience of our nation's borders in response to the outbreak of the coronavirus? 14:41 Mr DUTTON 00AKI Dickson I thank the honourable member for his question and, given that he has a large Defence base in his electorate, he must be very proud, as I know all Australians are, of the work that the Australian Defence members are doing up on Christmas Island at the moment, in the Northern Territory as well, to make sure that we are well prepared for this threat from the coronavirus. I also want to pay particular tribute to the Australian Border Force officers and others across government, who clearly have come together very carefully and looked at the ways in which we can deal with people returning from overseas so that we can isolate people and make sure, firstly, that they're protected and, importantly also, that other Australians are protected from the spread of that virus. I can inform the House that, as we know, foreign nationals who have been in mainland China since 1 February will not be allowed to enter our country. Australian citizens, permanent residents and other exempt persons arriving from China are subject to a 14-day home based quarantine. And temporary visa holders who are ineligible for entry, who attempt to travel to Australia under the travel restrictions, will have their visa considered for cancellation. At seven o'clock this morning, there have been 36 visa cancellations of which 16 have been reissued resulting in a total of 20 visa cancellations since 1 February. Three passengers are currently in alternative places of detention, 17 passengers have departed our country following a visa cancellation and 52 have voluntarily returned to their country of origin. There have also been 27 referrals to hospital. All repatriated Australians and their families are being well looked after. Work has taken place not only at our airports but at our sea ports and also up on Christmas Island to receive people, including as recently as today from China via Auckland—thanks to the help of the New Zealand government. All of those people are receiving the support that you would expect. We have put in place further contingencies. As the Prime Minister has pointed out again today, the government will look at other alternative places because, whilst in a facility like Christmas Island, for example, we might have the capacity to house several hundred people—the way in which the AUSMAT, the doctors work—we want to make sure that people are quarantined and isolated in much lower numbers so that they are segregated in such a way that, if there was a single presentation, it wouldn't spread between all of those who were there within the facility. We'll continue to work with the Northern Territory and others. We're also worried about the weather. We are taking into account the fact that we are looking at the prospect of tough weather off the Northern Territory and Western Australia and we will take all of that into consideration. Prime Minister 51 14:45 Ms BUTLER 248006 Griffith My question is to the Prime Minister. Does the Prime Minister regret saying he had a conversation with the bushfire survivor who lost her home in Cobargo, when video clearly shows there wasn't a conversation? He forced her to shake his hand and then turned his back on her as she asked for help. 14:45 Mr MORRISON E3L Cook I thank the member for her question about my visit to Cobargo with my wife, Jenny, on that occasion. I had just been at the Bega incident response centre and had gone through Quaama as well. Fire had raged through Cobargo only a few days before. I was the first member of parliament to actually visit Cobargo after those fires. I went there because I knew the community needed to know that the government would be there and that I was prepared to hear from them and to be there. I had spoken to many people, including Mark, who was the captain of the Rural Fire Service brigade there, and the many others I met at the Rural Fire Service brigade. I went up to the showgrounds. There were some people who were very pleased that I was there. I discussed the impact of the fires on them. There were others who were very distraught. They were very upset. I was there and they were able to vent their frustration and their anger directly at me. When you're Prime Minister, you turn up and you listen, and you're prepared for whatever comes at you. The lady you referred to raised with me funding levels for the New South Wales fire service. That's the issue that they raised with me. The Leader of the Opposition will remember, back when he was on the Mid-Coast—I think it was further north—that people heckled him at a press conference and yelled out at him. You will not find me criticising him for being in a fire zone and being subject to those sorts of things. I don't think it helps for the opposition to be engaging in this sort of low-rent behaviour. It doesn't help anybody recovering from the fires. All I know is that I was in Cobargo. I was there for the people of Cobargo. I'll be there for the people of Cobargo into the future as well, and they know it. Commonwealth Grants 51 14:47 Mr GOODENOUGH 74046 Moore My question is to the Treasurer, representing the Minister for Finance. Will the Treasurer outline to the House how the Morrison government is responding to recommendations from the Auditor-General in relation to future grants programs and how the present and previous Auditor-General's reports into grants programs have demonstrated the need for improvements to be applied to the Commonwealth grants guidelines? Mr Husic interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG If the member for Chifley wants to make a point of order, he can make it. He's not going to just sit there and bark at me. Mr Husic 91219 Under standing order 100(b) a question that has been asked and fully answered cannot be asked twice. The SPEAKER 00APG You better read the standing order so that you understand it. It's probably the most straightforward standing order. It needs to be identical. 14:48 Mr FRYDENBERG FKL Kooyong I thank the member for Moore for his question. As the member for Moore knows, we on this side of the House have taken the Auditor-General's report into the Community Sport Infrastructure program very seriously. We're implementing the recommendations from that report, including the extension of the Commonwealth grant rules and guidelines to situations that involve corporate Commonwealth entities like Sport Australia, and the decision-maker is a minister. As this House would be aware, particularly those opposite, it's not the only report of the Auditor-General that has made important observations. There was a report, Auditor-General report No. 9 of 2014-15, into the design and conduct of the third and fourth funding rounds of the Regional Development Australia Fund, a fund which was $1.4 billion and saw, under rounds 3 and 4, more than $200 million awarded. This report found, on page 132: A feature of the Minister's decision making was the lack of strong alignment between the funding decisions taken and the panel’s recommendations And: … the records of the reasons for funding decisions taken contrary to panel advice generally provided little insight as to their basis and made no reference to the published selection criteria. The House may be interested to know who the beneficiary of this process was. Well, the Auditor-General says, on page 19: 64 per cent of Ministerial decisions to fund applications that had been categorised by the panel as other than 'Recommended for Funding' related to ALP-held electorates compared with the 18 per cent relating to Coalition-held electorates. Guess who the minister responsible for this program was. The member for Ballarat. Now it's the invisible member for Ballarat! The SPEAKER 00APG The Treasurer will resume his seat. The member for McEwen, on a point of order? Mr Rob Mitchell M3E The member for Deakin has made an unparliamentary remark and I'd ask him to withdraw it. The SPEAKER 00APG I ask the member for Deakin whether he made an unparliamentary remark. Can the member for Deakin come to the dispatch box so that Hansard can record his answer. In these circumstances, I can only ask the member for Deakin whether he made an unparliamentary remark. Mr Sukkar 242515 I didn't make an unparliamentary remark. The SPEAKER 00APG Okay. The Treasurer. Mr FRYDENBERG FKL Who was the member for Ballarat's senior minister? The member for Grayndler. Hypocrisy, thy name is Labor! Australian Bushfires 52 14:52 Dr CHALMERS 37998 Rankin My question is to the Prime Minister. Does the Prime Minister regret telling communities devastated by the bushfires 'the economic impact of that could well prove to be positive'? 14:53 Mr MORRISON E3L Cook I'd be happy for the member to relay to me outside of this place or send to my office what he's actually referring to. But what I can say to the House is this: once we work through the recovery arrangements across all the bushfire affected areas, once we get past the devastation that has impacted all of these bushfire affected areas, there will be a recovery. There will be a rebuilding. There will be significant economic activity going into these areas to rebuild these communities, and that will support their economies when that occurs. This is a similar observation to what has been relayed to us by the Treasury—that once you go through the process of rebuilding and recovery, that is what can support those economies get back onto their feet. Those were the remarks I made. Once again, I suspect, the Labor Party is seeking to be grubby on bushfires. Australian Bushfires 53 14:54 Mr CONAGHAN 279991 Cowper My question is to the Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management. Will the minister outline to the House how the Morrison-McCormack government is building resilience to ensure those communities affected by the devastating bushfires are able to recover and thrive into the future? 14:54 Mr LITTLEPROUD 265585 Maranoa I thank the member for Cowper for his question. Over the summer, I witnessed firsthand his leadership, not only in supporting his communities that went through these fires back in November, putting his arms around them and getting them through this time of grief, but also in the recovery—only last week, when I was in Dorrigo visiting a number of farmers and small businesses and understanding what the next phase of the recovery is. They were very appreciative of the initial support that was handed out by the federal government through the disaster recovery payments of $1,000 per person and $400 per child. We then doubled that as we came up to the start of the school year to give those families, those individuals, some dignity and respect and for them to have some money in their pocket to get the essentials on the table to get them through that initial period. But now it's about working through the longer-term recovery and the clean-up, and that's around the $75,000 recovery payments to our farmers and $50,000 to our small businesses to help them clean up and get the infrastructure to build back better, to give them the resilience they need to move forward. It's also been around making sure that they have access to interest-free loans to help their cash flow—taking away the interest and repayments that their banks would be charging them—whether it's through the RIC, for farmers, or through small-business loans through the state agencies. That's been important, but today as a parliament we have come together to pass legislation—in fact, only a couple of hours ago in the Senate—to make sure that the payments we have put forward are tax free, that the Australian Taxation Office is working with the parliament in our will to make sure that we support those people that have been supported. Mr Fitzgibbon interjecting— Mr LITTLEPROUD 265585 I take the interjection, member for Hunter. This is a serious issue, with all due respect. These are people's lives we're playing with. This isn't churlish politics. The reality is we'll continue to focus on the recovery of those families out there. And the ATO is moving further, around ensuring the deferment of GST payments and also tax returns so that those who want to change the cycle of their GST to monthly to get a refund can do that, and those that have PAYG instalments can defer them. They're some practical solutions about putting money back in their pockets. As we heard from those communities in Dorrigo, they want a local recovery, not a Canberra recovery. Andrew Colvin and I will be out travelling the country making sure that it's tailored through these individual local economic zones to make sure the recovery is tailored to them. That's being complemented, as we heard, around the impacts the tourism industry has had. That $76 million package that we put out there for tourism isn't just about putting bums on seats from overseas to Australia; it's about getting Australians out there supporting one another. We all have a role to play in this, and each Australian can help another Australian by getting out, visiting our country, supporting one another, helping us to survive through this tragedy but then thrive. Prime Minister 53 14:57 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler My question is to the Prime Minister. Why does the Prime Minister refuse to express any regret for saying the national bushfire crisis was a matter for the states, forcing a handshake on a bushfire survivor only to turn his back when she asked for help, claiming volunteer firefighters didn't need compensation because they wanted to be there, and launching a political ad on a catastrophic fire day? Why can't the Prime Minister ever admit he got anything wrong? 14:58 Mr MORRISON E3L Cook No member of this House is perfect—not me, not the Leader of the Opposition. And where there are things that need to be improved, and over the summer, where I could have responded to events in different ways, I've already made those comments public, because I will always seek to do my best, each and every day, for the people of Australia. But I'll tell you what I don't regret, Mr Speaker. I don't regret, when I returned to Australia with my family, ultimately, who followed me, the fact that we put in place the single biggest call-out of our reservists to go to the aid of Australians who were fighting this bushfire crisis: some 6½ thousand—3,000 called out—reservists. I do not regret establishing the National Bushfire Recovery Agency within days and putting $2 billion into the National Bushfire Recovery Agency. I don't regret pulling together the peak groups of all the organisations—from Indigenous organisations to charitable groups, tourism industry bodies, small business bodies and those looking after wildlife—and getting them together and putting the plan in place that is now in full operation, that is out there supporting local communities. I don't regret that I did not take the actions that those opposite now seek to take, in seeking to politicise a bushfire crisis, as they sought to do all summer. As we sought to communicate how we were helping Australians, as we reached out to Australians, as we coordinated our response and as we got that response out there and got boots on the ground, all the Leader of the Opposition could do was seek political opportunities for himself and his colleagues. Our government is responding to the crisis of the bushfires. Our government responded to the crisis of the North Queensland floods. Our government is delivering on its response to the devastating drought that is being faced by the Australian people. Our government is responding to the virus that threatens the world today, and we are ensuring that our measures to date are effective in protecting Australian people not just here in this country but overseas. The Leader of the Opposition is consumed by his political ambition. He is consumed by his political vanity. He has displayed a lack of character in this House today, which only confirms what I suspect is the each-way attitude that he has to everything. That will be confirmed more and more in the eyes of the Australian people. Australian Bushfires 54 15:01 Mrs ARCHER 282237 Bass My question is to the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology. Will the minister outline to the House how the Morrison government is providing practical support and assistance to help small businesses impacted by the recent devastating bushfires? 15:01 Mrs ANDREWS 230886 McPherson I thank the member for her question. I note that as recently as last week the bushfires forced evacuations in her electorate. It's a reminder that the danger, that the threat, is not over yet. Whilst we certainly hope that the worst is beyond us, it may not be. We may continue to face bushfires and increasing threats over the coming weeks and months. It's important, though, that we all acknowledge that there are rains happening right across Australia. That is very welcomed by our communities who have been so devastated by the bushfires. The rebuilding process is just the first part of what we need to do. The impacts of this devastating natural disaster are going to take some time to remedy. Their impacts will be felt for a long time, and that is particularly so for our small businesses. Our small-business owners, as we know, are the ones who work hard and who are the backbones of our communities. That's what our economies thrive on. The Small Business Roundtable, which was held on 14 January and attended by the Prime Minister, the Treasurer, the Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business and some 70 stakeholders, resulted in a very specific small-business package that was going to deliver and will deliver targeted support. That package includes increased grant funding, concessional loans, tax relief and a single contact point connecting businesses with the support they need. That support includes financial counselling services targeted to help small- and family-business owners deal with the emotional and financial challenges they face. All of us in this House would have visited a number of electorates, no doubt, over the summer weeks and months, that have been affected by bushfires. I recently visited the small rural town of Braidwood, in the electorate of Eden-Monaro. My condolences to the people who live in the electorate of Eden-Monaro. I thank the member for the great support that he has given to those people, because I know they have suffered extensive losses. I met with small businesses there that had been affected by the fires. I think it's important to note that these businesses are impacted because they rely on the trade over the summer period to sustain them for the rest of the year, until the next season. They have been seriously impacted because they have lost their revenue over the last couple of months. They are working hard to recover, but they need our support individually and collectively. MOTIONS 54 MOTIONS Prime Minister 54 15:04 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler I seek leave to move the following motion: That the House: (1) notes the Prime Minister: (a) is incapable of expressing regret and admitting when he is wrong; (b ) blames others and attempts to cover up his failings with false or misleading claims, including but in no way limited to the Prime Minister's: (i) claim the response to the national bushfire crisis was a matter for the states and territories; (ii) claim volunteer firefighters didn't need compensation because they wanted to be there; (iii) statement that he didn't hold a hose when Australians were looking to him for national leadership in an unprecedented bushfire crisis; and (iv) claim he had a conversation with a bushfire survivor who had lost everything when he instead forced her to shake his hand only to turn his back when she asked for help; and (c) can't learn from his mistakes if he never admits them; and (2) therefore, calls on the Prime Minister to put the national interest ahead of his political interest. Leave not granted. Mr ALBANESE R36 I move: That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Leader of the Opposition from moving the following motion immediately—That the House: (1) notes the Prime Minister: (a) is incapable of expressing regret and admitting when he is wrong; (b )blames others and attempts to cover up his failings with false or misleading claims, including but in no way limited to the Prime Minister's: (i) claim the response to the national bushfire crisis was a matter for the states and territories; (ii) claim volunteer firefighters didn't need compensation because they wanted to be there; (iii) statement that he didn't hold a hose when Australians were looking to him for national leadership in an unprecedented bushfire crisis; and (iv) claim he had a conversation with a bushfire survivor who had lost everything when he instead forced her to shake his hand only to turn his back when she asked for help; and (c) can't learn from his mistakes if he never admits them; and (2) therefore, calls on the Prime Minister to put the national interest ahead of his political interest. The fact is that this government has just been— The SPEAKER 00APG The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The Leader of the House has the call. 15:07 Mr PORTER 208884 Pearce I move: That the Member be no longer heard. The SPEAKER 00APG The question is that the Leader of the Opposition be no further heard.

The House divided. [15:11]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)

75 AYES Alexander, JG Allen, K Andrews, KJ Andrews, KL Archer, BK Bell, AM Broadbent, RE Buchholz, S Chester, D Christensen, GR 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 Wallace, AB Webster, AE Wicks, LE Wilson, RJ Wilson, TR Wood, JP Wyatt, KG Young, T Zimmerman, T 70 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 Champion, ND 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 Mitchell, RG Mulino, D Murphy, PJ Neumann, SK O'Connor, BPJ O'Neil, CE Owens, JA Payne, AE Phillips, FE Plibersek, TJ Rishworth, AL Rowland, MA Ryan, JC (teller) Sharkie, RCC Shorten, WR Smith, DPB Snowdon, WE Stanley, AM (teller) Steggall, Z Swanson, MJ Templeman, SR Thistlethwaite, MJ Vamvakinou, M Watts, TG Wells, AS Wilkie, AD Wilson, JH Zappia, A 0 PAIRS

Question agreed to.

15:13 The SPEAKER 00APG Is the motion seconded? 15:13 Mr BURKE DYW Watson I second the motion. We saw the Prime Minister's character on full display: stubborn, all about marketing— 15:13 Mr PORTER 208884 Pearce I move: That the Member be no longer heard. The SPEAKER 00APG The Leader of the House has moved that the Manager of Opposition Business be no further heard.

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

75 AYES Alexander, JG Allen, K Andrews, KJ Andrews, KL Archer, BK Bell, AM Broadbent, RE Buchholz, S Chester, D Christensen, GR 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 Wallace, AB Webster, AE Wicks, LE Wilson, RJ Wilson, TR Wood, JP Wyatt, KG Young, T Zimmerman, T 70 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 Champion, ND 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 Mitchell, RG Mulino, D Murphy, PJ Neumann, SK O'Connor, BPJ O'Neil, CE Owens, JA Payne, AE Phillips, FE Plibersek, TJ Rishworth, AL Rowland, MA Ryan, JC (teller) Sharkie, RCC Shorten, WR Smith, DPB Snowdon, WE Stanley, AM (teller) Steggall, Z Swanson, MJ Templeman, SR Thistlethwaite, MJ Vamvakinou, M Watts, TG Wells, AS Wilkie, AD Wilson, JH Zappia, A 0 PAIRS

Question agreed to.

15:16 Mr MARLES HWQ Corio Arrogance and cowardice are what characterise this man— 15:16 Mr PORTER 208884 Pearce I move: That the question be now put. The SPEAKER 00APG The Leader of the House has moved that the question be put. The SPEAKER 00APG The question is that the motion moved by the Leader of the Opposition be agreed to.

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

75 AYES Alexander, JG Allen, K Andrews, KJ Andrews, KL Archer, BK Bell, AM Broadbent, RE Buchholz, S Chester, D Christensen, GR 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 Wallace, AB Webster, AE Wicks, LE Wilson, RJ Wilson, TR Wood, JP Wyatt, KG Young, T Zimmerman, T 70 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 Champion, ND 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 Mitchell, RG Mulino, D Murphy, PJ Neumann, SK O'Connor, BPJ O'Neil, CE Owens, JA Payne, AE Phillips, FE Plibersek, TJ Rishworth, AL Rowland, MA Ryan, JC (teller) Sharkie, RCC Shorten, WR Smith, DPB Snowdon, WE Stanley, AM (teller) Steggall, Z Swanson, MJ Templeman, SR Thistlethwaite, MJ Vamvakinou, M Watts, TG Wells, AS Wilkie, AD Wilson, JH Zappia, A 0 PAIRS

Question agreed to.

The House divided. [15:22]
(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 Champion, ND 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 Mitchell, RG Mulino, D Murphy, PJ Neumann, SK O'Connor, BPJ O'Neil, CE Owens, JA Payne, AE Phillips, FE Plibersek, TJ Rishworth, AL Rowland, MA Ryan, JC (teller) Shorten, WR Smith, DPB Snowdon, WE Stanley, AM (teller) Swanson, MJ Templeman, SR Thistlethwaite, MJ Vamvakinou, M Watts, TG Wells, AS Wilson, JH Zappia, A 76 NOES Alexander, JG Allen, K Andrews, KJ Andrews, KL Archer, BK Bell, AM Broadbent, RE Buchholz, S Chester, D Christensen, GR 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 Haines, H 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 Wallace, AB Webster, AE Wicks, LE Wilson, RJ Wilson, TR Wood, JP Wyatt, KG Young, T Zimmerman, T 0 PAIRS

Question negatived.

QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE 61 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction 61 15:25 Mr PEARCE 282306 Braddon My question is to the Attorney-General and the Minister for Industrial Relations. On 3 December last year the Attorney-General outlined to this House the situation regarding a New South Wales police investigation in response to questions from the opposition. Will the Attorney-General now update this House on this matter, noting the seriousness of these allegations of criminal conduct against members of this House? 15:26 Mr PORTER 208884 Pearce I thank the member for his question. Obviously, these are very serious matters, and there have been two developments with respect to these matters today. Ironically, the first development was the moving of a motion this morning by members opposite, spoken to by the shadow A-G. That motion said that the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction had created and disseminated a fraudulent document. The motion didn't argue that or assert it. It wasn't even an accusation; it just stated that as a matter of fact. Now, the second statement today came from the Australian Federal Police. It said, 'The AFP identified there is no evidence to indicate that you, the Minister for Energy, were involved in falsifying information.' No evidence that he was involved in falsifying information! It has been previously noted that meritless political referrals to key law enforcement agencies waste resources that could be allocated to the investigation of serious matters, such as homicides, terrorism offences, drug offences and offences against children. As the New South Wales police commissioner said, 'They are a great diverter of my time.' It has also been previously noted that the shadow Attorney-General has either made or overseen eight meritless political referrals from Labor, with zero charges laid, referred or pursued. Zero! And so the information before the House is that the strike rate is now zero from 10. It's not zero from nine, because the shadow Attorney-General first referred it to a charge that he suggested to the New South Wales police under New South Wales law. They said nothing. Then it went to the AFP—two more strikes, zero from 10! Now I noted previously, to try to provide some context and scale to this, that the most test cricket ducks in test cricket history were from a poor person, Ajit Agarkar, who had five in a row. I can now inform the House that the record in all first-class cricket innings without scoring a run was set in 1930 by an English cricketer, Seymour Clark—nine innings, zero runs. He has now been beaten! Zero from 10! If the shadow A-G were a cricket player, he would be the worst first-class batsmen in cricket history. In fact, I have been deep in ministerial discussions with the Minister for Health to see if we can provide the shadow A-G with a referral pad so that he can save time with his referrals just by writing the name and the offence and sending it off to the police! Perhaps now you might ask yourselves if you regret it. And do you apologise? (Time expired) Mr Morrison E3L Mr Speaker, on that note I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper. DOCUMENTS 61 DOCUMENTS Presentation 61 15:29 Mr PORTER 208884 Pearce Documents are tabled in accordance with the list circulated to honourable members earlier today. Full details of the documents will be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings. PERSONAL EXPLANATIONS 61 PERSONAL EXPLANATIONS 15:29 Mr BRENDAN O'CONNOR 00AN3 Gorton Mr Speaker, I seek to make a personal explanation. The SPEAKER 00APG Does the member for Gorton claim to have been misrepresented? Mr BRENDAN O'CONNOR 00AN3 Most grievously and bizarrely. In multiple news stories this week, including today, I have been depicted as the Leader of the Nationals and the Deputy Prime Minister of the country. Now, it's true to say my mother's a McCormack, but that's where the similarity ends! Whether it's the subconscious desire of News Ltd to raise the standard of policy and quality of leadership, I don't know! But I want to assure my constituents and, indeed, members in this place—especially the actual Deputy Prime Minister and, I guess, the member for New England—that nothing in the world would entice me to leave the great Australian Labor Party for the climate-change-denying rabble that is the Nationals. The SPEAKER 00APG I thank the member for Gorton for that. Whilst he wasn't happy, I'm sure the Deputy Prime Minister was tempted to make a personal explanation as well! QUESTIONS TO THE SPEAKER 62 QUESTIONS TO THE SPEAKER Parliament House: Security 62 15:31 Mr WATTS 193430 Gellibrand I have a question for you, Mr Speaker. I refer to recent comments made by the former Minister for Defence, Christopher Pine, in conversation with the former secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Martin Parkinson, on the 20 January 2020 episode of the Pyne Time podcast. In the conversation, Mr Pyne commented on the malicious intrusion into the Australian Parliament House computer network, discovered in early 2019, stating that he and Mr Parkinson knew 'how much worse it all was' and that they 'could never talk about it'. Putting aside the extraordinary indiscretion of a former Minister for Defence making comments of this kind, I refer to your statement to the House on 12 February 2019 about the extent of this attack. I know that you appreciate the seriousness of public confidence in this institution and I acknowledge and thank you for your written response to my correspondence with you on this matter. I ask whether for the benefit of the House you could share your response to Mr Pyne's comments. 15:32 The SPEAKER 00APG I first thank the member for Gellibrand for bringing the matter to my attention in writing. I have replied, as he said, outlining—in fact, I've replied jointly with the President of the Senate. I think it is important that I do, given these comments have been made, make a statement to the House, which I'll do now. I'm only aware of the comments thanks to the member for Gellibrand, but I'll just say this: following discovery of the cybersecurity incident in January of last year, as members would be aware, the President and I, as we have said, received detailed briefings from the Australian Signals Directorate and the Department of Parliamentary Services. Communication and management of the incidents was guided by the information available to us as presiding officers in the context of the parliamentary computing network. Of course, as we pointed out, our statements balanced the need for transparency with discretion on matters of national security. But any inference that our statements to the parliament on this issue were inaccurate or misleading as to the seriousness of the situation is false. I stand by the statements made by the President of the Senate and myself. I finally say the podcast also refers to a cyberintrusion at the Australian National University, which is in the transcript that you kindly forwarded to me. So perhaps it shouldn't be inferred that the comments necessarily relate to the parliamentary network. The important point is that the President and I have no further information or knowledge as to what Mr Pyne meant with his comments, and I thank the member for Gellibrand again. BUSINESS 62 BUSINESS Leave of Absence 62 15:34 Mr McCORMACK 219646 Riverina I move: That leave of absence for the remainder of the current period of sittings be given to Mr Coleman, for personal reasons. Question agreed to. MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE 62 MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE Morrison Government 62 15:34 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 be up front with the Australian people about matters of national importance. 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— 15:34 Mr MARLES HWQ Corio It is such a disappointment. Indeed, it is fast becoming a national disappointment. The Prime Minister of Australia is said to have taken on an impossible task. In his own words, he 'performed a miracle' in winning an unwinnable election. This is the man who, after years of short-term prime ministers, was meant to be the great figure who would bring harmony back to the political universe. This is the man who is reputed to be above all the political spin and politics of this place and who, it is said, has a unique ability to speak to the heart of 'the quiet Australians'. This is man who, it is alleged, is the new John Howard of this country. Nine months on, it is now abundantly clear that all of that is just a marketing campaign of the cheapest order. This is not a man who rails against 'the Canberra bubble'; this is a man who revels in the fact that he lives in 'the Canberra bubble'. This is not a man who empathises with ordinary Australian; this is a man who, since day one, has seen himself as born to sit in this chair inside this building. This is a man who has an enormous self-belief. But his complete conviction in the correctness of literally every step he takes leaves no corner in his heart for the wisdom of anyone else, and certainly not for the voice of the Australian people. All we have seen since he was elected is a man who is loose with the truth, a man who is constantly engaging in double-down, and a man who is leading a government that is incompetent. Look at the economy. Last May, he said his government was getting the economy back on track and back into the black. But what is the reality of that? Since he became Prime Minister, economic growth has slowed. Underemployment has increased to a point where two million Australians are now looking for work. We've got the worst wages growth on record. Household debt is surging. We now have a situation where people are making the most appalling decisions about what they cannot buy at the supermarket with the money they do not have. And, never forget, it is the Liberals who, since coming to government, have more than doubled the debt. And then we see the most astonishing performance, with the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction. Amid all the challenges that this minister faces, he decides to engage in taking pot shots at a local mayor about travel expenses; and, in the process, he circulates a dodgy, doctored document to local newspapers. It's low rent. It's student politics. It's profoundly stupid. But, as it turns out, there is a question about whether it might be— Mr Hawke HWO Mr Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: I am loath to interrupt this self-immolation, but the member at the dispatch box accused the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction of circulating 'a dodgy document'. That has been dispelled by the police today. He accused him personally of doing it. That has been dispelled today and the member should withdraw that accusation. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 218019 I will leave it to the discretion of the member for Corio. Mr MARLES HWQ That is not a fact that has been dispelled at all. Mr Hawke HWO The facts are right. Mr MARLES HWQ You need to read the letter. The fact of the matter is that the question as to whether it broke the law was significant enough in the minds of the New South Wales Police that they established Strike Force Garrad to investigate it. And what does this Prime Minister do in that moment? He rings a person who he describes as one of his best friends, the New South Wales Police Commissioner, to talk to him about it. Can you think of a less appropriate action for an Australian Prime Minister to take? The former Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, said it would have been much better had that call not been made. David Ipp, the former anti-corruption commissioner, said an ordinary citizen would not be able to get that information from the police. So what is it about the Prime Minister that entitles him to that information? But what do we hear from the Prime Minister when it's all put to him? What we get is double-down. He comes in here and he says: As I told the House four times yesterday, I was going to talk to the New South Wales police, I don't know who they thought I was going to call. Did they think I was going to call the parking infringements officer at the Sutherland police station? Maybe I was going to call the water police, or the dog squad … This is a Prime Minister who makes light of the most serious matters. When it comes to the question of climate change all we hear from this Prime Minister are matters which are simply not true. Here's the fact: during the Rudd and Gillard government, emissions fell by 15 per cent; since this government's been in place, emissions have been going in the wrong direction. The Prime Minister says that they are on track to meet Kyoto—they are not. The Prime Minister says that they will meet the Paris targets. It's business as usual at the moment—they will not. And then we get to the question of this most tragic of summers and the performance of this Prime Minister. Never forget 4 January 2020. On that day, the temperature in Penrith hit 48.9 degrees. On that day, the entire South Coast of New South Wales was being ordered to evacuate, as it was under threat. One-hundred and fifty fires burned across New South Wales, 80 of them out of control and 12 at emergency level because of ferocious strong winds. Batemans Bay residents were stuck because of the threat that they were under. The New South Wales Premier, describing the situation as very volatile, said, 'It's not safe to move, it is not safe to leave these areas.' The New South Wales RFS Commissioner said, 'The focus becomes saving lives and saving property as much as we can.' This was rated as one of the most catastrophic days of the entire bushfire season, and on that day, of all days, what did this Prime Minister do? He cut a party political ad. He cut a party political ad which referred to the Australian Defence Force and which had images of the Australian Army, and at the end of it, there was a button where you could donate to the Liberal Party of Australia. Let me say this: the honour and sacrifice of the Australian Army and the Australian Defence Force do not belong to Scott Morrison or the Liberal Party. They belong to this nation. And the idea that he would go out there and seek to politicise that on that day is one of the single most astounding acts I've seen since I've been in politics. Indeed, Piers Morgan, the conservative commentator for ITV in the UK said: Wow. A self-promotional commercial with cheesy elevator music? This is one of the most tone-deaf things I've ever seen a country's leader put out during a crisis. Shameless & shameful. That was Piers Morgan. The fact of the matter is this: character is not defined by the good days. Every one of us enjoys the experience of success. But character is all about the bad days; it is defined by the bad days. In a crisis—in this case, in a national crisis—character and what occurs on that day opens a door and a light shines on what is laid bare within. And the truth is that over the last few months, what we have seen in the face of adversity is the incredible character of ordinary Australians. The Victorian Country Fire Authority reported just yesterday that it's received 5,400 inquiries in the last few weeks about becoming a volunteer. We've seen drop-in centres overwhelmed. We've seen charities flooded with money. We've seen kids wanting to donate their own pocket money and this country has been flooded with goodwill from around the world. In the last few months, in respect of ordinary Australians, we've seen them shine in sacrifice and service. But that character has stopped short at the door of this Prime Minister. Because this is a Prime Minister who has completely failed to show leadership in this country. There has been no empathy or support for the Australian people from this Prime Minister. This is a Prime Minister who dodges responsibility at every opportunity. And rather than going out there and standing with ordinary Australians, being about them, he is all about doing whatever he can to stay in that chair inside this building. This Prime Minister is not a man of the people. This is a Prime Minister who is 100 per cent entirely focused on himself. 15:45 Mr BUCHHOLZ 230531 Wright When the opportunity was given to me to speak on the MPI from the opposition today, the government's failure to be up-front with the Australian people about matters of national importance, I took the opportunity to prepare a speech. I thought maybe we'd talking about the drought. Maybe we'd be talking about coronavirus. The issues that are really affecting people around the nation. I thought we'd be talking about veterans' suicide. There's nothing on the matters that are consuming the Australian public at the moment. There is the opportunity for the opposition to walk in and raise these, but nothing. Last night, I spoke to a family in Childers. They're just a humble family. They have an aqua farm business enterprise. They grow plate-sized fish that go into the Asian markets. Their business has stopped. There are a run of families along the same road who are all in the same boat. They're saying, 'What's the go?' The reality is that those in China who would've normally been the recipients through the fish markets over there, as a result of the virus, are not leaving their homes. They're not buying from the fish markets. They're not going to their restaurants. They're staying indoors. As a result, the demand for their product has dried up. The secondary factor as to why they're having trouble as a result of the coronavirus, which I believe is a matter of national importance, is that because fish travel on aviation logisticial assets rather than seaborne assets, and because of the restriction of aircraft travel with personnel between the two localities, the cargo space in the bottom is not available. That's what I thought we were coming in to talk about in matters of national importance: Australians that were affected by the coronavirus. I thought we were coming in here to talk about the effects of drought. I would make the assumption that both sides of the House welcome the recent rains. And thank goodness that we're moving into a period of time which all of us refer to as the 'wet season' in northern Australia. It's worth noting that as a result of the drought we should be signalling to the states, in particular those farms that back up to national parks, that in any good neighbourly relationship if my fence burns down and you're my neighbour we go halves in the rebuild. That's what makes for good neighbours, until you back on to a national park. If you back on to a national park and you've been affected by drought and touched up by the bushfire national parks are not going to put their hand in their pocket and build—that's on your own. At least they managed to get a very small snippet of climate change in there. It wasn't too long ago that those on the other side of this chamber were espousing that climate change was the greatest moral challenge of our time. Now it gets about 30 seconds of coverage in an MPI when we talk about national importance. This week we made some incredible announcements on veteran suicides— An opposition member interjecting— Mr BUCHHOLZ 230531 which I know the member was most welcome to receive. Veteran suicide is something that this government is absolutely—and I assume from the silence that we are united in this chamber on the work that is being done. I want to now speak to some of the work that we're doing in the interests of Australia and Australians and our plan for an even stronger economy is clear about building resilience and rewarding aspiration. On this side of the government, we're getting in and lowering taxes so that Australians can keep more of the money that they earn. We're reducing the cost of doing business. We're reducing the energy cost. We're deregulating finance. We're making sure that people get paid on time. When I walk around my small business sector those are the matters of importance. That's what they want to see our government doing. We're equipping Australians with the skills that Australian businesses need to boost their success. We're delivering better wages and more jobs. We're expanding our trade borders to access more markets and create more jobs so that once we get through this coronavirus saga we can flourish. We're building the infrastructure our economy needs to grow, investing $100 billion over 10 years in my portfolio, the roads and infrastructure portfolio. These are never before seen, unprecedented, amounts of infrastructure, and Queensland is the recipient of $10 billion of that on the Bruce Highway alone. Despite international and domestic challenges in the form of trade tensions, which I just mentioned, the RBA governor, Dr Philip Lowe, this week in his National Press Club address said: Australia's economic fundamentals remain very strong and they provide a solid foundation for us to be optimistic about our future. It shows that things are moving in the right direction. Those on the other side of the chamber can come into this place and talk down the economy, but if you're a business holder in Australia, these are the issues that are matters of importance, these are the issues that are relevant. When the IMF forecasts next year start starts with a three per cent and then the following year in the high threes, that's what gives our economy confidence. It's been a devastating summer for many families facing the unprecedented bushfire crisis, while others face incredibly tough conditions battling the drought. I acknowledge all of those members in this House who made a contribution to the condolence motion for the drought. There was some absolutely heartfelt commentary coming from both sides of the House. That's why we're committed to doing whatever it takes to make families and businesses, towns and communities get back on their feet. We'll be upfront with Australians as to what that's about. We have taken additional steps to prioritise legislation such as the bushfire tax assistance laws to ensure that all payments we've announced for volunteers, individuals and businesses during this bushfire season are tax free, as well as making donations to the Australian Volunteer Support Trust and the Community Rebuilding Trust tax deductible. An honourable member interjecting— Mr BUCHHOLZ 230531 I'm not a fighter! The coronavirus is absolutely front and centre of what the Australian public are talking about. Veterans affairs is a serious matter, and those on the other side of the House do appreciate that. We stand in lockstep on it. I'm going to cut my time short now. I just want to acknowledge the work of the members for Herbert and Solomon and all those others in this chamber who have served who have made a contribution to those changes that were announced this week. 15:52 Dr CHALMERS 37998 Rankin I'm pleased to have the opportunity to follow the member for Wright and to also recognise those in the House who have served. This matter of public importance is about one thing. It's about a Prime Minister and a government that is psychologically incapable of levelling with people about the real challenges in our society and in our economy. During this horrific fire season, when the nation was crying out for leadership and when it was crying out for empathy and compassion and unity, this Prime Minister showed that he was either unwilling or unable to provide that for the Australian people. It's the same when it comes to the economy. When so many Australians are doing it tough—stagnant wages, record household debt, declining living standards, skyrocketing bills for child care and electricity and private health—when the nation is crying out for assistance from its government, for some kind of plan to get the economy going again, these clowns opposite just go missing in action. Their economic mismanagement is defined by three things: inaction, incompetence and ineptitude. It's true that there is no shortage of challenges in our country at the moment. We do acknowledge that the coronavirus and the bushfire season will have an impact on our economy, but it's equally true, as the Reserve Bank has just pointed out, that our challenges in the economy are longstanding and are home grown as well. The sum total of the Treasurer's economic plan is to cross his fingers and hope that people forget that the economy was already weak before the fires hit and before people had even heard of the coronavirus impacting around the world. He hopes that people won't remember that the last national accounts had a series of very weak numbers. He hopes that people will forget that the economy was already slowing, that the private domestic economy has gone backwards for two quarters, that consumption is at its slowest pace since the GFC and that business investment is the worst it's been since the early 1990s recession. He is desperate for people to forget that, in the most recent budget update, the government itself said growth would be slower, wages would be weaker and unemployment would be higher. That's what the government was saying about the economy that it has managed for three terms now, before the fires and before the virus hit. He spends all of his time pretending that anything that's going on in the economy is entirely out of his control, and he was at it again this morning on Fran Kelly's program on Radio National. He wants every Australian to think that things were going perfectly before, and then these matters that were out of his control hit and that's what's responsible for the economy being weak. But we on this side of the House know better—all of us who spend time with real people in real communities. We are not turning our backs on them, not making them shake our hands, but really listening to them about their challenges with wages, living standards and bills, which people just can't seem to keep up with no matter how hard they work. People out there know what's going on. The Treasurer and the Prime Minister hope that, by not levelling with people, somehow people won't understand what's going on. But they do. This Treasurer has proven himself serially unworthy of the very powerful office that he holds by spending all of his time obsessing about Labor and not levelling with people about the big challenges in the economy. He put out a long press release yesterday that didn't mention wages once. He is always talking about how they've got things bang on in the economy, but ordinary people are struggling because the economy is not delivering for ordinary working people. That's something we on this side of the House understand and want to change. This economy has been growing for almost three decades now. We're very proud of that in the Labor Party, because Hawke and Keating created that remarkable run of success and Rudd and Swan protected it when it was in its greatest peril. We are very, very proud of that. The fact that that three decades of continuous economic growth, the envy of the world, is at risk today is not just because of the coronavirus or the horrific fire season; it is because of a government that doesn't have a plan to boost the economy. This economy is not growing fast enough to create the kinds of opportunities that the people we represent need and deserve in this society. It is long past time for this government to level with the Australian people about the challenges in the economy and actually do something about them. 15:57 Mr MORTON 265931 Tangney It has been a long time since I have debated matters of national importance with the member for Rankin. We last did so here in the ACT at the Australian National University, and it is a delight to stand here and do it again today. This government is upfront with the Australian people about matters of national importance. We are upfront with them because we took to the election a plan to keep our economy strong, to keep Australians safe and to keep Australians together. We were upfront with the Australian people and they rewarded us with their support to continue in government. This is in contrast with those opposite, who could not be upfront—particularly with the actual cost of their 45 per cent emissions reductions target. And what is their target today? Exactly. The coalition is always upfront about its plans. We are focused on the matters that matter, the matters of real importance to the Australian people, unlike the bubble issues we've seen demonstrated by those opposite in the last two days. We are about a stronger economy, building resilience, rewarding aspirations, creating jobs, delivering better services, lowering taxes, reducing the cost of business whether it be in energy or in deregulation and equipping Australians with the skills they need and that businesses need as well. In relation to jobs, this is what we took to the Australian people: that we would be a government focused on jobs. Have we been upfront with them and have we delivered? The answer is yes. The labour market is strong, with workforce participation at record highs, and working age welfare dependency is at its lowest level in three decades. Since the coalition came to government, 1.4 million new jobs have been created. Our economic plan is working. We saw another strong month for jobs, with 29,000 jobs created in December and the unemployment rate falling to 5.1 per cent, again beating market expectations. Employment growth of 2.1 per cent through the year to date is more than double the OECD average and nearly three times what it was when we came to office. But our very disciplined approach to budget management has allowed us to respond to areas of need without increasing taxes or cutting spending in other areas. Let me turn to the areas of national importance that this government is focused on today. It's been a devastating summer for many Australians, with bushfires and drought. And we have the coronavirus outbreak that the government is dealing with as we speak. It's our strong economic management, which we were up-front with the Australian people about delivering, that allows us to stand strong on behalf of the Australian people and respond to these issues. Firstly, the bushfires: since MYEFO we've announced a $2 billion national bushfire recovery fund. We've stood up a national bushfire recovery agency, modelled on the great work of the drought and North Queensland flood recovery agencies, capably led by the Hon. Shane Stone. As the Prime Minister has said, we will focus, we will do whatever it takes to support those communities and businesses hit by these fires and, if we need to do more, we will. The government this week has introduced priority legislation—the Treasury Laws Amendment (2019-20 Bushfire Tax Assistance) Bill—to make sure that all of the payments we are providing to volunteers, individuals and businesses during this crisis, during this bushfire season, are tax free. We will also make sure that donations to the Australian Volunteer Support Trust and the Community Rebuilding Trust are tax deductible. We haven't forgotten those Australians facing drought. We're investing more than $8 billion in drought relief, including the $1 billion announced since the election. One of the areas that I'm most proud of is the initiative the federal and South Australian governments have struck in a deal, and that is the up to 100 gigalitres of water which farmers can access. Farmers can buy that water at a discounted rate. To do what? To grow about 120,000 tonnes of fodder, to put more fodder into the market, which is so needed by farming communities across Australia. But the coronavirus that we're focused on today is most important. Government departments and the Prime Minister leading the National Security Committee of the cabinet is focused on protecting Australians with what is a very difficult issue not just here but globally. We can't do this unless we're up-front about our need to keep our economy strong. That's what we're focused on doing—the Morrison government will always be up-front with Australians, because we're focused on them, not petty politics like those opposite. 16:02 Ms MURPHY 133646 Dunkley ( This Morrison government has failed to be up-front with the people of Australia about its failure to have a real climate change mitigation strategy and to actually reduce emissions. Australians are reeling from extraordinary bushfires. Experts ranging from former and serving fire chief commissioners to 274 climate, weather and fire scientists have made it clear that human-caused climate change is linked to the increasing risk of frequent and severe bushfires in the Australian landscape. Australians who have lost homes and livelihoods are calling for real action on climate change. Young Australians are rallying in the streets, calling for politicians to step up, to show leadership and to act to preserve their environment, their future and the world. Yet this Morrison government cannot be up-front with the Australian people because it is led by a Prime Minister who chooses spin and sophistry over truth and transparency, who chooses lies over facts. They are led by a Prime Minister who continues to claim that his government is meeting and beating the Kyoto and Paris targets. That is simply not true. The latest official 'government' data confirms that Australia will not meet the Kyoto commitment to cut emissions by five per cent next year. The horrifying truth is that emission reduction will be 0.3 per cent—pretty much a rounding error! The government data also confirms that emissions will be down by less than five per cent over the next 10 years. Scientists—the experts, not the people who bring lumps of coal into parliament—say we must reach net zero emissions in 30 years. Under the trajectory that this Prime Minister is presiding over, we'll get there in 230 years. It's possibly the actual definition of too little too late. And the people of Australia aren't going to be fooled by the Prime Minister going around the country doing deals, where he's trying to claim the actions that have been taken by state governments to actually reduce emissions. They're the ones who are acting, and this federal government is failing to act and failing to be honest with the people of Australia about it. This government's climate policy has been ranked last in the world. Australia is the highest per capita producer of greenhouse gases. Because this government won't tell the truth, not only can we not protect Australia from the effects of man-made climate change, we can't be leaders around the world, something that Australia has a proud history of doing on very many topics, including climate change. If it wasn't for Australia, the world would not have banned CFCs. We wouldn't have dealt with the hole in the ozone layer. We are all proud of that. That's our legacy and that's been trashed because we have a Morrison government that can't be honest about its failure on emissions in coalition with a National Party that can't even be honest about the link between man-made actions, climate change and bushfires. When the Prime Minister tells Australian people that we need to focus on adaptation, he's actually telling them that he and his government have given up. He's flying the white flag. He is telling the students out on the streets calling for real action on climate change that they just need to adapt and accept a future of extraordinary droughts, devastating bushfires, extreme heat, raging floods. They just need to accept that their future will be no icebergs, minimal biodiversity, barren landscapes, drowned island nations and increased inequality for the people around the world. I can hear the National Party members of this chamber scoffing at what I'm saying and that's the failure they bring to this parliament and that they bring to the coalition government. Well, I don't accept it. I don't accept that a government should act like this. Labor doesn't accept that we shouldn't mitigate. We will never accept it and we're not going to let this government pretend they're doing something that they're not. 16:07 Mr YOUNG 201906 Longman It's a bit sad, really, all this doom and gloom. I'm getting tired of the continuous talking down of our strong Australian economy, especially by those who have no direct impact on the economy. I refer to those, of course, opposite and some quarters of the media. Thankfully, many everyday Australians that I speak to on a daily basis in the electorate of Longman that I proudly serve are switching off to these doomsayers. As a result, they have a more positive outlook for their future and that of their families. Whenever Australians think about this wonderful country we call home, they think about everything positive that Australia has to offer. This includes: an abundance of jobs and stepping stones to the most incredible career opportunities; tax relief for them and their families; record investment in the important things such as our schools, hospitals, infrastructure and roads; believing in the talent of people living with disability and supporting them on the journey to achieve their dreams; helping Australians to build and develop their skills; a government that is backing our local businesses every step of the way; a strong and confident workforce; and a booming economy. I say it again, a booming economy. Australia is truly the best country in the world to live, raise a family, and work. And every day, the Morrison government is out there getting things done for the everyday Aussie and working tirelessly to build, grow, boost, and maintain our strong economy and resilience, and rewarding aspiration; all this to secure the future of every Australian out there. The Morrison government has a solid plan for Australia's economic future, and we'll never stop fighting for Australians as we continue to work on delivering a strong economy that will guarantee jobs for every Australian. Support our Aussie farmers, veterans, older Australians, families and the everyday Australian, those who have been through devastating natural disasters like the bushfires, and back our local businesses. I would like to try a new concept and talk about the positives that the Morrison government is achieving, using something that is clearly foreign to others in this House: the facts. Fact 1: unemployment is 5.1 per cent compared to 5.7 per cent when Labor were last in government. Fact 2: nearly 1.5 million jobs have been created in six years. Fact 3: the rate of welfare dependency is now the lowest it has been in 30 years. Fact 4: that's why the government has legislated tax relief for 10 million Australians, because we believe that Australians should keep more of what they earn. This rewards and encourages hard work. Tax relief means families can get ahead and that more money flows through our economy. The government has also lowered taxes for 3.4 million small and medium businesses. These employ over seven million Australians. This will help them to create more jobs. Fact 5: with a stronger economy the government is delivering more funding for schools—an extra $37 billion over a decade. Fact 6: for hospitals, the government's new five-year arrangements deliver an extra $31 billion. Fact 7: since 2013 over 2,200 medicines, worth over $10.7 billion, have been added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. These help people suffering from cancer, heart disease and other illnesses. Fact 8: investing a record $100 billion in transport infrastructure will ease congestion, connect the regions and boost our economy by creating more jobs and opportunities. But I would like to speak about something that is dear to my heart. It's called confidence. As a small business owner myself over the past 19 years, I can testify that small and medium enterprises are all confident under the coalition—any coalition government, especially this one. In contrast, when Labor are in government it's time to batten down the hatches. Where and how are they going to hurt us next time? What tax are they going to put on us? What levy are they going to put on us? They don't want aspiration, they don't want success; they just want to push people down. That's how they work, they just want to push people down. Well, we won't stand for it. We're going to encourage small business to get out there and invest, because when they get out there and invest the economy flows. They put on more staff. I can say that with all the doom and gloom that those opposite been talking about, my two businesses in retail had a record year last year—both of them. We had record Christmases. Those are facts, they are absolute facts that are undeniable. When I talked during the election to small businesses which are out there, there was a civil contractor who said that the phones stopped just before the election because they thought Labor was going to get in. But they started ringing on the Monday after! We had a printer in the local area who said the same thing. There were no jobs, but all of a sudden the election happened and the phones started ringing again. That's what confidence is. You guys are destroying the— Mr Hill 86256 He's got Donald Trump's talking points: best economy ever! The DEPUTY SPEAKER 218019 The member for Bruce is warned! Mr YOUNG 201906 There is no confidence when there is a Labor government in this House. They're a disgrace! Mr Hill interjecting— The DEPUTY SPEAKER 218019 The member for Bruce will remove himself under 94(a). The member for Bruce then left the chamber. Mr YOUNG 201906 The future is bright under this Morrison government. 16:12 Mr HUSIC 91219 Chifley When people try to work out where things went wrong for this government—and I've noticed over the Christmas period, and I suspect many of my colleagues have noticed, particularly commentators in the press who thought that the Prime Minister was some shrewd operator have been trying to work out why he wasn't as shrewd as he normally was—they will go back to this date: May 19. That's because on May 19, the day after the election, they put their feet up on the desk. They got smug, complacent and arrogant. They thought they didn't have to worry about how they used to do things, that they were home and hosed and that they could resist the way in which they needed to make decisions and the way they had to work with other people. They thought they were above it all and didn't need to follow the rules in the way they once were. It's that arrogance and complacency that people paid the price for. This wasn't just some sort of political tactic with no consequence, because so many people who suffered through these bushfires suffered because this arrogant government refused to listen to people in the know—people who had fought fires for decades. These were people who have made that their life's work and who knew what was required. Importantly, they said: 'Something is changing; something is different out there. These fires are not like the ones we used to fight decades ago. We have to deal with this differently. The fire seasons start earlier and finish later, and they require more resources.' They wrote to the government earlier in the year and the government ignored them. They raised their concerns regularly and the government refused to meet with them. We hear the Prime Minister say, when he is challenged on why he didn't take on board the advice of these people who have a huge amount of experience, who are in the know and who care about what's going on, 'I just talk to people who are currently in the job.' What a disgraceful way to treat people who have gone out of their way to warn the government and say, 'You need to do things differently.' The Prime Minister dismisses the experience and wisdom of people who've been in the job before but he can pick up the phone to former prime ministers. John Howard was Prime Minister so many years beforehand, but he could pick up the phone to him. I actually don't have an issue with that. I think we should rely on the experience of former prime ministers regardless of their political hue. But, if you can do it with him, why can't you do it with experienced people who reckon that you need to do things differently? And then we should ask: why aren't you counting the cost of ignoring that advice? There was the equipment and the resources and all the assets that were required to help people fight these terrible fires, and they weren't there. So then he had to play catch-up. Worst of all, what got me going on the day that the Prime Minister decided to go out and make the announcement that he was bringing in all these reservists—finally, after getting back from his overseas jaunt and actually showing some form of leadership—was the reaction of the Rural Fire Service commissioner to what was going on. That person took a calculated risk to chip the Prime Minister of this country publicly, saying that on one of the toughest days they faced during the bushfires they'd had to divert resources to deal with the Prime Minister's announcement about what was going on. They had to do that at that point in time, and it was clear they hadn't been consulted. Why? Because the government spent more time cutting a political ad that they could put up to get a few dollars for political donations than they did talking to a bloke with the integrity of Shane Fitzsimmons. It was just a disgrace! The government are not upfront and they're not serious about it. And it's not only that. They're not just complacent; they're also full of cowardice. They won't deal with some of the serious things driving climate change because of those people over there—the member for New England and the member for Dawson, who scoffed when people were raising issues about climate change during the course of this discussion. That is why the government will not take climate change seriously, why they're quite happy to ignore all the advice about what's going on. We've just heard, with the chortling that is going on over there, that they refuse to accept what is happening. The public know this is an issue. The people in those bushfire-affected areas know this is an issue. They're expecting better and they deserve better, and they don't need a smug and arrogant government in this place. 16:18 Mrs McINTOSH 281513 Lindsay Those opposite have been attempting to score cheap political points ever since they arrived back in this place earlier this week. They're politicising the bushfires. Meanwhile, on this side, the Morrison government's responsible economic management has put Australia in a position to respond to the challenges that the Australian community has faced over these past few months. Unlike those opposite, we on this side of the House don't punish aspirational people for working hard; we don't accrue more and more debt, putting the country in a vulnerable position. We certainly don't answer every challenge our country faces with a new tax. The Australian people saw through this charade and voted for responsible economic management and a strong economy that can withstand global headwinds and difficult times like those we have experienced with the fires, the drought and now the coronavirus. Thanks to the strong economic management of the Morrison government, we were able to establish the National Bushfire Recovery Fund with an initial $2 billion for communities impacted by the bushfires. This fund will help get tourists back into our wonderful regions, deliver infrastructure projects to stimulate local economies, support the environment and wildlife recovery, and build resilience for the future. In response to the trauma of the recent bushfires, the National Bushfire Recovery Fund will provide mental health support so people have the resources they need to get through this emotional and raw experience. Our economic management means that we are pushing ahead. We are getting on with the job. We feel this on the ground, too, on this side. We've been getting out and helping our local communities. Over the summer I've stood with people in the remnants of their homes, destroyed by bushfires. I've spoken with RFS captains and crews and asked what we can do to help. I have received an overwhelming response from my community, putting themselves forward and contributing to community care kits. They are doing all they can in wanting to help fellow Australians in need. It's our responsible economic management that will help grow our country. I've seen this firsthand. It's happening now in Western Sydney, with one of our country's biggest infrastructure projects, and certainly the biggest infrastructure project Western Sydney has seen in a generation. Our strong budget position enables us to invest in infrastructure for the future of our country. The Western Sydney Airport, the aerotropolis and the Sydney Science Park will be a game changer for Western Sydney and beyond. Local students studying science, technology and maths will have access to the jobs of the future in Western Sydney. A strong economy enables us to invest in this, to support these emerging industries as well as make it easier for small businesses to thrive and employ more local people. It's our strong economy that enables us to invest in the health of our country. We've added over 2,200 medicine listings, worth around $10.7 billion. It also means that we can apply local initiatives. In Western Sydney in Lindsay, unfortunately, we have higher than New South Wales average levels of obesity in both adults and children. I'm working really hard with our community, our doctors, our hospitals, our health practitioners and our sporting organisations to address this very real and serious issue around the health of our community. We are doing things on the ground. We are getting on with the job. Whether it is bushfires, building future resilience or investing in infrastructure that will grow our country, the Morrison government cares about our country. We are getting on with the job, unlike those opposite. 16:22 Ms CLAYDON 248181 Newcastle This catastrophic summer has thrown into stark relief the character of this government and has shown with greater clarity the true colours of the man who sits at its top. At a time when Australians have been crying out for national leadership, our Prime Minister was reduced to nothing but a hashtag—ScottyfromMarketing—falling back on his core skills of spin, obfuscation and outright misinformation. This is a government that has shamefully argued that black is white, rather than apologising to the Australian people for its lack of leadership and appalling behaviour. This is a government that has no limits when it comes to shamelessly exploiting situations for its own political ends. It's almost hard to believe that, at the height of the fires, the Morrison government was instead focusing its energy on producing a Liberal Party ad about the crisis. Unbelievable! But this tawdry episode tells you everything you need to know about our Prime Minister and the government he leads. It's a government that has failed its leadership test in every area: on the economy, on ministerial standards, on the proper management of public money, on environmental protection and on integrity. But nowhere is this government's glaring, belligerent refusal to act in the national interest more obvious than in the areas of climate change and energy policy. For six years this Liberal government has waged a savage war on climate change and renewable energy. They've defunded or abolished important agencies like the Climate Change Authority, the Renewable Energy Agency and the Climate Commission. They've supported inquiries attacking renewable energy and they have actively refused to listen to or deliver on legislation to drive down carbon emissions. Their climate policy was ranked dead last—that's worse than Tony Abbott's best efforts, and it's even worse than Trump's America. Of course, they've absolutely failed to deliver on a national energy policy that's going to be critical to slashing emissions, driving down power prices and meeting Australia's Paris targets. Indeed, they've launched 18 energy policies—every single one a failure. The Morrison government likes to say that the reason it can't act on climate change is that it wants to deliver cheaper power, but of course that's utter nonsense. Indeed, the very opposite is true. It's renewable energies that will drive down the cost of energy in Australia. All the Morrison government has delivered is sky-high energy bills, climbing emissions and a dramatic collapse in renewable energy investment and jobs. You'd think that the unspeakable catastrophes that we have seen in recent months, coupled with the palpable anger of the Australian people, might have led this government to an about-face on its climate denial, but, sadly, you'd be wrong. This was confirmed today with the announcement that the member for Hinkler, Keith Pitt, has been promoted to the influential position of Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia. This is a deeply concerning appointment, as is the conflation of resources and water in the one portfolio. Not only has Mr Pitt been a longstanding opponent of climate action; he's also one of the government's most strident champions of nuclear energy. Given that this government often touts the Newcastle and Hunter region as a potential location for a nuclear power plant, this appointment concerns me and my community greatly. On any measure, be it cost, timing, energy needs, waste, environmental and health risks, or non-proliferation, nuclear power is to be found wanting. My fears are compounded by the fact that a Liberal-controlled parliamentary committee gave the green light to nuclear power only two months ago. This government's openness to nuclear power is madness. Even if we manage to sort out all the profound issues with nuclear power, we're still left with the unavoidable reality that it's even more expensive than renewables. The appointment of the member for Hinkler to this important ministerial position demonstrates that the Morrison government remains, as always, resolutely opposed to real action on climate change. But now people in my community also have to worry about what nuclear energy plans the Morrison government has up its sleeve. It's time for the Morrison government to come clean with the Australian public about what it really has planned for nuclear energy and which communities are in its crosshairs. 16:27 Mr DRUM 56430 Nicholls As we have this matter of public importance today about the government's supposed failure to front up with Australia's people on issues they feel are most important, I think it's worth noting what we've done in this week of parliament. We spent the first full day devoted to the bushfires: to setting forward the criteria, acknowledging our firefighters and acknowledging the loss and desperate plight of so many people who have been caught in the bushfires. We've put in place a lot of the criteria, making sure that everyone understands the delineation of the federal and state governments, giving the people out there who had been affected the criteria they need so they can move forward. We had another two days of discussion in the Federation Chamber as well, giving every member of parliament the opportunity they've craved so that they can inform their own electorates what they're doing in relation to the bushfires this summer. We then spent considerable time on the coronavirus. Again, we've been criticised because we're not fronting up with the issues that most affect Australians, but we've devoted so much of this time to the coronavirus, talking about how it's affecting our people and what steps we're putting in place to protect our people, talking about what we're doing with Christmas Island, understanding the relationship we have with our scientists, understanding the conversations we're having with China and talking about the spread of this disease and how we're doing our utmost to look after and protect our people. We are also talking about how we are trying to protect and boost our trade in the face of coronavirus. There are also the impacts and, again, the steps we are taking to protect our reputation agriculturally. So, again, people will be saying, 'I hope the coalition government comes back and lets us know exactly what they're doing in relation to coronavirus.' We've also devoted so much time to talking about what we're going to do to protect our veterans. We are putting in place a commissioner who not just in the now but into the future will make sure that we do everything we can to look after the mental health of our serving military personnel and who will also look into and look after the mental health of our veterans. The commissioner will make sure that we do everything we possibly can to assist them while they are serving in the armed forces and also when helping them transition back to civilian life. We have worked on a strong economy. We have worked on some of the other issues associated with the things that are most important to the people of Australia. PERSONAL EXPLANATIONS 71 PERSONAL EXPLANATIONS 16:29 The SPEAKER 00APG The Leader of the Opposition has indicated to me that he wishes to make a personal explanation. ADJOURNMENT 72 ADJOURNMENT Prime Minister 72 Mona Foma 2020 72 16:35 Mrs ARCHER 282237 Bass If you were embarking on a flight out of Launceston on January 17 this year, you may have been perplexed to watch a sea of passengers—160 in fact—disembark from a Qantas plan in a sea of purple and yellow, with a few glamorous drag queens leading the way. Welcome to Mona Foma 2020. In only the second year of the week-long's festival's move to Launceston, I can safely say that the event is reaching iconic status, drawing in a crowd of more than 50,000 people from across the state, nationally and even internationally. I was not surprised to hear that, in a region which has a proud and strong arts and culture scene, 39 per cent of festival attendees in 2019 were from Northern Tasmania. I applaud festival director Brian Ritchie and his team for providing a diverse range of both free ticketed events for adults and families to enjoy. I was especially proud to show off the event, and our gorgeous city, to my colleague Minister Paul Fletcher. Minister Fletcher was the first federal arts minister to visit the event since its inception 12 years ago, and I was able to see firsthand how blown away he was by the incredible events put on by the festival, including Architects of Air, designed by UK artist Alan Parkinson, Architects of Air is a luminarium sculpture—a maze of light, colour and sound—and was an unbelievable experience. The minister and I were also lucky enough to experience the fantastic production of King Ubu, a collaboration between Mona Foma and Tasmania's own Terrapin Puppet Theatre. Set in the iconic Cataract Gorge, the larger-than-life puppet show, facilitated by funding from the arts Festivals Australia program, was a feast of music and satire. I was delighted to hear my colleague the federal member for Braddon, Gavin Pearce, scored a cheeky mention. As Terrapin's artistic director told the ABC, the collaboration with Mona Foma was groundbreaking. He went on to say: We are a small company, and the ability to create a work of this scale is a huge achievement for us — and we can only do it in partnership with other organisations … It's been a significant investment from Mona Foma and by the Federal Government. The artist Thomas Kinkade said that art transcends culture. I believe art also transcends economic and social boundaries, and should be accessible to all Australians. Government plays an important role in providing access to the arts, and I'm proud of the coalition government's commitment to supporting a wide range of arts events and projects in Northern Tasmania. The regional arts grant fund is an example of how the government does support regional arts across the country. Last year, the dance studio Stompin' received funding to develop and present Barcode, a site-specific dance work for young people between the ages of 13 and 30. Stompin' has been an integral part of the Northern Tasmania dance community since the 1990s and has had a positive impact on the lives of more than 5,000 young people from a diverse cross-section of the region, providing opportunities that may not otherwise be available in a regional city. Programs such as these are critical. Not only do they provide a cultural boost to our regional communities so that they remain vibrant cultural hubs; funding festivals in regional cities also gives local festivals a chance to attract first-rate artists, singers and writers. In Northern Tasmania, the Tamar Valley Writers Festival, a biannual event, is one of the largest writers festivals in Australia outside of a capital city, and it continues to attract nationally recognised authors and critics. For its 2020 festival, to be held in September, the federal government has provided $15,000 for the Hidden Stories project, a collaboration between cultures which supports Tasmanian Aboriginal artists and art workers to create and tell their stories. Funding for the arts provides a sense of place and belonging when other opportunities may not be available. The Regional Arts Grant Fund was able to assist the Studio Space Theatre Company in my electorate of Bass last year to facilitate its Studio Space Showcase, a celebration of exclusive arts events described as ,an exploration of dance, singing and scripted performance celebrating participants with a disability, building confidence and developing artistic practice. Arts funding also increases employment and professional development and capacity-building opportunities for our world-class artists and performers, including celebrated local Indigenous artist Rodney Gardner. A small grant from the federal government has allowed Mr Gardner to build upon his series of portraits of Tasmanian Aboriginal elders, seniors and emerging leaders. With over $700 million committed across the country in the current financial year, the Morrison government is proudly committed to supporting the arts. Blair Electorate: Health 73 16:40 Mr NEUMANN HVO Blair I rise tonight to speak on a trifecta of issues in the health portfolio where the Morrison government, without a plan, is inflicting poorer health outcomes for my electorate. Official data recently released to the Senate by the health department shows that people in the Blair electorate are paying an average out-of-pocket fee of $36 just to see a GP. That's up 30 per cent since the coalition was elected. The health department also contradicted the government's rhetoric on bulk-billing, admitting that 20 per cent of patients in the Blair electorate have to pay to see a GP. Specialist out-of-pocket fees are also at record highs, with an average of $79 just to see a specialist—a staggering 50 per cent since the coalition came to power. These figures are a damning indictment of the coalition's record and neglect in terms of health. This is a government that tried and failed to impose a GP tax. They introduced a Medicare freeze—a GP tax by stealth. When the current Prime Minister was treasurer, he extended that freeze. Health costs have never been higher than they are under this Prime Minister. The second issue I relates to the cuts in bulk-billing incentive payments in Ipswich. I recently received advice from the Primary Health Network that this was going to take place. This second cut experienced in 2019 greatly reduced the benefits for disadvantaged patients visiting doctors in my area, and flies in the face of the Darling Downs and West Moreton health needs assessment for 2019-2021 highlighting significant areas of disadvantage my electorate. For example, chronic disease in Ipswich is more than 10 per cent higher than the national average. I have called on the minister to reinstate the higher bulk-billing incentive payments in Ipswich in the best interests of patients, doctors, nurses and allied health professionals. This higher bulk-billing payment is really important. Affordable and accessible health care is vital to the quality of life of people living in Ipswich and its surrounds. I wrote to the minister on 8 January this year and I look forward to a response. The third issue in the trifecta of health issues which are affecting my electorate is the new classification brought in from 1 July last year. There was a new distribution priority area brought in. I received a letter from the Minister for Regional Services on 2 July advising that, from 1 July, that would replace the district workforce shortage. The result of that was that certain areas in my electorate were severely disadvantaged. I wrote to the minister on 7 August last year asking that Ipswich, the Lower Somerset region and the Corunna Downs region be included in areas under the DPA. The reason for that is that GPs spoke to me in relation to the issue about problems in relation to getting GPs into the area. Approximately 50 per cent of GPs in the Ipswich and West Moreton region are non-Australians. So I wrote to the minister in relation to that. In response to that, the minister wrote to me on 23 September 2019 advising that if we have a dramatic reduction in the number of GPs employed in the area or a substantial drop in health services in the community then the health department will reconsider the issue again. He said he had established the distribution advisory group and it would be looked at at the next meeting. That's what the minister said in his letter to me. I haven't heard from him since that time and I want to ask the minister to get back to me in relation to that and the distribution advisory group, because we know in our area that rurality and regionality in the Blair electorate really affect outcomes. There were perverse changes as a result of this DPA coming in and people in the local area are really concerned. That's why I had the support of the West Moreton Hospital and Health Service and the Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN in asking for the reclassification, and my colleague and friend the member for Oxley in requesting the minister to look at this again. It's been a trifecta of decisions by this government affecting and afflicting my electorate, resulting in poorer health outcomes for people in the Somerset region, the Karana Downs region and Ipswich. Minister, look at this again. Minister Hunt, change your situation with respect to bulk-billing incentives. This government needs to lifts its game in health care. Moncrieff Electorate: Tourism 74 16:45 Ms BELL 282981 Moncrieff Bushfires have dominated the headlines throughout summer and continue to be top mind for all Australians. The widespread global media coverage of the bushfires and misleading maps implying the whole country is, or was, on fire have now created an enormous challenge for our tourism industry, and we have a big job ahead of us to address the safety concerns of international tourists. In my neighbouring western electorate the Gold Coast hinterland is home to the heritage-listed Binna Burra Lodge, which was unfortunately destroyed. Binna Burra Lodge was an icon of our local tourism industry. The loss of the lodge was a blow to the local industry, but the good news is that it should be up and running by Easter with the assistance of both state and federal disaster recovery funding. It was fantastic to see the Prime Minister visit the Gold Coast hinterland in September to support those who have lost everything in the fires. Now, in addition, we have seen the coronavirus outbreak. Four people directly from Hubei province remain in isolation at Gold Coast University Hospital. My thoughts are with the Chinese community at this time, as there are very many families whose lives have been adversely affected. We have a thriving Gold Coast community which I of course support. Australia stands ready, and we are leading the world with our precautionary measures, but the health of the Australian public come first. Foreign nationals, excluding permanent residents, who are in mainland China from 1 February will not be allowed to enter Australia for 14 days from the time they left, or transited through, mainland China. These are tough but necessary measures our government is taking to keep Australians safe. Unfortunately, these factors, which are outside of our control, will impact the Gold Coast economy. China is the Gold Coast's biggest and most valued international tourism market, and we welcome many Chinese foreign students to the Gold Coast. This sector is very important to our local economy. I highlight that, post these measures, we will continue our close relationship with this sector and our relationship with China. I also want to highlight that, like many other tourism hubs around the country, the Gold Coast is feeling the pinch with regard to a decline in international visitation from key markets such as China, the UK and the US. This is a result of the negative global exposure of the worst bushfire season in Australia's history and, now, the precautions taken for the coronavirus. We are seeing airline bookings to Australia in the first few weeks of the year down some 30 to 40 per cent. Tourism is a key industry on the Gold Coast; we are the fourth most visited destination in Australia. I urge Australians to continue to go about their domestic business travel and their plans to holiday at home. Early estimates of the immediate economic impact on the Gold Coast of the bushfire season and the coronavirus pandemic have been estimated by Destination Gold Coast to be around $40 million. Our government has invested an initial $76 million to make sure Australia's tourism industry can weather the impacts which are being felt not just in the fire-affected regions but in key tourist markets, including the Gold Coast. This campaign is all about focusing local, because Australians truly understand what has transpired. Aussies know that the Gold Coast is still open for business. Book now for a fantastic local holiday to our first-class beaches! Shamelessly I stand here and ask Australians to do that. We have a thriving cafe scene and stellar accommodation brands on the coast. The next few months lead into whale-watching season and are a little bit cooler for those enjoyable visits to theme parks. If you're on the coast, how about you plan a staycation at the beach or head to our hinterland for a long weekend—or head to northern New South Wales, the New South Wales coast or the Adelaide Hills, which also have been devastated by the fires, as we know. You will not only have a fabulous time during your holiday at home but you will help to sustain a business, jobs and livelihoods. I would like to commend CEO Annalise Battista and her Destination Gold Coast team for being on the front foot on the issue, putting forward $2 million to spend on marketing the Gold Coast to the domestic over-50s market—quite a lucrative market. I'll continue to work closely with tourism stakeholders, my Gold Coast colleagues and Minister Birmingham to ensure we do what we can to assist the Gold Coast through this downturn. Abdallah, Antony, Abdallah, Angelina, Abdallah, Sienna, Sakr, Veronique 75 16:50 Ms ROWLAND 159771 Greenway The universe of an untold number of people were forever changed on 1 February, none so more than the families of four innocent children—Antony, Angelina and Sienna Abdallah and Veronique Sakr and others who were injured. These deaths were senseless, unjust and avoidable. In the face of such an abomination, there is grief, anger and regret throughout the community. It is an unimaginable tragedy that has affected everyone who has heard it, the news of which has spread throughout Sydney and across the other side of the world. People who do not even know the affected families personally are finding it hard to comprehend and accept this loss, so we wonder how on earth will the parents, the siblings, the cousins, the aunts, the uncles and grandparents of those children cope? We don't know the answer to that and we probably never will. But what has stood out is the dignity and faith of those families, of Leila Abdallah, who, in the face of all this, refuses to succumb to hate; of Daniel Abdulla, who, in spite of all his pain used a phrase I have never heard before that encapsulated—I think—that he is the best dad he can be by saying he saw himself as a full-time father, part-time worker; of Bridget and Bob, whose words were of appreciation of the support they had received while advising us to remember to enjoy our lives. What incredible human beings. You really are the best of us. Not that you need my reassurance, not that my words today will bring back your angels, not that anything I or anyone else can do will switch off your pain but I say this in the people's House in the centre of Australia's democracy: we are with you and we pray for you. We pray in churches, we pray at memorials, workers pray at construction sites, observing a respectful minute's silence for these children. We thank you and we honour you for setting the example of what we should all strive to be. In subtle ways that you'll never know, you and your children have changed so many strangers, including myself. We have witnessed from this horror families actually being drawn together, reminding us of how precious our time is on this earth together. The faith of those around you has also been strengthened, particularly for those in the Maronite community within and beyond Sydney, and it is one of the reasons I am proud to wear both the Australian and Lebanese flags in this chamber honouring the family of my husband of Lebanese heritage. We grieve because we hope that some of our grief will help mitigate some of your loss. We pray because we have faith too. The next days ahead, the years ahead, the life ahead will be so difficult but may our Lord and saviour greet your four angels. May they watch over you for all your days with eternal love. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 218019 I thank the member for Greenway for that very moving statement. Science 75 16:54 Mr CHRISTENSEN 230485 Dawson I want to take a moment to shine a light on very interesting studies which have been undertaken over a period of three years by a group of international scientists from four different countries. The studies are interesting for two reasons. They have revealed that some previous research on the effects of carbon dioxide emissions on reef fish seem to be entirely incorrect. They are also interesting because the finding is not popular and it's largely being ignored by media outlets around the country. Seven leading international scientists from Australia, Canada, Norway and Sweden took it upon themselves to check the science, if you will, regarding the effects of carbon dioxide emissions or acidification of our oceans on species of reef fish. They sought to replicate the alleged effects of carbon dioxide emissions on reef fish reported in eight previous studies published by researchers from James Cook University's coral reef centre. Try as they would, they found that the claims from this particular group of eight studies could not be validated at all. The findings of the Clark and others 2020 report, titled Ocean acidification does not impair the behaviour of coral reef fishes, were published in the science journal Nature on 8 January this year. These scientists wanted to check on claims that rising carbon dioxide levels were causing strange and destructive behaviours in reef fish. The claims were that rising carbon dioxide levels were making the reef fish hyperactive, altering their vision and causing them to be attracted to, rather than repelled by, the smell of predators. It was claimed that these effects would cause populations to be dramatically reduced or even wiped out. There was widespread publicity of the findings at the time claiming that we were seeing the demise of Nemo and Dory! It was dramatic stuff that couldn't fail to tug at the heartstrings. Scientist Timothy Clark, from Deakin University, led the group that sought to replicate these findings. They spent three years studying six fish species to validate or prove the earlier alarming claims. And what did they find? In not one instance could they replicate the alarming effects which had been claimed by the small group of JCU researchers. In their report, these scientists stated: Here, we comprehensively and transparently show that—in contrast to previous studies—end-of-century ocean acidification levels have negligible effects on important behaviours of coral reef fishes … That is a 100 per cent failure rate. There is not one jot of evidence to support the alarmist claims made by the JCU researchers. These findings provide a glaring example of why we need to establish a scientific quality assurance agency. One would think that research findings such as these would be worthy of coverage by journalists and media commentators, but green-leaning groupthink renders a thoughtful consideration of any science that does not support the climate disaster dramatists impossible. Despite repeated attempts to share the details of these scientific findings, to the best of my knowledge just two media organisations have bothered to tell the story. One is an overseas based agency and the other is Sky News, which, I was happy to see, covered the story on Sunday morning during an interview with Dr Peter Ridd. Another disturbing element to these findings is that a researcher who was found guilty of fabricating data in Sweden was involved in some of the JCU studies. JCU promised to investigate the work of this marine biologist, Oona Lonnstedt, and finally, after nearly two years since she was found guilty in Sweden, it appears they are getting started on the investigation. We eagerly await the outcome. I would also hope that the Australian Research Council will ensure that we see that outcome as soon as possible. Professor Peter Ridd, a very good man, was sacked from James Cook University for raising concerns about findings from the coral reef centre at the university. It seems that Professor Ridd was right to distrust their work. These scientists and universities all around the nation are generously funded by the Commonwealth to conduct their research, and their findings are used as a basis for policy decision-making. We need to have great confidence in that research, and that's why an independent scientific quality assurance watchdog should be established. I look forward to raising these very serious concerns with the Chief Scientist, Dr Finkel. My North Queensland colleagues, the members for Herbert and Leichhardt as well as Senator McDonald, have joined me in issuing an invitation to Dr Finkel to visit North Queensland for further discussions on reef science and the flow-on policy effects, which are impacting farmers and fishers. Some of the science coming out of the coral research centre is at best dubious and at worst totally false, but it is science which informs policymaking in Queensland regarding land practices. Rather than reef fish being destroyed, it is our farmers, graziers and canegrowers who are being targeted and who are now the endangered species. House adjourned at 16:59 The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Ms Vamvakinou) took the chair at 10:00, a division having been called in the House of Representatives.

Thursday, 6 February 2020

The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Ms Vamvakinou) took the chair at 10:00, a division having been called in the House of Representatives.

CONDOLENCES 77 CONDOLENCES Australian Bushfires 77 10:00 Mr ZIMMERMAN 203092 North Sydney I'm pleased to have the opportunity to support the condolence motion moved by the Prime Minister. My electorate of North Sydney has been distant from harm's way during the horrific bushfire season Australians are witnessing this summer. However, for much of December and January, we have been reminded by the smoke-filled skies over Sydney of what so many communities across eastern Australia have been enduring. This of course does not compare with the devastation experienced by some of our fellow citizens. For most of us, we cannot really appreciate the ordeal, the loss and the grief experienced by residents in bushfire affected communities. But I know residents across my electorate have been united in concern and compassion towards those who have lost homes, properties, businesses, livestock and tragically, in 33 cases, the lives of their loved ones. The impact on Australia's ecology and wildlife has also been deeply felt by my constituents. Today we pay tribute to the role of RFS volunteers and all those fighting the fires. They are ordinary Australians doing extraordinary things. We can only imagine the circumstances faced by RFS volunteers. Photos and videos give us some insight into the ferocity of the fires, but only just. One RFS volunteer recently gave me this piece of metal. This unrecognisable molten shape is a mag wheel from an RFS support vehicle consumed by the fires. It's a demonstration of the intense heat they have been encountering on a daily basis. Today I want to particularly acknowledge local residents who are members of the RFS. Recently the ABC featured two of those local volunteers, Simon Adams and Barry Lanigan, who faced horrific circumstances at Rainbow Flat on the Central Coast during a daring rescue mission to help a trapped resident. The RFS volunteers have been supported by so many others, often behind the scenes. I want to pay particular credit to the role of Australia's defence forces. They have been magnificent. Many local reservists in my electorate were called up, including two local ministers in their roles as Army chaplains—Reverend Craig Potter from St Aidan's in Longueville and Reverend Tim St Quintin from St Peter's in Cremorne. I spoke to Tim about his experience on the South Coast during his deployment. He commented on what a reassuring presence the Army has been for communities who have lost so much. It meant they knew they were not alone in their ordeal. I, like so many, have been inspired by the generosity shown by individuals and organisations across my electorate. I'm proud of the help that they have been providing, and they deserve to be recognised today. So many children and young people have been leading those efforts—from Northbridge Public School students Zachary Fisher and Luca Meyerson, who raised over $1,000 at a stall in Castlecrag, to Laura Campbell and her friends from North Sydney Girls and North Sydney Boys, who raised over $1,200 selling cakes in Northbridge Plaza, and the dozens involved in a kids market to raise funds at the Willoughby Park hall. And across my electorate Scouts have been selling bushfire recovery badges. In addition to the kids market, Willoughby Living's Naomi Sheriff led a massive collection of essential items, which received an overwhelming response from residents. And In the Cove's Jacky Barker raised funds through the collection of Christmas trees. Our multicultural communities have also been playing their part. The local Chinese and Japanese communities have helped fundraising activities, and the Armenian Relief Society led efforts in the Australian Armenian community to raise over $7½ thousand. In one evening the Northbridge Golf Club raised over $60,000 for BlazeAid, while the Kirribilli club raised over $10,000 through an Australia Day charity auction. Many local pubs are also contributing. For example, The Oaks Hotel in Neutral Bay is holding a bushfire charity long lunch. Lavender Bay resident and OzHarvest chef Mark Hamilton and his fellow chef Renzo headed to Cudgewa to cook a special meal for those affected by the bushfires, while Bottlebrush Honey in Chatswood raised funds for farmers who had lost their beehives. So many have donated to help the recovery of wildlife, including through the animal rescue co-op based in Gladesville. These are just a few examples I'm aware of. I'm sure there are many, many more in my own local community. There will be many lessons from the unprecedented bushfire season. The federal government's role in disasters such as this will increase. I want to acknowledge the leadership of the Prime Minister and other ministers in putting in place what has been the most significant Commonwealth response to a bushfire crisis in our nation's history. There are also undoubtedly lessons for resourcing and hazard reduction activities. Underlining all these things must be the recognition of the impact of climate change and our resolve to ensure that Australia plays its part in meeting this global challenge. These have been horrific days for our nation, and they are not over. But in their midst we can be so grateful for the bravery and generosity of so many Australians. It makes us all proud to live in this great nation. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 00AMT Before I call the member for Solomon, I want to inform the Federation Chamber that there is an informal agreement, certainly among the opposition members, to limit speaking to five minutes. In condolence motions, the clock is not set. I just wanted to let members know about the five-minute limit and that the indication on the clock is just an indication, to help those members who wish to restrict themselves to five minutes to be aware of that. 10:06 Mr GOSLING 245392 Solomon The scale and devastation of the bushfires has been enormous and heartbreaking for our nation. Lives have been lost, homes and livelihoods have been destroyed, animals have perished by the millions, and habitats have been lost. The trauma has been really significant. That trauma will stay with a lot of Australians for many years. The sights and sounds of these horrific bushfires will stay with Australians. I want to send my and my family's condolences to the families of the 33 people who have been lost. Darwin understands trauma, as a city. It was 45 years ago, around Christmas time, that our city was hit by Cyclone Tracy, and still today, 45 years later, sights and sounds of that horrific occasion return to our residents. So there is a deep empathy for those Australians caught up in these horrendous events. I won't congratulate the Prime Minister for his leadership, because his leadership was wanting. It was not good. I think people caught up in this, those lost, deserve to have that said and acknowledged. This Christmas time I took my family down south to visit family and friends. We travelled up through the North Coast of New South Wales. On the way we had lunch in Lakes Entrance. We visited family in Merimbula on the South Coast, but we couldn't get further south because of the fires, so we took a detour through the member for Eden-Monaro's electorate, via Canberra, to get north to Sydney. When we got back to Darwin on New Year's Day, when the fiercest storm of fire hit, we felt like a lot of people around our nation—quite helpless. But we could get on the phone and we could follow the amazing ABC, to try and find out what was happening to communities on the east coast, down south, in SA, in WA, around our nation when it was on fire. I was talking to a mate, a veteran, who was stuck with his family on a beach in Mallacoota. All sorts of triggering of previous traumas has happened over these months. But he wasn't just responsible for himself and his mates: he had his partner and small children with him. They were eventually evacuated out by the Air Force. I acknowledge all the work of the defence forces during this time. Even though, during those difficult weeks, a lot of Territorians felt helpless, we were not powerless. When someone is in need, Territorians help. Our firefighters, our NT fireys, our Bushfires NT volunteers and our NT emergency services headed south to help and support the exhausted fire crews in Queensland and New South Wales. Those strike teams worked tirelessly to relieve some of the fireys who had been going at it for so long. Our emergency services volunteers went south too. It was chaotic. I talked to one of the volunteers, who said that the NT fireys who were there trying to protect homes around Nowra were fighting house to house to try and defeat the flames and save houses. Often the fire would outflank them—terrifying stuff—but they were proud to be making a contribution. I also want to acknowledge the medical and health specialists from the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre who also joined the fireys down south—amazing people. I've mentioned our Defence personnel, but veterans around the country, through organisations such as Team Rubicon, also used their skills to assist with the fires. A veteran in my electorate, Shane Potter, a veteran of 26 years in the military, volunteered with Team Rubicon. He shared with me stories of strength and human connection that he had witnessed when assisting people in the Adelaide Hills with those fires, including some work to retrieve an elderly lady's ring—a ring of her mother's that meant a great deal to her—even though her house had burnt down. A Darwin surgeon, Dr Richard Bradbury, who was holidaying in Merimbula, stayed on the South Coast to help out at the regional hospital in Bega. Well done, Dr Bradbury. Territorians are on the ground there, pitching in and helping out. Fundraisers—many fundraisers—were held in our community. We took high-quality goods and non-perishable foods and sent them down to communities that had been wiped out. But there were also lots of fundraisers by The Italian Club, the Beachfront Hotel, the Filipino Association and many other multicultural groups. There was the Cabaret 4 A Cause at the Railway Club. The NT Thai Association and The Pint Club had fundraisers. Wharf One had a great fundraiser, which I was proud to support. This Saturday the Lions club and the New Zealanders are having a hangi fundraiser at Tracy Village. I encourage those who can to come along to Tracy Village to join that fundraiser, because the recovery process is going to be a long one. I also want to acknowledge our brave American firefighters who came and fought alongside our crews. The recovery will take a long time, but, with good people running the recovery process, hopefully the affected communities that do need long-term support will receive the commitments and support they need. Through all this, we've seen the greatness and resilience of Australians. We must honour that greatness in the work that we do here and not shirk our responsibilities. We must lead and help all those affected by these disastrous fires. 10:13 Mr ANDREWS HK5 Menzies I join with the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and colleagues in expressing sincere condolences to those who are affected by these bushfires, particularly the families of those who have died as a consequence of the fires, including the families of the three American firefighters. Can I also add my thanks to all who have continued to fight the fires, both up until now and no doubt into the future—members of the various voluntary firefighting services in each of the states, other members of emergency services organisations, the first responders and, of course, members of the Australian defence forces that were called out. It's appropriate that the parliament pauses for this motion and it's appropriate for me to express, on behalf of the constituents I represent in Menzies, our condolences to all those who have been affected. Fires, of course, have been a constant in this country. As a child growing up in Gippsland, I recall travelling to bushfire zones with my father, who ran a livestock transport business, to collect stock that were escaping, effectively, from the fires at that time. As a child, I remember that, as summer approached, there was this annual cycle of burning-off, ploughing of fire breaks and cleaning up of rubbish around farms, all in preparation for what was a threat and a risk to people, animals and places in local areas right across this country. We've had a series of bushfires across this country. Bushfires are a reality in the life of this country. The challenge is how to ensure that they don't become catastrophic bushfires that cannot be controlled. And from time to time that has occurred. I also welcome the announcement of a proposed national inquiry into this matter to see how we can better respond to these risks and dangers. There have been some advances in the last 20 years. For example, there has been a one-third reduction in the amount of land that has been burnt due to bushfires. This year, even though we're only part of the way through the danger season, I think it's about half of what has been the average for the last 10 years. But we also know that, with the population growing, the so-called tree change movement and the suburbs expanding into what were bushy areas, such as Eltham and Research in my electorate in suburban Melbourne, those challenges remain in the future. Many factors are involved here, and, hopefully, a national commission of inquiry will be an opportunity to canvass all of the matters raised by various constituents and, indeed, by members in this place. I will take this opportunity to remind my residents, particularly those in Warrandyte, Eltham and surrounding areas, that the danger hasn't gone away for this season. Indeed, when one looks at Victoria, we have yet to approach the time when bushfires tend to occur in Victoria. It tends to be late January and, indeed, into February. We saw the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria in February and we've seen other major fires in late January and February, so I remind constituents to be fire ready and to do everything that they can to ensure that rubbish is cleaned up, that overhanging branches are removed, that any precaution to be put in place is done and that, should there be, tragically, a fire, they've made a fire plan so that they can move from the danger that might ensue as a result of that fire. I was honoured to attend the blessing of the fleet before Christmas, which is an annual event held with the fire brigade services, the SES and others from Eltham, Research, Warrandyte, Kangaroo Ground and surrounding areas. All the volunteers were there with their fire trucks, except those who were already working—that is, fighting fires in New South Wales—at that stage. It was good to see all those volunteers and offer them the community's support for the important work they do on our behalf and to encourage them to continue that vital work, which they do as volunteers on behalf of the broader community. In closing, I again join with my colleagues in expressing my sincere condolences to all those who have been affected by the fires and to offer our heartfelt encouragement to those who are continuing to fight these tragic fires throughout Australia. 10:18 Ms THWAITES 282212 Jagajaga I rise to express my deepest sympathies to the many Australians who've been directly impacted by this catastrophic bushfire season. I particularly pay my respect to the families and colleagues of the firefighters who have died while serving our communities. I know there is nothing that we in this place can do to take away the hurt you are suffering, but please know that your loved ones will always be remembered by our nation. I pay tribute to all of the firefighters—the volunteers and the paid professionals—who've endured so much and demonstrated around-the-clock dedication to their task. I know that firefighters from our CFAs in Jagajaga have been a big part of that effort, and to them and their families I say a particular thankyou for their work. Thank you also to the defence personnel who've been on the ground and on the water evacuating people from emergency zones. And thank you to the many charities, community organisations, volunteers and Australians who've offered assistance and donations to our fire affected regions, including the many of you in Jagajaga who have done, and are continuing to do, so much fundraising and work to support those who've been affected. I want to assure the people in communities who have lost so much and who are tired, worn out and grieving that they are not alone in this. We do stand with them. We're ready to help, to visit and to spend our money, like they're calling on us to do. We in this place are ready to advocate for them and to make sure that they get what they need. I acknowledge the expertise and professionalism of the journalists and news organisations in their work during this crisis. I particularly want to acknowledge the role of the ABC. They were often the first people to deliver messages and emergency updates in real time. Many people have reflected on the fact that they were in towns and communities where roads had been blocked and electricity was cut off and that listening to ABC radio, through their portable stereos or in their cars, was their only connection to the outside world. This is a vital service. We must continue to support the ABC and the incredibly important role that it plays. These fires, some of which are still burning today, are unprecedented. Cities and towns across our eastern seaboard have been shrouded in thick smoke, creating hazardous conditions. For the first time we've seen rainforests and areas of bushland that have no prior history of fires burn. In fact, the dry conditions we've been enduring this year brought the fire crisis very close to home for those of us in Jagajaga when a fire started in the Plenty Gorge and quickly threatened suburban houses at Bundoora and Greensborough. These are not areas where people normally expect to see a fire. It quickly took hold and it was a genuine threat. Fortunately, fire crews were able to extinguish it before it did too much damage. I do thank our emergency services for their quick work. We've seen countless native animals die and their natural habitats decimated. This will have a profound and lasting impact on our wildlife populations. I thank the organisations and volunteers who have donated their services to saving injured wildlife and are assisting in their rehabilitation and release. We are now at a critical turning point in our history to conserve our native species, both flora and fauna, and to ensure that those ecosystems remain for future generations. This season has really changed forever how we think of summer in this country. It was not a time of rest. It was not a time of enjoying being outdoors or of watching or playing sport. It was a time of fear and devastation for many. The constituents of Jagajaga could not be clearer in their communications with me. Hundreds of them have contacted me to say that they are scared for the future and that they want real action on climate change. My constituents rely on the evidence of scientists. They are frustrated at the culture wars that are getting in the way of the action we need. They're fed up with us in this place and our inability to do our job to secure a better future for our country. The science is real. Climate change is real. So I ask all of those on the government side, who are standing in the way of the real action on climate change that we need, to step aside. The efforts and sacrifice we have seen this summer deserve no less from those of us in this place. 10:23 Mr FLETCHER L6B Bradfield I rise to speak on the bushfire crisis that has afflicted Australia over this very difficult summer. Despite the difficult and dangerous conditions, our emergency services, both professional and volunteer, have selflessly worked to defend property and life. I thank all of the career and volunteer emergency services personnel who've worked so hard. Let me take this opportunity to pay my respects to the families and loved ones of the 33 people who tragically lost their lives in this bushfire season. I want to particularly acknowledge the Ku-ring-gai and Killara brigades based in my electorate of Bradfield who have been engaged in fighting bushfires since August last year. Their tankers and crews have been deployed to fires from the Queensland border to the Snowy Mountains and all points in between. In recent days, crews from the two brigades have been fighting the fires in the ACT and southern New South Wales. Crews were also deployed to Queensland in August. These deployments have varied in duration from 12 or 14 hours to five days. The four Killara and Ku-ring-gai tankers were the first RFS units on the scene at the Turramurra fires that occurred on the first of Sydney's catastrophic fire danger days. Fortunately, that fire was quickly contained with the assistance of multiple strike teams and air assets, including a C-130 air tanker. These crews have experienced the heartbreaking loss of homes and outbuildings, together with the deep satisfaction they receive when they are able to save other homes and businesses. They have saved much more than they have lost. In addition to their deployments, these brigades have had crews on standby during total fire bans on days of elevated fire danger in the Sydney region. Brigade members have also undertaken extensive community engagement activities, including educating Ku-ring-gai residents about the risks of bushfire. I want to acknowledge the members of these two brigades—around 80—who have contributed to this vital work. The need for their services is not yet over. Andrew Wilson is the captain of Killara Rural Fire Brigade, and Nic Lyons is the captain of the Ku-ring-gai Bush Fire Brigade. Killara Rural Fire Brigade, I should say, is the newest brigade in New South Wales, established two years ago. Thank you to Andrew, Nic and all of your colleagues for the work you have done to keep our community safe. As Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, I have engaged closely with the communications sector as it has responded to the bushfires and their effects. I want to acknowledge the work of the telecommunications companies in quickly re-establishing facilities. Telstra and Optus, for example, have deployed temporary facilities, called cells on wheels, to provide interim mobile coverage for emergency operations and to provide connectivity to the community in areas such as Mallacoota, La Trobe and Corryong in Victoria; and Malua Bay and Tumbarumba in New South Wales. They have also provided satellite phones which have been distributed to rural fire services in bushfire-affected areas. They have acknowledged the work of NBN Co, which has worked very hard to provide temporary broadband and wi-fi services delivered over its national satellite network to more than a dozen evacuation centres around the country. Let me particularly acknowledge the ABC and their very important work in transmitting emergency information to Australian communities, including during the current bushfire season. Many Australians, particularly those in regional Australia, turn to their local ABC radio station to provide up-to-date and vital information. Following extensive damage to infrastructure used in their broadcast network, the ABC installed a temporary radio and television broadcast facility to restore transmission to areas such as Batemans Bay, Moruya, Bega, Eden and Narooma. I had a chance to visit the temporary facility at Round Hill, near Bateman's Bay, just a week or two ago. I also had a chance to visit the damaged Telstra and Optus base station at Malua Bay, where I saw the damage that was done—the equipment hut was somewhat damaged, and the expensive electronics inside were obviously completely out of service due to the intense heat. At the ABC transmission facility at Mount Wandera, copper cables melted as a result of the bushfire. Copper melts at 1,000 degrees. It's a sobering reminder of the intensity of these bushfires. It's important that we continue to increase mobile coverage so that communities have access to connectivity under our Mobile Black Spots Program. Some 1,047 mobile base stations have now been funded. Of those, 780 have been completed—I'm pleased to say over 90 are in areas affected by the recent severe bushfires. I pay tribute to Australians, particularly our emergency services, who have worked through these bushfires. 10:28 Mr HUSIC 91219 Chifley Australians have all been staggered and numbed by the devastation brought on by these horrific fires. So many people are personally affected by the horror of these fires. Many of us weren't, but we still felt the pain and experienced deep sadness when we saw what fellow Australians had gone through as a result of this terrible episode in our nation's history. The images of what occurred have been profoundly powerful and have had a massive impact on our nation's psyche: land transformed into alien landscapes, the remnants of homes on charred ground, the vision of fires forming their own form of weather event in that area, sweeping people up. For me, one image that had an incredible impact at a deeply personal level was of an RFS commissioner on bended knee, pinning a medal on a young boy in an RFS uniform at a commemoration service, a funeral, for an RFS volunteer. And I kept thinking, as I suspect many of us did, that, when the RFS commissioner was pinning that medal on Harvey Keaton, we were thinking about the fact that his dad would not be there for the biggest moments in that boy's life because his dad wanted to make sure that other families could be around for the big moments in their children's lives. That had a big impact on me, and it had an especially big impact on our community because Harvey Keaton was the son of Geoffrey Keaton, who lost his life fighting the Green Wattle Creek fire alongside a bloke called Andrew O'Dwyer. This happened in the Wollondilly area. Geoffrey Keaton himself had served loyally at the Plumpton RFS, which is within the Chifley electorate. So many of the RFSs in our area—and I do want to pay tribute to them all: Eastern Creek, Marsden Park, Plumpton, Schofields and Shanes Park—have clocked up so many hours. Not just over this terrible period but over months, they have been out helping other families. So, while the fires, fortunately, did not impact our area, I have to say that our area is deeply grateful for the sacrifice of those people within our own neighbourhoods who have gone to other places within the country to help. Plumpton RFS volunteered over 27,000 man-hours fighting the fires. Chifley volunteers have fought in fires in over 26 local government areas, including in places such as Grafton, Tamworth, Bega, Singleton, the Snowy Mountains and the Blue Mountains, to name a few. And, during the Gospers Mountain fires in the Hawkesbury, Chifley crews were deployed daily for more than three weeks. Many of the shifts ended up being over 16 hours from the time of leaving to the time of returning. So I would like to acknowledge—and I think our community would like to thank deeply—the brave men and women of our local RFSs and RFSs across our state. The number of RFSs deserving acknowledgement far exceeds the time I have to speak here today. I do, however, want to recognise the Plumpton RFS Brigade Captain Phillip Cook, his 2IC, Senior Deputy Captain Ben Keen, and people like Trevor Haskins and the volunteers from the Eastern Creek brigade who have been instrumental in both leading teams on the ground and supporting local crews, providing coverage, not only from our local community but further afield. And I also want to recognise the huge effort that has been dedicated by Blacktown City Council. They've allocated $2 million to their bushfire relief and recovery effort and allocated staff, vehicles, plant and equipment to bushfire affected councils. Also Foodbank in Glendenning in our area has been delivering thousands of pallets of food and supplies to communities ravaged by the fire. There are not enough words for us to express our condolences to those who have been affected, to pay respect to those who lost their lives and to thank those who have stepped in, in the way that they have. But I am deeply proud that this parliament has put aside politics to allow this period of time for us, regardless of our backgrounds, to come together as a nation and just say thank you and put an arm around fellow Australians who have suffered so much through this truly catastrophic event. 10:33 Mr FALINSKI G86 Mackellar I'd like to thank the member for Chifley for his remarks and comments in this place. They stand in contrast with those of so many others who have already spoken today, in terms of both his depth of feeling and heartfelt views on this matter and those who have suffered both in his electorate and across all of Australia. On behalf of the Australian people and the people of Mackellar, who I so proudly represent, I stand in this chamber today with a solemn and heavy heart to pass on our condolences to the families of 34 souls who lost their lives in the recent bushfires and to pay tribute to the thousands of men and women who, with unflinching courage and determination, braved violent elements to protect us and our property. Our dry Australian continent has been subjected to fire events for 60,000 years, to such an extent that it has produced an ecology and environment both prone to it and evolved to use fire to reproduce. Many explorers in past times were dazzled by the extent of the fires. James Cook described Australia as 'a continent of smoke'. Charles Darwin, who visited here in 1836, went to Bathurst in 119-degree heat, traversing the Blue Mountains in what he described as 'an inferno of fire'. We have suffered many severe fire events in our history—the various days prefixed with 'ash' or 'black'—and over the years hundreds of millions of hectares have been burnt and subsequently revitalised by fire. But we do not pretend that these events were normal. I am reminded of the haunting words of the poet after whom the seat I am honoured to represent was named: The love of field and coppice Of green and shaded lanes, Of ordered woods and gardens Is running in your veins. Strong love of grey-blue distance, Brown streams and soft, dim skies I know, but cannot share it, My love is otherwise. I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains. I love her far horizons, I love her jewel-sea, Her beauty and her terror The wide brown land for me! This is neither the time nor the place to debate climate change. But surely the impacts of climate change are now undeniable and the need for ongoing action is urgent. Our instinct is to stand and fight, as thousands have, some with success, some to the very brink of disaster and some with tragic and shocking consequences. Today we join as one to pay our respects to those who faced these challenges, the leaders of our Rural Fire Service, who have worked to exhaustion in the service of others, and to pass our sincere and deepest condolences to the families and friends of those who are no longer with us. In New South Wales two RFS firefighters, Geoffrey Keaton and Andrew O'Dwyer of the Horsley Park brigade, lost their lives. Victorian firefighters Bill Slade and Mat Kavanagh gave their last full measure of devotion in order to serve others. The crash of a chartered Lockheed C-130 Hercules killed the crew. All were US veterans, all were here to help, and all were here for us. From my electorate of Mackellar, encompassing Sydney's Northern Beaches and the famed Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, 17 RFS brigades have been deployed right across New South Wales and are still on deployment as required, at times for up to five days. Our Northern Beaches brigades are no strangers to the crimson bushfires. I pay tribute to our men and women who have entered and assisted in some seriously dangerous conditions. Warren Buffett once said that we should always criticise in general, but we should praise in specific. In that spirit, allow me to mention just a few people: Northern Beaches District Manager Inspector George Sheppard—George's leadership is unsurpassed; Peter Duff, who is captain of the Terry Hills brigade—he's an inspiration to those men and women; Trent Dowling, who never takes a backwards step and never stops talking about how good the RFS is; Luke Robinson, who is captain of the headquarters brigade—you will not find a tougher person outside the military; and John Russell, better known as JR, captain of the Cottage Point brigade—there is literally nowhere that his men would not follow him. I salute the volunteers of the RFS, and I am so immensely proud of the work that they have done. Along with their crews and brigades from Mackellar, they have brought protection and solace to those in dire need. We must also spend a moment to mourn the loss of so much of our wildlife, so many animals unable to escape or shelter in the firestorms. We watched as the desperate animals were given water, clung to firemen, rode in cars without fear—the simple act of escape and safety not lost on them. No-one was immune to such sadness. The work of WIRES, based in Brookvale, in this difficult time cannot be underestimated. In the first two weeks of January, when they normally receive about 1,000 calls, they received 16,000 calls for assistance. And, as the real scope of the impact of these fires becomes apparent, they will have a lot of work ahead. These images, along with the hundreds of terrifying scenes, have brought out the best in our community and in our humanity. Political, religious and cultural differences are forgotten, and a magnificent spirit of kindness, empathy, courage and selflessness has embraced our community. If I may be so bold, to me this is what it means to be Australian. Australians have lived with our landscape and harsh conditions for generations. We are a resilient lot, made of strong mettle, and from the firefighters who stood in harm's way to defend others to those who defended themselves or sheltered friends, animals and neighbours to those who cooked meals and made cups of tea or simply provided kind and loving arms to hold shattered souls, we tip our hats to them and stand in deep and solemn respect—for all of those who faced these challenges, whether in triumph or in tragedy. 10:41 Ms COKER 263547 Corangamite It is with great sadness that I stand to acknowledge all those who have lost their lives as a result of these unprecedented and catastrophic fires that have raged across our nation since September last year. Many were defending their property or defending their neighbours' property. Some were trying to escape the walls of flames. Our collective thoughts and solidarity go out to the families and friends who have lost a loved one. We stand with you. I acknowledge the injured and those who have lost their homes and livelihoods as a result of the fires. I recognise the enormous fear and trauma these events have caused many thousands of people, even where people have escaped the worst effects. I pay tribute to the incredible work of firefighters, emergency workers, defence forces, our CFA and volunteers who have worked tirelessly and with immense bravery throughout this long fire season. The ABC must also be acknowledged for its work. We know that more than one billion animals have perished, and some species are on the brink of extinction. My heart goes out to our environment, which has been scorched and burnt like never before. As parliament resumes in our nation's capital we continue to experience the effects of bushfires, loss of property, closing down of businesses, loss of flora and fauna on a massive scale and severe smoke, haze and dust, with daily health warnings. Add to this the damaging hailstorms and you could think we were being sent a message. This is no ordinary fire season. Yes, we have had terrible bushfires before. In Corangamite in 1983, during Ash Wednesday, my own small town of Aireys Inlet was almost razed to the ground. There was devastating loss of property. Then in 2015, on Christmas Day, we experienced the devastation of the Wye River and Separation Creek fires. These fires were horrific, but we have rebuilt, and I'm sure communities who've been recently affected will do exactly the same. Bushfires are part of our nation's history and our psyche, but this fire season is very, very different. It is unprecedented, not only in the sheer scale of the fires across nearly every state and territory but also in the catastrophic and relentless nature of the fires. Fires that started in November are still burning now. Communities feel terrorised, businesses are stressed, native flora and fauna are under threat and many families are suffering. But, in the face of such devastation, local communities do amazing things to help and support one another. Firefighters and emergency services continue to put themselves in harm's way to save lives and properties. Communities get on with clearing the debris and bringing people together. I would like to give a shout-out to a number of clubs, businesses and faith organisations in my electorate who have been raising funds to support bushfire affected communities. The Newcomb Power Football and Netball Club joined with other local sporting clubs to raise more than $20,000, and the Anglesea Bushfire Relief Fundraiser was hosted by the footy and netball club. The APCO Foundation contributed their proceeds from a Wine Walk to bushfire victims, and Ruby Room Hair and Beauty in Ocean Grove donated takings to help out, as did Onda Food House in Aireys Inlet and Mt Duneed Estate. And I know there are many more. Yet, while the human spirit remains strong, there is so much we must do to honour those lost and strive for a better future for our children and our planet. Firstly, we must acknowledge that climate change is real. This is not business as usual. We must listen to the experts, embrace the science, learn from the past and better manage our future. The Brumby government took this approach after Black Saturday in 2008, when almost 200 people lost their lives. The Victorian government established the Bushfires Royal Commission, which led to sweeping policy changes and a recognition that we must urgently act on climate change to avoid the impact of rising global temperatures. The Premier announced significant investment in renewable energy projects, and in a symbolic step he announced Parliament House would be powered by green energy. The Andrews government continued this work, reorganising the fire services, implementing new warning systems and updating power networks and response plans. More effort was put into hazard reduction around populated areas. These reforms have stood us in good stead in Victoria, and it is a mixture of good planning and good management that has meant that more lives were not lost this time around. The Andrews government did that by listening to the experts and taking advice. They didn't grandstand. They have adopted a both practical and ambitious approach to combating carbon emissions as well as implementing a very proactive set of policies to keep communities safe. We owe it to those who have suffered through these fires to work together and put ideology to one side. Like many in this place, I was appalled to hear a senior Liberal senator say on national television earlier this week that he wasn't relying on evidence in holding the view that climate change is not man-made. If he is not relying on evidence, what then is he relying on? We owe it to those who have suffered not to espouse or promote myths—that the fires were caused primarily by arsonists, that they are the fault of greenies who have stopped fuel reduction. It is sheer nonsense designed to distract our communities from real action on climate change. We do ourselves and our communities a disservice by not listening to the experts and by refusing to take urgent action. The coalition's 26 to 28 per cent reduction target is woefully inadequate. The United Nations and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change state categorically that this target is completely inadequate to meet our Paris Agreement emissions target of keeping warming to less than two degrees. Even the conservative Tory government in the UK have listened and acted, by legislating for zero net emissions by 2050. They now take advice from the experts on the schedule of reductions to achieve that objective. That is why they are seventh of 61 countries in the international rankings on climate action, while we are second last. Yes, we have to adapt. Yes, we have to plan earlier and coordinate better around the September to March bushfire period. But all these actions are a response to climate change; they are not the solution. The government must provide leadership and act urgently on climate change, which has been the key reason for the extended duration and intensity of our current fire season. This is the least we can do to honour those who have lost their lives, their property and their way of life. As the fire season continues in Corangamite and across our nation, I say: stay safe and take care of one another. 10:49 Dr MARTIN 282982 Reid To those on both sides of the House who have had their communities directly impacted by these bushfires: I extend my sincere condolences for the loss of life, the loss of native wildlife and the loss of property and land. Words fail to describe this tragedy. We've lost 33 lives, including nine of our courageous firefighters, we've lost over 2,900 homes and we've lost more than 10.4 million hectares of land, and the ongoing harm to our wildlife and ecosystems is beyond measure. But in moments of grief and crisis we see the Australian spirit shine. We have seen incredible displays of bravery, generosity and resilience. This reminds us of the strength of our nation. Firstly, the work of our volunteer fire services and emergency services volunteers has been inspiring. They have shown strength and courage, even while many have lost colleagues, friends or family members. They have demonstrated bravery and commitment to their country. In December, in the Rural Fire Service headquarters at Sydney Olympic Park in my electorate, I—along with the Deputy Prime Minister—was briefed about the escalating fire conditions. Our volunteer firefighters, many of whom had come from overseas in solidarity, have utilised every ounce of resources, time and tenacity to confront the challenge. In the same light, I must also acknowledge the work of the Australian Defence Force personnel who, from as early as September 2019, have supported the fire relief effort. When the situation escalated, the Prime Minister, for the first time ever, instituted a compulsory call-out of the ADF reservists. Their support was instrumental in a period of crisis. As a psychologist, one of my greatest concerns has been the psychological impact that these bushfires have had on Australians. Many Australians have directly experienced a traumatic event. The Australian government is providing $76 million for the Bushfire Recovery Access Program to make sure that immediate and ongoing free counselling and support are accessible to individuals, families and emergency service workers affected by the bushfires. While the electorate of Reid was not directly impacted by the bushfires, many constituents in my area have been working together to respond and assist people. The Rhodes Bushfire Appeal, which I recently attended, brought together local businesses, community organisations and residents to raise money for those affected by the bushfires. The City of Canada Bay Men's Shed also organised an appeal for tools and equipment for bushfire-hit communities. And, of course, many of my constituents have written to me to express their distress and concerns. The sentiment has been clear: one of anguish, but also one of empathy. Many friends and family caught in the middle of the disaster have been connected in some way to the people of Reid. The heavy smoke haze across Sydney was a sobering reality of the impact that climate change has had in our country. While bushfires are a part of the Australian climate, Australia is set to get drier and hotter. The evidence has pointed towards this for some time. This will only make hazard reduction and fire management more difficult in the coming years, and it will mean that our bushfire seasons will become more intense. This is why we need action now. It is time for us to be more ambitious and proactive in the way we address climate change. Scientific evidence must drive future solutions and policy. Our beautiful environment has borne the brunt of these bushfires, and we must now take the steps to restore and protect it. 10:54 Ms RYAN 249224 Lalor When flying into Canberra this week, after months away, seeing burnt earth and fires blazing to so close to towns and our capital city, all members would have been reminded of this horrific summer, and, more importantly, that the danger is far from over. The summer of 2019-20 will be one that will live on in the minds of Australians for a long time, unless, of course, our fears are realised and this is the pivotal season and, as predicted by the scientists, worse is to come. We watched and continue to watch in horror the confronting pictures in our newspapers and the videos on our computer screens. We watch on in awe of the bravery of our firefighters, thankful for the international help we've received. We watch on, unable to comprehend the pain, the suffering and the frustration of our countrymen. The facts of the 'black summer' are this—33 people have perished; nearly 3,000 homes have been destroyed; 10 million hectares of farms, towns and national park are ash; and over a billion animals are lost, from cattle and livestock to our unique wildlife—and the scariest fact of all is that it isn't over yet. While so many of us around the nation were shocked and horrified by the images and videos of trees exploding, fire moving at great speed, and the air above the canopy bursting into flames, for most of us this was contained to our newspapers and to our news feeds. But for our bravest it wasn't on a screen. It is what they saw in front of them; it is what they were going in to fight. To the firefighters, the SES, the police, the doctors and nurses, the forestry workers, the ADF personnel, those who work at a charity, or the public servants getting those affected back on their feet, to all those and more: thank you. You are all heroes. I particularly want to pay thanks to my local brigades, the brave CFA officers and volunteers from Werribee Brigade, Hoppers Brigade, Little River Brigade, Tarneit Brigade, Truganina Brigade and Wyndham Vale Brigade. They protect our community every day in our metropolitan area, going to building fires and, most importantly, to the prevalent grass fires on the area's plains. Some travelled from these brigades. They headed to New South Wales and spent considerable time in East Gippsland to fight in solidarity with their fellow volunteers. I look forward to thanking them all in person, with the Wyndham City Council, in the weeks to come. It's a cliche, but this summer has once again shown us that when Mother Nature throws her worst, the best in the Australian spirit comes through. There are so many examples across Australia. We've heard from speakers across three days now of Australians rallying together, donating loose change, pocket money, large sums in pubs and clubs, or using GoFundMe pages, or directly to some of our largest charities—and as a Victorian, I'd like to thank the Bendigo Bank for their work here. People have donated food to organisations and they've donated clothes and nappies. They've rung vets to get supplies for wildlife. But I took immense pride locally in seeing our local Sikh community rally to assist in Sikh Volunteers Australia's efforts to work with Desi Grill in Bairnsdale, providing free dinners to volunteers and dropping off free food to camp sites. I give a particular shout-out to Let's Feed, who are continuing to work with the Bairnsdale Neighbourhood House to help a hundred families across the next six months, and assist Neighbourhood House to replace their equipment. Let's Feed also partnered with our local Filipino community to deliver supplies, cash cards and food to people in the bushfire areas around Bruthen. Australians devastated by these fires also need the help and understanding of government and organisations to get back on their feet. So, thank you to the staff of Werribee Centrelink, who I met with last week, who travelled hundreds of kilometres to help administer payment applications and assist in getting people back on their feet. This is Australia at its best. Politics can be a nasty place, one driven down the lines between whatever party's hat you wear, but the only red, blue and orange we saw in these fires was on the fire trucks. The leadership shown by the members for Gilmore, Macquarie, Eden-Monaro, Mayo and Gippsland, working with their local state MPs, Commonwealth and state ministers, to meet the needs of their communities has been inspiring. I'm sure there are many more stories across the aisle and across the nation, much the same, because this is what leadership looks like. I want to pass my thoughts to the constituents of Bean, Canberra and Fenner as they deal with the fires engulfing parts of the capital, and the consequences. As a Victorian, I say that the leadership of Premier Andrews, Minister Neville and Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp have been extraordinary. It is reassuring to know that the lessons of previous fires have been learnt and that this has meant that lives have been saved. I won't go into the arguments of climate change now. There will be time for that. But we should ensure, as a House, that we turn the devastation of these fires into the motivation for coming together and taking action. In our cities, we felt this too—the ash in our hair, the smoke in our lungs and ambient heat driven by hot winds, lashing our skin. This has been a summer where, once again, the worst of Mother Nature has been met by the best in Australians. And while the threat is not over yet, we must always remember who and what we lost, and we pause to remember in this parliament that every day of despair, loss and destruction was met with bravery, solidarity and generosity. I call on those in this place to demonstrate the same: to embrace the science and take the action required at home and at international forums. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 00AMT For the benefit of members, the condolence motion has no time limit. The clock has been set simply to assist members to manage their time, but the chair will not be enforcing the time limit. Thank you, and I call the member for Moncrieff. 11:00 Ms BELL 282981 Moncrieff This summer our nation has been gripped by bushfires, and we have seen devastation and heartbreak. We've heard many heart-wrenching stories from members from both sides of the chamber. On behalf of the good people of the electorate of Moncrieff on the central Gold Coast, I wish to pass on our condolences, our prayers and our best wishes to those who have lost their homes, their businesses or, sadly, their loved ones and to convey the heaviness of our hearts to our fellow Queenslanders and, indeed, all Australians who have been directly impacted by these terrible fires. I wish to pass on our endless thanks and gratitude to the Australian Defence Force, volunteers and emergency personnel who've risked their own lives to assist those who found themselves in their darkest hours; and to those firefighters who gave up their holiday seasons from Canada, the US and New Zealand to come and assist us to battle these unprecedented blazes. We are reminded by members that this disaster is not over yet. The fires have not stopped and the drought continues. I want to let drought-stricken communities know that we on the Gold Coast are thinking of you. We're backing you too. The coalition government continues to dig in, stepping up all efforts to assist those enduring drought and those in fire-ravaged communities. Throughout this devastation we've also seen the best of the Aussie spirit. The Australian people are truly amazing. There have been many community groups, businesses, schools and individuals in Moncrieff who have embodied the Australian spirit with their relief efforts and generous donations. I would like to highlight some of them, but I'm sure there are many others who have contributed to relief efforts through the good work of charities and direct donations. In Mermaid Beach, Temple of Spices Indian restaurant donated an evening's profits. Alfred's coffee shop donated a dollar per cup of coffee for a day. Moo Moo steak restaurant in Broadbeach held a fundraiser. The Australian spirit shone through over the Australia Day weekend with many businesses and clubs raising money to help you. A fire-relief fundraiser concert was held at Miami Marketta. Snags for Bushfire Relief at Steampunk was held in Surfers Paradise with gold coin donations going to St Vincent de Paul fire relief. North Burleigh surf club donated proceeds from their VB schooners. The YOT Club—a superyacht which travels Moncrieff's waterways—held a fire-relief cruise with proceeds going to New South Wales Rural Fire Service. Sporting clubs are an integral part of our community. Southport Sharks donated $1 from every beverage sold over the Australia Day long weekend to the Gold Coast Rural Fire Brigade. They also hosted a bushfire boot camp appeal to support our southern cousins on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. The Gold Coast Suns contributed $50,000 as part of the overall AFL community's donation. The Gold Coast Titans donated their jerseys, held clinics and signing sessions, and visited New South Wales Rural Fire Service headquarters to put smiles on the faces of our exhausted firefighting heroes. The annual Magic Millions horseracing carnival events calendar contributed over $1 million throughout the weeklong event to support those in need. Children are the future of our nation, and fundraising efforts at local schools have shown us that Australian generosity continues through the next generation. Last week I attended the Australian International Islamic College in Carrara with the assistant minister for multicultural affairs, Jason Wood. The beautiful kids at this beautiful school raised $1,000 for the relief effort. They crocheted mittens for the marsupials who've been injured in the blazes. The Australian Indian club, based in Surfers Paradise, collected pallets of goods, such as baby food, nappies and snacks, to donate to the Red Cross. Here are just two examples of our multicultural community in Moncrieff helping their fellow Aussies in need. Trinity Lutheran College in Ashmore donated $1,000. Guardian Angels primary school has done a tremendous job. I was very proud when, back in September, during the first fires in the neighbouring electorate of Wright, the children were recognised by the Prime Minister for the very kind letter they composed to our firefighting heroes. The letter read, 'To all the firefighters, thank you for giving up your time and your family time to help other families. You are true heroes. Enjoy these treats.' The school also arranged a drop-off point for water to be delivered to drought-stricken Stanthorpe. Emmanuel College students held a bake sale and a sausage sizzle to raise money for those communities who are doing it tough. William Duncan State School in Nerang teamed up with Backpacks for Bushfires to put together backpacks with supplies and deliver them to school children directly affected by the bushfires. A BlazeAid fundraiser will be held this weekend out in the Country Paradise Parklands, also in Nerang. Many community groups will come together to support this event, with proceeds going to those fighting fires locally and nationally. I would also like to acknowledge every single individual in my electorate who's given what they could to help. I thank you. Whether it's been $1, $10 or $100, these small amounts all add up to make a huge difference in the lives of those affected. To finish, I'd like to say that I'm proud of the Australians who have endured so much this summer, and I'm proud of our Prime Minister and those ministers who have worked together so well to deliver for those Australians. It is precisely because of the responsible economic management and the recent return to surplus that our government has been able to act decisively and effectively to assist so many Australians who are either on the road to recovery or still fighting on in the face of adversity. 11:07 Dr FREELANDER 265979 Macarthur I rise today to speak on the motion put forward by the Prime Minister and spoken to by the opposition leader. We certainly have experienced a truly difficult and, for many communities, horrendous summer break. Instead of being able to enjoy some time off with their loved ones over the Christmas and new year period, Australians from all walks of life have been tormented by devastating bushfires. From the outset, I wish to express my deepest sympathy to all of those who've been affected by the bushfire crisis in recent months, and I want to express my utmost gratitude to those who've been working so hard to control these fires and to deliver services in their aftermath. As a politician, I can see the great leadership that has been given by politicians around the country in Australia. In particular, the Premier of Victoria and the Premier of New South Wales have been completely outstanding, and I congratulate them on their leadership in these difficult times. I'd also like to mention my colleagues the member for Gilmore, the member for Macquarie and the member for Eden-Monaro for their great leadership and their support for their own communities. I also want to single out the fantastic staff and volunteers at the Rural Fire Service, led by the very formidable Shane Fitzsimmons; Fire and Rescue NSW; the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service; and the Forestry Corporation. I want to acknowledge the brave and valuable work undertaken by the New South Wales Police Force, NSW Ambulance, the Australian Defence Force, the St John Ambulance, the SES and other volunteer organisations during this very difficult time. I'd also like to single out Andrew Constance, the member for Bega in New South Wales, for his outstanding leadership as well. Australia has certainly been sorely beaten over recent months. We should acknowledge the efforts of those agencies and their representatives. My thanks extend also to the interstate and international delegations who've worked so generously to defend countless homes and businesses across Australia, including our American colleagues at Coulson, United Aero, Valhalla and Erickson, who've contributed so much to our aerial firefighting capabilities. Each and every person who worked to defend communities throughout the country, along with various business, charities and community organisations, are worthy of commendation, from the retained, professional, contracted and volunteer firefighters to the businesses who donated meals all over the country. I congratulate them and I thank them for their support. I wish I could name everyone and thank everyone personally, but for today I wish to specifically acknowledge the people who've lost their lives—in particular, Geoffrey Keaton, Andrew O'Dwyer, Ian McBeth, Paul Hudson, Rick DeMorgan Jr, Samuel McPaul, Bill Slade, Mat Kavanagh, David Moresi, and Dick and Clayton Lang. These brave men are amongst many others who have joined a list of heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend lives and property. I give my condolences to their families. I know how devastating it must be to lose a father, husband, son, relative and friend—how devastating it must be for them—and I send my condolences to them. They gave their lives in the service of our nation and to protect the lives not only of their families and friends but of complete strangers. These men, along with every man and woman who has fought the onslaught of blazes in recent months, are heroes, and we are eternally in their debt. I will not be the only one today to note that this disastrous fire season has brought out some of the best in people, and the way that communities and our values of mateship, bravery and selflessness shine bright in times of crisis is something that all Australians should feel proud of. Macarthur, thankfully, has been relatively unscathed. However, we sympathise with the many communities that are close to us who've been so tragically affected. I'd like to mention, in particular, the shires of Wollondilly and Wingecarribee, and I'd like to thank personally the mayor of Wollondilly, Matt Deeth, for allowing me to be personally briefed about the bushfires and fully informed of what was happening to our near neighbours. I'd also like to mention that I'm very concerned about the health effects of the bushfires, both physical and mental. In particular, I am very concerned about the long-term effects on children of our bushfires and of climate change in general. Recently I met with my old friends and colleagues Professor Guy Marks and Professor Bin Jalaludin from the Ingham Institute to discuss, with Chris Bowen, the health effects of prolonged smoke exposure and the long-term effects of climate change. I would like to encourage the government to consider funding a national institute to look at the health effects of climate change—in particular, the long-term effects on our young children—and to provide funding for this. To finish, I would like to say how sorry I am to all who've lost loved ones and have lost property, and we as a nation are eternally grateful to those who have supported our communities around the country. Thank you so much. The DEPUTY SPEAKER DZY I thank the member for Macarthur. Before I call the next member, I would just like to remind members that, even though the clock is running, it's there for your own benefit, to manage your time; I won't be enforcing any time limits, as the motion does not require time limits. The question is that the motion be agreed to. The member for Sturt. 11:12 Mr STEVENS 176304 Sturt Could I start by thanking all the members who have made a contribution so far. So many people have spoken so eloquently about their own personal experiences in their electorates. Some specifically had fires raging in the areas that they represent. Of course we've all had in our communities people who've stood up and made us all so proud to be Australians by responding to such a devastating set of natural disasters across our country in recent months. I just wanted to say that, in my contribution, I want to talk about my home state and my electorate, and I don't want that in any way to be seen as diminishing the fact and the relevance that so many other parts of the country outside of the state of South Australia have suffered and have had such tragedy fall upon them. Of course I would like to use my time to talk about my own community and my own state, but I put on the record that I of course acknowledge the impact right across the country, beyond South Australia. I was born in March 1983, just a few weeks after Ash Wednesday, and in my electorate of Sturt during that awful tragedy we had significant fires through the Mount Lofty Ranges that came down into the suburbs of Adelaide. I'm of course very grateful that my electorate specifically was lucky enough to not have any fires of significance rage up over the period of the holiday break. But in the neighbouring electorate of Mayo, of course, they had a terrible tragedy through the Adelaide Hills and on Kangaroo Island. To my state colleagues—particularly John Gardner, Dan Cregan and Leon Bignell; the state members who were most significantly affected—to Rebekha Sharkie, the federal member for Mayo; and to Premier Steven Marshall, I acknowledge at times like this we put politics aside. It's about us all being leaders in our communities. I think that they all distinguish themselves by the way in which they were there for people who needed them—to make sure that they were comforting them and that they were getting all the services that government can provide to them at those very difficult times, both urgently and in the longer term. I also thank the Prime Minister, who visited South Australia on multiple occasions in the immediate aftermath and subsequent to that, and the Australian Defence Force for their involvement, particularly in the fire on Kangaroo Island. Whenever you have a natural disaster of that magnitude on an island that, clearly, is not contiguously connected to mainland Australia, the logistical challenges, both in fighting the fire and in assisting the recovery, are very significant. The contribution of the Australian Defence Forces throughout South Australia, but in particular on Kangaroo Island, was so very significant, because without the personnel and the assets that the Australian Defence Force have we wouldn't have been able to make the progress that we've made so far in the clean-up and in the other, sometimes quite horrendous and horrific, components of dealing with the period after a bushfire, particularly the tragic destruction of livestock and wildlife and so on and so forth. Thank you to all of them. Although my electorate didn't have fires specifically, in representing an area that takes in the Hills Face Zone, there is always that risk. We have SES and CFS brigades stationed throughout my electorate, all of whom were involved, such as in Burnside, Campbelltown, Athelstone and Norwood SES and just outside of my electorate at Tea Tree Gully, Norton Summit and Mt Lofty. They were all so heavily involved, not just in the Adelaide Hills' response but also at Kangaroo Island. Some were deployed interstate at different periods over the holiday break. The contribution they make as volunteers includes having to put their own lives to one side—many of them leave their workplaces, are away from their families and do very long shifts, as they always do. Frankly, this is, of course, nothing new. We see Australians called upon to serve their communities and to help in times of tragedy. They always step up and, of course, that was on great display throughout the months of the challenges that we have faced. I particularly place on the record my thanks and pride in the volunteers from my own electorate for the contribution they have made. More broadly, our communities all stood up and made an enormous contribution in any way that they could. Radio Italiana is a good example. In Adelaide they were able to raise $50,000 in a two-week period to contribute to bushfire relief. This is an organisation that has to raise money for their own ongoing operating costs, so the fact that, on top of their own fundraising initiatives from their listener base and from their supporters, they raised $50,000 in a matter of weeks is just one of the many examples of the way in which community groups, not just in my electorate but across the country, stood up and did everything they could to contribute. We all felt the emotion and pain of people that were directly affected. It was in our nature and our spirit to want to look for any way that we could possibly help our fellow Australians in need. There's a long way to go from the immediacy of the aftermath of fires, and we are still in the fire season. It's obviously been great to see some rain through areas that were affected by bushfires, but I know that we are by no means past the fire season this year. In this country we will have the challenge of a bushfire risk every year. The Prime Minister has informed the House in his contribution to this motion of the process now for engaging the other levels of government, the states and territories and local government, to create a mechanism to undertake a full and deep review into every element of the tragedy and disaster that befell our country over this current fire season. Clearly there will be a whole range of lessons to be learnt from what happened in previous months to ensure that we do what we can to make sure that we learn all and any lessons, which hopefully will mean that we can limit and mitigate the sort of destruction and disaster that has befallen us. Once again I thank all members for the contributions that they've made to this debate and the sense of bipartisanship around the need to have our political debates into the future about a whole range of elements to do with the bushfire disasters that struck our country, but making this about commemorating the people that have been lost, particularly the lives that have been lost, the wildlife impact, the destruction of people's businesses and property, the risk to their livelihood, and honouring the contribution that so many members—in fact, I would say the entire Australian community—made towards coming together, sticking together and showing that great Australian spirit in such a difficult time for our nation. 11:21 Mr BANDT M3C Melbourne I stand in this place full of rage and sorrow. This building, with its glassy volcanic size, rises and blends in with the landscape around it. But today it mocks the country around it, which is scarred, damaged and unrecognisably burnt. The irony is overwhelming. A division having been called in the House of Representatives— Sitting suspended from 11:22 to 11:32 Mr BANDT M3C The people who sit in the plush chairs on the government side sit smugly on their green benches—a colour that has been burnt away from 17 million hectares of our country. Yet here we stand—a day of condolences. But how hollow so many of them are! We stand here, and some speak empty words to empty chairs, while the people that we were elected to represent die or lose loved ones, friends, families, houses, businesses, their air, their health, their history and their safety. And those words are hollow because they come from the mouths of people who could do something real but choose not to. As a message to anyone who lost something because of the fires: you may or you may not find this motion helpful. It may make it easier to deal with your pain, your suffering and your loss, or it may not. But it certainly doesn't do anything to prevent something like this from happening again. It doesn't stop things from getting worse. Do not listen to those who tell you otherwise. These fires are unprecedented in their intensity, their size and their destruction because of fossil fuels—because of the burning of coal, oil and gas. Because of what we know about the burning of fossil fuels—because we know it now and have for a long time—when a government continues, encourages and promotes the burning of coal and gas, they are complicit. If we speak the truth then we must assign blame to those who are responsible. And that man and his cronies sit only a few metres away in the chamber. This is irrefutable. The fingerprints of the Morrison ministry, the Turnbull ministry, the Abbott ministry and the ministries that have come before them are on these fires. This fire season has now become an indelible part of this government's legacy. These are their fossil fuelled fires, their coal fuelled fires, their gas-grown fires, their legacy. Maybe in 2,000 years we'll have a new saying because of these times. Currently we say, 'Nero fiddled while Rome burned.' In the future, we'll say, 'The Prime Minister fiddled while his country burned'. Like everyone else in this place, I want to acknowledge and thank our emergency services, our public servants and our community volunteers who are working so hard to look after us right across the country, including here in Canberra, as we face this continuing bushfire disaster. To everyone who has lost someone: we can't begin to imagine your grief, but we are thinking of you. Over the past few days, I've been in touch with a Country Fire Authority firefighter in Victoria, who has been telling me of the unprecedented and terrifying conditions our emergency service workers and volunteers are experiencing. He wants the country to know that firefighters on the ground know that the climate crisis is real and is hitting us fast. He, like millions of Australians, has been appalled by the failures of our country's Prime Minister. There's no point repeating here the litany of critical errors that have been made by this Prime Minister, but there is no question that he has abrogated his supreme responsibility to keep Australians safe. He put this question beyond doubt when, almost three years ago, he brought a lacquered lump of coal into this parliament and cradled it like a baby. The responsibility of the powerful, in the face of a crisis, is to act with certainty, with conviction and with the best available information at their disposal. But instead of this parliament shaping the country it is the emissions burnt from fossil fuels: they are disfiguring it, scarring it and making it unrecognisable. Have no doubt about what these bushfires show. They show that coal and gas sit on the throne of power. They show that Gina Rinehart and the rest of the coal, oil and gas billionaires, safe from the fires in their cathedrals, run this place and they will burn it to the ground for a buck. They have worked together in the corridors of power here to make Australia the biggest LNG exporter in the world. We are the third-largest fossil fuel exporter globally, trailing only Russia and Saudi Arabia. What a trio! How do you quantify the grief of this catastrophe? The brutal, violent deaths of billions of creatures have happened in a matter of months. Innocent lives, human and animal alike, have been extinguished, their homes of green becoming prisons of flames in the blink of an eye. Imagining the fear and helplessness that they would have felt is harrowing. A couple of weeks ago I visited Malua Bay with Senator Mehreen Faruqi and stood with Nick Hopkins in front of the wreckage that used to be his home. It was destroyed by the bushfires. Nick stood there and he said, clearly and knowingly, that what we are experiencing is not a natural disaster but an unnatural disaster. He told the Prime Minister that this is what the climate emergency looks like. Nick summed up the feelings of so many of us. He said that he was two parts shattered and three parts angry. Australians are anxious and angry because the government clearly does not have the climate emergency under control and has no plan to get it under control. This is what it looks like in Australia at one degree of warming. We are on track for up to 3.4 degrees. It is hard to imagine that it could get worse than it is now, but it can—and it will, unless we act. We talk about learning the lessons from the fires. The one big lesson is that the best thing we could do to minimise the risk of megafires like this happening again is to phase out fossil fuels. So, I say to this place: enough; no more thoughts and prayers until you have a plan to phase out coal and gas, because, until you have a plan to phase out coal, thoughts and prayers and people on the government benches are pouring fuel on the fire and putting Australians at risk. The next motion that gets passed through this place should be a motion that declares a climate emergency. The next thing that gets passed through this place should be a suite of comprehensive policies that deploy the entire machinery of government—every single department—towards decarbonising this country. We desperately need more money for our extraordinary firefighters, but what we also need to do is stop burning coal, oil and gas so they don't have to do this year after year. Today I was joined by over a dozen firefighters in calling for a doubling of firefighting resources, to be paid for by a levy on the coal, oil and gas industry. Yet, as our country continues to burn, our Prime Minister signs our souls away with new arrangements that will stick a syringe into the ground in New South Wales and draw out gas that we cannot afford to burn. The bushfires have taught him nothing. The urgency of the situation is lost on this man as he plunges us further and deeper into the darkness of an economy that runs on carbon. The politicians in this place have been corrupted and seduced by the fossil fuels that line their pockets. If you were to turn out the jacket pockets of many of the men and women who sit in this place with me, you would find coal dust lining them. This building should be the instrument of our liberation. It should be able to force our economy and the architecture of our country away from what is destroying it and towards its renewable salvation. I will not accept this summer as our new normal. I refuse to adapt to kids wearing gas masks. I refuse to accept a world where people put off having children because they are feeling so insecure about their future. We are a smart and wealthy country and, if we have the guts to take on these fossil fuel giants and the weak politicians they have in their pockets, we can solve these crises. We need a Green New Deal to make it more likely that we never see these tragedies again, because, at three degrees of warming, which is what we are on track for, I see a future where the fire comes from the west and the rising ocean comes from the east. I see cities that will need to retreat from the coast and retreat from the bush because both will fast become uninhabitable. So I support this motion, but I also condemn it as a poor substitute for what we were elected to this place to do: to act. But this is not action. These words do not reduce pollution; no words will. Action to replace coal, oil and gas with renewables and to tell fossil fuels that their time is up is the only thing that has any chance of slowing down the extinction that we are hurtling towards. Today I grieve. I grieve for the immeasurable complexity of what we have lost: the lives, the love and the ecology that may never come back. But I am charged with a determination. My pledge to everyone who has been affected by this summer and spring is that, as long as I am in this place, I will never stop fighting. I will do everything that I can to stop these coal fuelled fires, these gas powered infernos and these oil fuelled flames from ravaging our country every summer. 11:43 Dr ALLEN 282986 Higgins I rise in this place to pay my respects and mark my condolences for those who have lost their homes and possessions and, in some very sad cases, have paid the ultimate sacrifice, leaving behind families, friends and loved ones. We are no strangers to bushfires in Australia. Every year we hold our breath, waiting for the best and preparing for the worst. Bushfires in this country aren't a matter of if, but of when and how bad. Every year I have friends from my home town of Albury who tell me they can't go on a summer holiday because they're worried about the risk of bushfires. I'm proud of the Morrison Government's response, in an unprecedented way, to an unprecedented set of events. The ADF personnel have been working with state and territory authorities in response to Australia's bushfire crisis, and their support will continue for as long as it is needed. We welcome the rains that are due next week. The bushfire crisis remains the ADF's primary focus. Around 6,500 ADF personnel are supporting Operation Bushfire Assist. This includes 3,000 reservists. They will continue to support Australians and their community for as long as needed. Recently, I was privileged to be asked to go to Wangaratta to watch the first in-kind AusMAT deployment. Many Australians don't know about AusMAT; it's the Australian Medical Assistance Team. It is an emergency team that is on call to be deployed in times of crisis. They have, over many years now—10 years—been deployed around the Pacific for emergencies. They've been to all sorts of countries in the Pacific to help at times of emergency there. The Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, has deployed AusMAT in Australia for the first time. They were deployed during the bushfire season that we are experiencing. I was very pleased to go to Wangaratta to see the wonderful work the AusMAT team are doing. They're a multidisciplinary team, incorporating doctors, nurses, paramedics, firefighters, logisticians and allied health staff, such as environmental health staff, radiographers and pharmacists. They have been such an important addition in this time of crisis. Often these small rural communities don't have redundancy in their staffing systems, so to have the extra personnel to help with healthcare support and logistics was very much appreciated by the communities I visited. The government's reaction and assistance have also included $40 million to the Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul. Eligible adults will receive $1,000 and $400 for dependent children. The Australian, state and territory governments are providing recovery grants of up to $50,000 to eligible small businesses and non-profit organisations which have suffered direct damage to their premises or equipment from the bushfires and which intend to re-establish their community. Having seen my in-laws go through the experience of Black Saturday—they have a property in Buxton—and watched the 10-year period of rebuilding that was very long and hard fought, I can see that it is going to be a long rebuild. And it is very important that, as a government, we're there supporting these communities and wrapping around the necessary services. It's incredibly important that a significant commitment has been given to mental health and the support of these families as they're going through what can only be described as a horror period of time. I'd also like to congratulate the ABC. On my trip to Wangaratta, there were regular updates on ABC radio, and, having spoken to people in some of these rural and remote communities, I know how important it is that they have this service available to them, so they can get out when necessary. In fact, my aunty and uncle who live in Beechworth were asked to evacuate from Beechworth, and they came and stayed at my house in the city. They were lucky that they had somewhere they could go; in the meantime, many community families had to go to other premises. A significant number of opportunities were provided by our government and by the state and territory governments, and I congratulate them for that. Bushfires have always been part of the Australian landscape. The effects of climate change have been seen in hotter summers and drier winters. These have resulted in longer droughts and flash flooding when it does rain. We need to learn from this fire season and work to implement practices not only to mitigate the immediate danger of the next fire season but to address the overall global changes with a strong response on climate action. We need practical action in mitigation through reduced emissions, and this needs to go hand in hand with practical action on climate resilience and adaptation. We believe technology is the answer to ensuring that we have a strong and comprehensive action on climate change. I join with those opposite and those on the crossbench to thank everyone involved in fighting the fires and in the recovery effort. From the bottom of my heart, on behalf of the people of Higgins, thank you. I'd like to give a shout-out to the people of Higgins. Not only have they given of their concern, but they've dug deep and made many donations to the bushfires effort. I congratulate each and every one of those constituents for the fine work they've done. They've spoken to me, they've reached out to me, and they've been concerned. They've donated goods, they've donated financially, and they've donated their time. I know many of them have been up to the communities to volunteer and help support those communities. I give a special shout-out to Emmy Monash, the aged-care facility where I went for a day. We had 500 volunteers there all packing bags, not just for the ADF and the volunteers but also for the local communities, with practical things that are needed on the ground. I know there are many community groups in Higgins, and I'd like to personally thank each and every one of them. It's been a very fraught summer, and I think we have many lessons to learn. I look forward to being part of a proportionate and responsible response, so that this never happens again. 11:50 Ms RISHWORTH HWA Kingston I rise to support this condolence motion. It has been really a very, very difficult time for so many. I'm also acutely aware that the crisis is not over. Fires are still burning, and, as we stand, there are still communities who remain under threat. The last few months have been a devastating time for our whole nation. While there's been a significant impact on the eastern seaboard, there's also been a significant impact in my home state of South Australia, with fire ripping through 25,000 hectares in the Adelaide Hills and 215,000 hectares on Kangaroo Island. The physical and mental impact on residents, as well as the toll on our natural environment, tourism industry and local businesses, is yet to be fully realised, but what we know so far is that it will be deep and long lasting. Most significant over this summer has been the human toll. I want to acknowledge the 33 people who have tragically lost their lives during this bushfire season, including three South Australians—Dick Lang, Clayton Lang and Ron Selth. It is an unspeakable tragedy to lose people in such horrific circumstances, and my heart goes out to those families, friends and loved ones who have lost someone close to them. As was previously said on this motion, many people have lost the centre of their world, and life will never, ever be the same. It's important for us to express that we are with them, we're thinking about them and we want to do everything we can to lessen that pain. There has also been injury to many, both psychological and physical, and we need to make sure we're doing everything we can to help people who are suffering psychologically and physically as a result of these fires. And of course there's been property loss and damage, to homes, to businesses, to people's livelihoods. It's important that we are with people as they rebuild their lives and, as the previous speaker said, not for a short period of time but for a long period of time. A lot has been said about our volunteer firefighters. It's hard to imagine, but the efforts that we've seen right across the country, where fires have been fought and people's lives and properties have been saved, have been in many places performed by volunteers. I know that the selfless bravery of both our paid and volunteer firefighters during this crisis has left many Australians in awe. These are people who, many of them without reward, have put themselves in the path of the fires to protect people, animals and property. I'd like to acknowledge both those who are formally firefighters and those who took up the firefighting responsibility, who were not trained firefighters, who went and helped out neighbours, friends and even communities where they were strangers. There were some former firefighters, some volunteer firefighters and some who just became firefighters for the day or for the week. Their bravery, I know, will be acknowledged in the coming months and years, but I would like to say thank you. In southern Adelaide I'd like to particularly acknowledge the Mawson Group of the CFS, which encompasses Blewitt Springs, Clarendon, Happy Valley, Kangarilla, Mawson Group Operations Support, McLaren Flat, Morphett Vale and Seaford brigades. These are local firefighters who, for the most part, have not had their communities directly impacted by the fire but who went to support their neighbours in communities alongside them, communities in need. They have made huge sacrifices to help people right across our state and indeed interstate. I recently visited the Seaford Brigade and heard firsthand the experiences that the firefighters had. The crew, devastatingly, lost a six-month-old fire truck in a burnover while protecting homes in the Adelaide Hills. Thankfully, none of the firefighters were physically harmed. However, the crew told me of the deep psychological impact of being stuck in a truck. Imagine: you are fighting a fire, it is out of control, and it burns over you. Your vehicle is unable to move. You are trapped. That would have a significant impact. They described the intense sound of the fire blazing over them while they waited for the flames to pass. And when they finally went to drive away, they discovered that the flames had completely melted their tyres. This is one of the many incidents that we've got to recognise. Each one will have an impact, and a different impact, on those firefighters. We need to make sure that we respond appropriately to the impact that it's had. The appliance, which was a new appliance, had to be sent away for repairs. The crew managed to get their hands on the burnt numberplate of the truck, which serves as a permanent reminder of what they endured this fire season. It is an important psychological memento of what they've been through. In talking with our volunteer firefighters, they have asked not for any reward, but they did want to talk to me about the fact that it is difficult balancing their day jobs with being volunteer firefighters, especially in a season that has demanded not days of firefighting effort but weeks and months. These conversations have certainly reaffirmed to me that we need a conversation about how better to support our volunteer firefighters, especially since, as we go into the future, we know that we are going to see more and more intense conditions, longer-burning fires and more difficult conditions in many places in Australia at once. It is really important that we have a serious conversation about how we best resource those individuals and best support them to do work that potentially will go on for months. In addition, I would like to recognise that, while it has been a very intense and difficult summer, our firefighters do difficult work all year round. Our volunteer firefighters and other emergency services get called out to fires and other difficult emergencies all year round. They go to things like car accidents on a regular basis. So I think it's really important that, while the work that volunteer firefighters have done this summer is fresh in our mind, we extend our thanks for their volunteer efforts all the time, all year, knowing that they work hard to protect our community through the 365 days of the year. One of the other aspects of this bushfire season that has been distressing to so many around the country has been the widespread loss of animal life and other wildlife as a result of the fires. It's been deeply felt by many Australians and, indeed, people across the world. On Kangaroo Island alone up to 30,000 koalas have perished. With so much habitat, food and water destroyed, it's expected that the fires will lead to the endangerment and could even lead to the extinction of a number of species. I also want to pay tribute to the volunteers across South Australia and Australia who have been rising to the challenge of caring for our injured wildlife. There have been many volunteer organisations and volunteers themselves, not in any formal way, who have risen to the challenge of donating goods or going out there into the fire ground to actually look for and care for these animals. They are doing everything they can to save animals' lives and to try and put something back into the habitat to ensure that those that have survived the fire can survive in a burnt-out habitat. I recently visited one of the many volunteer organisations doing this important work at Minton Farm Animal Rescue Centre, which is run by Bev and Glenn Langley and their many volunteers. They've been doing really important work not only caring for animals but acting as a distribution centre for feed and watering devices that actually can help. I would like to say a big thank you to all of those doing this work. This work will continue for many months and years to come as the habitats rebuild, so I would like to thank them for their work. Of course, in times of devastation and difficult natural disasters, we do see the best of humanity. That statement has rung true in this summer of bushfire crises. People far and wide, across the country, South Australia and the world have stepped up to help people in need. And not only has it been friends and family that have stepped up; people have stepped up for strangers, for people they don't know but want to help. I think this has been just extraordinary. In my local community in southern Adelaide, which was not directly impacted by the bushfires, local residents have put on many events to raise thousands and thousands of dollars, and have donated food and other items to communities in need. Some of this has been through organised donations. Some of it has just been off their own back, working out what they can do to help. Soul Good Cafe in Old Reynella donated $1 from every cup of coffee and $2 from each homemade cupcake to the Kangaroo Island mayor bushfire appeal. Maxwell's Groceries raised and donated $1,300 to Bush Organics, a business on KI that lost almost everything. I'm aware of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association in the south who helped in the Adelaide Hills actually packing up donations and doing the grunt work. The South Adelaide Football Club and the Southern Districts Stingrays—football and cricket—came together and held a T20 cricket fundraiser which raised over $17,000 for communities in need. There are countless stories of generosity from businesses, organisations, community groups and individuals—communities helping communities, neighbours helping neighbours, Australians helping fellow Australians. During the tragedy, our country's peoples' generosity has been a beacon of hope. There's a lot of rebuilding to be done right across Australia, right across South Australia: repairs to property, addressing the ecological damage and ensuring our industries bounce back. I will do a shout-out. There are many practical things people can do: buy Adelaide Hills wine or produce; come and visit the Adelaide Hills; perhaps a visit to Kangaroo Island. Kangaroo Island produce is some of the best in the world. It's worth actually treating yourself. Go and visit. I certainly implore people to think about those communities that are doing it tough and I encourage you. They are open for business. You'll have a wonderful time. Please support these communities. The scars of these fires will linger for a long time to come, and it's important that communities that are affected know that we are supporting you. We want to make sure that you're able to rebuild in the months and years ahead. We want to make sure that your physical and psychological health is cared for, that you are supported in your efforts to rebuild and that we can continue to work with you to rebuild your communities. On that note: our thoughts are with all those communities. Thank you. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 203092 Before I call the member for Tangney, I will remind members of the informal agreement between the whips that, while there are no time limits for the remarks today, the agreement is that we should try and stick to five minutes. That will be reflected on the counter, but it is obviously up to each individual member how long they speak. I call the member for Tangney. 12:04 Mr MORTON 265931 Tangney This parliament is a symbol for all Australians. Although we represent different communities with different landscapes and landmarks, we come here together with the same belief: that Australia is an incredible country with incredible heart and soul, full of grit and determination. So many people have been standing up and fighting these devastating fires, and we're here to support them. We're standing with you. We're also standing to honour the 33 people, including the nine emergency responders, who have died whilst selflessly fighting fires. We are standing to reflect the deep gratitude felt by all Australians. In my role as Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and Cabinet, I have been working to support the response and recovery efforts. The National Bushfire Recovery Agency, led by Andrew Colvin, is modelled on the National Drought and North Queensland Flood Response and Recovery Agency. The leadership is under the coordination of the Hon. Shane Stone. The National Bushfire Recovery Agency will ensure that communities, families, farmers and businesses hit by these unprecedented bushfires get the support they need as they recover. That is the priority of this government. I have been very honoured and pleased to be able to visit affected residents. It's made me feel devastated to understand their stories, but I also feel very proud about who they are as Australians. Fires that are unprecedented in scale are being met with bravery, courage and selflessness of the highest order. I would like to share with you a story from my visit to Kangaroo Island with the Prime Minister, where I met with locals to hear what they needed and to check on the great work of the ADF. I met Shane Leahy. He was one of the first people I met when we arrived to talk with some residents. He is a farmer and a volunteer firefighter with the South Australian Country Fire Service. Shane lost his house and many of his sheds while he was off his property fighting fires. When he had a chance to return and saw the charred remains of his home, his guts were churning. He said he nearly threw up. Everything was alight. Trees were glowing. But there was no time for rest or reflection; Shane went straight back to the fire truck and sped off to continue the fight in the hope that others would be spared this exact same fate. The first thing that Shane said to me when he saw me was: 'Mate, I don't want a handout. I'm going to be fine. I just want people to buy my garlic. I'm a garlic farmer.' He had harvested his garlic a few weeks earlier. Shane owns and runs Kangaroo Island Fresh Garlic. What was interesting in that story was that the harvesting of the garlic and the putting of the garlic in the shed that was surrounded by the harvested garlic paddocks created the fire break to save the garlic that he harvested. Shane was asking for that support, for people to buy his garlic so he can work his way out of the trouble he has found himself in. Army reservists taking part in Operation Bushfire Assist were also there to help Shane. They helped sort out the bulbs and remove stems so the garlic could be split into cloves, peeled and processed to be ready for sale. It is people like Shane we are honouring today—someone who lost his home and will potentially lose his business. When he had the opportunity to see a minister of the government, the first thing he said was, 'We'll be alright, mate.' He wants people to buy his garlic; he didn't want a handout. We were there to help him, and the ADF have been there to help him as well. It's strange in politics sometimes, when you're visiting communities like this and you run into people like Shane. Towards the end of the conversation I asked about Shane's story. It turns out that he went to Ferndale Primary School and Lynwood Senior High School, which happen to be in my electorate of Tangney in Perth. It's strange that one person you bump into, who you talk to and who tells you such a story, actually comes from the community that you represent in this House today. It's people like Shane who we thank, as well as his fellow fire and emergency personnel who have given everything when they have lost almost everything. I was very pleased to support the Prime Minister's decision to announce that we will be formally acknowledging the extraordinary efforts and sacrifices of our emergency services volunteers and personnel with the National Emergency Medal. The medal will be awarded to emergency responders who have given sustained or significant service during this season of bushfires, including those who work or volunteer with our fire, police, ambulance and emergency services, as well as our Defence Force personnel, reservists and overseas personnel. While this terrible crisis continues, it's too early to settle the details of who'll be eligible. Our emergency service organisations clearly have other priorities just now. But it was important for them to know that their work will be recognised with the awarding of the National Emergency Medal, not by this government but by all Australian people, in this way. The crisis will end. In the coming months, when the Governor-General has made the necessary formal declaration, the medal will give us that opportunity to reflect again on each of those individuals who have stood up and served their communities and our nation. When the Prime Minister moved the motion that we are speaking to today, he also announced some significant changes to the National Medal—a different medal, with a similar name. For the first time, it will be available to members of eligible government and volunteer organisations who have lost their lives in the line of duty. The National Medal is Australia's most-awarded service medal. It's been in existence for 45 years. It is awarded to members of emergency and like organisations who put their lives on the line in the service and protection of people and property, when they've reached 15 years of service. But one of the things that was wrong about this medal—and why the Prime Minister wrote to Her Majesty in January this year—was that if you died before reaching 15 years of service then you weren't eligible for the medal. If you die in duty, in serving one of these organisations, and you would otherwise have reached 15 years of service, then you should be awarded this medal, in recognition of your contribution and in recognition of the ultimate sacrifice you have given to the Australian people. So, I'm very pleased that Her Majesty The Queen agreed to the Prime Minister's request and that the National Medal will not only be made available to those personnel who have died in this bushfire season and who haven't yet reached but would otherwise have reached 15 years of service but also will actually go back over the 45 years of the existence of this medal and make up for what should have been the case previously. These medals will hold Australia's immense gratitude within them, because in this country we've got so much to be proud of, even in the most difficult times. 12:12 Ms MURPHY 133646 Dunkley I rise on behalf of the people of Dunkley to add our voices in support of this motion of condolence for the victims of the devastating bushfires. Those of us who have never stood at the front line of a roiling, aggressive wall of fire, who have never had to flee flames in fear of our lives, who have never lost a home, livelihood and loved ones to an insatiable inferno, who have never returned back to our homes, our communities and the habitats of our native animals that have been devoured by the fire can never really understand the way the extraordinary bushfires that have been raging across Australia last year and this year have scarred our fellow citizens' souls. We can see the physical impact. We can acknowledge the significant psychological trauma, and we can—and do—mourn the loss of life and limb and home. But we can never truly understand what others have experienced and continue to experience. What we can do, and what we in this place are all doing today, is honour their courage, recognise their suffering and join together to support them in their time of extraordinary need. And what we must do—those of us who are privileged enough to represent our communities in the federal parliament—is act, not just to adapt to climate change and increasing extreme weather events but also to mitigate humans' contribution, through a robust national climate change strategy. We must act on the evidence, as we've been told in the recent open letter from 274 experts, on the link between extreme weather events and climate change, including these fires. My community, a community not ravaged by fires, has shown tremendous solidarity with those that are. Today I want to acknowledge what a number of individuals and groups in my community have done and are doing. I do so both to acknowledge their generosity, solidarity and community spirit and also as a representation of what others have done—because, of course, I can't mention everyone and every organisation; there are so many people who are so generous and committed. Cayden, who is nine years old, and his brother, Lachlan, seven, attend Langwarrin Primary School. Their mother emailed me to tell me about what they are doing because of how deeply affected they are at the thought that other schoolchildren their age won't have the resources at their schools anymore to get a good education because of the fires. These two young men spent their own pocket money purchasing grocery items for fire relief and volunteered time packing boxes to be sent to those in need. But they didn't feel like that was enough. Because schools had burnt down, they wanted to help those children and those schools. They collected books, new and used, from across Langwarrin and the wider community to donate to kids who had lost them. Over just a few days in a week, their mother tells me, they had a final tally of 1,100 books—1,100 books! They delivered them to local Frankston charity 123Read2Me and to The Little Book Room in Carlton so that they could be delivered to kids in need. What awesome young men—just like Elijah, who sat out the front of Ritchies supermarket in Mount Eliza, selling Zooper Doopers to raise money for people in need who had been affected by the bushfires. At the end of March the Lyrebird Community Centre in Carrum Downs is going to hold a thankyou tea for our local firefighters and SES volunteers who have put their lives on the line and have tirelessly gone to support communities outside of Frankston and Dunkley because they saw people who were in need. Angela Lord is going to take her Sri Lankan mobile food van, which has amazing food, and cater for the event, for free, to say thank you to the CFA, career and volunteer firefighters from Skye, Carrum Downs, Langwarrin, Frankston, Mount Eliza, and, just out of our electorate—but many of our constituents volunteer and work there—Baxter and Mornington, and, of course, the Frankston SES. Just last weekend, the Mornington Peninsula Sportsman's Cup was held at Emil reserve in Mount Eliza. It was organised by local football and cricket teams and GameFace. They raised $80,000 for bushfire relief for the East Gippsland bushfire victims. The Sandhurst residents club, on Australia Day in their annual festival, raised over $3,600 for the Victorian bushfire appeal. Local Frankston community not-for-profit groups That's The Thing About Fishing, 3199 Frankston Beach Patrol, Positively Frankston, Donation Chain, Community Angels, and Frankston History all joined to form the Frankston Community Connect organisation. Together with local businesses such as The Beach Nook, La Porchetta Frankston, Uncommon Studio, Amy's Manufacturing Jewellery and the Little Grasshoppers Early Learning Centre, it galvanised the wider Frankston community to donate many, many truckloads of goods to be delivered to Victorian communities, families and individuals in need because of the bushfires. Together with Frankston Pines Football Club, it hosted a day raising money, and I understand they raised some $181,000. This coming Saturday night, McClelland sculpture gallery in Langwarrin is holding a fundraising event, Sundown at McClelland, with an amazing and very impressive array of Australian talent, including Deborah Conway. I'm going to be there, and I urge those who haven't bought a ticket to come along and raise more money for the bushfire appeal. This is just a small glimpse of what my community—our community—have done to say thank you to the firefighters, the SES, those people who have volunteered to fight fires to help with recovery in communities that aren't their own. On behalf of my community, I want to thank each and every one of you. I want to thank all of the firefighters and the volunteers. To everyone across Australia who has reached into their pockets and their pantries and, in particular, to those who have put life and limb at risk to help others, thank you. Our love and our thoughts are with those who have lost their lives and their families. My commitment to you—and that of many other people in this parliament—is that we will honour your service and your sacrifice by not just what we say but what we do. We thank you. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 203092 I would remind members of the agreement between the whips—particularly with the members for Goldstein and Isaacs in the Chamber—to restrict themselves to five minutes, if at all possible. The clock will be set for five minutes, but there is no formal time limit for this debate. 12:20 Mr TIM WILSON IMW Goldstein My remarks will be short today because I'm mindful of the need to make sure that all members have a chance to speak on this important condolence motion. And I do so because we all know the context in which we've faced these very challenging fires across the Australian continent this summer. Like most people, I wasn't personally impacted. But, of course, my fellow Victorians, New South Welshmen, Queenslanders and many people in rural and regional communities and those in coastal towns saw the full consequences of these fires and their impact. The tragedy is that 33 people, including nine brave firefighters, lost their lives, 2,900 homes have been confirmed lost and more than 10.4 million hectares has been burnt out—and that's not even to talk about the loss of wildlife and habitat and what that means for animal populations. Like most people, I didn't have a firsthand experience, and nor did many of the constituents of the Goldstein community. Most of our experience was of the smoke that drifted from East Gippsland to Port Phillip and sat in the basin around Melbourne. I got feedback from constituents, rightly, about some of the issues around respiratory problems and the health consequences, no matter where they were. It was an eye-opener and, for many people, a wake-up call. We need to acknowledge and pay tribute to the incredible service of our ADF personnel, who have done a wonderful job supporting local volunteers, and to those local volunteers, particularly in the CFA in Victoria and the RFS elsewhere, who put their lives on the line to do what is best for our community and for our country. We thank them eternally for their vigilance and their effort. But I want to pick up on a point that was raised by the member for Monash in his response to this motion. He made the point that, for many people on the front lines, it is a traumatising experience. To everybody who's gone through those experiences and to those people who've gone through previous fires, where it may lead to being retraumatised, we say, 'If you need assistance and help, please seek it out.' Every family, at some point, has had some experience with bushfires and the consequences. My family tragically lost their home in the Ash Wednesday bushfires, when my grandparents and aunty had to run into a swimming pool to save their lives after the wind changed. My grandfather, Charles Wilson, was the local doctor in the Upper Beaconsfield community and cared for many of the people who suffered as a consequence of those fires after they'd lost their homes or suffered health damage. So, if anybody needs assistance for whatever reason—whether it's retraumatisation from the past or from their experiences being on the front line in these fires—make sure you seek assistance and help. And I urge those volunteers who, through sacrifice of their own time, particularly around Christmas, were away from their friends, families and loved ones to make sure that they seek any assistance and help that they need as well. The other important thing is to make sure that we don't turn these fires into a political football. There's been a lot of jumping to conclusions. We have all seen in Victoria, for instance, the haunting images of the Mallacoota community and what people fear. There are of course many factors that contribute to fires—hazard burning, arson and the changing climate—and all of them need to be part of a sober discussion to make sure that we can do our best to address these challenges into the future as they escalate, as there is hotter and dryer weather, and make sure we help communities. Only on the weekend I was talking to people from the Bureau of Meteorology, looking at their scientific research into the contribution of the changing climate into bushfires and the seasons. That research and work is being done and fed into the public policy decision-making that we will make at this place. But we should make decisions based on evidence, not on speculation. Finally, to those people in the Goldstein community who saw the challenge and the opportunity to do so much good, we say thanks. I know even only last weekend the Black Rock community held a localised fundraiser to raise money to send to those people affected. Many people donated money out of their own pockets. I know Brighton yacht club has a fundraiser this Friday night to assist. To those people, we say thank you. To those people who have lost their lives, we pay homage and remembrance. But for those people who volunteered to do their best to help all of our communities, we give thanks. 12:26 Mr DREYFUS HWG Isaacs I congratulate the Leader of the Opposition Anthony Albanese and the Prime Minister for bringing the parliament together this week to express our support for all those who have suffered as a result of this season's unprecedented and terrible fires and our condolences to those who have died, and to pay tribute to the magnificent firefighters who've done their all to protect life and property during the months of fires that we've endured. I don't want to take up too much time today. That should be left to our leaders and to those MPs whose electorates have been most impacted by the fires. On that note, I do want to express my admiration for, and thanks to, my Labor colleagues, the member for Eden-Monaro, Mike Kelly; for Macquarie, Susan Templeman; and for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips, and also Darren Chester, the member for Gippsland. All of them have been out there every day, helping their constituents during this terrible time. They have truly shown their dedication and commitment to their constituents and highlighted the very best of what it means to be an elected representative. I did want to pay tribute to those in my electorate who like so many around the country have answered the call to help others. Even though Isaacs has thankfully been spared from this terrible fire season, I wish to pay tribute to the members of three CFA brigades in my electorate who've sacrificed their summer break to answer the call to help their fellow Australians in both Victoria and New South Wales: the Patterson River CFA which fought the Gippsland fires and the Omeo and Swifts Creek fires in Victoria and also deployed a crew to support the New South Wales firefighting efforts in Kempsey; the CFA brigade from Keysborough which fought the Gippsland fires and had members deployed to support the New South Wales firefighting efforts; and the Edithvale CFA brigade which also fought the Gippsland fires and had members deployed to support the New South Wales firefighting efforts. I'd also like to mention the Highett and Mentone MFB stations who also supported the bushfire firefighting efforts in Gippsland and New South Wales. I thank those who stayed behind to crew the trucks locally and work behind the scenes. And, as always, a special thank you to the families who shared in this sacrifice when their family members deployed to fight the fires. Our nation thanks you for your sacrifice and your service and, as your local member, I'm proud to represent a community where so many are prepared to give up so much and risk their safety and even their lives for no other reward than helping their fellow Australians at a time of great need. 12:29 Mr HOWARTH 247742 Petrie I rise to speak on this condolence motion that was moved by Prime Minister Scott Morrison. I want to put forward my thoughts in relation to the recent bushfires and thank people involved in my own electorate who have been reaching out to fellow Australians who've been affected, particularly in the southern states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. The Prime Minister referred this week to the recent catastrophic fires as the 'black summer' of 2019-20. Regions, as we know, have been devastated. Lives have been lost. Wildlife populations have been destroyed. I would like to particularly thank our brave and honourable firefighters who have put their lives on the line in many states that have been ravaged by fire, including in my own home state of Queensland. My brother-in-law is a firefighter down here in the ACT, and I know how tough it is at times for them, and I want to thank them. These people have put their bodies on the line in order to protect people—fellow Australians—our valued wildlife and people's assets—their homes. This goes beyond the call of duty, particularly for those volunteer firefighters who have often spent weeks out there fighting fires. We are all very thankful—not just members of parliament but all Australians. I'd also like to thank our Australian Defence Force personnel who have been deployed to help and the 3,000 or so reservists who have answered the call of the government to assist in our time of need. For the first time, the Australian government deployed Australian medical assistance teams, AUSMAT specialists, to provide on-the-ground medical support to people evacuated from bushfire-affected areas. The bushfire crisis recently has been the Australian Defence Force's main effort. The ADF has been working with state and territory authorities since September 2019, and support will continue for as long as needed. Over 6,500 full-time and reserve personnel are providing support in the field, at sea, in the air and from the defence bases across the fire-affected regions. I'm also really thankful and humbled by the support that has emerged from my own electorate of Petrie. I'm proud of our community. People have rung up and said, 'Luke, how can we help those people down south.' That includes organisations in my own electorate like the Mango Hill Progress Association, who have helped. Aspley 10 Pin Bowl donated 100 per cent of their proceeds on Sunday 12 January to fire-affected regions. Peninsula Palms Retirement Village raised $5,695. The North Lakes Lions Club has helped. Quota raised $1,000 for Drought Angels. Azure Blue retirement raised $580 for the Salvos. The lady at Celtic Barber at Rothwell did an awesome job of collecting donations from the community and sending them down, particularly to the parts of the Central Coast in NSW. I was pleased to be part of the Australian Red Cross disaster relief BBQ, which helped raise more than $10,000. I particularly want to thank Nathan, who pulled all that together and who did a great job. St Mary's Anglican Church also helped. There was the Kippa-Ring Shopping Centre Christmas gift wrapping station, and some of my own staff helped out with the gift wrapping. Also, in the last week, I had the pleasure of meeting one of my constituents, Tiarna McElligott. Despite the immense stress for Tiarna, as a Year 11 student, she took time out to work on an issue that worries her and worries other Australians. As we know, this past summer has been incredibly challenging and, at the forefront of our minds, has been the constant thought of how we can protect our wonderful country and those who bravely fight for it. Tiarna has admirably concentrated on and was spurred on by the knowledge that overexertion and stress remain an important factor for our firefighters. She has come up with an intel vest that will help firefighters manage their vital signals, like blood pressure and body temperature. She has recently won a Moreton Bay Regional Council award, and she has entered her idea in Earth Challenge 2020, so I want to acknowledge Tiarna as well. It has been a tough summer. The Australian government has had the biggest response since Cyclone Tracy in 1974, and that will continue. When I travelled to Kangaroo Island some years ago the wildlife was incredible, so it saddened me to see the damage that was done on Kangaroo Island. I spoke to the member for Mayo and offered my condolences, because so much was damaged down there. It's been a tough summer. We acknowledge the victims, those people who lost their lives, and together, as a parliament and as the Australian community, we'll continue to work together to help restore what's been lost. Thank you. 12:35 Dr ALY 13050 Cowan I, too, like many others in this place, rise to lend my voice on this motion offering condolences to those who lost their lives, their loved ones and their livelihoods during these devastating bushfires, as they continue to burn. Australia, I often say, is a land of contradictions: of wet and dry, of deserts and rainforests, of blistering heat and snowy mountains, of droughts and flooding rains. But, when it comes to the heart of Australia, when it comes to her people, there is no contradiction. We are one. And, as the song goes, we sing with one voice. We saw that over this terrible summer, in the response to these devastating fires across Australia. As you know, I'm from Western Australia, and we were on the other side from those devastating fires on the eastern coast. For many of us in Western Australia—and I speak particularly also of many in my community of Cowan who approached me—there was a sense of helplessness, of: 'What could we do? What could we possibly do to make a difference to the lives of those who are hurting over in the eastern states?' The Cowan community came together, in ways that other communities right across Australia came together, in this show of solidarity. We had, for example, the Joondalup Health Campus raising money in its staff dining room. We had our local knitting group, Lauren Lang and the knitting ladies, who meet at my local shopping centre every Tuesday, knitting for the animals. A young lady named Jayde Macintosh put a post on Facebook asking for people to come together on a day and sew pouches for the animals that were harmed in the bushfires. My local IGA had a donation box. And in Perth's sleepy northern suburbs in Cowan, we all banded together to do what we could to help those who were so devastatingly affected by those fires. While bushfires have ravaged and continue to ravage the east coast, I want to also make mention of those fires that also ravaged parts of Western Australia. In Yanchep, for example, 6,000 homes were saved as fires burned through 13,000 hectares. Yanchep is not in my electorate of Cowan; it is in the neighbouring electorate of Pearce, the Attorney-General's electorate. Nonetheless, the Cowan community came together during that fire crisis as well. On 2 February, the City of Wanneroo had a Yanchep Fire Thankyou Day. During the Yanchep fires, we saw the Yanchep Volunteer Fire and Rescue service, the Two Rocks Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade, the Quinns Rocks Bush Fire Brigade, the Wanneroo Central Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade and the Wanneroo fire support brigade come together. I want to thank those groups for the work they did in ensuring that the Yanchep fires weren't as devastating as they possibly could be. I also want to make special mention of the mayor of Wanneroo, Mayor Tracey Roberts, who kept the entire communities of Yanchep, Two Rocks and Wanneroo updated through her consistent Facebook posts and who was there every single day on the front line, making sure that people were evacuated and that they knew what to do in the fires, and helping with the fire rescue efforts. Of course there were other fires in Western Australia, in Collie and Norseman and other places across Western Australia. But, as I mentioned, none were as devastating as the fires were in the eastern states. Much has been and will be said about this moment in our nation's history. There'll be stories written, poems dedicated and artworks created, and of course a lot of reflection. I hope that in the coming months we learn the lessons about the need to act on climate change, which contributed to the intensity and severity of these fires and will continue to do so. But most of all I hope that the stories that endure are the ones that tell of the bravery and the sacrifice of our firefighters and the stories of how a country came together; the stories of our international friends who reached across the oceans in our times of need; the stories of the communities of Muslims and Sikhs and other community groups who drove 600 kilometres with supplies for those who were affected by the bushfires; the stories of the local communities thousands of kilometres away from the bushfires who watched their country burn, igniting in them their compassion for their country and for her people. 12:40 Mr LLEW O'BRIEN 265991 Wide Bay It is a privilege to rise and speak on this condolence motion by the Prime Minister on the bushfire crisis. The ongoing bushfires have highlighted the dichotomies inherent in life in Australia. We've seen the worst of Mother Nature and the best of humanity. We've seen drought followed by fire followed by flooding rains. The drought still stubbornly persists, with more than 11 million hectares that has burnt, scarring our wide, brown land. Very tragically, 33 people have lost their lives, including nine very heroic firefighters. Three thousand homes were burnt to the ground, and the horrific toll on Australia's precious wildlife is just unfathomable. Australians are known throughout the world for our reliability, generosity, bravery and compassion, and I gratefully acknowledge how people from around the world have joined with us, putting their lives at risk to help fight fires and assist with the recovery effort. In Wide Bay, homes and properties were lost and damaged, and more than 5,000 people were evacuated from more than 2,500 homes as multiple fire fronts attacked the Peregian-Noosa areas and the hinterland areas over the course of several weeks in September and October. To the wide range of organisations, including the Peregian Beach Community House, UnitingCare, Tewantin-Noosa Lions Club, Noosa Heads Lions Club, Koala Crusaders, the Noosa State Emergency Service, Queensland Police and the Rural Fire Service, to the fighters, police, volunteers, disaster coordinators, community groups, councils and so many others who helped keep Noosa safe from bushfires, I say a very heartfelt thankyou. Emergency services and volunteers have worked tirelessly to protect lives and properties, and countless volunteers have stepped up to support them with everything from preparing meals to doing their washing, hosting fundraisers and many other kinds of practical gestures. Even our wildlife has not been forgotten, with thousands of hand-knitted and sewn joey pouches, bat wraps and resting blankets being made by craftspeople across the nation. In Wide Bay we have kick-started the recovery period with an initial and immediate grant of $1 million to the Noosa community to help rebuild vital community infrastructure. We've also given $1 million to the Queensland government to administer a grants program for community organisations in Noosa. Like many of the places worst affected by bushfires, Noosa is an area of outstanding natural beauty, and its local economy relies heavily on the tourism market. I welcome Noosa's inclusion in a $6 million tourism recovery package, which will also be available to the Scenic Rim, Southern Downs and Sunshine Coast councils. Noosa is unique. It is an iconic destination that attracts two million visitors every year and generates more than $1 billion in tourism spending in our region alone. This package will help provide a lifeline to keep visitors coming so that businesses can keep their doors open and locals will continue to have a job to go to. We also acknowledge that recovery—physical and emotional—cannot happen overnight and these bushfires will inevitably weigh heavily on people's minds for some time to come. Mental health care is absolutely essential to help individuals, families and communities recover in the wake of a crisis, which is why it's so important that the Morrison government has provided $14 million for a community recovery package to support the mental health and resilience of Queensland communities affected by bushfires last year, including Noosa. We know that in the weeks and months—and even years—following natural disasters like these bushfires, people can experience a range of emotions and behaviours that can be intense, confusing and frightening. The funding will allow affected people to receive the necessary support to deal with emotions such as grief, stress, guilt and depression, and provide strategies and assistance as the communities recover. To the people of Noosa and to everyone everywhere who has been affected by these ferocious bushfires right across Australia, we'll stand shoulder to shoulder with you for as long as it takes. 12:46 Mr BURNS 278522 Macnamara I rise to support this condolence motion and to add to the many fine contributions that members have made this week. I especially want to mention the tireless efforts of the members for Gilmore, Macquarie and Eden-Monaro, as well as many others. I also want to pay tribute to the member for Bennelong, who I thought made quite a difficult and honest speech in this debate. This has been a really difficult summer for all Australians, and it's not over. We have been at the forefront of a catastrophic summer of bushfires right around our vast continent. Like so many members in this place, I flew in on Sunday night over the bushfires that are still burning. Looking down at the hellish scenes was haunting. We can still smell the burning that is occurring less than 50 kilometres away from our parliament. The smell and the poor—often hazardous—air quality that has come with it have been a feature for Australians across the summer. But, throughout this past summer, we've seen the best of Australia rise from the most difficult parts of Australia—our incredible emergency service personnel, our volunteers, our defence forces and the extremely generous donations from people all across our nation who just wanted to help. Of course, this is a condolence motion, and, sadly, we are mourning 33 Australians and others who have lost their lives in these bushfires. Our thoughts are with their families, friends and loved ones. A lot of lives have been saved, though, this summer because we've learnt from the lessons of past bushfires. The clear advice to urge people to leave now has been heeded, and that has saved countless lives. I also want to thank all those members across all sides of politics in the federal parliament and our state parliaments who worked tirelessly for their communities throughout the summer. We thank all those overseas and ordinary citizens who lent their support, their firefighters, their financial assistance and their generous donations. These fires were different. Their scale was unprecedented. Our regions are on fire, our cities are filled with hazardous smoke and our nation has been severely polluted. Our native animal populations have been devastated. More than a billion animals are said to have perished. We've seen heartbreaking images of badly burnt koalas. Also at severe risk are species like the brush-tailed rock wallaby, the glossy black cockatoo, the regent honeyeater and many more. Entire ecosystems that our beloved native animals rely on are under threat. This isn't normal, but the evidence says that this will fast become the new normal. This is a national crisis of historic proportions. This is a climate emergency, and it's only the start. Australians are on the front line and the whole world is watching. The bushfire season has taken an immense toll on our country. Its effects will continue to be felt over time. We are saddened and we are sorrowful, but it's clear we're also scared. We are scared that summer will no longer be an innocent time to enjoy a swim at the beach, a family barbecue or a day at the cricket; scared that we won't be able to breathe clean air for months at a time or see the sun shining in blue skies; and scared that our country is getting more dangerous and that the world is getting more dangerous. Their fear is understandable. It should be acknowledged, and it should be respected. We've seen the anguish on people's faces—the desperation, the exhaustion. But, beyond what we've seen, we need to recognise the mental health impacts of large-scale natural disasters such as these bushfires. The immediate grief and loss, and in the longer term the anxiety, depression and post-traumatic issues, cause distress for families in the months and even years after these events. We also mustn't forget our first responders and firefighters, who suffer significant mental health issues throughout their work, which exposes them to extremely traumatic experiences. We need to make sure that our mental health system is robust and accessible and at the same time provide a hopefulness that is grounded in real solutions to heading off the worst aspects of dangerous climate change. We need to acknowledge that beyond these towns that have been hit is a whole country bracing itself for an uncertain future. Its name is climate change. It's here, and the way things are looking it's here to stay. Today is a day to express our condolences. The detailed policy debates we need to have in the future can begin tomorrow—in fact, they must begin tomorrow. But we cannot talk about this crisis without talking about its causes. We were not elected to this place to merely deliver platitudes; we were elected to this place to govern. We were elected to this place to be leaders and to show leadership in confronting the great challenges that confront our nation. Climate change is not just an environmental crisis. Climate change is not just an economic crisis. Climate change is a humanitarian crisis, it is a national security crisis and it is a migration and refugee crisis. For years we've been warned that this day would come, that extreme weather, droughts and heat would combine to create worse and longer bushfire seasons—and those predictions were right. Hazard reduction is one part of the equation, but climate change is making that harder, too. All in all, we need to accept that the world is getting warmer, that the climate is changing, and we will suffer the consequences if we don't change and get other nations to change with us. We should be leading the international efforts to combat climate change, because we are on the front lines of this global challenge. But we are not doing enough as a nation, and it's time we were all honest about it. We need to lower our emissions, but right now we are not lowering our emissions. The time for making excuses is over. We know what the future holds, because the future is here. To honour those who have given up their summers to fight fires, to honour those who have lost everything, the responsibility now falls on us—on members of this place, the Australian parliament—to do everything we possibly can to ensure that our children, our grandchildren, our neighbours and our constituents have a safe future in this wonderful nation. 12:52 Mr HASTIE 260805 Canning This past summer has been a 'black summer' and very tough for many Australians around the country, but particularly on the east coast, and I rise today to add my voice and that of my community in Canning, in the Peel region of Western Australia, in expressing condolence for those devastated by this year's bushfires. I particularly want to extend our sympathies to those who have lost loved ones, their homes, their communities and their livelihoods. I also want to acknowledge and give thanks for the efforts of our brave firefighters, our volunteers, both here in Australia and those from overseas, and I acknowledge the deaths of those three fine Americans who gave their lives fighting the fires here in Australia to protect our community. I also thank the community leaders and the many Australians who quietly got on with helping others, without any sort of recognition. It's a reminder that this great country starts in our local communities, where we form our closest bonds, with our neighbours, and, taken together, we form a collective known as Australia, this great country. It's encouraging to see such a healthy group of local communities right across this country. But it's not enough just to offer our sympathies. Words need to be matched with action, and this government has stepped up with a raft of initiatives, including the initial $2 billion national bushfire recovery fund. Others here have detailed these initiatives, so I won't go through them again. But I do want to note, for the record, the contributions of my fellow Western Australians, particularly in the Peel region and the greater South West. For example, the Harvey Hay Run—Harvey sits in the seat of Forrest, just to our south—has sent a convoy of trucks carrying more than 2,000 bales of hay and fodder as well as supplies, clothes, blankets and nappies from south-west WA to help those in fire affected New South Wales. This support has come from farmers and families who were affected by the January 2016 Waroona and Yarloop fires. These fires, in my electorate and in the electorate of Forrest, destroyed 160 homes, the whole town Yarloop, and killed two people. We saw more than 2,000 kilometres of fencing destroyed, livestock killed and sheds, tractors and feeding troughs all destroyed. Farmers did it very tough. But what we've seen over the last four years in our community is the truism that restoration follows ruin, and that there is hope for those who've suffered immensely. Just seeing our community recover over the last four years gives me hope. This season's tragedy has shown the best of Australia. I also want to put on record the work of the volunteer firefighters from brigades in my electorate and around Western Australia who travelled east to give their assistance and expertise during these emergencies. These are volunteers from the brigades in Bedfordale, Roleystone and Byford in Canning, just to name a few. Thank you for going above and beyond, giving up your summer break to travel across the continent to help your fellow Australians. I applaud you and I thank you from this House. I also want to pay tribute to the hundreds of men and women who helped keep my electorate safe during the fire season. We've had some very near misses this season. The most significant came on 9 January when an evacuation notice was given to parts of the Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale, following an out-of-control fire that accidentally started on the Kwinana Freeway when a boat came off a trailer when a gentleman was returning from the south-west back up to Perth. The fire threatened parts of Mardella, Hopeland and Rockingham and the Kwinana Freeway. Had it not been contained, parts of Baldivis, Wellard, Oldbury, Cardup, Mundijong, Whitby and Serpentine would have been in great danger—a lot of homes, properties, livestock, and a lot of horses. The equine industry is concentrated in Canning. So I thank the many hundreds of volunteers, but particularly the approximately 150 firefighters who converged over a couple of days and nights to beat back the fire, which burned up to 1,300 hectares, in the face of difficult and changing winds. Thankfully, our region was spared, with minimal damage to property and no loss of life. This past summer is a reminder of how fragile our landscape is and how important strong local communities are to our collective wellbeing and security. So to all those affected, those who lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods, we in this House are with you. We will support you in the months and years ahead. Our hearts go out to you. 12:57 Mr ROB MITCHELL M3E McEwen I rise to support this motion. It is fitting that our nation's parliament, the one place in which all of Australia is represented, sends a message of condolence for the terrible loss of life, wildlife and property that we collectively have experienced. Today we pay our respects and grieve for all the lives lost, but also for the lives that will be lost as a result of these unusually horrific bushfires. Such brutal fires can impact people in so many different ways—physically, emotionally, directly and indirectly. Even just the presence of such a brutal fire season can impact those not directly experiencing it. However, words cannot express the grief, loss and sheer terror that the people who've been through the front of these fires have experienced. As many residents in my electorate of McEwen know all too well, this is not something that leaves our consciousness quickly. Country people are pretty much used to having such dangers, but the unprecedented blazes we've experienced during this crisis and over the past decade go beyond what was considered normal in the Australian summer. The consequences of our changing climate are becoming more obvious and more severe. Bushfires are not a faraway problem and an infrequent test for regional Australia. They are increasingly starting earlier and are more intense than ever before. We know this from the warning signs, from the voices of the fire experts who earlier this year predicted such brutal blazes, voices that went unheard in the corridors of those who could make a tangible difference. Evidently, these predictions were realised. These fires were bigger, they came earlier, and they were more intense than the government was prepared for. The challenge is now for government. If you say you accept manmade climate change, it is incumbent on you to educate those inside your tent who don't accept climate change. Today we recognise and show our gratitude to those who live by the mantra 'Standing shoulder to shoulder'. These are the courageous people from all walks of life, paid and unpaid, who were prepared to stop what they were doing, forgo their plans, leave the comforts of home, go out there and get in and fight for communities. That courage has been shown as the fires rage, because we know all too well that the dangers are not yet over. We can smell it in the air outside this house today. Even as we stand here paying our condolences, communities across the ACT are preparing for the worst, as they hope for relief. There is no greater example of courage than the fact that so many were prepared to risk their lives to save the lives of others. Many people were fighting fires knowing that all was lost for some of them, but they went back out there to help their mates, to help their neighbours and to help people they did not even know, because that is the character and commitment of our paid and unpaid volunteer brigades. This is the Australian spirit. It reminds us that leadership is being there when it matters. We in McEwen and our surrounding electorates know all too well the challenges of the road to recovery. Black Saturday impacted us more than anywhere else in the nation. The brunt of that disaster was borne by our communities, and we carry the physical and mental scars of that day with us. But we also carry a great understanding of what the road to recovery is like. Recovery is an individual process that people deal with. It's best done at a pace that suits individuals, and the government has a massive challenge for the months and the years ahead. My advice to the government is to listen. Listen to those with the expert knowledge and firsthand experience in recovery from disaster. There is no silver bullet to remedy this. There is no set play that can fix it. But there are lessons to be learnt which will make the road to recovery easier, so listen. Understand that people need to be the central focus of recovery plans. Letting individual cases guide us through the myriad issues we will face going forward is so important. At a time when we feel all is lost, we must keep them close, particularly in our small communities which have been hit hard. Social cohesion at a time of crisis is important, especially for the many small businesses in towns who need the local foot traffic there to keep them afloat. Keeping locals in their community will always aid the healing process. But what will also help is reducing unnecessary bureaucracy which reduces the time people have to deal with the aftermath. Departments at all levels of government need to put people first. They can do this by taking unnecessary red tape out of the process and making services simple and efficient to use. Understand and help with the process. Rebuilding homes and community infrastructure will be harder and more expensive as communities face higher bushfire attack level, or BAL, ratings and other building standards to make homes and other buildings safer and more resilient. Coordination is also key. Ensure that moneys go to people directly when they need them. Having an efficient system means more people will get help quicker and limits the number of people who will fall through the cracks. Importantly, take the egos out of government. Recovery isn't a time for photo opportunities and false empathy. People are hurting and they need a hand up, a shoulder to lean on and an ear to hear their voice. Don't turn your back on them. Don't walk away. As I said, we have the experience and the knowledge in our communities to help along the way. We can learn from the people with the experience—people such as Tony Thompson OAM, Anne Leadbeater, Kath Stewart and Helen Kenny, people who have walked this path and know better than you what is in the road ahead. There are people such as those in our Lions and Rotary clubs, and the Bee You child care in Kilmore, who made bat wraps to send up to the Blue Mountains. I have seen firsthand the work they do. Of course, there is BlazeAid. BlazeAid is now a national, iconic institution, founded by Kevin and Rhonda Butler of Kilmore. They have gone to great lengths in this space since the Black Saturday bushfires, helping farmers get fences back up, to get them going more quickly. There is Ranges Rescue, who spent weeks sewing and creating assistance and support for native animals. They did a fundraiser which raised about $5,000. That was done with little items costing up to $20, from home-made tote bags to bespoke fabric coasters. Whatever it was, they put it in to help communities. I also want to acknowledge people like Khalsa Aid. Khalsa Aid, as the member for Gippsland pointed out, went out there into communities and supported communities by cooking food and helping people—in Buchan and those sorts of places. They even went up to New South Wales. And of course there has been the Islamic outreach. What this shows is that people right across this nation, from all walks of life, have been out there supporting our communities. For over ten months after the Black Saturday fires BlazeAid were out there, and even today they are out there, right across this nation, helping our farmers. Transition Village in Wallan, which is a homeless persons shelter, is opening its doors and helping to raise funds. A lady who I have the utmost respect for, Jane Hayward OAM, was the principal of Strathewen Primary School, one of the biggest towns hit with loss of life, per capita, in Black Saturday. Jane travels the country going into communities, looking after communities, looking after schools and helping them get back on track. She has been working with Rob Gordon the psychiatrist and Kate Liddell—ex-Firefoxes—to help people in the aftermath of the fires. We owe to people in these communities who have lost their homes and loved ones every ounce of energy and help that the Commonwealth government is capable of giving. We owe those communities that need us. We will be there for them as they forge ahead in the new normal. 13:05 Ms PRICE 249308 Durack I'd like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the many bushfire brigades in my large electorate of Durack, the many hardworking volunteers and also paid fire brigade workers who selflessly give up their time to support their local communities in times of need. The current round of volunteer grants in Durack is specifically dedicated and available to the local fire brigades in Durack. I would like to encourage those eligible to apply urgently, as the applications close this Friday. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the efforts of defence industry in providing outstanding support towards the bushfire effort. During these bushfires we've seen many Australian communities band together to assist with the relief effort. Our nation's response to this emergency has been ably supported by both the Australian Defence Force, which I am immensely proud of, and our collective defence industry, which I'm equally proud of. I'm quite sure that the sight of the Defence personnel, boots on the ground, lending a hand, was such a great relief to those impacted by the bushfires. The ability for the ADF to respond to this crisis so quickly and assist the states and territories was also made possible by the support of our defence industry. This support has come from our major contractors right through to our local and small businesses. I'd like to take this opportunity to recognise some of those efforts. I first would like to thank the many businesses in our defence industry who have held internal fundraisers and donated much-needed funds to assist in relief efforts for bushfire affected communities. Air Affairs Australia, based in Nowra, have flown missions to provide urgent intelligence on the unfolding bushfires to our firefighting agencies, including the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Victoria's Country Fire Authority and the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services. Since early January Air Affairs have flown over 1,746 hours, covering the equivalent of 50 per cent of the total area of Australia. I thank Air Affairs for their ongoing service and efforts in response to these bushfires. Summer is an important tourist season for many local communities in Australia. We need to do all we can to attract fellow Australians and overseas visitors to visit those affected communities. I would therefore like to thank our largest defence industry partner, Naval Group, for launching an internal tourism drive amongst its global employees to holiday in Australia in 2020. I encourage all our major defence companies to spread the word to their employees abroad that Australia is open for business and that a holiday down under should indeed be on the cards for 2020. Our defence industry community extends not only to those companies involved in acquiring and sustaining our capability but also to those businesses that maintain our Defence bases. I'd like to acknowledge and recognise the efforts of those businesses, including Broadspectrum, Spotless and BGIS, which provide invaluable support services to our bases. During the recent bushfire events, these companies ramped up their activities at incredibly short notice and have sustained that level of support needed to allow the ADF to effectively respond to these bushfires. They should also be commended for their efforts in supporting the defence evacuation activities and for providing accommodation to displaced defence families. To them I say: thank you for your outstanding support. Telstra defence is also playing an important role in assisting the ADF during the bushfire emergency. Telstra defence is installing mobile repeaters at key sites for Operation Bushfire Assist, to enhance phone services, and is providing portable internet devices for ADF personnel and displaced Australians housed at defence sites in addition to a large number of support services. I'd like to thank Telstra defence for their ongoing support. I would especially like to recognise the efforts of Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group at the Department of Defence. Many of the staff at CASG, as it's called, have supported the operations of the ADF in response to the recent bushfires since Christmas—and I know many of them didn't get a Christmas, didn't get a New Year, didn't get a break, and I sincerely thank them and appreciate their ongoing assistance. To the wider defence industry, who played a role in providing relief and assistance to Australians and affected Australian communities from these bushfires, I say: thank you for your ongoing and continued support. Finally, to those individuals and communities who have lost loved ones, who have lost their homes, who have lost their animals, and the many who have lost their business or have had their business impacted: please know that our hearts break with yours and that the federal government stands ready to help you to put the pieces of your lives back together again. We've heard it said a lot in the last week, and I think it's worth repeating: regional Australia is not broken. It is resilient. Its people are resilient. And it will endure. 13:11 Mr WATTS 193430 Gellibrand I'm honoured to be able to rise in this debate to extend the condolences of my community in Melbourne's west to those who have suffered in this 'black summer'. While my electorate has not been directly affected by the fires that we've experienced in recent months, the loss of life and property experienced by so many thousands of Australians, as well as the incalculable ecological destruction and loss of animal life, is a national tragedy of unprecedented scale that all Australians feel at this time. My condolences and thoughts go to all of those who have been directly affected by this. I want to particularly put on the record my recognition of the incalculable debt that we as Australians all owe to those firefighters who sacrificed their lives this summer, particularly those who had come from the other side of the world to fight fires in Australia. We've also seen in my community in Melbourne's west Australians at their best in the way that they've responded to this crisis. I've never been prouder to represent this community than I have been over recent months. People from all backgrounds have rallied together to help their fellow Aussies in need. Volunteers from the Australian Islamic centre, the Newport mosque, collected five truckloads full of donations and then left Newport at 3 am, drove to Bairnsdale, with the assistance of the MFB and the CFA, and put on a breakfast sausage sizzle for exhausted firefighters. They were featured on CNN for their efforts. The Authors for Fireys campaign, kicked off by YA authors Emily Gale and Nova Weetman, raised $511,000, and local authors in Melbourne's west, like Andy Griffiths, Maxine Beneba Clarke and Enza Gandolfo all participated in this extraordinarily worthy donation drive. We are very proud to host Foodbank in Yarraville, and my heart was bursting with pride to see the 1½-kilometre-long queues of Australians pulling up in their cars, their utes, their trucks, their kombis—you name it—to make material donations at Foodbank to produce the thousands of food hampers that hundreds of volunteers from my community and across Melbourne put together at Foodbank in those times. They were the best kinds of traffic jams experienced by my community! We couldn't get around, but seeing those trucks lined up in community spirit was something extraordinary. One Yarraville resident, a school student, Oscar, saw these cars and he set up a carwash fundraiser, where he was aiming to raise $100 for the wildlife rescue and rehabilitation fund and ended up raising $3,000. What a legend! Oscar, well done, mate. No matter what their background, people were chipping in. Dr Tien Kieu, an upper house member in Victoria, travelled with the Venerable Thich Phuoc Tan from the Quang Minh Temple in Braybrook in Melbourne's west, and Quang Minh Temple delivered $33,000 in donations to the CFA in Bairnsdale and CFA District 11 Headquarters Brigade. The Vietnamese Evangelical Church in Footscray raised $42,815 for the Salvos' relief efforts. The East Meets West Festival in Footscray suspended fundraising for the very important Vietnamese community museum in Footscray and dedicated their efforts throughout the day to raising funds for the bushfire as well. Sikh Volunteers Australia organised their volunteers to stay for 15 days in the East Gippsland area and helped serve 1,000 meals per day. The Tarneit Sikh gurdwara, with the assistance of their volunteers, sent tonnes of food to the communities of Bairnsdale and Bruthen. Let's Feed, an important charity in Melbourne's west, and its founder, Jasvinder Sidhu, made two trips to the bushfire affected communities, delivering four vans and 10 tonnes of food. They've committed to working with Bairnsdale Neighbourhood House in the next six months to help 100 families and also to assist the organisation in replacing equipment such as fridges and freezers. The community response has been amazing. But the Australian government needs to do much more to respond to the underlying cause of this crisis: climate change. This 'black summer' has sheeted home to all Australians that the summers of our childhoods have past. Scientists have been telling us for more than a decade that climate change would mean that the Australian bushfire season would be longer and more intense, and this year all of us have experienced what this means, in the form of the tragic direct loss of life and the destruction of physical property and ecological environments and also in the form of the choking smoke enveloping our cities and electorates such as my own. It is beyond time for all of us in this place to get together and take real action on this threat to the Australian way of life, reduce emissions and, once and for all, tackle the challenge of climate change. 13:16 Mr LAMING E0H Bowman Islands are special places. As any island resident will attest, Australia doesn't have many populated islands, certainly not many permanently populated ones. Kangaroo Island and, off the coast of Queensland, my local island of Minjerribah are two of the largest, followed by Phillip Island in Victoria. Natural disasters on islands present unique challenges. What normally would roll down a highway and provide emergency and disaster relief services isn't easily available. To those on the other side: many islands rely on services coming down a highway and onto water transport even before they can get to an island. Kangaroo Island's western national parks, which erupted in flames not once but four times over this break, were one of these examples. We in Redlands know that feeling, as much of our own island of Minjerribah was under flame just two years ago. At night our horizon was glowing in the distance like a bombing run—an ember that was burning orange across 15 kilometres of water. It reminded us each sunrise how remote an island can be, as that glow turned to smoke and that evil grey tail rose into the atmosphere and then trailed away from the scene of the crime. But that's where the similarities between Minjerribah and Kangaroo Island end. Compared to Minjerribah, Kangaroo Island is in a wind tunnel. We can't even make wind turbines stack up in Queensland. Kangaroo Island's mayor, Michael Pengilly, pointed out that, at first, on that night, after a lightning strike, many weren't that alarmed. But, with each step of the way on Kangaroo Island, every turn became a worst-case scenario. Fire escaped the gorge that it probably shouldn't have. Fires joined and became a megafire. Fire moved faster than anyone could have predicted and turned in direction, maiming up to 100,000 livestock, such that the following day there was nothing but the echo of farmers euthanising. There was incalculable wildlife loss. Fire is the hardest element to understand. It revels in its mystery. It flares; it can disappear, change direction and flare again. In the end, on Kangaroo Island, it took more than 650 ADF staff, 300 Country Fire Service workers, a strike team of 47 New Zealanders and a Japanese C-130 before we ultimately prevailed, and even that was after the elements gave us a break and delivered 30 mils of rain. We need to recognise every one of those volunteers, and the thanks from Kangaroo Island echo in my ears. We need to train volunteers in the city. At the moment, for city residents, it's simply too far to travel to be a regular, reliable member of a CFA or an RFS. We need to reconsider training in cities and have it deployed so that city residents can get the technical training close to home and the practical training by orbiting into the regions. But on Kangaroo Island, for the 70 homes that lost everything, the only consolation was getting out alive. Some managed to move their stock successfully. Some moved their stock to a new location, only for all of the stock to perish in a subsequent fire. For the minority who were renting, their decision will be about replacement and relocation. But for owners—and that's the majority on Kangaroo Island—they know it's about rebuilding. That's why they want to stay on the island, and virtually all of them have. They concede, though, that they do need help in doing that. As Georgia and Olivia told me at the relief centre, the locals know exactly what needs to happen. And while the world's compassion was offering everything, including cans of baby food, on Kangaroo Island, not a single baby was affected. And this was a lesson to me: that we need to be giving financial support way more than the in-kind support, because what people need is direct and immediate help. Teams from Services Australia worked long days with Housing SA. They've intensively case-managed every family that required help or just advice. Virtually all residents that were affected have been temporarily relocated and housed on the island. In fact, some residents simply went and furnished empty farmhouses, knowing they'd be needed, but not knowing who by. What that island knew is that they needed to provide a roof for every family that needed it. Islanders pause and remember Clarrie and Dick Lang. They lost their lives in that fire by driving through a front a day after building firebreaks all day. The last movements of their vehicle are, chillingly, spray-painted on the road. Further down, the Western Districts clubhouse is gone. But Jade, working there, knows it'll be rebuilt. They are operating out of a dark, dank, brick change room—all that's left of their club. There are piles of animal feed and an open account at Petbarn to feed whatever animals need supplies. I met Cam and Isaac there. They'd just taken the Budget Pantech out and got it bogged. No-one's quite sure why they were there, but they're glad they got the vehicle out and they're safe, as well. BlazeAid were at full strength, camping at the oval and doing the backbreaking work of dismantling fences and rebuilding kilometres of it. QStore were drying their stock after the downpour that came too late. At the recovery centre, Rob and Jackie meet every person that comes in needing assistance. Mayor Michael Pengilly was open—as was Rebekha Sharkie, the local MP—in giving me that opportunity to deliver the $70,000 that was raised by my island city specifically to help their island disaster. The donors included SeaLink; American College; Karreman Quarries; Sirromet winery; Bartons new and used cars; Walker Corporation; McGuires Alexandra Hill; Hogan's Wellington Point; Darwalla; Graham Leishman; the Redlands bushfire relief concert; Courthouse; the Punjab Curry Palace; the Redlands Sporting Club, Zyka's restaurant; a range of real estate agents, from RE/MAX to First National; Doug Barton himself; Stradbroke Island Events; IGA Alex Hills; a range of businesses donating a dollar for every sale; and individuals in my city, who all agreed that every effort would go into one account, and it would all go to Kangaroo Island. In closing, through disaster and tragedy—through this tragic loss of life that every one of us is feeling in this building and beyond—may we band together, embrace those that have been affected and be sure that we make every effort that we can to ensure their recovery. 13:23 Ms COLLINS HWM Franklin The bushfires that have impacted Australia this spring and summer have not been the normal bushfires. They have been more intense. The bushfire season has been longer. It has affected every state and territory, including my home state of Tasmania. Thankfully, Tasmania was not as hard hit this year as it was last year. Members may remember me standing up in this place early last year, talking about the terrible bushfires that impacted my community in the Huon Valley. That area continues to recover slowly. There are still businesses and families in the Huon Valley who have not yet rebuilt or who have not yet reopened. I say to them, 'The government should also be with you during this difficult time.' The thing that Tasmanians found very difficult whilst these fires have been on is, of course, the retraumatisation: the memories of previous bushfires, the memories in the Huon Valley from last year, the memories from the 1967 bushfires, and previous memories. It is terrible for those Tasmanians who have been retraumatised. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 72184 A division has been called in the House of Representatives. Debate adjourned. Federation Chamber adjourned at 13:25