The SPEAKER ( Hon. Tony Smith ) took the chair at 09:30, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Amendment (Coronavirus Economic Response Package) Bill 2020
That this bill be now read a second time.
Product Stewardship (Oil) Amendment Bill 2020
That this bill be now read a second time.
Excise Tariff Amendment Bill 2020
That this bill be now read a second time.
Migration Amendment (Prohibiting Items in Immigration Detention Facilities) Bill 2020
That this bill be now read a second time.
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Kennedy from moving the following motion forthwith:
That the House:
(1) notes that:
(a) on 6 May 2020 the Minister for Agriculture put out a media release titled "Time to stop milking dairy, fair go for farmers";
(b) nearly 500 dairy farmers have left the industry in the past year;
(c) the ACCC in 2018 identified that there is a market imbalance between processors and farmers;
(d) in the state of Queensland alone the number of dairy farmers has dropped from 1,305 in 2000-2001 to 356 in 2019;
(e) Australia had 12,896 dairy farms in the year 2000;
(f) in 2018 there were just 5,699 dairy farms, a reduction of 57 per cent which is likely to have increased in the last 12 months;
(g) in the North Queensland dairy area before deregulation farmers got 60.4 cents per litre, but after deregulation they got 41.1 cents;
(h) Dairy Australia's Situation and Outlook March 2020 report says dairy farmers have been impacted by the summer bushfires adding additional price pressures to their operations, including in:
(i) NSW, 32 dairy farms on the south coast and far south coast and eight on the mid coast;
(ii) North East Victoria, 35 dairy farms directly affected and 11 more operations significantly impacted;
(iii) East Gippsland in Victoria, approximately 30 dairy farms affected in the direct fire zone with varying degrees of impact, including two known to have lost major assets; and
(iv) South Australia, 12 dairy farms affected by fires prior to Christmas;
(i) Dairy Australia has also stated a range of factors weighed on economic growth last year, including geopolitical tensions, trade policy uncertainty, social unrest and stressed emerging markets and overall, growth in global output fell 0.7 per cent to 2.9 per cent, the lowest level since the 2008-09 financial crisis;
(j) the Australian Dairy Situation Analysis dated May 2019 states that Australian dairy farmers operate in a deregulated and open market, leaving them quite exposed to the product price adjustments induced by global market shocks and associated flow on impact to farm gate milk prices, which, coupled with increased volatility in the availability and pricing of key production inputs such as water and feed has undermined local farmer confidence in the long term dairy market outlook and the scope to extract reliable returns from their milk to build a longer term future; and
(2) calls on the Government to:
(a) give more support to Australia's dairy farmers;
(b) instruct the ACCC to develop a minimum farmgate milk price;
(c) enforce the minimum farmgate milk price through the Dairy Code of Conduct; and
(d) as an interim measure, provide a mechanism for mandating the voluntary milk levy until the minimum farmgate price is established or create an offence to purchase fresh milk below the minimum price to farmers that will be set by an arbitration authority designated by the ACCC.
The House divided. [10:11]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
National Skills Commissioner Bill 2020
That this bill be now read a second time
That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969 , it is expedient to carry out the following proposed work which was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works and on which the committee has duly reported to Parliament: Australian Securities and Investments Commission—Fit-out of leased premises at 100 Market Street, Sydney.
That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969 , it is expedient to carry out the following proposed work which was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works and on which the committee has duly reported to Parliament: Australian Taxation Office—Fit-out of leased premises at 152 Wharf Street, Brisbane.
That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969 , it is expedient to carry out the following proposed work which was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works and on which the committee has duly reported to Parliament: RAAF Base Tindal Redevelopment Stage 6 and the United States Force Posture Initiatives' RAAF Base Tindal Airfield Works and Associated Infrastructure.
That the House take note of the report.
That the order of the day be referred to the Federation Chamber for debate.
Treasury Laws Amendment (2020 Measures No. 1) Bill 2020
The House divided. [11:04]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
That this bill be now read a third time.
Farewell
I would like to firstly begin by recording my gratitude to you Mr Speaker for making it possible for me to register this valedictory speech in the circumstances, which have prevented me from doing so in the chamber. I was cautious about doing a valedictory as it seemed to me to be an act of vanity in times like these but I appreciate you making this option open to me, in a way that will not distract the House from its important work nor take any time away from the chamber. I also take this opportunity to say that I have the highest possible regard and respect for you Mr Speaker and I am confident in asserting that you have been one of the very best in this role that we have ever had.
No doubt by now most of you will be aware of the fact that I have been forced to resign as member for Eden Monaro due to increasingly problematic health issues. I would like to sincerely thank all of you here and the broader public, who have passed on so many messages of love and goodwill. That love is unconditionally reciprocated. This was the most gut wrenching decision I have had to make in my life, amongst countless tough decisions I have had to make over the last 36 years. Eden Monaro runs deep in my blood and heart, and it has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve this community and to be part of a proud family tradition in this respect.
In the 119 year history of Eden Monaro no member has ever given a valedictory speech until now. Only one member has not tasted defeat (Austin Chapman) and he died in the saddle. That leaves Allan Fraser as the only other person who has retired as a sitting member, which he did in 1972, having won back the seat after his 1966 loss. Allan has been the longest serving member (26 years) and was highly regarded in the community for his strong advocacy and independent thought. Notwithstanding a life of achievement for the region he nevertheless retired under a cloud of personal disappointment and later in life he bleakly remarked: 'To a very large extent, my career [in politics] has been futile'. This highlights the fact that Eden Monaro is without doubt the toughest seat in Australia and that a life in politics can be frustrating and soul destroying if you can't go in and come out with a good mental health strategy and realistic outlook.
The challenges of the seat stem from its unique combination of size, terrain, weather, scattered population, incredible diversity and long standing marginality, which no other seat can match. Those challenges also give it its great beauty and character, and it is these very qualities that I truly love about our region. I always understood also the realties of politics and so, while I have been frustrated and disappointed at not having been able to make the most use of my hard won experience, I understand that is an inherent risk in this endeavour. I am fortunate to be in a position to keep all of that in perspective having had a very rewarding career outside of politics and being buoyed by the things we have been able to achieve working together as a community.
To meet those challenges, however, you need to be physically and mentally up to the task. I have had to concede that I can no longer sustain the effort that our community demands and deserves. I have just gone through my tenth procedure for my renal condition in the last six months and there will be more in the months and years ahead. Each of these procedures results in weeks of limitations. In addition the Department of Veterans' Affairs has just classified me as 'permanently impaired' due to my deteriorating osteoarthritis. All of my health problems are due to my military service, with my osteoarthritis being steadily worsened due to the demands of working for Eden Monaro. Over 36 years of total commitment of body and soul to service has taken a heavy toll. I guess some things you never stop paying for but service is its own reward and I would not change a thing (except maybe better hydration!).
Essentially, continuing on at taxpayer expense, doing the job half pace and disappointing our community, is not something that I would be able to endure or tolerate.
Added to this my wife Shelly is also experiencing health issues and I must now be in a better position to support her. I have often heard politicians say that while they are volunteers for a political life their families are conscripts. To say that in my case would be an insult to Shelly and my son Ben. We always made decisions about my work together and they have made the huge sacrifices that they have willingly, knowing that they too in this way were rendering service to the nation. Having said that they have endured a great deal, particularly during my frequent deployments in the Army, when I was away for long periods, often out of communication and with no guarantee I would be coming back. It never got any easier at our partings, where you often felt a little piece of your heart break away. Politics also has not been easy for them but they were also highly motivated for this work. The time has now come, though, where I focus on their security and supporting them.
I must now move to a desk job where I can better manage the health issues of Shelly and I, but where I can also continue to make a difference within those limitations. In particular I want to continue to find ways to boost our local economy and provide the rewarding jobs of the future for our kids, to work towards solutions to our key issues in preventing and managing disasters and pandemics, and particularly in taking up the technological challenge of accelerating our renewable energy future. No region in Australia understands the importance of these things better than Eden Monaro.
I very much regret that I will be the cause of a by-election but I think the positive aspect of this is that it will put the current trauma of Eden Monaro in the national spot light and enable us to force a competition for the sort of support our community is crying out for. If I had been the member for a small urban seat I could probably have batted on but that is not possible in Eden Monaro. While we have been navigating this devastating COVID-19 situation, being restricted in my movements has not been so important, but with restrictions likely to begin easing soon, and certainly by the time a by-election is finalised, the new member will need to be back on the road and working closely with the community again. The timing is therefore right for this decision.
Our region has been transformed by the things we have done together. Key improvements to our road networks, including the Bega Bypass and getting the Barton Highway duplication on the agenda of all sides of politics, which will benefit the whole region. The improvements to our schools, including the Trade and Training Centres that were established in Eden, Bega, Bombala and Batlow. A substantial improvement to health support through investment in primary health care, building the new South East Regional Hospital and upgrades to Wagga Base Hospital that is so important to the Snowy Valleys area. This also included the new GP Super Clinics in Jindabyne and Queanbeyan and finally getting support for the new Tumut Hospital. I was particularly pleased to have helped save the Katungal Aboriginal Health Service which went through some tough times but has bounced back well, providing an essential service to our First Nation community.
Over $40m dollars in new and restored social housing. Wide investment in improved sports facilities and social infrastructure, such as the Sapphire Aquatic Centre, Bermagui SLSC, Campese Field 'White House', Freebody Cricket Pavillion, Bega Recreation Grounds, the Werri-Nina Community Centre and pool upgrades in Cooma and the many other sporting and community organisations we helped support through a myriad of grants that we worked on together.
Over the years we have been together on many occasions such as marching with you on ANZAC days, celebrating our many new citizens on Australia Day and other occasions and our many fantastic festivals and events. But we have also shared the opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss policy and problems at over 400 hundred forums and town halls and I have been pleased to have sent out over 65,000 letters on behalf of constituents. The greatest satisfaction the team and I have had is when we have been able to resolve the many thousands of individual constituent problems. Although the times we have not been able to achieve solutions have been frustrating we nevertheless feel assured that we left no stone unturned in our endeavours for our community.
Important tourism support such as getting the wharf extension in Eden up and running. Our success in winning better support for the Timber industry in the Snowy Valleys region and our continuing fight for the inclusion of the Carbon Farming Initiative in an international trading regime to boost investment and income for our farmers and timber industry. I was particularly proud of supporting the Home in Queanbeyan project and working with the very special people who championed it, including Father Peter Day, Michael Cockayne and Anne Pratt. This project led the nation in innovating better support to our homeless suffering from mental health issues. This is a great model that should be taken up more widely across the nation in population centres which have the scale to support it.
I experienced great satisfaction out of working in support of initiatives for the economic future of the region such as making the most from the Snowy 2.0 project, our plantation timber industry and the technology park project in Queanbeyan.
In parliament I was fortunate to have had a varied experience and opportunity to contribute as a Parliamentary Secretary at various times in the Water, Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry and Defence portfolios and as Minister for Defence Materiel. Since 2016 I have also served as Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence, on the Shadow National Security Committee of Cabinet and with great satisfaction on the bi-partisan Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS). Of course I would have liked to have made a greater contribution as Defence Minister but as often happens in politics that opportunity never eventuated. I am nevertheless proud of having established the Australian Civil Military Centre (ACMC) which was born from my military experience in counter insurgency, peace operations and counter terrorism. The ACMC delivers a unique capability to government and civil-society partners, facilitating and improving the mobilisation of our national efforts to promote disaster resilience, peace, security and stability overseas in coordination with friends and neighbours. The ACMC was absolutely instrumental in helping us to win a seat on the UN Security Council in 2013 and I was delighted to have played a role in that effort. It was a particular thrill to have been the first Australian political representative to address the Council in 27 years. I also found it intensely rewarding to work with my good friend the member for Berowra in the Parliamentary Friends of the Prevention of Suicide, standing alongside some wonderful civil society groups and with the Health and Shadow Health Ministers in a wonderful bi-partisan spirit.
I was also pleased to have played a role in getting the Hawkei tactical vehicle project up and running, including seeing the inclusion of composite materials, from the Australian company Quickstep, for the first time in an Australian built military vehicle. I was pleased to have resolved issues related to the MRH90 project, to have administered our projects of concern process and to have helped win the battle for bi-partisan support for Australian construction of naval vessels. I am only sorry that we did not get the opportunity to implement our Future Submarines Industry and Skills Plan and see through our commitment to building new supply vessels in Australia. If that had have happened we would have avoided the so-called 'Valley of Death' in ship building jobs and been so much further advanced on submarines.
The electorate office team of Robbie Rynehart, Radmila Noveska, Brian Brown, Jo Riley-Fitzer and Luke Kenton among others over the years that I have been fortunate to have supporting me has been magnificent and, together with our volunteers, have ensured a powerful voice to our people, a tremendous record of help and compassion and historic achievements in breaking the bellwether, not once but twice!
I have also been fortunate to work with some thoroughly decent and responsible men and women in the union movement and business. It filled me with optimism that we can build a better industrial culture in this country.
Contrary to the old saying that if you want a friend in politics you should get a dog, I have been fortunate to have made many friends in my time in parliament, and on both sides of the chamber. I have always been happy to work with anyone who has the national interest at heart and who are fundamentally decent people, even if we may have deep differences on some aspects of policy issues. I wish all parliamentarians all the best in their endeavours as they continue to work together through the recovery from our current distress. Real people, living with real struggles desperately need a united political effort right now.
There are too many names to mention in the list of people I am proud to call friends but I would like to single out Chris Hayes who has been a tower of strength to me and a trusted brother through all the ups and downs of this experience. I couldn't have survived this far without his wise counsel, help and shoulder to cry on. He is one of the truly decent people in the parliament.
I want to reassure all those wonderful people in the community I have worked with shoulder to shoulder, such as the Clean Energy For Eternity team, that I will not be giving up the fight and will continue to strive in particular to see this nation embrace serious action on climate change. That is the single greatest long term threat to this region.
I will also continue to work towards building the new economy that our nation will need to recover from our setbacks, to keep our people safe from the scourge of terrorism, boost our defences against information warfare and cyber threats to our security and improve our general Defence capability. To leverage these solutions to provide us with the ability to prevent mega fires and manage disasters. To effectively integrate and manage our energy grid and resources, to strengthen Australian companies and their competitiveness, to achieve the better and more efficient delivery of services. To build Australian technological capacity and leverage international R&D and venture capital resources to support our innovators and build skills and expertise. To boost Australian tertiary research and ensure we are better placed to have Australian companies participate in Defence projects.
I would like to thank all the Labor leaders who have enabled me to contribute in various portfolio roles and the shadow National Security Committee of Cabinet and to my colleagues on the PJCIS in all the critical work we have tried to do over these last few challenging years. I believe I am the most senior former military officer to sit in a Labor caucus and I hope I am not the last as both sides of politics benefit from having a range of backgrounds in their midst.
My only regrets are that we were not able to see through the Labor policy agendas of 2013 and 2019. I believe the 2019 team would have made a very good government and set us up well to deal with all the challenges facing this nation. I hope we can move forward to a better standard of politics through our experience of dealing with the current crisis and will do all I can to encourage bi-partisan solutions to our biggest questions.
I pay tribute to all the wonderful colleagues and friends who I served with and who mentored me in my Army career. It was a great privilege to have known outstanding individuals like (excusing ranks and titles) Peter Arnison, Frank Hickling, Peter Cosgrove, Angus Houston, Mark Binskin, Tim Ford, Dave Hurley, Duncan Lewis, and particularly Peter Leahy who all shaped my growth as a soldier, person and my outlook on life. There are a myriad of friends who made that whole experience special and who I regard as the finest the nation can produce, including everyone from John Caligari and my SO2 brothers in Somalia and 1Div to the special crew at Battle Wing Canungra in Woody, Peeps, Tracker and Cowboy who gave me precious survival skills and a great perspective. I hope I haven't let you down. Most importantly I remember the very many friends and colleagues I lost on operations. They were far too precious for the world to lose and I have tried very hard to dedicate my work here to their memory so that their loss would mean something.
Finally I want to thank the amazing crew who work in this building, so many of whom I was privileged to call my constituents. They were always a great reality check and fun to talk with in a sometimes dour building. They reminded me always of my own roots and what we were here for, from the wonderful and hard pressed cleaners, to the good humored and professional security and chamber staff. I love you all and wish nothing but the best for you and your families.
In the wake of our ANZAC remembrance it is worth noting that while it is hard to see a path to a brighter future now, and it would be easy for us to give in to despair, that is not what Australians are about, it is not in our character or tradition. I believe we will come out of all this stronger, and we can use the challenges to forge new opportunities and correct the national deficiencies that have held us back. I hope we can also see a better standard of politics emerge from this current national effort after all the low lights of the last 13 years. I am excited to continue to be a part of our national endeavours, albeit driving a desk in future, but rest assured I will fight on.
Defence Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2020
That this bill be now read a third time.
Privacy Amendment (Public Health Contact Information) Bill 2020
Aged Care Legislation Amendment (Emergency Leave) Bill 2020
Health Insurance Amendment (General Practitioners and Quality Assurance) Bill 2020
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 expresses its concern at the Government’s cuts and changes to Medicare, particularly those changes that have made access to medical practitioners more difficult in the regions, including:
(1) cuts to rural bulk billing incentives;
(2) changes to the District of Workforce Shortage and Distribution Priority Area health workforce classifications; and
(3) abolition of the Rural Other Medical Practitioners program".
The House divided. [13:20]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
That this bill be now read a third time.
Therapeutic Goods Amendment (2020 Measures No. 1) Bill 2020
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 Australia's substantial reliance on global supply chains for medicines and medical devices;
(2) further notes the supply issues that Australians have experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for common medicines; and
(3) calls on the Government to consider stronger domestic supply capabilities as part of Australia's post-COVID-19 response".
… what that building will encapsulate for people is a reflection of aspirations." It will be about presence, strength of character and a sense of pride and place …
That the program of sittings for 2020 be agreed to.
That leave of absence be given to every Member of the House of Representatives from the determination of this sitting of the House to the date of its next sitting.
The Government's ineffective responses to the problems in the labour market and failure to protect jobs, before, during, and after the COVID-19 crisis.
Had the increase in the number of people who were not in the labour force (489,900) been a further increase in unemployment (that is, if they had been actively looking for work and been available to work) then the number of unemployed people would have increased to around 1.3 million people, and an unemployment rate would have increased to around 9.6%.
We are particularly pleased to see the decision to extend the subsidy widely to all employers, including community sector and not for profit organisations that experience a sharp drop in revenue, …
I think this is one of these country saving moments.
Today’s announcement demonstrates that Prime Minister Morrison and Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg are listening and acting to keep business in business and people in jobs.
Telecommunications (Regional Broadband Scheme) Charge Bill 2019
That the requested amendment be made.
Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Competition and Consumer) Bill 2019
That the amendments be agreed to.
Defence Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures) Bill 2020
Student Identifiers Amendment (Enhanced Student Permissions) Bill 2019
Treasury Laws Amendment (2020 Measures No. 1) Bill 2020
Therapeutic Goods Amendment (2020 Measures No. 1) Bill 2020
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 Australia's substantial reliance on global supply chains for medicines and medical devices;
(2) further notes the supply issues that Australians have experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for common medicines; and
(3) calls on the Government to consider stronger domestic supply capabilities as part of Australia's post-COVID-19 response".
The critical need to safeguard medicines supply … is appropriately reflected in its listing as one of 15 key triggers for the progressive shift toward a 'COVID-safe economy' …
This pandemic reminds us that national resilience also requires Australian capability to secure critical supply chains in the face of global shocks.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Zimmerman) took the chair at 10:00.
Scott Morrison will appoint the country’s first deputy chief medical officer for mental health to steer a new pandemic plan for a feared second wave of the COVID-19 crisis.
The Australian can reveal the role—to be discussed by national cabinet on Friday—will sit alongside the Chief Medical Officer, Brendan Murphy, who has been leading the country’s response to the pandemic and has recommended mental health be elevated to a tier one issue.
Just as the Government is modelling the spread of COVID-19 infection to continue flattening the curve, we are also closely monitoring mental health service usage so that we can respond quickly and thus lessen the mental health impacts of the pandemic …
In respect of the Community Sport Infrastructure Grants Program 2019, referred to in the article, 'Sporting clubs denied funding in Sport Australia grants scandal want answers from Government' by Nour Haydar and Jack Snape (ABC News, 29 January 2020): (1) Why was the City of Parramatta Council's $500,000 application for the sport grant scheme rejected, even though the application had a high score of 83 as assessed by Sport Australia. (2) Was there any instruction from the then Minister for Sports to Sport Australia to reject this application.
Sport Australia recommended the application from the City of Parramatta in round 3 of the Community Sport Infrastructure grant program, however the application was not included in the final list of approved applications.
(1) Human rights compatibility statements (HRCS) are prepared by the Treasury to accompany Bills and Legislative Instruments that are introduced into Parliament by Treasury portfolio Ministers.
Within the Treasury, the Law Design Office (LDO) develops the HRCS as part of an integrated process that involves various teams of officers, depending on the nature of the legislation being developed. There are around 70 officers in the LDO. LDO officers develop policy into law, manage the Treasury's legislative program and assist with government and parliamentary processes and requirements.
(2) The Treasury estimates that over 500 HRCS have been issued since 4 January 2012. All HRCS issued by the Treasury are available on the Federal Register of Legislation.
For HRCS accompanying Treasury Bills, please see: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Browse/ByYearNumber/Bills/Asmade/0/0/.
For HRCS accompanying Treasury disallowable legislative instruments, please see https://www.legislation.gov.au/Browse/ByRegDate/LegislativeInstruments/Asmade/0/0/All/.
(3) LDO staff range from APS4 to SESB2. For salary ranges for those levels, please see the Treasury's 2018-2019 Annual Report at https://treasury.gov.au/publication/p2019-25128.
(4) While the preparation of a precise response to this question would cause an unreasonable diversion of the Treasury's resources, it may be of assistance to note that, in general, for legislation that does not engage any human rights issues, it may take approximately an hour to draft a HRCS which is then progressed through the relevant Treasury processes. However, where a Bill or an instrument engages one or more human rights this may require many more hours of drafting and revisions within Treasury before progressing through the relevant Treasury clearance processes. In addition, assessing whether the Bill or instrument is compatible with human rights is continually considered throughout the legislative process.
For information on the process within the Treasury's LDO, please see Question 1.
(5) and (6) Preparing the estimated costings of the department producing compatibility statements, over the period January 2012 to present would require an unnecessary diversion of departmental resources as time that is spent is not tracked. For information on the process within the Treasury's LDO, please see Question 1.
(7) Since 2012, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights has sought a response on approximately 82 legislative instruments from Treasury portfolio Ministers.
(8) I am not aware of any legislation that has been amended as a result of a Report by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights in my portfolio.