The SPEAKER ( Hon. Tony Smith ) took the chair at 10:00, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.
That:
(1) the House authorises the use of an official video facility in order for a Member not physically present in the Chamber to participate in such proceedings of the House as it prescribes;
(2) a Member who participates through the official facility will be identified in the Members' attendance record in the Votes and Proceedings; and
(3) to the extent possible, the contribution of a Member who participates through the official facility will be recorded, published and broadcast in accordance with the usual processes and rules, as if the contribution had been made by a Member attending in the Chamber of the House.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SELECTION COMMITTEE
REPORT No. 17
Committee and delegation business
and
private Members' business
24 August 2020
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE
Chair Hon A. D. H. Smith MP, Speaker
Members Mr B van Manen MP (Chief Government Whip)
Mr C Hayes MP (Chief Opposition Whip)
Hon D Drum MP (Chief Nationals Whip)
Mr R Broadbent MP
Ms N Flint MP
Ms P Murphy MP
Mr K O'Dowd
Mr R Ramsey MP
Ms J Ryan MP
Ms R Sharkie MP
Ms A Stanley MP
Mr L O'Brien MP, Deputy Speaker
Secretary Mr G Worthington
Committee support
Ms F Hall
Mr D Pecar
Mr G Taylor
Report relating to the consideration of committee and delegation business and of private Members' business
1. The committee met in private session on Tuesday, 4 August 2020.
2. The Committee deliberated on items of committee and delegation business that had been notified, and private Members' business items listed on the Notice Paper, and determined the order of precedence and times on the next sitting Monday, as follows:
Items for House of Representatives Chamber (10.10 am to 12 noon)
PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS
Notices
1 Ms Claydon: To move—That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) more than 140,000 Australians were on social housing waitlists in June 2018;
(b) the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute has identified a shortfall of 433,000 social housing dwellings over the next 20 years;
(c) much of Australia's existing social housing stock is in dire need of maintenance and repairs; and
(d) the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has urged the Government to consider investment in social housing as a means of protecting Australia's economy from the impacts of COVID-19;
(2) recognises the success of Labor's $5,638 billion investment to build 20,000 new social housing dwellings and renovate a further 80,000, as a key economic stimulus measure during the global financial crisis; and
(3) calls on the Government to:
(a) ensure that stimulus measures are focused on delivering maximum ongoing public benefit; and
(b) work with the private and community sectors and superannuation funds to invest in more social housing and repair existing social housing.
( Notice given 16 June 2020. )
Time allotted — 60minutes.
Speech time limits —
Ms Claydon — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 12 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration
of this matter should continue on a future day.
2 Ms Flint: To move—That this House:
(1) notes that cultural and creative activity plays an important role in:
(a) the lives of 98 per cent of Australians, who engage with the arts by making art, viewing, attending or going online to experience arts and culture;
(b) Australia's international tourism industry, with 43 per cent of all international tourists engaging with the arts while in Australia, who are travelling further, staying longer and spending more than other tourists;
(c) Australia's domestic tourism industry, with Australians taking 12.3 million arts day trips and 13.4 million arts overnight trips within Australia that include arts activities—this travel will play a role in helping communities rebuild and recover from disasters by supporting local jobs and economies; and
(d) Australia's economy, contributing more than $112 billion to our economy this year, or over 6 per cent of our gross domestic product, and this has increased by 30 per cent since 2008-09; and
(2) further notes that the Government is providing a record amount of funding to the arts, of around $750 million.
( Notice given 3 March 2020. )
Time allotted — remaining private Members ' business time prior to 12 noon.
Speech time limits —
Ms Flint — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 10 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration
of this matter should continue on a future day.
Items for Federation Chamber (11 am to 1.30 pm)
PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS
Notices
1 Dr Haines: To move—That this House:
(1) recognises that:
(a) in the 19th century it was regional Australia that led the transition from gas to electricity and that in the 21st century it is again regional Australia that is leading Australia's transition to renewable energy; and
(b) according to the Australian Energy Market Operator's Integrated System Plan, around 15 gigawatts of coal-fired power will retire over the next 20 years;
(2) recalls the analysis from the leaked report of the National COVID-19 Coordination Commission Manufacturing Taskforce indicated that renewables plus storage are the lowest cost form of new electricity generation, and therefore a lowest-cost energy transition will be based on significant investment in renewables;
(3) welcomes the recent comments from the International Energy Agency that 'governments have the opportunity to accelerate renewables deployment by making investment in renewables a key part of stimulus packages designed to reinvigorate their economies. This offers the prospect of harnessing the structural benefits that increasingly affordable renewables can bring, including opportunities for creating jobs and economic development, while reducing emissions and fostering innovation';
(4) notes analysis by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation that projects that up to $1,000 billion will be spent on Australia's electricity system until 2050 and that local communities should benefit from this investment boom;
(5) acknowledges that 'community energy', which is where a renewable energy project is developed by, owned by or delivers benefit to local communities, offers a compelling model for capturing the immense benefits of renewable energy, including jobs and investment, for local communities in regional Australia;
(6) welcomes the findings of Sustainability Victoria into the Victorian Community Power Hub pilot program which found that Government investment into community energy of $1.16 million created 15 projects delivering economic benefits worth $25.6 million; and
(7) calls on the Government to support the development of community-owned renewable energy projects across regional Australia through:
(a) direct financial support for regional communities in the form of grants and concessional loans;
(b) technical support for local communities to develop renewable energy projects based on the Community Power Hub model successfully deployed in Victoria; and
(c) a dedicated national community energy agency to enable capacity-building across the regional community energy network and to administer financial and technical support over the medium‑term.
( Notice given 15 June 2020. )
Time allotted — 35minutes.
Speech time limits —
Dr Haines — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 7 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration
of this matter should continue on a future day.
2 Mr Connelly: To move—That this House:
(1) notes the Census and Statistics Amendment (Statistical Information) Regulations 2020 tabled in Parliament on 11 February 2020 seek to ask a question in the 2021 census about whether someone has served in the Australian Defence Force (ADF); and
(2) recognises that having a census question around the ADF service will:
(a) for the first time, give a complete picture of the number of veterans in Australia; and
(b) allow governments of all levels to deliver the right services in the right areas to support veterans and their families.
( Notice given 3 March 2020. )
Time allotted — 30minutes.
Speech time limits —
Mr Connelly — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration
of this matter should continue on a future day.
3 Mr Jones: To move—That this House notes:
(1) the purpose of superannuation is to enable Australians to save for a dignified retirement;
(2) superannuation has made an enormous contribution to converting Australia from a nation that borrows to a nation that lends, creating a pool of funds to invest locally and abroad;
(3) Australia is the 16th largest economy in the world, but because of universal superannuation has a pool of savings owned by Australian workers worth $2.8 trillion, which is the fourth largest pool of retirement savings in the world;
(4) before universal superannuation, 68 per cent of Australians and 85 per cent of all women had no retirement savings;
(5) the average superannuation balance at retirement is now approximately $160,000 for women and $280,000 for men;
(6) under current policy settings, the median balance on retirement for full-time workers will be $310,819 for women and $628,634 for men;
(7) over the past decade the average rate of return has been between 6 and 8 per cent—last year it grew by 9.2 per cent and Australia was among only a handful of countries that saw pension fund growth; and
(8) superannuation is critical to Australia's economic growth and resilience and must be strengthened so it can play a pivotal role in Australia's economic recovery from COVID-19.
( Notice given 13 May 2020. )
Time allotted — 35minutes.
Speech time limits —
Mr Jones — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 7 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration
of this matter should continue on a future day.
Orders of the day
1 Roads to Recovery Program: Resumption of debate ( from 24 February 2020 —Dr Haines, in continuation ) on the motion of Mr R. J. Wilson—That this House:
(1) notes:
(a) that from 2013-14 to 2023-24, the Government will provide a record $6.2 billion under the Roads to Recovery Program, with an ongoing commitment of $500 million each year following; and
(b) the significant benefits to the 128 Local Government Areas which will receive an additional $138.9 million in Roads to Recovery drought support funding; and
(2) recognises the real and meaningful difference Roads to Recovery is making to communities right across the country.
Time allotted — 30minutes.
Speech time limits —
All Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration
of this matter should continue on a future day.
2 Precision medicine: Resumption of debate ( from 25 November 2019 ) on the motion of Mr Simmonds—That this House:
(1) recognises that precision medicine, enabled by advances in genomics, data analysis and artificial intelligence represents an exciting leap in healthcare that will improve the outcomes of preventative and targeted medicine for countless Australians and their families;
(2) acknowledges that:
(a) our world class healthcare system ensures Australia is well placed to lead the world in precision medicine innovations;
(b) Australian researchers, including those at the University of Queensland, are world leaders in their field and their work is at the forefront of precision medicine; and
(c) research in precision medicine stimulates the economy, leads to growth in highly skilled jobs and supports Australia's $185 billion healthcare industry;
(3) welcomes the Government's significant investment in precision medicine research including as part of the recently announced $440 million in National Health and Medical Research Council grants; and
(4) encourages the Government and private enterprise to continue to invest in the genomics, data analysis and artificial intelligence research required to grow the precision medicine sector in Australia in order to create jobs, keep Australia at the forefront of medical advances and improve the healthcare outcomes for everyday Australians.
Time allotted — remaining private Members ' business time prior to 1.30 pm.
Speech time limits —
All Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 4 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration
of this matter should continue on a future day.
Items for Federation Chamber (4.45 pm to 7.30 pm)
PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS
Notices – continued
4 Mr Gorman: To move—That this House:
(1) recognises that Australia's tourism sector is vital to a strong, growing economy;
(2) notes:
(a) that 2020 has seen an incredibly tough start to the year for tourism operators with devastating bushfires, an inevitable Coronavirus pandemic and a sluggish domestic economy;
(b) Australia is a tourism dependent economy with the Australian Bureau of Statistics noting a $60 billion contribution to gross domestic product; and
(c) 666,000 people worked in tourism in Australia in 2018-19;
(3) encourages Australians to support our local tourism operators and where possible holiday here, at home, in the best country in the world;
(4) commits Members of this House to work with members of the tourism industry and local operators and encourage the development of new tourism businesses and assets; and
(5) agrees that Australia is the best country in the world and a must visit country for any international tourist.
( Notice given 3 March 2020. )
Time allotted — 40minutes.
Speech time limits —
Mr Gorman — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration
of this matter should continue on a future day.
5 Mr Pearce: To move—That this House:
(1) recognises the importance of working with our Pacific neighbours to deliver a region that is secure and sovereign; and
(2) notes:
(a) the Government's Pacific Maritime Security Program is providing the region with a modern and coordinated security capability; and
(b) the Government is delivering important infrastructure projects that will enhance their security capability—this includes:
(i) Fiji's Blackrock Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Camp;
(ii) gifting of Guardian Class Patrol Boats; and
(iii) the joint initiative with Papua New Guinea and the Lombrum Naval Base.
( Notice given 3 March 2020. )
Time allotted — 40minutes.
Speech time limits —
Mr Pearce — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration
of this matter should continue on a future day.
6 Ms Collins: To move—That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted women's economic security, and that:
(i) in April over half a million Australians lost their jobs, of which 55 per cent were women;
(ii) women's underemployment ratio now sits at an unprecedented 16 per cent, compared to 14 per cent for men; and
(iii) modelling has estimated that more than 200,000 women casual workers in the accommodation, food services, and retail trade sectors alone will miss out on the JobKeeper wage subsidy;
(b) women typically retire with half the superannuation balance as men and if they choose to withdraw funds, women will suffer a significantly greater impact on their retirement income than men;
(c) Australian women have been on the frontline of the COVID-19 crisis in Australia in underpaid and undervalued roles—women account for:
(i) 87 per cent of registered nurses and midwives;
(ii) 87 per cent of aged care workers; and
(iii) 96 percent of early childhood educators; and
(d) as a result of COVID-19, mothers are spending an extra hour each day on unpaid housework and four extra hours on childcare; and
(2) calls on the Government to recognise that women have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 crisis and deliver a plan to reduce gender inequality.
( Notice given 10 June 2020. )
Time allotted — 45minutes.
Speech time limits —
Ms Collins — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 9 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration
of this matter should continue on a future day.
7 Mrs McIntosh: To move—That this House:
(1) recognises the importance of environmental management and conservation in our local communities;
(2) acknowledges the importance of local environmental volunteer groups who devote their time to look after our natural environment;
(3) congratulates our local volunteers on their dedication to supporting our local communities and our environment; and
(4) acknowledges the Government's continued support of environmental groups through the Communities Environment Program, which provides each of the 151 electorates across Australia with up to $150,000 to fund small, community-led environment projects, totalling $22.65 million.
( Notice given 2 March 2020. )
Time allotted — remaining private Members ' business time prior to 7.30 pm.
Speech time limits —
Mrs McIntosh — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration
of this matter should continue on a future day.
THE HON A. D. H. SMITH MP
Speaker of the House of Representatives
24 August 2020
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the order of consideration of matters and the times allotted for debate on each item and for each Member speaking, for committee and delegation business and private Members' business for today, be in accordance with the determinations of the Selection Committee.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) more than 140,000 Australians were on social housing waitlists in June 2018;
(b) the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute has identified a shortfall of 433,000 social housing dwellings over the next 20 years;
(c) much of Australia's existing social housing stock is in dire need of maintenance and repairs; and
(d) the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has urged the Government to consider investment in social housing as a means of protecting Australia's economy from the impacts of COVID-19;
(2) recognises the success of Labor's $5 billion investment to build 20,000 new social housing dwellings and renovate a further 80,000, as a key economic stimulus measure during the global financial crisis; and
(3) calls on the Government to:
(a) ensure that stimulus measures are focused on delivering maximum ongoing public benefit; and
(b) work with the private and community sectors and superannuation funds to invest in more social housing and repair existing social housing.
That this House:
(1) notes that cultural and creative activity plays an important role in:
(a) the lives of 98 per cent of Australians, who engage with the arts by making art, viewing, attending or going online to experience arts and culture;
(b) Australia's international tourism industry, with 43 per cent of all international tourists engaging with the arts while in Australia, who are travelling further, staying longer and spending more than other tourists;
(c) Australia's domestic tourism industry, with Australians taking 12.3 million arts day trips and 13.4 million arts overnight trips within Australia that include arts activities—this travel will play a role in helping communities rebuild and recover from disasters by supporting local jobs and economies; and
(d) Australia's economy, contributing more than $112 billion to our economy this year, or over 6 per cent of our gross domestic product, and this has increased by 30 per cent since 2008-09; and
(2) further notes that the Government is providing a record amount of funding to the arts, of around $750 million.
The entire industry is being left for dead. If this continues, at the end of this pandemic you will have no production companies left to actually stage any events.
I just don't know if you are aware that our industry is simply dead right now.
Theatres like the Princess are not meant to be sitting in darkness, they are meant to be places of a lot of joy.
That Mr Pasin be appointed a supplementary member of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Water Resources for the purpose of the committee's inquiry into the timber supply chain.
Australian Prudential Regulation Authority Amendment (APRA Industry Funding) Bill 2020
Authorised Deposit-taking Institutions Supervisory Levy Imposition Amendment Bill 2020
Authorised Non-operating Holding Companies Supervisory Levy Imposition Amendment Bill 2020
General Insurance Supervisory Levy Imposition Amendment Bill 2020
Life Insurance Supervisory Levy Imposition Amendment Bill 2020
Retirement Savings Account Providers Supervisory Levy Imposition Amendment Bill 2020
Superannuation Supervisory Levy Imposition Amendment Bill 2020
Treasury Laws Amendment (2020 Measures No. 3) Bill 2020
Education Legislation Amendment (2020 Measures No. 1) Bill 2020
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Amendment (Coronavirus Economic Response Package) Bill 2020
Treasury Laws Amendment (2019 Measures No. 3) Bill 2019
Commonwealth Registers 2020
Business Names Registration (Fees) Amendment (Registries Modernisation) 2020
Corporations (Fees) Amendment (Registries Modernisation) 2020
National Consumer Credit Protection (Fees) Amendment (Registries Modernisation) 2020
Treasury Laws Amendment (Registries Modernisation and Other Measures) 2020
Crimes Legislation Amendment (Sexual Crimes Against Children and Community Protection Measures) 2020
Migration Amendment (Regulation of Migration Agents) 2020
Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Amendment (Rates of Charge) 2020
Export Control Legislation Amendment (Certification of Narcotic Exports) Bill 2020
Health Insurance Amendment (Continuing the Office of the National Rural Health Commissioner) Bill 2020
Therapeutic Goods Amendment (2020 Measures No. 1) Bill 2020
Treasury Laws Amendment (2020 Measures No. 3) Bill 2020
National Skills Commissioner Bill 2020
That the amendments be agreed to.
Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Improving Assistance for Vulnerable and Disadvantaged Families) Bill 2020
The transitional arrangements announced today are welcome as they provide operators with increased flexibility to support families as the economy recovers. We look forward to continuing to engage with government and other stakeholders to ensure the right settings are in place to support our families and team members.
… approximately 30% of our employees will not qualify for the job keeper incentive because they have not been with the service for 12 months.
This tells us that the Australian Government as well as families don't care about us.
I am a grandmother myself and I have not had any contact with my own children or grandchildren for weeks and yet I am expected to come to work every day and hold other children and work in close spaces with co-workers. Early Childhood environments are, in nature, breeding grounds for germs and so we are attuned to the effective prevention of the spread of infectious illnesses. But we are being taken for granted and left without any acknowledgement of what we actually do each day and how our jobs are placing us at risk.
… I'm writing to ask for your support of early childhood educators who have been defined as essential workers recently with lowest pay & highest risk. Other essential workers such as nurses, doctors, retailers etc are allowed to wear masks & protective clothing but we are not. We cannot practice social distancing, so putting ourselves & our families at very high risk of being infected by Coronavirus.
Each and every day we are putting ourselves and our families at risk just for the government with no personal protective gear or anything, we even find it hard to get simple things like gloves, soap and hand sanitizer.
All I ask is think about us, recognise us as a profession and not as baby sitters, lower-class shit kickers because this is how we feel. I have worked in the sector for 5 years and have gotten many sicknesses like gastro, colds, cases of flu and more from the children. We don't receive any support for the hard times we go through. This needs to change before it's too late and the economy begins to fail even more because all childcare centres close and families can't go to work. Just remember this lies in the government's hands so we ask please support us as educators.
… the evidence will reveal that neither the Commonwealth Department of Health nor the aged care regulator developed COVID-19 plan specifically for the aged care sector.
… we regulate aged care, but when there is a public health pandemic … then they are things that are—
… when there is a public health pandemic, then public health, which, whether it gets into aged care, shopping centres, schools or anywhere else, then they are things that are matters for Victoria.
Had the Australian Government acted upon previous reviews of aged care, the persistent problems in aged care would have been known much earlier and the suffering of many people could have been avoided.
Had the Australian government acted upon previous reviews of aged care, the persistent problems in aged care would have been known much earlier and the suffering of many people could have been avoided.
We regulate aged care but when there is a public health pandemic, then public health, which, whether it gets into aged care, shopping centres, schools or anywhere else, then they are things that are matters for Victoria.
Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Improving Assistance for Vulnerable and Disadvantaged Families) Bill 2020
Care is women's work, and women's work for millennia was done at home, unpaid and uncomplainingly.
… … …
The market that relies on the unpaid labour of women at home is completely unwilling to recognise the value of women's work, and so care work by women in the paid labour force is massively underpaid.
The idea that in four weeks time all of the households that are dealing with job and income losses will be in a position to 'return to normal' is fantasy.
The House divided. [17:49]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
(1) Clause 2, page 2 (table item 5), omit the table item.
(2) Schedule 2, page 6 (line 1) to page 7 (line 12), omit the Schedule.
That this bill be now read a third time.
Primary Industries (Customs) Charges Amendment (Dairy Cattle Export Charge) 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 the Government's commitment to a $100 billion agriculture industry; and
(2)condemns the Government for its failure to develop a comprehensive plan to achieve the National Farmers' Federation's vision for agriculture to be a $100 billion industry by 2030".
That this bill be now read a third time.
Norfolk Island Amendment (Supreme Court) Bill 2020
It sits aside measures that did not require Commonwealth primary legislation, such as the Norfolk Island Legislation Amendment (Protecting Vulnerable People) Ordinance 2018, which made various changes to the criminal justice system in terms of witness protection and sentencing.
These provisions were intended to address concerns that there may be cases where holding a criminal trial on Norfolk Island, given its small size and remote location, is not consistent with the interests of justice.
That this bill be now read a third time.
Product Stewardship (Oil) Amendment 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 notes the Government's slow and inadequate delivery of meaningful regulatory reform for domestic waste management and product stewardship".
The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Vasta) took the chair at 10:30.
That this House:
(1) recognises that:
(a) in the 19th century it was regional Australia that led the transition from gas to electricity and that in the 21st century it is again regional Australia that is leading Australia's transition to renewable energy; and
(b) according to the Australian Energy Market Operator's Integrated System Plan, around 15 gigawatts of coal-fired power will retire over the next 20 years;
(2) recalls the analysis from the leaked report of the National COVID-19 Coordination Commission Manufacturing Taskforce indicated that renewables plus storage are the lowest cost form of new electricity generation, and therefore a lowest-cost energy transition will be based on significant investment in renewables;
(3) welcomes the recent comments from the International Energy Agency that 'governments have the opportunity to accelerate renewables deployment by making investment in renewables a key part of stimulus packages designed to reinvigorate their economies. This offers the prospect of harnessing the structural benefits that increasingly affordable renewables can bring, including opportunities for creating jobs and economic development, while reducing emissions and fostering innovation';
(4) notes analysis by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation that projects that up to $1,000 billion will be spent on Australia's electricity system until 2050 and that local communities should benefit from this investment boom;
(5) acknowledges that 'community energy', which is where a renewable energy project is developed by, owned by or delivers benefit to local communities, offers a compelling model for capturing the immense benefits of renewable energy, including jobs and investment, for local communities in regional Australia;
(6) further welcomes the findings of Sustainability Victoria into the Victorian Community Power Hub pilot program which found that Government investment into community energy of $1.16 million created 15 projects delivering economic benefits worth $25.6 million; and
(7) calls on the Government to support the development of community-owned renewable energy projects across regional Australia through:
(a) direct financial support for regional communities in the form of grants and concessional loans;
(b) technical support for local communities to develop renewable energy projects based on the Community Power Hub model successfully deployed in Victoria; and
(c) a dedicated national community energy agency to enable capacity-building across the regional community energy network and to administer financial and technical support over the medium‑term.
That this House:
(1) notes the Census and Statistics Amendment (Statistical Information) Regulations 2020 tabled in Parliament on 11 February 2020 seek to ask a question in the 2021 census about whether someone has served in the Australian Defence Force (ADF); and
(2) recognises that having a census question around the ADF service will:
(a) for the first time, give a complete picture of the number of veterans in Australia; and
(b) allow governments of all levels to deliver the right services in the right areas to support veterans and their families.
That this House notes:
(1) the purpose of superannuation is to enable Australians to save for a dignified retirement;
(2) superannuation has made an enormous contribution to converting Australia from a nation that borrows to a nation that lends, creating a pool of funds to invest locally and abroad;
(3) Australia is the 16th largest economy in the world, but because of universal superannuation has a pool of savings owned by Australian workers worth $2 trillion, which is the fourth largest pool of retirement savings in the world;
(4) before universal superannuation, 68 per cent of Australians and 85 per cent of all women had no retirement savings;
(5) the average superannuation balance at retirement is now approximately $160,000 for women and $280,000 for men;
(6) under current policy settings, the median balance on retirement for full-time workers will be $310,819 for women and $628,634 for men;
(7) over the past decade the average rate of return has been between 6 and 8 per cent—last year it grew by 9 per cent and Australia was among only a handful of countries that saw pension fund growth; and
(8) superannuation is critical to Australia's economic growth and resilience and must be strengthened so it can play a pivotal role in Australia's economic recovery from COVID-19.
… the evidence will reveal that neither the Commonwealth Department of Health nor the aged-care regulator developed a COVID-19 plan specifically for the aged-care sector …
That this House:
(1) recognises that Australia's tourism sector is vital to a strong, growing economy;
(2) notes:
(a) that 2020 has seen an incredibly tough start to the year for tourism operators with devastating bushfires, an inevitable Coronavirus pandemic and a sluggish domestic economy;
(b) Australia is a tourism dependent economy with the Australian Bureau of Statistics noting a $60 billion contribution to gross domestic product; and
(c) 666,000 people worked in tourism in Australia in 2018-19;
(3) encourages Australians to support our local tourism operators and where possible holiday here, at home, in the best country in the world;
(4) commits Members of this House to work with members of the tourism industry and local operators and encourage the development of new tourism businesses and assets; and
(5) agrees that Australia is the best country in the world and a must visit country for any international tourist.
That this House:
(1) recognises the importance of working with our Pacific neighbours to deliver a region that is secure and sovereign; and
(2) notes the:
(a) Government's Pacific Maritime Security Program is providing the region with a modern and coordinated security capability; and
(b) Government is delivering important infrastructure projects that will enhance their security capability—this includes:
(i) Fiji's Blackrock Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Camp;
(ii) gifting of Guardian Class Patrol Boats; and
(iii) the joint initiative with Papua New Guinea and the Lombrum Naval Base.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) at least 23 women have been murdered so far this year at the hands of an intimate partner in Australia;
(b) on average, more than one woman a week is murdered by a current or former partner;
(c) violence against women and their children is worsening in the face of job losses, stand-downs and financial stress and uncertainty; and
(d) domestic and family violence services funding was inadequate before the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of the associated restrictions will affect rates of violence for a significant time; and
(2) calls on the Government to:
(a) follow Labor's call to convene a national summit on violence against women and their children; and
(b) urgently provide more support for frontline services.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become clear that our current government care less about the welfare and future of women and children than they do about large business and construction, which predominantly employ men. It is clear that our society does not value early childhood education as a meaningful and valuable contribution to the lives and outcomes of children, despite evidence to the contrary having been around for a long time. Investing in the care economy will create jobs and lift women's and girls' opportunities.
That this House:
(1) recognises the importance of environmental management and conservation in our local communities;
(2) acknowledges the importance of local environmental volunteer groups who devote their time to look after our natural environment;
(3) congratulates our local volunteers on their dedication to supporting our local communities and our environment; and
(4) further acknowledges the Government's continued support of environmental groups through the Communities Environment Program, which provides each of the 151 electorates across Australia with up to $150,000 to fund small, community-led environment projects, totalling $22 million.