The SPEAKER ( Hon. Milton Dick ) took the chair at 10:00, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PETITIONS COMMITTEE
REPORT No. 6
Petitions
and
Ministerial Responses
6 March 2023
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE
Chair Ms Susan Templeman MP
Deputy Chair Mr Ross Vasta MP
Mr Sam Birrell MP
Ms Alison Byrnes MP
Ms Lisa Chesters MP
Mr Garth Hamilton MP
Ms Tracy Roberts MP
Ms Meryl Swanson MP
Report summarising the petitio ns and Ministerial responses being presented.
The committee met in private session in the 47th Parliament on 25 January 2023, 8 February 2023 and 15 February 2023.
1. The committee resolved to present the following 58 petitions in accordance with standin g order 207:
From 7 petitioners—requesting a ban on baby walkers with seats (EN4651)
From 27 petitioners—requesting funding for Alambi aged care facility in Dimboola (EN4652)
From 1109 petitioners—requesting changes to make it easier for cancer patients to access social welfare (EN4653)
From 9 petitioners—requesting that Iran's Islamic Republic regime be listed as a terrorist organisation (EN4655)
From 2020 petitioners—requesting the recognition of pharmacists as valid healthcare providers and prescribers(EN4656)
From 15 petitioners—requesting a review of the ATO in relation to tax on small business (EN4657)
From 10 petitioners—requesting abolition of compulsory voting (EN4658)
From 11 petitioners—requesting amendment to assessment of veteran's pension (EN4659)
From 8 petitioners—requesting asylum for Chinese students currently in Australia (EN4660)
From 6 petitioners—requesting an amendment to the Medicare levy surcharge for domestic violence victims (EN4663)
From 16 petitioners—requesting a ban on all non-biodegradable soft plastics (EN4664)
From 7 petitioners—requesting a change to quarterly reports for self-managed superannuation funds (EN4665)
From 5 petitioners—requesting a new law for data retention, protection and privacy (EN4667)
From 29356 petitioners—requesting an inquiry into Australia's Covid-19 response (EN4670)
From 79 petitioners—requesting regulation of public official's statements about climate change (EN4671)
From 48 petitioners—requesting a law to prevent social media restriction promotion of parliamentary petitions (EN4674)
From 1077 petitioners—requesting action to prevent the Chalumbin Wind Farm environmental approval (EN4675)
From 14 petitioners—requesting an alternative pathway to general registration for international medical graduates (EN4677)
From 23 petitioners—requesting the elimination of daylight savings time (EN4678)
From 7 petitioners—requesting regulation of childcare centres to waive fees on sick days (EN4680)
From 25 petitioners—requesting recognition for the state of Palestine (EN4681)
From 12 petitioners—requesting Australian action against Iran (EN4682)
From 60 petitioners—requesting that family sponsored refugee visas be fast tracked (EN4685)
From 22 petitioners—requesting the use of surplus cruise ships as housing (EN4686)
From 89 petitioners—requesting changes to the parliamentary petitions process (EN4687)
From 4 petitioners—requesting funding for PCR testing (EN4688)
From 5 petitioners—requesting legislation to mandate personal methane sequestering (EN4689)
From 450 petitioners—requesting an extension to Homebuilder grant documentation for off-the-plan applicants (EN4691)
From 3 petitioners—requesting changes to income tax rules for fundraisers (EN4696)
From 20 petitioners—requesting legislation to make cancelling digital subscriptions easier (EN4697)
From 1264 petitioners—requesting Automated External Defibrillators be mandatory for businesses with public access (EN4699)
From 44 petitioners—requesting changes to allow point-based-skilled-visa-applicants to have a spouse or de-facto partner (EN4700)
From 11 petitioners—requesting disaster relief grants for flood stricken Cabonne residents (EN4701)
From 73 petitioners—requesting the regulation of drug and alcohol rehabilitation and treatment centres (EN4704)
From 197 petitioners—requesting funding for court-ordered psychiatric assessments (EN4705)
From 19 petitioners—requesting changes to conditions of visa classes 491 and 494 (EN4709)
From 6 petitioners—requesting consideration of whether to support China to join the CPTPP (EN4711)
From 5 petitioners—requesting changes to medicinal marijuana use in Australia (EN4713)
From 15 petitioners—requesting a change to policy to allow people with ADHD and autism to join the ADF (EN4715)
From 4 petitioners—requesting changes to sick leave (EN4716)
From 627 petitioners—requesting minimum minutes for healthcare in nursing homes (EN4717)
From 1 petitioners—requesting permanent residency for some students(EN4718)
From 11 petitioners—requesting that the government bring the remaining Bali nine back to Australia (EN4721)
From 6 petitioners—requesting mandatory COVID test for people coming from China (EN4722)
From 9 petitioners—requesting changes to control of schedule 8 medications (EN4725)
From 4 petitioners—requesting restrictions on travel from China due to recent covid outbreak (EN4726)
From 4 petitioners—requesting Covid testing at the border (EN4728)
From 119 petitioners—requesting increases to the Medicare rebate (EN4729)
From 4 petitioners—requesting health checks upon arrival on travellers from China (EN4731)
From 5 petitioners—requesting the removal of testing mandates on travellers from China (EN4732)
From 127 petitioners—requesting criminalization of sexual acts with minors (EN4736)
From 390 petitioners—requesting funding for the Trove website (EN4737)
From 63 petitioners—requesting reversal of the PBS price increase for concessional card holders (EN4744)
From 6384 petitioners—requesting funding for Trove and the National Library (EN4745)
From 548 petitioners—requesting a ban on products produced by Uyghur forced labour (EN4746)
From 22240 petitioners—requesting funding for Trove (EN4747)
From 14496 petitioners—requesting a Royal Commission into the national housing crisis (EN4753)
From 73 petitioners—requesting the grant of protection visas to certain refugees (PN0554)
2. The following 10 ministerial responses to petitions were received by the Committee on 15 February 2023:
From the Minister for Communications to a petition regarding increasing numbers of online scams (EN3472)
From the Minister for Foreign Affairs to a petition regarding a review of the provision of foreign aid (EN3549)
From the Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories to a petition requesting the return the NT to Federal control (EN3572)
From the Minister for Veterans Affairs to a petition regarding amending the Veterans Acts (EN4196)
From the Minister for Veterans Affairs to a petition requesting a review of defining "evidence" under the Veterans' Entitlement Act 1986 (VEA) (EN4205)
From the Minister for Veterans Affairs to a petition requesting a change to Veterans Entitlement 1986 Act (VEA) and procedural apprehended bias (EN4353)
From the Minister for Veterans Affairs to a petition requesting a law amendment to the Veterans' Entitlement Act 1986" (EN4381)
From the Minister for Veterans Affairs to a petition regarding the confirmation of the RMA definition of "clinical onset" (EN4382)
From the Minister for Health and Aged Care to a petition requesting to stop general practitioners (GP) charging fees above Medicare rebates (EN4485)
From the Minister for Communications to a petition requesting to block international scam calls (EN4518)
Correction to previous presentation
In Report 06 presented on 13 February 2023 the incorrect petition number (EN3528) was given to a response from the Minister for the Public Service. The correct information is:
From the Minister for the Public Service to a petition regarding a mandate for all public servants to be vaccinated (EN3548)
Ms Susan Templeman MP
Chair—Petitions Committee
Transparent and Quality Public Appointments Bill 2023
That this bill be now read a second time.
That this House:
(1) notes:
(a) Australia has signed the Global Methane Pledge to reduce methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030;
(b) methane is the second most abundant greenhouse gas released into the atmosphere and is over 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20 year period;
(c) the fossil fuel sector accounts for nearly 40 per cent of Australia's methane emissions; and
(d) the International Energy Agency highlights that methane emissions from oil and gas are some of the easiest to abate; and
(2) calls on the Government to:
(a) enact effective national methane regulations to limit venting and flaring of gas;
(b) implement best practice regulations from the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership; and
(c) use the Safeguard Mechanism and other legislative pathways to drive methane capture.
The only way you can get your 30 per cent by 2030 … would be to go and grab a rifle, go out and start shooting your cattle.
Now the Aussie BBQ is under threat. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wants to take away the backyard BBQ.
We know Australians love their sausages, steaks, rissoles and lamb meals—
all of that will become out of reach for many.
That this House:
(1) notes that the Government is:
(a) taking responsible and decisive action to take some of the edge off energy price rises; and
(b) responding to the energy price rise the previous Minister for Energy hid from the Australian people during the election; and
(2) acknowledges:
(a) that recent energy price rise forecasts were lower than previously predicted; and
(b) power prices are lower than they otherwise would be because of the steps the Government is taking.
Following these announcements, ASX Cal23 electricity futures prices fell steeply for each of the mainland states through to the end of the Quarter, with prices dropping between 41% in South Australia and 46% in Queensland from the end of Q3 22. The expectation and then announcement of government intervention through the quarter saw reductions in futures prices for later years similar to those for Cal23 across the mainland regions.
We both have good jobs. Essentially we're going to be fine, but what about the elderly or single parents working two jobs? We have to be incredibly frugal and the price of gas and the price of fuel adds to the anxiety.
It will cut power bills for families and businesses by $275 a year for homes by 2025, compared to today.
That this House:
(1) notes that every 31 minutes someone in Australia is diagnosed with blood cancer, many of whom will require a lifesaving blood stem cell transplant, with:
(a) a greater success seen when utilising transplants from the bone marrow of younger donors, particularly men aged 18 to 35 years;
(b) patients more likely to find a donor match with those who share a similar ethnic background;
(c) 30 per cent of patients finding a match within their family, and 70 per cent needing to find an unrelated donor through the Australian Donor Registry; and
(d) a shortage of donors, so that 80 per cent of Australian patients will require a donation from an overseas donor;
(2) acknowledges that:
(a) blood donations are currently the main avenue for individuals to join the blood stem cell donor registry in Australia, while cheek swab testing, primarily used overseas, makes the process quicker, easier, and far less intrusive;
(b) dependency on foreign donations has halved in nations that utilise cheek swab testing, whereas Australia's dependency has increased;
(c) cheek swab testing increases the rate of domestic donations, saving countless lives in the process; and
(d) the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry's program, Strength to Give , demonstrated that cheek swab testing was a viable, cost-effective method of increasing Australia's donor pool; and
(3) calls on the Government to work with organisations, such as the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry, to remove the legislative and regulatory impediments that are currently preventing a nationwide rollout of cheek swab-based donor enrolment and to deliver awareness campaigns to assist in increasing the rate of blood stem cell donations, particularly from Australian men aged 18 to 35 years.
Migration Amendment (Aggregate Sentences) Bill 2023
Treasury Laws Amendment (2022 Measures No. 5) Bill 2022
Higher Education Support Amendment (2022 Measures No. 1) Bill 2022
That:
(1) Ms Sharkie be appointed a member of the Standing Committee on Agriculture; and
(2) Mr Goodenough be appointed a member of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit.
That the House take note of the report.
That the order of the day be referred to the Federation Chamber for debate.
Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Amendment Bill 2022
We need to obtain balance in a new settlement. Indigenous Australians must be brought in from the cold.
To obtain balance, we must ensure that every Australian has the opportunity to involve themselves in the discussion. All Australians must think about their future.
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 calls on the Government to:
(1)in relation to any referendum, communicate timelines for the distribution of any yes and no pamphlets; and
(2)ensure that there is an independent process of verifying the accuracy of the facts contained within said pamphlets".
Referendums are an integral part of our democracy; however, the last referendum was held over 22 years ago.
Since that time, the … referendum act … has not kept pace with changes to the … Electoral Act …
The bill makes amendments to replicate current electoral machinery provisions into the referendum context to ensure the voting process and experience is similar to that of a federal election.
The bill also ensures that integrity and transparency measures that currently apply to federal elections will apply to referendums.
DO YOU APPROVE the proposed law for the alteration of the Constitution entitled—
'An Act to alter the Constitution so as to omit certain words relating to the People of the Aboriginal Race in any State and so that Aboriginals are to be counted in reckoning the Population'—
This episode of high inflation has its origins mainly in developments on the supply side—
but, over time, demand-side factors have become more prominent. It emerged in the wake of the COVID supply chain disruptions and Russia's invasion of Ukraine …
That the House:
(1) notes that:
(a) before the election the Prime Minister promised on 97 occasions to reduce Australians' power bills by $275, but instead power bills have increased since he became Prime Minister;
(b) before the election the Prime Minister promised Australians cheaper mortgages, but instead there have been eight successive increases in mortgage interest rates since he became Prime Minister; and
(c) before the election the Prime Minister promised Australians that he would not raise taxes on superannuation, and last week the Prime Minister announced a new tax on superannuation;
(2) further notes that:
(a) this Prime Minister is showing himself on issue after issue to be untrustworthy and deceptive, having told Australians one thing before the election and doing the opposite of what he promised now he is in government; and
(b) as a result of the Prime Ministers' conduct, Australians are now unable to trust any of the promised he made; and
(3) therefore calls on this Prime Minister to keep the promises he has made including in relation to reduced power bills, cheaper mortgages and not introducing new taxes on superannuation.
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Leader of the Opposition from moving the following motion forthwith:
That the House:
(1) notes that:
(a) before the election the Prime Minister promised on 97 occasions to reduce Australians' power bills by $275, but instead power bills have increased since he became Prime Minister;
(b) before the election the Prime Minister promised Australians cheaper mortgages, but instead there have been eight successive increases in mortgage interest rates since he became Prime Minister; and
(c) before the election the Prime Minister promised Australians that he would not raise taxes on superannuation, and last week the Prime Minister announced a new tax on superannuation;
(2) further notes that:
(a) this Prime Minister is showing himself on issue after issue to be untrustworthy and deceptive, having told Australians one thing before the election and doing the opposite of what he promised now he is in government; and
(b) as a result of the Prime Ministers' conduct, Australians are now unable to trust any of the promised he made; and
(3) therefore calls on this Prime Minister to keep the promises he has made including in relation to reduced power bills, cheaper mortgages and not introducing new taxes on superannuation.
MR SCOTT: Well, your evidence was that you could not raise a debt based solely on averaging.
THE HON STUART ROBERT: That was my belief, yes.
MR SCOTT: And in 90 per cent of cases, that's exactly what was happening under the program to your knowledge at the time.
THE HON STUART ROBERT: Yes, that is correct.
MR SCOTT: So what you said there, to your knowledge at the time, was false, wasn't it?
THE HON STUART ROBERT: To my personal view, yes. But I'm still a Government Minister, and it's still a government program. And this was the approach that Cabinet has signed off on …
They were the numbers from the department based on the working approach to how the program was being run. They were the accepted figures by government to use. And as a dutiful cabinet minister, ma'am, that is what you do.
Investment in early childhood education and care is an investment in building the nation's social capital. It is an investment in the future prosperity of the country and just as important as physical infrastructure.
That leave of absence from the determination of this sitting until 30 March 2023 be given to Mr Wood for personal reasons.
The House divided. [16:20]
(The Speaker—Hon. Milton Dick)
Paid Parental Leave Amendment (Improvements for Families and Gender Equality) Bill 2022
Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Amendment Bill 2022
…we have serious concerns about this legislation in its current form.
We are greatly concerned that the new legislation was introduced without proper consultation with the blind and vision impaired community … We believe this failure to consult risks disenfranchising our community and excludes our voices from the electoral process …
The Commission supports retaining the requirement under s 11 that a Yes/No pamphlet be distributed to Australian electors as part of the referendum process.
… it is important and appropriate that members of Parliament retain responsibility for authorising the official Yes/No arguments and supports the retention of this requirement.
That the following words be added after paragraph 2:
"; and:
(3) strengthen opportunities for enfranchisement and participation in the referendum, particularly of First Nations people, including by:
(a) facilitating on-the-day voter enrolment;
(b) extending the Remote Mobile Polling program;
(c) ensuring the Australian Electoral Commission has adequate funds to conduct effective awareness and education campaigns, including translation and interpretation; and
(d) removing restrictions on the voting rights of prisoners and Australians living overseas".
… to unite in one indissoluble Federal Commonwealth under the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, …
Awareness and understanding of our Constitution, referendums and constitutional matters is disturbingly low amongst Australian citizens.
A decision to change our Constitution is a significant national event, and it has been more than two decades since a change has been proposed. It is therefore important that the government can fund civics education in relation to the upcoming referendum on the Voice.
Ministers of State Amendment Bill 2022
… if you've got lower income and a smaller buffer and a mortgage, the tighter interest rates are affecting you more …
"When you talk to locals on the Peninsula, the intersection of the Mornington Peninsula Freeway and Jetty Road is one of the major issues facing the community."
"Whether its locals travelling to and from work on weekdays or visitors to the Peninsula on the weekend, the intersection of the Mornington Peninsula Freeway and Jetty Road has been a traffic nightmare for locals for far too long," Mr Hunt said.
"This is one of the top issues in our local community and I recently ran a petition in local area, collecting over 500 signatures."
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Wilkie ) took the chair at 10:29.
That this House:
(1) notes:
(a) the importance of providing appropriate protections for Australian businesses investing overseas; and
(b) that Australia has negotiated Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) clauses over the past 30 years in investment treaties and free trade agreements;
(2) acknowledges that Australian companies investing in foreign countries have used ISDS clauses to protect their investments from being taken over by foreign governments;
(3) recalls that:
(a) free trade agreement negotiations came to a standstill under the Government of Prime Minister Gillard arising from the refusal to include ISDS clauses in these agreements; and
(b) it took the re-election of the Coalition Government to get Australia's trade policy back on track; and
(4) recognises that the current Government's decision to once again scrap ISDS clauses in new free trade agreements and renegotiate them in existing ones shows that the unions are controlling the Government and putting Australia's trade gains at risk.
That this House:
(1) acknowledges the extraordinary contribution teachers, principals and school support staff make to our students and the future of Australia;
(2) recognises we face a critical and unprecedented teacher shortage that will have consequences across our society; and
(3) notes the measures the Government has already taken to attract, train and retain teachers.
That this House:
(1) notes with great distress that:
(a) there were 18,925 victim-survivors of child sexual assault reported in Australia in 2021;
(b) this accounts for almost two-thirds (61 per cent) of reported victim-survivors of all ages that year; and
(c) 67 per cent of sexual assaults occurred at residential locations;
(2) applauds the work of the former Government to implement mandatory minimum sentencing and other measures for child sex offenders through the passing of the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Sexual Crimes Against Children and Community Protection Measures) Bill 2019; and
(3) calls on the Government to implement, in conjunction with state and territory governments, a National Child Sex Offender Register to be a single point of truth to make public the identities, offences and postcodes of convicted child sex offenders for the purpose of keeping Australian children safe.
That this House:
(1) observes it is one year since Russia's 24 February 2022 invasion of Ukraine;
(2) deplores the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which continues a pattern of illegal and immoral aggression against Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, which has resulted in a toll of destruction, many thousands of human casualties, and the displacement of over 14 million Ukrainians;
(3) condemns:
(a) acts by Russia aimed at destroying the national, cultural, religious, and democratic institutions of the Ukrainian people and Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity; and
(b) Russia for violating international law, noting the clear evidence of war crimes being committed against the Ukrainian people;
(4) notes Australia continues to stand with Ukraine against Russian aggression and has provided Ukraine with military and humanitarian support, as well as refuge for displaced people, and will continue to do so; and
(5) reaffirms the 11th Emergency Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, which also condemned, deplored, and expressed grave concern over attacks on civilian populations and infrastructure, and reiterates its demand that Russia withdraw from Ukraine's recognised sovereign territory.
… upon the election of our Government … you would expect many countries to have received a visit before venturing into Eastern Europe … it doesn't signify a lack of importance that we place in the region.
The policy represents a red line that cannot be crossed. We will never support legitimate agricultural industries being closed for political reasons, or to suit activist agendas.
This reform has been recognised by the Western Australian Premier and his Agricultural Minister. We note that you have also acknowledged the improvements the industry has made.
That this House:
(1) recognises the role that the Australian Parliament House Sports Club, under the stewardship of Andy Turnbull, plays in promoting sport and fostering international relations development and friendship as part of a worldwide movement;
(2) notes the:
(a) Australian Parliament House Sports Club is part of a global network which connects with like-minded democracies and unites the world through sport, such as the cricket team visiting the United Kingdom and the rugby team visiting France this year;
(b) combined health benefits, both physical and mental, that sport supports, especially in the workplace, by encouraging participation in sport for people of all abilities with a view to improving fitness, health and enjoyment; and
(c) professional and bi-partisan manner, in which the Australian Parliament House Sports Club conducts itself; and
(3) acknowledges that sport is a true global unifier and a successful vehicle for diplomacy, through inclusiveness, gender equity and the participation of people of all abilities.
That this House:
(1) notes the 6.9 per cent increase in Australian antisemitic incidents logged in the Australian community in the reporting year ending in 2022, on top of the 35 per cent increase over the 2020-2021 reporting period, and recognises:
(a) the broad commitment to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), holocaust remembrance and combatting antisemitism;
(b) the embrace of the IHRA working definition of antisemitism by governments and institutions around the world;
(c) that governments and institutions have also embraced parallel definitions of islamophobia; and
(d) that the IHRA definition is about framing what constitutes antisemitism, and not about singling out one form of discrimination over another; and
(2) reaffirms its commitment to the IHRA working definition of antisemitism.
Criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic.
Many students don't feel safe being identifiably Jewish on campus, and part of that is because our experiences of antisemitism aren't yet recognised by our Universities. Adopting the IHRA definition is not only a way for University's to show their Jewish students that they are listening but it's a way for them to tangibly work with us to address these concerns.
That this House:
(1) notes the Government's plan for $254 billion Stage 3 tax cuts for billionaires and politicians while flagging austerity measures in the upcoming Budget; and
(2) calls on the Government to scrap their unfair Stage 3 tax cuts in the upcoming Budget and instead deliver real cost of living relief by getting dental and mental health into Medicare, making childcare free, and addressing the housing and rental crisis, including by doubling rent assistance.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) the Government has launched Revive: A Place for Every Story, A Story for Every Place (Revive), Australia's new National Cultural Policy that will set the course for Australia's arts, entertainment and cultural sector for the next five years;
(b) Revive comes after a decade of wilful neglect and funding cuts for the arts and entertainment sector;
(c) Revive is built on five pillars and puts First Nations first—recognising and respecting the crucial place of these stories at the heart of our arts and culture; and
(d) in implementing Revive, the Government will:
(i) reverse the former Government's cuts to the Australia Council for the Arts;
(ii) establish Creative Australia and create four new bodies: Music Australia, Writers Australia, First Nations First body and a Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces;
(iii) almost double the Regional Arts Fund;
(iv) introduce quotas for Australian content on digital streaming platforms; and
(v) legislate to ban fake First Nations' art; and
(2) acknowledges Revive will bring drive, direction, and vision back to the $17 billion arts industry which employs an estimated 400,000 Australians.
My people are proud, strong people. We are the descendants of Mannalargenna of the Pairrebeenne/Trawlwoolway clan. We grew up on Flinders Island in eastern Bass Strait. The bush and the beach were our playground … We were free to hear Country speaking to us.
I think it's really important to tell these stories for children to understand Aboriginal heritage and how Aboriginal people relate to the land, and how as a young person I related to the country, to the land and the seas and the skies.
Growing up in Launceston, I spent a lot of time exploring and connecting to Country. There was always something mystical about this water that drew me in, it was like an energy. It was important that I brought kanamaluka from outside into the campus and told the story of how it supported our old people and still connects and supports our community today.
That this House:
(1) notes the Coalition's strong track record of delivering for Pacific Island economies through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme, which has been instrumental in setting up Pacific workers and farmers for success;
(2) acknowledges that:
(a) there are currently 35,000 PALM workers in Australia; and
(b) during the COVID-19 pandemic, the former Government managed to double the PALM Scheme from 12,500 to 25,000 participants, which furthered Pacific economies and ensured Australian food security; and
(3) recognises that this recent additional growth is due to the previous Government's streamlining of the Pacific Labour Scheme, which ensured a more efficient and safer PALM Scheme, in turn benefitting both workers and farmers.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) the Australian Labor Party established the National Broadband Network (NBN) Co in 2009;
(b) the NBN Co was established to connect all Australians with fast, accessible and reliable broadband;
(c) the former Government's move to a multi-technology mix, using the copper broadband network, resulted in reduced broadband speeds, less reliability and increased costs to NBN Co; and
(d) businesses and everyday Australians require fast and reliable broadband to operate;
(2) acknowledges that the:
(a) use of the copper broadband network has delayed access to fast and reliable broadband;
(b) existing broadband infrastructure requires upgrading due to the former Government's use of copper technology;
(c) Government committed $2.4 billion in the October 2022-2023 budget to expand full-fibre access to an additional 1.5 million premises by late 2025, including 660,000 in regional Australia; and
(d) Government will continue to ensure all Australians can have access to fast and reliable broadband; and
(3) further notes that Australian families deserve access to internet that is affordable and meets the needs of small business, education, and recreation.