The SPEAKER ( Hon. Bronwyn Bishop ) took the chair at 10:00, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the order of business for today in the House and the Federation Chamber being as follows:
(1) In the House:
(a) Presentation of petitions and Private Members' Business as determined by the Selection Committee, to be interrupted at approximately 11am;
(b) The Prime Minister to move a motion relating to the Martin Place siege and the Leader of the Opposition to reply for an equal period of time;
(c) At the adjournment of debate on the motion, Private Members' Business to be resumed and to continue until concluded;
(d) The provisions of standing orders 55(b) and 133(a) in relation to deferred quorums and divisions to apply until the conclusion of Private Members' Business;
(e) Any divisions or quorums called for between 4.15pm and 5.45pm to be deferred until 5.45pm;
(f) The order of business for the remainder of the sitting to be as provided for in the standing orders;
(2) In the Federation Chamber:
(a) Members' three minute constituency statements;
(b) The meeting to be suspended at approximately 11.00am for the duration of the debate on the Prime Minister's motion in the House;
(c) On resumption, Private Members' Business in the order determined by the Selection Committee, until 1.30pm;
(d) At 4pm, 90 second statements and government business as provided for, until 5.45pm;
(e) At 5.45pm, Private Members' Business to be resumed and to continue until concluded;
(f) The order of business for the remainder of the sitting to be as provided for in the standing orders;
(3) Any variation to this arrangement to be made only by a motion moved by a Minister.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) the University of Western Sydney (UWS) and the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (BUCM) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) as part of the landmark China Australia Free Trade Agreement, and the forged relationship will provide:
(i) broader and improved healthcare options as a result of the clinical and research trials conducted by the UWS's National Institute of Complementary Medicine and the BUCM to validate and translate Chinese medicines into an integrated healthcare setting;
(ii) the international framework for Australia to become the leading western accreditor of the $170 billion dollar global traditional Chinese medicine market; and
(iii) formalised connections with the internationally regarded researchers at the BUCM which will further enhance the reputation of the UWS as a leading centre of research excellence that delivers practical social and economic outcomes for the residents of Western Sydney;
(b) the MOU between these two universities was among 14 commercial agreements signed between Australia and China, and will secure unprecedented levels of market access to the world's second largest economy, with a population of 1.36 billion and a rapidly growing middle class; and
(c) households and businesses will also reap the benefits of cheaper goods and components imported from China, placing downward pressure on the cost of living and the cost of doing business; and
(2) commends the Government on its approach to securing a historic free trade agreement between Australia and China.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) the Syrian conflict which began in March 2011 has:
(i) developed into one of the worst humanitarian disasters of our time; and
(ii) caused widespread damage to infrastructure across Syria, with basic necessities such as food, water and medical care difficult or impossible to access;
(b) serious human rights violations remain a common occurrence in Syria;
(c) it is estimated that more than 190,000 people have lost their lives in the Syrian conflict so far;
(d) in the three and a half years since the beginning of the Syrian conflict, more than 3.5 million refugees have fled their homes and crossed into neighbouring countries, while the United Nations estimates a further 6.5 million are displaced within Syria itself, representing an increase of 2 million in just six months;
(e) hosting the Syrian refugees has put enormous pressure on the infrastructure, services, utilities and local populations of the host countries of Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, with Syrian refugees in Lebanon now constituting approximately one-third of the population, and unemployment among poor Lebanese rising significantly;
(f) the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has encouraged the international community to share the burden of supporting Syrian refugees, having a target for resettlement of 130,000 by the end of 2016, but has received a minimal response to date with less than 2 per cent of the registered refugee population having secured a resettlement place;
(g) while the regional response to the crisis should be commended, the global response has been relatively weak;
(h) the United Nations issued its largest appeal in relation to a single crisis in December 2013, stating that $6.5 billion was vital to adequately support Syrians inside and outside of the conflict-ravaged nation, but to date the appeal has only raised 62 per cent of that target; and
(i) in December 2014 the United Nations World Food Programme announced that it was suspending its food aid program for Syrian refugees for lack of funding, leaving 1.7 million refugees to go hungry during winter, and has called for US$64 million in immediate assistance to allow the recommencement of this essential aid; and
(2) calls on the Australian Government to:
(a) reconsider the level of Australia’s existing humanitarian support and funding to assist those affected by the Syrian crisis with a view to making a significantly larger contribution;
(b) offer direct support to neighbouring countries, including through funding and arrangements to receive additional refugees in Australia by expanding the existing quota of asylum seekers and focusing resettlement on those Syrian refugees recommended by the UNHCR on the basis of vulnerability; and
(c) take an active role in all relevant multilateral fora in calling for a more substantial and better coordinated global response, including a ‘fair share’ approach to the resettlement of refugees.
… 7.6 million [Syrians] are internally displaced, 4.5 million are living in hard-to-reach areas and 212,000 are trapped in besieged areas.
That this House:
(1) recognise the tragic events around the siege of the Lindt Cafe in Martin Place, Sydney on 15 and 16 December, 2014;
(2) extend its deepest and heartfelt sympathies to the family and friends of Katrina Dawson and Tori Johnson for their loss;
(3) honour the courage and fortitude shown by those held in the Lindt Cafe;
(4) acknowledge the response of the law enforcement and security agencies and emergency services personnel to a difficult and dangerous situation;
(5) recognise the calm and steadfast response of the people of Sydney, as well as the wholehearted support of the Australian people for the people held inside the Lindt Cafe and their families both during and after the siege;
(6) thank the leaders and people of other nations who stood with Australia during this testing time;
(7) note with sadness that other countries have recently suffered at the hands of terrorists, including France, Canada, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Japan and Jordan;
(8) declare our deep repugnance of terrorism in all forms; and
(9) affirm the unity and resolve of this Parliament to protect our citizens and our democratic freedoms.
… O for the touch of a vanished hand,
And the sound of a voice that is still!
That this House:
(1) recognises the opportunities for an enhanced regulatory framework to better position Australia's health system to respond effectively to global trends in the development, manufacture, marketing and regulation of therapeutic goods, and to improve access to vital life saving and enhancing drugs;
(2) commends the recent joint announcement by the Minister for Health and Assistant Minister for Health to undertake a review of medicines and medical devices regulations;
(3) supports the Government's Innovation and Competitiveness Agenda as a key step to removing ineffective regulation and encouraging greater competition and innovation for businesses in the medicines and medical devices industries; and
(4) applauds the Prime Minister for his recent Ministerial Statement to the House on deregulation, outlining the need to recognise trusted international approval processes to improve consumer access to therapeutic goods.
That this House:
(1) acknowledges the concern of Aboriginal Western Australians about the sustainability of their remote communities in the wake of the withdrawal of municipal and essential services funding and the need to plan for members of those communities after the withdrawal of funding;
(2) recognises that local government authorities have not been consulted in any meaningful way by the Government of Western Australia on this change in responsibility and they are deeply concerned that seven months is not sufficient to make workable alternative arrangements; and
(3) calls on the Australian Government to delay the withdrawal of funding from this program until 1 July 2016.
A detailed process ... that is, to ensure funding is invested in sustainable and healthy communities that can offer improved opportunities and outcomes for residents, especially children. No decision has yet been made to close any of Western Australia's remote communities. We will work through the issues and consult widely with residents about how together we can make things work better and improve outcomes.
Customs Amendment (Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement Implementation) Bill 2014
Customs Tariff Amendment (Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement Implementation) Bill 2014
Aged Care and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2014
Health and Other Services (Compensation) Care Charges (Amendment) Bill 2014
Australian War Memorial Amendment Bill 2014
Migration Amendment (Character and General Visa Cancellation) Bill 2014
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Amendment Bill 2014
Social Security Legislation Amendment (Strengthening the Job Seeker Compliance Framework) Bill 2014
ACT Government Loan Bill 2014
Tax and Superannuation Laws Amendment (2014 Measures No. 6) Bill 2014
Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2014
Migration and Maritime Powers Legislation Amendment (Resolving the Asylum Legacy Caseload) Bill 2014
Fair Work Amendment (Bargaining Processes) Bill 2014
For example, we have recently seen reports of protected action ballot orders made and protected industrial action threatened in pursuit of claims that would increase the salary package of marine engineers in Port Hedland by around 38 per cent over four years. The reports indicated the claim, which includes an additional month of annual leave, is on top of existing salary packages of between $280,000 and $390,000, where employees work six months of the year.
Productivity isn't everything, but in the long run it's almost everything. A country's ability to improve its standard of living over time depends almost entirely on its ability to raise its output per worker.
… I ask this question: what is the problem that this bill is trying to solve?
That this bill be now read a third time.
That the House record its deep regret at the death on 26 January 2015 of the Honourable Thomas Uren AC, a former Minister and Member of this House for the Division of Reid from 1958 to 1990, place on record its appreciation of his long and meritorious public service, and tender its profound sympathy to his family in their bereavement.
In my years of living, giving and serving our human family is the most rewarding achievement. When you walk down the street, the beauty of people's eyes and faces give you so many rewards …
That the order of the day be referred to the Federation Chamber for debate.
That further statements in relation to the death of Colleen Margaretta McCullough AO on 29 January 2015 be permitted in the Federation Chamber.
ABBOTT MINISTRY
23 DECEMBER 2014
Each box represents a portfolio. Cabinet Ministers are shown in bold type. As a general rule, there is one department in each portfolio. However, there is a Department of Human Services in the Social Services portfolio and a Department of Veterans' Affairs in the Defence portfolio. The title of a department does not necessarily reflect the title of a minister in all cases.
We cannot govern ourselves in an internal climate of fear and intimidation. And that is the unacceptable situation we have endured for the past five years.
… RUN considers that the only way the sector can maintain quality and remain internationally competitive is through the deregulation of student fees …
That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the member for Maribyrnong from moving the following motion forthwith:
That this House has no confidence in the Prime Minister.
Has anyone in the ministry ever complained to you about the budget? Have they suggested to you that it was unfair?
Is Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott the most incompetent leader of any industrialized democracy?
Abbott's policies have been all over the map, and the lack of coherence has often made the prime minister seem ill-informed and incapable of understanding complex policy issues.
The House divided. [15:32]
(The Speaker—Hon. Bronwyn Bishop)
Following the introduction of the Coastal Trading Act 2012, BBA faced increased costs from $18.20 a tonne in 2011 to $29.70 in 2012, or a 63 per cent increase.
Biosecurity Bill 2014
Biosecurity (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2014
Quarantine Charges (Imposition—General) Amendment Bill 2014
Quarantine Charges (Imposition—Excise) Amendment Bill 2014
Mr Joyce said his northern venture also allowed him to prepare for impending legislative changes, with a comprehensive redesign of the Biosecurity Act on the table.
"The Biosecurity Act has been sitting with us since Methuselah was a young child," he said.
It’s an incredibly complicated piece of legislation that we have to completely update for 2014.
In the legislative framework, we’re rewriting the whole Act so in essence it takes into account all of the requirements we have … bringing it into the modern world to deal with modern problems—the problems of 1908 are not the problems now.
… the Quarantine Act of 1908 defined quarantinable disease as small pox, plague, cholera, yellow fever, typhus fever, or leprosy. In 1927, encephalitis and mumps were added. Dengue fever was added in 1935 and influenza in 1951.
…from 1947, a person who could not satisfy a quarantine officer that he or she had been successfully vaccinated could be quarantined. There were actual bodily inspections to determine whether passengers had a vaccine scar, from the smallpox vaccine. You could only move from what was understood to be an infected zone into a healthy zone if you had a vaccination scar.
The White Paper will be conducted by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and will report within 12 months. Our White Paper will also provide a clear, well-defined and transparent strategic approach to ensure the agriculture sector remains a significant contributor to the Australian economy and local communities.
the period of time during which a person or animal that has a disease or that might have a disease is kept away from others to prevent the disease from spreading
the situation of being kept away from others to prevent a disease from spreading
The Biosecurity Bill 2014 will provide the primary legislative means and a modern regulatory framework for the Australian government to manage the risks of pests and diseases entering Australian territory and causing harm to animal, plant and human health, the environment and the economy.
In biosecurity luck only happens to those who plan and work hard and with effect.
That this bill be now read a third time.
Biosecurity (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2014
That this bill be now read a third time.
Quarantine Charges (Imposition—General) Amendment Bill 2014
That this bill be now read a third time.
Quarantine Charges (Imposition—Customs) Amendment Bill 2014
That this bill be now read a third time.
Quarantine Charges (Imposition—Excise) Amendment Bill 2014
That this bill be now read a third time.
Australian Citizenship Amendment (Intercountry Adoption) Bill 2014
Crimes Legislation Amendment (Unexplained Wealth and Other Measures) Bill 2014
Higher Education and Research Reform Bill 2014
The problem, as I see it, is that doubtful debt is a cost to the taxpayer but the universities are essentially controlling what that cost is going to be because the doubtful debt is a direct function of the loans that are outstanding and if the universities control what those fees are then that they will ultimately be controlling the levers that determine what that doubtful debt is and what the taxpayers pay. It is akin to a blank cheque being handed from the government to the universities on the matter of doubtful debt.
We know that you expect us to be as frugal and prudent with your money, which we hold on trust from you, as you would be with your own hard-earned savings.
It's not in the interest of students or universities to continue to let this issue drag on.
Our appeal to Senators as they return to Canberra is not to ignore the opportunity they have to negotiate with the Government in amending and passing a legislative package that will position Australia's universities to compete with the world's best …
We will ensure the continuation of the current arrangements of university funding.
We want university students to make their contribution but we are not going to raise fees.
Only through education will Australia fully develop our economic potential, our scientific potential, our artistic potential – our people’s potential.
That is why the Prime Minister’s $5 billion cuts to Higher education are so destructive.
All we can do is cut back on food and go without heating and cooling, when these things are a priority with our age and failing health.
I just turned 70 and unable to work to make up any other money to pay the difference in the rates. Please be considerate of people like myself, I do not want to lose my home at this age, I know that I will not be able to pay the full rate price. Please help us.
I am an 82 year old pensioner and it will cause me real hardship to have my council concession rates cut and taken away. It is hard enough to cope with electricity and gas bills without the government taking the council concessions away. Have a heart.
Prior to the election, promises were made that pensioners would be no worse off. It is reprehensible that these promises are in the course of being broken.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Whiteley ) took the chair at 10:29.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) February is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, which aims to raise awareness among Australian women of the symptoms of ovarian cancer; and
(b) each year 1400 Australian women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and more than 1000 will die from the disease—that is one woman every 8 hours;
(2) notes with concern that the prognosis for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer is generally poor due to the advanced stage of most ovarian cancers at the time of diagnosis;
(3) acknowledges that there is no screening program or detection test for ovarian cancer, and that the Pap smear will not detect the disease;
(4) recognises that:
(a) ovarian cancer is not a silent disease and that all women experience symptoms, even in the early stages of the cancer; and
(b) the four most common symptoms are:
(i) abdominal or pelvic pain;
(ii) increased abdominal size or persistent abdominal bloating;
(iii) needing to urinate often or urgently; and
(iv) difficulty eating or feeling full quickly;
(5) understands that every Australian woman needs to know the symptoms of ovarian cancer; and
(6) notes the need for greater focus on education and additional research funding to help Australian scientists to find early detection markers and more effective treatments for this disease.
The incredible natural glory of the Great Barrier Reef is threatened … I want to come back and I want my daughters to be able to come back and I want them to be able to bring their daughters or sons to visit. And I want that there 50 years from now.
… Australia firmly believes that the property does not warrant inclusion on the list of World Heritage properties in danger.
… the property continued to face a number of significant pressures. It concluded that the overall outlook for the Reef is poor, has worsened since 2009, and is expected to further deteriorate in the future; and that greater reductions of all threats at all levels—Reef-wide, regional and local—are required to prevent the projected declines in the Reef and to improve its capacity to recover.
That this House:
(1) notes:
(a) that the Reclink National Program (RNP) has delivered over 100,000 participation opportunities to thousands of people experiencing disadvantage across Australia, in partnership with over 450 community organisations;
(b) that there is no other organisation in Australia with the expertise, capacity and capability of effectively and efficiently providing over 100,000 participation opportunities every year to the most disenfranchised, disadvantaged and forgotten Australians; and
(c) widespread community concern at the diminishing resources to support people experiencing disadvantage, many of whom have relied upon the RNP for social participation and social inclusion through engagement with sport and recreation programs; and
(2) calls on the Government to reinstate funding to the RNP.
… you saw people living in a lost world, where there seemed no clear pathways to opportunity ... I thought a form of crisis intervention may have been missed ... The street people needed another way of being supported or reached ... What could act as a circuit breaker?
One man was twenty-one when I met him and living in special accommodation. The man was wandering around the streets of St Kilda, and he had severe schizophrenia, and as such found finding employment a challenge—nevertheless, he had a life to live. At this time, he would never have become involved with a mainstream sporting club …
"Peter, I got three kicks!"
This model has brought welfare agencies to successfully work together …
In 1989 while doing street outreach work in St Kilda, I spoke to many people who indicated that their personal issues made access to sport and arts programs difficult.
I could see that the impact of busy minds and bodies helped people to find meaning and direction in their lives. The lack of opportunities at that time was a challenge for these people, who often experienced trauma, boredom, loneliness, anger, depression, feelings of suicide and other personal and sometimes complex issues.
To me, it was important to establish an organisation that brought like minded agencies together as a group, to provide these types of opportunities to their communities and clients and provide valuable advocacy at the same time. Establishing Reclink provided the vehicle for this vision.
Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does … Sport can create hope where once there was only despair.
Wednesday is football and they cannot wait for Wednesday. They belong there; they have a connection there. That is what I needed. I needed that gap filler to get me there.
That this House:
(1) condemns:
(a) 'canned hunting' where animals are raised in captivity for the purpose of being killed in the name of trophy kills; and
(b) the importation of any species (body or part) in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) appendixes I, II or III as a result of a canned hunt;
(2) congratulates the Australian Government for introducing new measures to tighten controls on the trade of rhinoceros to tackle illegal trade of this threatened species;
(3) welcomes Australian Government consideration of actions to improve the protection of African lions by preventing imports of lion trophies obtained through illegal hunting; and
(4) notes that:
(a) the CITES lays down guidelines on the importation of all trophy kills, and the Department of Environment uses this information as its guide in Australia;
(b) although CITES is legally binding on the parties, it does not take the place of national laws; and
(c) as a signatory to CITES, the Australian Government is committed to the protection of wildlife that may be adversely affected by trade.
Endangered species, caged in fright
Shot in cold blood, no chance to fight
The stage is set, now pay the price.
An ego boost, don't think twice
Technology, the battle's unfair
You pull the hammer without a care
Squeeze the trigger that makes you 'Man'
Pseudo-safari, the hunt is canned
'Canned hunting' is a misnomer. More accurately defined as 'shooting animals in small enclosures,' the activity has nothing to do with the motives that inform authentic hunting: procuring healthy, organic food; participating in the timeless cycles of birth, death, and nurturing; honoring the lives that support us; and reconnecting with wildness. No matter where one stands on hunting—vehemently opposed to it or seeing it as yet another way to live sustainably on Earth—one ought to decry shooting animals behind fences.
… a significant increase in trade spend—
from 19.5 per cent of gross sales in 2008-09 to 23.4 per cent in 2011-12 without corresponding increase in volumes has had a … negative impact on profitability.
ADELAIDE, 8 February - For the fourth time in five years, Perth reign supreme atop the pedestal of the Australian Baseball League. The Alcohol. Think Again Perth Heat beat the Adelaide Bite, proudly presented by SA Power Networks, 12-5 in Sunday's third and final game of the ABL Championship Series presented by ConocoPhillips, to take home the Claxton Shield for the second consecutive season.
The series victory had historical implications beyond Perth taking home its fourth title in the five-year existence of the new ABL. With the win, Western Australia moved into a second-place tie with South Australia on the all-time Claxton Shield premiership list. The victory also came one night after Perth leveled the championship series with a tenth-inning win.
"We're a bunch of fighters," Tim Kennelly said. "We've done that for years, so it was good to bounce back with that win."
I also strongly believe that regions which are prepared to innovate and try bold, but well thought through, approaches to difficult challenges will ‘make their own luck’ into the future.
Not only our future economic soundness but the very soundness of our democratic institutions depends on the determination of our Government to give employment to idle men.
(1) What total number of Treasury staff were made involuntarily redundant as a result of the "spill and fill" process conducted in July and August 2014.(2) Were any of the staff deemed excess to his department's requirements (a) on maternity leave or other forms of approved departmental leave at the time of being made involuntarily redundant, if so, how many; and (b) graduate employees who had joined The Treasury in 2014, if so, how many.(3) What is the total combined cost of redundancy packages associated with these involuntary redundancies.
(1) to (3) The majority of staff who were deemed excess as part of Treasury's recent redundancy process, have elected to take up the option of redeployment. While offers of redundancy have been made to these staff, the consideration period for redundancy ran concurrently with the redeployment period, which ran for eight weeks from 25 August 2014. Staff were not required to accept or decline the offer of redundancy until 24 October 2014. As at the time the question was asked, one employee deemed excess had accepted an offer of voluntary redundancy. Given issues of privacy and the potential to identify that individual, it would be inappropriate to provide details of that individual's redundancy package.
(1) Did his department consult with any organisations or individuals before cutting funding for the Building Multicultural Communities Program; if so, (a) which organisations or individuals, (b) on what date were they consulted, and (c) what form did the consultation take; if not, why not.
(2) In respect of the letter referred to on 27 February 2014 by the Deputy Secretary of Families and Communities, which stated that applicants had to return the funding agreement with receipts, (a) can he provide a copy, (b) how many days did applicants have to provide this documentation, and (c) on what date(s) was this letter sent to all applicants.
(1) (a) to (c) No. The whole of government review of grant spending was led by the Department of Finance.
(2) (a) See attached Letter of Offer for Stream 1 grants. Available from the House of Representatives Table Office
(b) As above in (2) (a).
(c) Letters were date stamped 5 August 2013 and posted between 20 August 2013 and 27 August 2013.
When will the (a) Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and (b) Special Broadcasting Services (SBS) Board, vacancies be filled, including the role of Chairman of the SBS which has been vacant since 27 March 2014?
(1) Under the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 (ABC Act) and the Special Broadcasting Service Act 1991 (SBS Act), a merit-based appointment process must be followed before the appointment of non-executive Directors, including the Chairperson, to the ABC and SBS Boards by the Governor-General.
(2) Under section 24F of the ABC Act, the Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet appoints a four person independent nomination panel to assess potential candidates for the ABC and SBS Boards against the selection criteria on the basis of merit.
(3) Under section 24B of the ABC Act and section 43 of the SBS Act, the Panel conducts the assessment process for ABC and SBS Board vacancies and then provides a written report to the Minister for Communications on the outcome of the process and a recommendation of at least three candidates per vacancy (in the case of the ABC Chairperson this report is given to the Prime Minister).
(4) For the current vacancies (one ABC non-executive director, the SBS Chairperson and one SBS non-executive director), the Panel has conducted the selection process and provided its written report to the Minister for Communications.
(5) The Government is currently considering the report's recommendations and will finalise the appointments to the ABC and SBS Boards in due course.
In respect of hospitality since 7 September 2013, has the Minister's department paid for any function to introduce to the department (a) the Minister, (b) the Minister's staff, and where applicable, each (c) junior Minister (including Assistant Ministers), (d) junior (and Assistant) Minister's staff, (e) Parliamentary Secretary, and (f) Parliamentary Secretary's staff; if so, at what cost.
Unlike the former government, the Prime Minister believes it is important to thank officials in his Department for their hard work, particularly given the tumultuous final year of the former government when they served three different Prime Ministers.
Since 7 September 2013 (a) how many departmental officials have been seconded to the; (i) Minister's office, and where applicable, each; (ii) junior Minister's office (including Assistant Ministers); and (iii) Parliamentary Secretary's office; (b) for how long; and (c) at what level.
Since September 2013 the Department of Human Services has provided two Departmental Liaison Officers to the Minister's office at the EL1 level. A number of departmental staff at varying levels were temporarily in the Minister's office during the transition to government and departmental staff have also assisted in the Minister's office for short periods of less than 12 weeks to cover leave and vacant positions.
In respect of media monitoring and clipping services in the financial periods since 7 September 2013, (a) what sum has been spent on such services engaged by (i) the Minister ' s office, and where applicable, each (ii) junior Minister (including Assistant Ministers), and (iii) Parliamentary Secretary, and (b) what was the (i) name, and (ii) postal address, of each media monitoring company engaged by each of these offices.
(a) Portfolio Ministerial offices access the same media monitoring as the Department of Education and costs are not attributed separately. As a means of managing the machinery of government transition to stand alone departments (announced on 18 September 2013) the departments of Employment and Education shared arrangements for media monitoring until 30 June 2014. It is not possible to disaggregate expenditure between the two departments. For the 2013-14 financial year, the shared media monitoring expenditure was $699,321.99 (GST exclusive). Media monitoring expenditure for the Department of Education from 1 July 2014 to 30 September 2014 was $213,302.33 (GST exclusive).
(b) (i) (ii) The two media monitoring providers' details are:
a. Australian Associated Press (AAP),
PO Box 3411 Rhodes Waterside, Rhodes NSW 2138
b. iSentia (formerly Media Monitors Pty Ltd),
131 Canberra Avenue, Griffith ACT 2603
In 2013-14, how many Commonwealth grants were approved by the Minister's department, and at what total cost, and of these, how many recipients have (a) signed funding agreements, and at what total cost, and (b) received payment, and at what total cost.
The 2013-14 Commonwealth grants approved by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet have been published on the Department's website.
In 2013-14, how many Commonwealth grants were approved by the Minister's department, and at what total cost, and of these, how many recipients have (a) signed funding agreements, and at what total cost, and (b) received payment, and at what total cost
The Department of the Treasury approved one grant in 2013-14 at a total cost of $2,500. This grant is supported by a signed funding agreement at a total cost of $2,500. The grant recipient received a total payment of $2,500 in 2013-14.
In 2013-14, how many Commonwealth grants were approved by the Minister's department, and at what total cost, and of these, how many recipients have (a) signed funding agreements, and at what total cost, and (b) received payment, and at what total cost.
Most grants are approved by the Minister however grants approved by the Department are reported in the table below:
Since 7 September 2013, In respect of departmental staff overseas travel since 7 September 2013, what (a) was the total cost, (b) is the breakdown of this cost ie, airfares, accommodation, hospitality, official passports and minor incidentals, and (c) was the travel for.
(a) was the total cost, $2,102,106.87
(b) breakdown of costs
(c) To provide further detail would involve an unreasonable diversion of departmental resources.
Since 7 September 2013, how many corporate credit cards have been issued to departmental staff, and what is the total cost of all transactions made on them.
176. The total cost was $292,302.
Since 7 September 2013 and excluding payments associated with the change of government, per Ministerial office, (a) what is the total cost of ministerial staff separation payments, and (b) how many ministerial staff resignations have been tendered.
(a) For the period 7 September 2013 to 22 September 2014, the total cost of ministerial staff separation payments, i.e. severance benefits payable to staff whose employment is terminated, is $168,331.01, excluding leave entitlements.
(b) For the period 7 September 2013 to 22 September 2014, 34 ministerial staff resigned.
According to the detailed design, what proportion (as a percentage) is the aerial component of the following fibre serving area modules expected to be: (a) 7BEV-02, (b) 7BEV-03, (c) 7BEV-04, (d) 7BEV-05, (e) 7GEW-02, (f) 7HOB-06, (g) 7HOB-07, (h) 7KIN-02, (i) 7KIN-04, (j) 7KIN-05, (k) 7LAU-05, (l) 7LAU-06, (m) 7LAU-07, (n) 7LAU-08, (o) 7LAU-09, (p) 7NWT-01, (q) 7SHL-02, (r) 7SHL-03, (s) 7SOE-01.
The percentage of premises designed to be connected via an aerial lead in for the mentioned FSAMs are listed below.
In which publications has the new position of Chief Executive Officer of Infrastructure Australia been advertised.
The Board agreed to continue Mr John Fitzgerald as Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for an interim period. The position of CEO is the responsibility of the new Board of Infrastructure Australia. I understand the executive recruitment firm Korn Ferry has been engaged to oversee the search for candidates for the role and that the position has been advertised in the national press.
In respect of a statement by the Minister's department on 18 September 2014 claiming that Telstra staff will be taking up to 200 jobs in Centrelink and Medicare call centres, (a) how many (i) permanent employees, (ii) employees working pursuant to fixed contracts, (iii) part time employees, and (iv) casual employees, are currently engaged at the Centrelink and the Medicare call centre located in Tweed Heads South, and (b) how many people will lose their jobs from the Centrelink and Medicare call centre located in Tweed Heads South.
(a) As at 31 October 2014, the Department of Human Services (the department) had the following employee headcount located in Tweed Heads South:
(i) Ongoing (permanent) – 256
(ii) The department does not employ staff on fixed term contracts. As at 31 October 2014 there were 59 non‑ongoing employees.
(iii) Ongoing and non-ongoing part time employees – 138
(iv) Intermittent and Irregular (casual) employees – 42
(b) There will be no job losses at the Tweed Heads Smart Centre as a result of the proposal to engage Telstra.
In respect of a statement by the Minister's department on 18 September 2014 claiming that Telstra staff will be taking up to 200 jobs in Centrelink and Medicare call centres, (a) what guarantees will be provided that current pay rates and working conditions will not be diminished for those call centre staff retaining employment, (b) will Telstra be able to (i) use third party call centre operators as it does with its own call centre network, and (ii) relocate offshore the call centre work that it will undertake on the behalf of Centrelink and Medicare, (c) what actions will be undertaken by the Minister's department and Telstra to guarantee the security of personal and medical information currently held by Centrelink and Medicare in the event that call centre services are transferred to Telstra, and (d) what restrictions will be implemented to ensure that the personal and confidential records of Centrelink and Medicare clients will be protected to mitigate against potential fraud.
(a) The setting of pay rates and conditions for departmental employees is done through the Enterprise Agreement and cannot be impacted or changed by this proposal to partner with Telstra. The department will continue to adhere to the terms and conditions outlined in the Enterprise Agreement.
(b) Telstra will:
(i) determine if they use a third party provider or Telstra employees;
(ii) not be able to relocate offshore the work that it will undertake.
(c) Maintaining the safety and security of customers' personal information is of the utmost importance to the department. Should the arrangement proceed, the department would include within the contract arrangements with Telstra, appropriate controls to ensure the ongoing integrity of the department's customer information. This would include ensuring that a condition in the contract specifies that individuals employed by Telstra are subject to the same standards, integrity and privacy requirements as Department of Human Services (DHS) employees.
(d) The department has excellent systems to ensure the integrity of customer data and these same systems will apply to the proposed arrangement. This includes mechanisms to mitigate potential fraud activity.
In respect of his media release dated 10 September 2014 regarding Western Australian infrastructure investment, quoting a figure of 11.7 per cent for Western Australia's share of federal infrastructure spending, (a) how was this figure calculated, (b) what sources were used to calculate this figure, and (c) for which period will this figure apply.
Information regarding the Australian Government's record infrastructure investment programme can be found on the Department's website.
(1) Is the Minister aware: (a) that between September 2013 and May 2014, the Toowoomba home of Ms Heather Brown-Pascoe, a nationally renowned campaigner to save prime farm land, has been burgled on three occasions; (b) that Ms Brown-Pascoe was the leading columnist in The Australian, is from a four generation farming family and currently runs Queensland's major horse stud; (c) that during these break-ins, computers, laptops and filing cabinets of both Ms Brown-Pascoe and her husband, containing material relating to government business and political figures, were potentially accessed and that property has been stolen and information purloined; (d) of the fact that an insurance company has paid out for the losses from this break in provide proof that the break in and thefts occurred; (e) that Ms Brown-Pascoe and her husband were advised by their security team that the threat to their safety was real and escalating and arson was possible and under such advice they vacated their home; and (f) that despite considerable evidence, Ms Brown-Pascoe and her husband have hardly heard from the police and in fact no one is aware of any evidence that the police are even carrying out an investigation.
(2) Has the Minister had any contact with Queensland Police or relevant state Ministers regarding this matter.
(3) Is the Minister aware of any communications on this issue between Queensland Police and either State or Federal Ministers; if so, what was the nature of such contact and any discussions which may have occurred.
A written response to Qu estion in Writing No. 490 has been forwarded directly to the office of Mr Katter on 2 October 2014. A copy of the l etter can be obt ained from the House of Representatives Table Office .
(1) Is the Minister aware: (a) that between September 2013 and May 2014, the Toowoomba home of Ms Heather Brown-Pascoe, a nationally renowned campaigner to save prime farm land, has been burgled on three occasions; (b) that Ms Brown-Pascoe was the leading columnist in The Australian, is from a four generation farming family and currently runs Queensland's major horse stud; (c) that during these break-ins, computers, laptops and filing cabinets of both Ms Brown-Pascoe and her husband, containing material relating to government business and political figures, were potentially accessed and that property has been stolen and information purloined; (d) of the fact that an insurance company has paid out for the losses from this break in provide proof that the break in and thefts occurred; (e) that Ms Brown-Pascoe and her husband were advised by their security team that the threat to their safety was real and escalating and arson was possible and under such advice they vacated their home; and (f) that despite considerable evidence, Ms Brown-Pascoe and her husband have hardly heard from the police and in fact no one is aware of any evidence that the police are even carrying out an investigation.
(2) Has the Minister had any contact with Queensland Police or relevant state Ministers regarding this matter.
(3) Is the Minister aware of any communications on this issue between Queensland Police and either State or Federal Ministers; if so, what was the nature of such contact and any discussions which may have occurred.
A written response to Question in Writing No. 491 has been forwarded directly to the office of Mr Katter on 2 October 2014. A copy of the l etter can be obt ained from the House of Representatives Table Office .
(1) In respect of the Federal Court decision in Serana (WA) Pty Ltd v Mignaccu-Randazzo SM [2014] FCA 120, is he aware that
(a) there was a serious question as to the accuracy of, inter alia, an affidavit by Mr Andrew Baxter, an officer of his department, dated 10 December 2013 and relied on by a magistrate in issuing a search warrant,
(b) in a subsequent affidavit dated 24 January 2014, Mr Baxter sought to explain the application for a search warrant by reference to a series of emails he purported to have seen and certain words contained in those emails,
(c) in a further affidavit dated 4 February 2014, Mr Baxter said that the emails referred to in his affidavit of 24 January 2014 had not contained the words he relied on, rather they were the words of an informant/complainant,
(d) there was a prima facie case that the search warrant issued on reliance of Mr Baxter's 10 December 2013 affidavit was unlawfully issued,
(e) it was Mr Baxter who was the 'true decision-maker' and not Mr Christopher Burleigh, another officer of his department, who sought advice and decided that a quarantine order should be made,
(f) there was 'no evidentiary basis to ground the suspicion' purported by Mr Baxter as justifying the decision to make a quarantine order,
(g) a quarantine order made in the course of a search executed on authority of that warrant issued by that magistrate was, prima facie, unlawfully made,
(g) despite having seized and held for two months approximately 7000 litres of bovine serum, his department was 'not able to produce in evidence one document that supported the suspicion that the applicant had imported serum from a non-foot-and-mouth disease-free country', and
(h) despite having stated in its application for a search warrant that Serana was suspected of importing and blending serum from non-foot-and-mouth disease-free countries since September 2008, his department adduced no evidence in support of that allegation.
(2) Has there been an investigation into the actions of his departmental officials in their preparation for and conduct of these proceedings; if so, what were the results of the investigation; if not, why not.
(1) I am aware that the Federal Court considered the issue of a warrant granted to the department in relation to Serana. I am also aware of the broader circumstances of the matter. As you are aware, court proceedings were settled by both parties prior to a final hearing. The Judge noted during proceedings, as reflected in the transcript, the court did not have the benefit of all available evidence.
(2) The department has conducted inquiries into the actions of departmental officials in their preparation for and conduct of these proceedings. The inquiries did not identify any evidence of deliberate wrong doing.
(1) For how long has Mr Andrew Baxter been employed in his department.
(2) What positions has Mr Baxter held within his department.
(3) What qualifications are required for the position of Chief Investigating Officer (CIO).
(4) What investigating background did Mr Baxter have in order to obtain the position of CIO.
(5) Is Mr Baxter still employed by his department; if not, (a) when was his employment terminated, and (b) under what circumstances was he terminated.
(1) Mr Baxter was employed with the department from 29 April 2013 to 16 September 2014.
(2) Mr Baxter held one position within the department, that of Regional Investigations Manager within the Central East Region.
(3) There is no such position as the 'Chief Investigating Officer' in the Department of Agriculture.
(4) See response to (3) above.
(5) Mr Baxter resigned from the department, taking effect on16 September 2014. His resignation was based on personal circumstances and was not connected with this or any other operational matter.
What is the total cost to his department of the investigation into Serana (WA) Pty Ltd, and what is the breakdown for (a) court proceedings (including costs awarded against his department), (b) commercial (i) airfares, (ii) car hire, and (iii) accommodation, and (c) charter aircraft between Perth and Bunbury.
As at 27 November 2014, the total costs of the Serana investigation were as follows:
(a) Court proceedings totalled $220 169.71. This included legal fees and settlement costs.
(b) (i) Airfare costs for a total of 20 return flights to Perth, Melbourne, Hobart and Canberra $ 8 032.29
(ii) Car hire costs for two vehicles to travel return from Perth to Bunbury $481.83
(iii) Accommodation costs for total of 20 trips to Perth, Melbourne, Hobart and Canberra where overnight accommodation was required $6 855.25
Other costs include freight costs for the transportation of evidence totalling $1896.75:
(c) The department did not charter an aircraft between Perth and Bunbury.
(1) How many representations have been made to his office in respect of the handling of the Serana (WA) Pty Ltd investigation by his department, and on what date was the first representation made to his office.
(2) What action did he take to ensure that departmental officers were not behaving in an unfair way during the investigation, and did he, as part of this process, acquaint himself with the rulings and decisions of the Federal Court dated 20 February 2014.
(3) In light of the Federal Court's concern about the truth of the contents of the affidavits of Mr Andrew Baxter dated 10 December 2013 and 24 January 2014, what action has been taken to review Mr Baxter's conduct in providing sworn evidence that was at the very least inaccurate.
(1) The Department does not hold this information.
(2) The Department does not hold this information.
(3) The errors in Mr Baxter's affidavit were genuine mistakes made unintentionally and identified by Mr Baxter himself. No investigation was commenced into the conduct of the sworn evidence.
In respect of the current investigation into the alleged disclosure of confidential information about Serana (WA) Pty Ltd being provided to third parties, (a) on what date did it commence, (b) when is it anticipated to be concluded, and (c) who is conducting it.
(a) The investigation commenced on 14 October 2014.
(b) It is anticipated the investigation will be concluded in the first quarter of the 2015 calendar year.
(c) The investigation is being conducted by qualified investigators in my department's Fraud and Security Section.
Since7 September 2013 to 30 June 2014, what training has been provided for (a) Executive, and (b) Senior Executive Service, level departmental officials, and what (i) total sum has the Minister's Department spent, and (ii) is the breakdown in cost, for such training.
(a) and (ii) Training attended by Executive Level staff and cost breakdown
(b) and (ii) Training attended by Senior Executive Level staff and cost breakdown
(i) Total estimated sum spent = $358,716
Since 7 September 2013 to 30 June 2014, what training has been provided for (a) Executive, and (b) Senior Executive Service, level departmental officials, and what (i) total sum has the Minister's department spent, and (ii) is the breakdown in cost, for such training.
Total expenditure from the department's centralised Learning and Development budget for corporate training for Executive Level and Senior Executive Service officials between 7 September 2013 and 30 June 2014 is $4,682,919. This includes $764,419 for Leadership and Management skills training, $522,942 for Public Sector skills training and $3,395,558 for Language training.
Between 7 September 2012 and 30 June 2013, DFAT's expenditure on the same activities was $3,581,163. AusAID spent a further $3.6 million on learning and development in financial year 2012-13.
Since 7 September 2013 to 30 June 2014, what training has been provided for (a) Executive, and (b) Senior Executive Service, level departmental officials, and what (i) total sum has the Minister's department spent, and (ii) is the breakdown in cost, for such training.
See the answer to Question on Notice BE14/163 for information relating to the period from Supplementary Budget Estimates in November 2013 to 29 May 2014. The attachment is available from the House of Representatives Table Office . Providing further information to cover the period from 7 September 2013 to 30 June 2014 would involve an unreasonable diversion of resources.
Since 7 September 2013 to 30 June 2014, what training has been provided for (a) Executive, and (b) Senior Executive Service, level departmental officials, and what (i) total sum has the Minister's department spent, and (ii) is the breakdown in cost, for such training.
Training that has been provided to Executive level and Senior Executive Service level employees for the period 7 September 2013-30 June 2014, including a breakdown of costs is at Attachment A.
The total expenditure for training provided during this period was $923 511.
In addition to the training outlined in Attachment A, the department has in place a Mandatory Learning Policy which required all staff to complete the following seven eLearning modules by 30 June 2014:
Attachment A
*As part of the Memorandum of Understanding with the National Security College the Department made an annual contribution of $55,000 for the 2013-14 financial year. This provided access to 7 training programs during the financial year.
Since 7 September 2013 to 30 June 2014, what training has been provided for (a) Executive, and (b) Senior Executive Service, level departmental officials, and what (i) total sum has the Minister ' s department spent, and (ii) is the breakdown in cost, for such training.
Details of the 'executive coaching and/or other leadership training services' purchased by the Department of Education (the department) during the period were provided in the response to Questions on Notice ED0102_14 and ED0132_15.
The department has also provided other corporately run training programmes during the period although access to these programmes was not limited to EL and SES level employees only.
Details of these training programmes are outlined below:
In addition, during the period one EL level employee commenced in the Executive Masters in Public Administration (EMPA) programme delivered by the Australian and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG). The total cost of this programme was $43,877.80 (GST Inclusive).
Individuals may also have received training as part of their individual performance and development agreements but this is managed by line areas and information is not collected centrally.
Since 7 September 2013 to 30 June 2014, what training has been provided for (a) Executive, and (b) Senior Executive Service, level departmental officials, and what (i) total sum has the Minister's department spent, and (ii) is the breakdown in cost, for such training.
For detail on training for the Executive and SES Officers provided by Department for the period 7 September 2013 to 30 June 2014 please refer to Questions on Notice SI-176, AI-53 and BI-53 available at: http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Senate_Estimates/economicsctte/estimates/index.
Since 7 September 2013 to 30 June 2014, what training has been provided for (a) Executive, and (b) Senior Executive Service, level departmental officials, and what (i) total sum has the Minister's department spent, and (ii) is the breakdown in cost, for such training.
The information available can be found in the answer to 2014-15 Budget Estimates question number 941.
To answer this question further would require an unreasonable diversion of resources.
Since 7 September 2013 to 30 June 2014, what training has been provided for: (a) Executive; and (b) Senior Executive Service level departmental officials; and what (i) total sum has the Minister's department spent; and what (ii) is the breakdown in cost, for such training.
The department has 3,538 substantive Executive Level employees. Data would need to be manually extracted to provide this level of detail. This would be an unreasonable diversion of departmental resources.
The department provides a range of internal training programmes for Senior Executive Service Level department officials in areas such as Privacy and Secrecy provisions, Financial Management, Code of Conduct and Occupational Health and Safety provisions. The costs associated with the delivery of these internal programmes are not actively recorded. The total centrally recorded cost of Senior Executive Service Level external training during this period was $148,790.
The breakdown in cost for such externally provided training is as follows:
Since 7 September 2013 to 30 June 2014, what training has been provided for (a) Executive, and (b) Senior Executive Service, level departmental officials, and what (i) total sum has the Minister's department spent, and (ii) is the breakdown in cost, for such training.
(i) The total cost of training activities between 7 September 2013 and 30 June 2014 is $283,074 (GST exclusive).
(ii) The breakdown in cost for these activities is:
*Note: Costs of centrally managed training only. Training for Executive Level staff is managed within Divisions based on the specific needs of those areas.
Since 7 September 2013 to 30 June 2014, what training has been provided for (a) Executive, and (b) Senior Executive Service, level departmental officials, and what (i) total sum has the Minister's department spent, and (ii) is the breakdown in cost, for such training.
The responses are provided from 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014, as it would be too resource intensive to provide from 7 September 2013.
Whilst most training provided to departmental staff is centrally recorded, some is managed by individual business areas. It would be too resource intensive to provide information on these individual programs.
See Table 1 for centrally recorded training provided to (a) Executive and (b) Senior Executive Service level departmental officials:
(i) The total sum spent on this training was $445,034.09.
(ii) The breakdown in cost for such training is provided in Table 1.
Table 1 – Centrally recorded training provided to Executive and Senior Executive Service level departmental officials from 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014
Since 7 September 2013 can he list all trips undertaken by ministers accompanied by their spouse where the spouse (a) was not invited by a foreign government or host organisation, and (b) did not have an official program of events separate to that of the Minister; and what was the cost of each trip in parts (a) and (b).
Unlike the previous government, the Prime Minister has set out his expectations to Ministers in relation to Commonwealth funded overseas travel, including the cessation of taxpayer funded first class travel that occurred under the previous government. Any spouse travel should be an exception, not the rule, and will usually only be approved if costs are met personally by the Minister and accompanying spouse.
The final costs of international travel by ministers are reported to the Department of Finance and published every 6 months on the department's website at: http://www.finance.gov.au/publications/parliamentarians-reporting/.
Since 7 September 2013 can the Minister provide details as to the use of all consultants within his/her department, including reasons for engaging their services, and the costs involved.
Details of consultancies valued over the reporting threshold of $10,000 undertaken since 7 September 2013 are published on AusTender (www.tenders.gov.au). Consultancies valued under this reporting threshold are not recorded centrally.
Since 7 September 2013 can the Minister provide details as to the use of all consultants within his/her department, including reasons for engaging their services, and the costs involved.
Information is published on: www.austender.gov.au.
Since 7 September 2013 can the Minister provide details as to the use of all consultants within his department, including reasons for engaging their services, and the costs involved.
Information on consultancies is available on the AusTender website at www.tenders.gov.au.
Since 7 September 2013 can the Minister provide details as to the use of all consultants within his/her department, including reasons for engaging their services, and the costs involved.
Details of relevant consultancies undertaken by the Department of Industry since 7 September 2013 are available at www.tenders.gov.au.
Since 7 September 2013 can the Minister provide details as to the use of all consultants within his/her department, including reasons for engaging their services, and the costs involved.
Details of consultancies undertaken by the Department of Social Services valued at $10,000 or more since 7 September 2013 are publically available on the AusTender internet site (https://www.tenders.gov.au/)
Details of consultancies valued below $10,000 entered into between 07 September 2013 and 21 October 2014 are listed in Table 1.
The information published on AusTender and listed in Table 1 does not include consultancies transferred to other departments as a result of Machinery of Government changes.
Table 1 —DSS consultancies undertaken since 7 September 2013 valued at less than $10,000
Since 7 September 2013 can the Minister provide details as to the use of all consultants within his/her department, including reasons for engaging their services, and the costs involved?
The Department of Human Services had seven consultancy contracts in use between 7 September 2013 and 21 October 2014 as follows:
Since 7 September 2013 can the Minister provide details as to the use of all consultants within his/her department, including reasons for engaging their services, and the costs involved.
There were 299 consultancy contracts recorded as active within the period 7 September 2013 to 30 June 2014. A listing of the Department of Health's consultancies valued at $10,000 (GST Inclusive) or more, including the name of the consultant, consultancy description and reason, cost and the method of procurement (ie open tender, direct source, etc) is publicly available on the AusTender website at the following link:
https://www.tenders.gov.au/?event=public.app.view&appuuid=78766E81-C367-21AA-66C74C6FE98ED22D
This information can be obtained in the Department of Veteran's Affairs Annual Report and on the AusTender website www.tenders.gov.au.
In respect of the Strategic Centre for Leadership, Learning and Development, can he provide the details (a) for contract CN2564751 for a Memorandum of Understanding, (b) on the use for the Centre, including the specific need for the Centre, and (c) on the $93,200 contract for the Centre.
(a) Austender notice CN2564751 reported on the Memorandum of Understanding between Austrade and the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) in relation to funding for the Strategic Centre for Leadership, Learning and Development and a review of the Workplace Relations Framework.
The Memorandum of Understanding was dated 18 August 2011 and provides funding for the APSC to undertake a body of fee-for-service activities on behalf of the Australian Public Service (APS) during the period 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2016.
Under the funding model outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding, each APS agency employing more than 200 staff contributes funding to the APSC for this set of activities.
The arrangement was supported by the Secretaries Board and aims to realise benefits for the APS by taking a more strategic, service-wide collaborative approach to enable agencies to secure economies of scale or efficiencies in relation to the services activities detailed in the Memorandum of Understanding.(
(b) Under the Memorandum of Understanding, services to be provided by the APSC include:
(c) The amount in Contract CN2564751 is the estimated amount, not what has actually been paid to date.
The $93,200 contract value reported for the five year period was calculated based on the contributions for an agency with 500-999 employees.
Austrade has paid $71,400 to date, excluding GST.
(1) In respect of the Productivity Commission recommendation in August 2011 for the establishment of the National Injury Insurance Scheme (NIIS) with four streams, (a) motor accident, (b) workplace accidents, (c) medical treatment accidents, and (d) general accidents, (i) what progress has been made so far in the development of the four NIIS streams, and (ii) has a minimum benchmark been established in all four streams. (2) How will the NIIS build on and interact with existing state and territory accident compensation schemes, and does the introduction of the NIIS mean that these existing state schemes are no longer viable. (3) Do the states and territories have any flexibility in respect of the implementation of the NIIS; if so, what happens if a jurisdiction does not fully meet the minimum benchmarks set by the NIIS. (4) What is the long term plan for the NIIS, and will it eventually completely replace all existing state and territory accident compensation schemes.
(1) to (4) Significant progress has been made in relation to the NIIS.
(1) Did he refuse to grant Livestock Shipping Services (LSS) from 13 to 21 October 2014 for either Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) approval or an export permit for a shipment to Israel and Jordan, then Kuwait, in respect of the Maysora livestock vessel that recently departed Adelaide for Fremantle and Qatar.
(2) Has his department taken evidence in respect of ESCAS breaches by LSS to the Department of Public Prosecution for assessment.
(3) When will his department conclude its investigations into complaints of ESCAS breaches in Gaza lodged between February and July 2014.
(4) How many (a) investigators does his department have in its Investigations and Enforcement Unit, and (b) investigations into allegations of ESCAS breaches are yet to commence.
(1) No.
(2) It is not appropriate to comment on matters that may or may not be under assessment with the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.
(3) It is difficult to estimate when both regulatory and criminal investigations into complaints of ESCAS breaches in Gaza will be concluded. There are a number of issues and stakeholders to consider with a large volume of information to analyse and subsequent enquiries to be conducted. ESCAS investigations typically take several months to complete partly due to (in addition to the large volumes of information) evidence and witnesses being located overseas. The investigations are ongoing.
(4) (a) The department has 41 staff in the investigations unit.
(b) All allegations received relating to possible ESCAS breaches, whether it be of a criminal or regulatory compliance nature, are currently in progress.
28 October 2014:
Will the final route of WestConnex be determined by the New South Wales Government or the winner of a tender process.
The final route of WestConnex will be determined by the New South Wales Government and will be informed by the tender process.
What conditions has the Australian Government placed on payment of further funds to the New South Wales Government for the WestConnex project, and what milestones apply to (a) Stage 1, (b) Stage 2, and (c) Stage 3.
The New South Wales Government must comply with the conditions set out in the National Partnership
Agreement signed on 10 October 2014 and the associated Notes on Administration. Both of these documents are available on the Department's website.
Payment milestones for WestConnex are yet to be determined.
What assurances does the Australian Government require about the level of consultation with affected communities in respect of (a) Stage 1, (b) Stage 2, and (c) Stage 3, of the WestConnex project.
The WestConnex Delivery Authority (WDA) is implementing a community consultation programme, details of which are contained on the WestConnex website at www.westconnex.com.au. Departmental officials monitor and keep updated on those consultation activities.
(1) Is she aware (a) that in 2015 the United Nations is scheduled to announce the Sustainable Development Goals, a set of international objectives to improve global well-being, and (b) that the French Government's 2008 Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress concluded that GDP is dangerously inadequate as a measure of quality of life, and (c) of 'The Future We Want', the declaration of the 2012 Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development agreed to by all United Nations Member States, which reached the same conclusion.
(2) What action is the Australian Government taking to assist in (a) the development of the Sustainable Development Goals, and (b) providing broader indicators of social performance than GDP.
(1) (a) Yes.
(b) Yes.
(c) Yes.
(2) (a) See departmental response to Question on Notice 472 of Budget Estimates 2014 15.
(b) The Australian Government is committed to the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which include a range of indicators of social performance in poverty, education, health and gender equality, as well as economic indicators.
In respect of the visit to the home of Serana (WA) Pty Ltd employee Ms Jigal Mistry by Mr Andrew Baxter and another gentleman, (a) will he identify the second person, and (b) was the second person a departmental officer; if so, what was his position; if not, why did he accompany Mr Baxter to Ms Mistry's home.
(a) Only departmental officers conduct investigations. Mr Baxter was accompanied by Senior Investigator Mark Hannigan.
(b) Refer to response a.
In respect of the Federal Court's finding on 20 February 2014 that the search warrant obtained by his department against Serana (WA) Pty Ltd was unlawfully issued because of concern over the truthfulness of affidavits sworn by Mr Andrew Baxter on 10 December 2013 and 24 January 2014, what action has been taken to review Mr Baxter's conduct in providing sworn evidence that was, at the very least, inaccurate.
Please see response to Question No 499 (3).
In respect of the matter of Serana (WA) Pty Ltd serums quarantined following his department's raid of Serena's Bunbury premises in December 2013, (a) can his department explain why no testing of the quarantined serum was made for two months, and then tested only after his department's failure to test was queried by the Court during the Federal Court proceeding, (b) when the test results on the quarantined Serana serum were returned showing no evidence of material from banned countries, did his department review the need to continue its aggressive investigation of this company, and (c) what was the outcome of the investigation into the serums.
(a) The department was willing to return all of the serum as soon as it could have confidence that the serum's provenance (where it was sourced from) meant it was unlikely to pose a threat to Australia's biosecurity. To achieve this, the department provided Serana the opportunity to establish provenance of labelled and unlabelled serum on numerous occasions. Serana subsequently failed to provide sufficient evidence to show that the serum came from countries recognised as free from foot and mouth disease. Following this the department sought out a test that, when combined with documentary evidence, provided sufficient assurances. Labelled serum held by the department was returned in accordance with court orders and the unlabelled serum was returned after the department received the test results. All physical property was returned by mid April 2014.
(b) It is not appropriate to comment on a current investigation.
(c) It is not appropriate to comment on a current investigation.
In respect of the Reasons of Judgement of the Federal Court proceedings between Serana (WA) Pty Ltd and various departmental officers, where the judge said he inferred that the information on which the investigation was made was obtained from a competitor of the applicant, with his department denying in subsequent statements that this was the source, can his department clarify the source of information that led to this enquiry.
A formal investigation into the potential contravention of Australian quarantine law was initiated. It was initiated based on information arising from a biosecurity product tracing process after the department received information about potential biosecurity risks associated with imported bovine serum. I am advised that the department confirms that the source of the information to the department was not a competitor.
In respect of a press release dated 29 October 2014 where he said that about $545 million is committed in 2014-15 to initiatives for multicultural communities, can he list the (a) specific initiatives, and (b) funding allocated to each initiative.
These initiatives include settlement services for migrants and humanitarian entrants, delivered under the Humanitarian Settlement Services programme, Complex Case Support programme and grants for settlement services.
Funding is also allocated for Diversity and Social Cohesion and Multicultural Arts and Festivals grants, to support multicultural communities; the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters; and the Federation of Ethnic Communities Council of Australia.
The amount of $545 million includes the total of the Settlement Services line item, and around $8 million of theStrengthening Communities line item, listed on page 98 of the 2014-15 Portfolio Budget Statements for the Department of Social Services.
Is the Minister aware of the latest Small Area Labour Markets (June Quarter 2014) figures, which show that unemployment in Melbourne's inner northern suburbs has been increasing rapidly since the 2013 election of the Government.
The Minister is aware of employment data for Melbourne.
In addition, the Minister notes that while historical Small Area Labour Market data are only available back to December 2012, the unemployment rate in the ABS Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4) of Melbourne – Inner (the SA4 within which the majority of Melbourne's inner northern suburbs fall) rose from 3.3 per cent in November 2007 to 6.6 per cent in September 2013, before increasing to 6.7 per cent in October 2014. It is noted that the Honourable Member did not express any concern for the doubling of the unemployment rate under the government of which he was a member.
It is clear that some Australian regions are currently experiencing difficult labour market conditions, which is why the Government is implementing a multi-faceted strategy that will create jobs through a strong economy, whilst ensuring that job seekers have the skills, support and incentives to take up these jobs. The Government's Economic Action Strategy will get the economic fundamentals right, reduce red tape, and boost investment which will create confidence in the economy and support employers to create jobs.
The Government recognises that job creation needs to be matched by measures that ensure that job seekers have the skills employers need, which is why it has announced changes to employment services which commence in July 2015. These changes will reinvigorate employment services for job seekers and employers and deliver a system that is more responsive and focused on results. Combined with reforms to vocational education and training, job seekers will be work ready, ensuring that Australia's workforce is skilled and flexible.
It is regrettable that the Honourable Member is opposed to almost every job creating measure that this Government has brought forward. He may care to explain to his electorate why he would rather rising unemployment in his electorate than job creating policies.
(1) Is the Minister aware that unemployment in the City of Moreland, Melbourne, increased from 6.8 per cent in September 2013 to 8.0 per cent in June 2014.(2) Is the Minister aware that since the 2013 change of government, unemployment in the City of Moreland suburb of Coburg, has risen from 8.5 per cent to 10 per cent, and that unemployment in the City of Moreland suburbs of Brunswick and Fawkner, has also climbed by around 1.5 per cent to be 9 per cent.(3) What action is the Government taking to reverse the rising trend in unemployment in the City of Moreland.
(1) and (2). Yes. The Minister can advise that he has not received any representations from the Honourable Member on this matter.
The Minister also notes that while historical Small Area Labour Market data at the LGA level are only available back to December 2012, the unemployment rate in the two ABS Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4s) within which the City of Moreland falls (Melbourne – Inner and Melbourne – North West) increased significantly over the period November 2007 to September 2013 (up by 3.2 percentage points to 6.6 per cent and 3.1 percentage points to 7.0 per cent, respectively). Further, over the period September 2013 to October 2014, the unemployment rate in Melbourne – Inner has increased by 0.1 percentage point to stand at 6.7 per cent, while the unemployment rate in Melbourne – North West has remained steady, at 7.0 per cent. It is also noted that the Honourable Member did not express any concern under the former government where the unemployment rate almost doubled.
(3). It is clear that some Australian regions are currently experiencing difficult labour market conditions, which is why the Government will be increasing employment opportunities right across the country by:
The Government is also implementing a range of other measures to help job seekers move into work. Young job seekers aged 18 to 30 will benefit from the Job Commitment Bonus which will provide up to $6,500 to eligible job seekers if they get and keep a job for 24 months and remain off income support. Unemployed Australians who move to take up a job will benefit from the new Relocation Assistance which will provide up to $6,000 to eligible job seekers who relocate to a regional area, and up to $3,000 for eligible job seekers who relocate to a metropolitan area. Families with dependent children will also be eligible for up to a further $3,000 to meet the costs of relocating to take up a job. Older job seekers and employers will benefit from the Seniors Employment Incentive Payment which will provide up to $3,250 to employers to hire eligible workers 50 years of age or over.
The Government recognises that job creation needs to be matched by measures that ensure that job seekers have the skills employers need, which is why it has announced changes to employment services which commence in July 2015. These changes will reinvigorate employment services for job seekers and employers and deliver a system that is more responsive and focused on results. Combined with reforms to vocational education and training, job seekers will be work ready, ensuring that Australia's workforce is skilled and flexible.
(1) Is the Minister aware that unemployment in the City of Hume, Melbourne, increased from 6.9 per cent in June 2013 to 10 per cent in June 2014.(2) Is the Minister aware that since the 2013 change of government, unemployment in the City of Hume suburb of Broadmeadows, has risen from 21.9 per cent to 26.4 per cent, and that unemployment in the City of Hume suburbs of Campbellfield and Coolaroo, has risen from 18.8 per cent to 22.9 per cent, and that unemployment in the City of Hume suburb of Meadow Heights, has risen from 18.6 per cent to 22.9 per cent.(3) What action is the Government taking to reverse the rising trend in unemployment in the City of Hume.
(1) and (2). Yes. The Minister can also advise that he has not received any representations from the Honourable Member on this matter.
The Minister also notes that while historical Small Area Labour Market data at the LGA level are only available back to December 2012, the unemployment rate in the ABS Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4) of Melbourne – North West (the SA4 within which the City of Hume falls) rose from 3.9 per cent in November 2007 to 7.0 per cent in September 2013, before remaining steady over the period to October 2014. It is noted that the Honourable Member did not express any concern for the doubling of the unemployment rate under the government of which he was a member.
(3). It is clear that some Australian regions are currently experiencing difficult labour market conditions, which is why the Government will be increasing employment opportunities right across the country by:
The Government is also implementing a range of other measures to help job seekers move into work. Young job seekers aged 18 to 30 will benefit from the Job Commitment Bonus which will provide up to $6,500 to eligible job seekers if they get and keep a job for 24 months and remain off income support. Unemployed Australians who move to take up a job will benefit from the new Relocation Assistance which will provide up to $6,000 to eligible job seekers who relocate to a regional area, and up to $3,000 for eligible job seekers who relocate to a metropolitan area. Families with dependent children will also be eligible for up to a further $3,000 to meet the costs of relocating to take up a job. Older job seekers and employers will benefit from the Seniors Employment Incentive Payment which will provide up to $3,250 to employers to hire eligible workers 50 years of age or over.
The Government recognises that job creation needs to be matched by measures that ensure that job seekers have the skills employers need, which is why it has announced changes to employment services which commence in July 2015. These changes will reinvigorate employment services for job seekers and employers and deliver a system that is more responsive and focused on results. Combined with reforms to vocational education and training, job seekers will be work ready, ensuring that Australia's workforce is skilled and flexible.
(1) Is the Minister aware that unemployment in Melbourne's inner north is now higher in some cases than the unemployment crisis facing Europe, with unemployment as of January 2014 in (a) Greece at 27.2 per cent, and (b) Spain at 24.5 per cent.(2) Is the Minister aware that as of July 2014, unemployment across the Eurozone was 11.5 per cent.
Is the Minister aware that the communities in the electoral divisions of Wills and Calwell are yet to absorb the full effects of the hollowing out of the local manufacturing base, as a result of the Government's decision to abandon manufacturing, particularly through the closure of Ford Australia's manufacturing plant in Broadmeadows.
The premise of the question by the Member for Wills is false.
The Members for Willis and Calwell supported the Carbon Tax and Labor's economic policies that led to a number of companies in Australia finding that it was no longer economically viable and competitive to do business in Australia.
Furthermore, in 2012 the previous government announced a new subsidy to Holden, which it claimed would 'guarantee' its operations until 2022. This 'guarantee', of course, proved to be illusory. I also note the comments by senior General Motors management that the company would not have continued Holden's manufacturing operations in Australia, regardless of how much Government funding was provided. The same is true of Ford. Toyota, of course, was seriously undermined by the AMWU's court action to prevent its employees from even considering changes to its enterprise agreement that would have enabled the company's Melbourne operations to become more efficient and competitive, without impacting on pay and conditions.
I also note recent media reports on 1 December 2014 on the previous Government's automotive "assistance" policies, which stated that:
" The true scale of the former Rudd Government ' s waste in supporting the collapsing Australian car manufacturing industry is revealed with new figures showing taxpayers funded almost a third of the cost of each four-cylinder Ford Falcon.
" In 2009, $42 million of taxpayer money was pumped into the four-cylinder Falcon and two other fuel-efficient Ford vehicles under the $500 million " Green Car Innovation Fund " .
" The four-cylinder Falcon has effectively received a subsidy of almost $8000 on each $37,000 vehicle—or $11,600 on each car bought by private buyers and businesses if you exclude Ford ' s company car fleet. "
Is the Minister aware that the communities in the electoral divisions of Wills and Calwell are yet to absorb the full effects of the hollowing out of the local manufacturing base, as a result of the Government's decision to abandon manufacturing, particularly through the closure of Ford Australia's manufacturing plant in Broadmeadows?
The Australian Government has not abandoned manufacturing but believes that in order for Australian manufacturing to compete effectively, they must transition to higher value-added products and access global value chains.
The Australian Government has been working with the Victorian Government to assist manufacturing firms in the regions affected by structural change, in particular through the $24.5 million Melbourne's North Innovation and Investment Fund. The programme will support sustainable investment by businesses, including manufacturing firms, leading directly to new sustainable jobs in Melbourne's North and to assist the region to diversify its economic base.
This is complemented by the $155 million Growth Fund, which includes the $60 million Next Generation Manufacturing Investment Programme (NGMIP). NGMIP supports capital investment by firms in areas of high value manufacturing in Victoria and South Australia, as well as enabling the firms to build scale and expand into new or growing markets.
(1) Is the Minister aware that according to the 2012 North Melbourne Regional Development Australia report Manufacturing in Melbourne's North: Now and into the Future, manufacturing is still the largest regional employer in Melbourne's north, employing 53,160 workers across the region, followed by health/social assistance with 48,791 workers, retail with 42,188 workers and education with 33,707 workers, totalling 382,967 workers in the region.(2) Is the Minister aware of modelling by the National Institute of Economic and Industry Research (NIEIR) contained in the report, that forecast that the closure of the Ford Australia factory would result in 16,000 jobs being lost throughout Victoria after just one year.(3) Is the Minister aware that NIEIR forecast that after one year, (a) 600 jobs would be lost in the City of Moreland, and (b) 1,600 jobs would be lost in the City of Hume.(4) Is the Minister aware that the most strategically important and largest manufacturing industries in North Melbourne are (a) automotive (8,696 employees), (b) food (8,514 employees), and (c) chemicals (6,267 employees).(5) Is the Minister aware that the latest Census Data shows that 5,911 people who live in the electoral division of Wills are employed in manufacturing, which accounts for 8 per cent of total employment locally, and that in the electoral division of Calwell there are 9,185 people employed in manufacturing, which accounts for 14 per cent of employment locally.(6) What industry, re-skilling, and job opportunities will the Government invest in to help regenerate the local economy and job market in Melbourne's Northern Suburbs.
The Australian Government is aware of the report and the challenges being faced in North Melbourne and other regions affected by structural change. Transitioning from heavy industrial manufacturing to higher value added production calls for a national, strategic response rather than a piecemeal response based on hand-outs and subsidies.
In this respect, it should be noted that in 2012 the previous government announced a new subsidy to Holden, which it claimed would 'guarantee' its operations until 2022. This 'guarantee', of course, proved to be illusory. I also note the comments by senior General Motors management that the company would not have continued Holden's manufacturing operations in Australia, regardless of how much Government funding was provided. The same is true of Ford. Toyota, of course, was seriously undermined by the AMWU's court action to prevent its employees from even considering changes to its enterprise agreement that would have enabled the company's Melbourne operations to become more efficient and competitive, without impacting on pay and conditions.
I also note recent media reports on 1 December 2014 on the previous Government's automotive "assistance" policies, which stated that:
" The true scale of the former Rudd Government ' s waste in supporting the collapsing Australian car manufacturing industry is revealed with new figures showing taxpayers funded almost a third of the cost of each four-cylinder Ford Falcon.
" In 2009, $42 million of taxpayer money was pumped into the four-cylinder Falcon and two other fuel-efficient Ford vehicles under the $500 million " Green Car Innovation Fund " .
" The four-cylinder Falcon has effectively received a subsidy of almost $8000 on each $37,000 vehicle — or $11,600 on each car bought by private buyers and businesses if you exclude Ford ' s company car fleet. "
The Government understands the considerable impact the exits of Ford, Holden and Toyota will have on the region. That is why the Government announced a $155 million Growth Fund that supports initiatives to assist workers transition to new jobs, businesses find new markets and invest in capital equipment, and regions invest in infrastructure projects.
The Government is committed to helping more people into employment and provides a range of employment programmes and incentives to help job seekers get and keep a job including employment support available through Job Services Australia.
(1) Is the Minister aware that according to the 2012 North Melbourne Regional Development Australia report Manufacturing in Melbourne's North: Now and into the Future, manufacturing is still the largest regional employer in Melbourne's north, employing 53,160 workers across the region, followed by health/social assistance with 48,791 workers, retail with 42,188 workers and education with 33,707 workers, totalling 382,967 workers in the region.
(2) Is the Minister aware of modelling by the National Institute of Economic and Industry Research (NIEIR) contained in the report, that forecast that the closure of the Ford Australia factory would result in 16,000 jobs being lost throughout Victoria after just one year.
(3) Is the Minister aware that NIEIR forecast that after one year, (a) 600 jobs would be lost in the City of Moreland, and (b) 1,600 jobs would be lost in the City of Hume.
(4) Is the Minister aware that the most strategically important and largest manufacturing industries in North Melbourne are (a) automotive (8,696 employees), (b) food (8,514 employees), and (c) chemicals (6,267 employees).
(5) Is the Minister aware that the latest Census Data shows that 5,911 people who live in the electoral division of Wills are employed in manufacturing, which accounts for 8 per cent of total employment locally, and that in the electoral division of Calwell there are 9,185 people employed in manufacturing, which accounts for 14 per cent of employment locally.
(6) What industry, re-skilling, and job opportunities will the Government invest in to help regenerate the local economy and job market in Melbourne's Northern Suburbs.
The Government is aware of the report on manufacturing in Melbourne's North and the challenges being faced in North Melbourne and other regions affected by structural change. The Government is also aware of the Census data on the share of manufacturing employment for the electorates of Wills and Calwell.
In relation to reskilling opportunities, the Government has in place a $476 million Industry Skills Fund (ISF) to address Australia's skills demand and that will help Australian businesses access training so that they are better placed to succeed in a rapidly changing economy.
It will deliver 200,000 training places and training support services over four years, starting in January 2015.
The Fund targets Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), including micro businesses (0 to 4 employees), which plan to up-skill and re-skill their workforces to better position themselves for growth opportunities.
(1) Is Australia now running record high migrant worker programs, including the Skilled Migration program, growing from 125,755 places in 2011-12 to 128,973 places in 2012-13. (2) Is it a fact that the Skilled Migration program is now more than five times the size it was in 1995-96 when it had 24,100 workers.
(1) The figures quoted are an accurate reflection of the figures contained in the reports for 2011-12 and 2012-13. It is noted that the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd Governments were in office during this time.
(2) Yes. This reflects the growth over time in the Australian economy.
(1) Is Australia now running record high migrant worker programs, including the Skilled Migration program, growing from 125,755 places in 2011-12 to 128,973 places in 2012-13.
(2) Is it a fact that the Skilled Migration program is now more than five times the size it was in 1995-96 when it had 24,100 workers.
The question does not fall within the portfolio responsibilities of the Minister for Industry.
(1) The Minister is aware of the Report.
(2) The estimates provided by Mr Thomson are from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection's State and Territory Migration Summary Report (March 2014). These estimates include both primary (employer-sponsored) and secondary (spouse and dependent) Subclass 457 visa holders.
(3) The highest number of Subclass 457 visas granted in the first nine months of 2013–14 was for New South Wales. Each state experienced a decline in the number of visas granted compared with the corresponding period for 2012–13.
(1) Is the Minister aware that according to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection's State and Territory Migration Summary Report (March 2014), Victoria absorbed the second largest proportion of 457 visa grants in the first three quarters of 2013-14, with 23 per cent or 17,432 people.
(2) Is it a fact that for the first three quarters in 2012-13, the largest changes for 457 visas amounted to a 38.3 per cent decline (7,999 less people) for Western Australia, and a 30.2 per cent decline for Queensland (4,978 less people),
(3) Is it a fact that many more migrant workers are coming to Victoria than to the mining states of Queensland and Western Australia.
The question does not fall within the portfolio responsibilities of the Minister for Industry.
(1) Is the Minister aware that the latest Victorian Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure Victorian Population Bulletin shows that Victoria grew by a record 106,820 people between June 2012 and June 2013, which is a 1.9 per cent increase, higher than the 1.8 per cent national average. (2) Is the Minister aware that Victoria is absorbing a large proportion, 26.2 per cent, of Australia's overall population growth. (3) Is it a fact that for the year ending 30 June, Australia's population grew by 407,027, or 1.8 per cent to 23,135,281 people, and Victoria's population grew by 106,820 people. (4) Is the Minister aware that Greater Melbourne is absorbing the vast majority, 89.4 per cent, of Victoria's population growth. (5) Is the Minister aware that there are numerous Victorian local government areas that have grown by more than the 2.2 per cent average, including Melbourne (10.5 per cent/11,029 people), Wyndham (6 per cent/10,759 people), Whittlesea (5.5 per cent/9,306 people), Cardinia (4.8 per cent/3,877 people), Melton (4.3 per cent/5,028 people), Yarra (3.2 per cent/2,606 people), Maribyrnong (3.2 per cent/2,436 people), Hume (2.9 per cent/5,229 people), Casey (2.8 per cent/3,877 people), and Moreland (2.2 per cent/3,372).
The data in the Victorian Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure Victorian Population Bulletin are sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. This question should be directed to the Treasurer.
(1) Is the Minister aware that the latest Victorian Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure Victorian Population Bulletin shows that Victoria grew by a record 106,820 people between June 2012 and June 2013, which is a 1.9 per cent increase, higher than the 1.8 per cent national average.
(2) Is the Minister aware that Victoria is absorbing a large proportion, 26.2 per cent, of Australia's overall population growth.
(3) Is it a fact that for the year ending 30 June, Australia's population grew by 407,027, or 1.8 per cent to 23,135,281 people, and Victoria's population grew by 106,820 people.
(4) Is the Minister aware that Greater Melbourne is absorbing the vast majority, 89.4 per cent, of Victoria's population growth.
(5) Is the Minister aware that there are numerous Victorian local government areas that have grown by more than the 2.2 per cent average, including Melbourne (10.5 per cent/11,029 people), Wyndham (6 per cent/10,759 people), Whittlesea (5.5 per cent/9,306 people), Cardinia (4.8 per cent/3,877 people), Melton (4.3 per cent/5,028 people), Yarra (3.2 per cent/2,606 people), Maribyrnong (3.2 per cent/2,436 people), Hume (2.9 per cent/5,229 people), Casey (2.8 per cent/3,877 people), and Moreland (2.2 per cent/3,372).
(1) Yes, the figures quoted are from the Victorian Population Bulletin 2014. The publication states that absolute growth was higher in 2008-09 (115,600 people).
(2) Yes, the figures quoted are from the Victorian Population Bulletin 2014.
(3) The figures quoted are from the Victorian Population Bulletin 2014, the latest available as at 27 March 2014. These have since been revised slightly as more accurate figures have become available. The latest ABS data (released 25 September 2014) for year ending 30 June 2013 shows Australia's population grew by 401,045, or 1.8 per cent to 23,129,299 people, and Victoria's population grew by 104,151.
(4) Yes, the figures quoted are from the Victorian Population Bulletin 2014.
(5) Yes, the figures quoted are from the Victorian Population Bulletin 2014. The publication states that the Victorian local government area of Casey increased by 7,476 people, rather than by 3,877 people as stated in the question.
Yes.
Rather than the borderline xenophobic approach taken by the former Rudd/Gillard/Rudd Governments, supported by the Honourable Member, towards foreign workers, this Government is focused on creating more job opportunities for Australian workers.
A key example of the Government's job creation agenda is the Free Trade Agreements with Korea, Japan and China finalised by the Coalition Government which will create new export markets for Australian businesses with huge tariff reductions.
I firmly encourage the Honourable Member to support the Government's positive Economic Action Strategy.
(1) Is the Minister aware of the statement made by Sir Robert Menzies on 2 October 1964 at the opening of the Chrysler Manufacturing Centre in Tonsley Park, South Australia, where he said that the manufacturing industry, providing large scale employment, has enabled migration programs to continue, and in turn, given confidence to other industries that benefit from the higher demand for goods and services resulting from annual population increases.
(2) Will the Minister consider developing a coordinated strategy (a) to ensure Australia's migration program, particularly the Skilled Migration program, does not reduce the opportunities for Australians to find work in this tough job market, and (b) that helps to regenerate manufacturing and industry in Australia, particularly in Melbourne's Northern Suburbs, in order to reduce local unemployment and improve social cohesion.
(1) I am well aware of the public speeches and contributions to Australia of Australia's longest serving Prime Minister. The Government hopes that the Honourable Member might learn something from reading Sir Robert Menzies' speeches.
(2) (a) The focus of Australia's migration programmes has changed over time and current policy balances the contribution of skilled migration to the workforce and economic productivity, with Australia's social, humanitarian and international obligations.
The Government fully supports the principle of Australians first in the local labour market.
(b) The Government is committed to creating jobs by building a strong and productive economy. The Government will make it easier for businesses to take advantage of opportunities through concluding new Free Trade Agreements with Korea, Japan and China, cutting $1 billion in red and green tape costs every year and by establishing a one-stop-shop for environmental approval.
(1) Is the Minister aware of the statement made by Sir Robert Menzies on 2 October 1964 at the opening of the Chrysler Manufacturing Centre in Tonsley Park, South Australia, where he said that the manufacturing industry, providing large scale employment, has enabled migration programs to continue, and in turn, given confidence to other industries that benefit from the higher demand for goods and services resulting from annual population increases.
(2) Will the Minister consider developing a coordinated strategy (a) to ensure Australia's migration program, particularly the Skilled Migration program, does not reduce the opportunities for Australians to find work in this tough job market, and (b) that helps to regenerate manufacturing and industry in Australia, particularly in Melbourne's Northern Suburbs, in order to reduce local unemployment and improve social cohesion.
(1) The Government is aware of the references made in the speech by Sir Robert Menzies.
(2) (a) This is not a matter for the Minister for Industry and Science.
(b) The Government has programmes in place to support Australia's manufacturing industry, including those in Melbourne's northern suburbs. These initiatives include the Entrepreneurs Infrastructure Programme, Industry Growth Centres, Industry Skills Fund, Manufacturing Transition Programme and the Growth Fund. These initiatives will assist workers and communities through opportunities arising from new investments.
Of particular note is the $24.5 million Melbourne's North Innovation and Investment Fund (the Fund), which has the objective of supporting sustainable investment by business, including manufacturing firms, leading directly to new sustainable jobs in Melbourne's North and to assist the region to diversify its economic base.
The Fund is a product of a partnership between the Commonwealth and Victorian Governments and the private sector to help Melbourne's north to secure a strong manufacturing presence.
As at the end of November 2014, 15 grants worth $17.6 million have been allocated under the Fund. They have leveraged $91.8 million in private sector investment and are expected to create more than 421 new full-time equivalent jobs.
Will the Minister consider attending a forum on the issues of economic growth, manufacturing, unemployment and job creation in 2015 should I arrange one; if so, what dates or timeframes would suit.
There are 19 Parliamentary sitting weeks in 2015. If the Honourable Minister can find it within him to support policies in the Parliament that promote economic growth, policies to reduce unemployment and that support job creation, a request will be considered.
That said, it is noted that the Hon. Member opposed the repeal of the Carbon Tax, Mining Tax, Economic Action Strategy and other job creating policies.
Will the Minister consider attending a forum on the issues of economic growth, manufacturing, unemployment and job creation in 2015 should I arrange one; if so, what dates or timeframes would suit.
Requests for meetings, or my attendance at events, should be put in writing to:
minister.invitations@industry.gov.au.
(1) In respect of the cabinet meeting held in Melbourne on Tuesday, 19 August 2014, what was the total cost of flights for (a) Ministers, and (b) ministerial staff.
(2) Did any (a) Ministers, and (b) ministerial staff, travel in business class; if so, how many.
(3) What was the total cost of (a) travel allowance, and (b) ground transport, for (i) Ministers, and (ii) ministerial staff.
(1) (a) $2,431.10
(b) $1,376.69
(2) Yes, the Minister for Finance and one ministerial staff member travelled in business class.
(3) (a) (i) $432.00
(ii) $362.00
(b) (i) $156.21
(ii) $149.00
(1) Is he aware that Victoria has abandoned the proposed joint New South Wales and Victorian River Red Gum logging trial in the Barmah National Park.
(2) Will he now allow the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 approval process for the trial to continue, or will he consider refusing the trial.
(1) While I am aware of media reports suggesting the Victorian Government does not intend to proceed with the proposed trial, I have not received any formal advice of this from either the New South Wales or Victorian Governments.
(2) In the absence of formal advice from the New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage and/or the Victorian Department of Environment and Primary Industries, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 assessment remains active.
(1) Is he aware of a report by Georgia Wilkins 'ATO alleges complex Chevron scheme slashed tax bill by $258m' (The Age, 9 October 2014) that Chevron created an entity in Delaware, United States, for the sole purpose of lending money to its Australian subsidiary in order to avoid tax.
(2) Is he aware that the process is alleged to have netted Chevron up to $862 million in tax free dividends over five years.
(3) Is he aware that the Tax Justice Network (TJN) estimates that up to $80 billion in tax payments has been avoided by the biggest 200 stock market-listed companies over the past ten years due to tax minimisation strategies.
(4) Is he aware that TJN representative Dr Mark Zirnsak has stated that artificial debt loading was a 'significant form of tax avoidance globally' and that the Chevron case highlights the need for Australia to be part of the work that the OECD is doing to address this particular type of tax avoidance.
(5) What action is the Australian Government taking, either directly or through international channels such as the OECD and the G20, to crack down on tax avoidance through the use of artificial debt loading.
(1) and (2) Chevron case.
The Treasury will continue to monitor the progress of the Chevron case.
(3) and (4) Tax Justice Network report.
The Tax Justice Network's estimate of the revenue lost to tax avoidance by the ASX 200 companies is flawed. The report uses the amount of company tax paid as a percentage of accounting profit to calculate the effective tax rate and compares it to the statutory corporate tax rate of 30 per cent.
Taxes are not applied to accounting profit but to taxable income. There are significant and intended differences between accounting profit and taxable income, such as the treatment of capital gains and losses, recognition of foreign income, and treatment of franking credits. These differences mean that an analysis of the effective tax rate using accounting profits is misleading.
(5) Australian Government action to address tax avoidance through the use of artificial debt loading.
Australia has a robust set of domestic laws in place to deal with tax avoidance by multinational companies, including comprehensive controlled foreign company and thin capitalisation regimes, tough transfer pricing rules and a general anti-avoidance rule.
The Parliament recently passed two laws to further respond to integrity issues in the corporate tax system which address profit shifting through the use of debt in Australia. These changes involve:
Governments around the world are co-ordinating their efforts to address tax avoidance in the form of tax base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) by multinationals. Australia is a member of the OECD and the G20, which are working together on strategies to address tax avoidance and evasion.
As G20 President in 2014, Australia played a leading role in international discussions regarding BEPS. At the recent meeting of G20 Leaders in Brisbane, the G20 Leaders welcomed the significant progress achieved to date on an Action Plan to address BEPS. The Action Plan will be finalised by December 2015.
What was the rate of attendance in (a) primary, and (b) secondary, schools for (i) each year level in each state and territory in the latest years for which records are available, and (ii) the ten years leading up to 2012.
Detailed information on student attendance rates by year level in each state and territory since 2007 is available on the Productivity Commission website in the Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage report (Chapter 7, Education and Training): http://www.pc.gov.au/gsp/overcoming-indigenous-disadvantage/key-indicators-2014/report.
Student attendance rate information was not collected at a national level prior to 2007.
(1) Is the Minister aware that young Australian graduates are experiencing unprecedented tough competition to find work in fields such as accounting.
(2) In an environment of high national unemployment, and shaky business and consumer confidence, will the Minister consider reviewing the Government's business as usual‟ approach in respect of Australia's overseas student and migrant worker programs.
(1) I am aware that Graduate Careers Australia survey data shows that graduate outcomes have weakened in recent years, including for graduates of accounting studies.
(2) The Government has a comprehensive Economic Action Strategy to combat high unemployment and a lack of consumer confidence. Regrettably the Green Labor Alliance, including Mr Thomson, have opposed at every opportunity the Government's job creating policies.
If Mr Thomson was minded to stop continuing the economic vandalism from the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd Government, he may like to raise the Labor Party's opposition to all job creating policies with the Opposition Leader.
(1) In respect of the Deakin University's Centre for Research in Educational Futures and Innovation's report Australian international graduates and the transition to employment (September 2014), is he aware that the findings illustrate that (a) the overseas student program needs to be reviewed by the Australian Government to provide greater opportunity for Australian graduates to find work domestically, (b) the graduate labour market in Australia in the three disciplines of nursing, engineering and accounting is very competitive, (c) the proportion of bachelor degree graduates employed within four months of completing their courses has fallen to 71.3 per cent, the lowest figure in over 20 years, and what action will the Minister take to address this issue, (d) shortages for engineers eased significantly in 2012-13 and are now limited to petroleum and mining engineers, and (e) a slowdown in the mining industry, as well as manufacturing, and subdued activity in construction, are contributing to a weak labour market.(2) Does the Minister accept the report's findings that employment outcomes for graduate engineers have weakened in recent years with softer market conditions, resulting in graduates competing for work with experienced engineers, with BHP, Rio Tinto and AECOM cutting their graduate intakes.
(1) The Government notes research from a wide and varying range of sources, including Deakin University's Centre for Research in Educational Futures and Innovation.
2) Softer demand from mining and manufacturing has contributed to greater applicant competition for vacancies for engineers over the past two years. That's why the Coalition Government is focused on building a stronger and more prosperous economy so that employers, such as those mentioned, have an economic environment where they can employ and take on additional employees. That's why Labor's proposal to further slow down the mining industry through its mining tax would have been utterly disastrous for jobs.
It is noted that the Honourable Member opposed the repeal of the Carbon Tax, opposed the repeal of the Mining Tax and is opposed to the Government's Economic Action Strategy.
(1) Will the Minister review the 2012-13 Australian Government Review of labour market demand, which found that there was no shortage of graduate accountants and that graduate employment outcomes for accounting bachelor degrees have fallen over the past five years. (2) Is the Minister aware that in 2012, 7,200 domestic students completed a bachelor or higher degree in accounting, with the Department of Employment declaring that ' more than adequate supply of accountants existed in Australia'. (3) Is the Minister aware (a) of reports that overall employment of accountants increased by just 1.3 per cent over the five years to May 2014, which was well below the 'all occupations' average of 7.4 per cent, and (b) that advertised vacancies for accountancy positions have also fallen since 2008. (4) Is the Minister aware of the recent media report by Edmund Tadros 'Accounting bodies do about-face on jobs for foreign students' (Australian Financial Review, 29 October 2014), claiming that the Australian Government says it will review the Skilled Occupations List early next year, and that based on the Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency's recommendation, a reduced ceiling of approximately 5,000 places or 3 per cent of the domestic workforce, has been set for accountants in 2014-15. (5) Is it a fact that the Department of Employment has recommended that accountants be removed from the Skilled Occupations List, having concluded there is a surplus of accountants and 'deteriorating outcomes for graduates…relatively low pay rates for bachelor graduates and weak employment outcomes for masters graduates'; if so, and in light of the evidence from the academic research, media reporting and professional views, will the Minister consider removing accountants from the Skilled Occupations List. (6) In respect of a media report by Edmund Tadros and Agnes King 'Accounting Bodies do about-face on jobs for foreign students' (Australian Financial Review, 12 February 2014), is he aware (a) that in the past five years, 40,000 migrants have entered the country through accounting skilled stream, which is significantly higher than the numbers entering with other priority areas, (b) of data provided in this report that Graduate Careers Australia shows that 80 per cent of domestic accounting graduates were working full time four months after finishing their courses in 2012, compared with 93 per cent in 2001, (c) that the University of New South Wales (UNSW) had an almost record enrolment in first year accounting in 2014 with over 1,700 currently enrolled, and (d) that the UNSW's record for accounting enrolments was 1,800 in 2010. (7) Will the Minister acknowledge the suggestions in the Deakin University's Centre for Research in Educational Futures and Innovation's report Australian international graduates and the transition to employment (September 2014) and media report in part (6), that overseas accounting students are being lured to study accounting in Australia on the misleading impression that it is easy to find work experience, work opportunities and permanent residency in Australia. (8) Is the Minister aware of the findings in Deakin University's report in part (7), which showed that international accounting students were a major source of income for Australian Universities, making up a record 79 per cent of the 17,600 enrolled postgraduate students in 2013, and 55 per cent of the more than 24,500 enrolled undergraduate students.
(1) No. The Review which the Honourable Member refers is out of date. The latest review of this labour market was undertaken in May 2014 and is published on the Department's website.
(2) The 2012 report includes this information. It is noted that in 2012, the Hon. Bill Shorten MP was the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations.
(3) ABS Labour Force Survey data show that employment of accountants rose by 13.7 per cent over the 5 years to May 2014, well above the all occupations average of 7.3 per cent. The Department's Internet Vacancy Index shows the level of advertised vacancies for accountants has fallen over the past five years.
(4) Portfolio responsibility for the Skilled Occupation List rests with the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection.
(5) The Department's submission is publicly available on the former Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency's website atwww.awpa.gov.au/our-work/labour-market-information/skilled-occupation-list/pages/submissions-from-industry-stakeholders.aspx. Portfolio responsibility for the Skilled Occupation List rests with the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection.
(6). The Department of Employment assesses the labour market for many skilled occupations and monitors commentary and information from a wide range of organisations and researchers.
(7) and (8). The Government is aware of information and research from a range of bodies, including Deakin University. While the Honourable Member may be under the misapprehension from the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd Governments that it is appropriate for media speculation or stakeholders such as union bosses to drive government policy, it is not. This Government will carefully consider all research and act in the national interest, not sectional interests.
Is the Minister aware, as reported by John Masanauskas in "Unemployment in Melbourne suburbs will be "social disaster‟, says researcher" (Herald Sun, 29 October 2014), of evidence and reports that local young people, unemployed and workers would be better off and have a better chance of being trained and getting a job with fewer overseas migrant workers and students.
Unemployment is bad for social, mental and physical health not just for the individual but for the household and the community. That's why the Government is so focused on creating a stronger economic environment where more job opportunities are created.
It is noted that the unemployment rate in honourable member's local area almost doubled while Labor was in office yet he supported the job destroying Carbon Tax and Mining Tax which discouraged investment in jobs.
Instead of trying to recast the jobs in the current jobs in the community as suggested by the question, the Government is focused on creating more job opportunities. Regrettably these attempts have been opposed at every step by Mr Thomson and his Labor/Green colleagues.
Is the Minister aware of the views of Dr Bob Birrell from Monash University's Centre for Population and Urban Research, as reported by Edmund Tadros in "Accounting bodies do about-face on jobs for foreign students" (Australian Financial Review, 29 October 2014), that the unemployment figures for Melbourne's north are being compounded by the fact that local unemployed people are currently competing with over one million temporary migrants with working rights visas in Australia, for the same occupations.
As previously indicated on several occasions to the Honourable Member, the Government is aware of both the newspaper report and the report from Monash University.
Unlike the former Rudd/Gillard/Rudd Governments, of which Mr Thomson was a member, this Government is not in the business of overreacting to media reports. Instead, the Government carefully considers the facts and pursues policies that are in the national interest.
Will the Government consider cutting the permanent worker program to previous levels of around 25,000 per annum, in the context of reducing unacceptably high unemployment figures in Melbourne's north west.
The focus of Australia's migration programmes has changed over time and current policy balances the contribution of skilled migration to the workforce and economic productivity, with Australia's social, humanitarian and international obligations.
The Government has a comprehensive Economic Action Strategy which will create more job opportunities for Australians. Regrettably, the Government's positive agenda has been rejected at every turn by Mr Thomson and his colleagues in the Green Labor Alliance.
In respect of him hoping to announce an additional $100 million for drought specific concessional loans, (a) when will he announce the additional funding, (b) which states and territories will be eligible, (c) has he exchanged letters with the Treasurer’s office agreeing to the extra funding, (d) what criteria have been agreed to, and (e) have the guidelines for drought specific concessional loans been approved; if so, on what date.
(a) On 4 December 2014, I announced $100 million in funding for the Drought Recovery Concessional Loans Scheme.
(b) Farm businesses in Queensland and New South Wales will be eligible to apply.
(c) No, however, the appropriate Australian Government approval processes have been followed.
(d) The scheme will provide loans of up to 50 per cent of a farm business’s total eligible debt to a maximum of up to $1 million over a loan term of up to 10 years for planting and restocking activities as seasonal conditions allow. The loans will have a concessional variable interest rate, initially set at 3.21 per cent, and interest-only repayments for the first five years. In Queensland and New South Wales, the loans will be available for farm businesses that have experienced a rainfall deficiency equivalent to, or worse than, either a 1 in 50 year or 1 in 100 year rainfall event. In Queensland, the loans will also be available for farm businesses that have experienced a rainfall deficiency equivalent to, or worse than, either a 1 in 10 year or 1 in 20 year rainfall event and that were directly involved in the consignment of live cattle to the export trade to Indonesia in at least two of the three financial years prior to 1 July 2011. The complete loan eligibility and loan assessment criteria will be in the scheme guidelines.
(e) No.
In respect of the announcement on 1 March 2013 of joint state and Commonwealth funding of approximately $8 million ($4,045,000 each) under the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program for the upgrade of the existing truck stop at Mt Ousley Road, Mt Keira (northbound) in the electoral division of Cunningham, (a) will he provide a progress report on the work being conducted, and (b) by what date will this work be completed.
(a) The NSW Government is undertaking planning work for this project.
(b) The NSW Government has advised that dates for construction commencement and completion are not yet known and will be determined once the above mentioned planning is complete.
(1) Is it intended that the Ballast Rehabilitation Program (BRP), when completed, will result in high quality track conditions reflecting the goals of the North East Rail Revitalisation Project (NERRP).
(2) Is it intended that the BRP, upon completion, will (a) enable passenger trains like the New South Wales CountryLink XPT to travel at 130 kilometres per hour to 160 kilometres per hour on the Melbourne to Albury rail line as they are able to do on other parts of the rail network, and (b) reduce typical journey times for passenger and freight train services; if so, is it anticipated that they will be shorter than typical journey times on the line prior to the NERRP.
(3) In the design phase of the NERRP, did the Australian Rail Track Corporation anticipate a reduction in passenger and freight train journey times on the Melbourne to Albury rail line, not including time savings as a result of the Wodonga Rail Bypass.
(4) What contingency plans are in place should, at the completion of the BRP, train service reliability and journey times remain affected by poor track conditions.
(1) The Ballast Rehabilitation Program does not relate to the North East Rail Revitalisation Project. The North East Rail Revitalisation Project was a programme of works aimed at improving passenger and freight rail services between Melbourne and Albury-Wodonga by removing the rail line from the centre of Wodonga and converting 200-kilometres of broad gauge track to standard gauge. The North East Rail Revitalisation Project was jointly funded by the Australian and Victorian Governments, and the Australian Rail Track Corporation and completed in 201 l.
The Australian Rail Track Corporation's $134 million Ballast Rehabilitation Program is a five year programme to improve track condition and reduce temporary speed restrictions caused by poor track formation predating the Australian Rail Track Corporation's involvement in the line. This work involves cleaning fouled ballast and improving track drainage and is scheduled to be completed in 2016.
(2) (a). The New South Wales CountryLink XPT currently operates at 130 kilometres per hour in Victoria and freight services operate at 115 kilometres per hour, subject to curves, loading and gradient of the track. Passenger service speeds of 160 kilometres per hour are prevented by conflicts such as level crossings, sighting distances and signalling design. The lease agreement for Victoria does not require services to operate at these speeds nor have tracks been designed with this intention.
(b). The Ballast Rehabilitation Program will improve train transit times as temporary speed restrictions are lifted. Once complete, the Ballast Rehabilitation Program will allow services to operate at the speeds the track is designed for.
(3) No. The Australian Rail Track Corporation did not undertake the design of the North East Rail Revitalisation Project. The North East Rail Revitalisation Project was a programme of works to upgrade track to operating standards agreed with the Victorian Government as a condition of the extension to the Victorian rail lease in 2008. Benefits delivered by the Wodonga bypass were integrated into subsequent timetabling of services.
(4) ARTC is scheduled to complete the Ballast Rehabilitation Program in 201 6. Under the Ballast Rehabilitation Program, track conditions in the North South corridor have been steadily improving. For example, V/Line punctuality performance has been maintained above 93% in recent months, exceeding the Victorian Government target of 92%. It is also much higher than corresponding performance of recent years, i.e. 82.5% in November 2013. Once the Ballast Rehabilitation Program is complete, the Australian Rail Track Corporation's ongoing maintenance programme will ensure track quality is maintained to the standard of any other section of the interstate network. While improved track conditions will allow the Australian Rail Track Corporation to offer V/Line faster transit times, the responsibility for the scheduling, timing and operation of V/Line services resides with Victorian Government.
(1) What is the commencement date for the NBN Co Limited Long Term Satellite Service (LTSS).
(2) In respect of some households in regional areas such as the electoral division of Indi, currently only able to access broadband internet via the 3G mobile network: (a) When does the NBN Co Limited plan to inform them of the type of National Broadband Network (NBN) service they will be offered and the expected the commencement date for that services; and (b) Is it intended that they will be able to access the LTSS from its commencement if the NBN Co Limited does not plan to offer a fixed line or fixed wireless service to them.
(1) As part of its long term satellite service, NBN Co will deploy two Ka-band satellites to provide NBN access for those outside the fixed line and wireless footprints. The first of these satellites is expected to be in operation by early 2016.
(2) (a) On 1 December 2014, NBN Co released its new National Rollout Plan which provides information on the new work underway to bring fast broadband to the next cities, towns and suburbs by June 2016. NBN Co is committed to providing quarterly updates of planned activity across Australia to capture any changes to the schedule identified through process and technology improvements or variations in the rollout on its website www.nbnco.com.au.
(b) NBN Co will manage a number of competing interests around the Satellite service to ensure service quality and availability. Both new users and current users of the Interim Satellite Service will be able to progressively access the LTSS when it commences.
(1) Is he aware of evidence to the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna that Japan's fishing fleet killed more than 3000 albatrosses and petrels in 2013.(2) Is it a fact that this is an increase of 300 per cent on 2012; if not, what is the correct figure.(3) What steps will he take to urge Japan to have its fishing fleet adopt preventive measures to reduce the incidence of albatross and petrel deaths.
(1) I am aware there has been media reporting stating that Japan's fleet fishing in the area in which southern bluefin tuna is encountered killed more than 3000 seabirds in 2013. This figure is inaccurate. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, who has responsibility for Australia's engagement in the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), and other Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs), has informed me that Japan's annual report to the 21st Annual Meeting of the CCSBT (Auckland, 13‑16 October 2014) indicates there were 337 seabird mortalities in 2013, of which 316 were albatrosses and petrels.
(2) Japan's annual report to the 21st Annual Meeting of the CCSBT indicates that albatross and petrel mortalities increased by approximately 400 per cent between 2012 and 2013—from 78 to 316 mortalities.
(3) Australia continues to engage bilaterally, and where appropriate, through CCAMLR and relevant RFMOs to which Australia and Japan are parties, to encourage Japan to adopt measures to reduce the incidence of albatross and petrel deaths. Australia has a long-standing commitment to mitigating incidental harm to seabirds including albatrosses and petrels, caused by fishing activities. Australia is a leading proponent within the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels in establishing and applying best practice guidelines for mitigating bycatch of seabirds in global fisheries. Australia has proposed or supported binding resolutions or measures on seabird bycatch mitigation in the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), and each of the RFMOs to which Australia is a party. At the 21st Annual Meeting of the CCSBT, Australia proposed a binding resolution to mitigate the impact on seabirds of fishing for southern bluefin tuna, noting that the CCSBT remains the only tuna RFMO without a comprehensive set of binding measures on these species. As a consensus-based organisation, the lack of support from Japan and Taiwan ensured the resolution was not adopted.
In respect of the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System review report, (a) when will it be released, (b) how many submissions were received, (c) did he personally write to organisations inviting them to provide a submission; if so, (i) which organisations, and (ii) were other organisations allowed to make a submission; if not, why not, and (d) will it be made available for public consultation.
(a) The report is expected to be released in 2015.
(b) 36
(c) Yes
(i) The following individuals and organisation were invited to make submissions:
AgForce
A H and R Schmidt Pty Ltd
Animals Australia
Australian Buffalo Industry Council
Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association
Australian Livestock Exporters' Council
Australian Lot Feeders Association
Australian Rural Exports Pty Ltd
Australian Veterinary Association
Capricorn Pastoral
Cattle Council of Australia
Edwards Livestock Company Pty Ltd
Emanuel Exports Pty Ltd
EMS Rural Exports Pty Ltd
Goat Industry Council of Australia
Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain
Government of Brunei Darussalam
Government of the Republic of Indonesia
Government of the State of Israel
Government of Japan
Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Government of Kuwait
Government of Malaysia
Government of the Republic of Mauritius
Government of the Sultanate of Oman
Government of the Republic of the Philippines
Government of Qatar
Government of the Republic of Singapore
Government of Turkey
Government of the United Arab Emirates
Government of Vietnam
Halleen Australasian Livestock Traders Pty Ltd
Hon. Jeremy Rockliff MP, Minister for Primary Industries and Water (Tasmania)
Hon. John McVeigh MP, Minister for Agriculture (Queensland)
Hon. Katrina Hodgkinson MP, Minister for Primary Industries (New South Wales)
Hon. Ken Baston MLC, Minister for Agriculture and Food (Western Australia)
Hon. Leon Bignell MP, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries (South Australia)
Hon. Peter Walsh MP, Minister for Agriculture and Food Security (Victoria)
Hon. Willem Rudolf Westra van Holthe MLA, Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries (Northern Territory)
Independent Livestock Services Pty Ltd
International Livestock Export Pty Ltd
Kennedy Creek Livestock
Lembiru Livestock Pty Ltd
LiveCorp
Livestock SA
Livestock Shipping Services Pty Ltd
Meat and Livestock Australia
Mr Harold Mitchell
National Farmers Federation
North Australian Cattle Company Pty Ltd
Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association
Northern Territory Livestock Exporters Association
New South Wales Farmers Association
P & D Exports Pty Ltd
Pastoralist and Graziers Association of WA (Western Beef and Sheep Producers Committee)
Queensland Farmers Association
RSPCA Australia
Sheepmeat Council of Australia
South East Asian Livestock Services Pty Ltd
Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association
Victorian Farmers Federation
Western Australian Farmers Federation
Wellard Rural Exports Pty Ltd
Western Australian Livestock Exporters Association
World Society for the Protection of Animals
(ii) Yes. All submissions received were considered as part of the process.
(d) The report, which will be a retrospective document that analyses the effects of ESCAS on animal welfare and trade, will be made publicly available on the department's website.
In respect of the $200 subsidy for relationship education or counselling under the Stronger Relationships trial, (a) how many subsidies were made available, and (b) how many couples have (i) applied for, (ii) received, and (iii) redeemed, the subsidy.
(a) Up to 100,000 couples in a committed relationship can participate in the trial.
(b) As of 1 December 2014:
(i) over 7,200 couples have registered for the Stronger Relationships trial and received a reference number that they can take to a service to receive a $200 discount on the fees for relationship education or counselling.
(ii) the department does not collect data on the number of couples who have booked or received a service.
(iii) approved service providers have claimed over 2,100 subsidies.
(1) Is the Australian Government currently providing Foreign Aid to the Russian Federation; if so, what sum.
(2) Has the Australian Government provided Foreign Aid to the Russian Federation over the previous 12 months; if so, what sum.
Australia does not currently provide Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the Russian Federation and has not in the previous 12 months. The Russian Federation is not on the OECD Development Assistance Committee's List of ODA Recipients and is therefore not eligible to receive ODA.
In respect of NBN Co Limited's (NBN Co's) media release dated 1 December 2014 regarding the new national broadband construction plan, (a) on what basis (i) were the suburbs prioritised and selected, and (ii) did NBN Co determine which area will receive what broadband technology, (b) given that the suburbs of Ashfield, Bassendean, Beechboro, Eden Hill, Kiara, Lockridge and Morley were previously on the National Broadband Network (NBN) roll out plan for 2013-14, that the related upgrade of the Bassendean Exchange was completed in 2014 and that these suburbs have been assessed as having the lowest ranking of Internet speeds and reliability, why were they not included in the latest NBN roll-out plan, and (c) will he release the documents that relate to the assessment of the priority for broadband rollout in those suburbs by NBN Co; if not, why not."
On what basis were suburbs prioritised and selected? A number of factors are taken into account in determining the sequence of the NBN rollout. These include the existing infrastructure in a particular area, the capacity of NBN Co's construction partners, proximity of potential areas to existing work fronts, as well as other opportunities to minimise costs and to achieve early and high revenue (e.g. business areas). Importantly, the Government also asked NBN Co to prioritise underserved areas where commercially and operationally feasible.
On what basis did NBN Co determine which area will receive what broadband technology? On 13 November 2014, NBN Co released the 'NBN Multi-Technology Deployment Principles' which are available on www.nbnco.com.au. NBN Co is using these principles to determine which technology is best suited to each area.
Given that the suburbs of Ashfield, Bassendean, Beechboro, Eden Hill, Kiara, Lockridge and Morley were previously on the National Broadband Network (NBN) roll out plan for 2013-14, that the related upgrade of the Bassendean Exchange was completed in 2014 and that these suburbs have been assessed as having the lowest ranking of Internet speeds and reliability, why were they not included in the latest roll-out plan?
As you may be aware, by September 2013 the NBN rollout was 462,000 premises (or 55 per cent) behind the revised schedule that the former government announced in August 2012. At the same time peak funding that NBN Co Limited (NBN Co) needed to complete the network was estimated to have blown out by $28.5 billion (or 65 per cent), beyond the sum budgeted by the former government in August 2012.
The post-election Strategic Review estimated the proposed fibre-to-the-premises NBN would not be completed until 2024 at the earliest – meaning that hundreds of thousands of Australians faced a wait of a decade before they could obtain access to telehealth, the opportunities of the digital economy or any online services whatsoever.
In addition, the Strategic Review estimated that completing the fibre-to-the-premises network would increase the cost of broadband for an average household by $43 per month.
In fact, under Labor, there were only 34 premises in established neighbourhoods in Perth who were actually connected to the NBN's fibre network. In Western Australia in total, there were 91 premises. This is despite $6.5 billion being committed to the project.
No wonder people lost patience with Labor – it was not a National Broadband Network, it was, at best, an eastern states Broadband Network.
The areas specified in the question were listed on NBN Co's 'One Year Construction Rollout Plan' released in April 2013. However, construction activity did not commence as continuing issues with the Western Australian Delivery Partner hampered the rollout.
This example illustrates some of the problems with the NBN under the previous approach. The Government has committed to much greater transparency, and has undertaken a series of reviews and reforms to enable NBN Co to achieve its rollout targets.
While these areas are not currently in the rollout plan, the Government is committed to ensuring that the NBN reaches every Australian family by 2020. NBN Co has committed to providing quarterly updates of planned activity across Australia. Those interested should monitor NBN Co's website.
Will he release the documents that relate to the assessment of the priority for broadband rollout in those suburbs by NBN Co?
The Government has publically made available the Broadband Availability and Quality report, found at www.communications.gov.au. The report found that there are more than 1.6 million premises across Australia with very poor or no fixed broadband access at all.
The Government has asked NBN Co to determine which technologies should be utilised on an area-by-area basis so as to minimise peak funding, optimise economic returns and enhance the Company's viability. NBN Co also released the 'NBN Multi-Technology Deployment Principles' on its website at www.nbnco.com.au. The principles are used to determine which technologies are to be used in the rollout.
In respect of his interview with Fran Kelly on ABC Radio National Breakfast, 2 December 2014, (a) what are the "hard decisions about industry assistance" that he referred to, (b) what industries have been affected by these hard decisions, and (c) did the Minister for Industry have any involvement in making these hard decisions.
(a) to (c) The Australian Government ended unsustainable assistance to specific firms and industry sectors. Such assistance undermines productivity and economic growth. Instead, the Government is creating an economic environment that promotes investment and entrepreneurship, while assisting small to medium enterprises gain the capabilities and information they need to take advantage of new opportunities.
Details of the Government's industry policies are contained in the Industry Innovation and Competitiveness Agenda , released by the Prime Minister on 14 October 2014; and in the Minister for Industry's press release of 13 May 2014,Building a globally competitive economy .
For each electoral division as at 30 September 2014, and as contained in the final pay figures for the July to September 2014 quarter within the Defence People Group of the Department of Defence, what was the (a) personnel headcount for (i) the Navy, (ii) the Army, (iii) the Air Force, (iv) civilians, and (v) Reserves, and (b) number of civilians (i) on fixed-term contracts, and (ii) employed part-time.
(a) (i) to (v) The personnel headcount as at 30 September 2014 for Navy, Army, Air Force, Reserves and APS for each electoral division is provided in Table A below. The total Australian Public Service (APS) workforce by actual headcount was 20,799, of which 54 employees were on fixed-term contracts and 1,398 were part-time.
Note that these figures are based on headcount data, rather than full-time equivalents (FTE). Defence budgets for its APS workforce on a FTE (i.e. paid) basis. Headcount data counts all personnel equally regardless of the number of hours worked, and includes all personnel recorded as on duty, or on leave with, or without, pay. By way of comparison, the Defence APS workforce by actual FTE at payday 25 September 2014 was 19,530.
Table A
Data ran from data warehouse: 8 Dec 2014
Note:
(a) CFTS' denotes Reservists on Continuous Full-Time Service.
(b) The electorate of Lingiari is located in the Northern Territory. It is also listed against Western Australia (WA) as it includes the Cocos Islands and Christmas Island, which are geographically located in WA.
(i) and (ii) - The numbers of civilians (by headcount) on fixed-term contracts or employed part time as at 30 September 2014 are provided in Table B below.
Table B