The SPEAKER ( Hon. Tony Smith ) took the chair at 10:00, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.
Inspector-General of Animal Welfare and Live Animal Exports Bill 2018
That this bill be now read a second time.
Refugee Protection Bill 2018
That this bill be now read a second time.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) there are almost 300 older Australians who have waited more than two years for their approved home care package, without any care;
(b) a further 636 older Australians have waited more than a year for care and they currently have no care at all and there are thousands more getting less care than they need;
(c) the latest waiting list for home care packages indicates that more than 100,000 older Australians are waiting for the package they have been approved for; and
(d) the latest figures show that the waiting list grew by more than 20,000 between 1 July and December 2017 and it is likely to continue growing without funding for the release of more packages;
(2) recognises the Government's response in its budget of 14,000 home care packages is woefully inadequate;
(3) condemns the Government for the aged care crisis it has made on its watch; and
(4) calls on the Government to immediately invest in fixing the home care package waiting list and properly address this growing crisis.
It'll be the status quo for a short period of time and then we'll start to look at a range of other interventions that will reduce that list.
That this House:
(1) recognises that endometriosis is a terrible condition that afflicts 1 in 10 women globally and notes that there is:
(a) delay in diagnosis of between 7 and 10 years; and
(b) a huge need for further research on ways to treat this terrible condition;
(2) notes that the Government is committing funding to researching this dreadful disease;
(3) congratulates the Minister for Health for working with the Australian Coalition for Endometriosis to establish the first National Action Plan for Endometriosis; and
(4) further congratulates the Government for also committing funding of $160,000, through the National Health and Medical Research Council, for Professor Grant Montgomery to use genomics to investigate better treatments for women with endometriosis.
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the member for Isaacs from moving the following motion immediately—that the House resolves that it will never support the privatisation of the ABC and calls on the government to reverse its latest damaging $83 million cut to the ABC.
The House divided. [12:05]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
Treasury Laws Amendment (Medicare Levy and Medicare Levy Surcharge) Bill 2018
That this bill be now read a third time.
Treasury Laws Amendment (Axe the Tampon Tax) Bill 2018
That the second reading be made an order of the day for the next sitting.
That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:
"the motion for the second reading be proceeded with immediately."
That the question be now put.
The House divided. [12:59]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Veteran-centric Reforms No. 2) Bill 2018
Australia must invest generously towards maintaining and upgrading our technological capabilities to ensure that, as an economy, we have the best chance of competing with the rest of the world. As a result of it's handling, the NBN has simply not turned out the way that I and many other young people will have wanted. Many of us are still stuck behind slow download speeds, especially during peak usage hours. I speak for many in asking for an improvement in our current situation. As a Twenty-First Century child, I have grown up in a world surrounded by technology and the internet, and it has shaped my life greatly, and will continue to impact my life and the lives of those in my generation. I use modern technology in both work and play. We can make use of it to talk with friends and family, or entertain ourselves. But we must be aware that it is impacting the way we work now, and will work in the future. New jobs and fields are being created because of technology.
While I cannot say for certain what exactly the future holds, I can say for sure that technology will play a very large part. Modern advances in technology have greatly improved efficiency by making a lot of things easier and it has vastly aided in spreading the wealth of human knowledge …
… I want to use my rare opportunity to talk, to advocate for more investment in technology. Whatever form it takes, whether it be helping start-ups or upgrading infrastructure, Australia must do something to make sure it is not left behind.
The Shoalhaven will be so much poorer for the loss of this incredible, community man—
Aged 47 years
… … …
In lieu of flowers donations can be made at the service for
Shoalhaven Suicide Prevention Network
… this new tax system from 2024-25 is less progressive than the current system. It means higher income inequality - the rich get more of the tax cuts than the poor.
National Security Legislation Amendment (Espionage and Foreign Interference) Bill 2017
Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2018
Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (Veteran-centric Reforms No. 2) Bill 2018
… an estimated 2,780 ex-service organization locations now established across Australia and a further 3,474 charities with veterans nominated as their beneficiaries.
Prior to attempting any self-coordination, veterans struggle to understand what cross-sector services are available to them. Veterans are expected to conduct their own research, develop a degree of knowledge and expertise of the services available, and then individually apply to each service provider. This is stressful and in some circumstances overwhelming. For this reason, there is a compelling argument that the veteran support system should be optimised for the ease of interaction by veterans and their families.
The one-stop shops would aim to develop networks and a thorough expertise of community, state, federal and cross sector services available in a particular region, and then to develop mechanisms that assist veterans and their families to coordinate their access to these services. Whilst the human nature of supporting veterans and their families warrants the establishment of physical one-stop shops, the development of virtual tools is likely to be of benefit.
Consideration could be given to reviewing the extant facilities and resources resident in individual organisations (including RSL, DVA, ESOs but also other federal/state/community social service hubs), with the aim of collaboratively pooling these facilities and resources to achieve the functions described above. A one-stop shop would not only ease the burden on veterans and their families but allow for effective evaluation of the services available. This further serves a dual purpose of highlighting duplication of services and reducing costs and overheads for individual organisations, resulting in a more efficient and effective use of available whole of nation resources.
… one of the most significant and stressful transitions in the life course of military members world-wide owing to potential changes in identity, community and residence, social networks and status, family roles, occupation, finances, routines, responsibilities, supports and culture.
That this bill be now read a third time.
Corporations (Fees) Amendment (ASIC Fees) Bill 2018
National Consumer Credit Protection (Fees) Amendment (ASIC Fees) Bill 2018
Superannuation Auditor Registration Imposition Amendment (ASIC Fees) Bill 2018
Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Amendment (ASIC Fees) Bill 2018
In particular, our proactive surveillance will substantially reduce across the sectors we regulate and, in some cases, it will stop.
Some examples of the changes in our consumer cluster are the deposit takers, credit and insurance team. There will be reduced proactive surveillance. As a result, they will focus on activity by entities that have the greatest market impact at the expense of smaller entities that have a smaller customer basis.
The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them.
It is deeply troubling that a majority of Australians believe their government is broken.
That this bill be now read a third time.
National Consumer Credit Protection (Fees) Amendment (ASIC Fees) Bill 2018
That this bill be now read a third time.
Superannuation Auditor Registration Imposition Amendment (ASIC Fees) Bill 2018
That this bill be now read a third time.
Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Amendment (ASIC Fees) Bill 2018
That this bill be now read a third time.
Criminal Code Amendment (Impersonating a Commonwealth Body) Bill 2017
Commerce (Trade Descriptions) Amendment Bill 2018
That this bill be now read a third time.
Health Insurance (Approved Pathology Specimen Collection Centres) Tax Amendment Bill 2018
At a time when Medicare rebates for pathology and diagnostic imaging services have been frozen for more than a decade, the bulk billing incentives have been vital in ensuring that all patients can have ready access to these services, regardless of their financial circumstances.
GPs are sick of being told by politicians on both sides that they are highly valued, but then hit with Government policy that consistently hurts practice viability.
That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:
"whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House condemns the Government for its attack on pathology bulk billing and notes its desperate pre-election deal with corporate pathology giants".
We want to make sure patients don't miss out on getting their pap smears and their life-saving blood tests, but the proposed $650 million in cuts to pathology and diagnostic imaging simply cannot be absorbed by the sector …
I can't see value in it. I feel like it's a scam and gap fees to pay every time.
Value for money is not good and getting worse.
We don't have health insurance because we cannot afford it. We just hope we don't get badly sick (e.g. need elective surgery etc) because we are reliant on the public health system. We hope perhaps we can afford insurance when we are older and have a higher income. I am now over 30 and it will cost more and more every year I delay.
Too expensive and cannot get much help.
Recent articles stating that's it isn't value for money and I'm probably better of just supporting the public system. Also I don't like the rebate.
Of no benefit as after paying exorbitant fees we still have to pay a $500.00 excess and then pay for each specialist over what is covered by the fund when as a public patient we would not have any of these cost. Does not make any sense to pay to be ripped off?
The cost for full cover is astronomical, even if you shop around & find one that best suits your needs. I would love to be able to cancel mine, but I have serious health issues that require my hospitalisation multiple times each year.
The cost has risen so far, that with also having to pay for the gap, there is no value for money.
We don't see the point in it, we pay way more than what we use for benefits
Don't have it. Cannot afford it
Considering my wife has to have hip replace the specialist gap is$3,150,15. Also had to pay another$400 gap for the anaesthetist plus anything else that might crop up
We can't afford to use the services that we get minor deductions on. Even the out of pocket costs for dentistry is such that we avoid going.
It very expensive , 74 and fear age related illnesses though am presently in good health but require dental and optical which are poorly covered by my private health insurance,
We always end up with big gap payments. The rebate on extras like dentist and optical are ridiculous
The only benefit of insurance is for urgent electives i.e. endometriosis, hernias, most other debilitating health issues that are NOT deemed life threatening, but you cannot wait for months / years to be treated. But the out of pocket can break you financially.
The out of pocket expenses for some procedures and the ever rising costs make the products a bad deal.
Poor value & gap difference far too high on specialists & private hospital.
There is about to be another price hike and we get no value for money. I will change it to necessities only. I pay WAY TOO MUCH for health care. It is very disappointing.
It costs our family nearly $300 a month for hospital and extras cover. The extras cover goes towards necessary health care—dentist, optical and physiotherapy—to keep us well and functional. However, the amount paid out by insurers against those premiums is pitiful and often a couple of extra visits to a physio for an injury will be the difference between making it from pay to pay with some money left in the bank and having to use our credit card to cover necessary costs like groceries etc. Since we are generally healthy, we rarely use the hospital cover. However, we are scared to drop the cover because of the penalties imposed both under the tax system and by the Lifetime Health Cover penalty should we want to take up cover later in life.
Private health cover is terrible value for money. We never receive the full amount back for services. We would drop our cover and rely on the public system except that we want choice when we are older. So we are paying now so that, in thirty year's time, should we need specialist care in the private system, we are not penalised for having not held private health insurance across the life span.
We don't have private insurance because it's unaffordable. Also, we don't see any real benefit having it.
When I retire it will cost $100 per week which is almost half of the pension.
I am finding that it is too expensive, going up more and more every year but the benefit I get from it is going down and backwards.
We are considering to cancel the extras and pop the money in the bank instead. We are not getting value for money as the gap on items seems to be getting bigger.
Pay near $4000.00 a year and still have to pay out of pocket. Been paying for 50 years.
… our health system is ailing.
Public hospital waiting lists continue to blow out.
Private health insurance is becoming increasingly unaffordable for our patients.
The enormous bottlenecks in the training pipeline.
The continuing struggle for some doctors around their own health and wellbeing.
Variable access to care in country towns and rural areas.
General Practice has been systematically starved of funding - tearing at its heart; wearing it down; putting at risk its world class outcomes in primary care, its very survival.
Our Health Minister needs to understand that the time for rhetoric is over. Our patience is wearing thin.
That this bill be now read a third time.
Australian Astronomical Observatory (Transition) Bill 2018
Since at least May 2017, threat actors have targeted government entities and the energy, water, aviation, nuclear, and critical manufacturing sectors, and, in some cases, have leveraged their capabilities to compromise victims' networks.
The impacts of the removal policies continue to resound through the generations of Indigenous families.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr Buchholz ) took the chair at 10:30.
The migrants that came here in the fifties, there were just about no services whatsoever. Now they're elderly … and now we put them behind the eight-ball again to access services.
It's about … the elderly non-English speaking migrants; they came here, they've worked all their lives, most of the husbands have passed on but the women are still out there, they don't drive—how are they going to get to Wollongong?
Most of you who know me are aware of my political views but this decision is one I can't agree with. A place like Warrawong requires this office to support the obvious need. Expecting the patrons to travel to Wollongong is not realistic or in anyone's interests.
This is an area where so many people need this facility. It would be an act of bastardry to take it away. What else would one expect from a Coalition Government that has such a high disregard and contempt for any one in need …
… there are so many older immigrants around here that would struggle without a Centrelink here if they had issues with their pension and even myself if I have to go to Wollongong or Shellharbour …
Live Sheep Long Haul Export Prohibition Bill 2018
… doubts about Australian sheep means Al Mawashi is already looking to find other secure sources of livestock—
This could also bring into question the significant volumes of fodder we import for feeding Australian sheep in our feedlots, as well as the chilled and frozen sheep meat we also import.
That this House:
(1) notes that the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef is the planet's greatest living wonder;
(2) further notes that it supports 64,000 jobs and contributes an estimated $6 billion to our economy; and
(3) welcomes the Government's record $500 million boost for Reef protection which will:
(a) invest in a $444 million partnership with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation;
(b) spark new and innovative investment in Reef protection measures;
(c) deliver on projects which are proven to boost the health of the Reef;
(d) improve water quality;
(e) tackle the crown-of-thorns starfish; and
(f) work with traditional owners on this vital project.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the battles of Fire Support Bases Coral and Balmoral during the Vietnam War;
(b) on 12 May 1968 two battalions, 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (RAR) and 3rd Battalion RAR with Attachments, were deployed as the 1st Australian Task Force (Forward) to Fire Support Bases Coral and Balmoral, approximately 20 kilometres north of Biên Hòa City, and were involved in a series of actions until 6 June 1968; and
(c) the series of battles were incredibly fierce and costly, claiming the lives of 26 Anzacs, with up to 100 wounded and an estimated 300 North Vietnamese combatants killed during the almost one month of fighting;
(2) acknowledges all of the units and elements that comprised the 1st Australian Task Force (Forward) that deployed to Fire Support Bases Coral and Balmoral;
(3) notes that:
(a) the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal recently wrote to the Minister for Defence Personnel recommending: 'That the 1st Australian Task Force (Forward) be awarded the "Unit Citation for Gallantry" for extraordinary gallantry in action at the Battles of Fire Support Bases Coral and Balmoral, between 12 May and 6 June 1968.';
(b) on 13 May 2018 the Minister for Veterans' Affairs announced that the Governor-General had approved the awarding of the Unit Citation for Gallantry to the 1st Australian Task Force (Forward) group and all those associated units who participated in that battle;
(c) this announcement had been long awaited and much anticipated;
(d) on this day, the 50th anniversary of the commencement of fighting, the Commanding Officer of the 3rd RAR during the battle, Brigadier Jeffrey James 'JJ' Shelton DSO MC passed away while watching the ceremony from his hospital bed;
(e) 'Jim' Shelton, who had been unwell for some time, closed his eyes and passed away peacefully at 92 years of age; and
(f) the RAR Association noted that Brigadier Shelton will be remembered by those who knew him and those who served with him as a true gentleman and a soldier's soldier;
(4) remembers those who lost their lives serving our country and all who came home wounded, or bearing the hidden scars of war; and
(5) recognises those who returned to life in Australia, that their journey from battlefield to towns and suburbs can be a difficult one and we must continue to support those who served and the people who love and care for them.
That this House:
(1) notes the recent decision of the Western Australia Government to grant approval for a third runway at Perth Airport;
(2) notes that:
(a) this decision will trigger a flight path review in metropolitan Perth;
(b) the last time flight paths were altered in Western Australia was 2008 by the then Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government as part of the Western Australian Route Review Project; and
(c) in 2010 a Senate inquiry into the effectiveness of Airservices Australia's management of aircraft noise found that community consultation was inadequate; and
(3) calls on the current Minister for Infrastructure and Transport to instruct Airservices Australia to commence a review as soon as possible, which includes adequate community consultation.
That this House:
… notes the recent decision of the Western Australia Government to grant approval for a third runway at Perth Airport …
To improve overall system coverage, EMU 2 could be relocated west of its current location to cover a larger portion of residential receivers.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) the Commonwealth's Financial Assistance Grants are a key source of revenue for local governments, especially for regional and rural councils;
(b) the impact of the indexation freeze in the 2014-15 budget meant that local councils missed out on $925 million in funding to provide better infrastructure and better services for our local communities—in Victoria this equated to $200 million in cuts to funding for local roads and community services;
(c) the impact of the indexation freeze was magnified in rural and regional areas where local governments have small ratepayer bases and ageing infrastructure and these councils cannot afford a repeat of the indexation freeze;
(d) cost shifting onto local governments places them under increasing pressure to deliver services and maintain assets previously provided by other tiers of government and for rural and regional councils the impact is magnified due to their limited ability to increase revenue;
(e) the two main sources of funding for councils are rates and grants and as grant income declines, councils have had to fill the revenue gap by increasing rates or reducing services;
(f) the ability of rural and regional councils to increase revenue via rates is limited due to a high proportion of 'non-rateable' land and a smaller population, and revenue raising via user charges for facilities, parking fees and development applications adopted by metropolitan councils is not an option for regional councils; and
(g) rural and regional councils often have higher costs per capita than metropolitan councils, with:
(i) older, more disadvantaged or more vulnerable populations, who require more services from councils;
(ii) larger asset bases relative to the population;
(iii) an environmental stewardship role, including responsibility for weed and pest animal management and flood mitigation infrastructure;
(iv) more dispersed populations, which increase the amount of travel needed to deliver services or which require duplicate facilities to be provided in multiple locations to meet local needs; and
(v) reduced competition among service providers and suppliers, which can increase costs for councils when purchasing goods and services; and
(2) calls on the Government to:
(a) commit to the sustainability of rural and regional councils by guaranteeing the Financial Assistance Grants will not be subject to another indexation freeze;
(b) work with the states and territories and local governments to review the funding methodology of Financial Assistance Grants so that distribution of funds supports the sustainability of rural and regional councils; and
(c) support the development of regional strategic plans with the states and territories and local governments to guide investment and avoid cost shifting and duplication.
… we could borrow more, but how does this help us become financially sustainable? Increasing debt is a band aid solution, which is not only unfair on our ratepayers but also ignores the root cause of the issue – lack of income to provide core services.
Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2018-2019
So there’s a real risk that these equity investments will end up not even making a positive rate of return, never mind a commercial rate.
It is important to note, in this context, that the budget is framed on a series of realistic and reasonably conservative economic forecasts for economic growth, wages and company profits …
… the Government has missed a golden opportunity to reap the benefits from substantially increasing its funding for Tourism Australia.
… assist developing countries reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development in line with Australia's national interest.
In Australia we had some research done where it showed that about 80 per cent of Australians believe that we should not be spending more on foreign aid or that what we spend is about right.
It was the timing of the reduction in tariffs. We really started to see an increase in enquiries, particularly coming out of China.
We signed up to NBN last October. For a while it seemed to work well, then one by one the wheels fell off and I live to regret the decision.
The first regret was that our back-to-base alarm system wouldn't work with the NBN. We had to get an entirely new system that was wireless.
The next regret was the loss of facsimile services. They won't work with the NBN either. Our perfectly good fax machine went to the tip.
Then, early in 2018, we started to get outages—every day for lengthy periods.
The Telstra fault line goes direct to their offshore call centre/s, and we always got the same response—very sorry but don't worry. We'll fix it for you.
I started documenting the outages—four or five every day and for many hours at times
… … …
Telstra sent a technician to the house. He fiddled and snipped at some ancient wiring but that didn't help for long.
… … …
Telstra then said they'd get an NBN technician to come to the house.
Three appointments were made, no-one came, no-one did the courtesy of phoning us.
At the fourth appointment a technician finally turned up, grumbling about the nonsense of trying to connect 21st century technology to ancient copper wiring.
I'm 22 years old and work as a carer for cerebral palsy Alliance. For the last 8 years, I have seen over 6 people I know commit suicide, and personally know many close friends who now battle with depression. What is the Government and the opposition doing to address the growing number of cases?
We put forward this weekly news-sheet in the earnest hope that it will merit and encourage your whole-hearted support and thus further the progress of this part of Australia.
... it behoves us, who live in a small country town to do something about it; because if we are not prepared to help ourselves who can we expect to help us?
That this House:
(1) acknowledges that for nearly two decades a 10 per cent GST has been applied to women’s sanitary products;
(2) notes that:
(a) this is an unfair and discriminatory tax on women;
(b) tampons and pads are not luxury items but rather essential items;
(c) Australian women are fed up with paying extra for items that they need to live and work;
(d) Labor has announced a concrete plan to scrap the GST on sanitary products; and
(e) Labor’s plan:
(i) would restore equity but also save a woman up to $1,000 over her lifetime; and
(ii) has already attracted the support of a number of state and territories, putting progress within reach; and
(3) calls on the Government to:
(a) immediately adopt Labor’s plan to abolish the tax on women’s sanitary products; and
(b) work with the states and territories to end this tax once and for all.
That this House:
(1) recognizes the need for households and small businesses to access affordable, reliable energy;
(2) notes that the Government’s National Energy Guarantee is recommended by the independent Energy Security Board and that it:
(a)involves no taxes, subsidies or trading schemes;
(b)creates a level playing field that ensures all types of energy are part of Australia’s mix;
(c)provides certainty for investors in new and existing power plants; and
(d)reduces price volatility; and
(3)condemns the opposition’s plan to replicate South Australia’s 50 per cent renewable energy target, which will mean more subsidies and therefore higher prices.
To ask the Minister for Law Enforcement and Cybersecurity—
1. What steps has the Government taken to ensure the integrity of the next federal election.
2. What engagement has the Government or responsible agency undertaken with
(a) state governments to ensure the integrity of state elections, and
(b) the major political parties to ensure elector database integrity.
3. How many targeted cyberattacks have attempted to breach the Australian electoral systems.
4. Have any cybersecurity attacks on the Australian electoral systems been successful.
5. What steps has the Government taken to ensure that social media feeds are not manipulated by a foreign power.
6. How many times has the Australian Parliament House parliamentary network successfully been attacked, what were the dates of the attacks, what information was stolen, and what steps did the Government take to notify those impacted.
1. What steps has the Government taken to ensure the integrity of the next federal election.
The Australian Government is pursuing a range of initiatives to ensure the integrity of Australian elections is maintained, raise awareness of electoral security, and develop strategies to protect and maintain public confidence in our democratic process.
The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) and National Cyber Security Adviser have delivered a series of briefings to relevant stakeholders to ensure political parties, governments and electoral commissions have a clear understanding of cyber threats to the electoral process. In February 2017, the ACSC provided a classified briefing to political party leaders on the cyber threat to the electoral process.
Following this classified briefing, the National Cyber Security Adviser commenced a series of cyber security briefings to state and territory Cabinet members, parliamentarians, senior public servants and electoral bodies to assist them to better understand cyber security risks and take steps to mitigate vulnerabilities. The ACSC also delivered briefings to Tasmanian and South Australian electoral commissions ahead of their respective elections.
The Government has created a new National Counter Foreign Interference Coordinator to lead the development and implementation of a Whole-of-Government strategy that will bring together key policy, operational and social cohesion levers to respond to foreign interference. The National Counter Foreign Interference Coordinator will be a focal point for engagement with diaspora communities and sectors vulnerable to foreign interference.
Finally, the Australian Government has also made legislative amendments to improve the integrity of the electoral process.
The Electoral and Other Legislation Amendments Act 2017 , which came into force on 14 March 2018, and the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Bill 2017 improve transparency and accountability around seeking to influence voters.
The National Security Legislation Amendment (Espionage and Foreign Interference) Bill 2017 will modernise and strengthen a number of existing criminal offences and will introduce a range of foreign interference offences. The Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Bill 2017 was also introduced to establish a foreign influence transparency scheme to provide visibility of the nature and extent of foreign influence over Australia's political and governmental processes.
2. What engagement has the Government or responsible agency undertaken with:
(a) state governments to ensure the integrity of state elections, and
The Department of Home Affairs, in partnership with the ACSC, is working on a COAG commitment to deliver cyber security health checks to all state, territory and federal electoral commissions. This health check will provide a high level review of both governance and technical cyber security health, enabling electoral commissions, governments and risk holders to better understand the maturity of their cyber security risk management processes and provide a baseline for improvement into the future.
In the lead up to both the Tasmanian and South Australian elections, the ACSC also provided individual briefings to each commission on the importance of cyber security and the help available to them in the event of an incident.
(b) the major political parties to ensure elector database integrity.
The Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Electoral Act) provides for registered political parties, Members of Parliament (MP) and Senators to receive a copy of electoral roll data on a monthly basis. Before receiving this data, Party Secretaries, MPs and Senators must acknowledge that this data will only be used in accordance with the Electoral Act and securely destroyed before the new month of data is provided.
3. How many targeted cyberattacks have attempted to breach the Australian electoral systems?
The Government is not aware of any attempted cyber attacks on the Australian electoral system.
4. Have any cybersecurity attacks on the Australian electoral systems been successful.
The Government is not aware of any attempted cyber attacks on the Australian electoral system.
5. What steps has the Government taken to ensure that social media feeds are not manipulated by a foreign power.
In addition to the actions that were provided in Q1.
The Government has undertaken a range of activities to help build Australia's digital resilience, be more aware of the gamut of cyber risks and better prepare citizens to critically examine digital content.
These reforms are aimed at ensuring Australians have access to relevant and accurate reporting and a vibrant and sustainable media sector.
In conjunction with the eSafety Commissioner, the National Cyber Security Adviser is also working to raise awareness of cyber threats to electoral processes with major social media companies including Facebook, Twitter and Google.
6. How many times has the Australian Parliament House parliamentary network successfully been attacked, what were the dates of the attacks, what information was stolen, and what steps did the Government take to notify those impacted?
In April 2016, the Prime Minister announced the Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS) suffered a significant cyber intrusion. At the time the ACSC worked with DPS to understand and fix the vulnerabilities, as well as providing mitigation advice for any potential future incidents. Further classified information on this matter is not able to be provided in an unclassified forum.
(1) Is the Minister aware of the hydroelectricity proposal that was originally launched as the 'Tully Millstream', promised by the LNP in 1995 and then soon after abolished by LNP Energy Minister Gilmore, and which resurfaced as the 'Reverse Tully Millstream' and has now evolved into the 'Southern Tablelands Development Scheme' (STaDS).
(2) Is he aware that this scheme adds 50,000 ha of irrigated (sugar cane) farm lands south of Ravenshoe West of Tully and moves the project from north of Tully, to south of Tully, and should deliver 600 MW of hydro and pump storage power from Tully.
(3) Is he aware that the Snowy Mountains 2.0 is ineffective in providing security on the north Queensland grid (1 million people), since that grid is nearly 5,000 km from Snowy Mountains 2.0 and line losses over that distance would be prohibitive, making the STaDS proposal a necessary adjunct to Snowy Mountains 2.0.
(4) Is he aware that when STaDS is added to the 'triangle of power' (Hell's Gates Dam, Kidston Pump Storage and Big Kennedy Wind Farm), the resulting 'quadrangle of power' will add 2,200 MW of baseload power and 400 MW of hydro.
(5) Is he aware that north Queensland's existing renewables will then be providing over 8 per cent of the entire national grid, which when added to the existing 6 per cent, will deliver nationwide 14 per cent renewables and that to go higher than 20 per cent would jeopardise the cheap $28 per MWh coming out of existing coal fired power stations, versus renewables at over $90 per MWh.
(6) As the STaDS proposal will provide 300 MW of hydro peaking power and 300 MW of pump storage peaking power; 300 million litres of ethanol; 300,000 tonnes of sugar (piped as liquor) to the Tully Mill for processing; and will fatten 500,000 cattle each year off algae ponds (grown from CO2 emissions which will be entirely 'carbon captured' in the algae ponds); when will the Minister commit to the Tully Hydro promised to the people of North Queensland and people of Tully/Ravenshoe 21 years ago.
(1) Yes. The Australian Government is providing $750,000 from the $580 million National Water Infrastructure Development Fund for the "Tablelands Irrigation Project Feasibility Study". This feasibility study will investigate the financial viability of this proposal and identify options for multi-purpose water use in the Upper Herbert catchment to support regional growth. The feasibility study will be completed by 30 April 2019.
(2) Yes.
(3) The Australian Energy Market Operator is responsible for maintaining power system security and reliability.
(4) Yes.
(5) The Australian Government places a high priority on the reliability and affordability of energy supply, while also meeting our international commitments. We must ensure that households and businesses have access to affordable and reliable power.
In this context, the Government has just announced a new National Energy Guarantee (Guarantee). The policy builds on the Finkel Review, which recommended the creation of the Energy Security Board (ESB) that has now recommended this program design. The Guarantee integrates energy and climate policy and will deliver a more reliable and lower emissions energy system, which puts downward pressure on prices. It requires retailers to manage their energy needs to deliver low cost, reliable and low emissions generation that guarantees reliability across the grid while meeting our international emission reduction commitments.
The Government will work with the ESB and the states through the Council of Australian Governments to implement the Guarantee.
(6) The Queensland Government is responsible for planning to meet current and future water and energy demand in Queensland and projects cannot proceed without that government's support. The Australian Government is open to considering proposals from the Queensland Government.
To ask the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs — Does his department maintain data on citizenship applications classed as requiring 'thorough analysis' or 'further assessment' or some other similar designation, to indicate increased complexity or difficulty in processing.
All applications for Australian citizenship are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the legislative criteria of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007. The Department does not attribute applications into broad designations or categories as indicated in the question.
To ask the Minister for Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs — What criteria determine if a citizenship application is classed as requiring 'thorough analysis' or 'further assessment' or any similar designation.
All applications for Australian citizenship are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the legislative criteria of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007. The Department does not attribute applications into broad designations or categories as indicated in the question.
To ask the Minister for Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs —(1) How many citizenship (by conferral) applications were lodged in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14, (c) 2014-15, (d) 2015-16, (e) 2016-17, and (f) 2017-18 (to date).(2) What number of people received citizenship by conferral in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14, (c) 2014-15, (d) 2015-16, (e) 2016-17, and (f) 2017-18 (to date).(3) What number of citizenship (by conferral) applications were classed as requiring 'thorough analysis' or 'further assessment' or any similar designation in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14, (c) 2014-15, (d) 2015-16, (e) 2016-17, and (f) 2017-18 (to date).(4) What number of citizenship applications classed as requiring 'thorough analysis' or 'further assessment' or any similar designation were granted by conferral in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14, (c) 2014-15, (d) 2015-16, (e) 2016-17, and (f) 2017-18 (to date).
Q1.
Note: This information provided by the Department of Home Affairs was extracted from Departmental systems. As data has been drawn from a dynamic system environment, the information was correct at the time of publication and figures may differ slightly from previous or future reporting.
Q2.
Note: This information provided by the Department of Home Affairs was extracted from Departmental systems. As data has been drawn from a dynamic system environment, the information was correct at the time of publication and figures may differ slightly from previous or future reporting.
Q3 & Q4.
All applications for Australian citizenship are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the legislative criteria of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 . The Department does not attribute applications into broad designations or categories as indicated in the question.
To ask the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs —(1) Of all citizenship applications requiring 'thorough analysis' or 'further assessment' or any similar designation, what were the average processing times for these applications in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14, (c) 2014-15, (d) 2015-16, (e) 2016-17, and (f) 2017-18 (to date).(2) What is the current expected processing times for citizenship applications requiring 'thorough analysis' or 'further assessment' or any similar designation.
All applications for Australian citizenship are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the legislative criteria of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007. The Department does not attribute applications into broad designations or categories as indicated in the question. Current citizenship application processing times are available on the Department's website.
To ask the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs —(1) What was the breakdown of citizenship (by conferral) applications by country of birth in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14, (c) 2014-15, (d) 2015-16, (e) 2016-17, and (f) 2017-18 (to date).(2) What was the breakdown of the country of birth of applicants (for citizenship by conferral) whose applications were classed as requiring 'thorough analysis' or 'further assessment' or any similar designation in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14, (c) 2014-15, (d) 2015-16, (e) 2016-17, and (f) 2017-18 (to date).(3) What was the breakdown of successful applicants (for citizenship by conferral) by country of birth in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14, (c) 2014-15, (d) 2015-16, (e) 2016-17, and (f) 2017-18 (to date).
Q1.
Note: Clients whose country of birth is reported as " Australia " are mainly those who did not become Australian citizens at birth, due to being born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986 without a parent who was an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
This information provided by the Department of Home Affairs was extracted from Departmental systems. As data has been drawn from a dynamic system environment, the information was correct at the time of publication and figures may differ slightly from previous or future reporting.
Q2.
The Department does not attribute citizenship applications into broad designations or categories as described in the question.
Q3.
Note: Clients whose country of birth is reported as " Australia " are mainly those who did not become Australian citizens at birth, due to being born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986 without a parent who was an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
This information provided by the Department of Home Affairs was extracted from Departmental systems. As data has been drawn from a dynamic system environment, the information was correct at the time of publication and figures may differ slightly from previous or future reporting.
To ask the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs —How many applicants were awaiting a decision on their citizenship (by conferral) overall in each quarter (or in as detailed data sets as possible) of (a) 2013, (b) 2014, (c) 2015, (d) 2016, (e) 2017, and (f) from 2018 (to the most recent quarter collected by his department).
Providing further detail in relation to the number of applicants on-hand by quarter would be an unreasonable diversion of resources.
To ask the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs —What precise data fields are (a) collected in applications for citizenship by conferral, (b) stored in his department's systems, and (c) searchable in his department's systems.
(a) The information collected in applications for citizenship by conferral is identified in the applications forms 1300t ( Application for Australian citizenship - General eligibility ) and 1290 (Application for Australian citizenship – Other situations ), available on the Department's website.
(b) Most information collected in applications for citizenship by conferral is stored in Departmental systems, however not all information collected is routinely entered into Departmental systems. This may include, for example, information about the applicant's parents or children not included in the application, if the application was made on a paper form.
(c) Most information which is stored in Departmental systems from citizenship forms is searchable, however not all is retrievable in bulk data downloads and some can only be accessed in individual client records. This is because some information is entered in comments/free text fields that cannot be reported on.
In respect of a number of constituent cases in the electoral division of Kennedy, some dating back to Cyclone Yasi (2011), where it is alleged that Club Marine is bullying and intimidating its policy holders to settle for a meagre amount of their total claim, or drawing the process out for years in the hope that the policy holder will go broke or run out of energy to pursue the matter, will he order Club Marine, part of Allianz Australia Insurance, to reveal how many claims (a) have been made, and (b) have been paid, and (i) in the case where payment has been made, what percentages of the claim did Club Marine pay, and (ii) on claims that have been paid, what number have been disputed by the policy holder, and what number are still in dispute.
We are advised that since Cyclone Yasi in 2011, Club Marine has received over 50 thousand claims and paid out over $350 million in claims. This includes a number of extreme weather events including Cyclones Yasi, Marcia and Debbie, and other extreme storms for which over 99 per cent of claims received were paid.
It is not appropriate for the Government to intervene in private disputes. However, in situations where a policy holder is not satisfied with an outcome they should seek a review of the decision using their insurance provider's internal dispute resolution process. If a policy holder remains unsatisfied they should contact the Financial Ombudsman Service, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, or seek legal advice.
I would note that on a date no later the 1 November 2018, consumers of financial services will be able to go to the new one-stop shop for consumer disputes, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). AFCA have higher thresholds than are currently available to Australian consumers. AFCA will have a monetary limit of $1 million and a compensation cap of $500,000, which will apply to most disputes, almost double the existing limits representing significantly enhanced access to redress for consumers