2018-09-11 45 1 7 House of Reps 0 1

Tuesday, 11 September 2018

The SPEAKER ( Hon. Tony Smith ) took the chair at 12:00, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.

BILLS 1 BILLS A New Tax System (Medicare Levy Surcharge—Fringe Benefits) Amendment (Excess Levels for Private Health Insurance Policies) Bill 2018, Medicare Levy Amendment (Excess Levels for Private Health Insurance Policies) Bill 2018 1

A New Tax System (Medicare Levy Surcharge—Fringe Benefits) Amendment (Excess Levels for Private Health Insurance Policies) Bill 2018

Medicare Levy Amendment (Excess Levels for Private Health Insurance Policies) Bill 2018

Returned from Senate 1 COMMITTEES 1 COMMITTEES Membership 1 12:01 The SPEAKER 00APG I have received messages from the Senate informing the House of the appointment of senators to certain committees. As the list of appointments is a lengthy one, I do not propose to read the list to the House. Details will be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings. BILLS 1 BILLS Private Health Insurance Legislation Amendment Bill 2018 1

Private Health Insurance Legislation Amendment Bill 2018

Consideration of Senate Message 1 12:03 The SPEAKER 00APG I understand that it's the wish of the House to consider the amendments together. 12:03 Mr HUNT 00AMV Flinders I move: That the amendments be agreed to. 12:03 Ms CATHERINE KING 00AMR Ballarat I want to speak briefly to the amendments. These are of course government amendments to its own legislation. We're seeing this government as a bit of a shambles in that it's now having to once again introduce amendments to its own legislation because it hasn't been able to get this legislation up through the parliament in the time frame that it said it would. I understand there are a couple of issues that the government has also decided to now include in this Private Health Insurance Legislation Amendment Bill 2018, relating in particular to the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman having to provide 48 hours notice to insurers, where the ombudsman will exercise his new entry powers, and to only delegate his functions to persons with appropriate expertise. Whilst the latter we certainly agree with, I do want to flag that we'll have a look at how the operation of the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman's provision of 48 hours notice to insurers operates in practice. We'll support this amendment, but I do want to have a look at how over time that operates in practice. What the legislation was trying to do was to ensure that the Private Health Insurance Ombudsman had greater powers to investigate complaints that have been arising in the private health insurance field. We understand, through the Senate committee process and the scrutiny of bills, it is believed that, due to fair process, the 48 hours is necessary. But I want to flag that that's certainly one of the areas that, in practice, we want to have a look at. Again, here we have a government that has been so distracted by itself, so distracted by the plotting within the party, that it wasn't able to get its own legislation correct in the first place. So it's had to come back into this place and has had to move amendments to its own bill—not accepting amendments that others may have moved. If we had had a Minister for Health who was concentrating on his day job, rather than the plotting that this minister was engaged in, we might have been able to have a bill that didn't require the government to amendment it. As I said at the outset, Labor will support these amendments, but that the government is once again having to come forward with amendments to its own legislation certainly shows how distracted and in complete disarray this government is. Question agreed to. Health Insurance (Approved Pathology Specimen Collection Centres) Tax Amendment Bill 2018 2

Health Insurance (Approved Pathology Specimen Collection Centres) Tax Amendment Bill 2018

Consideration of Senate Message 2 12:0 Mr HUNT ( 00AMV Flinders — ) ( ): I move: That the amendment be agreed to. 12:07 Ms CATHERINE KING 00AMR Ballarat Yet again, I point out that this is the government amending its own bill. Having to amend one of your own bills once in one day is unfortunate; having to do it twice in one day again shows the disarray that this government is in. Again, this government is having to introduce amendments to its own legislation in this place. The last time that this House sat, we saw how divided and in disarray this government was, including the plotting of the minister across the table in relation to the removal of a Prime Minister. Again, had he been focused on his day job, I suspect we wouldn't be facing what we are today. This amendment pushes back this bill by at least five months, from July to December or later. Under the bill, pathology collection centres will pay a fee of $2,000 every two years, instead of $1,000 every year. The government says, as it did in its original legislation, that this will reduce the regulatory burden on pathology companies while maintaining the revenue raised from these fees. It's worth remembering where this legislation stemmed from in the first place: the 2017 budget, which was delivered some 16 months ago. Between the 2017 budget and the scheduled implementation of this bill in 2018, the government had 14 months in which to pass this bill. But the minister was apparently more focused on other things, because he didn't introduce this fairly straightforward measure until May this year, a year after the 2017 budget. The House passed this bill back in June, but the government didn't bother passing it in the Senate until last night, missing the July start date. We understand that's why this amendment is here. We will support the amendment, but I think it's worth the House noting that, once again, this is the government having to come in here and clean up and move an amendment of its own making to amend its own legislation, because it has not been able to focus on its day job. Question agreed to. Family Law Amendment (Family Violence and Cross-examination of Parties) Bill 2018 2

Family Law Amendment (Family Violence and Cross-examination of Parties) Bill 2018

Second Reading 2 12:10 Mr PORTER 208884 Pearce I thank all members for their contributions to the debate on this very important bill. The Family Law Amendment (Family Violence and Cross-examination of Parties) Bill 2018 is designed to protect victims of family violence from the trauma of being cross-examined directly by their perpetrator in family law proceedings. The bill implements a number of expert recommendations and demonstrates the government's ongoing commitment to addressing family violence. The bill will ensure that all parties have a fair hearing, sufficient opportunity to make their case and the opportunity to test any adverse evidence presented by the other party. If a party is prevented from cross-examining the other party directly and still wishes to cross-examine the witness, this must occur through a legal representative. Legal representation may be arranged privately or through Legal Aid. This bill ultimately will improve the justice system's ability to support vulnerable witnesses by requiring the use of protections in family law proceedings that involve allegations of family violence. The government welcomes the recommendations of the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee's report. The government—and I'll note this very clearly here—agrees to the committee's recommendation that details regarding funding for the measures in the bill be announced prior to debate in the Senate. Given this, the government welcomes the recommendation of the committee that the bill be passed. The government continues to work very closely with National Legal Aid to determine the ongoing impacts of the measures. I might note with respect to the Labor amendments that the funding quantum that will eventually arise must necessarily be informed by the best and most accurate assessment of both the likely number of cases that will occur in future of the type of conduct that will be made procedurally impossible by this bill and the resourcing implications inside Legal Aid of providing appropriate representation to litigants reasonably expected to be affected; and, further, determining, for the purposes of distributing future increases in Legal Aid funding, the location of those litigants, which, as has been noted by the member for Indi, may be skewed to regional areas. So determining these impacts is not an uncomplicated process, but it is proceeding very well with Legal Aid, and once these impacts have been established and agreed upon the details of the supports accompanying the bill will be announced. Pursuant to that, I can confirm that the government will ensure adequate funding is provided to Legal Aid for representation of those affected by the bill, and those announcements will be made, according to the committee's recommendation, before this matter is debated in the Senate. Given both this undertaking and the fact that the government has agreed to the recommendations of the Senate committee inquiry into this bill, I consider that the opposition amendment, were it to be successful, would have no other effect than to delay protection to vulnerable victims. That is why it is opposed by the government and why there is still an opportunity to withdraw it given the undertakings contained in this speech. I thank the members of this House for their contribution and I commend the bill to the House. The SPEAKER 00APG The question is that the amendment be agreed to. There being more than one voice calling for a division, in accordance with standing order 133 the division is deferred until after the discussion of the matter of public importance. Debate adjourned. Aged Care (Single Quality Framework) Reform Bill 2018, Therapeutic Goods Amendment (2018 Measures No. 1) Bill 2018 3

Aged Care (Single Quality Framework) Reform Bill 2018

Therapeutic Goods Amendment (2018 Measures No. 1) Bill 2018

Returned from Senate 3 Veterans' Entitlements Amendment Bill 2018 3

Veterans' Entitlements Amendment Bill 2018

Second Reading 3 12:14 Ms RISHWORTH HWA Kingston I rise to speak on the Veterans' Entitlements Amendment Bill 2018. This bill amends the Veterans' Entitlements Act in relation to how the Department of Veterans' Affairs administers bereavement payments, correcting an inadvertent error from amendments made in 1996. This bill reinstates an element which deals with the provision of bereavement payments and recovery of overpayment of a surviving partner. Essentially, when a veteran passes away the surviving partner is entitled to a bereavement payment, which is made up of 14 weeks of the partner's income support payment. This payment is to assist individuals with the costs following the death of a partner and provide a period of time for the surviving partner to adjust their finances. During this difficult time, it's not uncommon for there to be a delay in advising the department of the death of the veteran, resulting in an overpayment to the partner. In these circumstances, rather than send an overpayment notice, DVA instead deducts the overpayment from the bereavement payment amount. For example, if it takes four weeks to notify DVA of a veteran passing, the bereavement payment will be reduced by four weeks and the surviving partner will receive only 10 weeks of income support in the form of a bereavement payment. This only happens in circumstances where the surviving partner has access to funds through a joint account or some other mechanism. Where the partner has not had the benefit of the additional weeks, DVA seeks the overpayment from the estate directly. This is consistent with the similar process of the Department of Social Services to minimise unnecessary interactions with DVA. Labor understands that, while DVA has the legal authority to provide the bereavement payment and the legal authority to recover the income support pension paid to the veteran after death, the amendments in this schedule will confirm this authority and streamline the administrative process. The bereavement payment and the way in which overpayments are recovered is a compassionate process that is supported by the Alliance of Defence Service Organisations and their member organisations, the War Widows Guild and the Partners of Veterans Association in particular. We have sought assurances, as the opposition, that this continues to be supported by these organisations. These organisations have commented that it's better to deduct an overpayment from a partner's entitlement than to send an account weeks or even months after the veteran has passed away, and it is for this reason that Labor supports the bill. That being said, while Labor support this bill and are happy for it to progress, we are deeply, deeply concerned about the government's undermining of veterans' access to health services. It's for this reason that Labor will be moving an amendment to draw the House's attention to an issue that the government has refused to acknowledge and which is rapidly reaching crisis point. Labor has long been pursuing the issue of the impact that the government's Medicare rebate freeze has on veterans. As members may be aware, the Repatriation Medical Fee Schedule that DVA pays is directly linked to the Medicare Benefits Schedule, which has been frozen by the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government since 2014. This freeze has led to a situation where DVA rebates have been gradually eroded and they are no longer covering the costs of treatment. Because veterans can't be charged a gap payment, some medical and allied health professionals have had no choice but to turn DVA clients away. Let me say that again: clinicians, doctors and specialists are having to turn veterans away because the DVA payment does not cover costs. This rebate gap is starkly illustrated when we consider the gap between what a clinical psychologist can charge versus what DVA covers. This is demonstrated by GO2 Health in the Productivity Commission's review into DVA. A clinical psychologist can charge private patients $251 per 60-minute session. In comparison, DVA pays only $148.95 for a 60-minute session. This is a gap of $102.05 per session. And non-clinical psychologists can charge up to $251 per session for private patients while DVA pays only $101.45. This is a gap of $149.55 per session, which means the gap for psychologists is almost 1.5 times the amount that the DVA pays them. There are dedicated and passionate professionals working in this space to assist veterans, but gaps of more than $100 per session are simply too much to overcome. Australian doctors are telling us that there is a significant problem. The Australian Medical Association completed a survey of their members last year about the impact of the fee schedule freeze. The survey found that almost 30 per cent of specialists were no longer committed to treating veterans. In addition, only 44 per cent of specialists said that they would continue to see veterans if the freeze continues, with the remainder considering other ways to charge veterans. Anecdotally, veterans have been telling me for some time that they've been unable to access providers due to the ongoing freeze. These are veterans like Andrew, who was seeing a psychiatrist in Sydney but then moved to Darwin and was unable to access a new psychiatrist. During his search, Andrew was told by the psychiatric provider that they were unwilling to treat him as a direct result of the gap in fees. This issue was also raised by submitters to the Senate inquiry last year into suicide by veterans and ex-service personnel, and by submitters to the current review into compensation and rehabilitation for veterans being conducted by the Productivity Commission. Critically, submissions to the Productivity Commission review from the Prime Minister's own advisory council on veterans' mental health and from the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service National Advisory Committee raised concerns about this emerging gap. The Prime Ministerial Advisory Council on Veterans' Mental Health said in their submission: It would appear there is a limited, but perhaps increasing, number of medical specialists turning our veterans away once they become aware they are DVA clients. The Council understands the concern regarding accepting DVA clients stems from the fact that the MBS fees have been frozen for many years. The Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service National Advisory Committee elaborated on this, stating: The remuneration gap between seeing veterans versus private patients from the general community or Defence members is now so significant that clinical providers are prioritising other clients over DVA referrals. In some cases, providers are refusing to accept clients with DVA white or gold cards because of the poor remuneration offered. Over the course of these two inquiries, issues have also been raised by Occupational Therapy Australia, GO2 Health, the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, the Australian Psychological Society and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. All of these submitters have raised their concerns about the gap and its impact on service for our veterans. Despite the evidence provided and the statements coming from the government's own advisory board, the government continue to bury their head in the sand when it comes to the impact of the medical freeze on the DVA fee schedule. DVA have stated that they believe that because they pay more than the MBS there is no problem and veterans should simply shop around. But, while DVA does, indeed, pay more than the MBS, it is clear that the DVA fee schedule is out of step with what providers are charging. The crux of the issue is that, unlike private patients, veterans cannot be charged a gap. So, unless the DVA fee schedule is reflective of broader costs of delivering services, veterans will continue to be turned away from services in favour of private patients. This is particularly the case, and of particular concern, where there is lack of supply of these services. If there's lack of supply, the medical professionals will go for the highest bidder; they will take private patients over our veterans. In some parts of Australia, it is being made very clear to me, veterans do not have the luxury of shopping around. Frankly, this is unacceptable. Veterans who have access to DVA cards do so with the understanding that they will be able to access the health care they need as a result of the service and sacrifice they have made to our country. Instead, due to the unfair freeze, it is the veteran's own DVA card which is closing off options to them. Labor has been a strong supporter of the government's non-liability healthcare arrangements, and continues to advocate it to members of the ex-service community. But there is little point in having a program for veterans if providers are turning veterans away. The government has a responsibility to address this issue, which is increasingly impacting veterans. It has been undermining Medicare since 2014. We know that it cannot be trusted with Australia's healthcare system. It is now time for the government to admit that it is impacting not only the wider community but veterans as well, who should not have to worry every day about whether they'll be able to access the health care that they need. But the reality is that they are doing so under this government. Our veterans do deserve better, and it's for this reason that Labor, whilst not declining to give this bill a second reading, will be moving an amendment today to draw the House's attention to this important issue which is undermining veterans' access to health services. Given the significant concerns raised by providers, by peak organisations and by veterans themselves, we believe it's important to draw attention to these concerns. I call on the government to act urgently to protect veterans' access to health services. I urge the government to listen to their own advisory boards, the organisations, the specialists, the ex-service community and the veterans themselves who are raising these concerns. I ask that the government take serious action to address this issue to ensure that veterans can access the services they need as a result of their sacrifice to our country. Therefore, I move: That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words: "whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House notes with concern that the Government has undermined veterans' access to health services". The SPEAKER 00APG Is the amendment seconded? Ms Chesters 249710 I second the amendment and reserve my right to speak. The SPEAKER 00APG The original question was that the bill be now read a second time. To this, the honourable member for Kingston has moved as an amendment that all words after 'That' be omitted with a view to substituting other words. If it suits the House, I will state the question in the form that the amendment be agreed to. The question now is that the amendment be agreed to. 12:26 Mr RAMSEY HWS Grey To cut to the chase, no, I don't support the amendment. But I do support the bill that is before the House, which is on variations to veterans' entitlements, the Veterans' Entitlements Amendment Bill 2018. It is a relatively simple bill, correcting a drafting oversight that occurred back in 2005—that is an awfully long time ago in parliamentary terms. It does no more than authenticate what is current practice. Death is a difficult time for all of us. It's no different for veterans and their partners. At that time, as it does across a wide range of issues, the government tries to be supportive of veterans and their families. As a result of the oversight back in 2005, the technicality of the legislation is that, should someone, after they've passed away, be paid an extra payment on their service pension before the department is informed, that is classed as an overpayment. What happens is the surviving spouse receives a bereavement payment which is equivalent to 98 days of the service pension. Technically, what should happen is the overpayment should be recouped and the bereavement payment should go ahead. That's pretty dopey, really. Essentially it's just not smart, and we don't need to place that kind of stress on families. What has been happening is that the overpayment, if you like, is debited against the bereavement payment, and the payment is adjusted by that amount. That is the right and proper way to do things. This legislation just tidies up that loose end from over 20 years ago. What we've been doing will continue to happen and it will apply retrospectively as well, because we don't want anyone raising any silly issues on the side and talking about recouping money from the past. That is a good outcome and it should be supported by both sides of the House. I'm pleased to hear that the Labor Party is going to support that position. It does give me the opportunity, though, to talk about a number of other issues surrounding veterans and veterans' entitlements. In my electorate, like all of us in our electorates, I come across veterans' organisations on a regular basis. More often than not, they are the RSL clubs or the RSL sub-branches across South Australia, but we also have the Vietnam Veterans' Association down at Moonta and there are a number of others all doing great work. In fact, it's really quite encouraging to see the resurgence in RSL clubs. RSL sub-branches in South Australia are quite different to what other members in this place might experience through New South Wales where, of course, RSL clubs are large community facilities that have accumulated wealth through poker machines in the past and that provide great service to the much wider community. In South Australia, it's a much more low-key affair because that income stream was non-existent in the past. Consequently, some of the sub-branches have drifted into fairly low numbers and low support within community. I have noticed that in the last six to eight years there has been quite a resurgence of these clubs reaching out to the wider community and encouraging new members to join. The governments have helped facilitate this through the veterans' grants and refurbishing some of these old RSL halls—putting new roofs on them, putting new kitchens in, providing toilet blocks. A recent grant that I was very pleased to see go to the Port Lincoln RSL actually provided UV screening for their windows so their quite substantial and really important and meaningful collection of artefacts can be properly preserved from the sunlight. The very enthusiastic RSL clubs are applying for all kinds of assistance across a wide range of facilities. The fact that they survive in this more modern world, where of course the number of veterans is not the same as what postwar or post Second World War Australia experienced is a really good thing. It is a good thing that they survive. It is a good thing that they are still there protecting and commemorating the Anzac tradition and that we always remember those who have gone before and, in some cases, given their life for this country. They are the custodians of the legend, and we should support them at every available opportunity, and we do. There are other things that the government is doing to support veterans, though. There is of course the extended family support package which has been in place since May this year. It is helping veterans and their families with expanded childcare funding, counselling support for immediate family members of veterans experiencing crisis, home help and counselling support for spouses and partners. Service in war is about much more than the physical injuries; it is also about the mental scars that people carry. Those of us who are of the generation remember well, for instance, the appalling reception that our Vietnam veterans got when they returned to Australia in the late sixties and early seventies—and no wonder some of them are mentally scarred. I'm very pleased that all sides of politics have moved past that vindictive era. It was terrible politics at the time and certainly the wrong way to address what some may have seen as an unpopular war. By all means vent your rage on the government of the day, but leave the soldiers out of it; they are the ones who put their lives on the line for the service of the nation. Of course, that has led to higher levels of mental illness with that generation and that particular conflict than we've probably ever seen before and hopefully will never see again. But that's not meaning to say that those that give service today don't deal with issue when they return home. Like many members, I have taken part in the Defence placements that this place facilitates, the interaction between the defence forces and the parliamentarians. Unfortunately, due to time issues, I've only had the opportunity to go on one of those placements, and I chose to go to Afghanistan. I met there with many of our special forces groups, some of whom were on their fifth tour of duty. They are fine individuals and they really do fill you with a great degree of confidence that Australia is being very well served. But there must come to everyone a real adjustment pattern when they return to civilian life in Australia. We need to be acutely aware of the challenges that face those who have served in that area. Of course, that's what we're doing with the extended family support package and the counselling service. It's a good outcome. We're also contributing across a wide range of areas with helping veterans manage their families. The Long Tan Bursary is one that's become increasingly popular. It was only in this year's budget that we extended the eligibility for Vietnam veterans' children through to Vietnam veterans' childrens' children, bearing in mind that there are some intergenerational issues that arise with people who have been through these really tough times. Right across the board, I'm quite enthused by the amount of effort government is putting into making sure that we complete our obligation to complete the circle, if you like. We need to make sure that those people who have given so much to the nation are embraced properly by our modern society, which moves so quickly and sometimes can leave people behind. For my part, and I guess for every member in this parliament, we are always open to approaches from the veterans community who come to us with various issues—people who have slipped off the table or disappeared under the carpet and those who are sometimes in quite unfortunate circumstances. It's a great privilege in this place to be able to intervene personally and help those people by finding services for them to get the treatment they need. I encourage all members to keep doing that, and I don't think there would be one member in this place or the other place who would not do exactly that. It is a bipartisan approach to making sure we're looking after that generation and those who have served us before. I commend the bill. 12:37 Ms O'TOOLE 249908 Herbert Former US president Theodore Roosevelt said: A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. Truer words have probably never been spoken. However, in contemporary times, I would like to add 'any man or woman'. It is right and just that the men and women who put their lives on the line—and their families, who also sacrifice so much—get a fair deal from the country they serve to protect. When an individual undertakes to serve his or her country, we in turn undertake a commitment to supporting them and their loved ones. If we are being honest in this place, can the Morrison government say hand on heart that they are genuinely doing good enough for our currently serving and ex-serving personnel, veterans and their families? Are the 500 ex-serving personnel and veterans who are leaving the ADF every year on average in Townsville alone better off after they leave the forces? Are veterans able to get quality employment, access to health services or access to clinical specialists? Are they receiving the support they need? Unfortunately, when I visit homeless centres in Townsville, the evidence suggests that the government is not doing well enough. Unfortunately, when I visit ex-service organisations in Townsville, I am told that the government could do much more for veterans. And, unfortunately, when I meet the veterans and their families and hear their stories regarding their inability to access health services—in some cases, for months—it tells me that the government is not doing well enough. Access to health services for our veterans is the largest-growing concern for Townsville's defence community. This LNP government is actually at the heart of the problem. Access to clinical services is being impacted by the LNP government's indexation freeze on the DVA's Repatriation Medical Fee Schedule. The fee schedule, which is indexed in line with the Medicare rebate indexation, has remained stagnant, and this is acting as a disincentive for some medical specialists to provide treatment for veterans. The LNP government's Medicare freeze impacts those veterans who access health services that are paid by DVA, with the Repatriation Medical Fee Schedule linked to Medicare rebates. As the Repatriation Medical Fee Schedule is unable to increase while the Medicare rebates are frozen, and veterans are unable to be charged a gap, this is forcing clinicians to turn veterans away. This is not just a Labor concern. It has also been a concern voiced by the Australian Medical Association, the Australian Psychological Association, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention. The impact on veterans was highlighted in a survey conducted by the Australian Medical Association, which found that: … the indexation freeze is clearly having an impact on access to care for veterans and this will only get worse over time … The continuation of the indexation freeze puts a significant question mark over the future viability of the DVA funding arrangements and the continued access to quality specialist care for veterans. The organisations and bodies that I mentioned above are not the only people concerned about this issue. The Commonwealth Ombudsman has also made submissions to the Productivity Commission inquiry into compensation and rehabilitation for veterans and has highlighted the difficulty veterans are having in accessing health services, noting that it is deeply concerned. The Ombudsman has exposed how wrong the LNP government is and demonstrates what veterans, the Australian Medical Association and Labor have been saying for some time: that the government's ongoing Medicare freeze is limiting access to medical treatment for veterans. In addition, the report highlights the fact that multiple health checks and excessive delays have sadly become the norm for many veterans applying for assistance from DVA. It should never, ever be the norm for any of our veterans to have to wait for healthcare assistance from DVA. Furthermore, the Prime Minister's own advisory council on veterans' mental health said in their submission to the commission: It would appear there is a limited, but perhaps increasing, number of medical specialists turning our veteran away once they become aware they are DVA clients. The Council understand the concern regarding accepting DVA clients stems from the fact that MBS fees have been frozen for many years. That is advice from the Prime Minister's own advisory council on veterans, but what does this arrogant LNP government do? It continues to ignore calls by veterans and their families, Labor and the experts to lift the Medicare freeze. Probably the most damning statement against the LNP government and the Medicare freeze is from the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service National Advisory Committee, who stated: The remuneration gap between seeing veterans versus private patients from the general community or Defence members is now so significant that clinical providers are prioritising other clients over DVA referrals. In some cases, providers are refusing to accept clients with DVA white or gold cards because of the poor remuneration offered. The health industry is being forced by this government to turn away from veterans who are seeking help. This is not the fault of the health industry: the blame lies squarely with this current government. In a submission to the commission GO2 Health, a privately owned, multidisciplinary medical centre which provides care and support for more than 600 active DVA clients, stated: Under the current DVA payment scheme, the majority of the expected community health care team are poorly remunerated for their hard work supporting the veterans. As a centre that specialises in the care of veterans, GO2 Health is keenly aware of the financial hardship taken on by practitioners who choose to serve the veteran community. Doctors should not be left with the financial hardship and, more importantly, our Defence community should not be left without medical assistance. This issue was also raised in the Senate inquiry into suicide by veterans and ex-serving personnel by submitters, including the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, the Australian Psychological Society and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. Our Defence community deserve better than an LNP government that has cut their pay and frozen their health entitlements, making it harder for our veterans to seek medical assistance; is not adequately supporting an employment scheme and matching Labor's $121 million veterans' employment scheme; and has not committed to Australia's first military covenant, as Labor has just announced. If Labor were in government right now, we would have a military covenant that would question whether a policy or legislation has been in the best interest of our military community. A military covenant could question whether freezing the Medicare rebate and therefore also freezing the Repatriation Medical Fee Schedule is truly in the best interests of our veterans and their families. The chances are that these are not in the best interests of our ex-serving personnel, veterans and their families. That is why the military covenant announced by Labor is so important for our Defence community. A Labor government would sign and establish Australia's first military covenant, a formal agreement that will ensure that our nation's Defence Force members are fully supported during and after their service. The covenant will recognise the significant commitment that our armed forces make in serving this great nation. But what is most important about this announcement is that Labor will also introduce legislation that will require future governments to report annually to the parliament on how they are meeting their responsibilities in supporting our serving and ex-serving personnel and their families. The inclusion of accountability in this legislation ensures that we are measuring outcomes and not just speaking hollow words. The covenant will be similar to the United Kingdom's Armed Forces Covenant, a document of principles promising those who serve or have served in the armed forces and their families that they will be treated fairly, especially in their time of need. Labor will work with the Australian Defence Force, the Department of Veterans' Affairs and ex-service organisations to draft the relevant wording for the military covenant and associated legislation. The covenant will make sure that those in need do not simply fall through the cracks, as so often happens now. I want to acknowledge the strong advocacy work of ex-serving organisations, particularly ADSO, and especially local Townsville advocate retired colonel Ray Martin, whose work and advocacy over the last nine years for the defence covenant must be recognised in this place. Those who put their lives on hold to serve our country deserve to know that we acknowledge the sacrifice that they and their families have made in serving our nation and that we are committed to being there for them when they need support and assistance. When a current serving or ex-serving person, veteran or family member goes to a doctor seeking help, they should not be treated as second-class citizens and refused assistance purely because this government refuses to lift the Medicare freeze. I want to go back to the quote that I started with: A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. Again I will add 'a man or woman'. Our Defence community deserve a square deal, and they certainly deserve better than what this disgraceful LNP government is doing to them. It is about time those opposite remember that. I will always stand up for our Defence community because they have given their lives for Australia, the Australia that I know and love today. I also acknowledge that Townsville is the largest garrison city in the nation with the largest veterans population. The contribution that is made by the Defence forces in my community, both socially and economically, is absolutely significant. I pay my deep respects to them and their families and thank them for the contribution they make to the Townsville community. 12:49 Mr GOODENOUGH 74046 Moore I support the Veterans' Entitlements Amendment Bill 2018, which seeks to reinsert an inadvertently omitted provision which will allow the Department of Veterans' Affairs to offset pension overpayments from bereavement payments in one streamlined transaction. The amendment regularises the existing administrative practices and does not change current entitlements for veterans and families. The Department of Veterans' Affairs already has legal authority to provide bereavement payments and to recover overpayments of income support pensions. What this will do is to streamline these two transactions into one administrative transaction. This is a compassionate, sympathetic and unobtrusive response that avoids disturbing the family with additional interactions with the DVA while they are grieving. By way of background, the bereavement payment is a one-off, non-taxable payment paid to a surviving spouse that is equivalent to 98 days, representing 14 weeks of service pension. It is designed to assist the widow or widower with the costs following the death of their partner and to provide a period to adjust their finances following the cessation of their deceased partner's payments. The bereavement payment is paid automatically once the family notifies the Department of Veterans' Affairs. Prior to their death, a veteran may have been receiving an income support pension under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986. Generally, there is a small period of time after someone has died before the family notifies DVA, and this may result in an overpayment of a pension, usually between $500 to $1,000. The practice is that, where an overpayment occurs, DVA adjusts this amount from the bereavement payment. This amendment maintains the status quo and ensures that the adjustment is made in a single administrative process, rather than through the transfer of a more formal debt recovery process. The Department of Human Services also follows this practice in relation to deaths of Centrelink pensioners. Members of the Ex-Service Organisation Round Table, ESORT, have been consulted and have not expressed any concerns. The government has brought into parliament a measure that was inadvertently removed under Labor's watch in 1995. The shadow minister, the member for Kingston, was briefed on this measure on 22 August. When the bill was introduced three weeks ago there were no concerns raised at that time, and nor have there been since. The veteran community in my electorate of Moore is ably represented by the Joondalup City Returned and Services League sub-branch, which advocates for the needs of ex-service personnel. The sub-branch provides its welfare and advocacy services to an estimated 5,500 ex-service personnel within the city of Joondalup from the Heathridge Leisure Centre. Whilst welfare assistance is only available to RSL members, all ex-service people can access support and advice. A team of volunteers, including the Joondalup City RSL president, Rick Green, and the secretary, Ken Beven, liaise with the Department of Veterans' Affairs on behalf of all veterans, and a qualified counsellor is available who can provide support. There are also many other RSL sub-branches in the northern suburbs of Perth whose members perform commendable work and with which I'm pleased to have an association, including the Quinns Rocks RSL, the North Beach RSL and the Wanneroo RSL sub-branches. Providing assistance to veterans and families of veterans is a most deserving cause, and governments of all persuasions ought to prioritise measures that promote the welfare of ex-service personnel. I support the regular review of indexation of veterans' benefits to ensure that the purchasing power of payments maintains parity with the ever-increasing cost of living and is in line with the growth in average weekly earnings. The coalition government recognises the important role that families play in supporting our serving and ex-serving personnel, and has introduced a range of measures to support Defence families. The Extended Family Support package has been operating since 1 May 2018. This support is available to eligible veterans and their families and to the spouses or partners of veterans killed in recent conflicts or who have taken their life after returning from warlike service. Extending family support for veterans and their families is one of five new measures announced by the government in October 2017 to support current and former ADF members and their families. The additional assistance provides for expanded childcare arrangements in specific circumstances, counselling support for the immediate family members of veterans experiencing crisis, and home help and counselling support for the spouses of veterans killed in recent conflict or veterans who have taken their life after returning from warlike service. Under the Veterans' Children Education Scheme and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act Education and Training Scheme, financial assistance, student support services, guidance and counselling are provided for eligible children to help them achieve their full potential in full-time education or career training. The schemes were established under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004. Children of veterans, as students, may also be eligible for a number of benefits, including education allowance, special assistance, fares allowance, rent assistance, additional tuition, guidance and counselling, tertiary student start-up and relocation scholarships, the energy supplement and the income support bonus. In addition, the Long Tan Bursary scheme provides funding to help eligible children of Australian Vietnam veterans to meet the cost of post-secondary education so they can obtain formal qualifications and skills needed to pursue their chosen career. A total of 37 bursaries of up to $12,000 paid over a three-year period of continuous study are available each year. The bursary is currently available to the children of Vietnam veterans who served in Vietnam from 31 July 1962 to 30 April 1975. As announced in this year's budget, from 1 July 2019, eligibility for the bursary will be extended to the grandchildren of Vietnam veterans. The Veteran and Community Grants program provides funding for organisations, both veteran and non-veteran, for activities and services which sustain and enhance the health and wellbeing of the veteran community. In the 2017-18 year, $2.166 million was allocated for the grants. The program provides seed funding for projects which support a healthy quality lifestyle for members of the veteran community to assist them to remain living independently in their own homes and reduce social isolation. The coalition government allocated $2.1 million over two years in the 2016-17 budget to the Australian Kookaburra Kids Foundation to deliver an age-appropriate pilot program for children of serving and ex-serving parents with a mental health condition. The pilot program was launched in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory in mid-2017, with programs in Queensland and the Northern Territory launched in February 2018. The program is replicating the good work already being delivered in New South Wales by Kookaburra Kids, with enhancements, where necessary, to support the unique needs of the Defence and ex-service community. Since the pilot program's implementation in mid-2017, Kookaburra Kids has held 15 activity days and four weekend camps in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. In 2018, Kookaburra Kids launched in the Northern Territory and in Queensland, so far delivering three activity days and one camp in the Northern Territory, and two activity days and one camp in Queensland. Further camps and activities are scheduled for the second half of 2018 in New South Wales, the ACT, the Northern Territory and Queensland. Feedback to date from the children attending the Kookaburra Kids activities and their parents has been very positive and supportive. The Department of Veterans' Affairs has a framework to assist contemporary widows, widowers and dependants of Australian Defence Force members who died whilst deployed in warlike or non-warlike service. Its aim is to promote health and wellbeing; facilitate access to family, social and community supports; reduce stress and anxiety; and assist with activities of daily living, particularly where the deceased Australian Defence Force member may have ordinarily provided this support. The bereavement support services component of the framework commenced in mid-2014 and was introduced to provide assistance in the period following the serving Australian Defence Force member's death and, if required, at later, more important junctures in life. Bereavement support services include but are not limited to: domestic assistance, transport, home and garden maintenance, formal child care, in-home respite, child minding, vocational assistance, and fitness services. The Department of Veterans' Affairs is also continuing to work with ex-service organisations to ensure that the framework remains relevant and useful. The coalition government recognises the important role of families in recovery from military trauma. That is why, in the 2017 budget, the government made the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service even more accessible to families by extending access to the partners and children of all current and former members of the Australian Defence Force and the ex-partners of eligible Australian Defence Force members who have served for a period of five years following separation or for the duration of co-parenting responsibilities for children aged under 18. These changes are aimed at providing simplified access to the service for more families, which will increase the level of early engagement and intervention for both members and their families. The Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service is currently running family consultation programs to ensure that the expanded eligibility is meeting families' needs. It is anticipated that this will minimise the ongoing adverse effects of family breakdown on all parties and support more effective family functioning. The coalition government recognises the important role that families play in supporting our serving and ex-serving personnel and has introduced a range of measures to support Defence families, which I have just outlined. Providing assistance to veterans and families is a most deserving cause, and governments ought to prioritise measures that promote the welfare of ex-serving personnel. I'm cognisant of the calls for the regular review and indexation of veterans' benefits to ensure that the purchasing power of payments maintains parity with the ever-increasing cost of living and is in line with the growth of average weekly earnings. In summary, this bill seeks to reinstate an inadvertently omitted provision which will allow the Department of Veterans' Affairs to offset pension overpayments from bereavement payments in one streamlined transaction. The amendment regularises the existing administrative practice and does not change the current entitlements for veterans and families. What this will do is streamline these two transactions into one administrative transaction. This is a compassionate, sympathetic and unobtrusive response which avoids disturbing the family with additional interactions with the Department of Veterans' Affairs while they are grieving. I commend the bill to the House. 13:03 Dr MIKE KELLY HRI Eden-Monaro I commend the Minister for Veterans' Affairs for bringing forward these reforms to this scheme that has been long overdue and in need of amendment and revision due to the inadvertent impacts that it had on the widows of our veterans. But I also rise in support of the amendment proposed by the shadow minister for veterans' affairs, because there's some unfinished business that's associated with the support measures for veterans. This is an area of policy that we often strive across the aisles here to achieve bipartisanship on as much and as far as possible, and I think that's been one of the great traditions of our parliament. We've been committed to supporting those who have served and sacrificed for our nation while also bearing in mind the importance of recognising families in that endeavour and the impacts on them. I'll come back to that in a minute. I think we've realised, in recent times, with the new wave of veterans coming through, that there are a lot of things that need to be picked up and dealt with. We've recently had the Senate inquiry into veterans' mental health and suicide. Hopefully there'll be more to come from that. I've been really gratified to work in conjunction with my colleague the member for Berowra on the parliamentary group on the prevention of suicide. We've been very pleased about the progress that we've made on addressing issues of mental health and suicide, generally, through that friendship group. I want to salute the member from Berowra for his work on that group as well. But we need to see more flowing through from the results of the Senate inquiry into the mental health and suicide aspects of dealing with veterans' and ex-service people's mental conditions and mental health issues. I'm very pleased to say that Labor has really taken this time in opposition to look at a number of issues that need to be addressed in this space as well. In particular, I was very pleased to be with the shadow minister and my colleague, who's also in the Defence portfolio, the shadow assistant minister for cybersecurity, who was with me on the day that we announced our support for veterans in getting jobs. This is a critical part of the whole mental health story as well, which is that transition piece for veterans. On that day we announced a $121 million package for a comprehensive veterans' employment policy. The idea behind this is that we want our people to get into good jobs and we need to do a lot more in boosting recognition of their skills. That's recognition for prior learning. That's part of our policy: to really aggressively lean forward on that to make sure that all of the wonderful skills, the wonderful learning that goes on in a Defence career, the particular attributes that are reinforced, the leadership skills and the communication skills all receive the appropriate recognition with states and territories and leading institutions. We intend to make that a key focus of this policy, but, more than that, we want to make sure that we're addressing this really big issue of veterans and unemployment. We're seeing that that sits at around about 30 per cent at the moment. For those who don't medically discharge, it's estimated that we're looking at an 11.2 per cent unemployment rate. This is a very critical issue. It's a very critical issue for the self-esteem and mental health of those veterans. We were going to provide eligible businesses with a training grant of $5,000 to help veterans gain the specific skills and experience they may require in a particular Australian business, particularly in a small business which may not be able to assist with, provide or pay for that training. We would step in to that gap and enable our people to acquire the skills that they would need to fill a particular niche, within a small or medium enterprise particularly. This grant would really be designed to bridge that gap. If we return to government, we'd be very enthusiastic about introducing this measure, which also establishes a transition service to supplement that support for employment training so that we would be very proactive in reaching out to veterans wanting career advice or seeking relevant and useful employment. Those training advisors that we would have within that transition service would receive particular training and be equipped to provide one-on-one support and advice to ADF personnel, making sure that they have the ability to reach out and take advantage of the best opportunities out there for themselves and their families, if they are in a family situation. Tailored assistance and effective support will also be rendered longer in that situation as well. We're going to extend access to that support for up to five years following a period of intensive support during the first 12 months. That support will remain there to continue to prop up our ex-service and veterans as they seek to transition. We would hope that we could implement that policy, but, certainly, I would encourage the government to look at a similar scheme that might be implemented before the next election. I'm proud that we have also stepped forward on resolving the malarial drugs issue that has recently been a cause of great concern amongst veterans. People served in areas where malarial drugs were, effectively, being experimented with. I'm very pleased that Labor initiated the Senate inquiry that's going on into that at the present time. They're out there seeking evidence, and people should feel reassured. I know that there were some who talked about whether there should be a royal commission or not, probably not quite properly appreciating the fact that Senate inquiries are armed with the full range of legal abilities to enable them to extract and obtain information, testimony et cetera and to take appropriate action to ensure that. The Senate inquiry process, I believe, will be a good one. We should, hopefully, get to the bottom of it—or at least begin the process of finding the key indicators and directions we need to go in to find out more or to have further investigation conducted into the effects of those malarial drugs and then, of course, ultimately to bring relief to the veterans who may be suffering from conditions associated with those malarial drugs. That would also, hopefully, bring a lot of relief to their families, who, as is often the case, are on the receiving end of the psychological effects of these situations. I was also really pleased to see the announcement by our shadow minister recently of the establishment of a military covenant which would be underpinned by legislation. It's already something that has been done in the United Kingdom with no adverse consequences. It is a very important and clear signal to our people who are serving, but also for those who would seek to enter a career in the Australian Defence Force, that we have their backs and that that commitment will remain solid through all that they go through. I think people need to understand that that includes in training regimes, even without deployment. I've seen many times in my own career that people were severely injured or killed. Even if they don't receive an injury or lose their lives, just the sheer stresses and strain of a normal ADF career, even if they don't deploy, can be quite significant. The military covenant process would really underpin the nation's commitment to our service personnel and their families, so I'm really gratified that that has been done. It was a commitment that began to be made a few years ago when I established a meeting between veterans' groups and the Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten, at the time. It is wonderful to see that we've been able to follow through with a firm commitment on that, should we be elected to government. There are, of course, some still outstanding issues. One of them is addressed by this second reading amendment by the shadow minister. She has highlighted that it is a significant issue. The Repatriation Medical Fee Schedule, being linked to the Medicare Benefits Schedule, the MBS, has been severely affected by this ongoing Medicare freeze. I know that the minister himself is obviously doing what he can in his portfolio, but he needs help from some of his colleagues in other portfolios, in particular the Minister for Health, to resolve this issue, because the DVA fee schedule has remained stagnant since 2014 as a consequence. As has been highlighted, we've had doctors telling us of the serious impact this has had. Thirty per cent of specialists are no longer committed to treating veterans. Only 44 per cent of specialists have said they will continue to see veterans if the freeze continues, and the remainder are considering other ways to charge veterans. And veterans are starting to suffer from this. The shadow minister highlighted some of the examples and testimony she's received from veterans in this situation. Coming back to this mental health issue, which is so critical, we know that the Senate inquiry into suicide by veterans and ex-service personnel had submissions from the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, the Australian Psychological Society and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. Despite their repeated attempts to raise that issue, the fee schedule has continued to be out of step with what providers charge. As a result, veterans are being turned away from critical services in the mental health space that is at the heart of preventing these suicides. So this amendment is obviously critical, and I would urge the Minister for Health to support his colleague the Minister for Veterans' Affairs to deliver a solution as soon as possible in that respect. We've also seen the veterans raising the issue of the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation in the context of the current royal commission into banks. We've seen amazing things revealed during that royal commission, and certainly there was no excuse for trying to avoid such a royal commission. It has shone a light on areas in our financial services and banking sector that really did need to be highlighted so that we can move on to reform. We've seen evidence that's related to the superannuation sector as well, but it is missing this piece of looking into the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation, and veterans are very keen for that to happen. Labor has endorsed that call. We support it. If we were in a position where the royal commission was continuing, we would certainly act to include the review of the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation as well. I call on the government, while the royal commission is still in place, to extend the royal commission, if necessary, to make sure that the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation issues are included in its work. What was also a concern since the 2014 budget was the hits that veteran support services were taking from that period of time, which seriously threatened to undermine the bipartisanship that we have in this space. That included withdrawing veterans' area network support—the human contact that a lot of veterans would reach out to in rural and regional areas such as mine. Having that human contact is very important. I know it's often said that veterans of the new generation are computer savvy and understand how to access information. From the contact that I have had with veterans who have approached me, I can say that they're struggling. They're struggling to process the application forms and with the processes for entering the portal to get DVA support. Not having that veterans' area network system in place, with a human face and some human contact for them to engage with, is a really significant issue. I would also urge a review of the withdrawal of those services. Attempting to push veterans completely onto an online process is not very helpful. We also saw attempts to withdraw the energy supplement. Thankfully, we've now had a reversal forced in that situation. That was going to impact on veterans as well. There were a number of other provisions in the 2014 budget that were going to affect veterans' pensions, support for widows, the legatees and the children in terms of education support. It's good that a lot of the measures of the 2014 budget were subsequently abandoned. There are a couple of other things outstanding. We do need to take a closer look at personal equipment issues for our soldiers and airmen. A lot of our soldiers get broken by equipment that isn't properly designed or fitted for them. We do need to take a closer look at bespoking their equipment to prevent the costs of medical support later down the track. Every cent spent on that kind of personal fitting of soldiers will save a lot of money down the track. I also had an issue with a constituent—I'll just use her first name, Thelma—who indicated other areas where we do have some holes to address. She was married to a veteran who had been a prisoner of war to the Japanese. She'd lived with him for 40 years after the Second World War, enduring a lot of stress and strain. He coped very badly with that experience, including alcohol abuse. He engaged in physical abuse of his wife through the nightmares that he was having; he would wake up in the middle of the night and he'd be strangling his wife. At some point, after enduring years of this, she had to leave him on the advice of doctors and others, who said that her life was at threat. She did it reluctantly but she had no other choice. When her husband died, she was not permitted to have access to widow support at that point. I remember we were trying to get her access to an ex gratia payment in that situation but, unfortunately, she died in hospital with a septicaemia complaint after getting a hip replacement, so we weren't able to deliver that relief for her. It is something that we also need to address in this space, in circumstances like that. I commend this amendment to the House. 13:18 Mr O'DOWD 139441 Flynn I rise today to speak on the Veterans' Entitlements Amendment Bill 2018, which has bipartisan support. I'd like to take the opportunity to thank and acknowledge those opposite for their support of this bill. The Australian government will establish an Australian veterans' covenant that acknowledges the service and sacrifices of the veteran community. The government has been supporting veterans and their families for 100 years. As the Department of Veterans' Affairs heads into its second century, much has changed but the commitment to supporting veterans and their families remains steadfast. So many of our Defence Force men and women end their lives away from Australia, on a different shore. They, too, do a great job in providing services not just to our nation but to those who live in many different countries in the world. Their efforts are extraordinary. The government invests more than $11 billion each year in supporting veterans and their families and continues to invest in veterans' services to ensure the system of support is amongst the best in the world. Recently, I visited the sub-branch of Sapphire, which is on the Gemfields in Central Queensland. When I asked for a show of hands on how they were being looked after, they all put up their hands and said that the Australian government is as one in looking after their services and their health. Supporting those who have served our nation is the responsibility of not just government but the whole grateful nation. Communities and businesses from across the country all have a role to play in ensuring veterans and their families are supported. The Veterans' Entitlement Amendment Bill 2018 was introduced on 22 August 2018 to reinsert inadvertently removed provisions to offset pension overpayments from bereavement payments in one streamlined transaction. This is a compassionate, sympathetic and unobtrusive response which avoids disturbing the families with the additional interaction with DVA while they are grieving. These amendments regularise DVA practice and do not change current entitlements for veterans or their families. Everything will remain the same. It only means that it will be streamlined. DVA already has the legal authority to provide bereavement payments and to recover overpayments of income support pensions. This will streamline these two transactions into one transaction. In my electorate of Flynn, there have been three recent announcements. The first was in relation to $27,500 to the Armistice Centenary Grants, which was allocated to the Taroom RSL to install a new war memorial at the Ludwig Leichhardt centre in Taroom. The second was for Saluting their Service—a government's grant of $4,000 to upgrade the Emerald State High School's centenary memorial. The third was at Agnes Water/1770 RSL Sub-Branch—a grant of $7,725 under the Veteran and Community Grants program to undertake bus trips to reduce social isolation and purchase first aid training. There are 1,550 veterans in my electorate. The average age is 65. Around one-third of those 1,550 are receiving service pensions. There is a streamlining, unobtrusive process continuing, with bereavement payments being made. In 2015, we re-enacted a troop train movement from Winton to Brisbane, and that went very well. We had 250 people on that train. It highlighted the fact that 550 First World War troops came from the small town of Winton, north of Longreach. It took a hell of a toll on that town in the First World War, with most young men of the right age committing themselves to that war. Many of them, of course, did not return. In light of the time and to give someone else a chance to speak, I'd like to close. Before I do that, I'd like to pay my respects to Con Sciacca. Paul Neville, the former member for Hinkler, often told me what a great man Con Sciacca was and how he worked so hard for the DVA. Con was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for his services to ex-personnel. Paul said he was just a dream to work with. Paul was a good National from Bundaberg and Con was a Labor man from Brisbane, but together they worked so hard for the betterment of the lives of those who were left—those who fought so hard for our country. 13:24 Ms TEMPLEMAN 181810 Macquarie I rise to support the Veterans' Entitlement Amendment Bill 2018, but I really want to address my remarks to the amendment that has been moved, because right now some veterans are missing out on mental health services as a direct result of the government's ongoing Medicare freeze. This isn't an issue that's come out of the blue. It's been raised by multiple inquiries and it's been raised anecdotally with us and, no doubt, with the other side. The underlying situation comes about because the DVA fee schedule is linked to the Medicare Benefits Schedule and the MBS rebates. As a consequence of the government's continuing Medicare freeze, the DVA fee schedule has remained stagnant since 2014—so we're talking four years. It really means the DVA schedule is out of step with the real world. The situation that has been described to me is a gap in payments of anywhere between $102 to about $150 for psychiatrists and psychologists. Of course, it comes about because people can't pay the DVA gap. We have a real inequity here and we have a responsibility to act on this. In conversations with serving personnel and those who recently transitioned to civilian life or are about to transition, including those who've been discharged on medical grounds because of mental health problems, it's pretty obvious that looking after veterans' mental health has to be a key priority for this place. There is a strong commitment on both sides, but we are letting them down here. It's been raised by the Australian Medical Association. Their survey last year about the impact of the fee schedule freeze found that almost 30 per cent of specialists were no longer committed to treating veterans and only 44 per cent said they'll continue to see veterans if the freeze continues, with the remainder considering other ways to charge veterans. That's coming from doctors themselves. As part of the Productivity Commission's current inquiry into compensation and rehabilitation for veterans, the Prime Ministerial Advisory Council on Veterans' Mental Health said in their submission: It would appear there is a limited, but perhaps increasing, number of medical specialists turning our veterans away once they become aware they are DVA clients. The Council understands the concern regarding accepting DVA clients stems from the fact that MBS fees have been frozen for many years. This is clearly already on the record. In addition, the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service National Advisory Committee stated: The remuneration gap between seeing veterans versus private patients from the general community or Defence members is now so significant that clinical providers are prioritising other clients over DVA referrals. In some cases, providers are refusing to accept clients with DVA white or gold cards because of the poor remuneration offered. I've had conversations with people about occupational health. This is affecting allied health therapists as well. There is a change in make up of the people they're seeing simply because of this problem with the benefits that are being paid. I don't think that we as a parliament can expect people to go and serve this country and then not look after them when they come back. Their families deserve that, and they deserve that. I'm very pleased to see that Labor has announced our military covenant, which would ensure that we all have at heart the best interests of Defence Force personnel and veterans—those who've served and those who've retired for whatever reason. That is what everybody should expect from this place. It's particularly concerning that we were aware of this issue because it came up in a Senate inquiry into suicide by veterans and ex-service personnel. As I say, it's not a new issue; it's not something that we can pretend we didn't know about. It was raised by the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, the Australian Psychological Society and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. We have been told and we should be listening to the things people are saying. When we expect men and women to selflessly serve their country, they rightly expect that, when they come home, they're given appropriate access to health care, and that means that it is appropriately funded. The paperwork is, to say the least, daunting. One young man recently shared with me the hoops he has to jump through—pages and pages of documents to work through. It's hard enough if you're well, but if you're suffering from PTSD, depression or another mental illness then it's like climbing Everest to get that paperwork done. Having done all of that, be deemed eligible and then be turned away from medical professionals because the rebate is so far below the going rate is really devastating for our veterans and for their families. Remember, this is not about one person; this is about all the people around them. So we really do have to step in and take action on this matter, and I would urge the government to consider acting on this very swiftly. We've talked about the impact of the Medicare freeze on the wider community. Here is yet another group being profoundly impacted. If we can change it to make it a better outcome for even a small number of veterans who are suffering, then we're doing the right thing in this place. I commend the amendment to the House. The DEPUTY SPEAKER E0D It being 1.30 pm, the debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 43. The debate may be resumed at a later hour. STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS 15 STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS Braddon Electorate: Aged Care 15 13:30 Ms KEAY 262273 Braddon During the Braddon by-election, I challenged the Prime Minister, then Malcolm Turnbull, to come to Burnie and walk in the shoes of an aged-care worker after his despicable comments in question time, devaluing aged care as an occupation and telling a 60-year-old aged-care worker that they are entitled to aspire to get a better job. Unsurprisingly, he ignored my request. Last week, it was my privilege to spend a day walking in the shoes of Elaine, an extended care assistant at Meercroft Care in my home town of Devonport. Her aspirations aren't for a better job, but for better conditions and pay, and for a government that respects her, her colleagues and the residents they care for. My electorate is the fastest-ageing electorate in the country, and the demand for aged-care workers is increasing at an enormous rate. To suggest that aged-care workers should aspire to do something else so they can increase their take-home pay is not only hurtful, but the opposite of what our community needs. We need people like Elaine, who are not afraid to get their hands dirty; who are not afraid to speak up for the rights of people they care for who feel that they may no longer have a voice; and who are there for those in their care, in their final moments, to hold their hand, to afford them the dignity and respect that they deserve. Tomorrow is the inaugural Thank You For Working In Aged Care Day, a day organised by the Health Services Union for their campaign, Our Turn To Care. I want to put on the record my sincere thanks to the hundreds and thousands of committed and passionate workers who look after and care for our elderly and loved ones. They are very dignified jobs. Moran, Mr Digby 15 13:31 Mr HOGAN 218019 Page Digby Moran is one of our most celebrated artists on the Northern Rivers, and he has a new exhibition showing at the Lismore Regional Gallery. The exhibition focuses on his childhood growing up in the Aboriginal Bundjalung community of Cabbage Tree Island, south of Ballina. Digby considered his childhood on the island as some of the best times in his life. He recounts that he and his siblings were always in the river, swimming and having fun. After leaving Ballina High School, Digby did a lot of cutting of cane by hand, and he dabbled in amateur boxing in Ballina and entered some of the boxing shows around Lismore, Mullumbimby and Casino. Digby didn't start painting until he turned 40. His artistic achievements have been showcased overseas in Germany and Austria, and he has been commissioned to do large public murals. Many of his paintings are linked to individual memories. He manages to capture the mood, time and place of his past, as this latest exhibition does. Digby's partner, Kerry; his children, May, Edward, Edie and Liz; his stepdaughter, Taryn; his grandchildren and his great-grandchildren are all very proud of him. Digby is a local legend. He has inspired many in our local community, and I thank him. Australian Republic Movement 16 13:33 Mr THISTLETHWAITE 182468 Kingsford Smith A couple of weeks ago, five MPs returned to this House as a result of by-elections, and they swore allegiance to Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors. There was no mention of the Australian people—the people that had elected them to serve in this place. That particular moment highlighted everything that is wrong with the Australian Constitution at the moment, why it is outdated and why we need to begin looking at reforming our Constitution to appoint one of our own as our head of state. Our Constitution needs to be updated, and we need to work together towards having one of our own as our head of state. Every child in Australia at the moment can aspire to do whatever they want in our wonderful democracy, but they can't aspire to the most important position under our Constitution, that of head of state. That does not represent modern Australia, our people, our culture and our democracy. On 1 September this year, members of the Australian Republic Movement came together for the barbecue for an Aussie head of state. On Wattle Day, hundreds of Australians got together across every state and territory in the first great campaign initiative by the ARM since 1999 to fire up the barbie to discuss the importance of having one of our own as our head of state. In backyards, parks and pubs we came together and united around this notion of a head of state. Let's get behind the Australian Republic Movement. I congratulate them for 1 September and look forward to finally having an Australian as our head of state. Fairfax Electorate: Telecommunications 16 13:34 Mr TED O'BRIEN 138932 Fairfax There's no more entrepreneurial region in Australia than the Sunshine Coast, and so it should come as no surprise to learn that the Sunshine Coast will soon have Australia's fastest data link to Asia and second-fastest data link to the United States due to an international optic cable coming ashore by 2020, connecting here to Guam, Japan and the world. It will be the only optic cable outside of Sydney coming into Australia's east coast. The Sunshine Coast economy is already going gangbusters, but this is a visionary project that promises to redefine the region's future. Last week that vision came a little bit closer with the deal being signed between RTI Connectivity and the local council for this optic cable. The federal government has already been doing its bit. Indeed, I was proud to put the project on the radar of the former Prime Minister and our communications minister to carve out funding for a feasibility study and to help engage the private sector, including pitching to RTI. Now that the deal has been signed, the job continues. My next tasks are to help RTI secure an installation permit and, if they want, to also help them try and go for a submarine protection zone. An army of people have gotten us this far, and I wish to pay tribute to each and every one of them. Canberra Electorate: Project Wing 16 13:36 Ms BRODTMANN 30540 Canberra For the past month I've been inundated with concerns from people living in the suburb of Bonython, which is in my electorate, about a drone delivery service trial called Project Wing. Normally there are standards and regulations for drones—where and how they fly in a suburban area, their proximity to people and the need for the drone to always be in the sight of an operator, not flown remotely by a computer and a camera. But Project Wing was given the all clear from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. Project Wing has been excluded from all standard drone regulations to trial the delivery of food—burritos—and small goods of up to two kilograms over a distance of up to 10 kilometres. In April this year, a representative from Project Wing met with the Tuggeranong Community Council and listened to people's concerns. This was before the trial had even started. Now here we are in September. The trial has been going on for months, and I've got to report that residents are not impressed. They're concerned about the loud buzzing noise flying over their homes several times a day. They're concerned about their privacy—cameras are fitted on the drones, and the footage recorded is kept offshore for up to 30 days. They're concerned by the reduced number of birds in their backyards, in what is usually a peaceful area. They're concerned the number of drones will only increase, as the project has no predicted end date. Canberrans, get in touch with me and share your thoughts on the drones. National Suicide Prevention Week 16 13:37 Mr LLEW O'BRIEN 265991 Wide Bay This week is Suicide Prevention Week, which reminds us of the need to look after our mental health and the wellbeing of those around us. It's a national tragedy that about 3,000 people die by suicide each year. That's more than double the annual road toll. It's also a sad statistic that parts of my electorate, including Gympie and Maryborough, suffer from high rates of suicide. The government is taking action on suicide and has given our regional PHN $4 million over four years to run a suicide prevention trial in Gympie and Maryborough and in North Burnett. Last week, at a breakfast in Gympie hosted by the PHN, I was pleased to announce that a thousand sessions of Question, Persuade and Refer training are now available through the PHN's program to help businesses and community groups in Gympie. The training helps people to recognise the warning signs of suicide and gives them skills to start a safe conversation and provide information about where support can be sought. At the launch, we heard from guest speaker Andrew Marriott from Roses in the Ocean, and Ruth Polley from the Gympie Regional Suicide Prevention Network. I thank them for sharing their deeply personal stories. Live Animal Exports 17 13:39 Mr ZAPPIA HWB Makin Yesterday government members who had previously expressed outrage about the cruelty of live sheep exports voted on five occasions to shut down debate on legislation that could have ended the cruelty. This included the member for Farrer and the member for Corangamite, who have their own private members' bill before the parliament and whose actions yesterday did not match their words of earlier this year. The government's refusal to allow debate on live sheep exports comes after the Senate passed legislation only yesterday that ultimately would end the trade and stop the suffering. So there is now before the parliament a private member's bill, Labor's bill, a Senate bill and even the government's own bill, which the government refuses to debate. In doing so, it is ignoring the Australian people and the will of the Australian Senate. This is a matter that is of interest to the Australian community, including the sheep farmers and exporters who are being left in limbo by an indecisive, dysfunctional coalition government. Parliament has been grappling with this issue for 40 years. It needs to be resolved. The government can use its numbers to stifle debate, but the issue will not go away. By refusing to debate this issue yesterday, the government succeeded in making live sheep exports an issue right through to the next federal election. Leader of the Opposition 17 13:40 Mr PITT 148150 Hinkler I rise to speak about bills. The people in my electorate are struggling with their power bill, they are struggling with their gas bill, they are struggling with their rates bill and they are struggling with their water bill. But there is one bill which is even more dangerous to their hip pocket. There is one bill which is even more dangerous to the Australian economy. There is a bill that will cost Australians $200 billion. I know you're onto me, Mr Deputy Speaker Hogan; I'm fairly confident you're on to me. This Bill is pretty well-known. He wants to take money from our pensioners; he wants to rob their imputation credits from shares that they have worked hard to garner. They have put away money to help them in their retirement, and this Bill wants to steal that out of their pockets. He wants their cash, and not for great purposes—not for great purposes at all. Which Bill is it, do you think? Which Bill, I say to my colleagues, will come out and rob $200 billion from the Australian economy? I think we know which Bill that is. It's the Bill that sits to your left, Mr Deputy Speaker. It is the Leader of the Opposition. The policies of the opposition, the Labor Party, will tear down this country. They will drive up energy prices. They will rob our people. They will make Australians' lives harder, not better. And what do we hear from the opposition? Nothing but support. They want to support taking $200 billion away from Australians, away from hardworking people who are out there and having a go—and that is wrong. Liberal Party 17 13:42 Ms RYAN 249224 Lalor We've heard a bit of noise this week from those opposite about their own internals. We've heard a lot of noise from those opposite, thankfully—and not before time—about female representation in the Liberal Party. As a female member of the federal parliamentary Labor team, I'd like to say that I welcome the debate that those opposite are having. As a member of the Victorian branch of the Labor Party, I would like to say that I'm a very proud member of the parliamentary team here. I'm equally proud to follow in the steps of our former Prime Minister Julia Gillard as the member for Lalor. I remember distinctly Julia's preselection and I remember her election, and it wouldn't have happened if this side of politics hadn't determined to put in those quotas. In this party, we envisioned a future where we saw gender equity, we saw the outcome we wanted and we built the pathways to make it happen. I implore those opposite to take a leaf out of our book. Quotas work—we on this side are evidence of that, but it has been a long journey, and it has not been done without good men, good Labor men, supporting that quota system. It is oft a surprise to me to remember that the Labor movement came from the blokiest of cultures. Yet we got here first, and we got here first because the blokes on this side of the chamber are feminists. (Time expired) Woolard, Mrs Doreen 17 13:43 Mrs PRENTICE 217266 Ryan I rise to pay tribute to long-time Indooroopilly resident and long-time contributor to the local area Mrs Doreen Woolard, who passed away recently just shy of her 96th birthday. Doreen was a wonderful resident of Russell Terrace for nearly 70 years. She spoke of the period in Indooroopilly just after the war and of later changes, including the delights, and later threats, to Moore Park and Witton Creek and the coming of the freeway. She lived opposite Indooroopilly State School and saw the increasing urbanisation of the area. She was a fierce campaigner for maintaining the environment in that area and, fortunately for us, an active member of the Indooroopilly and District Historical Society, who recorded an oral history of her memories. She used to have a wonderful collection of photographs, and she showed me a wonderful picture of two boys canoeing next to each other in Witton Creek. Sadly, today you wouldn't even get one canoe in that creek. Doreen was a wonderful contributor. She's survived by her daughters, Genelle and Petrea. I also understand that she has a grandchild who works here in Parliament House. I pass on my condolences to Doreen's family during this period of grieving. Doreen, many thanks for the stories, memories and contribution you made to our local area. You will be sadly missed. Juvenile Diabetes 18 13:45 Ms SHARKIE 265980 Mayo Last sitting, I was visited by 11-year-old Charlotte from Littlehampton, in Mayo, and eight-year-old Chloe from Adelaide. They are articulate advocates for research into type 1 juvenile diabetes, and they were visiting parliament as part of JDRF Australia's Kids in the House campaign. It's easy to see why Chloe and Charlotte and their families feel so passionately about this. We need a further $50 million over five years to continue the much-needed clinical research work into juvenile diabetes. Chloe was diagnosed when she was two. Before she received the continuous-glucose-monitoring device she now wears on her arm, she pricked her tiny fingers 13,000 times. Her mother, Jenna, still cannot sleep that soundly at night, but she's instantly alerted when Chloe's sugar indicators reach dangerous levels. Chloe has not had a seizure since being fitted with the CGM, and Charlotte, who was diagnosed at eight, has always had a CGM. The next step is research for a remote device that will eliminate the need for children like Charlotte to inject insulin. Juvenile diabetes affects not just children but the whole family. Finding a cure is the ultimate goal, and I call on this government to find that $50 million for much-needed research which will help hundreds of children around Australia. National Rural Women's Coalition 18 13:46 Mr PASIN 240756 Barker Established in 2002, the national rural women's council seeks to ensure better social and economic outcomes for women in our rural townships and farms. The council works to support and grow vibrant rural, regional and remote communities. Each year the council holds a three-day residential leadership program here in Canberra known as the Canberra Muster. Each participant is required to complete an individual leadership project in her local community with a theme of strengthening community through women's leadership. The purpose of this project is to put the knowledge, skills and experiences gained at the muster to immediate and purposeful use in their community. Mount Gambier woman Roslyn Taylor, who attended the muster earlier this year, saw an opportunity to facilitate financial education workshops for women in the Limestone Coast. Roslyn wanted to empower women with a particular focus on increasing their ability to make ends meet, save, choose and use financial products, and seek information and advice. This week she's doing just that. I attended the launch of Financial Literacy for Women in Mount Gambier on Sunday. Workshops, which I have proudly supported via sponsorship, are running throughout this week with themes such as budgeting, insurance, superannuation and retirement. It's brilliant to see Roslyn embracing her leadership skills to help educate women in her local community to become more confident and more resilient financially. Blue Mountains Softball Club 18 13:48 Ms TEMPLEMAN 181810 Macquarie The Blue Mountains Softball Club have just been recognised as one of the premier Australian softball clubs in two separate awards. The Blue Mountains Softball Club were announced as the 2018 Club of the Year at the recent Softball New South Wales awards ceremony, but they are also a Softball Australia Homeplate Ladder champion club for 2017-18. Homeplate Ladder is judged by Softball Australia on clubs putting in place best practice governance and good management, getting membership growth, and retaining members. Clubs also get recognition for members engaging in volunteer training and accreditation courses, and that's actually been the key to success for the Blue Mountains Softball Club. They've had a three-year strategy. It's all been about making sure people are there to have fun as well as play softball and—as you can see—become winners. The fun aspect has really paid off. They have also encouraged people to get involved. Over the last three years, they have had a massive increase in the number of people volunteering, so they've got parents, relatives and older juniors taking up coaching, umpiring and scoring to gain accreditation. It's been a great turnaround for the club. Now, I can't catch a softball to save myself, but I'm pleased to say that the Blue Mountains are full of talented players. I'm even happier to say that now they're having fun, and I want to congratulate all of those involved: the committee, the coaches— (Time expired) Grey Electorate 19 13:49 Mr RAMSEY HWS Grey The recent South Australian redistribution has added an extra 5,000 square kilometres or 18,000 voters to the electorate of Grey. While increasing my workload, I'm looking forward to the opportunity to represent the remarkable Clare and Gilbert valleys and the Adelaide Plains. Clare Valley Cuisine is a vibrant group in this area, and I caught up with them at their AGM at the historic Watervale Hotel. While this area has a long history as a renowned wine region, the Clare Valley Cuisine members add another dimension. They are a group of like-minded food producers and restauranteurs who present a fantastic range of value-added products and are expanding the area's reputation for gourmet food—everything from bakeries, free-range chicken and eggs, wholegrain pastas and organic products, honey and carob products and award-winning sausages through to olives, oils, jams, condiments, oyster mushrooms, salad microgreens, sweet and sour cherries and pickled grapes. You should come on down, Mr Deputy Speaker Hogan. While some of these members are very accomplished individual marketers, they recognise the value of grouping together, and it is paying off by making the Clare Valley area a destination for wine and food. I congratulate the outgoing chairperson, Nicola Palmer, and incoming chairperson, Jodi Weckert, and every member of the group. Long may they live and long may they prosper. Father's Day, Prostate Cancer 19 13:51 Mr GOSLING 245392 Solomon Father's Day was 2 September, and I want to thank my daughter, Sally, my son, Frank, and my wonderful wife, Kate, for the wonderful Father's Day presents they made me. I also want to thank my mother-in-law, Lee, for being nice to me. Father's Day is an opportunity to remember those that are special in our lives and all that we've got to thank our fathers for. In the Solomon electorate, we held a Father's Day fundraising event for prostate cancer awareness raising, a fun run or walk of one, four or eight kilometres. I want to congratulate Katie Woolf, Mix FM, the organisers, sponsors and everyone else for that great event. Prostate cancer is such an important issue. Sally and Frank, I want to be there to see you grow up to be well-behaved teenagers and to live extraordinary lives, and that's why tomorrow I'm getting a blood test for prostate cancer. I want to acknowledge the work of the member for Leichhardt and my friend the member for Blaxland, Jason Clare, on their initiative and also the great work of the Prostate Cancer Foundation. It is important. We want to take better care of ourselves as blokes. Go to your GPs and get a test. Dairy Industry 19 13:52 Mrs SUDMALIS 241586 Gilmore For some time, my concern for local dairy farmers has been a priority. Collectively, we need to change the public idea that a dollar per litre of milk is somehow acceptable when we pay double that for water. I welcome the Australian Dairy Farmers call for a mandatory code of conduct for the dairy sector. Our local farmers want to see change in the industry so they get a better deal. The ADF stressed that a future mandatory code must include an independent dispute resolution procedure, with small claims to be investigated, and must outlaw respective milk price step-downs, enforce contract and price transparency, and be reviewed within three years, including an assessment of the code's effectiveness. The ACCC commissioner, Mick Keogh, said: A mandatory code of conduct would address problems arising from the large imbalance in bargaining power and information that exists between dairy farmers and processors. Currently, processors can impose milk prices and other terms of milk supply contract terms— including a contract with no selling price on it— that are heavily weighted in their favour— and not that of the dairy farmer. He continues: Some milk supply contracts also contain terms that restrict farmers’ ability to change processors for a better offer. To get a better deal. Minister Littleproud has worked with Woolworths and they are prepared to support the Aussie dairy farmers by paying them an additional 10c on each litre of milk. Shame on Coles for not doing the same. Our farmers deserve better pay for their milk. Morrison Government 20 13:54 Mr STEPHEN JONES A9B Whitlam For his first two weeks in the job the Prime Minister has spent half his time as Oscar the Grouch and the rest of the time as Fozzie Bear. Meanwhile, power bills have gone up and wages have gone down, and we have absolutely no hope that this mob over here have got any answers to the problems that real Australians are facing. We need an election now. We can't wait for the government to sort out its problems or for the Prime Minister to work out who he is. But, if the Prime Minister must spend the next nine months manufacturing a new image for himself, here are a few tips. You can't go around saying you love all Australians and yet want to cut their penalty rates. You can't complain about power prices that have doubled under your watch and then dump the policy which will bring a reduction in prices and a reduction in emissions. If you're going to say that you are the best mate of coalminers, it is a good idea to have met a couple—and Gina Rinehart and Marius Kloppers don't count. If you want to say you need more women in parliament, then don't crab walk out of the room the first time one of your own women comes to you and asks for some support. If you are going say you are a lifelong Sharks supporter, you might want to iron the shop creases out of your favourite Sharks jumper. You can't say to Australians that you want them to pick a favourite AFL team and then come up with two. It's not like the Liberal Party leadership. East West Link 20 13:55 Mr SUKKAR 242515 Deakin As another year continues, we see the traffic in Melbourne getting worse and worse by the week. In fact, most reports now say that traffic in Melbourne is even worse than in Sydney. That is something that no Melburnian would ever have believed—that our traffic could be worse than Sydney's. And what have we got in Victoria? We've got the Labor Party federally supporting Daniel Andrews locally to spend $1.3 billion cancelling the contract to build the East West Link. Now the Labor Party has plans to funnel an additional 100,000 cars onto the Eastern Freeway. The forgotten people of Melbourne are those who live in our outer suburbs—those in the eastern suburbs who are spending more and more time on the Eastern Freeway. We saw the Labor Party spending $1.3 billion of taxpayers' money to stop the East West Link being built, and now we see a state government that doesn't want to accept $3 billion in federal funding to get the East West Link built. Can we say, and I commend Prime Minister Morrison, that we are committed to building the East West Link. We have $3 billion on the table, because we know that every minute you spend in your car in traffic is less time you get to spend with your family. It can often be the difference between seeing your children at the end of a long day at work or not seeing them at all. That's why we'll build the East West Link. Parliament: Representation of Women 20 13:57 Ms PLIBERSEK 83M Sydney A quarter of the women in the Prime Minister's party room have blown the whistle on the toxic culture of bullying and intimidation in the Liberal Party. Others have spoken out about the lack of women's representation. What is the Prime Minister doing to fix these problems? In 1994, the proportion of Labor women in the federal parliament stood at just 14½ per cent. So we introduced targets, and now 47 per cent of federal Labor parliamentarians are women. In contrast, since 1994, without targets or support, the number of federal Liberal women parliamentarians went from just 13.9 per cent to about 24 per cent. The Liberal Party has an aspiration, like Labor, to have 50 per cent women candidates by 2025. But all I've seen the Liberal Party do in recent days is fight amongst themselves about whether they should have quotas for women or not. Yesterday John Howard's former chief of staff described Labor women in politics as dregs. Now Andrew Bragg is being hailed a hero for stepping aside from the Wentworth preselection for a safe Senate spot. If the Liberals are serious about increasing women's representation, maybe they could support women candidates in both the House and the Senate. What concrete action will this Prime Minister take to make that happen? Davies, Mr Leslie Roy 20 13:58 Mr FALINSKI G86 Mackellar I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Leslie Roy Davies, known to his family as Les. Les was born in Gympie, Queensland, on 13 December 1923 as the sixth of nine children to a not-so-well-off family. Losing his mum at a very young age, Les left home at 15 to start a new life. He found work as a porter for Queensland Rail. The Second World War then ensued. Les joined the RAAF, enlisting to become a pilot. He did well in his training, but a big night before his test meant he failed to pass. Les didn't let this deter him. He trained as an AG, an air gunner, joining RAF Bomber Command. Les was one of three from his crew to survive the war. The death rate of Bomber Command was 41 per cent. From 1943 to the end of the war, Les and his crew flew 34 operations over Germany. Upon returning from the war as an officer, Les moved to Sydney to study. What became of his life post-war is a true testament to his character. The boy who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, Les worked as a publicist for the CBA and then as a director for the Metal Trades Industry Association, where he was an integral part of negotiating the 38-hour week. Les also met a life partner in Patricia at the MTA, and worked there until his retirement. On 12 August, Les passed away at the age of 94. He was a father of five, stepfather of one, grandfather of five and stepgrandfather of four. May he rest in peace. The SPEAKER 00APG In accordance with standing order 43, the time for members' statements has concluded. QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE 21 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE Liberal Party Leadership 21 14:00 Mr SHORTEN 00ATG Maribyrnong My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to his answers in question time yesterday. When asked last night if she had any idea at all why the government got rid of Malcolm Turnbull, the Deputy Leader of the National Party said, 'No.' Given the Prime Minister failed to answer this same question yesterday, can the Prime Minister now tell the Australian people and his colleagues why the government got rid of Malcolm Turnbull? 14:01 Mr MORRISON E3L Cook I didn't come to the leadership seeking to change it. There's someone else in this chamber who knows all about rolling leaders and putting knives in their backs, and that's the Leader of the Opposition. There is a litany of victims at the hands of the Leader of the Opposition, and they don't just extend to this place here; they extend to the workers he said he used to represent. This Leader of the Opposition is union-bred, union-fed and union-led. That's the Leader of the Opposition, who now wants to run this country like a union. That's what he proudly proclaims. I came to this position of leadership not seeking it, in support of the previous Prime Minister. My colleagues chose me to lead the party, to take charge when placed in command, and ensure that Australia continues to build an even stronger Australia under this government. This is a government, since we were elected five years ago under the member for Warringah and under the former member for Wentworth, that has been delivering for Australians. A new generation of leadership is taking up that mantle for the Liberal Party, and we are putting the bitterness of the past behind us. The Leader of the Opposition, the Leader of the Labor Party, has been bred, fed and led in a culture of union militancy that he wants to impose on the Australian people. He knows all about those issues. He's been running those sorts of shonky shows for years. Mr Husic interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Chifley! Economy 21 14:03 Mrs WICKS 241590 Robertson My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister outline— Mr Husic interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Robertson will pause. The member for Chifley will cease interjecting. The member for Robertson will begin her question again. Mrs WICKS 241590 My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister outline how the government's economic and national security agenda will help build an even stronger Australia and bring Australians together? 14:03 Mr MORRISON E3L Cook Strong, safe and together. That's how, under my government, and as has been the case under the coalition government, we will be dealing with the challenges that Australia faces. We are reminded on this day, 11 September, of the very real threats and the serious nature of the challenges that not only our country faces but all countries face today. Those challenges come in many forms. Our world is changing. The economy is changing. The pressures in the global economy, on our environment, that are faced in households all around the country, in small businesses and in family businesses are all pressures and challenges that Australians face. The way our government will deal with those challenges is to ensure that Australia is strong, that Australia is safe and that we are bringing Australians together and keeping Australians together to meet those challenges. Over the past five years, as a government we have been building a stronger and more resilient Australia. More than a million Australians now have a job that didn't have one at the time of the 2013 election. The level of youth unemployment has fallen to its lowest level in over five years: 11.1 per cent; 95½ thousand young people getting a job and their lives having been forever changed. Bulk-billing rates have risen to their highest level and they continue to be supported by a government that believe in a Medicare that delivers for all Australians with our Medicare guarantee—a government that are rolling out the programs that make a difference to the everyday lives of Australians. Our focus, as a new generation taking on the mantle of the achievements of the last five years, is to keep our economy strong so we can guarantee the essentials that Australians rely on right across the board: lower taxes; support for small business; support for new industries, and more markets for them to engage in around the world; cheaper electricity prices and infrastructure investments that build our regions and bust congestion in our cities; keeping Australians safe in our homes, in our schools, and on our streets; and ensuring that children are safe online. These are the priorities that we are pursuing and have done for five years, and we will continue to pursue them—standing around the world with those who share our beliefs and values to protect freedom and to protect liberty wherever we are called to do so. And we will do it by keeping Australians together, not setting one Australian against another, not saying that one group has to be punished with higher taxes so others can be helped, and respecting the contribution that all Australians wish to make. Strong, safe, together—that's our plan. Liberal Party Leadership 22 14:06 Mr SHORTEN 00ATG Maribyrnong My question is to the Prime Minister. Yesterday, when asked why Malcolm Turnbull wasn't the Prime Minister of Australia, the new Prime Minister said how he had got the job and he spent the rest of the time saying how great the Turnbull government was. If Malcolm Turnbull was so great, as the Prime Minister claimed in question time yesterday, why is he no longer the Prime Minister of Australia? 14:07 Mr MORRISON E3L Cook The party room made the decision and I stepped up, and I'm stepping up for all Australians. What I don't understand is that we come into this chamber today and the Leader of the Opposition hasn't come in here and asked me about the drought; he hasn't come in here and asked me about lowering electricity prices; he hasn't come in here and asked me about taxes; he hasn't asked me about why we don't want to support their policies which would see taxes increase or why we don't want to support the Labor policies which would put more pressure on small businesses and put burdening taxes on retirees, with the most despicable of all their taxes: a $5 billion-a-year slug on retirees, pensioners and small business owners. And they say it doesn't apply to pensioners. You don't know how to design a tax policy, because, if you have a self-managed superannuation fund and you're a pensioner, you get hit by the tax. The Labor Party come into this place and they will not share our priorities when it comes to lower taxes, lower unemployment, backing small business to create more jobs and ensuring the strong economy that we need to deliver the essential services that Australians rely on. We have a plan for a stronger economy, we have a plan for a safer Australia and we have a plan to bring Australians together to focus on the challenges of the future. Economy 22 14:08 Mr CREWTHER 248969 Dunkley My question is to the Treasurer. Will the Treasurer update the House on how the government's strong economic security agenda is leading to strong growth, lower taxes and better budget management, including for people in my electorate of Dunkley? Is the Treasurer aware of any alternative ideas that would not achieve similar levels of success? 14:09 Mr FRYDENBERG FKL Kooyong I thank the member for Dunkley for his question because he knows, like 25 million Australians, that the coalition are proven economic managers and Labor can't be trusted with the economy and can't be trusted with your money. The national accounts that came out last week showed that GDP growth was 3.4 per cent. That was faster than the OECD average and faster than any G7 country and the fastest rate since the height of the mining boom back in 2012. What was particularly pleasing about those numbers was the record jobs growth. We've created more than one million jobs, creating more than a thousand jobs a day, and the growth was broadly based. Dwelling investment, business investment, household consumption, exports and government infrastructure were all up through the year. That is the record of the coalition government. Our priorities are clear: lower taxes so that people can have more of the money that they have earned. We have legislated income tax cuts for 10 million Australians. We have legislated company tax cuts for more than three million small and medium enterprises employing people like bricklayers, bakers, butchers, florists and mechanics. Nearly seven million workers are better off because of our lower taxes. We are bringing the budget back to balance in 2019-2020, a year earlier than expected, and we have real spending growth down to its lowest level in 50 years. That is a result of our economic management. I'm asked, 'Are there any alternatives?' We know that the Labor Party will increase your taxes—increase your taxes on your income, increase your taxes on your business, increase your taxes on your retirement savings and increase your taxes on your properties. We also know they'll increase energy prices, hitting the household family budget. We also know that they will blow the budget. Why? It is because last time they were in government they had $240 billion of accumulated deficits and $210 billion of net debt. The Labor Party and the Leader of the Opposition don't even know what a surplus is. I found this budget news in a community newsletter that was sent out to the Leader of the Opposition's own electorate when they were last in government. I want to read you a line. It says, 'We have brought the budget back to surplus on time, as promised.' The Labor Party can't be trusted with the economy. They have never delivered a budget surplus. Only the coalition can be trusted to deliver more jobs. (Time expired) Dr Mike Kelly interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Eden-Monaro, yet again! Morrison Government 23 14:12 Ms PLIBERSEK 83M Sydney My question is to the Prime Minister. Is the Prime Minister aware that, when asked whether conservatives would 'strike again at the leadership of the government', Liberal senator Fierravanti-Wells responded, 'Well, I have to say, at this point in time, we'll see.' And then, again, she said, 'We'll see how that honeymoon period goes.' Is that what the Prime Minister meant in his answer yesterday when he claimed 'the curtain had come down on the muppet show'? 14:13 Mr MORRISON E3L Cook I thank the member for her question. As a new Prime Minister and as the new leader of our party, I understand that I have a big job to do as I demonstrate to Australians my authenticity, the things that I believe in, the things that I care about and the priorities that I've set out. When it comes to these issues, I'm not troubled, because I have lived my values in this place every single day. Australians will get to know me, but I know one thing: while they are yet to decide about me, they've made up their minds about this fella; they've made up their minds about the leader of the Labor Party, who is bred, fed and led by the trade union militancy movement that he has been a part of all his working life before he came here. He leads a team of people who are similarly bred, fed and led by the union movement. Let's see a show of hands—how many of them over there have worked with trade union officials? Where is the show of hands? They're ashamed! Show me your hands. Why don't you tell me? They are ashamed of their militant union background. They don't want to be honest with the Australian people about what they really believe. This Leader of the Opposition is someone Australians have worked out over the last five years, and they know he can't be trusted because he believes in absolutely nothing but himself. Mr Feeney interjecting— Mr Dreyfus interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Batman is warned, as is the member for Isaacs! I repeat what I said yesterday: I will eject members without warning. I say to the member for Isaacs that, while everyone was interjecting, he interjects at a particularly high noise level. If I reach the conclusion that he's incapable of controlling it, I'll just have to solve the problem. Tasmania: Bureau of Meteorology 23 14:15 Mr WILKIE C2T Denison My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, the Bureau of Meteorology is centralising Tasmanian forecasting on the mainland. One project, well advanced, bases aviation forecasting in Melbourne and Brisbane, but emergency services, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Australia, tourism companies and smaller aircraft operators haven't been properly consulted, nor has it been on the agenda of the regular RAPAC meetings between industry and government. Another project to base other forecasting on the mainland is equally irrational—a hit to jobs and puts lives at risk, especially in remote areas and during emergencies. Prime Minister, will you reverse this madness? We've already lost our airport Federal Police. Will you be the PM to accept that Tasmania is a state of the Commonwealth and should be treated equally? 14:16 Mr MORRISON E3L Cook I thank the member for his question. That is exactly what I believe. I can assure the member for Denison that there will be no loss of positions at the Bureau of Meteorology in Tasmania. That's a position that has already been made public to date, and I'm happy to restate that here today. I'm also happy to advise the member that the Bureau of Meteorology has recently been the beneficiary, as it rightly should, of the government's investment to reinvest in its technology platforms, which were in desperate need of investment to ensure that our farmers and others can have the best of all possible weather information. This information and how it's relayed to them, using new technology, is critical for modern farming practices. It is working its way into it the way financial models and financing techniques are used to support agriculture all around the country. The work that continues to be done in Tasmania, and additional work that will go to Tasmania to focus more specifically on the skills and needs that are there, will continue to follow. In the budget we made an investment in not only the Bureau of Meteorology but also a whole range of important research infrastructure in Australia, such as in supercomputers, the Australian Phenomics Network, the Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering, the Australia Telescope National Facility, the National Imaging Facility and the Population Health Research Network. Ms Collins interjecting— Mr MORRISON E3L I'm asked, 'Wasn't that a decision of the Turnbull government?' Yes, it was. You may have noticed that I was the Treasurer and delivered the budget and was integrally involved in this. Ms Collins interjecting— Mr MORRISON E3L You make a good point. I'm happy to take the interjection as Prime Minister in this government. I stood with the member for Warringah when we stopped the boats and I stood with the former member for Wentworth, the then Prime Minister, as we balanced the budget, and now my team stands with me. DISTINGUISHED VISITORS 24 DISTINGUISHED VISITORS QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE 24 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE Economy 24 14:18 Mr HARTSUYKER 00AMM Cowper My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development. Will the Deputy Prime Minister update the House on how the government's strong economic security agenda is prompting increased investment in regional communities and improved investment in local communities? Are there any risks to the government's plan for stronger regional communities? 14:19 Mr McCORMACK 219646 Riverina I thank the member for Cowper for his question. You can't have a strong economy without strong regions. Certainly, our regions are delivering for our country. They are delivering for our economy. We're making sure that we have jobs for Australians. A record number, 412,000, of jobs were created last year, not by government but by the small businesses, the family enterprises, the medium businesses and even the large businesses, who we back with our Ten Year Enterprise Tax Plan and who we back with the confidence and the entrepreneurship to get on with things. Ninety-five thousand young Australians got a job last year. How good is that? Ninety-five thousand young Australians got a job because of the policies of this government and small business being able to back them. That's why we back individuals with income tax cuts. That's why we back Cowper with a $971 million Coffs Harbour bypass. I didn't hear the member for Maribyrnong in his budget reply speech even talk about the Pacific Highway. There's also the Port Macquarie Airport expansion. We're getting on with the job of building for Cowper. There's the Tacking Point Lighthouse upgrade. These are worthy projects. They're making sure that the people of Cowper, the people of regional Australia, can get home sooner and safer. We compare our record with the record of those opposite. With mobile towers, did we have one mobile tower funded by those opposite? No; but more than 800 are being funded by the Liberals and Nationals. Again, there is the Coffs Harbour bypass—we've delivered that final passage, that final piece of the puzzle, in the Pacific Highway upgrade. Small businesses will have higher taxes under Labor. That's what Labor offers us. Regarding self-funded retirees, I know that a lot of people like to retire to the Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour area. It's a fantastic area with fantastic weather. But those self-funded retirees will be smashed if the person opposite ever becomes Prime Minister, because Labor have a plan to steal the savings of those self-funded retirees. Shame on the member for Maribyrnong and shame on all those opposite for supporting him. The people of Cowper know that you can't trust Labour. They know that they can't trust Labor with their savings. The contrast could not be starker. Good economic management is good for regional Australia. It allows us to spend $1.405 million in regional programs, with many, many more underway. Whether it's the Building Better Regions Fund, the Regional Growth Fund or the Regional Jobs and Investment Packages, they're all funding initiatives that are helping regional Australia and helping regional Australians contribute to our economy. Those opposite stand for higher taxes and higher power prices. Union bred, union fed and union led—that's the member for Maribyrnong. Energy 24 14:22 Mr BOWEN DZS McMahon My question is for the Treasurer. On Sunday the Treasurer said about the government abandoning his National Energy Guarantee: No-one is more disappointed than I am about that, because a lot of work went into the National Energy Guarantee. Can he confirm that his own modelling warned that abandoning the NEG would see power bills rise by $300? Isn't it really more disappointing that Australians will pay an extra $300 on their power bills because of a government that even the Prime Minister refers to as the muppet show? 14:23 Mr FRYDENBERG FKL Kooyong The reality is twofold. Firstly, under the Labor Party when they were in office power prices doubled. Under the coalition they're coming down. They're coming down! On 1 July this year they came down in South Australia, they came down in Queensland and they came down in New South Wales. We know that through the interventions of the coalition government and through the work of the member for Hume they will come down further. Our interventions in the gas market have seen prices come down by up to 50 per cent. We're getting clarity around the retail offerings so they're not as complex and confusing for households. We took action that the Labor Party refused to take when they were in office. We abolished the limited merits review. If the Labor Party had done that it would have saved consumers $6½ billion. That's the reality. We are focused unequivocally on price. Price is our first, second and third commitment. That's our priority. Under the Labor Party, you will always pay more for your power bills. They have reckless targets and they have no way to get there. Under the coalition, prices have come down and will come down further. National Security 25 14:24 Mr HASTIE 260805 Canning My question is for the Minister for Defence. Today is the 17th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York. Will the minister update the House on how the Australian Defence Force is keeping Australians safe? Is the minister aware of any other approaches? 14:24 Mr PYNE 9V5 Sturt I thank the member for Canning for his question. I note that he has served as an army officer in Afghanistan as part of one of our most recent— Opposition members interjecting— Mr PYNE 9V5 You think that's pathetic—paying tribute to a soldier who has served in Afghanistan? The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Macarthur will cease interjecting and is warned. Mr PYNE 9V5 I pay tribute to the member for Canning as a soldier who served in Afghanistan in that 16-year war that we have been involved in. He is the only person in this House who has served in combat and he does deserve to have tribute paid to him for the work he has done. Dr Mike Kelly interjecting— Mr PYNE 9V5 And the member for Eden-Monaro—I acknowledge his military service as well. On this day, 9/11, the 17th anniversary of the terrorist attack in New York, it is worth paying tribute to our Australian Defence Force for their service around the world in combatting terrorism. Seventeen years ago there were 800,000 Afghan boys at school; now, because of the work of the ADF in Afghanistan, there are eight million children at school in Afghanistan and 40 per cent of them are girls. In Iraq and Syria Daesh have lost 98 per cent of their territory because of the work of the ADF, our allies led by the United States, and the Iraqi security forces. Closer to home, of course, more recently we assisted the Philippines armed forces in defeating the insurgency in Marawi, a terrorist action there, and we continue to work with the Philippines in counterterrorism, in training them in city combat. But there are still great challenges, of course. Seventeen years after the attack on the World Trade Center towers in New York, there are still foreign fighters returning to South-East Asia, to our region, that we need to protect Australians against. There are terrorist cells and sympathisers in North Africa, in the Middle East, in Asia, of course, and even in Europe, that need to be counteracted and degraded. As the saying goes, the price of liberty is eternal vigilance. That's why this government is investing $200 billion in building up our military capability right now, getting to two per cent of GDP a year early by 2020, as promised five years ago by the incoming government. We're doing that build-up of military capability and we're doing as much of it here as possible, growing jobs, growing manufacturing, things like the combat reconnaissance vehicles in Queensland and Victoria, putting jobs and growth into those economies. Our first priority is always the protection of our ADF serving men and women. Our second priority is to build capability and our third priority is to do as much of that as possible in Australia. The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Corio, on indulgence? 14:28 Mr MARLES HWQ Corio Can I associate the opposition with the comments of the Minister for Defence. September 11 did change the world in which we live. It particularly changed it for the Australian Defence Force and heralded a period of service of our military men and women around the world, particularly in Afghanistan. It is right that we should be acknowledging and commemorating that service here today for people like the member for Canning, the member for Eden-Monaro and the member for Solomon. Their service and all the service of Australia's Defence Force, men and women, need to be commemorated in this place. Minister for Home Affairs 26 14:28 Mr NEUMANN HVO Blair My question is for the Minister for Home Affairs. In question time on 27 March, when asked whether he could categorically rule out any personal connection between himself and the intended employers of the au pairs, the minister answered, 'Yes, and I don't know these people'. How can the minister expect the parliament to believe he didn't know the intended employer of the Italian au pair when an email he sent to the minister, titled 'Call required', begins, 'Peter, long time between calls'? Mr Craig Kelly interjecting — Mr Chester interjecting — The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Hughes. The Minister for Veterans' Affairs. 14:29 Mr DUTTON 00AKI Dickson You have had since March. You had an opportunity yesterday. You got to question No. 8. You asked me a lame question about whether I could table an email. You have been out there with your wet lettuce, talking to journalists. You've been issuing angry press releases. And, after all of that time, that is the best you could come up with. This is the most incompetent shadow immigration minister in Australia's history. That comes as a surprise to many of my colleagues—not that he's so lame but that he's the shadow immigration minister. Mr Watts 193430 You're a disgrace. The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Gellibrand. Mr DUTTON 00AKI He has refused time and time again to ask questions about border protection or— Mr Watts 193430 You're a disgrace! The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Gellibrand is warned. Mr DUTTON 00AKI about how we got the 8,000 children out of detention that he and his colleagues put into detention. Mr Watts 193430 You're a disgrace. The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Gellibrand will leave under 94(a). The member for Gellibrand then left the chamber. Mr DUTTON 00AKI He doesn't ask about the detention centres, 17 of which we closed. Labor opened 17. I want the journalists in the gallery up there to have their pens poised because this is going to be a significant drop for them. The Labor Party and the Greens don't like me because of border protection. I want that to be the scoop of the day. What's all this faux outrage about issuing visas to tourists, kicking out bikies—'Why is he kicking out bikies? Why is he cancelling visas of paedophiles?'—and the rest of it? They can carry on all they like. I'll tell you this much: all I will do is double down because I'm not going to tolerate the personal attacks on me or— Ms Swanson interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG The minister will resume his seat. The member for Paterson can leave under 94(a). The member for Blair on a point of order. The member for Paterson then left the chamber. Mr Neumann HVO Relevance—I asked a very simple question about his knowledge of the employer. He's not answering the question at all. Mr Hunt interjecting— Dr Aly interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Blair will resume his seat. The Minister for Health will cease interjecting. The member for Cowan will cease interjecting. On the point of order, the member for Blair makes a reasonable— Ms Burney interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Barton will leave under 94(a). I've made it very clear: I'm not going to negotiate points of order with interjections constantly through question time. The member for Barton then left the chamber. Ms Plibersek interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG Does the Deputy Leader of the Opposition hear what I say, because she's interjecting constantly? I'm trying to rule on the point of order on behalf of the member for Blair. Over the interjections of those on my left, I'm endeavouring to say the member for Blair makes a valid point of order. The minister is entitled to a preamble, but we are now more than halfway through the allotted time. He now needs to bring himself to the substance of the question asked. Mr DUTTON 00AKI I'm happy to, Mr Speaker. I just went to the reasons why this faux debate is being conducted, and I'll make some more comments on that—I'm happy if they ask every question between now and the end of the week. I tabled that email yesterday because it indicated that, as I've said all along, there is not one statement that I've made that the Labor Party can point to that is factually incorrect. That's the reality. I worked with that individual in 1998-99. I haven't spoken to him in 20 years. There were 5,500 police in the Queensland Police Force when I left in July of '99. He doesn't have my personal mobile number. He doesn't have my personal email address. He sent an email to my generic, publicly available email account. My staffer came to me and said, 'I have this email.' My response was: 'Who? Who is that?' That was my response to it. There is a lot more I'm happy to say about it if you want to ask the next question, because regrettably I'm out of time now. But hopefully your next one will be better than the last. The SPEAKER 00APG The member for McMahon on a point of order? Mr Bowen DZS The minister appeared to be quoting from documents in two folders. Could I ask him to table both folders? The SPEAKER 00APG Does the minister have confidential material with him? Mr DUTTON 00AKI Yes. National Security 27 14:34 Mr CRAIG KELLY 99931 Hughes My question is to the Minister for Home Affairs. Will the minister update the House on how the government is keeping Australian families safe and secure at home? Are there any risks to the government's approach? 14:34 Mr DUTTON 00AKI Dickson I thank the honourable member for his question. I acknowledge the efforts of all those on my side who have supported the frontline agencies who have contributed significantly to the safety and security of our country. The Prime Minister, like me and like all of our colleagues, takes very seriously the investment we put into the frontline services—including not just the Australian Federal Police but also ASIS, ASIO, the ACIC, the Office of Transport Security and AUSTRAC—all of those agencies which work day and night. The Australian public doesn't see much of the work that they do but, together, they have been able to thwart 14 attempted attacks. We have been happy to support them through an additional $2.2 billion, including $448 million in the 2018-19 budget. We do know that the threat has not gone away and never will. As the Minister for Defence pointed out, we are worried about returning foreign fighters. We have over a million Australians who holiday in Bali, Indonesia and across South-East Asia each year. We are worried about them, and we work very closely with our counterparts to keep those young Australians safe. But we are determined on our shores to make sure we can do everything possible to help the agencies—including the Australian Border Force, who has been involved in a significant effort to gather intelligence—to have a look at people who are seeking to go to the Middle East or coming back from having fought on behalf of ISIL in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. We know that more than 200 people are currently under investigation for supporting groups in Syria and Iraq or for planning to travel to join the conflict. We know that there is a lot that we've done domestically. We have cancelled the Australian citizenships of people who would seek to do harm to the Australian public, we've denied the return of people coming back into our country and the government is actively investigating ways in which it can legislate to make Australians even safer. Every effort that we make is aimed at making sure we can realise the threat and making sure that we can do whatever is possible to defeat it but also to be realistic about it. Where people are gathering in shopping centres or wherever you might see a place of mass gathering—as we've seen overseas—is a potential threat for us. I pay tribute today to all of our frontline agencies for the work that they do. Minister for Home Affairs 27 14:37 Mr NEUMANN HVO Blair My question is to the Minister for Home Affairs. Can the minister confirm that the intended employer of the Italian au pair emailed the minister's public email address at 4.02 pm on a Wednesday of a sitting week, and that the minister signed the ministerial intervention order in just a matter of hours? How many of the thousands of emails sent to the minister's public email address are resolved by the minister in just a matter of hours? 14:38 Mr DUTTON 00AKI Dickson I can inform the member that there was a recent case that I dealt with—and I won't nominate the Labor member—where a lady was wanting to travel in relation to funeral arrangements. I acted very quickly in relation to that matter. There are matters where I'm advised by the department that there is a pending deportation. Whether it's of a person who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, whether it's of a child with autism, there are many countless cases I can point to where I have acted within a matter of hours. This might be an anomaly to the shadow minister, because, as I say, he doesn't ask questions and he's not across his brief, but the role of the immigration minister is to look at cases on their merits and to act accordingly. I have received—you wouldn't believe it—over 9,000 representations. In those cases, I've used my ministerial intervention power on 4,816 visas. I have received high-frequency callers on my list here. There are two that write to me frequently. The most prolific on the other side is the shadow Treasurer. He has written to me 192 times in relation to matters. Dr Aly interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Cowan is warned! Mr DUTTON 00AKI There was some public debate about the member for McMahon when he was immigration minister about his motivation for acting on advice or acting against advice, as it may have been on this occasion, from the department. If the Labor Party want to go through these cases, I'm happy to do it, but I tell you now, Mr Speaker: I look at the merit of these individual cases and I make a decision based on the facts before me. Ministerial intervention is not enlivened— Dr Aly interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Cowan has been warned! Mr DUTTON 00AKI unless the advice from the department is not to issue the visa for the child who is sick, or for the parent who has overstayed their contributory parent visa and has been told he or she needs to return back home. I look at those cases, and there are many. I can look at people opposite and know that they present these cases to me genuinely. I don't know whether they have some personal connection with the individual involved. I don't know, as is being alleged against the member for McMahon, whether the person was a financial donor to the Labor Party. But I take on merit the cases that they put to me. Ms Ryan interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Lalor is warned! Mr DUTTON 00AKI I have no personal interest in relation to that matter. I have stated what this is about. Be reassured of this fact: all of these personal attacks have nothing at all to do with visas for people on tourist visas but everything to do with the Labor Party trying to conjure up these dirty personal attacks because they hate the fact that we have been successful on Operation Sovereign Borders. (Time expired) Domestic and Family Violence 28 14:41 Mrs MARINO HWP Forrest My question is to the Minister for Jobs, Industrial Relations and Women. Will the minister update the House on how the government is helping to combat the scourge of family and domestic violence to try and keep families safe in their homes? 14:42 Ms O'DWYER LKU Higgins I thank the member for her question on what is a very deeply serious issue for our nation and for this parliament and which continues to have a very devastating impact on far too many Australians across our nation. Yesterday we learnt of the truly shocking murders of five members of one family in suburban Perth. On behalf of the government and the representatives in this parliament, I want to extend our deepest sympathies to the relatives and friends of this grief-stricken family. I know, from speaking to my WA colleagues, that the people of Western Australia are very saddened and shaken by this tragedy, as we all are. On behalf of the MPs of WA and the members of this parliament, I also want to extend our thoughts to the people of WA and express our gratitude to the police, ambulance officers and others who were called to the crime scene and who are helping the family. Any attempt to describe the horror of this tragedy that ended the lives of three small children, the children's mother and their grandmother is futile. It is incomprehensible. A man has been charged with these murders, and the WA police are continuing their investigation. Sadly, it marks the third terrible family killing in WA this year. It is clear that family and domestic violence remains far too prevalent. In WA alone, there have been 23 deaths from family and domestic violence, 19 of whom have been women and children. In Australia, we are rightfully proud of our gun laws introduced by the Howard government in 1996. They are a beacon to the world. But there is no law that can eliminate all violence. As representatives of the people of Australia, together with our colleagues on the other side of the chamber and in the state and territory parliaments around this nation, we must redouble our efforts to stop these tragedies and improve support for those people who are affected. The government has committed well in excess of $300 million towards women's and children's safety. This includes $54 million in the most recent budget for services for women affected by violence and online safety initiatives. Later this week I will also be introducing legislation providing all Australians covered by the Fair Work Act with the right to receive family and domestic violence leave, ensuring up to eight million workers have access to leave during their deepest time of need. And, later today, the parliament will vote on a bill brought on by the Attorney-General which will improve the protections offered through the family law system by preventing perpetrators of violence and abuse from directly cross-examining their victims. On behalf of the parliament, I extend my sympathies to all of those who've been touched by these awful and tragic events. Minister for Immigration and Border Protection 29 14:45 Mr NEUMANN HVO Blair My question is to the Minister for Home Affairs. It's reported that the minister played a role in getting a job at Border Force for his former police colleague and friend, and the same former colleague was appointed as a liaison officer in the minister's office. Is the minister aware that the intended employer of the Italian au pair told a journalist to contact the same liaison officer when asked about the au pair and referred to the liaison officer by name? Was the minister aware that this person from his office also knew— The SPEAKER 00APG The member's time has concluded. The minister will address the questions that were asked within the 30 seconds. Mr Sukkar interjecting— Mr Buchholz interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Deakin and the member for Wright will cease interjecting. Mr Pyne interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG The Leader of the House will cease interjecting. The minister has the call. 14:46 Mr DUTTON 00AKI Dickson Mr Speaker, again, just dig a little bit deeper here because these attacks of a personal nature are only based on the lies and the information of an individual, which I will go to in a second. The officer that you spoke of is a decorated and distinguished officer with over 20 years of service with the Queensland Police Service. He applied for a job with Australian Border Force. There was no interference with that process. He went through the organisational requirements, and he was employed by Australian Border Force, and he has done so completely on merit. Now, if you've got a suggestion to the contrary, I'd be happy to hear it, but I'd be happy if you made the statements outside of this place, because this smear is coming from the former Australian Border Force commissioner, a man who was, as commissioner, sacked from his position. He is a man who had groomed a girl 30 years younger than himself. He is discredited and disgraced, Mr Speaker. The reality is that he was— Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG Members on my left! Mr DUTTON 00AKI This is important, Mr Speaker. Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG Members on my left will cease interjecting! Mr DUTTON 00AKI Understand the motivation of those opposite. As it turns out, his executive officer now is a senior adviser—who to? The Leader of the Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Speaker! So all of this muck that's been thrown—I note that Mr Quaedvlieg doesn't turn up in person to the Senate inquiry, I suspect because he doesn't want to be cross-examined. So what he does is put out these fictitious bits of information and salacious details that he can't back up. He's been proved already to be discredited. He is somebody that the Labor Party shouldn't rely on. I think what's happened here is that a lot has been promised to the Labor Party, but it's clear to me that Roman Quaedvlieg is your Godwin Grech. Online Safety 29 14:48 Mr TED O'BRIEN 138932 Fairfax My question is to the Minister for Families and Social Services, representing the Minister for Communications and the Arts. Will the minister update the House on how the government is working to keep Australians safe and secure online and working to combat image based abuse? 14:48 Mr FLETCHER L6B Bradfield I thank the member for Fairfax, who has a strong interest in keeping Australians safe online. This has been a priority of the government since we came to government. We have a strong track record in online safety. We've made it a priority because we are committed to keeping Australians safe online, as well as in every other environment. Shortly after we came to government, we established the eSafety Commissioner. That's keeping kids safer online. It's keeping older Australians safer online. We are also enhancing the powers of the eSafety Commissioner to deal with the growing scourge of non-consensual sharing of intimate images. Regrettably, this is an increasing problem in our community. It's colloquially known as revenge porn. Whoever it happens to, the response, the perception and the feeling is universal. If you are a victim, what you want is for those images to be taken down as quickly as possible. What you want is swift action, and that is what the Morrison government has delivered through the Enhancing Online Safety (Non-consensual Sharing of Intimate Images) Bill. This marks a very important step in providing greater safety for Australians who find themselves victim of the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, because the eSafety Commissioner will have the power to work with social media platforms to have offending images removed and now has the discretion to action a range of enforcement mechanisms to investigate complaints, to issue infringement notices, to accept enforcement undertakings or to seek injunctions. Let me be very clear: under this legislation, as an individual, if you do the wrong thing, you can expect to be fined up to $105,000 if you do not comply with a request from the eSafety Commissioner to remove an offending image. If you are an organisation, the fine is $525,000. We've also amended the Criminal Code, which means perpetrators who send private sexual material could face increased penalties of imprisonment for up to five years or seven years for repeat offenders. It is so important that the safety of Australians online is protected, as the Morrison government is working to protect the safety of Australians in all environments. And, with this toughening of the laws to deal with revenge porn, we have made Australians safer. We are taking action to keep Australians safe online. Minister for Immigration and Border Protection 30 14:51 Mr NEUMANN HVO Blair My question is to the Minister for Home Affairs. Government members interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG Members on my right! The member for Blair will pause for a second. Mr Tim Wilson interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Goldstein is warned! The member for Blair has the call. Mr NEUMANN HVO My question is to the Minister for Home Affairs. Was the minister aware that his former colleague and friend who worked in his office as a liaison officer knew the employer of the Italian au pair? 14:52 Mr DUTTON 00AKI Dickson At the time—and this happened in 2015, from memory—there was no employment arrangement in relation to the officer that you spoke of before. As you pointed out, the officer is a departmental liaison officer in my office now, but that's only happened in recent times. It was immaterial—I wouldn't have given it a thought—but, yes, he would know the officer, as Mr Quaedvlieg does. Mr Quaedvlieg was a detective in the Queensland Police Service at the same time as I was. He's been mates with the officer to whom you refer now probably since 2002, I suspect. So there are many other facts that you might want to bring out or that I'll be prepared to at the right time. Let me say this: I have been very clear, open and honest in relation to all of these matters. Yesterday, I was alleged to have misled parliament. At the end of question time, the Leader of Opposition Business hopped up and apologised to me for the mistake that he had made in making that allegation. No claim that has been put by the discredited person, Mr Quaedvlieg, or his mouthpieces within this parliament have been proven to be correct. I'm not going to be distracted by these personal attacks again, because what they distract from is what I have done in this portfolio and what really drives those opposite to the point of distraction. I have cancelled 3,763 noncitizen criminal visas, including 194 bikies, 648 drug dealers— The SPEAKER 00APG The minister will resume his seat. The member for Blair, on a point of order. Mr Neumann HVO The point of order is relevance, Mr Speaker. I asked a simple question: whether or not he knew the liaison officer knew the employer of the Italian au pair? It's a simple question. The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Blair will resume his seat. On this occasion, the minister has addressed the issue, and he addressed it at the start of the question. Ms Catherine King interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG The member for Ballarat will not give me guidance. A government member interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG Whoever that is on my right is not helping either. Government members interjecting— The SPEAKER 00APG O'Connor certainly looks guilty, that's true! But I just say to the member for Blair: the minister addressed very much the substance of the question in the first part of the answer. He's now giving context in the rest of the answer. He's completely in order. The minister has the call. Mr DUTTON 00AKI Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have cancelled 3,763 visas of criminals who have offended against Australian citizens. In the last 12 months, this government has cancelled more visas of criminals than Labor did in six years. We have stopped boats. There were 800 boats with 50,000 people on board. We have got all of the children out of detention that Labor put into detention. We set up the US deal, and we've now got hundreds of people off Manus and Nauru—people that Labor put there. I have cancelled the visas, as I said, of over 500 violent offenders. The Australian Institute of Criminology suggests that we have saved a thousand Australians from falling victim to members of outlaw motorcycle gangs because of the visa cancellations. If you want to know why the opposition don't want to talk about these issues, understand it's because the Labor Party had a shocking track record on border security in government. They were hopeless. They lost control of our borders and they were weak on visa issuance, issuing visas to bikies and the rest. This government will tidy it up. (Time expired) Veterans' Affairs 31 14:56 Mr CHRISTENSEN 230485 Dawson My question is to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs. Will the minister update the House on how the government's strong economic plan is delivering essential services and programs to support veterans and their families, including in my electorate of Dawson? Is the minister aware of any different approaches to supporting our veterans and their families? 14:56 Mr CHESTER IPZ Gippsland I thank the member for Dawson for his question and his great interest in and, in fact, advocacy on behalf of veterans in his community and currently serving ADF personnel. I note from the outset the unique nature of military service and acknowledge the member for Canning, the member for Fadden, the member for Eden-Monaro and the member for Solomon, all of whom have served in uniform. I take this opportunity, as I do on many occasions when I travel throughout Australia, to thank those who served—to simply say, 'Thank you for your service.' To each and every one of them who is listening today: thank you for that unique service you provide. We're determined as a government to make sure that we are putting veterans first and putting veterans' families first. This is a government which is determined to get on with the job of delivering for our veteran community. We want to see a safer, stronger and better Australia where everyone can get ahead together. Veterans certainly share in the benefits of our strong economic plan. As a nation, we have every reason to be proud of the level of support we provide for our veterans and their families. More than $11 billion per year is provided to veterans and their families. In the order of 290,000 veterans and their families receive some form of support from the Australian people. Each year, there is more than $5 billion provided for health and community services to our veterans, with nearly $200 million allocated for veterans' mental health services. This includes more than nine million individual medical and dental services for our veterans and their families. The government has also sought to reform the Department of Veterans' Affairs. Keep in mind that the Department of Veterans' Affairs this year commemorates its 100th anniversary. We are working with the Department of Veterans' Affairs to make sure it is ready for the next 100 years. In this year's and last year's budgets, we've invested in the order of $280 million in this important reform package, which will transform every aspect of DVA's systems to make sure it does provide for the needs of our veterans and their families into the future. Our strong economic plan also benefits veterans when it comes time to transition out of the ADF. That transition period can be difficult for some of our members. In the order of 6,000 members transition each year. On transition from the ADF, veterans will benefit from the record number of jobs that are being created under this government. There's no question that a strong economic plan providing strong economic conditions for jobs growth does benefit the veteran community. I'd also like to acknowledge the last post ceremony tonight at the Australian War Memorial, which the Prime Minister and the shadow minister will be attending. We will be participating in an event recognising all the women—ex-serving women, current serving women, wives, sisters, children and widows—who have participated in and supported the Defence Force over the past 100 years. Australia is rightly proud of their service, and I know all members would be proud of the service of women in the ADF. There is no role that women can't perform in the modern Australian Defence Force. So I'd like to thank the member for Dawson for his interest. I'd like to assure him that the Morrison-McCormack government is focused on delivering for all our veterans and supporting their families. Members of Parliament: Conduct 32 14:59 Mr SHORTEN 00ATG Maribyrnong My question is to the Prime Minister. Yesterday during question time, the Prime Minister said the government whip would handle complaints about bullying within his government. But today Senator Gichuhi said instead that the Prime Minister has taken up the issue. Does the Prime Minister stand by his answer yesterday, or has the Prime Minister taken personal responsibility to investigate the bullying complaints by his women MPs about other Liberal MPs within his government? 15:00 Mr MORRISON E3L Cook I thank the member for his question. I take a keen interest in the welfare of every member of my team, and I will continue to do so as I work with all of the members of my team to do something that's very important. The responsibility we have, firstly, is to deliver an even stronger Australia, an Australia where we keep our economy strong so that we can guarantee the essential services that Australians rely on that the Minister for Veterans' Affairs was just referring to. That's what we're about. Secondly, we're keeping Australians safe, as my team have been explaining today. Our government is supporting the ADF, our national security agencies, keeping Australians safe online, keeping kids safe in schools: all of these things we're doing to keep Australians safe. Thirdly, to keep Australians together. I have an interest in the welfare of all of my team— The SPEAKER 00APG The Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order. Mr Burke DYW On direct relevance: the Prime Minister is dealing with important issues, but they are not the substance of this question. The SPEAKER 00APG The Manager of Opposition Business makes a very good point. The question was about one topic. The Prime Minister can compare and contrast for a limited period of time, which he's done, and I invite him to either come back to the question or wrap up his answer. Mr MORRISON E3L I was asked about the welfare of my members and what role I was playing in dealing with the welfare of my members. What I'm explaining is that I am very keenly interested in the welfare and support that I give to my members for the very important job they have to do. My team is coming together, but more importantly we're bringing Australia together because we don't want to see one set of Australians pitted against another. What we're focused on is meeting the challenges of the future head-on, as a united Australia on the basis of ensuring that Australians work together for that goal. Senior Australians 32 15:01 Mr BROADBENT MT4 McMillan My question is to the Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care. Minister, will you update the House on the action the government is taking to protect the dignity of senior Australians to live a healthy and active life—as you hobble to the stage? 15:02 Mr WYATT M3A Hasluck I thank the member for McMillan for his ongoing interest in aged care, but in particular for his wise counsels since I became a member of this chamber in 2010. In terms of the needs of senior Australians and their dignity, I want to acknowledge all members on both sides of the chamber who've raised issues with me about the needs of senior Australians, because in a sense you raising those issues is like Neighbourhood Watch. You bring before me the issues that senior Australians are faced with. What I've done is I've met with the member for Flinders and the member for Cook in the budget lead-up to prepare a strategy that looks at more choices for a longer life. And more choices for a longer life is about better access to care, better access to ageing and better access to quality care within residential care. More than 1.3 million Australians have the benefit of a budget that we have committed to, that rises from $18.6 billion to $23.6 billion. And following the recent Oakden inquiry, we are in the process of establishing an independent aged-care quality and safety commission. That commission will bring together all of those elements that are absolutely critical in ensuring that senior Australians are safe within residential and home care. And, more importantly, it will build the confidence in the aged-care sector given some of the incidents that we have seen reported in the media. I will be bringing to the chamber legislation that establishes this commission that brings together all of those components, and I would certainly ask the Leader of the Opposition and the opposition to join with us in ensuring the passage of that legislation through both chambers so that we provide all Australians with a safe and secure environment. What is important is we build for those who have contributed to our nation—the people who have been the wisdom-givers, the people who built this nation and the people who have given us everything we take for granted—an opportunity to have integrity and safety in their later years, particularly in their years of frailty. I think it is important that the exemplary behaviour of this House in many issues that we've talked about in aged care that started with the Productivity Commission's report is continued to be built on, and that the reforms we put into place guarantee an opportunity for those of us who are reaching that point—as Russell has indicated to me—that I will have a safe environment in which to make that journey. Equally, I want to thank all of you who raised many issues with me that form the basis of our More Choices for a Longer Life package, which is premised on quality and safety. Members of Parliament: Conduct 33 15:05 Ms PLIBERSEK 83M Sydney My question is to the Prime Minister. Yesterday during question time, the Prime Minister said the government whip would handle complaints about bullying within his government. But today in an interview on 6PR, when asked if there was bullying that goes on in the Liberal Party, the Prime Minister responded, 'No, I don't believe so.' Does that mean that there have been no complaints? Or does the Prime Minister consider the bullying exposed by senators Gichuhi and Reynolds, the member for Chisholm, the Minister for Women, the member for Curtin—one-quarter of the women in the Liberal Party room—did not occur? 15:06 Mr MORRISON E3L Cook I never take at face value the representations made by those opposite of what members on this side have said. What I was asked about yesterday and what I responded to yesterday was that the welfare and pastoral care provided to members of the parliamentary party in the Liberal and National parties is dealt with by the party whips. That is a normal process on this side of the chamber and on that side of the chamber. That is the process that is available to all members of this place. While I am absolutely interested in the welfare of all members of this parliament, particularly those who I have the privilege to lead and serve, I'm even more committed and more interested in the welfare of the Australian people who are, frankly, more interested in their issues and what matters to them than what goes on in this place. We will deal with whatever we have to deal with internally in our party, using the processes that have been in place for many, many years. My members understand my commitment to them when it comes to those issues. But, again, what I am surprised about, as question time draws to a close, is that, over the course of this day, there have been no questions on drought, no questions on the security of Australians, no questions on how we can actually grow our economy and deliver more essential services that Australians rely on. What we've had is a litany of abuse and innuendo and accusation from the member for Blair. The biggest issue on his agenda is not stopping the boats and the bikies but stopping the au pairs. What do you think they're going to do—read us all a bedtime story? On this side, we're focused on keeping Australia strong, keeping Australia safe and keeping Australians together. Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme 33 15:08 Mr TIM WILSON IMW Goldstein My question is to the Minister for Health on an issue that affects Australians. Will the minister outline to the House how the government's record in delivering a stronger economy enables the coalition to provide affordable access to life-changing medicines for rheumatoid arthritis and ADHD? Is the minister aware of any government that had an alternative approach to subsidising new medicines recommended by experts? 15:08 Mr HUNT 00AMV Flinders I want to thank the member for Goldstein, who has not just been a strong advocate for new medicines to be listed but is also a powerful student of economic history. He knows not so long ago there was a government that deferred the listings of new medicines, and I quote from the 2011 budget papers, 'Due to fiscal circumstances, the listing of some medicines would be deferred until fiscal circumstances permit.' This was from the last Labor government of which the Leader of the Opposition was a central figure. I thought to myself that it wasn't just economic incompetence; it was also a decision of their values. What happened in a similar period? Those opposite chose at the same time to subsidise pink batts. They chose, at the same time as they were stopping new medicines, to subsidise Green Loans. They chose, at the same time as they were stopping new medicines, to subsidise the Leader of the Opposition's favourite—cash for clunkers. So it's not just about competence; it's about values, it's about what you believe and it's about what you think is important. We think that supporting not just the economy but supporting Australians with essential services is fundamental. On that front the million jobs and more that we've been able to help create through the economic policies of the Prime Minister, the Treasurer and all the members on this side of the House have meant that we can pay for the essential services. These essential services include the over 1,870 new medicines and amended listings that have come on our watch. Only this week we were able to talk about two new medicines, medicines for rheumatoid arthritis and ADHD. In terms of rheumatoid arthritis, 22,000 Australian patients who sometimes suffer crippling pain and agonising conditions will have access to Olumiant. This is a medicine which would otherwise have cost up to $16,500 a year. It will now be available for $39.50 or $6.40 a script. Equally, over 140,000 Australian families will have access to Intuniv, a medicine for ADHD which would otherwise cost up to $1,900 a year. In other words, it is helping beautiful young children who have real challenges deal with their issues without the side effects which accompany so many other medicines in this space. So these two new medicines, one for a crippling condition and one for a condition which can have a deep impact on families and on educational attainment, will now be available. They will be subsidised under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. You can only do that, as the member for Goldstein sets out, if you have a strong economy. And you can only do that if you have the right policies to do that. Above all, you can only do that if you believe in it. Mr Morrison E3L I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper. The SPEAKER 00APG For the convenience of members, I advise that from today lift 39 in the House of Representatives wing, which is in the southern end of the inner corridor right near the Deputy Opposition Whip's office, is closed for refurbishment for about 15 weeks. I wouldn't want members to be caught out when there are divisions. QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: ADDITIONAL ANSWERS 34 QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: ADDITIONAL ANSWERS Minister for Immigration and Border Protection 34 15:12 Mr DUTTON 00AKI Dickson I wish to briefly add to an answer that I provided in question time. I made reference to an officer who is with the ADF who is working in my office. He's actually there as an adviser, not as a DLO. To be clear, he wasn't at the office at the time of the so-called Brisbane case. I think I stated that in my answer, but I'd like to make that clear to the honourable member. PERSONAL EXPLANATIONS 34 PERSONAL EXPLANATIONS 15:13 Mr BOWEN DZS McMahon Mr Speaker, I seek to make a personal explanation. The SPEAKER 00APG Does the member claim to have been misrepresented? Mr BOWEN DZS I do. The SPEAKER 00APG The member may proceed. Mr BOWEN DZS During question time today, the Minister for Home Affairs said in relation to me, 'I don't know, as is being alleged against the member for McMahon, whether the person was a financial donor to the Labor Party.' The minister is referring to a story in yesterday's The Australian newspaper which quotes a government source making that allegation. The story refers to two cases. To be clear, in the first case, relating to a soccer player, I acted neither in favour nor against departmental advice because I did not make the decision; the department made the decision. In relation to the second case, a decision which was referred to the member for Watson as immigration minister, I did not make any representations and the member for Watson did not intervene, unlike the cases that have been referred to in relation to the Minister for Home Affairs. AUDITOR-GENERAL'S REPORTS 34 AUDITOR-GENERAL'S REPORTS Report No. 6 of 2018-19 34 15:14 The SPEAKER 00APG I present the Auditor-General's performance audit report No. 6 of 2018-19 entitled Army's protected mobility vehicle—light. Ordered that the report be made a parliamentary paper. DOCUMENTS 34 DOCUMENTS Presentation 34 15:14 Mr PYNE 9V5 Sturt A document is tabled in accordance with the list circulated to honourable members earlier today. Full details of the document will be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings. MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE 34 MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE Energy 34 15:14 The SPEAKER 00APG I have received a letter from the honourable member for Port Adelaide proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the House for discussion, namely: The chaos of the government's energy policy causing power prices to rise for Australians. I call upon all honourable members who approve of the proposed discussion to rise in their places. More than the number of members required by the standing orders having risen in their places— 15:14 Mr BUTLER HWK Port Adelaide We've had a few MPI debates on energy policy over recent weeks because, frankly, this has been a movable feast, to say the least. We had a matter of public importance on energy policy debated in the last week of Malcolm Turnbull's prime ministership, a time when he had just announced the third version of the National Energy Guarantee in just seven days. It was a week that featured surrender after abject surrender and retreat after cowardly retreat by Malcolm Turnbull in the face of an onslaught by the hard right, led by the usual suspects, the member for Warringah, who's not here for this debate, the member for Hughes, who's always in this debate, and the member for Hume, who has been rewarded for his treachery by being appointed the Minister for Energy. We warned Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at the time that he would not be rewarded for his abject, weak surrenders to the hard right agenda on energy policy. We warned him and we were proven right. The member for Warringah, always grateful for a bit of weak surrender, said that it was just 'a conversion of convenience' that Malcolm Turnbull had undertaken. Of course, true to form, he didn't let up, and now we have the member for Cook as the Prime Minister of the country. Everyone is asking, 'Why did this happen?' Was it just the personal ambition of a number of the people who now find themselves on the front bench, was it just the petty hatreds that get built up after leadership coup after leadership coup or was it something deeper? I've been talking for a little while now about this deep, philosophical division that lies at the heart of the coalition, particularly in the Liberal Party. A key reason is that there is a battle for the soul of the Liberal Party underway at the moment. The centrepiece of the battle is climate and energy policy. What the deposal of the last Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, involved was a fight within the coalition to place the hard right agenda on climate and energy policy right at the heart of this government. The new Prime Minister, the member for Cook, pretends that he had to have his arm twisted to be appointed Prime Minister and he just happened to be in the right place at the right time when someone said, 'Surprise, surprise, Member for Cook, you're going to have the job of Prime Minister'—with no treachery on his part and no numbers being done on his part to try to come through the middle between the member for Dickson and the then member for Wentworth! We see what he has ultimately given to the hard right in response to their support. He has given us the member for Hume as the energy minister, perhaps the key piece of surrender to the hard right. But he has walked away from the National Energy Guarantee. He's walked away from National Energy Guarantee version 3.0, which—count them—was the fifth energy policy this government had in just three years. He's walked away from any policy to deliver on the commitments to reduce carbon pollution under the Paris agreement and walked away from any responsibility to future generations of Australians—our children and our grandchildren—to ensure that they live in a safe climate. But, as the member for Wakefield, soon to be the member for Spence, said, 'The key concession was to hand the energy portfolio to one of their own'—to one of the hard right who has been fighting this fight within the Liberal Party since he came to this building. We now have the most ideological person ever to hold the Energy portfolio sitting at this table in this debate. There is no clearer example of this government focusing on their own divisions and their own ideological obsessions, instead of on the interests of the Australian people, than the shambles of energy policy debate that's gone on in their party room. The evidence is clear. What this extraordinary turn of events over recent weeks has shown, and what it will make absolutely sure of, is that the energy crisis that's emerged under this government is going to get far, far worse. Sensible members of this government understand that—even the new Treasurer, who profited, coincidentally, out of this coup against the member for Wentworth. Even he recognised this on Insiders on Sunday. He said that no-one was more disappointed than him at the death of the National Energy Guarantee. Again, it's all about them. It's all about the poor old new Treasurer and his disappointment; not about the thousands of businesses that have been waiting for an energy policy finally to be settled by this government after seeing the power prices skyrocket over the last five years under this government and the viability of their businesses placed in jeopardy while this coalition party room undertakes its parlour games over whether climate change is real or not real. There was no thought to the millions of households who are seeing their household bills skyrocket under a government that is completely incapable of settling an energy policy. It was all about them. In his heart, the new Treasurer knows this is a disaster for the country and, I suspect, a disaster for the government. He and the new Prime Minister, when the new Prime Minister was the Treasurer, were promising households and businesses for weeks and months that the National Energy Guarantee was the best chance of bringing this energy crisis to an end. Only last month the now Prime Minister told Leigh Sales on 7.30 that he had never come across an initiative in his 10 years in parliament that had broader support than the National Energy Guarantee—except for five or six people on the other side of parliament who vetoed it. Every business group in this nation supported the National Energy Guarantee. Every single business group supported it. The new minister issued a media release on the National Energy Guarantee, entitled 'National Energy Guarantee to deliver affordable, reliable electricity'. But I've looked at the minister's website, and the current version of that media release says, 'Page not found'. It says, 'We are sorry, the page you are looking for could not be found'. It's been erased from history. The energy policy that dare not speak its name again. We actually know the member for Hume never supported it. He never supported the National Energy Guarantee. This man is the member for Warringah's candidate for energy minister. Alan Jones made absolutely clear how delighted he is about this appointment. It's one of the best appointments in politics in years, he said, because the member for Hume doesn't accept the science of climate change. In this building, in this chamber, he described climate change science as 'the new climate religion' that 'has little basis on fact and everything to do with blind faith'. He's a man who made his name campaigning against renewable energy. He was the headline act in a ridiculous rally out the front, co-headlined by Alan Jones, called the National Wind Power Fraud Rally. He said, 'Large-scale wind it's very clear that it's not economic on any grounds.' He might want to talk to the Energy Council or any other energy expert in the country who has seen these strike prices on wind and solar energy come in way, way lower, even with firming-up technology, than any other technology those opposite continue to talk about. We do know what we're going to get from this energy minister. We're going to get no cuts in pollution and a complete abdication of any responsibility to discharge our responsibility to future generations around climate change. We're going to see a smashing of jobs and investment. His mentor, the member for Warringah, did exactly that a few years ago. There was an 88 per cent collapse in investment and thousands of jobs lost after pursuing the sort of policy the hard right in the coalition party room want. But the surest thing we will see is that prices will rise. The government's own modelling made this clear. They promised a $550 cut to power bills, but the same modelling warned that prices would go up by $300 if the National Energy Guarantee was not delivered. Tony Wood said as much in the Financial Review this morning. What we also see on the front page of the Financial Review is that future prices, the price that markets are betting on in the future, have already started to rise because of the policy uncertainty involved in this government. The Prime Minister, in a previous life, when he was Treasurer only a few weeks ago, recognised that policy uncertainty is the key driver of price rises in this country. He said in that 7.30 interview a few weeks ago, 'If you're not for the National Energy Guarantee, then you're for continued uncertainty which leads to higher prices.' Perhaps the stand-out sentence from this minister's first speech was that he wouldn't 'even try' to deliver policy certainty or investor certainty in the delivery of an essential service in a mixed economy that their party is largely responsible for privatising over the last quarter of a century—a complete abdication of government responsibility. This government is an absolute shambles on energy policy. It has cost another Prime Minister his job, but the most important thing is it's going to cost households and businesses much, much more on their power bills. 15:24 Mr TAYLOR 231027 Hume Well, I don't know when lower prices became ideological, but I accept that I am absolutely committed to lower prices, getting them down, down, and down. But it's clear that Labor's reckless policies at both state and federal level are why power prices are where they are today. The member for Port Adelaide has written a book on this. It was published in 2017. The reviews are mixed, I would say, to be kind. One of them described it as 'longwinded and boring, don't bother', but I will put that aside for the moment. In his book Climate Wars, he admitted that Labor made many mistakes on energy. He said: … we've made mistakes in both the design of our policies and their presentation … In hindsight, it's also clear to most that the carbon price introduced under the Clean Energy Act was too high … Dr Aly interjecting— The DEPUTY SPEAKER 218019 The member for Cowan is warned! Mr TAYLOR 231027 We abolished it, and prices came down 10 per cent. During six years of Labor government, power prices doubled and went up each and every year. It was Labor who gave us pink batts, cash for clunkers, a citizen's assembly and of course the carbon tax, which I've already referred to. But they haven't learned from their mistakes, their errors of judgement. They're itching to have another crack. They want to implement a 50 per cent renewable energy target. Dr Aly 13050 You've made five mistakes! The DEPUTY SPEAKER 218019 The member for Cowan will remove herself under 94(a). The member for Cowan then left the chamber. Mr TAYLOR 231027 That's going to mean more subsidies and higher prices paid for by every single hardworking household and business in this country. I'll come back to what the 50 per cent will mean in a moment. Let me talk about our track record as a government in this area. Under my predecessor, now the Treasurer, prices came down. On 1 July we saw retail price reductions—as he said only about an hour ago—in Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales. To take examples, in South-East Queensland we've seen price reductions of up to 14 per cent, $1,400 a year, off the bills of small businesses. In South-East Queensland we've seen price reductions for residential users of up to nine per cent, $140 a year. That's $140 a year for hardworking Queensland households. We've seen similar reductions across the other states that I mentioned. Wholesale prices have also turned a corner. They're up to 25 per cent down this year on the previous year. We've secured more gas for Australia. We've seen prices up to 50 per cent down from their peak, from $20 a gigajoule down to $10 a gigajoule in 2018, and of course that's been a big part of what's been responsible for a reduction in prices. We have reined in the power of the networks. We saw investment increase by 100 per cent in the assets of the network companies and the charges of the network companies under Labor between 2007 and 2014. We've abolished the limited merits review, and we're seeing those charges come down. But the impact of those charges has been over $1 billion a year on Australia and hardworking Australian businesses and households. As the member for Port Adelaide himself acknowledged, past overinvestment in networks has been a big part of the problem here. They had six years to deal with this, and they failed to do that. We have taken action, and we're taking action in three areas. One is stopping the price gouging by big energy companies. It has happened, unfortunately. We saw significant increases in the bids made in the wholesale market after the closure of Hazelwood. Bids increased by over 100 per cent at the time of the closure of Hazelwood. This is what happens when you take reliable, fair dinkum, base-load power out of the system. Secondly, we're providing customers with a price safety net. We've already seen 1.8 million households better off because of the work of the government to bring down retail prices, and we have accepted the recommendation of the ACCC to establish a default market price, which will ensure that those Australians who are least positioned to negotiate a better price will get a better price. The ACCC itself has estimated that the price savings for a typical Australian household will be between $200 and $400. We have said that we will back investment in reliable generation, encouraging more competition. That means we need to have base-load power in the system, and we're going to back it in. Already, we're seeing a number of projects coming forward to be supported—to make sure we have the affordable base-load power that everyone in Australia wants. We have turned the corner. There is more work to do, and, with that suite of measures in those three areas—stopping the price gouging, providing customers with a price safety net, and backing in investment in reliable generation—we believe we will do that work. There is an alternative: Labor's 50 per cent renewable energy target and 45 per cent emissions reduction target. If you look at Labor's national platform, what I like to call 'Bill's little red book', you will see that they have a plan to reshape the economy, and it will be expensive. Labor's true thinking was revealed by their environment action network, a group called LEAN, which said, 'Higher prices are not market failure; they're proof of the market working well.' They want higher prices. They believe that's a good outcome. The member for Port Adelaide endorsed LEAN. He commended them for their work. Not even the unions support this Green-left ideology. The CFMEU president said that a 50 per cent RET by 2030 will increase the cost of electricity for manufacturing and households while being a 'poor tool' to reduce Australia's overall emissions. Ben Davis, secretary of Bill Shorten's branch of the AWU, said: The rush away from coal and gas-fired electricity power stations to renewables is a little unseemly in its haste, because we are potentially crucifying hundreds of thousands of manufacturing workers. They are the people you used to stand up for but clearly don't anymore. The unions aren't the only ones who have seen through this shady Leader of the Opposition and his crony, the member for Port Adelaide. You mentioned Tony Wood from the Grattan Institute earlier. On Labor's claims that prices would go down as a result of a higher emissions reduction target, what has Tony got to say? He said that it is 'unlikely to be sustainable' and will 'accelerate plant closures'. Which coal-fired power stations do you want to shut down early? Is it in Gladstone? Is it in the member for Flynn's electorate? Is it Tomago that you want to shut down? Do you want to make sure every aluminium smelter worker in Australia is out of a job? Tony Wood goes on to say that it 'requires higher consumer prices' and would be 'inherently uncertain'. That's your 50 per cent renewable energy policy. The Business Council of Australia has described Labor's 45 per cent emissions reduction target as 'economy wrecking'. We want the subsidies to phase out, and they will. They want the pork to continue forever. Labor want to stuff the system with an intermittent generation, forcing the closure of reliable base-load generation. The fact is that Australians will pay higher power bills under Labor and will be left in the dark. Their ideologically driven plan is for higher prices and less security. Our plan is for lower prices. We know exactly what a 50 per cent renewable energy target will do, because we've seen it in South Australia. In South Australia we've seen electricity prices amongst the highest in the world, at 47.8c per kilowatt hour. Compare that with Latvia, at 25.6c per kilowatt hour; Estonia at half that—23.4c per kilowatt hour; Romania, that energy powerhouse, at 21.2c per kilowatt hour; and Hungary at 19.3c. The contrast could not be clearer. We've taken action. We're securing better deals for 1.8 million households, and prices are coming down. We will not be distracted from our goal of getting power prices down for Australian households and businesses by motions like this. 15:34 Mr ALBANESE R36 Grayndler They just had an opportunity for the new minister for energy to outline what the coalition's energy policy is, and what did we get? Nothing. 'Lower prices', he said. What's their policy to fix the drought—'More rain'? These people just cannot be taken seriously over an issue which is serious. We know what their policy was, because the now Treasurer said this just a couple of months ago: … if you believe in lower power prices, if you want to see Australian households $550 a year better off, if you want to see the wholesale price down by 20 per cent, if you want to be side by side with the big employers across the country, you get behind the National Energy Guarantee … That's what they were saying when parliament last sat, but now they've ripped it up. This is a new minister who doesn't know the difference between a coal-fired power station and an aluminium smelter in the Hunter Valley. This is a minister who, when he was the minister for cities, was known as a walking wind farm. There was lots of movement and lots of air around, but not much actually happened as he ran around the country. Of course the tragedy of this is that, like in other areas of infrastructure development, what you need here for business to drive investment is certainty. But what do we have from this government? What we have when it comes to transport is that those opposite have moved away from the Infrastructure Australia model. They've taken money off projects that were ready to go and given it to projects that never, ever happened, and therefore we've seen a drop in investment. What we've seen on water is the National Water Initiative trashed by this mob. We've seen all sorts of water siphoned off to mates, with various corruption inquiries in New South Wales, and South Australia suffering at the end of the system. What we've seen on communications is the National Broadband Network abandoned, with a system now based on copper rather than fibre. What we've seen on energy is perhaps the worst of all of the infrastructure modes. In 2007, in this parliament, both sides supported a price on carbon, an emissions trading scheme and ratifying the Kyoto protocol, but in December 2009 those opposite combined with the Greens political party to destroy that price on carbon. What we saw then was that, despite that, against the odds, we did legislate for an emissions trading scheme with a fixed price in the initial stage. But those opposite walked away from that. They trashed that, and we saw a doubling of wholesale power prices. Then we saw an EIS, an emissions intensity scheme, which they walked away from. Then there was the clean energy target. We were prepared to talk about that, but they walked away from that. The National Energy Guarantee in its various forms—they walked away that. What we've seen from this ATM government over here, the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government, is: insert some policy, but nothing coming out. Nothing constructive comes out at all, and it is Australians who are paying the price through higher prices. If you are going to get that certainty, you have to know what you stand for and you have to be prepared to take people with you. You have to be able to work collaboratively. For the former Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, who's now in New York, even obscurity is better than trying to work with this mob opposite. And, if you know Malcolm Turnbull, that's really saying something. But for this minister to be given responsibility for this portfolio shows just how bereft those opposite are. We on this side of the House know that the future is renewables. We on this side of the House know that by driving down emissions you drive down prices. Supply and demand—when you increase the amount of supply in the energy sector through growth of renewables, you drive down prices. Those opposite talk about business. The fact is business wants certainty; business wants what those opposite have refused to give them. (Time expired) 15:39 Mr BROAD 30379 Mallee I come here for the betterment of Australia. We have a standard of living that is the envy of the world. Our life expectancy is high. Our safety, our security and our prosperity are the results of the endeavours of Australians. We have an abundance of natural resources—our sunshine, our gas, our coal, our uranium, our soils and our water. Water, which the member for Grayndler was talking about, is pumped by electricity to produce product. That product is cooled by electricity and that produce is then marketed. Our cities and offices are powered by electricity. The people who work in those offices catch trams or trains when heading home after work. Those trams and trains are powered by electricity. Those people go home to their houses which are cooled or heated by electricity. You may ask, 'What is the threat? I can say it with one word: Labor—a party made up of nice personalities with no management ability at all. You may ask, 'What is the threat?' I say it again: it is Labor, who are so concerned about losing their seats to the eroding ideology of the Greens that they no longer care about the pensioners who are unable to turn their power on and keep themselves warm. You may ask again, 'What is the threat?' It is Labor with a 50 per cent renewable energy target that makes us feel so warm and fuzzy but sends us broke. You may ask what our aim is. Our aim is to get power prices down. The coalition is the party for lower power prices. You may ask what our aim is. It is a new coal-fired power station. Australia exports coal and iron ore—little black rocks and little red rocks; those two things that are driving our domestic product—and yet we're so scared to want to build a coal-fired power station in Australia. It's good enough to export, but we should be game to export. You may ask what our aim is. It is to refurbish coal-fired power stations so that they're cleaner and more responsive and they can interact with renewables. You may ask again what our aim is. It is solar power generation—fields of sun-catching panels like you can see in the Mallee. You may ask again what our aim is. It is new gas-fired power stations. This government introduced the Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism, which has started to bring gas prices down and has not stifled investment in gas exploration. You may again ask what our aim is. It is new pumped hydro. Snowy Hydro, started by Prime Minister Ben Chifley when the Labor Party used to stand for something, is going to be completed and commissioned by Prime Minister Morrison in the next term and the term after that. Opposition members interjecting— Mr BROAD 30379 We will show you that we will win government again and again. You may ask what our plan is. It is stability—so the lights stay on and your business can expand. You may ask again what our plan is. It is certainty—so the lights stay on and your son, daughter and grandchild can have a job. I say to the grandparents of Australia: if you want your child to have a job, you need to be voting for the coalition so they can have a job. You may ask again what our plan is. It is prosperity. Our wages, by world standards, are historically high, but our power prices have also been historically low. It is because of this that we've been competitive. The member for Grayndler may not know, but the biggest export out of the Port of Melbourne has been dehydrated milk. You didn't know that, did you? The reason that the milk industry has been able to expand is that we've been able to ultraheat treat it or dehydrate it and make it competitive. But, if you trust Labor, power prices will go up. If power prices are up and we have high wages, we will no longer be competitive and our capacity to gave pay rises to our sons, daughters and grandchildren will be greatly diminished. I come here for the betterment of Australia, and I say to Australians that there is really only one side of this chamber that you can trust—and it is the coalition government. The coalition government will bring down power prices. The coalition government will not get caught up in some ideology to keep the Greens happy, to stop the erosion. The coalition government will bring power prices down. That is what we are taking to the people of Australia at the next election—and that is why we will still be here on this side of the chamber after the next election. 15:44 Mr CONROY 249127 Shortland What an embarrassing performance by the member for Mallee. I congratulate him on his promotion, but, let's just pause for a second—this is a debate about climate change and energy policy and the second speaker for the government is on the record as saying, 'I am a self-described sceptic of policy responses to climate change.' He's a sceptic of policy responses and he questions the science regarding the impact of humans. The second speaker for the government on a debate about energy and climate change questions the science, doesn't think we can do anything on policy and has just called for, in his speech, the construction of a new coal-fired power station. This is the quality of the debate from those in government. What a disgrace. I can tell him, 'If you want to build a new coal-fired power station, that is a recipe for higher pollution and higher power prices.' It's a recipe for both. This is the state of the debate from the government. We only have to see the minister's contribution. The member for Dickson's numbers man—a man who couldn't even count to 43 in the party room—is now in charge of getting power prices down. God help us all. If you can't count to 43, how can you get power prices down? I say you can't. This is the shame of this debate: the government has had five energy policies in two years. In fact, they've had four in the months of August and September. They've had four in a month and a half. What a disgrace. At least the new minister is clear. He has completely surrendered on emissions policy. The tragedy of this is that it means not only higher pollution but higher power prices. What is going on now is, if you don't invest in renewable energy and if you don't attempt to provide any certainty to the market, you see higher power prices. Don't just ask for my opinion. Don't just take it from me. The Australian Energy Market Commission said: The result of this uncertainty has been delays in investment and consequent increasing electricity prices … The Australian Energy Council said: A lack of robust or bipartisan energy policy means there is a lack of investment confidence, which means there is more risk to be managed, and this in turn leads to higher prices … So we've got the government's own regulator and the peak body for all the power companies in the country—not just renewables—saying their actions and their decision to surrender any attempt to provide certainty on energy policy means higher power prices. The market has responded most emphatically. In the last month and a half, wholesale electricity spot prices in Victoria have risen by 81 per cent. Let me repeat that: in the last six weeks, since this government has changed its policy four times, spot prices have risen by 81 per cent. That is flowing through to retail power prices very shortly, because spot prices lead to higher power prices for consumers. So we're already seeing the impact of this uncertainty. It's there, plain to see, if you read the government's own modelling. The government's own modelling says that, if you have no policy and don't go through with the NEG, you will see a $300 increase in power prices. That is what is going on right now. That is what the now Prime Minister said as Treasurer only four or five weeks ago. What we have now is a government riven by divisions. We have a government that has an energy minister who is a climate change sceptic, who hates renewable energy and who doesn't want to provide certainty to the industry, and we have a second speaker who denies the science of climate change. It's no wonder they've given up. The great tragedy of this is it's not them who suffer or pay the price; it's the households in this country. Every single household in this country will pay higher power prices and will face higher emissions because this government has given up. They've given up because they are so hopelessly divided. The Australian population, right now, is condemning them, but history will condemn them as a government that has given up governing and is just interested in fighting themselves. 15:49 Mr ALEXANDER M3M Bennelong I thank those opposite for bringing forward this debate. In this technology fuelled world, access to cheap and reliable electricity is one of the fundamental needs of our homes. Power prices are a key part of the cost of living and greatly affect my constituents and local businesses. We know that power prices have risen 56 per cent over the past 10 years. We understand Australian families are struggling with the cost of living, and rising power prices are impacting on their household budgets. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and are amongst the biggest employers in Bennelong. They're also struggling with rising power prices, and every cent that small businesses puts into their energy bills is one they can't put into employing a new person, lifting wages or taking advantage of new opportunities. That is why this government is absolutely committed to reducing power prices while keeping on the lights. We cannot afford to be distracted from our goal of lowering power prices for Australian households and small businesses, and we will not be. The electricity sector has lost the trust of our community. It desperately needs to re-establish its credibility, and the coalition government will keep it to this task and ensure that the interests of customers come first. We're taking practical action to lower power prices. We're stopping the price gouging by energy companies, providing customers with a price safety net, backing investment in reliable generation, and encouraging more competition in the market. We have turned the corner on power prices, with reductions announced in Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia from 1 July 2018. We have some achievements in this sector that are making a real difference to homes in my electorate. We have secured more gas for Australians and gas prices are down by up to 50 per cent. We're introducing the Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism, securing an agreement with LNG exporters to offer gas to the domestic market and committing $90 million in the 2017-18 budget to expand gas supply and increase competition in the market. Let us not forget that 18 months ago gas prices were close to $20 per gigajoule. They now sit at between $8 and $11 per gigajoule. This is real progress. We've done this by engagement with the sector and, frankly, by standing up to the big energy companies. The coalition government is not afraid to use a big stick on the big energy companies to stop the big rip-offs. Through this, we are getting customers a better deal. Following meetings with the government, retailers have simplified their offerings and written to around 1.6 million households to tell them better deals are available. We've set up a website which helps people compare offers. Over one million people have been online to check this out and get a better deal. We are changing the rules to get retailers to lift their game, including banning dodgy discounting practices; getting retailers to notify customers about price rises more quickly, so customers can shop around; and speeding up metering installations. We've reined in the power of the networks, because past overinvestment in networks is the biggest contributor to increases in electricity prices over the past 10 years. What does this mean? It means prices will come down. As I said, we have already seen prices come down in Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales on 1 July. We are taking practical action to lower power prices: stopping the price gouging by energy companies, providing customers with a price safety net, backing investment in reliable generation, and encouraging more competition in the market. We have turned the corner on power prices. This will put more money in the pockets of families and small businesses in Bennelong, while the lights remain on. 15:54 Ms KEAY 262273 Braddon I want to quickly reflect on a comment the member for Grayndler made in his contribution: with those opposite, it seems like a lot of energy and ideas go into their policy formation, but nothing comes out. It seems like those opposite are suffering from policy constipation. I think they need to do something about it, because the state of Tasmania will suffer. I take the incompetence of the government sitting opposite very, very personally, because they are putting at risk billions of investment dollars into Tasmania and hundreds if not thousands of jobs. The NEG is dead and, under this government, Tasmania's Battery of the Nation is dead. The Tasmanian state Liberal government and Tasmania's federal Liberal senators' support for Tasmanians, their jobs and the investment potential in future renewable energy projects is dead. We have a state energy minister and a Liberal Premier who have failed to advocate for Tasmanians. They have failed to make a case for a national energy policy which supports Tasmania's place as the renewable energy capital of Australia. They have failed to take their own party to task for allowing the politics of the Liberal Party to ruin this opportunity for our state. And now, thanks to the Liberals' civil war, we find ourselves with a new energy minister, who has lifted the bar for the most anti-renewable, climate-change denying minister Australia has ever seen. He is the poster boy for the troglodytes and the hard Right ideology of energy policy of those opposite, whose insistence that energy policy should ignore the need to transition to clean energy and that governments have no role in supporting investor certainty throws mud in the face of common sense and basic economics. His ideological opposition to renewable energy is a clear deterrent to anyone wishing to invest in future Tasmanian energy projects, a deterrent to the more than $2 billion planned investment into renewable energy projects on the north-west coast of my electorate alone. These renewable energy projects would create hundreds of jobs and put downward pressures on power prices for Tasmanian businesses and household consumers. What happens when a weak Prime Minister surrenders to their backbenchers' anti-renewable, climate-change denying ideology? I'm just asking for half-a-million Tasmanian friends. The simple fact is the anti-renewable climate-dismissing Liberal government are incapable of delivering lower power prices or lowering pollution, because they are opposed to the renewable investment that will deliver both. Make no mistake: Australians will now pay even more on their power bills because of this reckless Liberal Party and their chaotic policy and chaotic internal division. Now they admit that, by dumping this policy, families will pay more for power—at least $300 more. Shame! So, when Australian people open their power bills and see they're continuing to skyrocket, they'll know exactly who to blame: a weak Prime Minister who leads a divided and illegitimate government. Labor was willing to work with the former Prime Minister on the National Energy Guarantee but, without even talking to Labor, the Liberals decided to abandoned the policy they recently said was essential to solving the energy crisis. And now the government has nothing: no policy, no ideas, no leadership and no hope. Labor announced that the north-west of Tasmania, which is in my electorate, will be Labor's first identified renewable energy zone, a zone that will attract investment to drive Labor's commitment to ensure 50 per cent of electricity from across the country is sourced from renewables by 2030. Labor has a plan to help households and businesses get a better deal on their power prices. Labor have a plan to transition Australia's energy system with our 50 per cent renewable energy target by 2030. At its core, it will drive investment in renewable energy, create almost 30,000 new renewable energy jobs, put downward pressure on power prices and deliver real action to tackle climate change. Earlier today I had the privilege of speaking to young Indigenous people from across the country. I asked them what the most pressing issue is for them—these are 16- and 17-year-old Australians; the next voters coming through in our democracy—and their No. 1 issue is climate change. Clearly, those opposite will not listen. The average small business customer under Labor will save up to $1,500 per year. But, most importantly, all consumers will benefit from increased transparency, simpler bills and downward pressure on prices. The choice is clear: Labor is for renewables and lower prices; the Liberals are for more chaos and higher prices. 15:59 Ms FLINT 245550 Boothby I am always really surprised when the member for Port Adelaide wants to talk about power prices and reliability. It was the member for Port Adelaide and his South Australian Labor mates, the failed Weatherill Labor government, who delivered to my home state of South Australia, my constituents and my community, the highest power prices in the world. What other world firsts did the member for Port Adelaide, the member for Wakefield and their SA Labor mates deliver for the people of South Australia? An unprecedented statewide blackout. It was one of the scariest experiences of my life, as I think it was for many South Australians, and it was a miracle that nobody died. We had sole policemen and policewomen standing in the middle of intersections in peak-hour traffic, in really terrible weather, trying to get people home safely. We had a number of families who lost embryos, that were waiting for IVF transfer, because of this blackout. People's lives were terribly affected by this. How did the member for Port Adelaide describe this unprecedented statewide blackout? As 'a hiccup'. It wasn't a hiccup for the people I have just mentioned, it wasn't a hiccup for my community and it wasn't a hiccup for the state of South Australia. It was a devastating incident. I thought that today, finally, the lights might have gone on for and within the Labor Party about the importance of power prices and reliability for the Australian people and for each and every one of my voters and constituents in the electorate of Boothby. Securing affordable and reliable power for my community and, indeed, for all Australians is what I am fighting for in this place and what the Morrison government will deliver. As we know, and as I've outlined already, the only governments who have failed the Australian people, and the people of South Australia in particular, on affordability and reliability of power are Labor governments. This is a fact. As I said in parliament, just after the unprecedented blackout in late 2016: I am appalled that my home state no longer has secure, reliable and affordable power. We have suffered an internationally unprecedented blackout and we are now facing, nationally, unprecedented high power prices. South Australian residents and businesses can no longer rely on a secure, affordable electricity supply. Families cannot afford to pay their skyrocketing power prices; pensioners and the elderly cannot afford heating or cooling; businesses must now lurch from contract to contract, pushing up the already climbing cost of living. This is the sad reality of energy security in South Australia, and my residents in Boothby and across the state are dealing with this reality every single day. Things will get worse if a federal Labor government is ever elected, and I will be working so hard to make sure that that is not the case. We know that the member for Port Adelaide is keen to introduce a 50 per cent renewable energy target. What would that do to reliability and affordability? I believe those opposite also want to see a 45 per cent emissions target. Again, what would that do to reliability and affordability for each and every hardworking Australian out there? Power prices will skyrocket even higher than they did last time under a federal Labor government, and reliability can only decrease further. This government, led by the Prime Minister, is absolutely committed to reducing power prices while keeping the lights on. We're taking practical action to lower power prices by stopping the price gouging by energy companies, by providing customers with a price safety net and by backing investment in reliable generation and encouraging more competition in the market. We have put pressure on retailers to simplify their offerings, which has resulted in more than 1.6 million households knowing that better deals are available to them. We're banning dodgy discounting practices, getting retailers to notify of price rises more quickly and speeding up meter installations to give back power to customers. These are hardworking Australians—mums and dads, retirees, hardworking small businesses—that this will benefit. My focus is on energy affordability and reliability for each and every person living in my electorate. That is what I will continue to fight for. (Time expired) 16:04 Ms STANLEY 265990 Werriwa Last year the House environment and energy committee published a report titled Powering our future: inquiry into modernising Australia's electricity grid. As a member of that committee, I read and heard the many submissions it received. In both public and private hearings the message was loud and clear: a well-functioning energy grid needs policy certainty. In visits to the US, to Germany and here in Australia, the message was always the same: a stable energy grid must be underpinned by stable energy policy. Policy certainty addresses both pricing and supply. Policy certainty allows genuine long-term investment in power generation and provision. Certainty also provides a stimulus for supply through new investment in plant and for innovation through funding, research and development. Last year the committee heard evidence that the inability of the government to provide certainty has placed the equivalent of $50-a-tonne carbon price on electricity generation. Both industry and experts agree. In today's Financial Review the Clean Energy Council Chief Executive, Kane Thornton, said, 'Abandoning any attempt at long-term energy policy leaves the energy market in a state of further chaos.' Innes Willox from the Australian Industry Group said, 'If we want to bring down prices, we're going to have to sharply reduce policy uncertainty.' There's not enough time in this debate to go through the rest of the experts but there are so many more. At every step of the way, Labor have been willing to work with the government for a genuine solution to the energy crisis. That's because, along with industry and experts, we recognise certainty. Policy certainty is the key to driving down costs for households and businesses and to mitigating the effects of climate change. During the decade of alphabet-soup energy uncertainty from the EIS to the CET and now the NEG, Labor have been willing to work with the coalition. We were willing to negotiate on the EIS, the Emissions Intensity Scheme, but it was vetoed by the member for Warringah. We were willing to work on the Clean Energy Target but, again, the member for Warringah vetoed it. We were willing to work on the NEG, the National Energy Guarantee, but, once again, instead of a policy certainty, the government surrendered to the member for Warringah and his band of antirenewable climate sceptics. Some optimists might have hoped that the change in Prime Minister and change in energy minister would see a way forward. Unfortunately, it seems to be bad news for those optimists. Before becoming Prime Minister, the member for Cook brought a lump of coal into this House as a joke. What about the new Minister for Energy? Let's take a select quote from the new energy minister. On climate change science, in a speech to the parliament four years ago, he said: The new climate religion, recruiting disciples every day, has little basis on fact and everything to do with blind faith. What is very clear is that, from this quote and from five years of policy chaos, the Liberals are incapable of solving the energy crisis. The only solution, the only way forward, is to change the government. That's because Labor has the real policies, real solutions and real outcomes for all Australians A Shorten Labor government will help households and businesses get a better deal on power prices. We will overhaul the electricity offers available to consumers and scrap outdated deals so Australians pay less for power. We will force energy retailers to introduce simple, honest and transparent pricing so consumers find the best deal. And we will work with the states to implement recommendations from the ACCC's retail electricity price inquiry. Labor is still committed to 50 per cent renewables by 2030. What would this mean for consumers? Labor's plan would mean households could save up to $165 a year on their energy bill, and average small businesses could save up to $1,500 a year on theirs. Put simply: under Labor, consumers and businesses will get a fair go. They will benefit from increased transparency, simpler bills and downward pressure on prices. Political commentators in this country like to speak of energy policy as being a political football. Well, I was a rugby league referee for many years and I have never adjudicated a game like this. One team's members are constantly squabbling amongst themselves in the sheds, keep changing captains and are being coached by the likes of 2GB and Sky News. There is only one team on the field, one team listening to the people, and that's the Labor Party on this side of the House. 16:09 Mr EVANS 61378 Brisbane There's a good reason why the majority of Australians say that they trust the coalition more than Labor when it comes to keeping energy prices lower; it comes down to the lived experience. Australians have been through this before. When Labor's in government, energy prices tend to skyrocket, in part because Labor does so many deals with the Greens, pursuing ideology ahead of substance and fact. But it is also significantly down to Labor's sheer mismanagement in office, because you can't get around Labor's incompetence when it comes to running anything more complicated than a closed shop. Whether it's energy or other schemes like pink batts or school halls—you name it—their incompetence is at least consistent across Labor's people, both federal and state, as I will come to in a moment. The substance of this MPI can be dismissed, as silly as it is, in a single sentence: our electricity prices just came down in Queensland, in New South Wales and in South Australia. It was a matter of weeks ago, around 1 July. It was on the front page of The Courier Mail—those opposite may have missed it and it was in press releases and letters sent to customers from energy retailers like AGL and Origin. It was in the annual pricing determination of the Queensland Competition Authority, where I used to work as an economist in the energy sector. That organisation sets a benchmark price. Everyone can check it out. Go to their website, qca.org.au, and there's a button right there on the front that says 'Regulated electricity prices 2018–19'. If you click on that, the first sentence says: Electricity prices for most regional customers will fall in 2018–19. The typical customer on the main residential tariff (tariff 11) will see a decrease of 1.3%, and the typical customer on the main small business tariff (tariff 20) will see a decrease of 3.4%. That reduction, worth about $140, on average, to the typical family, has been a direct result of the number of actions this government has taken over the past year or so to put downward pressure on energy prices, including, most notably, the government's big wins around securing domestic gas supply. Of course we do need to see further and much larger decreases. There's not one step but many steps that need to be taken to bring energy prices down even lower. It's not enough to simply note that the coalition government has managed to decrease prices in two out of the five past years, whereas they always went up every year under Labor. The minister earlier talked about some of the government's plans, including bringing in a new default price for vulnerable customers, a safety net. The member for Boothby listed a few others. From generation to distribution and retail, this government is taking action on all of those fronts and more. There's another significant pressure on electricity prices which people really should know more about, especially those of us from Queensland. The Queensland government itself has been caught out gouging profits out of people's energy bills. The ACCC chair, Rod Sims, has pointed this out. The two big generators in Queensland have a significant market share between them, and they're both fully owned by the Queensland Labor government. The ACCC has accused them of using their market power, essentially holding back their supply while waiting for the price in the market to rise as a consequence of that artificial shortage they create and then swooping in to take advantage of the higher prices. Those higher prices meant that the Queensland government got higher dividends through the energy companies they own. Those windfall profits by the Queensland Labor government came at a cost. It came at the cost of families, small businesses and everyone else as they paid their energy bills, which were higher than they otherwise would have been. That's not just the energy bills of those of us in Queensland but the energy bills of everyone throughout the National Electricity Market. This government called out that Labor government and, as soon as we did, the Queensland government—I presume, through sheer embarrassment at being caught out—instructed one of their two generators to cease the disgraceful conduct. What did we see? Prices immediately came down. It was basically as clear an admission as you will ever get of having market power and abusing it. More Queenslanders should know about that history. Of course Queenslanders can form their own views as to whether the Queensland Labor government wisely spent their gouged profits. But one thing is very clear: this is one more clear demonstration of the approach that Labor always takes when it comes to issues like energy at a federal and state level. It's about ideology over facts, spending over thrift and incompetent management. You will always have higher energy bills under Labor. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 218019 The time allotted for the discussion has concluded. BILLS 44 BILLS Family Law Amendment (Family Violence and Cross-examination of Parties) Bill 2018 44

Family Law Amendment (Family Violence and Cross-examination of Parties) Bill 2018

Second Reading 44 68 AYES Albanese, AN Bandt, AP Bird, SL Bowen, CE Brodtmann, G Burke, AS Burney, LJ Butler, MC Butler, TM Byrne, AM Chalmers, JE Champion, ND Chesters, LM Clare, JD Claydon, SC Collins, JM Conroy, PM Dick, MD Dreyfus, MA Elliot, MJ Ellis, KM Fitzgibbon, JA Freelander, MR Georganas, S Giles, AJ Gorman, P Gosling, LJ Hart, RA Hayes, CP Hill, JC Husar, E Husic, EN Jones, SP Kearney, GM Keay, JT Kelly, MJ Keogh, MJ Khalil, P King, CF King, MMH Lamb, S Leigh, AK Macklin, JL Marles, RD Mitchell, BK Mitchell, RG Neumann, SK O'Connor, BPJ O'Neil, CE O'Toole, C Owens, JA Perrett, GD (teller) Plibersek, TJ Rishworth, AL Rowland, MA Ryan, JC (teller) Shorten, WR Snowdon, WE Stanley, AM Swan, WM Swanson, MJ Templeman, SR Thistlethwaite, MJ Vamvakinou, M Watts, TG Wilkie, AD Wilson, JH Zappia, A 75 NOES Abbott, AJ Alexander, JG Andrews, KJ Andrews, KL Banks, J Bishop, JI Broad, AJ Broadbent, RE Buchholz, S Chester, D Christensen, GR Ciobo, SM Coleman, DB Coulton, M Crewther, CJ Drum, DK (teller) Dutton, PC Entsch, WG Evans, TM Falinski, J Fletcher, PW Flint, NJ Frydenberg, JA Gee, AR Gillespie, DA Goodenough, IR Hartsuyker, L Hastie, AW Hawke, AG Henderson, SM Hogan, KJ Howarth, LR Hunt, GA Irons, SJ Joyce, BT Katter, RC Keenan, M Kelly, C Laming, A Landry, ML Laundy, C Ley, SP Littleproud, D Marino, NB McCormack, MF McGowan, C McVeigh, JJ Morrison, SJ Morton, B O'Brien, LS O'Brien, T O'Dowd, KD O'Dwyer, KM Pasin, A Pitt, KJ Porter, CC Prentice, J Price, ML Pyne, CM Ramsey, RE (teller) Robert, SR Sharkie, RCC Sudmalis, AE Sukkar, MS Taylor, AJ Tehan, DT Tudge, AE Van Manen, AJ Vasta, RX Wallace, AB Wicks, LE Wilson, RJ Wilson, TR Wyatt, KG Zimmerman, T 0 PAIRS

Question negatived.

Third Reading 46 16:27 Mr FLETCHER L6B Bradfield by leave—I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time. Social Services Legislation Amendment (Cashless Debit Card Trial Expansion) Bill 2018 46

Social Services Legislation Amendment (Cashless Debit Card Trial Expansion) Bill 2018

Consideration of Senate Message 46 16:28 Mr FLETCHER L6B Bradfield I move: That the amendments be agreed to. This legislation concerns the extension of the cashless debit card trial to a fourth location, in Bundaberg and Hervey Bay. There is a range of amendments moved by the Senate. In particular there are some variations to the powers of the secretary of the department and also some provisions in relation to an evaluation of a trial review. If the minister or the secretary causes a review of the trial of the cashless welfare arrangements to be conducted—this is to say that after the arrangements are in place—there will be a review. An amendment has been moved in the Senate to provide an independent re-evaluation of that review. I commend the amendments to the House. 16:29 Ms BURNEY 8GH Barton I rise to speak very forcefully in this debate on the amendments to the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Cashless Debit Card Trial Expansion) Bill 2018. Obviously the minister has moved that the amendments be put through and supported, but I feel that I need to say a few things in relation to this particular trial. There are existing trials in Ceduna and East Kimberley, and Labor have agreed to continue those trials for two years. We did not support the rollout in the Goldfields and we certainly do not support the Bundaberg and Hervey Bay trials. I recognise the local member is very passionate about it, and I recognise his passion and desire; however, our objections are threefold. Our objections are based on the evaluation that's been done on Ceduna and East Kimberley, which is woeful in its approach. It does not demonstrate that the goals of this card—and there were many, but, in the main the goal was to reduce violence in those communities—were met. There has not been a reduction of violence in those communities. The other thing, of course, is that the Auditor-General's report on the evaluation of the trial is damning. It is really what the government should be looking at in relation to these trials. Labor's position is very clear: we do not support the national rollout of these trials. The nonsense that this is somehow going to address family violence or that this is going to address the many ills that affect so many communities is simply not borne out. Labor is of the view that, if a community truly wants this particular measure, we would not stand in the way of that community, but there has to be demonstrated consultation and demonstrated agreement. We know for a fact that there has not been adequate consultation in Bundaberg or the Fraser Coast, which is borne out by the statements of mayors of those two local shires. It seems to me that the nonsense about this trial supporting people, fixing up child poverty and doing a whole range of things—for example, health services, drug rehabilitation, education and jobs—is not borne out either. The cost of these trials is extensive. It would seem to me and our party that, if the cost of these trials were re-invested in measures that would address the issues of violence or drug and alcohol use, it would be a very different matter. The notion that somehow or other the mandatory implementation of this card to anyone of a certain age that happens to be on certain welfare benefits will sort out that person's issues is an absolute fallacy. What is needed is wraparound services. What is needed is early intervention. What is needed is a much more enlightened approach to those issues. There is a mandatory application. It doesn't matter whether you don't smoke, it doesn't matter whether you don't drink, it doesn't matter if you make sure your kids go to school and it doesn't matter if you pay all your bills on time—those things don't matter—but the majority of people are in that position. The application of this card to those people is simply wrong. It seems to me that there needs to be a much closer look by this government at the application of this cashless welfare card. Senator Storer has decided that he is going to support this measure, which is why we are having this discussion today. I hope for the sake of that gentleman that he has made that decision for the right reasons. I hope for the sake of that gentleman that he understands the implications and the illogical way in which he has gone about making the decision to support this card. As we've said many times, Labor supports genuine community consultation. A blanket approach to income management is not our preferred option. We do not support a national rollout of the cashless debit card. Labor understands that the vast majority of income support recipients are more than capable of managing their own finances. 16:34 Mr FLETCHER L6B Bradfield I will briefly address the issue of consultation. I want to make the point that there was extensive community consultation between May and December 2017. The Department of Social Services conducted 188 meetings in the Bundaberg and Hervey Bay region with a broad range of stakeholders, including the community sector, service providers, community members and all levels of government, including three community information sessions in Childers, Bundaberg and Hervey Bay. Question agreed to. COMMITTEES 51 COMMITTEES Human Rights Committee 51 Report 51 16:35 Mr GOODENOUGH 74046 Moore On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, I present the committee's report entitled Human rights scrutiny report: report 9 of 2018. Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e). Mr GOODENOUGH 74046 by leave—Of the new bills examined in this report, 13 have been assessed as not raising human rights concerns as they promote, permissibly limit or do not engage human rights. To complete its technical assessment of compatibility with Australia's international human rights law obligations, the committee has requested further information in relation to two instruments. Chapter 2 of the report contains the committee's concluded examination of two bills and a number of legislative instruments. Of these, I would like to highlight three instruments made under the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013. As set out in the report, the instruments prescribe the requirements for NDIS providers to implement and maintain incident management systems, set out the rules governing the resolution of complaints about NDIS providers, and provide for the disclosure of information by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commissioner. Broadly speaking, the measures seek to protect the rights of people with disabilities by providing for the timely and appropriate resolution of complaints about service providers, and enhancing system-level oversight of serious incidents involving the abuse, neglect or exploitation of people with disabilities. In Report 7 of 2018, the committee sought further information from the minister as to whether the measures engage and permissibly limit the rights to a fair hearing and privacy. Regarding the right to a fair hearing, the minister's response contained additional information which enabled the committee to conclude that, to the extent to which the provisions involve the determination of rights and obligations, the measures are likely to be compatible with fair hearing rights. In relation to the right to privacy, the minister's response provided further information about the sufficiency of the safeguards in place to protect personal information. This information enabled the committee to conclude that the measures in all three instruments are likely to be compatible with the right to privacy. I encourage my fellow members and others to examine the committee's latest scrutiny report to better inform their consideration of proposed legislation. With these comments, I commend the committee's Report 9 of 2018 to the chamber. 16:38 Mr PERRETT HVP Moreton by leave—I just want to commend the minister at the table, the member for Swan, on his elevation and to say on the record that he's a great bloke. Mr Irons interjecting— Mr PERRETT HVP Thank you, minister. I'm pleased to speak on the tabling of Report 9 of 2018 of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights. I thank the member for Moore for his chairing of that committee. I am the deputy chair, and we work well together. I particularly wanted to speak on this report as it contains the committee's deliberations and recommendations regarding the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse Bill 2018. The work of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has been extraordinary. I particularly wish to acknowledge the wonderful and tireless work of the member for Jagajaga and her commitment over many, many years to addressing the hidden horrors of institutional child sexual abuse. I wish her well in her future endeavours beyond this parliament. I also want to mention former Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Her strength and tenacity made the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse a reality. The royal commission received 42,041 calls. It received 25,964 letters and emails. It held 8,013 private sessions and made 2,575 referrals to authorities, including the police. The evidence the commission received was beyond shocking—it would make a stone weep at the big, horrific 'Why?'—so I also acknowledge the work of the commissioners and their staff for the tremendous but harrowing work they undertook, particularly in those 8,013 private sessions. May their dreams be filled with sunshine and light after listening to much of that horror. I also thank the many professionals, including my wife, Lea, who continue to work with the survivors of childhood sexual abuse. We now know that many of those victims never got to tell their stories to the royal commission. They had been living their lives with the horror of their childhood experiences hovering over their every move. The impact of child sexual abuse on victims can be devastating. It is life-changing and life-limiting and, sadly, too often it can be life-ending. Their experiences often limited their educational attainment, often limited their employment opportunities and sometimes led them into criminal activity. That was one particular aspect of the bill that the human rights committee considered through a human rights prism. The redress scheme limits redress being claimed by victims with serious criminal convictions. The committee had some concerns that this was incompatible with the right to equality and nondiscrimination. It is important that victims who have been drawn into criminal activity because of the horrors they have endured and who have been lawfully punished are not being punished a second time by being denied redress for the crimes perpetrated against them. Victims who have serious criminal convictions can still be considered for redress by the scheme operator, who will make a determination. The human rights committee carefully considered the issue. The committee recommended that the special assessment process for persons with serious criminal convictions be monitored by government to ensure it operates in a manner compatible with the right to equality and nondiscrimination. The human rights committee also considered the provisions relating to determining whether disclosure is necessarily in the public interest. The committee recommended that the scheme's operators' disclosure powers be monitored by government to ensure that any limitation on the right to privacy is no more extensive than what is strictly necessary. I'm proud to be speaking as the deputy chair of the human rights committee today. It is when this committee considers bills such as this, bills that will have a life-changing effect on the most vulnerable members of our community, that we are reminded why this human rights committee was formed in the first place. It was another former Labor Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, who introduced legislation to form the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights in 2008. It was in response to the Brennan consultation committee, chaired by Father Frank Brennan. The committee was formed to scrutinise new legislation introduced into the parliament for its compatibility with the human rights treaties that we are a signatory to. When parliament brings in new legislation that can have an enormous impact on the lives of victims of child sexual abuse, people who have already suffered more than any of us, I am comforted that this committee will be carefully looking at the impact through the prism of human rights. The last thing any of us would want is to cause more harm to victims. Lastly, I would also like to mention the secretariat of the human rights committee and to thank them for the wonderful work that they do. They should be particularly proud that the Australasian Legal Information Institute, known as AustLII to most law students, have recently included reports from the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights in their database, so now people from all over the world will be researching reports tabled by this parliament's human rights committee. On a final note, I thank Prime Minister Morrison for agreeing to deliver a national apology to victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse on Monday, 22 October. May it grant peace to the troubled and help heal wounds whilst forever damning those perpetrators. Debate adjourned. COMMITTEES 53 COMMITTEES Membership 53 16:43 The DEPUTY SPEAKER 247742 I have received advice from the Chief Government Whip nominating members to be members of certain committees. 16:43 Mr IRONS HYM Swan by leave—I move: That: Mr Broad be discharged from the Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy and that, in his place, Mr Gee be appointed a member of the committee, and Ms Ley be discharged from the Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs and that, in her place, Dr McVeigh be appointed a member of the committee, and Ms Ley be discharged from the Joint Standing Committee on the National Broadband Network and that, in her place, Mrs Prentice be appointed a member of the committee. Question agreed to. BILLS 53 BILLS Veterans' Entitlements Amendment Bill 2018 53

Veterans' Entitlements Amendment Bill 2018

Second Reading 53 16:45 Mr DRUM 56430 Murray It's a great opportunity to be able to rise and talk to the Veterans' Entitlements Amendment Bill 2018. It's very positive that in the House this afternoon the Labor Party has chosen to support this bill and support the continued assistance that we are giving to veterans. This bill is largely an accounting mechanism to enable the Department of Veterans' Affairs to best look after families where, for one reason or another, there has been an overpayment. This generally happens around the time of a death of a veteran who had been receiving a pension and the pension continues to flow for a few weeks after that death. Reconciliation needs to take place. These reconciliations have been going on for as long as military pensions have been paid out. A little reconciliation needs to take place, with a slight overpayment being fixed up by the fact that there is always a bereavement payment. We've identified the fact that some administrative changes made in 1995 have effectively meant that this ongoing work, this practice that we see happening each and every day, may not be quite kosher. This piece of legislation addresses that so the common practice can continue in a way that is going to be least intrusive to families when they are going through a period of grief. So, as I said earlier, we believe that this is not going to alter the current practice. It's going to enable the current practice to take place in a manner that is fully agreeable to all those involved. This practice also happens in relation to Centrelink pensioner payments. The main reason we are bringing this bill forward is to give transparency to the ex-service organisations, who also need to know exactly what this bill is going to bring about—to maintain the status quo, to ensure that these adjustments are made in that one single administrative process. That's hopefully going to be a good outcome for people that are in this position. As I said, this inadvertent issue relates to a provision that was removed way back in 1995, and whilst the practice has continued since that time, we have to acknowledge that we have to clean this up. That's why we are doing this. I think it also gives us an opportunity to touch on the lot of our veterans. Everybody in the House makes sure every time they get the opportunity to say how proud we are of our veterans, and I want to add my voice to that growing number of parliamentarians. We don't understand—I'm sure we think we do, but we don't understand—exactly the sacrifice and the service that many of our military servicemen afford this country. We also need to acknowledge how tough it must be for these servicemen and women when they try and assimilate back into civilian life. Having spent a large portion of their time away from their families, moving back into the family on a full-time basis might not necessarily be as easy as everybody thinks it will be. They may be moving into civilian employment, where maybe respect for each other isn't what they've expected over the previous period of time in the armed services, in the military. Their ability needs to be given a fair amount of empathy because the work that has to take place on behalf of these servicemen and women is incredibly difficult. I might add that these are the people who have come back in 100 per cent good shape—in fantastic shape physically and in 100 per cent shape mentally. It is still an incredibly difficult task for them to assimilate back into civilian life without the feeling that it is incredibly difficult. Sometimes we need to acknowledge that. Then, of course, there needs to be additional support given to those men and women who may be, in one way or another, seriously affected by the service that they've given in the military. It's really a worthwhile point for us all to ponder: what more we can do. In fact, we have far too many suicides by the people who have returned from combat in our recent skirmishes, in our recent combats. For our veterans to be obviously affected by post-traumatic stress and then to struggle to find the support that they need is something that we need to give continued and growing support towards as best we possibly can. I'm very proud of the work that we are doing as a government to try and assist the veterans with the counselling that they need and the counselling that their families may need. When I was the veterans' affairs minister in Victoria, we were able to build accommodation facilities in the city to provide medium- to long-term accommodation and support services in a whole range of health areas. We were able to do that in conjunction with the RSL of Victoria. We were the main funders, but the RSL are still are the operators of that facility. It's located in Richmond, close to public transport and close to a lot of amenities. It's located in an area that can offer single accommodation, husband-and-wife accommodation and also accommodation for a full family. As I say, it was the RSL going back to the government and saying, 'This is the area that we think is currently being missed. It might take somebody approximately six weeks to three months to sort out the mess that they are in. They highlighted that they needed that type of support to be added to the myriad supports that are available for our veterans. As has been spoken about this afternoon, we've got support for our Veterans' Children Education Scheme and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act Education and Training Scheme to try to assist the children of our veterans with their education and the supports that they need as well. The supports that they need are extremely many and varied. I want to congratulate the minister for bringing this legislation forward. Hopefully, we can sort this issue out. Hopefully, we can make sure that we continue the practice of having minimal impact on these families as they go through their time of loss and grief, we can make the accounting procedures as simple as possible and we can continue to raise the need for government to be in lock-step with our veterans when they return—for all those who are in good health, all those who are struggling at various stages, all those who are struggling every day, and all those somewhere in between, because the lot of our veterans is a mixed and varied lot and they have varying degrees of capacity to live a full and wholesome life. What has to be acknowledged is the respect that the community of Australia has towards our veterans. We need to make sure that they know that they have that respect from each and every one of us. 16:54 Mr SNOWDON IJ4 Lingiari I'm pleased to be able to make a contribution to this debate on the Veterans' Entitlements Amendment Bill 2018 and I want to applaud the government for the passage of this legislation. Clearly, we support the proposals within it. When veterans pass away, it is vital for surviving partners to be assisted and treated with compassion and sympathy. The bereavement payment, which is made up of 14 weeks of the partner's income support payment, is to assist the surviving partner with costs following that death. As we know, all families need a period of time to adjust their finances in such circumstances. However, surviving partners who have access often receive an overpayment of the veteran's income payments that continue after the passing. Sadly, it is a flaw in the system. This can lead to a debt being raised and add to the grieving and anxiety of the surviving partner and their family. As a result of this legislation, when this happens, DVA will now reduce the bereavement payment by the amount the veteran's partner has received since they passed away. The intention of recouping the cost in this fashion is to minimise unnecessary interactions with DVA during such a difficult time. The amendment will streamline the administrative processes. It's a straightforward amendment with no additional cost, and we're very pleased to be able to support it, and I commend the minister, the member for Gippsland, for bringing this piece of legislation forward. Like me, I think that the member for Gippsland would support the amendment being proposed by the shadow minister, which reads: That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words: "whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House notes with concern that the Government has undermined veterans' access to health services". I know in his heart of hearts that the member for Gippsland would support this amendment but simply won't, clearly, because it would undermine the policies which were introduced in 2014 by his government to freeze indexation on Medicare payments. The impact of that Medicare freeze has a direct correlation to veterans' access to services. Currently—as you would know, Mr Deputy Speaker, and I'm sure the minister knows—all veterans have been granted access to allied and mental health services for mental health conditions, cancer and pulmonary tuberculosis through the nonliability healthcare policy. Some veterans have additional access through white cards and gold cards for their assessed conditions. As part of accessing these services, psychologists and other clinicians are paid by the government through the Department of Veterans' Affairs with a set fee with no gap to be paid by the veteran. This fee, paid by DVA, is tied to the Medicare rebate and indexed in line with the Medicare rebate. However, as there's been no indexation on Medicare rebates since 2014, there have been no corresponding increase in DVA rebates paid to the health professionals assisting our veterans. We heard evidence of this last week in a defence committee hearing in Adelaide which is looking at the transition of Defence Force personnel to civilian life and talking about people being veterans whilst they're in service and how they're being cared for post-service. This indexation freeze has led to a situation where, as the rebate is no longer covering the cost of medical treatment and because our veterans cannot be charged a gap payment, sadly and ashamedly, some medical and allied health professionals have had no choice but to turn DVA clients away. I heard this from the College of Psychiatrists in evidence to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade in a hearing in Melbourne last week. It was made very clear that there are people being turned away from specialist services because of the fee. These are people who may well require important interventions for mental health issues, and now we've got to the state where medical practitioners and others who are entitled to charge under the Medicare schedule are turning veterans away or putting them at the bottom of their lists. They are not serving veterans. I wonder if that's been in the front of mind of the Minister for Health or indeed the Prime Minister. After all, the Prime Minister would know about this. I'm sure that, as he churned through the budget papers as Treasurer, he would have seen this particular item and no doubt would have said, 'Well, this is a saving against the budget, against Medicare, something we will support.' Well, Prime Minister, I would say to you: here's your chance to show your bona fides for the veteran community. Show your bona fides by going back to the cabinet table and talking to your now Treasurer and your health minister and, with the submission coming from the Department of Veterans' Affairs through the Minister for Veterans' Affairs, make a change to this ridiculous rule. Just get over the freeze, basically. Index the Medicare fee schedule as it should be indexed and ensure that veterans who properly need access to services can get access to services whether or not they can afford them. This is an issue which strikes at the very heart of our claimed support for veterans in this place. A number of submissions to the Productivity Commission's inquiry into compensation and rehabilitation for veterans have seen some people very critical of the impact of what I've just referred to. The Prime Minister's own Prime Ministerial Advisory Council on Veterans' Mental Health said in their submission: It would appear there is a limited, but perhaps increasing, number of medical specialists turning our veterans away once they become aware they are DVA clients. The Council understands the concern regarding accepting DVA clients stems from the fact that MBS fees have been frozen for many years. Well, isn't that a shame job? You'd think, would you not, that the government would say: 'Hang on, this is not good. We're happy to wrap ourselves in the flag and stand next to veterans and say how well we support them, but once we flip the page we see that, as a result of the Medicare freeze, now DVA clients are potentially missing out on access to services.' The Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service National Advisory Committee said: The remuneration gap between seeing veterans versus private patients from the general community or Defence members is now so significant that clinical providers are prioritising other clients over DVA referrals. In some cases, providers are refusing to accept clients with DVA white or gold cards because of the poor remuneration offered. It's a bit hard to understand how they could put that position forward. Unless they're on the bones of their backside—and not too many of these health professionals are, I have to say—you'd think they'd make sure in any event that these people who require access to services would get access to services. But clearly that's not their interest, because they're driven by the fee rather than the service. These concerns confirm those raised by the Australian Medical Association over 18 months ago, following a survey of their members which found that almost 30 per cent of clinicians are no longer committed to treating veterans and are turning them away and that only 44 per cent of respondents would continue seeing veterans if the freeze were to continue. There are a couple of issues which arise from this, one of which is a standard of care. How can we guarantee that veterans are getting the quality of service they need to address their health needs when they're being forced to go to the lender of last resort, if you like? I think there is a problem here which is being swept under the carpet and ignored. Whilst those opposite may protest that it's not their fault, it is their fault. They made the budget decision in 2014. Remember who the Prime Minister was then? It was the architect of the shenanigans that went on here a fortnight ago. He's still in this place. Perhaps he could gee-up the Prime Minister now he's been given a job as an envoy, God forbid, and say to the Prime Minister: 'Hang on, it's probably not a good thing to continue with this. Let's address this Medicare freeze issue.' And I would hope—and I'm sure he would—that the Minister for Veterans' Affairs would be attempting to counsel the government about the impact of this freeze on the treatment of our veterans. It's not appropriate. It's not fair and it's something we shouldn't do. But somehow or another there is a view on that side of the parliament that this is acceptable. Well, I'd like them to justify how acceptable it is and explain to us—to the Australian community, particularly the veteran community—why it is acceptable that 56 per cent of respondents to an AMA survey say they would no longer service veterans because of this Medicare freeze. You don't have to be Einstein to work out the impact of that. We see, day in day out, people coming into this place and saying how we should be committed to our veterans, both serving and non-serving—those who have passed out of uniform and are now clients of DVA. It's not good enough. I want to say to the government: we would support you to lift this freeze and address the question in a proper manner. But I'll bet that when we come to the vote on this amendment we'll get no support from the government. If those opposite don't give us support for the amendment, it will say to us that they think it's okay that veterans are unable to access services because of cost. A right which veterans have is effectively being taken away from them because of a budget decision by this government. It's tawdry. It's wrong. It shouldn't be, but it is. The government have an opportunity to fix it, but they won't. And the people who will suffer are those veterans who have served this nation proudly in our uniform. We have an obligation to these people and their families; we all admit it here. We say it all the time. But, by maintaining this freeze, those opposite are saying they only accept that obligation as a partial obligation. They don't see it as we on this side of the House see it—as the need to make sure that veterans have access to the health services they properly require at no cost to them. 17:10 Mr TIM WILSON IMW Goldstein I rise to support the Veterans' Entitlements Amendment Bill 2018 as part of this parliament's enduring responsibility to honour Australian veterans. I know that that sentiment is shared by, hopefully, everybody in this place as well as in the Senate. Any of us who have not been veterans will never appreciate the sacrifice or the preparedness to sacrifice that so many have been prepared to give to our great nation. I was reminded of this recently when I visited a veteran community in the Goldstein electorate, many of whom have previously been actively involved in the RSL. I visited Vasey RSL Care in Brighton East with Senator Jim Molan—of course a veteran himself. These champions included people like Bob Larkin, Peter Lanigan, Judy Smith, Dennis Pope, Ray Dunstan, Jordie Burgess, Jeff Walters and Roger Hyde. They have helped guide returning servicemen and women with distinction, and they have my gratitude and of course the gratitude of the Goldstein community. We will never forget your preparedness to sacrifice and to continue to honour veterans and their families. That is, of course, what we seek to do and to enliven as part of this piece of legislation. The government has introduced a host of measures to improve the lives of veterans and their families and support them through difficult periods. This support is included in the 2018-19 budget, which allocates additional funding to dental and allied health services, improving mental health, assisting veterans in finding work and increasing access to Department of Veterans' Affairs services, as well as assisting veterans with the challenges of depression and associated mental health consequences and, tragically, the example of suicide. In 2017 there were 84 veteran suicides. I'm sure everybody here recognises that that number is simply not good enough. So we have acted. We've delivered an additional $31 million in funding to support veterans' mental health on top of last year's increase of $58.1 million. We've provided an additional $8.3 million for improving employment opportunities for veterans, both in improving community engagement with veterans' employment and assisting veterans adjusting to civilian work. But the value and the contribution of what we are doing will never properly be measured in dollars and cents. It will only ever be fully realised in the lives lived and the circumstances avoided, to make sure that veterans can make a continuing contribution to their country and are able to stand on their own two feet, be fully accepted and embraced within our community and live full lives. The Veterans' Entitlements Amendment Bill 2018 continues these important efforts. We are seeking to ease the bureaucratic burden and administration for bereaved families of veterans by simplifying the way the Department of Veterans' Affairs dispenses final payments. Importantly, this amendment does not change the amount paid to the veteran's family. We respect the importance of the veterans' service pension, income support supplement and social security pension. The bill reduces the administrative processes to alleviate the period of grieving for families of veterans. I would hope that no nobody would want a situation where you have a bereaved family and the biggest hurdle they face after their grief is red tape. After a veteran's passing, the Department of Veterans' Affairs entitles the surviving family to a bereavement payment, and we recognise that this payment plays an important role in supporting a grieving family in their tragedy. However, when a veteran passes there is often a delay between their date of death and when the Department of Veterans' Affairs is notified. This means the final payment of pension is often higher than what the veteran's surviving partner is entitled to. This occurs because when the payment is issued to veterans while they are still alive, it is assumed they will be eligible for the entire period. Therefore, it is frequently the case that families owe the difference between the value of the veteran's pension that was paid and the value entitled to the veteran after considering their passing. The current system is inefficient and unnecessarily burdensome on the families of those who have already lost a loved one. It requires they undergo a formal debt recovery method undertaken by the department. This bill seeks to simplify this process by deducting the overpaid value paid to the veteran and surviving partner over the bereavement payment entitled to the families, cutting out the unnecessary debt recovery stage. There are 215,000 veterans receiving support from the Department of Veterans' Affairs, and our measures aim to improve their lives, every single one of them. They're Aussies, just like us, and they deserve our support. So, with the measures in this bill, particularly in times of tragedy or in times where people are grieving, veterans' families will know that everything that this government can do to minimise their pain and the burden of bureaucracy is being taken off them so they can have their thoughts and prayers where they're properly deserved. 17:16 Mr GOSLING 245392 Solomon Labor supports the Veterans’ Entitlements Amendment Bill 2018. The government, as we heard from previous speakers, has a duty to support our servicemen and women whilst in uniform and then when they leave the service and, of course, their families. We support any move to make this support more compassionate and reasonable. If there are overpayments of a bereavement payment, the recovery process should be as sympathetic and compassionate as possible and that is the intent of this bill. I will now speak specifically in support of Labor's amendment to the bill. Our amendment is bringing attention to an area where veterans are not being treated with respect and sympathy or with compassion. What is happening is veterans are losing access to vital health services. The fact is that the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government's continued attacks on Medicare have now started to affect veterans and their families. We understand that this government do not value Medicare as we do. They have a track record of seeking to undermine it. It could be argued that some opposite actually want to destroy it, and let the market rip. Labor established Medicare. We built it, we maintained it and we will continue to protect it because we know how important it is. We value it. The Department of Veterans' Affairs fee schedule, known as the Repatriation Medical Fee Schedule, is linked to the Medicare Benefits Schedule and MBS rebates and, as a consequence of the ongoing Medicare freeze, as we heard from previous speakers, the DVA fee schedule has remained unchanged since 2014. The DVA rebate no longer covers the cost of medical treatment and, because veterans cannot be charged a gap payment, some medical and allied health professionals are refusing to treat DVA clients. This is having a serious impact. I know of medical doctors who no longer take DVA clients. I know of many veterans who have been directly affected. Today in the House, the member for Sturt reflected on today's date and the shocking attacks on the US on September 11, 2001. As the shadow defence minister did, I want to acknowledge all Australians who have served in Afghanistan. It continues to be a difficult environment in which to assist that nation to move forward. Even today, we still have members of our ADF there in uniform assisting. I remember 15 years ago, just two years after those dreadful attacks on September 11, when I was working in security roles in Kandahar, which had been the previous headquarters of the Taliban. I was working alongside the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the US military. We were ensuring that the loya jirga elections for the constitutional convention, a very important step for Afghanistan moving forward, were held in a safe manner. When we talk about freedom, the work of not only members of our Defence Force but others who have served us with the Federal Police and with humanitarian organisations and done other security work has been incredibly important for helping that nation to secure freedom. During that time we were being actively targeted by the Taliban, who had melted back into the community, including through car bomb and grenade attacks. So I understand a little bit about the effect that working in those sorts of environments can have on our people. I understand from my service, both in and out of uniform, in Timor-Leste the sorts of difficult situations that Australians have confronted, confront and will continue to confront, whether they are capacity building, ensuring security as members of ADF, or working as first responders or in other difficult roles, including responding with humanitarian relief to our brothers and sisters in times of crisis and difficult circumstances. Over those 15 years I've seen many friends—in uniform and then out of uniform after their service—self-medicating. This has happened whilst I've also seen medical and health services withdrawn. It's difficult to reconcile this with the rhetoric of those opposite—the flag waving and the pins on the lapels, which I notice hardly any of the frontbench opposite decided to continue with, having been given that badge of patriotism. It's difficult to see them hiding behind the service of others to try to say that they've got credibility here. I acknowledge the work that the Department of Veterans' Affairs does. I acknowledge the work that veterans' affairs ministers have done. But you can't say that you're doing everything you can. You just can't, because there are veterans out there hurting. There are doctors who are no longer seeing DVA clients, and they're doing that for a reason. It's hard to see people who have served this country suffering. It's hard to see a government that's not doing what it can to alleviate that suffering by improving the opportunities that our current and former serving people have to get the care that they need. It's simple! The Australian Medical Association says that almost 30 per cent of specialists are no longer committed to treating veterans. Only 44 per cent of specialists said that they will continue to see veterans if the freeze continues, with the remainder considering other ways to charge veterans. I'll repeat that: they are considering other ways to charge veterans. What this means is veterans are now starting to suffer from reduced access to medical services. That must be tough for those opposite who profess to want to have the best medical support for our people, or who have served themselves and profess to want their comrades in arms to have the best access to services possible. I don't just know this from my own observations over more than 15 years; I know this is the case because I listen to the veterans in my electorate, in Darwin and Palmerston. We're a strong defence city with a large veteran community. Earlier this year I held a veterans forum in my electorate, where the shadow veterans' affairs minister, the member for Kingston, and I heard firsthand accounts of the concerns of many veterans and the difficulties they face in the transition to civilian life. The member for Kingston addressed that gathering and took note of the particular issues faced by veterans and their families in the Top End. We heard of the different levels of service for white card holders in different parts of the country. Veterans move around, Defence members move around and their families move around, but what doesn't move around, and what doesn't get lifted from them, is the cumulative effect of their service. They reflected to us those different levels of service as they've moved around the country. We were told by one veteran that, while he had received good access to services in Sydney, it was much more difficult to access counselling and psychological services when he moved to Darwin. We heard at the forum that gold card services are increasingly being told by medical practitioners that their books are full, and they are being turned away. Clearly those opposite agree that that is unacceptable. There is a clear need to improve access for veterans to mental health services and to professionals who have an understanding of the particular concerns of ex-service men and women. We must make sure that everything is done to enable those professionals who have that experience base to assist our serving and ex-serving people. I am acutely aware of the human cost of the effects of the Medicare freeze on veterans not only in my electorate but also across the country. I've seen it across the country. I've seen it overseas. I've seen our brothers and sisters who have served this country on the run, not able to access the support that they need when they need it. I'm the first to applaud the non-liability mental health initiative. I'm not going on some partisan rant here. We need to fix this so that the people who have served our country have the best possible service that they can have. The Prime Ministerial Advisory Council on Veterans' Mental Health has said: It would appear there is a limited, but perhaps increasing, number of medical specialists turning our veterans away once they become aware they are DVA clients. The Council understands the concern regarding accepting DVA clients stems from the fact that MBS fees have been frozen for many years. I thought it helpful to put in a couple of these quotes. Those opposite, while they might not believe me, or agree with me, or think that my lived experience in seeing people who have served our country struggling and hearing their firsthand accounts about how they used to be able to see a certain health professional but then that health professional was no longer accepting DVA clients—if they don't accept that testimony—may well listen to others. The Veterans and Veterans Counselling Service National Advisory Committee has said: The remuneration gap between seeing veterans versus private patients from the general community or Defence members is now so significant that clinical providers are prioritising other clients over DVA referrals. In some cases, providers are refusing to accept clients with DVA white or gold cards because of the poor remuneration offered. As I said, I know doctors. I've talked to them and I've pleaded with some of them to continue to take DVA clients. It's a matter of life and death at times. It's a very important issue for our country, but, despite repeated attempts to raise this issue, the fee schedule continues to be out of step with what providers charge and it's resulting in veterans being turned away from services. From where I stand, I think that Australians are right not to trust the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government with Medicare, and veterans can't trust the government to take care of their health needs until this issue is dealt with. I urge the government to take action on this issue and ensure veterans are not disadvantaged by their DVA healthcare cards and are able to access the services that they need. I know and other service people, such as first responders, know that those who have been in a difficult situation need the best possible health care that our country can give them. That's what they deserve. For DVA clients there is a way that the government can help, so do it. Ms BRODTMANN 30540 I just want to commend that very powerful and passionate speech from my colleague, the member for Solomon, who has been an active advocate for veterans for many, many years, including before he came into politics. You can tell from the passion and the power of that speech that he really feels this. I really do want to commend him for that heartfelt speech, that powerful speech, that passionate speech, and also his commitment and constant advocacy for our veterans. I thank him so much. It was an honour to be in the chamber to hear it. It is an honour to speak on the Veterans' Entitlement Amendment Bill 2018. It's long overdue, as many of my colleagues have said. I welcome the fact that the opposition has suggested an amendment—that, whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House notes with concern that the government has undermined veterans' access to health services. We heard from the member for Solomon and we heard from the member for Lingiari and we heard from so many of my colleagues, including the member for Eden-Monaro. Two out of three of those men have served our nation in the Australian Defence Force. One was a former minister for defence personnel and veterans' affairs. These are men with lots of personal experience, as well as experience learnt through conversations with veterans over decades and decades. As we heard from them, there are significant challenges facing the veterans community when it comes to health—not just physical health but also mental health. Currently, as we know, DVA's fee schedule, known as the Repatriation Medical Fee Schedule, is linked to the Medicare Benefits Schedule and MBS rebates. As a consequence of the government's ongoing Medicare freeze, the Veterans' Affairs fee schedule has remained stagnant since 2014. This has led to the situation where the DVA rebate is no longer covering the cost of medical treatment and, because our veterans cannot be charged a gap payment, some medical and allied health professionals have had no choice but to turn DVA clients away. We've heard of the firsthand experiences that our members have had in terms of dealing with veterans who have been turned away. As the member for Solomon said, he's begged medical professionals and mental health professionals to take on these clients. He's begged them because they have been turned away. What this means is that veterans are now starting to suffer from reduced access to medical services for their physical and mental health needs, and reduced access means veterans are less likely to see their medical specialists unless they fork out cash or their credit card, rather than using their DVA card. In other words, DVA white cards and gold cards are no longer a vet's rolled-gold access to specialist services, as specialists can't charge fees on the client's card. We're talking about access to services, such as psychologists and other allied health clinicians, being denied to these veterans because of the Medicare freeze. It is absolutely outrageous, which is why I commend my colleague the shadow minister for veterans' affairs for actually putting this amendment forward and those who have spoken about their direct experiences of what this actually means. The undermining of veterans' access to health services by this government, by those opposite, stemming from that appalling 2014 budget, is having a significant impact on those who have proudly served our nation, who have given their all to defend our nation, to defend our national security, to help others in need. And how does this government repay them? I again commend my colleagues who have spoken on this bill and I also commend the shadow minister for veterans' affairs for moving this very, very important amendment. In discussing the great work being done by the shadow minister for veterans' affairs, I just want to draw the House's attention to three major initiatives that she has introduced since she has taken on this portfolio. The first was announced just recently. The shadow minister announced that a Shorten Labor government, should it be elected, would put in place a formal agreement to ensure the nation's armed forces were fully supported during and after their service. We will legislate regular reporting to parliament on how Australia is supporting military personnel. Labor, under a Shorten Labor government, should we be elected, will sign Australia's first military covenant, recognising the immense commitment our armed forces make to serve their country, to formalise our nation's commitment to look after those who have served for our nation. The covenant will be similar to the United Kingdom's Armed Forces Covenant, a principles document that promises that those who serve or have served in the armed forces and their families will be treated fairly. A Shorten Labor government, should we be elected, will work with the Australian Defence Force and Department of Veterans' Affairs and ex-service organisations to draft the relevant wording of a military covenant and associated legislation. Labor would also, should we be elected, introduce legislation that would require future governments to report annually to parliament on how they are meeting their responsibilities to support our serving and ex-service personnel so that it doesn't slip under the radar. It is vitally important that we continue to discuss improving transparency and improving accountability to ensure that we are providing the best service for our veterans and the best service for our serving personnel so that there are no blind spots and so that those gaps are addressed. I also want to draw attention to another initiative that my colleague announced—last year, actually, but it again highlights the fact that she has been very active in this space, and I applaud her for that. It's not just veterans that we are talking about here and it is not just current serving members, men and women, that we are talking about here; we are also talking about the families. You know, Deputy Speaker Hastie—you've served—that it is not just the serving member who does it tough, who faces a number of challenges; it is also the families who are there supporting them. When you're off serving your nation in Afghanistan, with your family at home not knowing where you are and whether you're okay, it does place an enormous strain on families back home who are trying to provide the most support possible to you. So I was delighted that my colleague, the shadow minister, also said that should a Shorten Labor government be elected we would develop a family engagement and support strategy for defence personnel and veterans to provide greater support to our military families. They play a pivotal role in supporting our current serving ADF men and women and our veterans, and it's important that we ensure that we give them the support they need to address the unique challenges of military family life. I want to focus on the initiative that was launched by my colleague, the member for Eden-Monaro, the shadow minister and myself in March this year. It is a comprehensive veterans package, a veterans employment policy, that we committed $121 million to, should we be elected, to provide greater support to our defence personnel as they transition to civilian life. The figures are quite staggering. You would probably be aware of them, Deputy Speaker Hastie, but best estimates cite that veterans' unemployment is currently sitting at 30 per cent. Thirty per cent of our veterans, those who have served our nation, are unemployed. And, for those who did not medically discharge, there is an estimated 11.2 per cent unemployment rate, which is more than double the national average. This is absolutely unacceptable. That is why this employment policy is well overdue and very, very welcome. And it comes from opposition. I will very quickly run through and translate the policy. It ensures that veterans receive recognition of prior skills and experience within civilian professional organisations and institutions. It ensures that eligible businesses will be provided with a training grant of up to $5,000 in order to help veterans gain the skills and experience they need to move into a civilian job. It will establish an employment and transition service that provides greater individualised, tailored support to transitioning veterans over a longer period of time. There is a range of initiatives in this employment package. Again I commend my colleague, the shadow minister for veterans' affairs, for the extensive consultation she did in developing this strategy and for coming up with such a comprehensive policy, which addresses so many of those areas that are currently being overlooked. Finally, I want to focus on two events that I went to recently that commemorated and honoured the veterans who have served our nation and also those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Just last Friday I joined the new foreign minister, the former defence minister, for the commemoration of the National Service Memorial at the National Service Memorial Day at the Australian War Memorial. Thousands of Australian men undertook national service in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s, and that was commemorated last Friday. My father did national service in the 1950s. A lot of Australians tend to overlook the scale of national service in this country. Between 1951 and 1959, 18-year-old men were required to register for national service, and over 220,000 underwent six months of compulsory military training in the Navy, Army or Air Force. The exact figure is actually 227,000. At the event on the national service day on Friday we had an opportunity to commemorate those, including those who made the ultimate sacrifice in their national service. We also had the opportunity to honour the fact that one of the national servicemen, Allen May, donated his medals to the Australian War Memorial. It was a very, very special moment. Mr May was 21 when he was conscripted in 1965 to Vietnam. After arriving in Vietnam, he became a forward scout. Historians believe he fired the first shots in what became known as the Battle of Long Tan. It was a beautiful gesture to present those medals to the War Memorial. They will be a constant reminder to all of us here in Australia and to anyone who visits the Australian War Memorial of the significant contribution that our national servicemen made to our nation over all that period of time, and a constant reminder of those who, in national service, made the ultimate sacrifice. I don't know whether many Australians really understand the scale of the national servicemen who served for that very, very lengthy period of time. It was an honour to be there at that very special memorial, which is nearly 10 years old, alongside the War Memorial with national service veterans. There were some veterans from Canberra and there were some veterans who had travelled from all over the country. It was a great honour to be with them to commemorate their service and to honour their mates who didn't make it home. 17:46 Mr DICK 53517 Oxley I rise to enter the debate tonight on the Veterans' Entitlements Amendment Bill 2018 and also to strongly support the second reading amendment moved by the shadow minister. I just want to touch on the issue the member for Canberra—who has been a passionate and fierce advocate for Defence Force families and men and women serving in the ADF—raised in the debate tonight about national servicemen. In my electorate of Oxley there is what we call one of the headquarters for national servicemen, the Wacol Barracks. That was a significant area, used during the war and also postwar, where many young men provided great service to our nation. I actually met with the National Servicemen's Association from Queensland two weeks ago. They are on a mission to build a memorial at Wacol for those 'nashos' who lost their lives during service. There isn't a lot of recognition for those men who, through accidents and through incidents, were killed during their national service. Tonight, in the House of Representatives, I place on record my thanks to, particularly, those great men who gave outstanding service and, in some ways, who've not been fully recognised as part of the nashos. I know, by talking to their leadership in Queensland, just how passionate and dedicated they are to honouring and remembering their comrades, those brave men, that served Australia but haven't yet been recognised. Tonight, I place on record that I will be doing what I can. They want to have a memorial erected for next year. Wacol is a wonderful community. It was the site of a couple of things: great army barracks and, later, through the fifties, sixties and seventies, a migrant processing camp, where the second-largest number of migrants were processed in Australia. That happened in the south-west suburbs of Brisbane. They are very historic suburbs, but, in some ways, they are suburbs that have great military connection to our country. As the member for Oxley, I want to take the opportunity tonight to place on record my support for this bill. It is a minor amendment, but it is an important amendment that we will be dealing with tonight. We've heard speakers from both sides of the chamber recognising the great service to our nation of those who have served in the ADF, and service to one's country is nothing short of selfless. When a person makes this commitment, we as a nation must in turn undertake a commitment to support that individual and their family both during and after their service. Tonight's bill amends the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 in relation to how the Department of Veterans' Affairs administers bereavement payments. We know these amendments result in no changes to current entitlements to bereavement payments, but rather insert a new section to the VEA that was omitted in amendments in 1996. We know that the section was inadvertently removed in the Veterans' Entitlements Amendment (Budget Measures 1995-96) Bill (No. 2) 1995 and provides the legislative power for DVA to reduce bereavement payments where an overpayment has occurred. So DVA already has the legal authority to provide the bereavement payment and to recover any overpayment of income support pensions paid to veterans after their death. The process has been in place since the 1980s, but, as I said, the legislation provision was inadvertently removed in 1996. We need to do this to make sure that this issue is resolved. We know that the passing of a loved one is particularly difficult and, when this occurs, it is entirely understandable that the need to notify the relevant government departments is not always prominent. This means that until the DVA is notified, the veteran will continue to receive payments after their death. This results in an overpayment to the partner. I support this bill tonight, as does the Labor opposition, and as our shadow minister has outlined, in the attempt to deal with the situation while, of course, respecting and placing the wellbeing of veterans' families at the forefront of policymaking. I'm happy to place on record my support for the bill, but I'm also happy tonight to address the shadow minister's amendment, which reads: "whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House notes with concern that the Government has undermined veterans' access to health services". I want to touch on this because I know from representing members of the ADF and talking to members who have served that they are feeling short-changed by the fact that the frozen Medicare rebates have included allied health services. This is a throwback to the disastrous 2014 Abbott budget. We know there has not been any indexation of Medicare rebates since 2014 and, as a result, no corresponding increase in the DVA rebate paid to health professionals helping our veterans. I want to be very clear that this is a serious issue. This is a serious issue that means some of our veterans are not getting, in my opinion, the health care that they deserve. A number of submissions to the Productivity Commission's inquiry into compensation and rehab for veterans have seen stakeholders critical of this very key impact. I want to read into the Hansard tonight, and reiterate my support for some of these submissions, what the Prime Ministerial Advisory Council on Veterans' Mental Health said in their submission. They said: It would appear there is a limited, but perhaps increasing, number of medical specialists turning our veterans away once they become aware they are DVA clients. The Council understands the concern regarding accepting DVA clients stems from the fact that MBS fees have been frozen for many years. The Department of Veterans' Affairs have conceded that there are serious issues with this freeze, with the Veterans and Veterans Counselling Service National Advisory Committee in their submission saying: The remuneration gap between seeing veterans versus private patients from the general community or Defence members is now so significant that clinical providers are prioritising other clients over DVA referrals. In some cases, providers are refusing to accept clients with DVA white or gold cards because of the poor remuneration offered. These concerns are confirmed and backed in by the Australian Medical Association. They announced over 18 months ago a survey of their members which found that almost 30 per cent of clinicians are no longer committed to treating veterans and are turning them away and that only 44 per cent of respondents would continue seeing veterans if the freeze continues. As I said, this is a serious issue that I don't think the government is addressing in any way, shape or form. I don't think it is hearing the message from those people being impacted by this or from experts in the field—from the AMA or from Occupational Therapy Australia, which said: While the Department of Veterans' Affairs … may report no decline in the total number of occupational therapists treating veterans, OTA is aware of the changing make-up of that number and the potential repercussions of this change. The issue was also raised in the Senate inquiry into suicide by veterans and ex-service personnel by a number of submitters, including Dr Katelyn Kerr from the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention. In Dr Kerr's submission, she writes: However, DVA fees are significantly lower, and there has been a fee freeze for psychologists since 2014, creating a disincentive for experienced and skilled clinicians to see veterans. If DVA would match the fee schedule provided by Medibank Health Solutions or that recommended by the APS, this would increase the number of psychologists willing to see veterans and would increase the delivery of gold-standard interventions which have high success rates in treating mental disorders. From 1 July 2017 to 23 May this year, DVA had received 8,331 applications for nonliability health care. While not all applications were for mental health treatment, we could expect the majority were seeking treatment for mental health conditions. According to the DVA's 2016-17 annual report, DVA currently services 165,071 veterans. Of course, this number is not reflective of all the veterans in Australia as DVA only track those who are current clients. You can see from the evidence provided and from what the community is saying—I just want to put on the record tonight that I think the government has been way too slow in acting on this. That's why we're seeking tonight to put that amendment on the agenda: because our veterans deserve that. When the vote comes tonight, we have an opportunity to send a very clear message that this House notes with concern that the way that the government have been dragged kicking and screaming on the issue on frozen rebates is having a major impact on the veterans community. I want to briefly touch on—I think of the member for Canberra and the particular work that she's done in the area alongside our defence team of the shadow minister for defence, the member for Corio, and the shadow minister for veterans' affairs—the significant announcement for the veterans community which we saw last week in Townsville. I saw some media reports about that announcement. I understand that the announcement was well received by the veterans community. If we are to be successful at the next election and if we are to be in government, Labor's vow to ADF personnel will be set in stone. In the future, if we are successful, a Shorten Labor government will put in place a formal agreement to ensure the nation's armed forces are fully supported during and after their service. It will be legislated with regular reporting to Australia on how Australia is supporting military personnel. I think that's an official promise that, hopefully, both sides of politics will deliver. I was delighted to see that the LNP in Queensland have matched that commitment. Once again, we've seen the quality of a future Shorten Labor government, if we are successful, in making that firm commitment alongside the shadow minister for veterans affairs. It was only a short while ago that we saw the relevant portfolio elevated to cabinet, and I congratulate the Leader of the Opposition for ensuring that veterans are given that strong voice at the cabinet table. And they can have no stronger voice than the shadow minister, who, I know, has been travelling the country, meeting with veterans' groups, meeting with our Defence Force personnel, to make sure that she hears and understands, and that's why you saw good policy announced in Townsville last week with the member for Herbert, the Leader of the Opposition and the shadow minister. I very much look forward to giving, if Labor were privileged to be in government, that commitment to make sure that we not only honour but, importantly, deliver on the commitments to those men and women who've served our great nation. With those few remarks, I commend the bill to the House and thank the minister and the shadow minister for the constructive way they have handled this debate tonight. 18:01 Mr BROAD 30379 Mallee I too want to talk about the Veterans’ Entitlements Amendment Bill 2018 and about the importance of standing by veterans. Having not had that privilege of serving, I do want to pay tribute to people who have served, and of course Deputy Speaker Hastie would be aware of that. The Veterans Entitlements Amendment Bill 2018 was introduced into the House of Representatives on 22 August 2018. It reinstates an inadvertently removed provision to offset pension overpayment from bereavement payments in one streamlined transaction. Essentially, we want to stand by veterans and their families in the event of a bereavement to make it easier for people. People who have served our country are people we should be proud of. We spend a lot of time talking about the 102,000 Australians who have been killed in conflict. We probably don't spend quite enough time honouring those who have served and who, as a result of their service, have gone through some difficult times upon their returning. I'm keen to add, while talking about this bill, an idea that's been put forward in my patch around assisting veterans upon their return. I live in a rural electorate. My electorate is 36 per cent of the state of Victoria, is an agricultural electorate and was historically set up by soldier settlements. Those soldier settlements were established after the First World War and also after the Second World War to stand by and to give opportunity to people who were returning from service, people who were sometimes traumatised. In those days, they didn't know fully about things such as post-traumatic stress syndrome. It saddens me to go to the cemetery and see the graves of young men who returned and who took their lives as a result of post-traumatic stress syndrome after the First World War and Second World War. A Vietnam veteran came to me, a guy by the name of Ian Hastings, a grain grower, involved with farming systems. He is keen to take those who have served and see how they could be incorporated into the grain industry. One of the great things about working in the Australian grain industry is that they do get to drive big machines—harvesters, boon sprays—and use GPS technology. They are struggling to find people to work in those industries in more remote areas. And the idea has been put forward to me that we could once again, in some regards, have a soldier settlement scheme, taking people who are returning from their service, who are looking for gainful employment and incorporate them into those rural communities in rural Australia, particularly in our agriculture industry. This would be a bipartisan position held across this parliament but I don't think we collectively are doing enough for our veterans. We are probably not standing by the people who have stood by Australia as fully as we should. When it comes to people who have served, we really should honour them in a greater sense. One of the great privileges as a member of parliament is the ability to do a military exchange. I know one of the members in the chamber here came with me at the start of last year to Afghanistan to see what our serving men and women serving were doing over there. What struck me was the calibre of the people we met. Interestingly enough, as members of parliament we had to wear KingGee clothing. We don't get to wear uniform when we go over there. When I was sitting there in the mess hall having breakfast, one of the members of the Defence Force said to me, 'Who are you blokes?' I said, 'We're members of parliament.' And he goes, 'Oh, I thought you looked like a Jim's Mowing team.' He was very impressed that members of parliament would come over and see our serving troops. One of the questions I asked these people who were serving was how they are with their family time and what support services there are for their family. The very nature of the work and the hours, particularly with the difference in travel time, meant that those people weren't able to have contact with their families. So not only are they not as supported as they could be whilst serving; we also need to support them more fully upon their return. The beauty of this bill is to try to address a small misdemeanour, essentially saying that, if someone has been overpaid but has also passed away, that can be rolled into one. I think it is important that we do more in this space. There are some great organisations, such as Soldier On and our traditional RSLs. I recently met with our RSL in Mildura. It was encouraging to me to see that a new generation of RSL were coming through. There was a guy there who was a young former soldier, and he was very active in the RSL and talking to our young children, particularly in our primary schools. One of the things that I do want to raise—and something that still gripes me—is the book work and recording around veterans. I was approached by a young lady of 28 who lived in Donald, Victoria, in my electorate. Her husband, who was a similar age, had served two terms in Afghanistan. He was driving a water truck for the local council, but he needed a knee reconstruction. Unfortunately, he couldn't prove through records of the time of his service that the knee had been damaged in service. I've got to say, from the small time I spent in Afghanistan on that military exchange, walking around with the body armour on, it was pretty evident to me that would have had an impact on his knee. The knee reconstruction was going to cost $4,000. He was having difficulty, as a dad with two kids and a wife, having to climb up and down on a water truck for the council—and we wouldn't pay the $4,000. I think that's to our shame. I think that's something where there really should have been no argument, and I would have thought that our department would put less of an onus on proof and have more of a fair-go type of attitude to that sort of situation. That's something I wanted to put on the record. I would like to see a more open attitude, I guess, towards supporting people who may have an injury as a result of their military service. To my way of thinking, that injury was a result of his military service. Deputy Speaker Hastie, you would of course be able to make more of a judgement call as to whether something like that would be a result of his military service. But, even if it wasn't, my view is that $4,000 for someone who has served our country so that they can get their leg patched up and so they can continue working is a pretty good investment, and we should have just covered it. There are now over 30,000 soldiers who have returned from our Afghanistan engagement and the conflict in the Middle East region. That's quite a lot. We should be proud of them. Their service should be recognised on the memorials in our country towns. We march every year on Anzac Day to remember those who have served. I would like to see the names on those memorials updated to include not only those who have given their life but also those who have served. I think that's something we should encourage. There's another thing I'm also keen to see. We have suburbs in new parts of our cities. If you look across the Wimmera Mallee you will see the memorials in the country towns, because of course in the First World War and the Second World War those towns were where the people were. But I believe we should also have new memorials, with the names of those who have served in Afghanistan, in the suburbs of cities. I think that's a challenge for our local councils in our new suburbs, that they should consider putting up memorials for those who have served in our Afghanistan conflict. It would be a great opportunity. I commend this bill and I'm happy to have had a few moments to talk about the service of our Australian troops. I believe there is a lot of merit, particularly, in getting those country communities to welcome back and use the troops in their agricultural field. I will continue to talk about that with the Minister for Veterans' Affairs. I'm pleased that we are standing by those who have given so much for our country. 18:11 Mr CHESTER IPZ Gippsland In summing up I would like to thank all members who contributed to the debate on this bill, the Veterans' Entitlements Amendment Bill 2018. I would like to acknowledge the continued tradition of bipartisan support for the veteran community demonstrated by the opposition. The importance of family and the support they provide to both our serving personnel and veterans cannot be overestimated. Just moments ago the shadow minister and myself were joined by the opposition leader, the Prime Minister, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the shadow minister for foreign affairs at the Australian War Memorial, where we paid our respects to women who have served and women who have supported their loved ones who served at a very moving Last Post service conducted by Dr Brendan Nelson. It was a very fitting tribute, and it was good to see such a large crowd gathered for that event. The bill before the House relates to how the Department of Veterans' Affairs administers bereavement payments. The government is committed to supporting veterans and their families. This bill will maintain the current practice for families when a beloved member dies. There are no changes to current entitlements for bereavement payment—they will remain exactly the same. This is a compassionate, sympathetic and unobtrusive response which avoids disturbing the family with additional interactions with the Department of Veterans' Affairs while they are grieving. When a veteran receiving a DVA income support payment dies, the surviving partner is entitled to a bereavement payment equivalent to 14 weeks of the veteran's income support payment. The bereavement payment is designed to assist the surviving partner with costs following the death of the partner and to provide a period to adjust their finances following the end of the deceased partner's payments. It is paid automatically once the family notifies DVA. Often the veteran will continue to receive payments after their death, as these payments continue until DVA has been notified. This results in an overpayment. This bill ensures the adjustment is made in a single administrative process, rather than through a number of formal debt recoveries. It avoids the need to recover debts from the deceased estate and it avoids disturbing the family during the grieving period. The bill will provide legislative certainty for past and future recoveries of pension overpayments from bereavement payment and will maintain the current discreet practice to respect the veterans' families mourning their loss. I note the opposition's comments regarding veterans' access to health services more broadly across the nation. While I appreciate that there's been occasional commentary regarding health providers who don't accept DVA fees, I assure the House that this is not a systemwide problem. In Australia healthcare providers in private practice are free to choose how to run their business, including their opening hours, how much they'll charge and who they'll see. This of course includes whether or not to provide treatment under DVA's arrangements. As I told the House today, every year health providers across this country provide over 9.5 million medical and dental services to veterans and families. As a nation we can be rightly proud of the more than $11 billion provided by Australian taxpayers to support in the order of 290,000 veterans and their families. While we occasionally hear anecdotal reports of issues with access or fees, the proportion of clients accessing health services who complained about these issues is very low—only 0.1 per cent in the last DVA annual report. Of course if a veteran does experience difficulties accessing services, DVA will identify alternative arrangements to ensure a veteran's care is maintained. This could include providing transport to alternative health providers or, where there is a specific clinical need, funding services above the DVA rate. DVA medical and allied health fees continue to represent the full payment to healthcare providers and are significantly higher than the fees payable under the Medicare scheme. The government is progressively reintroducing fee indexation for DVA medical and allied health services from 2017-18 and, as of 1 July this year, indexation has been reintroduced for GP attendances, bulk-billing incentives, specialist attendances and DVA's dental and allied health services. This has only been possible due to the strong economic management of the coalition government. In conclusion, I again thank members opposite and those on this side of the chamber for their support for the Veterans' Entitlement Amendment Bill 2018. As a nation, we are rightly proud of the service provided by our men and women in uniform. It is a matter of fact, Mr Deputy Speaker Hastie—and you, as someone who has served, would know this more than others—that in the order of 80,000 to 85,000 Australians put on the uniform and serve in the permanent or reserve ADF. For those of us who haven't put on the uniform and don't serve in that capacity, as a grateful nation we are indebted to those who serve. Our task is to make sure they are supported while they are serving but also once their service ends. The transition from the Australian Defence Force to civilian life is not always easy. In your case, Deputy Speaker Hastie, it's a quite unusual path that you've chosen to take in joining us here in the House of Representatives. But I congratulate you on your own service but also for the path you've taken in transition. As a government, we are keen to work across party political lines to ensure that the veterans and their families are well supported both now and into the future. I've had many briefings with the shadow minister and appreciated her forthright input into policy development, and I'm sure I'll get more of that forthright input in the weeks and months ahead. In that spirit of bipartisanship, I must stress that many members, from both sides of the House, come to me raising issues on specific areas of concern for veterans and, wherever possible, I will work constructively to make sure we get an outcome which is in the interests of the veterans and their families. I commend this bill. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 260805 I thank the minister. The SPEAKER 00APG The original question was that this bill be now read a second time. To this, the honourable member for Kingston has moved as an amendment that all words after 'that' be omitted with a view to substituting other words. So the immediate question before the House is that the amendment moved by the member for Kingston be agreed to.

The House divided. [18:21]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)

 70 AYES Albanese, AN Aly, A Bandt, AP Bird, SL Bowen, CE Brodtmann, G Burke, AS Burney, LJ Butler, MC Butler, TM Byrne, AM Chalmers, JE Champion, ND Chesters, LM Clare, JD Claydon, SC Collins, JM Conroy, PM Dick, MD Dreyfus, MA Elliot, MJ Ellis, KM Fitzgibbon, JA Freelander, MR Georganas, S Giles, AJ Gorman, P Gosling, LJ Hart, RA Hayes, CP Hill, JC Husar, E Husic, EN Jones, SP Kearney, GM Keay, JT Kelly, MJ Keogh, MJ Khalil, P King, CF King, MMH Lamb, S Leigh, AK Macklin, JL Marles, RD McBride, EM Mitchell, BK Mitchell, RG Neumann, SK O'Connor, BPJ O'Neil, CE O'Toole, C Owens, JA Perrett, GD (teller) Plibersek, TJ Rishworth, AL Rowland, MA Ryan, JC (teller) Shorten, WR Snowdon, WE Stanley, AM Swan, WM Swanson, MJ Templeman, SR Thistlethwaite, MJ Vamvakinou, M Watts, TG Wilkie, AD Wilson, JH Zappia, A 75 NOES Abbott, AJ Alexander, JG Andrews, KJ Andrews, KL Banks, J Bishop, JI Broad, AJ Broadbent, RE Buchholz, S Chester, D Christensen, GR Ciobo, SM Coleman, DB Coulton, M Crewther, CJ Drum, DK (teller) Dutton, PC Entsch, WG Evans, TM Falinski, J Fletcher, PW Flint, NJ Frydenberg, JA Gee, AR Gillespie, DA Goodenough, IR Hartsuyker, L Hastie, AW Hawke, AG Henderson, SM Hogan, KJ Howarth, LR Hunt, GA Irons, SJ Joyce, BT Keenan, M Kelly, C Laming, A Landry, ML Laundy, C Ley, SP Littleproud, D Marino, NB McCormack, MF McGowan, C McVeigh, JJ Morrison, SJ Morton, B O'Brien, LS O'Brien, T O'Dowd, KD O'Dwyer, KM Pasin, A Pitt, KJ Porter, CC Prentice, J Price, ML Pyne, CM Ramsey, RE (teller) Robert, SR Sharkie, RCC Sudmalis, AE Sukkar, MS Taylor, AJ Tehan, DT Tudge, AE Van Manen, AJ Vasta, RX Wallace, AB Wicks, LE Wilson, RJ Wilson, TR Wood, JP Wyatt, KG Zimmerman, T 0 PAIRS

Question negatived.
Original question agreed to.
Bill read a second time.

 Third Reading 67 18:28 Mr BROAD 30379 Mallee by leave—I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time. COMMITTEES 67 COMMITTEES Selection Committee 67 Membership 67 18:28 The DEPUTY SPEAKER 260805 I have received advice from the Chief Government Whip nominating Mr O'Dowd to be a member of the Selection Committee in place of Mr LS O'Brien. 18:29 Mr BROAD 30379 Mallee by leave—I move: That Mr L. S. O'Brien be discharged from the Selection Committee and that, in his place, Mr O'Dowd be appointed a member of the committee. Question agreed to. BILLS 67 BILLS Tobacco Plain Packaging Amendment Bill 2018 67

Tobacco Plain Packaging Amendment Bill 2018

Second Reading 67 18:29 Ms CATHERINE KING 00AMR Ballarat It is with pleasure that I rise to speak on the Tobacco Plain Packaging Amendment Bill 2018. Labor has a proud record when it comes to tobacco control. Worldwide, tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death and kills at least five million people a year. In Australia, smoking kills between 15,000 and 20,000 people every single year. The economic and social cost of smoking is estimated at $31.5 billion a year. By any measure, and despite all of the progress we have achieved over many decades, it remains a massive public health issue. It is an issue that requires political leadership and eternal vigilance. Labor has shown consistent leadership on this issue, even when it has been politically very difficult to achieve. We've stood up to big tobacco, despite their formidable resources and significant campaign abilities. Despite their willingness to use dirty tricks to take legal action, we took them on. It was Labor that introduced and fought for the world-leading plain packaging legislation that, alongside other policies, has helped to drive smoking rates in this country to record lows. We are very proud that many other countries across the world have followed suit. This legislation before us today makes some minor technical changes to Labor's laws, and we will, of course, support it. Put simply, the amendments expand the range of people who can be authorised to undertake plain-packaging compliance activities. There will be no objection from us on that. But we do know that, deep down, many on the other side would actually like to tear up this legislation altogether. On this, as on so many other things, they are divided. Despite the clear evidence that our legislation for plain packaging has worked and has clearly saved lives, many on the other side still think that this is 'nanny state' policy. It shows that they don't understand public health policy or evidence based health policy. But, as we know, that is what the Liberals and the Nationals so often do; they put big business before the wellbeing of the Australian people. Let's talk about how successful not just this policy but also tobacco mitigation policies have been. We introduced plain packaging for tobacco in December 2012 to help Australians quit smoking. Under the laws, tobacco products have no branding and feature health warnings with graphic images. It works by reducing the appeal and brand identification of smoking, particularly for young people. In 2016 the Commonwealth's post-implementation review of Labor's laws found: … plain packaging is achieving its aim of improving public health in Australia and is expected to have substantial public health outcomes into the future. In the three years after our laws came into effect, total tobacco consumption rates fell by 18.3 per cent. Not all of this decline was due to plain packaging, of course, but some of it definitely was. The report said: … the 2012 packaging changes resulted in a "statistically significant decline in smoking prevalence … We never sought to claim that plain packaging was a silver bullet. It was always meant to be one of a suite of measures necessary to continue to drive down smoking rates. It reflected the removal of the last form of advertising for tobacco, in line with the World Health Organization's tobacco convention, to which we are a signatory. The British Medical Journal stated: The evidence suggests that plain packaging is severely restricting the ability of the pack to communicate and create appeal with young people and adults. One of the world's most respected medical journals declared Labor's world-leading plain-packaging laws to be a casebook example of effective tobacco control. A report led by the ANU last year also confirmed that plain packaging had helped many smokers to quit. It led to a decline in the way that smokers identified with their brand, resulting in a reduction in smoking and an increase in the number of smoker attempts to quit the habit. We know that the more attempts people make to quit, the more likely they are to actually quit. It led to a decline in the way smokers identify their brand. The ANU found that, during the phase-in of the reforms, calls to quit smoking helplines increased by up to 78 per cent and were above average for about 10 months after the reforms began. Studies have shown plain packaging has had a particular impact in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities as well. Smoking contributes to one in five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths. Public health researchers found Indigenous people were better informed about the risks of smoking as a result of the policy. Before the policy's introduction, they were significantly more likely to mistakenly think that some brands of cigarettes were less harmful than others. The World Health Organization is calling on all countries in the world to follow Australia's lead and to introduce plain packaging. The countries that have already done so include France, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Many countries will undoubtedly follow. The Heart Foundation said that tobacco plain packaging had contributed to around 25 per cent of the total decline in the prevalence of smoking since it was introduced in 2012. That's tens of thousands of people quitting thanks to the Labor Party's efforts. Crucially, we've seen adolescent smoking rates drop to a record low. The tobacco industry tried to fight it, taking Australia all the way to the WTO to try and kill off these reforms. They failed, of course, but the fact that they tried might be the best evidence anyone needs that our policy was the right one and that our policy was, in fact, effective; otherwise, why would these companies have attempted to kill it off? Thanks in part to Labor's groundbreaking policy work, the prevalence of daily smoking in Australia is now at just 12 per cent and continuing to decline. That is a good public health achievement. However, it has to be said that the rate of the decline has unfortunately slowed. That's because, for the last five years, we have had a government that has done nothing about tobacco control. No single measure will drive rates of smoking down forever. As one prominent public health expert noted recently, each new measure magnifies the effects of what has gone before but only if action is continually reinforced and properly resourced. Tobacco control is one of Australia's best public health successes, but there is absolutely no room for complacency. That's because big tobacco companies are relentless. They never stop. They're always looking for new ways to hook new customers, even while they're publicly claiming that they're cleaning up their business—or even making plans to get out of smoking altogether—particularly in the guise of harm minimisation. They are morally bankrupt and cannot be believed. Here at home, they are still lobbying and using front groups. They are still using astroturfing campaigns. They are still walking the corridors of this place, taking any opportunity they can to meet with and influence members here; they do not meet with me. They're more likely than ever to use litigation to fight public health measures against governments and against other public institutions like universities. They are still buying and co-opting some so-called health experts. They're still trying to buy off journalists with expensive junkets and with hospitality. Overseas, in many less-developed and less-regulated markets, they are still advertising and selling their products with total immunity, even to primary school children. They are ruthless. But, wherever you look, this government has zero credibility when it comes to tackling smoking related deaths. For five years, they have been absolutely missing in action. As Professor Mike Daube from Curtin University wrote recently: For those who worked long and hard to make Australia a world leader in tobacco control, it is deeply disappointing that political complacency in recent years has both led to lack of action and allowed distractions to dominate the public and policy arenas. He goes on: We should have reinforced and capitalised on the early impact of plain packaging and reinforced the impacts of tax increases … but action over the past 6 years has stalled, at a time when it should have accelerated. … … … First, crucially and inexplicably, there have been no national media campaigns since 2012. The federal government gets more than $11 billion a year in revenue from tobacco taxes. Spending $40 million on media campaigns would be less than 0.4% of this. That is correct. For its entire time in office, this government has not bothered to launch any antitobacco campaigns, even though we know they are highly successful. We all remember the many successful campaigns, like, 'Every cigarette is doing you damage.' All of those campaigns have actually had a significant impact. There has not been one in the term of this government. We need more major, hard-hitting media campaigns, one of the most effective weapons that we have in our arsenal. Professor Daube goes on to point out that over the last five years there has been a complete absence of new evidence-based measures to tackle smoking—nothing at all. He also talks about how there have been no curbs on tobacco industry efforts to influence public policy. He mentions lobbying and, of course, political donations. It's now been 14 years since Labor announced we would no longer take political donations from Big Tobacco. It took nearly 10 years for the Liberals to match us on that. But, shamefully, the National Party still have not done the right thing and ceased taking donations from Big Tobacco. As recently as last year, they took $15,700 from Big Tobacco companies. That is disgraceful. The Prime Minister needs to explain why he thinks it's okay that his coalition partners can fill their coffers with money from companies that profit from putting Australians in coffins. How can he in good conscience keep a Nationals senator with responsibility for rural health while her party is happy to accept this blood money? People in rural and remote areas of Australia are twice as likely to be daily smokers as those in the cities, meaning the burden of disease falls most heavily on our rural Australians. If the Nationals really cared about the health of people in the bush they would reject these donations outright. Malcolm Turnbull has gone from this place now, but he never explained his failure to divest from three share market funds that invest in tobacco. It was important that he did so. Again, I think it's important that we absolutely back in the work of people like Bronwyn King, a wonderful woman who I think is in the parliament at the moment. She has been doing fantastic work in getting superannuation portfolios to divest themselves of tobacco shares. She has slowly taken that work across Australia, and there are more and more super funds that are divesting themselves of tobacco shares. She has now taken that effort globally. Under her terrific leadership and the work that she has done, there will soon be very few superannuation funds left that will invest in tobacco at all. This is another example of the great work of public health people. Bronwyn is an oncologist who took the decision to leave her oncology in order to pursue that particular work. The coalition, frankly, have done very little. While they've taken their eye off the ball, tobacco companies have been coming up with new ways to advertise and hook our children on these deadly products. Just last week we saw a series of reports about how tobacco companies are using social media influencers to advertise cigarettes, circumventing our strict anti-advertising laws. Our antismoking advertising laws threaten companies with fines of up to $126,000 if they advertise their products. But thanks to this social media loophole they can do it with virtual impunity. They're using the same marketing playbook they have always used to attract kids and teens to their products. It is insidious and something needs to be done about it. There are glamorous ads of attractive people in exotic locations sucking back on cigarettes on Instagram, a platform that reaches millions of people worldwide with virtually no regulation. They use celebrities and models and seek to associate smoking with fast cars, yachts, fancy clothes and expensive champagne. It is exactly the sort of thing previous generations of policymakers fought to outlaw and, unfortunately, in this medium it is making a comeback. Tobacco control experts have called these campaigns the greatest threat to how young people perceive tobacco products today. They say the tobacco companies are targeting young people in at least 40 countries, including here in Australia. Researchers say those campaigns generated over 25 billion views by individuals. Twenty-five billion views is a serious problem. Sadly, you can't rely on this government to do anything. Only Labor takes these issues of tobacco control seriously. The big tobacco companies have also been trying to push new nicotine vaping and e-cigarette products onto the market. They try to claim it is some sort of public good and they are contributing to cessation. In fact, they're using every tactic they can to try and push to market more addictive products that have not been properly studied for their long-term health effects. The most authoritative report on this issue, from the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, concluded that the evidence for cessation benefits is limited and the evidence for concern about their impact is, in fact, substantial. Let's be clear: the tobacco companies see that the writing is on the wall for their industry, so they are trying to diversify in order to survive, but they don't care the slightest bit about the health or wellbeing of a single one of their customers. Big tobacco has long sought to use new alternative products in a bid to renormalise their industry, and no-one in this place should fall for it. This job is not over. We absolutely need to do more. We need more evidence based activity and policies to maintain the momentum of the tobacco fight. The tobacco companies will not rest, so we, as a parliament, need to not rest either. The Liberals should restore Australia's global leadership on this issue. They should restore funding that they cut from important Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smoking cessation programs. They should engage in a national advertising campaign to ensure that smoking rates fall again. They need to vigorously pursue any other forms of advertising for tobacco that have emerged since we were able to remove the last form—the actual pack—with plain packaging. They need to make sure that the National Tobacco Strategy is now not just a document that sits on a shelf, but is, in fact, reinvigorated. The Liberals should restore Australia's global leadership on this issue. If they don't, Labor certainly will. To this end, I move the second reading amendment that has been circulated in my name: That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words: "whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House: (1) notes that progress on lowering smoking rates has stalled following the Government's cuts to tobacco control measures; and (2) calls on the Government to re-invest in lowering smoking rates". The DEPUTY SPEAKER M3E Is the amendment seconded? Mr Butler HWK I second the amendment and reserve my right to speak. The DEPUTY SPEAKER M3E The original question was that this bill be now read a second time. To this, the honourable member for Ballarat has moved as an amendment that all words after 'that' be omitted with a view to substituting other words. If it suits the House I will state the question in the form that the amendment be agreed to. The question now is that the amendment be agreed to. 18:48 Mr TIM WILSON IMW Goldstein If you are concerned about the stabilisation of tobacco cessation, you really should look at why—why it is that life-long smokers struggle to get off such an insidious product and why it is that they are addicted. You should also ask: what are the alternatives? This is where the false outrage of the member for Ballarat falls short, because, in the end, she already rules out and discounts alternatives that can help people to reduce their consumption, to engage in harm minimisation and, in the context, improve their health overall. I will remind other members of the choices that people have. At the moment, if you are addicted to nicotine and you smoke tobacco products, your choice is to continue smoking or to give up, and, yes, there are some cessation aids, but they do not work for everyone. And yet there are harm minimisation pathways denied by those on both sides of the chamber—of which I am not one. In the end, having sat on committees inquiring into the legal access towards vaping, I cannot, in good conscience, oppose legalisation—my view has been on the public record, so this is not new—even more so after I went to the UK on a parliamentary delegation and met with officials from the National Health Service, who took a similar view to me. That's because what they saw was, amongst many of their patient groups, particularly in parts of Manchester, people who simply couldn't quit, and they saw the consequences, the harm and the damage that was done to people's health from enduring tobacco consumption. They then looked at the alternatives and said that vaping provided a harm minimisation pathway that they could not ignore. When it was raised with them, 'Should Australia follow the same pathway,' of course they rightly said it was up to us, but they acknowledged that it was enormously beneficial to the people they were there to serve. That is my view, and it is a view I am very comfortable expressing in public because what we know, as somebody who had three out of their four grandparents die prematurely as a consequence of tobacco consumption, is that tobacco causes enormous harm. Tobacco is responsible for tremendous damage to the lives of Australians, our community and, if you want to count it up in dollars and cents, our economy as well. Of Australians aged 14 years or older, 12.8 per cent still smoke daily. Every year smoking kills or is a contributing factor to an estimated 19,000 Australian deaths. And, in addition to the morbidity and mortality, $31.5 billion is drained from the economy annually for something that provides, let's say, little benefit beyond the choices that people have. This bill appropriately allows more flexibility to noncompliance with the tobacco plain-packaging legislation, and any improvements that allow for the adherence, respect and implementation of the rule of law as a principle, I will always support. But we also should take account of our obligation to the Australian people seriously and have effective policy measures to combat smoking rates, as I addressed at the start of my speech. With this in mind, we do have to look seriously at the efficacy of plain packaging from 2013 to 2016. Let's remember what happened: the Gillard government introduced plain packaging and contestably there was an influence on smoking rates, so they banged a massive tax on top of it to make sure the rates went down—I never disputed that increasing taxes can have an influence on reducing smoking rates. But even then, from 2013 to 2016, Australia's smoking rate fell by a dismal 0.6 per cent despite an increase in tobacco excise and the introduction of plain packaging. Expenditure on cigarettes increased in Australia while smoking rates sharply declined in the United States and in the United Kingdom. Plain packaging has failed to reduce smoking significantly. Instead, what it has actually done, and this is the bit that the opposition never likes to pay attention to, is it has driven tobacco sales underground, because this is what the policy actually does. It takes a product with a brand and makes it generic, and then, as the tax rates increase, the consumer surplus goes up, so the cost increases, and it is a generic product. So what happens? Criminal gangs move in. They, not just the tobacco companies, see the economic benefit and the potential to take advantage of Australians who are addicted—and some who aren't, to get them there—and to make huge profits. Those profits are then used not just to deny the taxpayer the money they need to deal with the consequences of tobacco consumption—the costs that are passed through to the health system—but also of course to fund and finance their nefarious agenda. So, rather than looking at this policy simply on the basis of its intent, perhaps we should look also at its consequences. As branding has been lost, competition now focuses predominantly on price, boosting sales of cheaper products. KPMG has found that illicit tobacco consumption has grown from 11.5 per cent to 14 per cent in Australia since plain packaging was introduced. Illicit tobacco is immune from taxation, immune from regulation and immune from oversight—kind of like other illicit products in the marketplace. Not only is there a revenue loss for the government but it also deprives hardworking Australian small businesses of revenue, because of cheap, unbranded, illegal competition. I think we should stand up against criminal gangs. I don't think we should fuel their business models, because of what they will do with the revenue as a consequence—and of course the human toll they put on Australians by engaging in their nefarious agenda. This revenue is then diverted to organised crime syndicates and serves to line the pockets of those undertaking illegal behaviour. Let's just say that it is putting the incentives around the wrong way. This encourages other criminal actions associated with organised crime, such as smuggling, violence and gang activity. We must focus on assisting people who are motivated to quit smoking through education, support services, harm minimisation and—I will say, resolutely—preferably cessation. When people are allowed to exercise their free will, they are still better off choosing a healthy life. If they struggle with that, I would have thought the job of the people in this place is to provide them with the clearest and simplest pathway to do so. It's time to empower those who want to quit and to help reduce the stagnant smoking rates in this country by properly looking at not just the intent but also the consequences of the policies and the legislation we are passing through this parliament. 18:57 Dr FREELANDER 265979 Macarthur Before I start my prepared speech, I'd just like to say a few things about the efforts of the member for Goldstein— Mr Tim Wilson IMW Stein. Dr FREELANDER 265979 Well, the pronunciation depends on where you come from, and I'm well aware of Vida Goldstein and her reputation as a wonderful woman. With respect to the member, the issue of vaporised nicotine substitutions for smoking is certainly not as clear as he would say. There is absolutely no evidence that vaporised nicotine solutions (1) reduce the harm and (2) reduce the cost and the social cost of nicotine addiction. It's important to note that the tobacco industry continues to promote the use of so-called vaping solutions as an alternative to smoking with absolutely no research into its long-term effects. We know that nicotine is a highly addictive drug. We really don't have the evidence and the research that suggest that vaporised solutions are any solution to cigarette smoking in terms of long-term effects. We recently had a parliamentary House of Representatives committee inquiry into this, and all the experts—including the AMA, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, the association of respiratory physicians and the Public Health Association—say that we should not be allowing free access to vaporised nicotine solutions. So, as with many things to do with science, it's important that the government really respects the experts and acts on their advice. The member for Goldstein is not doing that and I'm unsure as to his motives for his broad lack of restraint in supporting vaporised nicotine solutions. Worldwide there are about 1.2 billion smokers. I was one of them until about 10 years ago. Eighty per cent of smokers are men. There are, indeed, smokers in this chamber. According to the World Health Organization, smoking accounts for around six million avoidable deaths every year. About 70 per cent of those deaths are in developing countries. In Australia, about 19,000 or 20,000 people still die every year from avoidable deaths due to smoking. The cost to our community is around $30 billion. The annual cost worldwide is in the trillions of dollars. It's important to note that, worldwide, the major tobacco companies are still promoting their products and it's only when their products are restricted that they resort to promoting alternatives like vaporised nicotine solutions. Smoking rates throughout much of the OECD are continuing to decline, but rates of smoking in less developed countries are as high as ever and there is some evidence in some countries that they may be increasing. In most developed countries like Australia, the rate of smoking amongst men is in decline and amongst women it is flat or falling slowly. From the early 1980s, Australia has progressively tightened laws covering the advertising, sale and distribution of cigarettes and tobacco. There have been numerous antismoking health campaigns, government assistance for those wanting to quit for life has increased and excise duties have been substantially increased. I'm proud to be a member of the Labor Party, which has promoted cessation of smoking activities and support for people to try to stop smoking. Laws have been enacted to prohibit smoking in the workplace and in public places, mostly promoted by the Labor Party. Each of those reforms was resisted by vested interests, but each now seems a sensible and totally uncontentious proposition. It's the same for laws requiring the plain or standardised packaging of cigarettes. I support any bill that strengthens this. The unambiguously good news is that smoking rates are in decline across the board. Less encouraging is the more limited impact on some demographics—principally older established smokers and those living in the poorest neighbourhoods and in regional and remote Australia. Indigenous Australians have fairly static smoking rates and unfortunately are at increased risk of the harm that smoking causes. Those with mental health issues also have smoking rates that are very static. Fifty-seven per cent of daily smokers are now aged over 40. Fifteen years ago, the majority of smokers were between the ages of 14 and 39. Fifty years ago, about two in every five adults were smokers. Now it's one in eight. The National Drug Strategy Household Survey showed that smoking rates halved between 1991 and 2016, from 24 per cent to 12 per cent, mostly because of government initiatives. There's been significant success in the last three to five years in reducing the take-up of smoking amongst the young, and the proportion of teenagers who are current smokers declined from five per cent in 2013 to 2.1 per cent in 2016. There have been similar significant declines in the number of people exposed in the home to cigarette smoke, down from about 31 per cent in 1995 to 3.7 per cent in 2013 and down again to 2.8 per cent in 2016. These are significant changes. Whilst our smoking rates have only slowly declined, people exposed to smoking in the workplace and in the home has decreased significantly, which will lead to much less risk of harm for my patients, children and particularly young children. They are much less frequently exposed to environmental cigarette smoking than they were previously. This will lead to much lower rates of respiratory illness and much less long-term harm. The messages in all these policies, for policymakers and legislators, are that change is possible, that governments have to lead, that governments must persist and that governments must persist against very strong, very financially able vested interests. Australia was the first country to enact laws to insist on the plain packaging of cigarettes. I remember this time very well. It's important to note the courage, persistence and intelligence of people like Julia Gillard and Nicola Roxon, the then health minister, who first introduced plain tobacco packaging. There was so much effort put in by those with vested interests against the Labor Party's policies for plain packaging, including from those on the other side. Yet Nicola Roxon and Julia Gillard persisted and were able to get these changes, which now seem to all of us to be completely sensible and the right thing to do. In November 2011, the legislation was first introduced and, by December 2012, the laws had survived a High Court challenge by those with vested interests, including Big Tobacco. By 1 December 2012 plain packaging was introduced and has stayed the norm in Australia. This legislation will strengthen the ability to monitor this. Years later, it is impossible to imagine why it took us so long to get there. The previous speaker mentioned underground smoking as a consequence of the plain tobacco packaging. There is no evidence for this whatsoever. It's a claim without basis and without evidence. There may well be underground tobacco available, but this is a financial issue that has no relation to plain tobacco packaging. Australia's lead on mandatory plain and standardised packaging is now being emulated and followed to varying degrees in many other countries, including the United Kingdom, France, New Zealand, Norway, Hungary and Ireland. As is usual, it's Big Tobacco who are fighting this battle, and we can only hope they continue to lose. As of February this year another 16 countries plan to take action on plain tobacco packaging. The European Union has issued a directive allowing member states the option of implementing plain packaging that survived a concerted legal challenge from Big Tobacco. I imagine that the only people left in Australia opposed to plain packaging are those with a financial stake in the tobacco industry, or, I'm ashamed to say, politicians who take money from Big Tobacco. Nicotine addiction is not a matter of choice. I like to think that even a majority of those pathologically opposed to any form of government regulation and intervention recognise that nicotine is a special case. It's a drug of addiction and it's one of the most potent. There are only two commonly available illegal drugs that are more addictive than nicotine and that's heroin and cocaine. Nicotine is a poison and there's no such thing as a safe cigarette. Cigarettes, of course, come with other dangers from the smoke inhalation, but it's important to note that nicotine is primarily a drug of addiction and not without major side effects. One cigarette, unfortunately, can be enough to kill you. It kills indiscriminately and it kills even those who don't smoke, and we've seen increasing evidence of this, particularly in the workplace. There's no such thing as safe smoking in the way that there can perhaps be low levels of safe drinking if done in moderation and in a safe environment—the same is not true for smoking. There is not much weight in the argument still advanced by some ultra-libertarians that smoking is legal and that we should therefore not try to control or restrict it. Lots of things are legal that we don't encourage or want to condone. Many activities, products, services and substances are regulated. There is nothing odd or peculiar in regulating things that may be misused, that may poorly understood or which are inherently dangerous. There is no question that cigarette smoking is inherently dangerous. It's just common sense that some goods and services are subject to advertising controls and point of sale restrictions. There are lots of legal drugs less lethal than nicotine that we rightly do not let people access at will or use without a doctor's prescription or accompanying health warnings. Smoking only continues to be legal because it's nigh on impossible to prohibit its use outright, while millions of Australians can't give it up, even though as many as three in 10 try to every year. If this bill, one that makes very minor administrative changes to the law enacted by the Gillard government in 2011, is significant, it's because it marks something of a new dawn for the coalition. At long last the coalition, while in office, seems unambiguously to be saying that it is not for turning in the fight to rid our country of its leading cause of preventable death and disease. I do congratulate the health minister, particularly for his comments about the use of nicotine solutions. What would make this an even better day would be if the Nationals and other smaller political parties joined Labor, the Greens and the Liberals in refusing to accept donations from big tobacco. The Hawke government enacted laws in the 1980s to provide public funding for election campaigns to reduce the influence of private and corporate donors. That funding is not just a taxpayer funded freebie; it's there to allow all parties and all candidates to exercise a freer hand in accepting and rejecting political donations. Labor stopped taking blood money from the tobacco industry 14 years ago. The Liberals followed 10 years after that, thank God. However, the Nationals and Senator Leyonhjelm's Liberal Democrats have in the last five years continued to accept direct donations in the tens of thousands of dollars annually from one tobacco company, Philip Morris. More shame to them. The level of indirect support they have taken is, of course, unknown. In accepting such donations, the Nationals and the Liberal Democrats are the most conspicuous of the remaining outliers. They're steadfastly opposed to the community sentiment and the mountains of evidence and analysis on the effects of tobacco. They are small in number, but there are still probably enough of them to apply the handbrake to further much-needed work in reducing the incidence of smoking. Indeed, there are still measures that we should be enacting that will help reduce cigarette smoking rates in Australia. We should also be cognisant of the effect of smoking in the developing world and on our near neighbours, and we should not hold back from support for reducing smoking rates in those countries. As we all know, with this government, it's the minority that sets the rules, unfortunately, while the rest only ever seem to assert their authority ineffectively or when it's too late—just ask Malcolm Turnbull. That wasn't always the case. Not all governments are afraid of their own shadow. The reforms to cigarette packaging proposed by the Rudd opposition and enacted by the Gillard government and its health minister, Nicola Roxon, were trenchantly opposed at the time for all sorts of spurious and self-serving reasons. True to form, some of the Liberals and Nationals—the usual suspects—wanted to either duck the issue or play both sides of the fence. Others just wanted to make life difficult for those supporting plain packaging, because they saw political advantage in it. The Abbott opposition finally went along with Labor's plain packaging law, but only after some principled members of the coalition threatened to cross the floor to support it. The public was warned that mandatory plain packaging was unconstitutional. What a silly reason to bring up! It clearly wasn't, and the High Court supported that. They were told the scheme was costly and impractical, which was wrong again. There were even claims from the tobacco industry that plain packaging would lead to increased levels of smoking. What a joke! It was quite silly, and archly and narrowly political to the nth degree. I support this bill. I'm proud, as I've said, to be a member of the Labor Party, which has done all it can to reduce smoking rates in Australia and elsewhere. I commend the bill. 19:13 Mr FALINSKI G86 Mackellar Thank you to the member for Macarthur. It's always somewhat intimidating to follow him on an issue of public health. There's one thing I would take exception to or disagree on with the member of Macarthur. The previous member, the member for Goldstein—gosh, I hope I've said that properly! Dr Freelander 265979 He'll pull you up on it! Mr FALINSKI G86 He will! I'll never hear the end of it; you're quite right. He said that plain packaging doesn't assist in unlawful or illicit trade in tobacco. While I absolutely agree with the measures we've taken, I think we also have to recognise that there are negative impacts that need to be managed. Certainly, at the very least, we need to adjust our policies, where possible, to remove the impacts. The fact is that plain packaging tobacco has made it easier for the illicit tobacco trade. The increases in the taxes on tobacco and cigarettes, which were necessary and right to do, have also opened a market for third parties or for a black market in illegal cigarettes to come into the country. There is significant evidence that that trade has increased since some of these measures have been taken. The answer is probably better monitoring and better policing of the tobacco trade, but we can't ignore the negative impacts that these changes have had. Tobacco use is a leading cause of preventable and premature death in Australia, and this government is committed to reducing the number of deaths from smoking. Of Australians aged 14 years or older, 12.8 per cent smoke daily. Every year smoking kills approximately 19,000 Australians and costs the Australian taxpayer and the health system—the community—$31.5 billion. This government is committed to reducing the number of people addicted to and reliant on tobacco and, by extension, illegal drugs. We know that Australians living on welfare are some of the most vulnerable in our society to this addiction. They are at more risk of abuse, drug and alcohol addiction and lower life expectancy. That is why this government is not just committed to helping people who earn a salary and buy legal drugs in the form of cigarettes. We are also committed to helping people who find themselves out of work, relying on welfare and addicted to unlawful or illicit drugs. As a government, as I have already outlined, we are committed to reducing the death rate caused by tobacco. However, I do have to note that some measures taken have led to an increase, as I mentioned before, in criminal activity, and the sale and importation of illegal tobacco products have sky rocketed. Since July 2016 the Australian tax office undertook 37 seizures totalling 231 tonnes of illicit tobacco, with an estimated tobacco duty forgone of $194 million. In the last financial year alone, the Australian Border Force made more than 110,000 detections of illicit tobacco, including almost 241 million cigarettes and 217 tonnes of tobacco worth more than $356 million in evaded duty. Under the Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011, plain package compliance and enforcement activities are undertaken by authorised officers. Authorised officers must be persons appointed under the Public Service Act 1999 or be a member or special member of the Australian Federal Police. The person is appointed as an authorised officer in writing by the secretary of the Department of Health. This bill proposes to expand the range of persons who can be appointed as authorised officers. The bill will allow the secretary to appoint as authorised officers: Commonwealth officers not appointed or engaged under the Public Service Act; state and territory police officers; and state and territory officers and local government officials with responsibilities in relation to health matters or tobacco control, compliance and enforcement. Given the earlier numbers, it is critical that we expand the number of people involved in enforcing this law. The bill will enable the government to respond more flexibly to noncompliance. The bill will provide the Department of Health and Ageing with access to a wider pool of officers eligible for appointment as authorised officers, providing greater flexibility to respond to any organisational or administrative changes which may occur in the future. This will also provide more opportunities for authorised officers to cooperate and respond to potential noncompliance. The bill does not change the plain packaging requirements and will not impact the obligations of tobacco manufacturers, distributors or retailers. Consultation with each relevant state and territory agency has been undertaken. At the conclusion of the consultation, no agencies opposed the amendment. Some state and territory agencies emphasised that their support was only on the basis that their officers could only be appointed as authorised officers with a formal agreement in place. These agencies were comfortable with the amendment, due to the inclusion of a clause providing that the appointment will only be by agreement with the relevant state or territory. I will take a moment to plug a good friend of mine, the former English MP for Enfield North, Nick de Bois. Nick wrote a book, Confessions of a Recovering MP, which he penned after he left office and, which, I believe, is available on Amazon. In this book, he dedicated a chapter to the criminal activity related to tobacco and cigarette sales. He went undercover in his own constituency to see how rife the sale of these products was. He was so eager to go undercover, he dressed down to what he thought the attire of undercover agents must have been—old pair of jeans; tatty, worn sweater; unpolished boots; and uncombed hair. Nick didn't have to go far, as it turned out. The shop right next door to his electorate office was where they would find illicit cigarettes. It is for this reason and the stats I outlined earlier that I support this bill to enhance our enforcement agencies in relation to noncompliance. I commend the bill to the House. 19:20 Mr SNOWDON IJ4 Lingiari I congratulate you, Deputy Speaker Rob Mitchell, on giving up that filthy habit two years ago. As a result, you're in fine fettle and will have a longer life. For that, we can all be grateful! Mr Giles 243609 Hear, hear! Mr Buchholz 230531 We want you around for a long time! The DEPUTY SPEAKER M3E Thanks. Mr SNOWDON IJ4 We'd like you to be here, son! As other members have outlined the details of the Tobacco Plain Packaging Amendment Bill 2018, I'm not going to do that other than to say that we on this side of the House are supporting it. However, I do want to commend the contribution made by the member for Macarthur in particular, a good friend and someone whose background is as a paediatrician, a doctor, who has had a lot of experience dealing with health matters across the community. He explained in a very detailed way the impacts on the health of individuals and on our community as a result of smoking. As others have said, in 2011 tobacco use was estimated to be responsible for nine per cent of the total burden of disease. That's a significant figure. Eighty per cent of lung cancer burden and 75 per cent of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease burden was attributable to tobacco use. I don't think there'd be many people in this place who wouldn't know either directly or indirectly a person, or persons, who has suffered immense trauma and an early death as a result of tobacco. There'd be very few among us. The initiatives taken so long ago now for plain packaging were against the protestations of the industry. I remember vividly the remarkable attempts taken by the industry to oppose the legislation championed by the then Minister for Health, Nicola Roxon. The case was taken internationally to try and say that, somehow or another, this was illegal. It wasn't, and it was the best thing we could've done. But the concern I have is that we have to actually maintain our commitment to strategies to bring down tobacco consumption rates. I'm most particularly concerned about those people who have the most prevalent use of tobacco in the community. In this case, it is principally Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smokers. The comparisons are huge. The 2014-15 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey found 39 per cent of the combined Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population aged 15 and over were daily smokers compared with 14 per cent in the general population. The proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were daily smokers aged 15 years and older was 39 per cent compared to 45 per cent in 2008 and 49 per cent in 2002. So there has been a reduction—and that's significant—and it's very important that the efforts continue. In 2002, 51 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males aged 15 years and over were daily smokers. That daily smoking rate declined to 46 per cent in 2008 and 41 per cent in 2014-15. They're good things, and there is other data which demonstrates that tobacco consumption is falling in Aboriginal communities, but when you compare it with the broader population the gap is not closing. It is because, as we've seen, the consumption rates amongst the general population—the non-Aboriginal population—have also fallen dramatically, but the gap has not closed. When I contemplate this, I remember well the 2014-15 budget. In a previous government I was the minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, and we initiated some measures around tobacco, prevention strategies, and funded them directly to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community health organisations and communities. Sadly, in their first budget after coming into government, the Abbott government, with then Prime Minister Abbott—now the envoy for God knows what—and then Treasurer, Mr Hockey, brought down a budget that cut $500 million out of expenditure for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, and $130 million of that was cut from the program for tackling Indigenous smoking, which was publicly disparaged by the then Treasurer. Just so we understand the nature of this and the prevalence of tobacco consumption amongst Indigenous Australians: among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians between the ages of 15 and 27 male consumption is 34.4 per cent compared with 3.9 per cent for non-indigenous Australians and for women the figures are 26.5 per cent and 2.3 per cent. That demonstrates the difficulty that we are having in bringing down tobacco consumption rates amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. You wouldn't think that a responsible government, or a government that purported to be responsible, and a Prime Minister who, we were told, would be a Prime Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, would oversee a budget which cut $500 million out of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs, $130 million of which went directly to cutting the programs for tackling Indigenous smoking. Do you reckon that, when the member for Warringah gets on whatever he's getting on to travel around Australia as an envoy and talks to whoever he is going to be talking to—and I don't know who he is going to be talking to—he might explain to them that he was responsible for overseeing a budget cut of over $500 million, which impacted every aspect of the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians? Do you reckon that he might tell them that he himself was responsible for overseeing a cut of $130 million out of the tackling tobacco program? You can imagine what he will do—and it certainly won't be that. But, having said that, despite the absurdities of the government, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services around this country have been working diligently to bring down tobacco consumption rates. As the member for Macarthur pointed out, the direct health impacts are obvious to all of us and we have a responsibility to make sure that the funding is available to continue antismoking programs. I'm going to have to give up my position at this dispatch box, at least temporarily, in a very short time, but when I am back here, hopefully tomorrow or whenever else this debate is brought back on— Government members interjecting— Mr SNOWDON IJ4 You can wait in anticipation. A government member: We're going nowhere. Mr SNOWDON IJ4 You'll be here a while. I will talk about a couple of specific programs that have been introduced by Aboriginal communities or organisations around the country which have had a dramatic and positive impact on reducing tobacco consumption in their communities. ADJOURNMENT 76 ADJOURNMENT NSW Cruise Development Plan 76 19:30 Mr THISTLETHWAITE 182468 Kingsford Smith The New South Wales Liberals are planning to build a massive international passenger cruise ship terminal on the shores of Botany Bay. I've seen some crazy proposals in my time, but this one takes the cake. A cruise ship terminal at Yarra Bay or Molineaux Point would do massive environmental damage to Botany Bay. It would completely change the communities in my electorate of Kingsford Smith and of course it would result in even more traffic congestion on the already clogged streets that suffer from inadequate public transport and freight rail links to the nearby Sydney Airport and Port Botany. So why are the New South Wales Liberals contemplating this ridiculous development? In July, then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull made a captain's call to rule out the federal government owned Garden Island as the location for Sydney's next international cruise ship terminal. Garden Island was the preferred option of the New South Wales Liberals, who by the way spent $57 million on a new cruise terminal at White Bay near Balmain in 2013. There was only one problem with that: they didn't do their planning. Most of the modern cruise ships can't fit under the Harbour Bridge and so can't access the terminal that the Liberals spent $57 million on in 2013, so they needed to come up with a new solution. This means that Sydney simply doesn't have the capacity to deal with the surging demand for mega cruise ships in the harbour during the peak season of summer. Garden Island was also the preferred option of the Cruise Industry Reference Group, headed by the former leader of the New South Wales Liberals, Peter Collins, who produced a significant report outlining why Garden Island was the most logical, practical location. And it makes sense. Passengers who are visiting Sydney on cruises want to come into the idyllic and historic Sydney Harbour, get off the boat there and visit the magnificent sites around the harbour. They don't want to land at Yarra Bay where, when they get off the boat, the first thing that they're confronted with is the local crematorium and cemetery and the Port Botany container terminal. Welcome to Sydney! That's not what people want from a cruising experience to Sydney. Mr Collins was quite scathing of the former Prime Minister when he said: 'I can guarantee you Malcolm Turnbull didn't even read the report. I don't think he really engaged with this issue.' And now the current Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, is refusing to inform the public about the Liberals' latest plans. The Prime Minister, as the member for Cook, represents an electorate that's on the other side of the bay from the electorate that I represent, so you'd think he'd have an understanding of the looming disaster that a cruise ship terminal nearby represents. Yet the SouthernCourier, our local newspaper, reports today that it contacted the Prime Minister's office on 29 August and had been chasing a response for over two weeks. It was only on Friday that the Prime Minister's office bothered to respond, saying, 'We won't be making comment on this at this moment.' This is simply not good enough. Our community can't be left in the dark with such a vital issue as the future of Botany Bay. A cruise ship terminal at Yarra Bay would completely destroy the idyllic little beach that so many in our community enjoy on a daily basis and would definitely put the Yarra Bay Sailing Club at risk. Getting cruise ships into the area would require dredging Botany Bay. Yet again that would do massive environmental damage and pose an unacceptable risk to the pygmy pipehorse and woody sea dragon, which inhabit this part of the bay and are protected species under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Whoever cooked up this crazy proposal has never been to Yarra Bay when there's a big swell running. I've seen waves and surf get half the way up the breakwall opposite Yarra Bay in a big swell, and they would easily smash a cruise liner into that breakwall in a big surf. All of this means that this proposal is unrealistic and would be too costly for any government to implement. On Sunday, 23 September, Michael Daley and I will be holding a community forum at the Yarra Bay Sailing Club. We're encouraging those in our community who are opposed to a cruise ship terminal at Yarra Bay to come along and voice their opposition and let the New South Wales Liberal government know that we are opposed to this cruise ship terminal in Yarra Bay. There's also a petition against this proposal on my website that I encourage people to sign. On behalf of our community, I call on the Prime Minister and the Premier of New South Wales to rule out and reject this ridiculous proposal for a cruise ship terminal at Yarra Bay. Leichhardt Electorate: Tropical Arts Association 77 19:35 Mr ENTSCH 7K6 Leichhardt It gives me great pleasure to rise this evening to talk about one of Cairns's best kept secrets: the Tropical Arts Association. Tropical Arts is a not-for-profit community theatre group based in Cairns. It prides itself on community engagement. Tropical Arts tirelessly finds ways to include people, and the benefits to individuals and the community are substantial. They invite and value each person's strengths and ambitions. Tropical Arts has been presenting an annual Shakespeare production at their Tanks Arts Centre since 2008. Co-founder and president and director, Avril Duck, is certainly the driving force behind Tropical Arts. Avril was awarded the Australia Day Cultural Award in 2016 for her work in inclusion, bringing down the barriers and participation in theatre. The actors on the Tropical Arts stage and the crew behind the scenes are diverse in every way. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight here in our nation's parliament a few of the great people. Warren Clements is known to thousands for his 25 years experience as a cultural dancer and presenter at Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park. In the Tropical Arts production The Tempest, Warren was introduced to the theatre and stage. I have a personal interest in Warren in that I went to school with his mum, Adeline Chong, right through my primary years. I'm very, very proud of the achievements of this wonderful young Indigenous man. Since then, Warren has featured in most productions, worked with other professional companies, made films and trained with the Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble for further opportunities. Velvet Eldred, Cairns Woman of the Year for 2015, is a director, performer and drumming dance and drama trainer. Velvet has brought in a partnership with ARC Disability Services, which has seen more than 50 individuals with a wide range of abilities—and I say 'abilities', not 'disabilities'—take their place on stage and develop ways of working and accessing this inclusive community theatre opportunity. Douglas Robins first joined in 2011 and has become an audience favourite. He is a committee member and an inclusion specialist in the group with his unique perspective as an actor in a wheelchair. The equipment and support required for Doug's condition of Duchenne muscular dystrophy is part of the social and visual dynamic—a strength for Tropical Arts. Young Indigenous live theatre technician, Eben Love, is the lighting designer for the second time this year, getting his start with Tropical Arts in 2011 during its Romeo and Juliet production. The Tropical Arts partnership with ARC has seen actors transition into mainstream cast rehearsals of Shakespeare productions. Actors like Joy Nomani, Troy Johnstone and Darren Smith now attend rehearsals outside of ARC and participate in fundraising workshops and social events. In 2014, Auslan interpreters Sandra Remedio and Angela Santoro from the Deadly Hands Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation joined forces with Tropical Arts to guide, advise and keep culturally safe the various ways of incorporating the deaf community and Auslan into this style of theatre. All actors learn sign language and present the whole show in two languages simultaneously, Auslan and English. The Tropical Arts Association's youngest deaf person is 14 years old. She's performed in her second Shakespeare play at the Tanks Arts Centre. Altogether this year, there are 13 deaf actors in the 60-strong cast. The deaf cast has grown from two to four to seven to 13 in four short years. For Tropical Arts, diversity is the aesthetic and inclusion is the way to get there. Tropical Arts has been making theatre with colourful, not colourblind, casts for 10 years. They proudly talk about recent National Institute of Dramatic Art graduate Wendy Mocke, who successfully auditioned for Australia's most prestigious acting school directly after coming off stage as the lead in Tropical Arts' version of Much Ado About Nothing. Wendy is the first Papua New Guinean actor to enrol in and graduate from NIDA. This year Velvet Eldred and Avril Duck are evaluating the processes of the production and hope to once again form part of the discussion at the National Rural Health Conference in 2019. How do we make inclusion move from policy to practice? Ask Tropical Arts. Mayo Electorate: Banking and Financial Services 78 19:40 Ms SHARKIE 265980 Mayo In regional areas there are certain facilities that are anchors in a community: the school, the footy club, the post office and the banks. So it was with a sense of indignation that I recently received a notification from ANZ Bank that it will be closing its branch in Goolwa on 15 October and its branch in Lobethal on 20 November. According to ANZ, these branches have to close because its customers are all using internet banking. Given what I know about Lobethal and Goolwa, I seriously question the validity of that reasoning. Mayo is the oldest electorate in the state of South Australia. Lobethal is a town of 2,500 people. It is home to one of the district's largest retirement villages. In Goolwa, a town the same size but with a catchment of 8,000 people, residents aged 65 years and over make up more than half of the population. These statistics are important because, according to the Australian Digital Inclusion Index 2017, the gap between those who are active online and those who are not is becoming wider, and age is a major barrier. In the past five years the digital inclusion gap has become much wider between older and younger Australians, low- and high-income households, and regional and urban communities. South Australia has the second-lowest inclusion rate in the nation, just ahead of Tasmania. This is not to say that older Australians do not use the internet; they do. However, the evidence is that they don't use the internet for banking at anywhere near the same rate as younger people. Closing a branch has a devastating impact on a community, and not just on older customers. A number of businesses have spoken to me about how losing their ANZ branch will cost them time, money and peace of mind. The argument that customers can go to the post office or travel 30 minutes to the nearest major centre for face-to-face services just adds to the accessibility barriers in my community. We are talking about businesses who handle large sums of cash, such as the local marina at Hindmarsh Island, restaurants, hotels and even the local council. All of them are now considering changing banks. ANZ might consider us small fry in its corporate big picture but, if enough small-fry businesses band together, we believe we can make a difference. GE Hughes Construction at Lobethal is not small fry. This company employs 140 people and turns over nearly $30 million a year, using the local ANZ branch. That just might change. Owner Garry Hughes is so incensed by the proposed branch closure that he has started a community petition. Garry's a very busy businessman who supports locals, and he believes in building communities. He says: 'The world is more than dollars and cents. If we lose facilities like banks, families move away and it has a snowball effect on the fabric of the community.' I agree, Garry. Lobethal is the branch closest to my home, and where I have done my banking for more than two decades. Lyn and the staff at Lobethal know the names of all your children. Now they don't have a job. Garry has been told that ANZ has made its decision and there's nothing he can do about it. Well, he's going to try and do everything he can. He is not going to lie down, and neither am I. Yes, banks are commercial entities but, let's remember, they are also supported by the Australian Government Guarantee Scheme. They are integral to our economic and social fabric and, therefore, they have a responsibility to behave as good corporate citizens. In the 2016-17 financial year, ANZ made over $9.6 billion in profit before tax—an increase of nearly 18 per cent from the previous financial year. Over the same period, as part of its plans to downsize, ANZ's number of employees fell by more than 3½ per cent, to about 44,800. What sort of legacy is ANZ leaving this nation? If it is not going to stay in a community and employ locals, why couldn't it, as a gesture of corporate responsibility, consider further digital literacy programs for local residents? Why couldn't it help our local councils to set up business hubs for those businesses left behind and so that new ones can possibly come into our communities? I find it difficult to comprehend why the ANZ would choose this time to close branches. Given the damning evidence that has come to light from the banking royal commission, wouldn't it make sense to invest in regional Australia and not leave us high and dry? ANZ, you should be ashamed of yourself, and I urge you to reconsider the Goolwa and Lobethal branch closures. Bennelong Electorate: Local Sporting Champions Program, Tran, Ms Joanne 79 19:45 Mr ALEXANDER M3M Bennelong Australians have remarkable affection for their sport, an affection which has endured for many years as a nation of good sports. Our passion for sport has led us to many successes, whether on the field, in the pool, on the court or on the track—so many successes, in fact, that we are regarded around the world as a sporting nation. It was only recently, in our own backyard, at the Commonwealth Games, that we came together again to celebrate and support the enormous number of talented sports men and women of our nation who represent us with such pride and dignity. We can all see that sport unites and characterises us. Since the start of my career in this parliament, I've been committed to growing and supporting more local talent by ensuring that the local sporting champions from my electorate of Bennelong receive the financial assistance that they need. The Local Sporting Champions grants are an initiative designed to provide financial assistance for our young sports men and women aged 12 to 18 years. Under this program, successful applicants will receive a grant of around $500 that will be used by them to reduce the cost burden for travel, accommodation, uniforms or equipment when competing, coaching or officiating at a state, national or international level. As a former sportsman, I am proud of supporting this initiative, as I truly understand what these young athletes have to go through. The sometimes exorbitant costs involved with playing sport competitively on the national or international stage can be a real barrier to progress. This initiative will help reduce the costs for our talented young sports men and women so that they are able to continue their development and passion for their sports. The recipients of these grants from Bennelong play a wide range of sports, including water polo, baseball, volleyball, gymnastics, AFL, tennis, diving, swimming, netball, touch football and dragon boating. I am greatly excited to announce that the recipients of this round of grants are Marikyra Ho, Jan En Xander Ng, Cordeilia Hay, Adrian Feng, Kate Barry, Alexandra Eedle, Sara Hennessy, Gabriella Stanwix, Joshua Lander, Rinky Hijikata, Joshua Yeon, Zachary Aubry, Taj Barry, Olivia Wunsch, Charli Fidler, Ethan Garrett, Selina Da Silva and Julia Zubak. In addition to representing themselves with pride, they will also be representing their schools, clubs, sporting organisations and community proudly. I have faith in every one of our recipients, our talented and deserving young men and women, that they will follow in the successful footsteps of notable Bennelong athletes, including the late Betty Cuthbert AC MBE, who won gold in the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth, and Karen Moras OAM, who won a triple gold in women's swimming at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games. The fact is that our nation is incredibly successful in sport. However, I think it's important to keep in mind that winning is not the only thing in sport. Sport is about teamwork, whether that is working cooperatively with your fellow teammates in a group environment, like baseball or netball, or playing independently in a sport like tennis or gymnastics. We mustn't forget that, even in solo sports, teamwork is indispensable. Every athlete depends on the guidance, support and assistance of coaches, parents, friends, organisations and, in this case, the government. The government will invest in a range of sports and physical activity initiatives like the Local Sporting Champions grant that will see more Australians more active more often. Ultimately, as our young men and women get ready to head off and compete, I would encourage us all to rally around them so that their talent may be nurtured and so that they achieve the best possible results they can. As a side note, I would also like to congratulate a special young local, Joanne Tran. Joanne has recently done her school work experience in my office, where she was a great asset. She found fame with a national audience last night with her admirable performance on Q&A. Congratulations, Joanne, and good luck for your bright future. I wish I had shares in you. Fremantle Electorate: Tourism 79 19:50 Mr JOSH WILSON 265970 Fremantle I represent an electorate and community with a live and vibrant tradition of welcoming visitors from near and far. Fremantle, or Walyalup, has been a meeting place for thousands of years. More recently, as a port town, over the last couple of hundred years, it has been a place of arrival for migrants and travellers alike. It is a phenomenally beautiful place on the Swan Coastal Plain, on the Indian Ocean coast, on the banks of the Derbarl Yerrigan. If you come from another part of Australia or from overseas and you get the chance to walk on the beach at sunrise in Coogee, or cycle around Bibra Lake or watch the sunset from Cantonment Hill, you will remember it a long time. You will come back, and you might even stay. Like Australia as a whole, Fremantle in the last quarter of a century has made tourism a much bigger part of our social and economic life. It sustains jobs and businesses. It contributes to cultural and community life. As a place to visit and stay for a while, Freo is very hard to beat. The landscape is extraordinary. If you love the water, whether it's scuba diving, sailing or just floating on your back in the shallows, you are well and truly sorted. If you love good food and drink, if you love history, if you want to see the next big thing in Australian music, if you want to experience fantastic Indigenous arts and culture—if you're into any and all of those things, in Freo you are well and truly sorted. It's a diverse and multicultural community that is blessed to live on the land of the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation. We have for a long time been the cradle of great art and great artists, from Bon Scott of AC/DC fame to Tame Impala; from Xavier Herbert to Joan London; and from Kim Scott to Tim Winton. We are the home of craft brewing in Australia. As with Australia as a whole, there remains a lot of potential for tourism in Fremantle and in Western Australia to get bigger and better still. The growing significance and value of tourism have together been a feature of Australia's economic and cultural development over the last 30 years. It's amazing to think that in 1950 short-term overseas visitors to our country totalled only 40,000 people. By 1984 it was a million, and by 1990 it was 2.4 million. In 2015, we had 7½ million overseas visitors to Australia. In the 2016-17 year, tourism generated $37.2 billion in export earnings, which is 10 per cent by value of all Australian exports, making it our fifth largest export earner. Tourism employs five per cent of all workers in Australia and makes a vital contribution to rural and regional economies. It's particularly notable and welcome that international visitor participation in Indigenous cultural activities actually increased 18.6 per cent in 2016-17. I've got no doubt there is much more that could be done to grow this further in the future. I know the cities of Cockburn and Fremantle are separately working towards projects and facilities in that area. I know that both the Beeliar Wetlands and Rottnest Island, or Wadjemup, offer great opportunities to deepen our engagement with Noongar culture. We should remember that tourism and higher education together represent the two largest service exports, and they are not unrelated. We know that people who visit Australia are more likely to then consider this country as a place to pursue their education. We know that international students bring with them the additional value of the visits that are generally made by family and friends. In WA that inter-relationship has special relevance, because we certainly can do more when it comes to attracting both tourists and international students. I'm very glad the McGowan Labor government has made growing WA's tourism sector one of its priorities within its broad focus on economic revitalisation and job creation. I congratulate the Minister for Tourism, my friend and south metro colleague, the Hon. Paul Papalia for his achievements to date. They are reward for effort. His work has included securing new direct flights—most notably, the first direct flight from Australia to the UK, to London—and progress towards securing direct flights from countries in our region, like India. It has also included a commitment to improve critical infrastructure like the Fremantle Passenger Terminal, though the WA government's capacity to do that is compromised by the debt left to them by the Barnett government. I'll also say that the current government has cut two of Labor's successful and supportive tourism initiatives: the T-QUAL Grants program and the Tourism Industry Regional Development Fund. As the representative of one of Australia's great destination cities, I'm very glad to have recently become the co-convenor of the Parliamentary Friends of Tourism. I look forward to working with business and the broader community in Western Australia to make tourism a brighter and stronger part of our social, cultural and economic life in the future. Menzies Electorate: Infrastructure 80 19:55 Mr ANDREWS HK5 Menzies I rise tonight to mention a matter which I've discussed on a number of occasions in this place, the North East Link. It's a matter which is of particular concern to constituents in my electorate and in surrounding electorates, including yours, Mr Speaker. On the weekend, the North East Link Authority released the latest plans and proposals in relation to this important transport connection in Melbourne. Why is this important? It's important because there are so few crossings of the Yarra River once one moves east of the CBD in Melbourne. There's a crossing at Chandler Highway, which is being currently upgraded—and that is very welcome by those who use Chandler Highway on a regular basis, even occasional cyclists like myself. Then there's a crossing at Manningham Road or Bridge Street. Then you have to go out to Fitzsimons Lane to the next crossing. Following that, you have to go further out to Warrandyte to the next crossing. Then you go into your electorate, Mr Speaker, to Yarra Glen to get to the next crossing. Huge parts of Melbourne with very large populations that need to cross the Yarra River are constrained by very few crossings of this river. That is compounded by the fact that Melbourne is growing generally yet there is no connection between the Northern Ring Road and the Eastern Freeway. The Western Ring Road, which becomes the Northern Ring Road, which is a major transport corridor for Melbourne, is unconnected to the Eastern Freeway and the Eastlink, which is another major corridor for Melbourne. There is a connection between Eastlink and the Monash Freeway. So this creates a problem. Vehicles using the Northern Ring Road or the Eastern Freeway that want to transit between the two, including many heavy vehicles carrying goods, have to travel through roads which weren't built for the purpose. Indeed, in many instances they have to travel through secondary streets and suburban areas that weren't planned for that purpose. The idea of the North East Link is one which has a great deal of logic to it in terms of the planning of Melbourne, but there are problems with the proposals which have been brought forward. The first one is that the chosen route, from Greensborough and Watsonia down to Bulleen and then joining the Eastlink, is obviously the shortest and least expensive of those proposals. It makes sense for a lot of reasons. However, there are difficulties that arise from the proposal. The first and most immediate difficulty, which affects businesses and residents in my constituency, is what happens to all those businesses in Bulleen. There are more than 100 businesses there, which, it's proposed, will simply be done away with. There's no proposal for where they might be relocated. There are actually hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs in that area. This will have a major impact on the rating base of the city of Manningham. The new proposal, which is an advance on the previous one, provides that there is not the spaghetti junction that there was before but something much more modest which allows space. I'd ask the authority, on behalf of my businesses and residents, to look at how they can keep as many of those businesses as possible. The second difficulty is that part of this proposal is to expand the Eastern Freeway and to provide a bus route out to Doncaster. Those changes are all very good and all very welcome, but the expansion of the Eastern Freeway and the culmination of bringing the North East Link begs the question, when the traffic gets to Clifton Hill, where does it go? As you know, Mr Speaker, the East West Link is the answer to that. If we're going to have the North East Link, we also need the East West Link. I'd encourage the state government in Victoria—hopefully a Liberal government after the next election—to revisit the East West Link. House adjourned at 20:00   The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mrs Wicks) took the chair at 16:00.

Tuesday, 11 September 2018

The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mrs Wicks) took the chair at 16:00.

 

CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS 82 CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS Holt Electorate: Tooradin 82 16:00 Mr BYRNE 008K0 Holt I recently had the pleasure of attending the Tooradin Business Association's monthly meeting at the Tooradin & District Sports Club to hear more about the interests of the 1,568 people now living in Tooradin. Led by its president, Marlene Hargreaves, the Tooradin Business Association is regarded as the leading representative organisation for business and industry in Tooradin. It does so by advancing and implementing community based projects that directly enhance the viability of business in this spectacular region in Western Port Bay. Marlene is the co-founder and director of EcoFuture Pty Ltd, which is a boutique formulation company developing nutraceutical and cutting-edge green chemistry products. Marlene has shown tremendous leadership in standing up for the Tooradin community. She's excited to be president of the business association for the year 2018-19 and is looking forward to growing the destination brand for Tooradin and the coastal villages region. At the Tooradin Business Association meeting, I was delighted to listen to presentations by Jeff Weir, Executive Director of the Dolphin Research Institute, and Dr Pat McWhirter, Chair of the Healesville to Phillip Island Nature Link. In particular, it was fascinating to learn about the local marine life in Western Port Bay, which includes the beautiful weedy sea dragon. You may or may not know that that is a creature that is prevalent in Western Port Bay. It is actually in museums in Lisbon and on buses in New York, but it's something that people in Western Port Bay in Victoria wouldn't even know existed. Yet it's one of the most beautiful creatures in the oceans on the planet. An honourable member interjecting— Mr BYRNE 008K0 The weedy sea dragon—just remember that. We're claiming it, though. It was wonderful to hear the passion and the commitment of two of these leading experts. Dr Pat McWhirter was talking about the vegetation trail from the Dandenongs leading into Western Port Bay. It's the knowledge of these two experts that we're going to need to protect the environmental integrity of the Western Port Bay region, because surrounding Western Port Bay is one of the fastest growth belts in the country. It's something like 10 kilometres away from Cranbourne East. What does that mean? Cranbourne East is the fastest-growing suburb in Australia. On one hand, you have the fastest-growing area in Australia with all of those young families coming to live and make a life for themselves. On the other hand, you have this absolutely unique marine environment. And getting the mixture right in terms of getting the development but protecting the ecosystems is going to be absolutely essential to the integrity of that Western Port Bay and the Tooradin coastal village region. Thank you, Marlene, for making me feel so welcome at this business association dinner, and I look forward to working with you in the future. Hinkler Electorate: Aged Care 82 16:03 Mr PITT 148150 Hinkler I rise to speak about aged care in my electorate of Hinkler. The Hinkler electorate has one of the highest percentages of elderly people of any electorate in Australia. In fact, I often compete with my good friend and colleague Dr David Gillespie, the member for Lyne in New South Wales, as to just how many each of us have in our location. These are older Australians, as I'm sure you know, Madam Deputy Speaker, who have worked hard and who have contributed so greatly to our society, to their communities and to their own families that they do deserve high-quality aged care when that time of need comes. So it is important that we continue to deliver the facilities that they need in their time of need and that those facilities are staffed adequately and are appropriate. In my local electorate of Hinkler, we have any number of new facilities. Over the last five years, I've fought hard to make sure we have more beds locally. There were hundreds of beds allocated when I first came into the parliament in 2013, but they simply were not built. So we have new facilities now at Palm Lakes at Bargara. There is a multimillion dollar facility at Ozcare in Hervey Bay—a new facility, The Waterford, which I've got to say is like stepping onto a cruise ship. I've never seen a facility quite like it, complete with theatres and men's sheds and workshops. It was quite incredible. There are existing ones like Torbay, which is a community-run facility. I have been contacted by constituents with great uplifting stories of the experiences of their parents in aged care, but I've also been contacted by those with troubling experiences, and that is unacceptable. Where that has happened, we have taken action. Today in Bundaberg the Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union and the Labor Party candidate are calling for ratios of nurses to patients. They want 4.3 hours of care per patient per nurse. We need to get the balance right, because we do not want to see the closure of these facilities, particularly in regional areas, when something so onerous is placed upon them. Aged care is not an industry. It's not a numbers game. It is not about how many hours you get per patient; it is about quality care where it's needed. Today I'm calling for more boots on the ground, particularly in my electorate. The complaints I've received are that there aren't enough staff in some aged-care facilities to help with bathing, exercise and feeding patients. These are not jobs for registered nurses. They can be carried out by well-trained aged-care workers. I want to see more of them on the ground. Registered nurses are also important, but I don't believe their professional skills are needed to feed and bathe residents, and I'm sure all people would agree with me, particularly in this place. I want RNs to be there to assist with medication and the higher-need medical skills. Surely we can find a way to ensure there is an RN available per shift, whether in person, in a regional or remote area or on call. That is what's necessary, not mandatory ratios that could close our aged-care facilities, particularly in our smaller towns. Berinson, The Hon. Joseph Max 'Joe', QC, McKiernan, James Philip 'Jim' 83 16:06 Mr GORMAN 74519 Perth Today I pay tribute to two great Western Australians who passed away in recent months: the Hon. Joe Berinson and former senator Jim McKiernan. In their political careers they left the Labor Party, Western Australia and this nation stronger. Joe Berinson was a former Attorney-General of Western Australia and an active legal reformist. He was also a Deputy Speaker of the House. Born 7 January 1932 at his family's home near Hyde Park, Joe was educated at Highgate State School—now Highgate Primary—Perth Modern School and the University of Western Australia. He worked as a pharmacist and, after enduring a disappointing result in the seat of Swan in 1963, in 1969 he was elected a the federal member for the electorate of Perth, at that time sprawling all the way out to Midland. Along with the election of the Whitlam government in 1972, Joe was re-elected as the member for Perth, and in July 1975 he was promoted to the position of Minister for the Environment. With the Whitlam government's dismissal and defeat in 1975, Joe lost the federal seat of Perth and returned to Western Australia to practice law before being elected to the state legislative council in 1980. He was appointed attorney-general and implemented important legal reforms, including the abolition of capital punishment in Western Australia, and the passing of the Equal Opportunity Act and sexual assault laws. He remained as attorney-general for 10 years and was the longest serving Attorney-General of Western Australia. He was also an active member of Perth's Jewish community, representing it with great honour, including as president of the Jewish Community Council of Western Australia. Sadly, I'm also speaking about the passing of former senator Jim McKiernan. He gained a trade qualification as a machinist and quickly found himself active in the trade union movement. He described the union movement as: … the only real organisation outside the political sphere which can or is willing to do anything for the working class. He joined the Labor Party in the late 1970s and thought about running for a range of seats, including the seat of Perth, before nominating for a Senate seat in 1983. In his first two years in the Senate he tabled 28 petitions calling for the removal of references to the Queen in the citizenship oath. He also had his citizenship called into question, something we're familiar with in more recent times. His response was: … I haven't got the time to be stuffed around by an antiquated Constitution drafted 100 years ago. A great character and a huge loss. Our thoughts are with Joe's wife, Jeanette, and Jim's wife, Jackie, two incredible women in their own right. Vale Joe Berinson. Vale Jim McKiernan. Ageing 83 16:09 Mr ANDREWS HK5 Menzies The ageing of the population, which is happening relatively rapidly at the present time, is one of the most significant demographic changes that have occurred historically. It's a significant achievement because of a number of factors, including the great improvements in sanitation in countries like Australia and elsewhere around the world a century ago; the huge improvements in maternal and child health, again from about a century ago—tragically, in the past so many women giving birth died in childbirth, or children died in childbirth or soon after; and then, of course, in the second half of last century the rapid advances in medication, in surgery and in the development of pharmaceuticals. The ageing of the population is a very significant human achievement, but it also brings with it many challenges. Obviously there will be impact on the workforce in future years from the fact that, comparatively speaking, there will be fewer workers than there are dependants because there will be many more people of old age who have left the work force. There will be impact on the healthcare system at both a Commonwealth level and a state and territory level in this country. Finally, there's the impact in terms of aged care. We see that over a period of some two decades there will be a doubling of the number, and indeed the proportion, of people over 65 in this country. Indeed, the fastest growing cohort of the population currently are people aged 80 and above. It's estimated, for example, that by 2040 there will be something like 40,000 Australians aged 100 years and over, and by 2050 that number will have exceeded 50,000 Australians. So these are significant challenges in relation to the population generally. I was pleased in this context to visit and participate in the opening of a new wing of Willowbrae aged-care home, one of the new, modern aged-care homes in my electorate. I recall that, when I first came to this place, I think there were only 200 aged-care places in the whole of my electorate. When you think about the numbers that will be required in the future, you can see that there's been a rapid change in the aged-care population, and this is something which will need to grow in the future regardless of who happens to be in government here in Canberra. I also welcome, in this context, the new Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, which is to operate from 1 January 2019. It's there to enhance and protect the quality of life, safety, health and wellbeing of people in aged care, whether they're in aged-care homes residentially or they're receiving aged care within the community. This is a significant reform and one of the ongoing reforms which have been driven by the current Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care, Ken Wyatt. I congratulate him in that regard. Port Adelaide Electorate: Port River Dolphins 84 16:12 Mr BUTLER HWK Port Adelaide Last week, the South Australian Marshall government watched on unmoved as the last of an entire family of wild dolphins living in the Port River dolphin sanctuary died a slow, painful death. The last months of Oriana's life were filled with grief, as her new calf, CK, died and then her mother, Bianca, soon followed. On Monday last week, Oriana was discovered with vicious wounds that cut right through her blubber and into her flesh. For three days she struggled, crying, while her friends Star and Ripple—the latter of whom lost her own baby, Holly, in January—stayed by her side to care for her. On Thursday, Oriana was found dead in the waters off Garden Island. This dolphin sanctuary has become a slaughterhouse, and the Premier and the South Australian government are now responsible. The experts have been clear: we must limit speeds in the sanctuary. The Protect Our Dolphins campaign is not asking for much—only what we would expect to already be the case. Even Flinders Ports have said a sanctuary-wide speed limit would not affect their commerce. The only thing it would do is enforce sensible restrictions to protect a vital community that is unique in the world. More than 17,000 people have signed a petition to limit speeds in the dolphin sanctuary, including an additional 5,000 since I last spoke in this place on this issue only a month ago. The state Liberal government, however, has repeatedly ignored calls for action and even tried to hide behind a ludicrous excuse of ministerial responsibility: that the environment minister has no jurisdiction over boat speed limits but the transport minister has no jurisdiction over protected species. The South Australian government has repeatedly shirked responsibility for this crisis. I've received no response to my calls for action from the Premier. Ashleigh Pisani of the Portside Messenger and Dr Mike Bossley have been tireless in their advocacy, which has also fallen on deaf ears. Transport minister Stephan Knoll ignored over nine requests to meet with eminent dolphin expert Dr Mike Bossley. He finally agreed to meet only after Oriana was injured. A division having been called in the House of Representatives— Sitting suspended from 16:15 to 16:29 Mr BUTLER HWK Seven dolphins in the last nine months have been killed in the Port River: three adult dolphins—Ruby, Bianca and Oriana—and four new calves: Holly, Ripples's daughter; CK, Oriana's daughter; and the two unnamed, but no less mourned, calves of the Port River pod. The deaths of these unique and precious creatures should not be in vain. Premier Steven Marshall must act, and he must act now, to introduce speed limits across the Port River dolphin sanctuary. Chisholm Electorate: Chisholm Volunte 84 16:29 Ms BANKS 18661 Chisholm Only a few weeks ago the then Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Julie Bishop, lauded as the best foreign minister in the world and an amazing role model to Australian girls and women, joined me at Huntingtower School in Mount Waverley to recognise outstanding local volunteers, along with hundreds of their families and friends. The Chisholm Volunteer Awards acknowledge and celebrate the important and valuable contribution of volunteers across Chisholm. The diverse group of awardees come from the Chisholm community, with the youngest awardee aged 12 and the oldest aged well over 90. Our Chisholm Volunteer of the Year is Yvonne Putz, from the outstanding Easter Volunteers group. Her recognition, together with all the 75 volunteers who were nominated by their organisations, clubs and groups, is so well deserved. My thanks to the principal, Mr Sholto Bowen, and the Huntingtower community for hosting us in their new performing arts centre. I'd like to acknowledge Chavelle Lui, the inaugural winner of the Chisholm volunteer essay competition, and I promised her I would share the winner's essay in this House so it could be recorded in Hansard. To all the young students at Huntingtower and in the broader Chisholm area, being respectful means loyalty and integrity and keeping one's promises. Therefore, it gives me great pleasure, as I promised, to read out Chavelle's winning essay: Volunteering is about dedicating a portion of one's life, no matter how big or small, to make a difference to the life of another without expecting anything in return. It is the acknowledgement that no one person is worth more or deserves more than another. Whether it is spending a gap year in a remote African village or one hour a week at the local St Vinnie's, it is the act of contributing rather than consuming. A volunteer is the epitome of compassion, generosity and selflessness, and the volunteer feels happy and fulfilled to be genuinely appreciated. Time is the most valuable possession and the greatest gift an individual can give. Volunteers have the heart to give even when pressed for time. We can make a living by what we get, but we can make a life by what we give. As Anne Frank said, 'How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.' I thank Chavelle Lui and everyone at Huntingtower College for what was a magnificent day. I thank all the students for contributing their essays. They were all brilliant. It was very, very difficult to make a choice. I congratulate Chavelle, and I'm so pleased that I've been able to have this opportunity to read out her essay. Jewish, Coptic and Islamic New Year 85 16:32 Mr BURKE DYW Watson Most of us recognise new year on 1 January, but there's a coincidence at the moment that at this exact time of year there are a number of different communities all celebrating new year on different calendars. Over the weekend, Jewish communities in Australia and around the world celebrated the beginning of the Jewish calendar year, Rosh Hashana. Over the past two days, and before the end of today, Jewish families, friends and communities marked the beginning of the month of Tishri with honey-dipped fruits and traditional round braided egg bread to symbolise the sweetness of the year and prayers for a prosperous year ahead. The celebration of Rosh Hashana encompasses the values of sharing and well wishes for happiness, success and prosperity. Those values shape our modern multicultural society and highlight our strength as a diverse country with many faiths, cultures and backgrounds. To all the Australian Jewish community, on behalf of my colleagues and everyone celebrating, I wish you Shanah Tova—may you be sealed in the Book of Life. It's also the case that today Coptic communities are celebrating their new year—Nayrouz. On this day, the Coptic community celebrates the sacrifice martyrs of the Coptic faith made in protection of Christianity during the Roman era. Nayrouz is marked with a special mass and the handing out of seasonal dates and pictures of holy Coptic saints to followers in remembrance of the lives the martyrs led. In Australia, families and friends will celebrate together the joyful chants of the choir at mass and share blessings and prayers for the year to come. The celebration of Nayrouz serves as a reminder to all of us of the strength of unity in the face of division and the importance of sharing our stories with each other and sharing these celebrations of new year with each other. On behalf of my colleagues, I'd like to wish Coptic communities in Australia and around the world, particularly in my electorate in Punchbowl, a happy and prosperous Nayrouz. Today also marks the beginning of the Islamic new year, Muharram. On behalf of federal Labor, I'd like to extend my best wishes to Muslim communities in Australia and around the world who are today celebrating Islamic new year. Muharram, or al-Hijrah, is the first month and one of four sacred months in the Islamic lunar calendar. It's a time of reflection, commemoration and acknowledgement, with the 10th day of the month, Ashura, considered by some to be the most important day of the month. Muharram is observed differently by Australian Muslims and Muslims around the world. For some it's a commemoration of the saving of Moses from the army of Pharoah and the date the Prophet Mohammed migrated to Medina; for others, it's a day of sadness as communities gather in remembrance of the martyrdom of Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet. To all those who are marking this day in celebration or remembrance: I wish you a safe and peaceful new year. All of the stories, all of the celebrations, are celebrations for Australians at new year. Dunkley Electorate: Local Sporting Champions Grants, Australian Welsh Male Choir 85 16:35 Mr CREWTHER 248969 Dunkley I wish to continue to congratulate local sporting champions in my electorate, as I was discussing yesterday in the Federation Chamber: Fern Edwards, of Mount Eliza, for competing in the rollerskating Australian Artistic Championships; Evie English, of Mount Eliza, for competing in the diving Australian Elite Junior Championships; Jordan Miller, of Mornington, for competing in the softball International Friendship Series; and Olivia Carlson, of Seaford, who attends Seaford North Primary School, for competing in the Australian Karate Federation national championships. I recently met Olivia in my office, along with her younger sister, who is already a brown belt and who, I'm sure, will also be a future sporting champion in my electorate. I wish all of these winners of Local Sporting Champions grants all the best for their future sporting endeavours. I encourage other future sporting champions to apply for the next round of Local Sporting Champions grants. Applications for the next round are open until 31 October 2018. The Local Sporting Champions program is an Australian government initiative designed to provide young people aged 12 to18 financial assistance with the cost of travel, uniforms, coaching or equipment when they're competing, coaching or officiating at national or international sporting championships. These must be national sporting organisation endorsed or School Sport Australia state or national championships. Congratulations again to the local sporting champions in Dunkley. Earlier this month, at the Village Baxter, I officially launched the new Australian Welsh Male Choir trailer. The trailer was funded with the help of $5,000 from the federal coalition government. The trailer will carry the choir's rises and equipment as it performs across my electorate of Dunkley, throughout Australia and overseas. The Australian Welsh Male Choir, based in Frankston, has been going for over 45 years and is world-renowned. It is the oldest Welsh choir in Australia and has toured the UK, Asia, New Zealand and all around Australia. I'm very proud to support the choir. I have even joined rehearsals myself a number of times. My own surname, Crewther, has both Welsh and musical connotations. 'Crewther' is derived from the Welsh musical instrument the crwth, whose popularity preceded that of the violin, which then took hold—much like tapes being followed by cassettes and then CDs. At the end of this month the choir will be performing in the UK, including at Australia House and the Royal Albert Hall. I wish the choir ever success on the tour. I'd particularly like to wish the choir the best of luck in showcasing their talent at the 26th London Welsh Festival of Male Voice Choirs. I look forward to seeing more of the choir, as with the new trailer they'll more easily be able to transport their equipment from gig to gig across the electorate of Dunkley and across Australia. Centrelink 86 16:38 Mr HUSIC 91219 Chifley The unfortunate reality, when it comes to Centrelink jobs, is that the only thing the coalition values about those jobs is the ability to cut those jobs. In just the last week we've found out that 80 roles will be cut, in various parts of the country, out of Centrelink. There'll be about 30 roles cut in the Illawarra, 22 in Adelaide and 15 in Brisbane. These roles were in the debt recovery section of Centrelink, the last line of defence against the error-prone robo-debt system in which, as we know and as many of us saw, there were alarming instances of pensioners being sent huge bills, huge debt notices, that were clearly incorrect. And they found it so difficult to get those problems resolved. The people who were put on to assist Centrelink to sort this out were specialists. Especially galling is the fact that they lose 30 positions out of the Illawarra, out of regional Australia. The government says it wants to decentralise jobs and it wants to see more work being done outside of capital cities, but then it does this. What's even more extraordinary is the minister's defence. The minister has said that these aren't ongoing roles; these are only temporary roles and, therefore, this shouldn't be seen as job cuts. For the people who are losing that work it does feel like a job cut, especially when it's likely to happen right before Christmas. That's not the only extraordinary thing about it. It's not as if there isn't work in Centrelink right now that these people could be used for. For example, the time taken for Centrelink to process applications for an aged pension is getting longer. It has almost doubled. It has been discovered that people who are eligible for the aged pension and are on Newstart are being forced to fill out forms and then have those considered. The great champions of red tape reduction, except when it comes to Australia's vulnerable, make those people fill out a new form to get onto the aged pension. Then Centrelink take their sweet time to approve it. It means that people are without income for ages. If you call Centrelink, you will wait ages to get that call answered. Yet you can't get enough people in Centrelink to get that job. The only people who win out of this are contract firms, labour hire firms. They are the only winners out of the coalition's job push. What happens is that the jobs leave Centrelink and go to a contracted position. Both the jobs are gone and the service is lost as a result of the coalition's decisions. (Time expired) Inverloch Men's Shed 86 16:41 Mr BROADBENT MT4 McMillan I identify with the member for Chifley's words with regard to the pension and Centrelink. At a time when it has never been more important for our communities to be connected and resilient, it is uplifting to see the contribution of the Inverloch Men's Shed in supporting drought-stricken regions across Victoria. I recently met with volunteers of the Inverloch Men's Shed. They were holding a sausage sizzle outside of Bunnings in Wonthaggi. They were raising funds and awareness of the drought that is impacting much of Australia. I applaud the men's shed members who I had the pleasure of meeting in Wonthaggi: President Julian Sellers, Brian Williams, Mal Dunn, Cam Walker and others. They are the shining lights of our local regional communities, providing the local leadership our communities need to thrive and prosper. These are the men who lend a hand when one is needed and volunteer their time to get community events happening. On that day the Inverloch Men's Shed raised more than $2,000. The money is going to the Gippsland drought relief fund. It's a valuable contribution that will be greatly appreciated. I should mention that not one dollar of the money going to the Gippsland drought relief fund will go to administration; it will all be delivered to the people who need it the most. The fundraising barbecue at Wonthaggi sent an important message to farmers and farming communities. The message is: we care about it and the people care about you. In Wonthaggi they care about them, in Inverloch they care about them and in Warragul they care about them. Right across Victoria we care about what's happening to those in drought-affected areas. I thank the men's shed for organising the fundraising and encouraging the conversation about the ongoing drought. While West and South Gippsland for the most part are incredibly fortunate to be free from the most severe impacts of the drought, there are many regions not as fortunate as our own. Things may look green, but there just hasn't been enough rain to grow the grass or fill the farm dams. The support of the Inverloch Men's Shed and the other men's sheds across the district, together with assistance and drought-relief packages provided by this federal government and the state government, plays an important role during this tough time for farmers and the wider farming communities. Men's sheds are great places. I encourage all men to seek out a men's shed in their local community, get involved and help make a positive contribution to their local community, just like the Inverloch Men's Shed is doing. Once again I give a big shout out to the Inverloch Men's Shed and all those who are connected and engaged around you. You're doing a great job. I love what you're doing. I know this House loves what you're doing. We support men's sheds right around this country. Remember that you will always have our support in whatever you undertake. The DEPUTY SPEAKER 241590 If no member present objects, three-minute constituency statements may continue for a total of 60 minutes. Anning, Senator Fraser 87 16:45 Mr HAYES ECV Fowler Recently I had the pleasure of attending the Racism: It Stops With Me event hosted by Faten El Dana OAM, the President of the Muslim Women's Welfare of Australia. The event brought together various members of our diverse community in Western Sydney, making it clear that we stand against racism. I'm proud to say that that's exactly what occurred recently in our federal parliament. It was one of the few instances where we've seen the parliament come together. At that time, we condemned the derogatory and offensive statements made by Senator Fraser Anning. His was a speech belittling our people, dividing our community and, quite frankly, inciting hatred towards fellow Australians. It was a display of complete ignorance not only towards our Australian Muslims but also to those of the Jewish faith, as it invoked the term 'final solution' to fulfil his filthy agenda. To be an Australian should be dictated not by your religion or your ethnicity but by your love for this country and the contribution you make to our great nation. I have the honour of representing one of the most multicultural electorates in the whole of Australia and, on behalf of my constituents, I can tell Fraser Anning that his vile comments are not welcome and have no place—certainly in this parliament. This sort of behaviour should never be tolerated, and we should always condemn it for what it is, and that is pure racism. What do we hear from his party leader, the member for Kennedy? No remorse and no apology—just a rambling statement claiming that he backs Senator Anning 100 per cent. What's worse is that he claims that 90 per cent of Australians do as well. What next? Burning crosses? Wearing white-hooded gowns? Setting up a parliamentary branch of the Ku Klux Klan? Unfortunately, people like Senator Hanson and the One Nation party have made a career of racist ideologies. Now Senator Anning and the member for Kennedy seem determined to join her in a race to the bottom of Australian politics. This bigotry and racism must stop. It's completely un-Australian and has no place here. We must never be silent when our fellow Australians are subject to such vile behaviour. By remaining silent, we are simply giving credit to those racist views that seek to divide our communities. The truth is racism does stop with me. Disability Services 87 16:47 Mr WALLACE 265967 Fisher This week is Queensland Disability Action Week. It's a time to raise awareness of issues surrounding disability and empower those living with one. But, above all, this week is a time to celebrate and reflect on the achievements and contributions people living with a disability make to our communities. Statistics suggest that on the Sunshine Coast, where my electorate of Fisher is, there are almost 17,000 people living with a disability. Even more people are touched by disability, from family and friends to carers and health professionals. Across Australia, of course, the numbers are much higher, with more than 18 per cent of the population reporting a limitation, restriction or impairment that restricts their everyday activities. I'm the father of a little girl with a disability—I shouldn't call her a little girl. She's 16 now. She'd kill me if I said 'a little girl'. She's my baby, so I can get away with it. I have some understanding of the challenges and unique complexities faced by those with a disability. We as a government have a responsibility to care for those who need our assistance, and I'm proud to play even just a very small part in the NDIS rollout. This year's theme for Disability Action Week is 'Everybody has a role to play'. Madam Deputy Speaker, let me assure you this government is playing its part by delivering the largest disability healthcare reform ever undertaken by the Commonwealth. The NDIS has already overhauled access to disability services, and from 1 January 2019 people on the Sunshine Coast, at Gympie and Noosa, will finally be part of the scheme. A range of services will be provided under the NDIS, from individualised care plans to access to assistive technologies and referral support. The NDIS will offer security and stability to those who need it most. I know from my time on the NDIS committee and from personal experience that the insurance scheme will be a life-changing experience for many Australians. With the NDIS rollout in Fisher now fast approaching, I've taken the time to meet with locals who will be part of the program. Information sessions hosted by me and attended by representatives of the NDIA allowed locals to understand how the changes will affect them and the ways they can get involved. Almost 200 attendees were able to discuss their individual situation with NDIA representatives to ensure they will be best prepared when the scheme rolls out next year. Next month, I'll host a third information session, for local businesses and service providers looking to become part of the NDIS. The session will outline how prospective service providers can get involved, and there'll be a chance to meet with others who've already signed up to the scheme. I encourage all service providers in Fisher to contact my office for more details. (Time expired) Diabetes 88 16:50 Ms RYAN 249224 Lalor I recently met with a young lady named Taryn Gaskin, a local resident who's been living with type 1 diabetes since she was 11 years old. Taryn is currently working as a childcare educator. She lives independently from her parents in a unit that she has managed to purchase. She currently has a continuous glucose monitoring device, through the benevolence of a trial, and she came to talk to me about how much that had changed her life this year. She is someone who suffers from a life-threatening condition. She told about the number of times she has had to go to hospital because of dramatic drops in her glucose levels. She told me about a terrible incident when she was driving her car, of which she has no memory, and ended up in a coma in hospital for some time. But it was a celebratory meeting because her life has changed considerably. Her parents no longer ring her every morning to make sure that she's made it through the night. At work, as an early learning educator, she can now be on her own in a room with children, whereas previously she had always been paired with another worker. So her life has changed because of the CGM device that she is wearing. I wanted to pay tribute to this young lady for her courage and to bring her story to the chamber to impress upon people that, although the parliament has made a commitment to provide CGMs to people under 21 years of age, there are others who desperately need to have this constantly in their lives, and Taryn is one of those people. Her condition is not one where she can learn to monitor her levels, because they are so drastically different. But she has said that, in the period in which she has had access to the device, her levels are starting to stabilise. Fortunately, a local community organisation has committed to $2,000 in funds for next year to ensure she gets a second year with the device. This has been life-changing for this young lady and for her family. They are courageous people who encouraged their daughter to be independent and to continue to have an independent life. As a mum, I know what that would have taken—how torn they would have been about that. This device has really helped her become an independent person and has helped her make a great contribution to our community and to society. I encourage those opposite to commit to lengthening and widening the access to this device to other type 1 diabetics. (Time expired) Om Shanti Foundation 88 16:53 Mr GOODENOUGH 74046 Moore It is a great honour to have received an invitation to launch a charitable foundation by Mr Shanti Sivaraj, a local businessman, who has an inspirational story of arriving in Australia as a migrant from Sri Lanka with limited means. Upon his arrival, Mr Sivaraj worked hard in a number of jobs, including in regional towns, to build up his business in the food and beverage industry, culminating in success as the current licensee of a number of McDonald's outlets in Perth's northern suburbs. Shanti's generosity and community spirit have seen him support a number of charitable causes over the years, including Ronald McDonald House. He has made a substantial contribution to the local business community by employing and training local youth as staff and is seeking to help others achieve their full potential. The Om Shanti Foundation is an association that has been incorporated to help families in the northern regions of Sri Lanka through the provision of microcredit grants to allow families to become self-sustaining and to alleviate poverty. The driving vision is to create a system that can be modelled globally, which empowers communities of the Third World to live a self-sustaining, higher quality of life through education, microfinancing and social support. The mission is to help people help themselves. The philosophy behind the approach is very much to provide those in need with a hand up rather than a handout. It is personal development and advancement through endeavour, hard work, enterprise and reward for effort. Current objectives include microcredit grants to help families establish microbusinesses; an essentials drive, which provides living essentials for those in desperate need; and a kids for kids initiative, which plans to connect children in Perth with those in Sri Lanka to raise funds and develop greater awareness and understanding of global social justice issues. The foundation has future plans to assist the homeless citizens of Perth in the northern suburbs through the provision of resources and counselling. I am pleased to be attending a fundraising event on 6 October to launch the foundation and support its charitable work into the future. I pay tribute to Shanti Sivaraj in this parliament. He is an outstanding citizen and family man who is making a significant contribution to our community and the northern suburbs of Perth and improving international relations with Sri Lanka, an important trading partner. Mount Roland Cable Car 89 16:56 Mr BRIAN MITCHELL 129164 Lyons Cable cars are a touchy subject in Tasmania. Long-stalled plans for a cable car up the side of kunanyi/Mount Wellington have split the Hobart community, but I'd like to talk today about a cable car plan for Mount Roland, about 300 kilometres north-west of Hobart. It's the brainchild of Justin Carman and of Brian Inder, who is famous in the north-west region for creating the amazing wonderland of Tasmazia and Lower Crackpot. Six years ago, Justin and Brian started work on their concept to run a cable car up Mount Roland, which is one of Tasmania's stunning mountains. The view of this mountain from the nearby town of Sheffield can be absolutely jaw-droppingly beautiful. Justin and Brian have done all the right things in terms of submissions and preapprovals, but they have become increasingly frustrated by the bureaucratic and political inertia within the state government. Briefly, in November 2014 they submitted an EOI, only to learn in March 2015 that it had been rejected on the basis they needed to submit a feasibility study to prove the viability. They've done that. For three years they've gathered all the data, as well extending the project to incorporate mountain biking, which is taking off like a rocket in Tasmania. In May this year they resubmitted the proposal and, until yesterday, in fact, had heard nothing back, despite requests. I am pleased to report to the House that the state government has now asked to meet them to discuss the proposal further. I should stress, this is all simply about preapproval. It's taken four years to get to preapproval. If they get the nod they will then submit the proposal for a formal and rigorous planning approval process, which will include, of course, a formal round of community consultation. They're already listening to community feedback and have shifted the site of their proposed cable car so it can't be seen from Sheffield. I don't want to pre-empt the decision making process, but it's hard not to be enthusiastic about the possibilities this project could bring to the Kentish region. It will provide more than 30 direct jobs, extend tourism into winter, bring more visitors to the region and keep them in the area and give life to the idea of a Mount Roland adventure precinct, which could later include abseiling and similar pursuits. Justin and Brian have not asked for one cent from government, and they are confident they can fully fund this venture. The government has nothing to lose in allowing this project to proceed to the next stage. There will be a public meeting on this proposal at the Sheffield Town Hall on Tuesday, 25 September. I urge all those in the Kentish region to turn up and learn more about this exciting proposal for the Kentish region and Mount Roland. Australian National Flag Day 89 16:59 Mr TIM WILSON IMW Goldstein Australian National Flag Day was held on 3 September, and it was a day to celebrate the contribution of our flag to our national civic life and as a symbol of this great nation. It was a day to remind ourselves of the first moment our national icon was flown over the dome of that wonderful Exhibition Building in Melbourne. It's also an opportunity to reflect on the symbolism of the flag, and that's what we did in the Goldstein electorate. We produced a booklet on the history and the traditions of the flag. There were people who designed the modern Australian flag, but, more critically, did you know, Deputy Speaker, one of the five winners of the original flag competition was a resident of the Goldstein community living in Beaumaris? He was a lovely fellow by the name of Ivor Evans. To honour his legacy and to celebrate his achievement, we produced a booklet that educated people about the flag, and we presented new flags to some of the schools in the Goldstein electorate. I'd like to acknowledge St Finbar's Primary School and particularly their principal, Pat Berlingeri, who was wonderful in hosting us. At Katandra School, we had a ceremony in which Bella presented the Australian flag, Jackson the Aboriginal flag and Cooper the Torres Strait Islander flag, and I acknowledge Rhett Watts, the principal and Wendy Sheppard, the leading teacher. At Hampton Primary School, we met with principal Sue Knight and at Wesley College, Elsternwick, we met with the head of campus, Jacinta Janssens, and the head of the junior school, Kieran McCrohan. And at Stella Maris' Flag Day, we had a celebration with Rob Horwood, the principal, and Yvan Frederic, the deputy principal. The celebrations keep coming in the Goldstein community, including of course, for our recipients of Local Sporting Champion grants: Emily Ryan, for participating in the national Junior Athletics Championships; Rachel Heenan, a player in the Australian Indoor Cricket Championships; Sophie Varis, for performing in the Association of National Aerobic Championships; Madison Chong and Bryanna Arnold, who are both flying disc superstars in the Australian Youth Ultimate Championships; Lachlan Jackett-Simpson, for swimming in the 2018 School Sport Australia Championships; Samuel Kay and William Kay, for both playing in the Australian Junior Volleyball Championships; Jackson Jury, who was selected to the School Sport Victoria Team Vic State Team in Rugby League for 12 Years and under to compete in the School Sport Australia Championships in Adelaide in August 2018; Lauren Fagan and Stephanie Kelly, for participating in the 2018 Federation Touch Youth World Cup—a game that I like to play, and I'm proud to say I got the final winning try this morning; and Ewan Smith, a swimmer in the School Sport Australia Championships. To all those people who have competed and who make our community proud, well done! We revere your hard work and your determination. That's why we acknowledge you as incredible local community sporting champions. Werriwa Electorate: Stronger Communities Program 90 17:03 Ms STANLEY 265990 Werriwa It is my pleasure to bring to the House's attention the Stronger Communities Program recipients for the Werriwa electorate last year. I was pleased to recommend funding for the CNA-Italian Australian Services and Welfare Centre. CNA provides support for the Italian based community of the south-west of Sydney, providing daily programs for seniors, with Italian lunches and an opportunity to converse in Italian. Many of the seniors are isolated and are no longer able to drive. The Stronger Communities Grant secured them a bus, which means that they are able to get out of their houses and enjoy themselves. Health outcomes definitely improve with the older community when they're able to get out and enjoy themselves. The bus is also used to pick up children for their Italian language classes. For families with an Italian background, it is important they are able to continue to converse and learn the language. In Werriwa, Italian is the second identified ancestry group after English. And it's well known that, as people age, it is often easier for them to converse in their native language. I acknowledge Giovanni Testa, the president of the Italian-Australian welfare centre and all the volunteers for their efforts in supporting their community and adding to the rich multicultural nature of the south-west of Sydney. One of the other recipients was the Gunners Soccer Club at Macquarie Fields. The Gunners Soccer Club has been a fixture for soccer in the Macquarie Fields area for well over 40 years. It has teams that play within the Macarthur Football Association. The club has over 600 players, who range in age from toddlers, fours and fives, all the way to the senior ladies and men's over-45 competition. They welcome members from all parts of the community and are a truly multicultural club. The grant provided new fencing for the club's home ground at Bensley Road Reserve, Macquarie Fields, to ensure the new ground was safe for the littlies and also stopped people using trail bikes on the ground and ruining the surface. Parents in my electorate and around the country know how important it is to support our kids being active and getting regular exercise, even if it's sometimes difficult to get them to practice in the games. I want to thank the Gunners Soccer Club for providing the kids and families of the Macquarie Fields area with a place to come together on afternoons and weekends and a place to get fit and to have a great time doing so. The efforts of both these organisations and all the Stronger Communities recipients build a stronger Werriwa, and they don't go unnoticed. Sunshine Sugar, Chatsworth Island Public School: 100th Anniversary 90 17:05 Mr HOGAN 218019 Page Sunshine Sugar, which has mills in both Broadwater and Harwood in my community, will be the first in the world to install technology that can produce a low-GI sugar. According to the World Health Organization, this low-GI sugar, which is also rich in antioxidants, will be a game changer. It is designed to help combat the global obesity and diabetes epidemic by giving healthy options to consumers worldwide. This will also be a great benefit for our cane farm contractors and our 600 growers. The Northern Rivers is the origin of sugarcane growing in Australia and will continue to create local jobs. Sunshine Sugar is a 100 per cent local product. The cane is 100 per cent locally grown, and the industry employs over 1,000 people. It contributes over $200 million to our local economy. I congratulate the team at Sunshine sugar for being an industry leader with this new product. This week, Chatsworth Island Public School celebrates its 150th birthday. When the school opened in 1868, Mr Albert Gale, who was the school's first teacher, would row along the river and pick up the then 32 students and take them to school. The anniversary celebrations will include photos, memorabilia displays, time lines, student performances, games, stalls and a barbecue to catch up with old friends. I'd like to extend my well wishes to the organising committee: Greg Speirs, the current principal; ex-student and local farmer, Milton Lewis; president of the P&C, Sahanti Tyas-Tunggal; vice-president, Tenille Wiblen; secretary, Chanel Small; and current staff, Kylie Shannon, Michelle Adey, Yvette West, Narelle O'Connell, Roz Connor, Lynette Towell and Darryl Skinner, as well as all the students and parents. This school prides itself on a strong community spirit. Principal Speirs says, 'At Chatty, it is one in, all in.' All the children know each other. The school has that old-school feel and teaches good manners to all. Everyone is encouraged to be involved in the school with class programs, assisting in the canteen and helping with sports carnivals and assemblies. 'Justice for All' is the school motto, which ensures that all students are given the best education possible. I'd like to congratulate Chatsworth Island Public School on its 150th anniversary. Well done, Chatty! Lindsay Electorate: Sports Foundation Awards 91 17:08 Ms HUSAR 263328 Lindsay Last Friday I had the pleasure of attending the 2018 annual Sports Foundation awards dinner, hosted by the Penrith Valley Sports Foundation. It was a fantastic celebration of local athletes that have excelled in their chosen sport, together with the announcement of the senior and junior sportspeople of the year. Additionally, the Penrith Valley Sports Foundation recognised the individuals, the officials and volunteers in our local sporting scene. Australian sport is where I believe our Lindsay values really do shine, through values like teamwork, loyalty and volunteerism. I'd like to acknowledge Rodney Watson, the President of the Penrith Valley Sports Foundation, for his continued commitment to support and foster local sporting champions and particularly for his contributions to netball. I would like to congratulate all of the award recipients and nominees. The Volunteer Award went to Petrina Pula for her contribution to rugby. The Referee/Umpire of the Year was Grant Atkins from the rugby league fraternity, and also a former schoolteacher of mine. Coach of the Year went to Chris Coleman for softball. Junior Sportsperson of the Year was David Quinn for ice hockey. Senior Sportsperson of the Year was Jacob Donaldson for fast pitch softball—I didn't even know there was such a thing. The Masters Athlete of the Year was Linda Hernando for her long-distance running. She has some incredible statistics. I'd be happy just to run to the corner! The Rising Star of the Year Award went to Ebony McLean and Matthew Alcock for aerobatic gymnastics; they were the joint winners and partners in the competition. The Team of the Year Award went to the Panthers under-18 SG Ball Rugby League team. The Jim Anderson Memorial Award, named for a former Labor state member, went to Bill Borg for his service to Rugby League, and the Administrator of the Year Award went to Josh Gately from the baseball community, who gave an outstanding speech with great humility in accepting the award. These award recipients have spent long days and nights training and show great skill in their chosen sports. They've demonstrated strength and determination, and I look forward to seeing them continue to kick goals and achieve amazing things as representatives in my community. I'd also like to take a moment to properly recognise the families and friends of these recipients, who support their loved ones in their pursuit of realising their sporting goals. As a proud sports mum, I understand how cold Wednesday night soccer practices can be, and I want to recognise all those people that sit through those cold nights that go into fostering local sports talent. I'd also like to give a special mention to Mikayla Kumar, who took out the All Abilities Award for her contribution to goalball, a blind sport. She participates in it at a very high level, and I'm sure we'll see her go on to compete at an even higher level. I'd like to thank the sponsors, the volunteer board and all those who support the ongoing work of the foundation. It is the tireless work of these individuals that really supports this organisation in its continued efforts to support my community of Lindsay. Brisbane Electorate: Youngcare, Brisbane Electorate: Seniors Expo 92 17:11 Mr EVANS 61378 Brisbane I was delighted last week to welcome the Prime Minister to my electorate to visit Wooloowin House, run by Youngcare in the heart of my electorate of Brisbane. Youngcare is an amazing community organisation whose mission is to provide suitable housing for young Australians with high care needs. I've been really proud to be a strong supporter of Youngcare ever since I was elected to this place. In fact, just a fortnight ago I was running in the Bridge to Brisbane fun run to raise awareness for Youngcare as part of a group of about a dozen or so Brisbane residents, all of us emblazoned in Youngcare T-shirts. It's an understatement to say that Youngcare absolutely transforms the lives of the young residents who live in its homes. Too many young Australians with high care needs are being left behind, living in inappropriate and at times unacceptable housing. When the Prime Minister entered Wooloowin House, the excitement among the residents there was palpable. They were really proud to welcome us into their home. Wooloowin House is a beacon for compassion, for independence and for freedom. I'll continue to advocate for the opportunities presented by the specialist disability accommodation funding under the NDIS. SDA funding, done right, will stimulate the investment we need to see in the development of new, high-quality homes for use by high-care-needs individuals such as those that we met at Wooloowin House. The successful rollout of the NDIS is creating more choice for young people with high care needs and their loved ones. I just want to make the point in passing that there are few people in Australia who have done as much as Scott Morrison, the Prime Minister, has to ensure that the National Disability Insurance Scheme is fully funded. Wooloowin House is a wonderful project, and I'm sure we'll see many more, similar success stories into the future thanks to Youngcare and their many generous supporters. Youngcare was one of 30 stallholders present at my recent Brisbane Seniors Expo a few weeks back, raising awareness of their cause there. The Seniors Expo we held in Brisbane was highly successful. It brought together seniors, retirees and other people from right across Brisbane, with a range of information and service providers all in one place. We were blown away by the number of people—hundreds of people—who attended this community event. It was packed full of useful information, entertainment and good tips about healthy and active living. I think a highlight for attendees was being treated to a visit by Aussie music legend Normie Rowe, as well as the former Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Sallyanne Atkinson, and that finance guru we all love, Noel Whittaker. The feedback from Brisbane residents was overwhelmingly positive, but I have to say there was a lot of consistent concern and anxiety expressed by those present about the prospect of Labor's proposed tax changes to franking credits and the unfair consequences and impacts that that will have on retirees, including in Brisbane. I look forward to holding another seniors expo in the future and building on the success of this year's events. CONDOLENCES 92 CONDOLENCES McCain III, Senator John Sidney 92 17:14 The DEPUTY SPEAKER HK5 Gellibrand Before calling the member for , I add my condolences to the family and friends of the late Senator John McCain. I met John McCain on a number of occasions, particularly when I was the defence minister. He was a man who led a remarkable life of great experience and learning. He was a wonderful patriot of his country—the United States of America—and a great advocate of freedom not just for Americans but for those around the world. 17:15 Mr WATTS 193430 Gellibrand on indulgence—Mr Deputy Speaker, well said. I rise in this chamber today to recognise the life of Senator John Sidney McCain III, particularly his role as a friend of Australia and a friend of democracy. Australia's current ambassador to the United States, Joe Hockey, appropriately described John McCain as Australia's ally-in-chief. Indeed, it's difficult to think of another American leader with stronger ties throughout history to Australia. Famously, the McCain family's relationship with Australia began when John McCain's grandfather sailed here in 1908 with the Great White Fleet. This continued when McCain's father visited as a submarine commander in World War II and was cemented through his service in Pacific Command, PACOM, during the Second World War. John himself served alongside Australians in the Vietnam War. More recently, John's own sons have served alongside Australian troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. The McCain family will always have a special place in the heart of Australians. The senator has not been short on eulogies in recent times, and there's no need for me to recount his storied military and political career again here. It's worth saying briefly, however, that, had he never entered politics, John McCain would have lived a life worthy of recognition and admiration. John McCain's time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam showed that he was a man with a code. His refusal of early release from captivity after months of the most base torture—of wrenching physical pain and deprivation—showed him to be a man willing to sacrifice himself in service of the personal code. The fact that McCain was offered early release ahead of his fellow prisoners, the fact that this was offered to him alone by his Vietnamese captors as a consequence of his father's military rank and position—inconsistent with John McCain's personal code of honour—made it impossible for him to accept. It's worth dwelling on that act, on that decision, though. David Foster Wallace wrote: … try to imagine that moment between getting offered early release and turning it down. Try to imagine it was you. Imagine how loudly your most basic, primal self-interest would have cried out to you in that moment, and all the ways you could rationalize accepting the offer. Can you hear it? If so, would you have refused to go? You simply can't know for sure. None of us can. It's hard even to imagine the pain and fear in that moment, much less to know how you'd react. But, see, we do know how this man reacted. That he chose to spend four more years there, in a dark box, alone, tapping code on the walls to the others, rather than violate a Code. In this regard, John McCain's legacy is unimpeachable. Grappling with John McCain's political legacy, however, is a complex thing to do. To appropriate Walt Whitman, he contained multitudes. I did not share his political values. Indeed, I entered politics to defeat the majority of the things that he believed in. Importantly, John McCain was an advocate of the US intervention in Iraq—the greatest foreign policy mistake of my lifetime, an intervention opposed by my political party and an intervention that we must recognise caused immeasurable human suffering and unleashed geostrategic consequences that we are far from seeing the end of a decade and a half later. While I believe that John McCain's intentions and conduct in advocacy of this intervention were honourable, this calamitous mistake will always be a part of the legacy of all those who were involved in it. Despite this, I believe that this mistake was made in pursuit of admirable instincts that as Australians we should honour. John McCain always fought American isolationism. He believed that America had a role to play in defending the liberal international order and he argued strongly for this stance in the domestic US political debate—not an easy thing to do. For this Australians can be enormously thankful, because a United States that is engaged with the world and engaged in supporting a rules based international order is overwhelmingly in Australia's interest, and the world is a better place for it as well. In addition to being a friend of Australia, John McCain was a friend of representative democracy at home and abroad. His willingness to work with his political opponents to implement campaign finance reform in the United States and attempt to dull the influence of money over people in the political process is a tribute to his commitment to that democratic process. Similarly, his staunch opposition to torture in all of its forms and his refusal to allow the United States to degrade itself in its practice, put democratic agency above coercive force. In a time when our politics is being threatened by the forces of authoritarianism and nativism, John McCain was a beacon for a politics defined by the contest of ideas, the advocacy of high ideals and the give and take of political compromise. I was pleased to meet him on his latest visit to Australia—a visit that gave powerful symbolism to the fact that the relationship between Australia and the US is bigger than, broader than and stronger than any individual President. I'm confident that he will be the only US Republican to address a Labor caucus during my political career. I'm happy to say that I enjoyed his contributions. In many ways, when viewed from Down Under, John McCain was a living embodiment of the United States: a magnificent, imperfect enterprise and a symbol that could inspire with the pursuit of lofty ideals and frustrate when those higher hopes were not realised. On his last visit to Australia, John McCain asked Australians to persevere with America through the current tests that it is enduring. He asked Australia to: … encourage us to stay true to who we are at our best … and to remind us just how much is at stake. John McCain himself was a living embodiment of this call. We honour him here in this place. Vale. 17:21 Mr JOYCE E5D New England on indulgence—There are few times when you meet a great person, and I believe that one of the greatest people I've ever had the privilege to meet was Senator John McCain of Arizona. Senator John McCain was the son and the grandson of naval admirals. What epitomised his life, though, was the exemplary nature of his bravery and his capacity to stand against impertinent forces and the status quo when required and as required. Senator John McCain was no saint. He was far from it. He had, one would say in polite terms, a very colourful life in his early life. He was married twice. But what we all note, and what illustrates this, is the bravery he showed after being shot down over Hanoi—when he became a prisoner of war. It's been noted by previous speakers what he endured in solitary confinement for five years. He was fed a diet of a form of pumpkin soup and bread. When they found out his father was an admiral, he refused to take what was offered to him and go home, because he believed that others who were in more need had always to go first. He was hung from the roof by ropes. He was tortured. Later on in life he was one of the first people to stand up against the excesses of Guantanamo Bay and to make sure that America was not a participant in such things as waterboarding. He was always a person who could be relied upon to speak the brave part. One also notes, and it will be noted a number of times, that when a lady accused then Presidential nominee Barack Obama of being an Arab, in front of a partisan crowd which could so easily have been moved to an animal intent, he decided instead to stand up and say the truth. These are the sort of qualities which would embellish any political career. It's one of the reasons, when I heard of the death of Senator John McCain at 82 from brain cancer, I thought that if I had an opportunity to say my part, I would definitely take that opportunity. Senator McCain went home and said, 'I'm going to die.' That was basically it. There was no grand plan or great finale. It was another statement of the bravery of this individual. In his previous life, the time he was shot down over Hanoi wasn't the first time he was injured. He was also part of a major accident where over 130 were killed on an aircraft carrier. His grandfather had been instrumental in the use of aircraft carriers in the Pacific during the Second World War. On this occasion, a missile was accidentally sent off. It hit a fuel drum beside his plane, and he had to roll across the thing and got terribly burnt. Later on, by reason of his torture in Hanoi, he was unable to put his hands above his head. He had to get someone else to comb his hair. Yet he never used that as a mechanism to sit down and wallow in his grief. He was always going forward. In my conversation with Senator John McCain—and it's such an honour to be able to say 'in my conversation with Senator John McCain'—he was a person who had a real spark to what he could do. You could see he had lived an interesting and full life. He had grabbed life with both hands, in bravery, in struggle, in politics, in love and in life. When he went out with his colleagues, they said it was one of the wildest experiences in their lives as to where they would end up, because that's what he was: he was full on, as we would say. In my discussions with him, he looked at me and said, 'Did you play rugby?' which was pretty astute, because I had. I played it for about 21 years. He had a passion for rugby. It was a game that I would have thought he wouldn't know much about. It was yet another form of where there was something about him. What you saw when you were meeting someone who I believe was a global giant was a person of humility. He met people as they walked up to him. He didn't stand on a podium when he was speaking to you one on one. He spoke to you as a person. He was accepted by both sides and spoke to both sides of politics when he was here in Canberra. Even though he had a large and colourful life, he had a deep faith, and he utilised that, I think, for the best mechanisms. His vision of the United States of America's position in the world was to be an article that promoted the rule of law, justice and right. He said America would be noted for its military strength but, more than its military strength, it would be noted for its ideals. Its ideals were the issues that he believed were vastly more pertinent in affecting global affairs than its armaments. But he realised you had to have them both. No person is perfect in their foreign policy, but he had a strong view on where right and wrong are. He obviously had strong questions about what President Trump did, but I think he only voted against two of Trump's bills—I may need to be corrected there. But what he didn't agree with was what he believed was the loss of dignity in the presidential office that was coming about by reason of some of the more extreme statements of President Trump. He thought that that was taking away from the dignity of the presidential office. I have to stand by that. I was disgusted when President Trump disparaged his military service. I think that was a disgrace. I would hope—and of course he's not going to listen—that at some stage President Trump will apologise directly for that. Maybe he will. He tweets at two in the morning. Maybe he's listening now. If we can borrow something from this, it is that a good politician is not a pastor or a priest but a person of full life, and Senator McCain aptly represented that. With a person of bravery, you will find their bravery permeates through many sections of their life, and Senator McCain represented that. A person who has a love of their nation has a love of their nation to the very last breath. When he was voting on issues that he believed in and being taken back to the Senate to do it, Senator McCain of Arizona represented that. A person should be accepted for both their strengths and their weaknesses and the wider encumbrance of human nature, and Senator McCain was a display of that. I will always treasure the brief time that I had in discussion with someone I think of as a political giant. He was a person who had to live in the shadow of exceptional people, they being his father and grandfather, but you would have to say he exceeded them in the end. When he went through his military training he came, I think, 854th. He was four from the bottom. He was not noted as an exemplary student. He showed perseverance in his personal life, aspiring always to be a better person, and had an intense love of his nation. But it was a love of his nation which didn't cloud his ideals and the better angels of his nature—the better angels we should always give way to, rather than the more base implications of the human condition in any form. I hope that Senator McCain's family, including his mother, who's 106, manage to take some solace from the giant of a life that is represented by Senator John McCain. Obviously, he was a man of Christian faith. Borrowing from the same, I wish that he remain in our prayers and that he rest in peace. 17:31 Mr MARLES HWQ Corio I rise this evening in praise of Senator John McCain, a friend of Australia, a political giant and a global statesman. In an era when populism was on the rise throughout the democratic world, in an era of faux conviction, John McCain stood as a beacon for those who seek to pursue politics in a thoughtful and courageous way. He was an embodiment of the idea that public service through political life is a noble profession. For all of us here across the political divide and, I think, throughout the democratic world, he stands as an inspiration. Senator John McCain's family calling was military service. His grandfather and father were the first father and son combination in the US navy who both served as four-star admirals: John Sidney McCain and Jack McCain Jr. Both served, in one way or another, in the Pacific theatre, which, in a way, began John McCain's connection with Australia. His own military service commenced with graduation from naval college in Annapolis in 1958 and from flight school in 1960. Of course, the story of his being shot down over Hanoi in 1967 and his subsequent 5½ years in captivity in Hanoi is the stuff of legend. When he ejected from that plane he broke both legs and a shoulder. He was bayonetted in the groin by the crowd that pulled him from the lake. He was then left untreated for a week in Hoa Lo prison in Hanoi. When the fractures were ultimately treated, it was done without anaesthetic. Soon after his capture, it became apparent to the North Vietnamese that John McCain's father was an admiral. He was offered release but, in a sense, it was on condition of him condemning his country—something he would not do. He refused that release because of the US military's code of conduct, which says that POWs should be released in the order in which they were captured. So, over 5½ years, he endured, at times, solitary confinement and torture, during which his ribs were broken, his arms were rebroken and his teeth were knocked out. In 1974, McCain revisited South Vietnam. That visit said something about a feature of John McCain that characterised his life thereafter: generosity towards those who were his foes. As the member for New England said, he had an irresistible attachment to the better angels of human nature. When he returned in 1974, he attended a speech by an aid of President Thieu of South Vietnam, who said that the sacrifice of those who had served as prisoners of war could never be compensated, but if there was anything that could be provided by South Vietnam, or if there was anywhere or anybody that any of these former prisoners of war wanted to see or visit then South Vietnam was at their service. John McCain asked to visit one place: Con Son Island. It was the place in South Vietnam where North Vietnamese prisoners of war were held. He wanted to visit that place to see what state North Vietnamese prisoners of war were kept in. As he said, he had reluctantly become an expert in the way North Vietnam treated prisoners of war. He wanted to see the way in which this was done in South Vietnam. Indeed, after that visit, he came back noting that the conditions were not as bad as in North Vietnam, but they were far from perfect, and he made a range of recommendations in respect of that. His political career is enormous. From 1983 through to this year, he served in the Congress, in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. In the year 2000, he sought the Republican nomination, losing, ultimately, to George W Bush, and, in 2008, he won the Republican nomination and contested that presidential election against Barack Obama. He was a fighter for everything from campaign reform through to America being an outward looking nation that took a leadership role within the world. Throughout his political career, he demonstrated a selfless, courageous dignity and a generosity for his opponent which marked him out as somebody who was special in the political domain. As has been said, during the presidential election campaign with Barack Obama, there was a woman at a rally who suggested that then candidate Obama was an Arab, and Senator McCain said, 'No, ma'am. He’s a decent family man, a citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues, and that’s what this campaign is all about.' Rather than turning up the political heat, he sought to define the political contest. It's not about individual on individual; it is about a contest of ideas. The fact that at his funeral there were eulogies from President Obama, President George W Bush and Vice President Joe Biden, who were all, at times, opponents, but ultimately people who I suspect Senator McCain would regard as colleagues, says everything about the giant that Senator McCain was. Indeed, Joe Biden described this as the McCain code: a fierce contest of ideas, but a complete respect for the sincerity with which ideas are put into the political domain. It is something from which all of us practising politics today can learn. Senator McCain was a great friend of Australia. His grandfather served in the Pacific theatre during the Second World War, as did his father, who, as a submarine commander, spent time in Perth. His sons have also served in the military alongside Australians in both Afghanistan and Iraq. At the beginning of last year, when Prime Minister Turnbull had a difficult initial conversation with President Trump, it was Senator McCain who immediately came out to make clear the significance of the Australian relationship to America. He said: Australia fought alongside us in wars, including losing over 500 brave Australians in the Vietnam War, which some of us remember. This, in my view, was an unnecessary and, frankly, harmful open dispute over an issue which is not nearly as important as United States/Australian cooperation, working together, including training of our Marines in Australia and other areas of military cooperation and intelligence. As the member for New England noted, President Trump described Senator McCain in these terms: He's not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren't captured. This was an appalling statement to make about an American who was unquestionably a hero. But, despite that, there was a generosity from Senator McCain even in respect of President Trump. He visited Australia in May of 2017. Like the member for New England, I had the enormous honour of meeting McCain on that visit. In the United States Studies Centre in Sydney, he said this: You will not agree with all of the president's decisions. Neither will I. But I am fully committed to doing whatever I can to help my country and my president succeed in the world. And I would beseech all of you to join me and help me. This was generosity of spirit indeed. Within two months of visiting Australia, Senator McCain was diagnosed with brain cancer. His death is a loss to all of us. I think that, for all of us who seek to serve in this place and to represent people in democratic societies, Senator John McCain, in his life, stands as the personification of dignity and the personification of what it is to provide service to our communities in a generous way, a way which puts them at the centre of our thoughts and a way which does not indulge populism, the darker angels of our nature or a contest which isn't real. John McCain is absolutely a hero, and John McCain is an inspiration to us all. 17:41 Mr FALINSKI G86 Mackellar On indulgence, it is with great sadness that I rise to acknowledge the passing of the late United States Senator John McCain. On this day 17 years ago, 11 September 2001, Australians woke up to the news of a terrible tragedy that had been thrust on our friends in America. Three thousand innocent people lost their lives in coordinated terrorist attacks across the United States. It is poignant that on this day we recognise a friend of Australia in Senator John McCain. Senator McCain led a life dedicated to service. Whether we look at his early military career, his experience in the Vietnam War or his extensive contributions to political life, it is plain to see that John McCain was a man who always put service to others first. The Prime Minister has already remarked that it is unusual for this House to express condolences for foreign politicians who are not heads of state. But it is right and proper to make an exception for Senator John McCain, a man who defined an era of the modern Republican Party, a defender of truth and a staunch friend and ally of Australia. There have been many tributes to Senator McCain in the past weeks, flowing from right across the political spectrum. Various eulogies have remembered him as a war hero, a statesman and an American icon. But, importantly, there has been a universal recognition that John McCain was a man of integrity with strong principles. Former President George W Bush remarked: John was, above all, a man with a code. He lived by a set of public virtues that brought strength and purpose to his life and to his country. It was this code which informed so much of Senator McCain's political outlook, his courage, his love of freedom and, most of all, his recognition that some principles and beliefs are so fundamentally important that they transcend politics and party lines. Senator McCain's determination to always put the interests of the nation first earned him a reputation as a political maverick, but it also manifested itself in his commitment to bipartisanship and in his great ability to reach across the political divide, uniting those from different backgrounds and ideologies in pursuit of common cause. This sense of duty and service to the nation runs deep in the McCain family, with four generations of McCains having served in the armed forces. Senator McCain's grandfather, John S McCain Sr, was an admiral in the United States Navy who was involved in several assignments during the Pacific campaign of World War II which were critical to the defence of Australia, including the Guadalcanal campaign. Senator McCain's father, John S McCain Jr, was a submarine captain active in the Pacific campaign of World War II. Later he was promoted to admiral, becoming Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Command, during the Vietnam War. Since then, three of Senator McCain's own children, Jack, James and Douglas, have served in the armed forces, with Jack and James undertaking tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan alongside Australian soldiers. Senator McCain's own service in the Vietnam War would prove to be a defining moment in his life and a test of his character. During a bombing mission in 1967 McCain's A-4E Skyhawk was shot down over Hanoi, and during ejection from the aircraft he suffered fractures in both of his arms and one of his legs. McCain was subsequently captured by North Vietnamese forces and would receive the most marginal of medical care over the next 5½ years of his life as a prisoner of war, two of which he spent in solitary confinement. In fact, far from receiving medical treatment, McCain was repeatedly interrogated and tortured by his captors, who were seeking to extract information or a confession to be used for anti-US propaganda purposes. The injuries he sustained during this time would leave him with a permanent limp and impaired mobility in his arms. Even in the face of such extreme adversity, John McCain's courage, strength and determination did not waiver, and he again proved himself a man of principle. Upon discovering he was the son of a United States Navy admiral, the Vietnamese hoped to score a propaganda victory by offering McCain early release, but in keeping with the code of the United States fighting forces McCain refused the offer on the condition that he would only accept it if every man captured before him was released as well. Through his unique family history, Senator McCain knew better than most the important role of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region, and he was a vocal and passionate supporter of the Australia-United States alliance. It was a position he maintained throughout his 35-year political career. He was a proud champion of our bilateral defence relationship, most recently in his role as chair of the powerful US Senate armed services committee. Just last year, Senator McCain was in Sydney to address the United States Studies Centre. In his remarks he reflected on the shared sacrifices of American and Australian soldiers over a century and emphasised the shared values of Australia and the United States. In his own words: … America's greatest strength comes from the values of our society, values we share with Australia—our commitment to truth over falsehood, fairness over injustice, freedom over oppression, and the immortal spirit of humankind. These remarks were typical of John McCain's brand of politics, one characterised by a vision of America carried onwards and upwards by the strength of its principles. This idealism is a far cry from the hyperpartisan atmosphere that we find in Washington today. If we reflect on John McCain's life in politics, we can see that he never shied away from doing what he believed to be right in service of these principles. Entering politics as a congressman, representing Arizona's 1st congressional district in 1982, McCain served on the US House of Representatives committee on interior affairs and the foreign affairs committee while taking an active interest in foreign policy of the Reagan administration. Even in the early stages of his career McCain demonstrated that he was not afraid to speak his mind, when he criticised President Reagan for his delay in pulling troops out of Lebanon. In 1987 McCain made the move to the Senate, succeeding Barry Goldwater as a senator for Arizona, a position he would be re-elected to six times. During his Senate career, McCain would serve on the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs, which was chaired by Democrat and fellow Vietnam War veteran John Kerry. During his time on this committee, McCain and his fellow committee members investigated the fate of US service personnel listed as missing in action during the Vietnam War. They handed down a unanimous report concluding that there was no compelling evidence suggesting any Americans were left still alive and in captivity. This, coupled with a 1994 Senate resolution co-sponsored by McCain and Kerry calling for an end to the existing trade embargo against Vietnam, helped lay the groundwork for President Clinton to normalise diplomatic relationships with Vietnam in 1995. This was a move that Senator McCain was strongly supportive of. He stuck to his principles in spite of vilification by many POWs and activists and of his own experiences as a prisoner of war. This is just one example of Senator McCain's decency and magnanimity. As a the Republican presidential nominee in 2008, Senator McCain famously defended his rival, Barack Obama, against a voter's assertion that Senator Obama was untrustworthy, because of her belief that he was an Arab. John McCain's response was: No ma'am, he's a decent family man, a citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues … Politics has changed a lot in the decade since Senator McCain ran against Barack Obama in 2008. Sometimes it seems as if the politics of John McCain are the product of a bygone era. As elected representatives we must honour his legacy by remembering that our No. 1 duty is to serve our communities. Even in his final years, when his health was ailing, John McCain was still steadfast in speaking out for what he believed to be right. 17:51 Mr KHALIL 101351 Wills I'm also pleased to add my condolences for the late John Sidney McCain III, who passed away on 27 August at the age of 81. John McCain served his country, the United States of America, for 60 years, six decades, in various forms of public service—a remarkable record. As we've heard from previous speakers, he was undoubtedly a man of immense courage and conviction. It's probably true to say that this courage and conviction was forged in his experience as a naval aviator in the US Navy and in particular the events of 26 October 1967. We've heard much about their significance in the weeks since his passing. As other speakers, including the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, have described, it was on this day that McCain was flying a bombing mission over North Vietnam in his A-4E Skyhawk and was shot down by missile over Hanoi. He fractured both arms and a leg when he ejected from the aircraft, and he nearly drowned after he parachuted into Truc Bach Lake. He was pulled ashore and was beaten and bayonetted by North Vietnamese forces before being transported to Hanoi's main prison, Hoa Lo Prison, nicknamed 'the Hanoi Hilton', where he was to spend two excruciatingly painful years in solitary confinement. He refused a North Vietnamese offer to release him, which was largely, as we've heard, for propaganda purposes, given his father was an admiral. He then remained a POW until 1973. We often ask what drives a person to carry on in those dark moments that he would have faced. By his own admission sometimes he was unable to carry on, but he has said publicly many times—and we heard during the eulogies at his funeral from many of his friends, family and colleagues—that what kept him going through those darkest moments was his faith in his country, his faith in his fellow servicemen and servicewomen and his faith in God. It's difficult to understand or even imagine the pain he would have gone through during those dark years. Within a decade of his release he'd been elected to the US House of Representatives. Some might comment that he has gone from that terrible experience into politics, which is also a very difficult experience, as we know, but probably a walk in the park for John McCain, given the resilience that he'd built up from what he had been through and how his courage was forged in those years. He gained a reputation as a foreign policy hawk, yes, but also as someone who was willing to go it alone to be a maverick. He became a six-time senator in Arizona, as we've heard, a position he held until his passing. He was also a presidential candidate in 2008 and, more importantly, a statesman—which is very rare in today's politics. He was also a great friend of our nation—truly one of the greatest champions of the Australia-US alliance of the past 70 years. I mentioned his tilt at the presidency in 2008. Of course, history records that Senator McCain did not succeed in his attempt to become President of the United States. He was beaten by the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama. But it was actually President Obama, who was once a fierce political opponent of Senator McCain, who put it so eloquently when he eulogised at the memorial service, saying: John McCain and I were members of different generations, came from completely different backgrounds, and competed at the highest level of politics. But we shared, for all our differences, a fidelity to something higher—the ideals for which generations of Americans and immigrants alike have fought, marched, and sacrificed. We saw our political battles, even, as a privilege, something noble, an opportunity to serve as stewards of those high ideals at home, and to advance them around the world. We saw this country as a place where anything is possible—and citizenship as our patriotic obligation to ensure it forever remains that way. We've heard from previous speakers about the character of John McCain in those difficult moments, as we would know, in politics, in the middle of a campaign, no less than a presidential campaign. We've heard this story time and time again. A voter at a town hall meeting said she couldn't trust Obama because he was an Arab. Well, there's nothing wrong with being an Arab. And John McCain knows that and throughout his career always fought on the side of individuals regardless of their race, their ethnicity or their gender. Whether they were an Arab, a Muslim or an Asian, it didn't matter to John McCain; he treated people based on their character. In relation to Barack Obama, he said to that lady, as we've heard, 'No, ma'am, he's a decent family man, a citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues, and that's what this campaign is all about.' In fact, I think that's what politics should be all about—that example that he set for us, that we judge each other based on the content of our character, on what we do and what we say, and on our actions, rather than the parts of us that might form our identity based on the colour of our skin, our gender or our religion or our faith. These things are important, but they are not to judge each other by. These are things that we have and we cherish, as John McCain cherished. But he judged and treated others based on their character and the content of that character. He believed deeply in American power as a force for good in the world. He believed the US had unique responsibilities to lead in the world, both through action and by example. So he supported strong alliances, a robust military and the promotion of democracy and human rights in places around the world where they were lacking. Where there were freedom fighters, he was there. He was supportive. On that basis, the US-Australia alliance was particularly significant in his mind. In remarks he made to the US Senate Committee on Armed Services, he described Australia as: … one of America’s oldest friends and staunchest allies. We are united by ties of family and friendship, mutual interests and common values, and shared sacrifice in wartime. That has a personal resonance for me because my wife is American and we met in Iraq in the middle of a war. So I understand those bonds that have been forged between Australia and the US very much at a personal level. John McCain had a deep and enduring affection for our country, for Australia. It was inspired by his father—a submarine commander based out of Perth during World War II. Of his father, he said in April last year: I can't tell you the times he would tell me about what an incredible experience it was for him and the hospitality of the Australian people and the great affection and respect back then he had for the Australian military. That was said on what was to be his last visit to Australia. I note, too, that he visited our parliament during that visit. I and many of my colleagues here had the opportunity and the honour to meet with him on several occasions. He actually addressed the Labor Party caucus, which was a fantastic experience. A number of MPs on both sides of politics got to sit down with Senator McCain to have a really robust discussion about our place in the world and our alliance, and the challenges that we face in the Indo-Pacific. It was a real joy to have that conversation with someone with such great experience. Then and at other times, he said of our alliance, 'This alliance between our countries is more important than ever, because we have fought and sacrificed side by side for a long time, and it is a unique relationship in that respect.' Cameron Stewart, who writes for The Australian, last week described John McCain as Australia's closest friend in Washington. That's probably true. We haven't had a better friend than John McCain in the US. Indeed, he was one of our closest friends, if not the closest friend that we've had. So we will miss him. Vale John McCain. May he rest in peace. 18:00 Mr BUCHHOLZ 230531 Wright On indulgence, firstly, I'd like to acknowledge the House for allowing these condolence speeches. It is not normal practice for this House to take condolences on someone other than an Australian or a head of state. So I'd like to acknowledge the Leader of the House and the Manager of Opposition Business for leaving way for Senator John McCain to be acknowledged in this Chamber. I had the good fortune of meeting John in 2008 when I signed up with the LNP in Queensland to attend the Art of Political Campaigning tour in Washington. Basically, conservative governments or politicians from all around the globe landed in Washington under the auspices of the Art of Political Campaigning. There were some amazing speakers. While we were there, we were given the opportunity to go and lick stamps and just get an idea of how big the campaign machine is in the Americas. They spend a lot of money. Jingo, they spend a lot of money! McCain—John—made a point of coming through and spending some time with us. With all of his achievements that members of this House have acknowledged—and I don't intend to laboriously repeat all of those amazing feats of heroism—he was a humble man. There were five of us in the delegation from Australia, and we had some type of baggage or insignia on us that indicated that we were from Australia. He said, 'Have you guys come all the way to help?' We said, 'Yes, we have, because we believe in the cause.' He said, 'Well, you're patriots for conservatism,' and we said: 'There are elections all the time here in America, but we don't come to all of them. There are only some we come to, and we believe in you.' Members of this House have role models or political heroes—not war heroes but political heroes. I'm just fortunate, that McCain—John—is one of my political heroes. He was humble, and you know what? He also had a very good memory. When he returned to Australia, as the previous speaker said, he addressed the Labor caucus and also addressed our party room. The member for Canning, Andrew Hastie from Western Australia, who's also a previous serving military person, got up and asked some question with a military background. McCain rose to the occasion and answered it, and he said to the member for Canning—and I'm sure I won't be betraying any confidences about what gets said in the party room—'God, if I looked as good as you, I might have gone further politically,' offering the honourable member for Canning a compliment on his chiselled jaw and that. So he also demonstrated an incredible wit and capacity. When he addressed our room, you knew that you were in the presence of someone who could command a room through the prism of oratory. He had a commanding presence. He commanded through integrity, dignity and just a sense of realism. As Australians, we can smell bullshit coming a mile away, and John McCain was one of those guys that resonated. I sometimes feel embarrassed when offering words of affirmation to those that have passed from this earth. Why didn't I have the courage to offer these words of encouragement and affirmation to these amazing people when they were alive so that they would find the enthusiasm to continue to do what they do? Maybe, as a result of today, I'll become a little bit more creative in that space and put pen to paper, or, when I have the opportunity to come across those that I admire, I will offer my thoughts probably a bit more readily than I do. McCain left behind a family, as was said earlier on. I'm not going to just run through the correspondence that all members have already alluded to. But for a child to lose their father and for a wife to lose their husband is painful. It is painful. His mum is still alive. She's 106 or something. An honourable member interjecting— Mr BUCHHOLZ 230531 She has passed away, has she? An honourable member interjecting— Mr BUCHHOLZ 230531 Yes, I believe she is still alive. In the English language, when a child loses a parent they become an orphan and when a wife loses her husband she becomes a widow, but there's no word for when a parent loses a child, because it is not supposed to happen. It's against nature. My heart goes to John's mum; his first wife, Carol; his wife, Cindy; and his kids—Doug, who is now 58; Andy, who is 56; Sidney, who is 51; Meghan; Jack; Jim; and Bridget. Each of the kids were touched on in speeches before. I commend and associate myself with the comments from this room that have honoured and offered affirmation to Senator John McCain. I think all of us will be stronger politicians, better able to make contributions to our country and patriots if we take a little bit of John McCain and weave it into who we are. I thank the House. I offer my condolences. Rest in peace, John. 18:06 Mr GOSLING 245392 Solomon on indulgence—John McCain was a patriot, a distinguished military officer and a great friend of Australia. I was privileged to meet him when he visited Australia last year. He spoke of his long friendship with Australia. As we have heard from previous speakers, his father served here as a submarine commander in World War II. I think John McCain was the embodiment of Australia's friendship and alliance with the United States. I saw that closeness that we have with the United States in southern Afghanistan and in Timor-Leste. I now see it in Darwin and Palmerston, which are in the electorate I represent and which are very proud to be hosting US service personnel. Our great wartime Prime Minister John Curtin said: Without any inhibitions of any kind, I make it quite clear that Australia looks to America, free of any pangs as to our traditional links or kinship with the United Kingdom. That statement changed the course of Australian history and it changed the course of American history. We faced very serious challenges together in World War II. We saw in my electorate in Darwin the loss of US sailors, US soldiers and US airmen. We now face vastly different geopolitical challenges. However, in Darwin we are acutely aware of this shared identity and we commemorate it every year. John McCain understood the great military and economic significance of Darwin being close to the great trading routes of the world, particularly during this incredible time with the rise of China, India and Indonesia. John McCain knew this and he understood that our ADF presence in Darwin and the Top End was incredibly important and was very significant. I told him how pleased and honoured we were to be hosting US marines in Darwin, and he thought that was great. Recently, in my electorate, I spoke to a group of defence industry representatives, a mixture of Australian and American businesspeople, including a gentleman who had been working as a United States contractor for many, many decades. During my presentation, I passed on to the people of the United States my condolences on the passing of John McCain. And when this American gentleman got up to speak, he thanked me for passing on those condolences and he shared a memory that he had of the former senator. He talked about being in a plane flying across the United States. He went down to the toilets at the back of the plane, and he was surprised to see John McCain there chatting with a couple of blokes, a couple of ordinary Americans. He said, 'Senator, what are you doing down here?' And McCain said, 'I'm just talking to these fine American patriots.' And he says they were just ordinary blokes. Other speakers have alluded to McCain's presence when he spoke to both caucuses. It was real; it was palpable. He was a man of presence, but that short story from an American colleague in Darwin just a couple of weeks ago really opened up another insight into the man, John McCain, in that he believed in people. And he didn't stand up on a soapbox and think he was better than anyone else. He was just proud to serve. Our Labor leader, Bill Shorten, said yesterday that John McCain was an example to us here in Australia, and I think that's very true. John McCain was a friend of Australia because he saw us as an important ally but also because he believed that we share a moral responsibility to advance the cause of freedom around the world. John McCain's was a courageous life, an honourable life, a life well lived. He's an example of service. Sometimes people ask me, 'Why politics?' Particularly when I catch up with people that I served with in the military, they say, 'Gos, why politics?' And I say, honestly, that I see politics as an extension of service to our country. I think John McCain was a great example of that. Like the previous speaker, I won't go into the details of his service life, but, as someone whose father served in Vietnam and lost mates and whose father's father served in the Second World War and lost mates, his story resonates with me. I think it's been an important initiative to allow this condolence motion. I want to end with Barack Obama's words from his eulogy to John McCain, because, as many members probably understand and appreciate, there's an old saying that you never really know someone well until you've had a blue with them. That's when you really get to know someone—the real person. And you could say that about politics. When we enter into these political contests every 2½ or three years or what have you, you really get to know those opposite. We get to know each other. Former President Barack Obama—who, having gone through a presidential election race against John McCain, I think knew the man perhaps better than most—said: What better way to honor John McCain's life of service than, as best we can, follow his example? To prove that the willingness to get in the arena and fight for this country is not reserved for the few, it is open to all of us, that in fact it's demanded of all of us, as citizens of this great republic? That's perhaps how we honor him best—by recognizing that there are some things bigger than party, or ambition, or money, or fame or power. That there are some things that are worth risking everything for. Principles that are eternal. Truths that are abiding. At his best, John showed us what that means. For that, we are all deeply in his debt. May God bless John McCain, and may God bless this country he served so well. 18:15 Mr TIM WILSON IMW Goldstein On indulgence, it's my privilege to be able to rise and speak to honour the life of service of Senator John McCain, the true heir to the conscience of a conservative. Many will be able to easily recount his biography and time of service in the defence forces and in politics. Today I simply offer my own short personal reflections. I have always thought it was a great tragedy that in 2000 he was not the Republican candidate to be President of the United States. His reputation preceded him. His legacy and honour of service to his country was something that most candidates for political office could only dream of not just because of its capacity to add to electoral success but because it showed a window into his character. He understood that when much is given, much is expected. Much was expected of him. I believe the world has always been worse off because of the scurrilous rumours and dirty campaigning which derailed his bid for that office, so much so that in 2000— A division having been called in the House of Representatives— Sitting suspended from 18:17 to 18 : 30 The DEPUTY SPEAKER 74046 It being 6.30 pm, the time for statements on indulgence on the death of Senator John McCain has come to an end in accordance with standing order 192B. GRIEVANCE DEBATE 101 GRIEVANCE DEBATE Coalition Government 101 18:30 Mr NEUMANN HVO Blair This government is divided, unstable and illegitimate. They seem very much focused on fighting amongst themselves, and they're a chaos and a rabble, but they seem to agree on one thing and one thing only—sorry, besides attacks on trade unions who represent workers in the workplace. They seem absolutely committed to cuts to education, to health and to penalty rates, and they seem to be focused on making sure that working-class and middle-class people don't get access to the kind of services they need. In the last couple of weeks, the Prime Minister, the third one in the last five years, has undertaken a valiant attempt to hide from the previous five years. Paul Bongiorno, a respected journalist, describes it as follows: The new man at the helm is counting on voter amnesia. He insists "the curtain has come down on that Muppet Show". It's an extraordinary attempt by this government to just put aside the previous budgets of the then Treasurer, the former member for North Sydney—smoking, joking Joe, as he was on that occasion—and the cuts, as a result of the Commission of Audit, to education, to health, to social security and to a whole range of areas. It's those things which I'm most aggrieved by with this government. We've seen surgeries delayed, we've seen nurse and doctor numbers decline, and we've seen emergency departments under increasing pressure with increasing delays as a result of the $160 million in cuts to public hospitals in my home state of Queensland from 2017 to 2020. That's equivalent to 240,000 emergency department visits, 44,000 cataract extractions, 6,150 knee replacements and 26,500 births. It has impact locally in my electorate, and that's why I'm so aggrieved. Locally, in my electorate, I want to commend the Ipswich and West Moreton health and hospital services for the work they do. I was recently at the awards night at the North Ipswich railway museum to see the great work that doctors, nurses and other people, including the Queensland Police Service, undertake in the delivery of essential services. The relationship and coordination of essential services like the Queensland Police Service and the health and hospital services are to be commended. But it's quite clear that this government, the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government, has cut $4.71 million from local public hospitals in my area, including $4.53 million from the Ipswich Hospital. This is the most critical hospital. In the same way the Toowoomba base hospital is really important in the Darling Downs region, the Ipswich general hospital is really critical to people who live in the West Moreton region. There has been a cut of $80,000 to the Esk Hospital, an important hospital up in the Somerset region. In the north, $100,000 has been cut from the Kilcoy Hospital. Every dollar cut from public hospitals is a dollar cut from sick and vulnerable patients. In these country communities in my electorate, people rely on these public hospitals to provide health care and to make sure people get the services they need. Access, as Labor always says, to good health services should not be determined by your credit card but by your Medicare card. I was pleased recently to catch up with my good friend and mentor Bill Hayden, the former opposition leader, on Sunday. I was pleased to see him in good health and have some of his friends and colleagues commend him, because we would not have had Medicare in this country without Bill Hayden. He was the one who brought in Medibank during the Whitlam Labor government. It is really crucial that that sort of universal healthcare be maintained, and this government doesn't seem to be as committed as it ought to be. Locally in my electorate there's another issue which is irritating people enormously, and that's aged care. The release of the latest data on home care packages from this government revealed 108,000 older Australians are languishing in the waiting list for home care. I experience this regularly as constituents come and see me or I visit some of them in their homes. That number includes about 88,000 older Australians with high needs, many of them living with dementia, who are being looked after by churches, charities, family members and friends. I was really cross with the current government because they delayed the release of the data in relation to this matter for a long time. We had to wait for it to be released. The government can find billions of dollars in tax cuts for big banks, yet the budget that was handed down for aged care, which has an impact nationally as well as locally in my electorate, was exposed as a cruel hoax for older Australians. The waiting list grew by almost 4,000 older Australians in three months, but there were only 3,500 new home care packages a year committed to in the budget. Where are these coming from? They came from residential aged care. In my electorate people can wait for many months for an ACAT assessment. They then have to wait many months to get the level of package that they need. These are people who've worked their entire lives and want to settle into retirement, and they need a decent level of care and a decent standard of living. They need a little assistance. That might be Commonwealth Home Support Program assistance, sometimes Meals on Wheels, or home care—help with day-to-day tasks such as cleaning, cooking and laundry, or personal care such as dressing, grooming and showering. All those things are more difficult the older we get. These people deserve dignity in their retirement and they're simply not getting it from this government. This government really needs to have a look at the funding shortfall in the number of aged-care packages. There are people in my electorate, older people in Ipswich and the Somerset and Karana Downs regions, who are assessed as needing a level 4 package and contact My Aged Care only to be told that no funding is available for their appropriate level of home care package. They're told they'll go on the waiting list and wait another year or two. That is why the government needs to spend more money and put more resources into this area. Waiting for assistance to wash yourself daily, clean your home and cook your meals, or waiting for assistance to install safety aids that could help save your life and certainly would improve your lifestyle, is simply unacceptable. We need policies in this country to create an age-friendly nation and to deal with the growing challenges of dementia. We need to treble our aged-care workforce. But this government seems to be putting it on the never-never. On top of that, locally I'm seeing a huge increase in the waiting times for people to receive a pension, particularly the age pension. The median processing time for age pension payments has increased from 36 days to 49 days in the past year. In my experience, it's much longer in my electorate. I've come across people in Kilcoy who've told me that they have been waiting up to six months. We've had people in Ipswich who've been waiting four or five. In one case we dealt with in my office it was seven months—seven months! These are retirees living off their savings and the charity of their friends and family while they wait for their pension to come through. Providing income support is a very complex task, we know. It requires knowledge and experience. That's why Centrelink needs permanent full-time staff with familiarity and experience to manage applications and payments, to recognise when something is taking a long time to process and make the necessary decisions to expedite a person's claim. In this year's budget this government axed 1,180 jobs from Centrelink, which has contributed to the blowout in age pension processing times. The then Treasurer, now Prime Minister, announced a further cut of 1,280 jobs from Centrelink. And 1,250 jobs have been outsourced to labour hire. The Prime Minister will continue the Centrelink job cuts that he started as Treasurer. Piece by piece, Public Service jobs will be taken from experienced personnel and given to the highest bidder. Morale at Centrelink is at an all-time low. We've also seen huge blowouts in the number of people whose phone calls go unanswered. In the last year, up to 55 million phone calls have not been answered. While delivering the budget in 2017, the Treasurer, now Prime Minister, said: We must choose to guarantee the essential services that Australians rely on. You know what? We're still waiting for that. All of this was done, by the way, to attend to the so-called debt and deficit disaster. Net debt for this year, 2018-19, is double what it was when the Liberals came to power: $175 billion compared to $350 billion. Under the Liberals, gross debt has crashed through more than half a trillion dollars for the first time in our country's history and remains well above this level for the next decade: $533.9 billion as of 7 September 2018 and $280 billion in September 2013. Both of these kinds of debts will grow quicker per month under the Liberals than under us when we had a global financial crisis to deal with. So much for the government delivering a budget surplus in the first year and every year thereafter. We're still waiting for this. This is simply not good enough. The government must govern better. Goods and Services Tax 103 18:40 Mr MORTON 265931 Tangney Our job is to deliver for all Australians. In five years, the Liberal-Nationals team have made a lot of progress to deliver a strong economy and a more secure future. This government is delivering on its promise with our long-term fix to the GST that delivers for my home state of Western Australia. The Liberals' GST plan changes the GST distribution formula and introduces a permanent GST floor. This government will also invest more funding into the system so that every state is better off and every Australian stands to benefit from this fair and real fix to our GST system. A gradual rise in payments over the next eight years means no state will receive less than 75 cents in the dollar. Importantly for Western Australia, this delivers an additional $4.7 billion in GST between now and 2026-27—more funding to invest in schools, hospitals, roads and transport. The GST formula under the Liberals' plan will no longer penalise hardworking, entrepreneurial states like Western Australia that develop their resources and grow their economies. It's a fair go for those states that have a go. But there's a bit of a problem, because in politics there are always choices. So it's fair that we have a look at where Labor is at in relation to the GST. Where is the Leader of the Opposition? Where is the shadow Treasurer? Importantly in WA, where are Labor's federal members and senators from Western Australia in relation to this important fix of the GST system? Together they've hung WA out to dry. They haven't backed this government's full GST plan. They haven't got any ideas of their own to fix the GST formula. In fact, WA Labor members and senators shamefully walked away from their home state in their own submission to the Productivity Commission's review of the GST, saying that they 'seek an outcome to this situation but one that doesn't negatively impact on other states and territories'. They had no solution of their own. In fact, Labor's solution is always the same old solution: it's about taxing you more to pay for their promises. The Rudd and Gillard governments did nothing to fix the GST. After holding out for so long, the Leader of the Opposition has been dragged kicking and screaming to support just one part of the Liberals' GST fix in supporting a floor in the GST. The GST floor is a very important part of the plan. It's set at 70 cents and then up to 75 cents. For WA it will mean $3 billion in additional GST over eight years, which is very important for my state. It is funding that can be invested in hospitals, schools, roads and other essential infrastructure. When it comes to fixing the GST formula, Labor will not take any action. Labor's single and shameful idea to fix the distribution of GST would not change in any way the way the distribution of the GST is arranged. Labor's refusal to even consider changing the GST formula would mean WA would miss out on $1.7 billion in additional GST. That's like funding the Roe 8 and Roe 9 projects, with millions left over to fund other vital road projects. That's like funding the Perth Stadium or dozens of schools. That's another Fiona Stanley Hospital. Labor's position is outrageous. Western Australians have labelled Labor's GST position as smoke and mirrors because that's exactly what it is. They have no vision towards fixing the GST system. Labor, with their refusal to change the GST formula, is letting down every single Western Australian. To this date, the government has already invested an extra $1.4 billion in additional essential infrastructure and hospital funding for WA to top up our fair share of the GST. It was the first government to do so. The top-up funding has been invaluable investment in our state. The top-up funding for individual states is never going to be a long-term solution to the GST, but it's a solution. Labor's only solution is taxing Commonwealth taxpayers more. The GST formula needed to change, and it will. The Prime Minister tasked the Productivity Commission to report on the impact of the GST distribution on national productivity and economic growth. As every single Western Australian has predicted, the PC inquiry confirmed that the system for distributing GST was broken and, indeed, needed to be fixed. The inquiry gave this government the evidence it needed to make critical long-term GST reform and reform that sticks. As the Prime Minister said, the Productivity Commission's GST review only happened through the strong advocacy of WA Liberal members and senators, and to my colleagues I pay tribute. The hard work of WA Liberal members of parliament, senators and, indeed, all Western Australians kept this government focused on delivering this real solution. Every Western Australian knows well that the GST formula is the exact thing that created the issue of WA's abysmal share of GST off the back of the mining boom. It should be as obvious to Labor as it is to every Western Australian that the only way to fix the GST formula is to fix the GST formula. I look forward to my friend the member for Fremantle—and I welcome him back to this House—confirming that the Labor Party will indeed support adjustments to the formula and give away the notion of their tax-and-spend approach to fixing this problem—an approach that they so dearly hold onto even today. We are committed to transitioning to a new GST system and a new GST formula over eight years, in a way that's fair and sustainable and benefits of all Australians, benchmarking all states and territories to the broad based economies of the two largest states, New South Wales or Victoria—whichever is higher. It will remove those extreme circumstances like the mining boom from Australia's GST distribution system. Entrepreneurial states that seize and develop their opportunities, like WA, will do well. They will no longer be penalised. This government's GST changes will reinforce and protect the fair-go system used to distribute the GST. States that have a go will get a go through the new GST distribution formula. To assist the transition, the Commonwealth will provide short-term funding to ensure that no state is worse of and to make sure that no state receives less than 70c per person per dollar of GST. As I said, this rises to 75c in 2024-25. There will also be permanent additional Commonwealth contributions to the GST funding pool, so all states will benefit. This is not a bandaid. This is not a political quick fix. It was something that took time. It was something that the Treasurer, now Prime Minister, was committed to fixing in a methodical way, which will mean that this fix will stick. It's a real plan and a long-term solution, and it has been welcomed across the country. Front pages, state-by-state, back the Prime Minister and back this government's plan on the GST. TheDaily Telegraph said: The bottom line of landmark tax reform. Finally: a fair dinkum share, ScoMo's GST fix levels playing field … The Herald Sun, in Victoria, wrote, 'Treasurer guarantees Vic GST.' Even The Mercury wrote, 'GST fix revealed: the land of the fair go.' The Courier Mail and The Advertiser also backed in the very good work that our prime minister has done to fix this problem that has evaded so many before him and has evaded the Labor Party totally. Importantly, The West Australian wrote: GST fix: Treasurer delivers on promise to change formula to help WA It's that change in formula that is ever so important. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA's Rick Newnham said, 'We've got a good solution on the table from the federal government.' The Prime Minister is clearly a friend of Western Australia as the architect of this government's GST fix, which will benefit all states and territories. The Prime Minister's leadership on the GST, on tax relief to encourage and reward hardworking Australians, backing businesses to create more jobs, getting electricity prices down and doing more to help farmers facing drought—he is delivering for all Australians. The Liberals' plans to fix the GST will make sure the GST works for WA and for all Australians in a way that is fair and long term. It is a real solution—a long-term, permanent solution that every Labor member from WA and every Labor member of the state parliament should be supporting. The days of politics on this issue should be over. It should be acknowledged that finally we have a Treasurer—now Prime Minister—that has fixed the problem. I'll be interested to know, absolutely, whether the federal member for Fremantle will continue to play politics on this issue or whether he will join in this fix, which has been so welcomed, and make his party's position clear. Will he join us and support this fix? Will he get on, take the GST out of the realm of politics and support this fix so it can get done? Goods and Services Tax 104 18:50 Mr JOSH WILSON 265970 Fremantle It was great to listen to the member for Tangney finish his 10 minutes with a 180-degree turn towards bipartisanship and say, 'Let's leave politics out of all of this,' after 9½ minutes of pure politics. But I'm happy to say—and I've said this since I first came into parliament—that we need change on the GST. We need a fair deal on the GST. Federal Labor was the first side of politics to commit to a 70c floor, and we're happy to support a lift to a 75c floor. So there is agreement, belatedly, on how to get a better share for WA on the GST, and we're happy to look at the way that that change can be made permanent. But, for the member for Tangney's benefit and for the benefit of the people of Western Australia, let's just look at this through clear eyes. We need change so that WA gets a fairer deal. It is intolerable, despite the importance of having horizontal fiscal equalisation, when a state like Western Australia falls down to a share of 30c in the dollar. It's particularly intolerable when that happens countercyclically, and that's what did happen in Western Australia. We found ourselves receiving some 30c in the dollar precisely at the time that we were going into recession. We've only just, for the first time in three years, experienced two consecutive quarters of growth. We've only just come out of the recession that was bequeathed to Western Australians by the Barnett Liberal government, just as they bequeathed to the new McGowan government $30 billion of debt. We need a change that ensures that that doesn't happen again. It has impacted on Western Australia. Where have we got to? We have got to the point now where there's a bipartisan commitment to 70c in the dollar, rising to 75c in the dollar. But how do we get there? What's extraordinary is that the member for Tangney has the gall to stand here in the Federation Chamber and say: 'We did this. We fixed this. The Prime Minister, who's been in the chair for nine or 10 days in the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison—dot dot dot—government has fixed this.' Where is the money? Have we had one additional cent of GST out of this government in its five years? We haven't had one additional cent in GST out of this government in five years. Consider the time line. The member for Tangney and all those on his side are happy to make a big deal about the process: 'Oh, we asked the Productivity Commission to look at it.' They asked the Productivity Commission to look at it. They put the Productivity Commission report date back so that it conveniently fell at a time beyond the most recent budget. Does the solution that they've now put forward have anything to do with the recommendations of the Productivity Commission? No, absolutely not. The Productivity Commission said, 'This is the way to deal with it.' The solution that the member for Tangney and his government have come up with has nothing to do with that. So why did they wait for the Productivity Commission report that they delayed beyond the 2018-19 budget? Precisely so that they wouldn't have to put their hand in their pocket and pay one additional cent to Western Australia. I've put a question in writing to the Treasurer on this: I'd like to know when the Treasurer asked Treasury for the costings that form the basis of the plan. I'd like to know when he took that plan to cabinet. There's no doubt it was before the Productivity Commission report landed, because the plan has nothing to do with the Productivity Commission report. The question is: did it happen before the budget, and, if so, why wasn't that 70c-in-the-dollar solution delivered in the 2018-19 budget? Do you know how much that would have been worth to Western Australia? This government could have delivered $1.8 billion this financial year. What are they going to deliver? They're going to deliver zero, because, by the time we get to next May, we'll have an election and these jokers more than likely won't be here anymore. They have done absolutely nothing for Western Australia and they have conned the people of Western Australia to some extent—in fact I don't think they have, because I think the people of Western Australia get it. They have conned some in the commentariat. The fact that they've conned the CCI of Western Australia is no great surprise considering the ambitions that are held by some of the people involved over there. I think it was the middle Prime Minister of this government—I can't keep count which one; it wasn't the current one—who floated the idea of a 70c floor more than two years ago. How did we get to a 70c floor? There were two factors. The first was a commitment from federal Labor to a 70c floor. We committed to it and we budgeted for it. The second ingredient was the election of the WA Labor McGowan government. After eight years the cosy relationship between the Barnett Liberal government and the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison—dot, dot, dot; watch this space—government suddenly came to an end, and the McGowan government held the backsides of Liberal members in Western Australia to the fire and said: 'Did you have a look at those results in March 2017? Do you know what will happen if you jokers don't come along with something sensible?' It was only at that point, out of mortal fear, that there was finally some move on part of the 11 House of Representatives coalition members and all their senators—all of their riches, all of their cabinet members, all of this influence that did nothing for four years. The state government did nothing for eight years. Finally, as with every motivation of this government, when they sniff the cold wind of electoral oblivion, they get a bit desperate and decide, 'We better do something.' They came on board with Labor's 70c floor and added to that a 75c floor in the relatively distant future. We are happy to support that, because it was our idea. It was the solution that the WA Labor McGowan government has essentially forced people like the member for Tangney and all his colleagues into out of mortal fear that there won't be very many of them left when the people of Western Australia, who have already passed judgement on them at the state level, pass judgement on them at the federal level. But the people of Western Australia are not fools. The fact that you keep running colour full-page ads in The West Australian saying that the GST problem has been solved, and they haven't seen a single additional dollar through a sharp and bitter recession, is not lost on the people of Western Australia. Mr Morton 265931 Recession? What recession? Mr JOSH WILSON 265970 The recession in Western Australia—many quarters of falling demand in Western Australia, for the member for Tangney's benefit. That's the definition of recession: falling state demand, record high unemployment. Mr Morton interjecting— Mr JOSH WILSON 265970 For the member for Tangney's benefit, we've just had two consecutive quarters of growth. We've broken the recession that was bequeathed to the people of Western Australia by the Barnett government, during which time the member for Tangney was the state Liberal director of Western Australia. In any case, let me finish by pointing out something else. Let's not forget in Western Australia. Let's not allow the GST to cover a multitude of sins. The GST has been very poor because of Liberal federal and state governments. We've fixed the first part. We have a McGowan Labor state government. Now we're going to try to fix the next part. That's when we'll deal with the GST. In the meantime let's not, with our focus on the GST, ignore all other areas where this coalition government has short-changed Western Australia. We are getting far and away the worst deal when it comes to the NBN. The fibre-to-the-node, 19th-century copper technology is without doubt the worst NBN technology, and Western Australia is getting 60 per cent of its line network in fibre-to-the-node, which is half as much again as any other jurisdiction. New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria are all getting around 40 per cent of their line network in fibre-to-the-node, a much higher proportion of fibre-to-the-curb and a much higher proportion of fibre-to-the-premises. We're getting 60 per cent. When NBN decided earlier this year that they were going to provide an additional 400,000 premises with fibre-to-the-curb, did they use that to help correct what was going on in Western Australia? No. We got less than 10 per cent of the additional premises. We are being short-changed on the NBN. We are getting ripped off when it comes to the ABC. The member for Moore has had a recent conversion to the practice of honesty and transparency. The member for Moore has come out and said that we're getting a terrible deal on shipbuilding, and that's why he had to support the end of that Prime Minister in the middle that I was talking to you about before—Mr Turnbull. The member for Moore had to support bringing him down because he acknowledged we were getting a terrible deal on defence shipbuilding. So we do need to fix the GST. We need a federal Shorten Labor government to do that and to fix all the other ways in which we've been taken for granted by the Liberals for too long. Dairy Industry, Wide Bay Electorate: Mental Health, Brainstorm 106 19:00 Mr LLEW O'BRIEN 265991 Wide Bay It was very disappointing when the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chose not to take action against Coles and Woolworths in relation to their abuse of market power over the dollar milk price war. However, I do welcome the ACCC's recommendations in their report supporting a mandatory code of conduct to bring some fairness back to the dairy industry supply chain. The dollar milk price war started on Australia Day in January 2011 and has gone on for too long and claimed too many innocent victims. Coles, in particular, and Woolworths should be ashamed of their un-Australian behaviour, which has only wreaked havoc and grief on the dairy industry and devastated dairy farms. These practices by supermarket giants can no longer be tolerated. The Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, David Littleproud, recently visited Gympie to meet with dairy industry representatives. We discussed a range of issues about how to improve the farmgate price and how a mandatory code of conduct would need to cover everyone in the supply chain, from the farmer right through to the boardroom of the major retailers. We all agreed that the dairy industry is in crisis and will be wiped out unless things change dramatically. The minister asked the industry to unite and bring forward a proposal on how farmers could achieve a fair price for their product. He also warned that time is running out and he would take action if the industry failed to reach agreement. The ACCC's report considered that a mandatory code would benefit dairy farmers, as it would address the bargaining power imbalance between the farmers and the processors. The ACCC inquiry found dairy farmers are disadvantaged, as processors have better access to price and market information and the supermarkets were using their bargaining power over processors to slash the price of milk. A mandatory code of conduct must include the supermarkets. It's the supermarkets that set the retail price for milk and determine the value of the supply chain from the retailer to the processor and, subsequently, the farmer. I implore Coles and Woolworths to do the right thing, but, after seven years of dollar milk, I'm not holding my breath. If the retailers won't play fair, I welcome the minister's move to make them. Farmers deserve a fair go. There's nothing more important than the wellbeing of our young people. It is very much the responsibility of all of us to ensure the very best of services are readily available to support, nurture and advance those who are our future. Whilst today's society is becoming more convenient, with much more efficient and effective forms of transport and communication, this new fast-paced lifestyle does not necessarily translate into young people being less stressed, or, in many cases, young people facing less disadvantage: the stresses and disadvantage are just different. To address the problems associated with mental health, related physical health, alcohol and drug abuse and social and vocational support, we need the best possible services, preferably provided with some input from the young people that these services are designed to help. That's where headspace comes in. headspace offers exactly that, and this is why I was so proud to be part of the official opening of the Gympie headspace on 28 August. The Australian government, through the Central Queensland, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast Primary Health Network is investing more than $719,000 over 2018-19 to bring headspace services to Gympie. Mental health disorders constitute one of the most common chronic illnesses affecting young people in Australia, with one in four young people expected to experience mental ill health. Services like headspace can be a critical first step in getting the right support at the right time and reducing the impact and duration of mental ill health for a young person. My home town of Gympie experiences relatively high levels of youth mental illness and self-harm linked to social disadvantage, so it will particularly benefit from this new service. With more than 5,000 young people aged between 12 and 24 living within the Gympie local government area, our new headspace service will provide a very important addition to the mental health support available in the area. The development and ongoing running of this headspace will be taken care of by United Synergies, which is a fantastic local support service I regularly work closely with. I particularly acknowledge three very keen young people, Sam, Julian and Shane, who not only served on the organising committee for the Gympie headspace by contributing their extensive local knowledge but also gave me a very informative tour of the venue on the day of the opening. I would like to pay tribute to everyone involved in the production of Brainstorm, a short film which has been produced by students at Gympie Flexible Learning Centre for Mental Health Week. Mental Health Week runs from 6 to 14 October and reminds us all of the importance of promoting positive mental health and wellbeing, creating understanding of mental illness and recovery and celebrating the lives of young people living with mental ill health. Brainstorm is the result of a joint project between the Gympie Collaborative Network Mental Health Sub-Group and the Gympie Flexible Learning Centre. Directed by Ande Foster and Sally Haxton and produced by my friend Gaylene Johnston, 33 students from the Flexible Learning Centre participated in its making and 27 students appear in acting roles. The short film was made on a shoestring budget with sponsorship of under $3,000 from the regional primary health network, Gympie Regional Council and On Track Community Programs. The film tells of the struggles and challenges that teenagers experience and provides hope, reassurance and inspiration as to how life's obstacles can be overcome. Some of Brainstorm's key messages are: never give up; you can always ask for help; are you okay?; it's okay not to be okay; and believe in yourself. Brainstorm provides us with an insight as to what life feels like as a young person in today's world and improves understanding around mental health. The thought-provoking film, which runs for nearly 11 minutes, looks at the use of social media and addresses the impact it has on young people in our community. The film will become a valuable mental health resource, and I hope that it becomes a useful tool for local young people and young people across the country. The film contains powerful themes that can benefit parents, teachers and the broader community as it provides an insight into how young people perceive their world and strategies on how they can best be supported on their mental health journey. Having been filmed in one of the best locations in Australia, the film showcases our region's stunning scenery and landmarks that we are all so proud of. The film has been selected as a finalist in the young filmmakers category at the Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival, which starts on 4 October, the week before Mental Health Week. Brainstorm will be screened on Sunday, 7 October. I commend everyone involved in this wonderful project. You've done an amazing job. Wills Electorate: Migration 107 19:09 Mr KHALIL 101351 Wills I would like to use this opportunity to speak to the migrants in my electorate of Wills. There are so many migrants that have settled in my part of the world, in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. So many in my electorate have come recently from India, Nepal, Bangladesh or Pakistan, but there are also older migrants, who have been there for many, many decades, from Greece, Italy and Lebanon. Some of the newer migrants have come from those countries as well. Tonight I really want to say that I understand many of the challenges that they face in becoming new Australians and being new to Australia as well, because I too come from a migrant background. My parents came to this country from Egypt some 48 years ago. Similarly to many who come today, my parents were escaping a region where conflict was the norm and there were very limited opportunities for people there. Like millions of other migrants who have come to Australia, they've sacrificed greatly and helped build Australia to be the wonderful country it is today. They came here for a better life, frankly. They wanted a better life for themselves and, more importantly, for their children. My parents did that for my sister and I. We grew up in a Housing Commission place in inner-city Melbourne. It was a bit difficult growing up in the seventies and eighties in Australia. It was quite tough for my family. It was tough from a socioeconomic point of view, and I think it would be fair to say it was tough for hundreds of thousands of migrants who were starting out in those decades. Australia was a different place back then. My parents worked very hard. My dad had to give up a career as a lawyer in Egypt. He ended up working at Australia Post. My mum couldn't finish her university degree in Egypt, and she ended up working at the Reserve Bank printing factory as a translator and interpreter. But my parents, like so many other migrant families that have come to this country, did really benefit from the policies of successive Labor governments, from the Whitlam Labor government through to the Hawke and Keating Labor governments. We had access to affordable housing, universal health care and education. Education in particular was, and is, so important to migrants. It's important to my family and the millions of others who've come to this country, because it really is the key that opens up the door to opportunity. It opens up so much opportunity. More than that, something that was instilled in me growing up was that education is critically important to our future. And it was good government policy that gave us access to that education. We're not a unique story, my family. Millions of Australians have been given opportunities, through policies based on fairness, to contribute to this country on their merit and through their hard work. There's another important thing that, as migrants, my parents understood, and that was the importance of giving something back to Australia, giving back to a country that had given us so much opportunity. They often said to me: 'Australia's not the lucky country. You hear that all the time, but we're actually the lucky ones, to be Australian.' I think that's true. I have to say, I'm a Labor MP today because of those policies—the access that we had to affordable housing and to health care, and the access I had to education so that, within a generation, I could make my contribution to Australia as well. There is a real commitment to equality of opportunity. That's something we talk about a lot. It's equality of opportunity regardless of one's race, one's ethnicity or one's gender, and it's not just a three-word slogan; it's real. Bob Hawke, one of our great prime ministers, stood up to enormous pressure in the eighties to limit migration based on race. Paul Keating gave us a vision of our place in Asia. In so many respects, those Labor governments gave migrants opportunities to build their lives in this country. Of course, government policies don't always guarantee things won't be difficult. There are always going to be great challenges for new migrants to this country. There will be times when my constituents, the new migrants in my electorate, will, like we did, face great hardship and some ugly prejudice as well. Many migrants still face those disadvantages today. There is a temptation to give in to that hatred and anger when you're faced with ignorance and racism, particularly when you're a kid or a teenager, and I admit sometimes I gave in. There were many times when I directly experienced prejudice and racial abuse. I got into lots of fights. I'm a bit ashamed to say that. But I think overall, apart from those few occasions when I got into a few dust-ups, I did try to refuse to give in to that mentality that I was a victim. Australia, of course, has changed greatly from the seventies and eighties, when I grew up. Back then, racism was far more overt and institutionalised. It was kind of a common thing back then. It was kind of normalised. But our country has evolved. Our laws and our institutions have reformed, I think, very much for the better, and our cultural sensitivity has developed. It's not just about laws; it's also about a better understanding of common decency to our fellow human beings and understanding that you don't judge people based on their ethnicity, their race, their skin colour or their gender; you judge people based on the content of their character and what they say and do in life. But that doesn't mean, of course, that today we don't still face challenges. Prejudice still does exist. There are inherent biases that put up obstacles to equity and access for people of diverse backgrounds and for women. That does exist today, and we are fighting that battle for equity, access and equality every day. Beyond that, I'm conscious too—particularly for the constituents in my electorate, including migrants—of the fact that we're in a time when political discourse, frankly, has become quite vociferous and vitriolic. We've seen the rise of the far right in Europe. We've seen a kind of nativist populism and a transactional foreign policy in the Trump administration. We've seen those far right movements in our own country where people are demonised because of their background. African Australians, Muslims and people from the Middle East particularly tend to be used as political footballs. They're exploited for short-term political gain. Again, unfortunately, as it was decades ago, race has been used to stoke fear, anger and discontent amongst the populace. That political manipulation of anger and resentment is heading us onto a path leading to the extremities of politics. The far right seeks to demonise our diverse community by not treating its members as individuals but scapegoating an entire ethnicity. This is probably best seen, for example, in laying the blame for rises in crime solely on an ethnic group, particularly Africans in Victoria, and using that to stoke fear. I'm cognisant of my responsibility as a political leader to highlight the many successes of that migrant community, because we know that African Australians have made great contributions to this country and have bequeathed so much culture and contribution to Australia as they've made their way, like many other migrant groups in this country. We are a very diverse culture. The debate around multiculturalism has been won. It has been had and it has been won. We are a diverse nation. We come from all over the world. So the great sadness of this kind of political discourse is that it's fighting a battle that's already been won. We cannot go backwards in time. We're a country that celebrates our diversity, but I think it's important to say the reason our multicultural model works is that in Australia you don't have to choose between your identities. You can be proud to be someone of Egyptian background like me. By the way, I've checked with the embassy! I know that was a while ago, but many of us were caught up in that. I was born in Australia. Indeed, those of us who are migrants and still have that connection are the ones that checked the most often, I think, because identity was always an issue that we had to— An honourable member interjecting— Mr KHALIL 101351 Yes, the ones from the UK didn't bother checking. But identity has always been an issue for us. But it's about that identity. Being Australian has nothing to do with your race, your ethnicity or your gender. It has everything to do with embracing democracy, democratic values and equality before the law, regardless of those identity markers, and embracing what I think is a quintessential Australian value: the fair go for all. Economy 109 19:19 Mr TED O'BRIEN 138932 Fairfax Under this coalition government, the Australian economy has taken off like a rocket. The June quarter national accounts released last week show that over the year the Australian economy grew at a blistering 3.4 per cent, which is the strongest real GDP growth since the height of the mining investment boom. Under the coalition, our national economy is growing faster than any G7 economy—that includes the US, by the way—and well above the OECD average of 2.5 per cent. But, unlike the heady days of the mining boom, when all the talk was of a two-speed economy—mining and non-mining—our economic strength today is broadly based, with no one sector doing all the heavy lifting. This suggests a very healthy economy. It is healthy not just because it is growing at a rapid and sustainable pace but because growth is up right across the board—in household consumption, business investment, dwelling investment, public demand and exports. They're all up for the year. And what is truly amazing is that our economy continues to strengthen in this, its 27th year of consecutive growth. The good news isn't just confined to economic growth. There are jobs as well, with 412,000 jobs created in 2017. That's the strongest jobs growth on record. Last financial year, 330,000 new jobs were created, of which 95,200 went to young Australians. That is the best result of any financial year in nearly 30 years. The strength of the Australian economy under this coalition government is an undeniable fact, a fact that underwrites the security, lifestyle and wellbeing of 25 million Australians. For, without a strong economy, we don't have the means to the end. The end can be the schools, it can be the hospitals, it can be the roads, it can be the railways; indeed, it can be our national economy. They are all at risk without a strong economy. Hand the reins of government to the Leader of the Opposition and just see what we saw in 2007. Watch the spending run wild and the taxes skyrocket. Rather than cutting taxes, which is what this coalition government is doing, Labor's plan is for over $200 billion of additional taxes—locked, loaded; they're ready to go. And that's just the taxes we know about. What about the sneaky ones? What about those sneaky taxes on pensioners, families, retirees and small businesses? Will Labor ultimately need to satisfy their insatiable appetite for spending by more sneaky taxes? The trouble is Labor always sounds so fair and so reasonable when they're in opposition. Let them loose and give them a free hand on the levers of government and slowly but surely the clouds will begin to gather. Some may think that Labor have changed, that they're over the mad spending and all the sneaky taxes, but just take a look at my home state of Queensland. In Queensland we have a state Labor government. How is Queensland doing under the Palaszczuk-Trad Labor government? After supersizing the public bureaucracy and adding billions to state payroll in the process, Annastacia Palaszczuk got lucky, with the price of coal defying all doomsday predictions. The prices actually went up. In fact, they went up a lot. And in the process that effectively gifted the Queensland government a windfall—a windfall that was further bolstered by over $2 billion in dividends stripped from state owned electricity assets via Labor's secret electricity tax. For a while, the money pouring in from booming exports and secret taxes outstripped even Labor's ability to spend, and that's really saying something. Even respected economists like Deloitte's Chris Richardson predicted as recently as January this year that Queensland would have the strongest economic growth of all the states in each of the next four years. Deloitte said: Queensland will have the strongest economic growth of all the states in each of the next four years, with growth never falling below 3.5 per cent. But then along came our national accounts. Yes, the same national accounts that showed the Australian economy racing ahead of the G7 at 3.4 per cent growth for the year and at 0.9 per cent for the quarter showed just 0.1 per cent for the quarter for Queensland. I'll say that again about the last quarter: 0.9 per cent nationally, Queensland 0.1 per cent. This shock resulted in The Courier Mail's John McCarthy declaring, just last Thursday: Queensland's booming economy came to a shuddering halt in the June quarter, producing the worst growth of all the states … What happened? Back in January Chris Richardson and others were saying Queensland is a mile in front, yet by June we'd hit the wall. Perhaps this is an anomaly. Perhaps it's a glitch in the system. I don't know. After all, thanks to the federal government, places like the Sunshine Coast, where I live, are receiving unprecedented amounts of funding and growth there remains strong. But what if it's not a glitch? What if it reflects the perennial problem we have with Labor when they're in government? What if it's just Labor doing what Labor does, effectively running a government like a giant Ponzi scheme. They keep going until they run out of money or the electorate wakes up. Look a little closer at the national account figures for Queensland and your worst fears can be confirmed, as they show a 3.1 per cent collapse in public spending for the quarter. The Courier Mail spelt it out more clearly and more plainly when it wrote: The slump in the data … was blamed on a virtual shutdown of government spending on infrastructure … It went on to quote economist Peter Faulkner: The slowing in growth in the second quarter is due almost entirely to a sharp slowdown in the public sector. Sure, this could be a glitch too, or perhaps the iron laws of arithmetic are once again catching up with the Labor government as they run out of money and they suck the last crumbs of funding back towards the centre away from the regions, towards the inner cities and to a top-heavy public service and of course some of their union mates. Perhaps this may help explain Labor's failure to match the coalition's commitment to fund 50 per cent of the north coast rail upgrades. They do so claiming their focus is on Cross River Rail. I don't have any in-principle problem with Cross River Rail, but I see that the project is estimated to cost $5.4 billion. The Queensland state government has committed to the people of Queensland that they will cover 100 per cent of that $5.4 billion. The Queensland Labor government have said to the people of Queensland that that $5.4 billion is covered 100 per cent, yet we have the federal Labor opposition coming into Queensland offering $2.24 billion for the same project. what's the truth here? Either Labor just can't add up—they're going to put extra $2.24 billion on a project that's already been paid for—or, quite simply, federal Labor know the truth that state Labor don't have any money. It's the same reason they continue to price gouge consumers with their energy assets—their poles and wires. They refuse to write them down, so they can run the secret energy tax. It is a terrific case study between the difference of Labor and coalition, federal and state. 19:29 The DEPUTY SPEAKER 218019 The time for the grievance debate has expired, and the debate is interrupted in accordance with standing order 192B. The debate is adjourned, and the resumption of debate will be made an order of the day for the next day of sitting. Federat ion Chamber adjourned at 19:30