The SPEAKER ( Hon. Tony Smith ) took the chair at 10:00, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.
Report relating to the consideration of petitions and matters relating to the petitions system
The committee met in private session on 13 May and 10 June 2020.
1. The committee resolved to present the following petitions in accordance with standing order 207:
Petitions certified on 13 May 2020
From 3 petitioners – requesting certain assistance measures during COVID-19 (EN1417)
From 1 petitioner – regarding Medicare discrimination against overseas trained doctors (EN1418)
From 1 petitioner – requesting certain assistance measures during COVID-19 (EN1419)
From 2 petitioners – requesting that permanent residency applications be expedited during COVID-19 (EN1420)
From 11 petitioners – requesting a suspension of foreign ownership (EN1421)
From 1 petitioner – requesting the closure of schools during COVID-19 (EN1422)
From 1 petitioner – requesting certain lockdown measures during COVID-19 (EN1423)
From 2 petitioners – regarding the treatment of law graduates (EN1425)
From 12 petitioners – regarding domestic violence offence accusations against men (EN1426)
From 2 petitioners – regarding female violence against children (EN1427)
From 1 petitioner – requesting certain lockdown measures during COVID-19 (EN1429)
From 2 petitioners – requesting the closure of schools during COVID-19 (EN1430)
From 1 petitioner – requesting assistance for hospitality workers during COVID-19 (EN1431)
From 1 petitioner – requesting that hair and beauty salons to be closed during COVID-19 (EN1433)
From 1 petitioner – regarding financial assistance for certain visa holders during COVID-19 (EN1434)
From 3 petitioners – regarding the repatriation of Australian citizens during COVID-19 (EN1435)
From 1 petitioner – requesting a fee waiver for international students during COVID-19 (EN1437)
From 1,592 petitioners – requesting Australian citizenship for certain visa holders from New Zealand (EN1438)
From 13 petitioners – regarding financial support for temporary visa holders during COVID-19 (EN1439)
From 1 petitioner – requesting wage subsidies (EN1440)
From 16 petitioners – requesting assistance for those receiving certain benefits during COVID-19 (EN1442)
From 55 petitioners – regarding the ability for international medical graduates to assist during COVID-19 (EN1443)
From 1 petitioner – regarding certain measures during COVID-19 (EN1444)
From 1 petitioner – requesting that day-care operators freeze charges for non-attendance during COVID-19 (EN1445)
From 5 petitioners – requesting a Royal Commission into the Port Arthur massacre (EN1446)
From 2 petitioners – requesting for Medicare rebates to include all GP tele- health consultations (EN1447)
From 1 petitioner – regarding the processing time for 887 visas (EN1448)
From 2 petitioners – regarding visa extensions during COVID-19 (EN1450)
From 2 petitioners – requesting that car washes be banned from operating during COVID-19 (EN1451)
From 1 petitioner – regarding a ban on video game loot boxes (EN1452)
From 2 petitioners – requesting a reduction of credit card interest rates during COVID-19 (EN1453)
From 319 petitioners – regarding discrimination against New Zealand citizens (EN1454)
From 7 petitioners – regarding restrictions on exports to China (EN1455)
From 1 petitioner – regarding anti-crisis measures during COVID-19 (EN1457)
From 1 petitioner – regarding assistance for landlords and businesses during COVID-19 (EN1458)
From 1 petitioner – regarding employment for temporary visa holders during COVID-19 (EN1460)
From 2 petitioners – requesting assistance for landlords during COVID-19 (EN1464)
From 22 petitioners – regarding foreign ownership of Australian assets (EN1466)
From 5 petitioners – regarding imported foods (EN1467)
From 1 petitioner – requesting section 115a of the Copyright Act 1968 be repealed (EN1468)
From 1 petitioner – regarding certain social distancing measures during COVID-19 (EN1469)
From 26 petitioners – regarding vaccinations (EN1470)
From 4 petitioners – regarding tax deductions on food and beverage items (EN1471)
From 1 petitioner – requesting changes to certain visas during COVID-19 (EN1472)
From 222 petitioners – regarding Australia's relationship with China (EN1473)
From 3 petitioners – regarding nursing registrations for graduates (EN1474)
From 8 petitioners – regarding charity donations (EN1475)
From 7 petitioners – regarding rights for stay at home parents (EN1476)
From 8 petitioners – requesting proof of sunset clauses on executive emergency powers (EN1477)
From 1 petitioner – requesting certain actions by universities during COVID-19 (EN1478)
From 11 petitioners – requesting an exemption to HELP debts for health care workers (EN1479)
From 2 petitioners – regarding lockdown measures during COVID-19 (EN1481)
From 15 petitioners – requesting the resumption of parliamentary sittings (EN1482)
From 9 petitioners – regarding the purchase of baby formula (EN1483)
From 14 petitioners – requesting changes to taxation for certified organic food growers (EN1485)
From 2 petitioners – requesting the extension of entry dates for existing working holiday visas during COVID-19 (EN1486)
From 45 petitioners – requesting a moratorium on the 5G network (EN1487)
From 2 petitioners – requesting a moratorium on space travel (EN1489)
From 11,419 petitioners – regarding implementation of the 5G network (EN1490)
From 40 petitioners – regarding implementation of the 5G network (EN1492)
From 56 petitioners – regarding implementation of the 5G network (EN1493)
From 5 petitioners – regarding quarantine and isolation rules for regional areas during COVID-19 (EN1494)
From 2 petitioners – requesting an extension of working holiday visas during COVID-19 (EN1495)
From 22 petitioners – regarding food and water security and societal changes (EN1498)
From 1,052 petitioners – requesting a freeze to World Health Organisation funding (EN1500)
From 2 petitioners – regarding education (EN1501)
From 514 petitioners – regarding the integration of Chinese medicine into treatments for COVID-19(EN1502)
From 301 petitioners – requesting a withdrawal of World Health Organisation funding (EN1503)
From 47 petitioners – regarding implementation of the 5G network (EN1504)
From 418 petitioners – requesting a reversal of mandatory vaccinations for visitors to nursing homes (EN1505)
From 2 petitioners – requesting a repeal of the mandatory requirement for crush protection devices on all-terrain vehicles (EN1506)
From 12 petitioners – requesting a ban on the use of credit cards for online gambling websites (EN1507)
From 44 petitioners – regarding Chinese owned assets (EN1508)
From 861 petitioners – requesting hazard allowance and a tax holiday for essential healthcare workers (EN1509)
From 7 petitioners – requesting financial support for self-funded retirees during COVID-19 (EN1510)
From 3,434 petitioners – requesting an extension to certain visas during COVID-19 (EN1513)
From 328 petitioners – requesting that COVID-19 emergency measures be revoked (EN1514)
From 82 petitioners – regarding the World Health Organisation and COVID-19 lockdown measures (EN1515)
From 2 petitioners – requesting that a COVID-19 service medal be awarded for certain public sector workers (EN1516)
From 149 petitioners – requesting changes to property settlement laws (EN1518)
From 40 petitioners – regarding Chinese owned assets (EN1520)
From 32 petitioners – requesting public acknowledgement of the Constitution (EN1521)
From 277 petitioners – requesting an increase to the carers pensions during COVID-19 (EN1522)
From 420 petitioners – regarding trade with China (EN1523)
From 214 petitioners – requesting a Royal Commission into political corruption and conflicts of interest (EN1524)
From 57 petitioners – requesting a public inquiry into the origin of COVID-19 (EN1525)
From 2,955 petitioners – requesting that advice be sought on matters relating to fossil fuel production (EN1526)
From 21,164 petitioners – requesting that influenza vaccines not be made a condition of employment or visitation to aged care facilities (EN1528)
From 51 petitioners – requesting a tax exemption for essential workers (EN1529)
From 208 petitioners – requesting an end to COVID-19 lockdowns (EN1530)
From 11,846 petitioners – regarding influenza vaccinations (EN1531)
From 647 petitioners – requesting the introduction of monitored home quarantine during COVID-19 (EN1532)
From 93 petitioners – requesting a vote in support of the Climate Change (National Framework for Adaptation and Mitigation) Bill 2020 (PN0473)
From 204 petitioners – regarding radioactive waste near Kimba, South Australia (PN0474)
From 511 petitioners – regarding the persecution and organ harvesting of Falun Gong in China (PN0475)
Petition certified at meeting of 10 June 2020
From 1,147 petitioners – requesting the establishment of a Federal Integrity Commission that upholds the Beechworth Principles (PN0477)
2. The following ministerial responses to petitions were received:
Ministerial responses considered on 13 May 2020
From the Minister for Finance – to a petition regarding lowering the voting age to 16 (EN1078)
From the Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business – to a petition regarding the regulatory strategies, policies and activities of the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) (EN1129)
From the Attorney-General – to a petition regarding a Bill of Rights (EN1140)
From the Minister Energy and Emissions Reduction – to a petition regarding a ban on incandescent lighting (EN1146) (EN1147) (EN1148)
From the Minister for Health – to a petition regarding Australian participation in international clinical trials for paediatric neuroblastoma (EN1154)
From the Minister for Government Services – to a petition regarding support for visually impaired people (EN1155)
From the Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts – to a petition regarding 5G technology (EN1157)
From the Attorney-General – to a petition regarding section 45D of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (EN1160)
From the Attorney-General – to a petition regarding charges against an individual (EN1162)
From the Minister for Education – to a petition regarding mandatory first aid training for school aged children (EN1165)
From the Minister for Industrial Relations – to a petition regarding Paid Parental Leave (EN1167)
From the Minister for Home Affairs – to a petition regarding police strip searches (EN1168)
From the Minister for Health – to a petition regarding the regulation of e-cigarettes (EN1170)
From the Minister for Veterans' Affairs – to a petition regarding the Department of Veterans' Affairs decision and review practices (EN1172)
From the Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management – to a petition regarding single-use plastic bags (EN1181)
From the Minister for Regional Development and Territories – to a petition regarding statehood of the Northern Territory (EN1188)
From the Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure – to a petition regarding regional development in North West Victoria (EN1190)
From the Attorney-General – to a petition regarding breaches of section 44 of the Constitution (EN1198)
From the Minister for Home Affairs – to a petition regarding regional processing and resettlement arrangements for refugees (EN1202)
From the Minister for Superannuation, Financial Services and Financial Technology – to a petition regarding bank lending policies (EN1204)
From the Attorney-General – to a petition regarding withdrawing the Religious Discrimination Bill (EN1224)
From the Minister for the Environment– to a petition regarding a Royal Commission into global warming (EN1231)
From the Attorney-General – to a petition regarding arson offences and associated penalties (EN1233)
From the Assistant Treasurer – to a petition regarding direct debit payments (EN1269)
From the Minister for the Environment– to a petition regarding Australia's natural heritage and building disaster management capabilities (EN1291)
From the Minister for Home Affairs – to a petition regarding the spread of COVID-19 (EN1316)
From the Minister for Home Affairs – to a petition regarding the spread of COVID-19 (EN1332)
From the Minister for Health – to a petition regarding legislation relating to immunisations (PN0460)
From the Minister for the Environment – to a petition regarding seismic testing off the NSW coast (PN0463)
From the Attorney-General – to a petition regarding the addition of a preamble on Indigenous Australians into the Constitution (PN0466)
Ministerial responses considered on 10 June 2020
From the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction – to a petition regarding leaving the Paris Climate Agreement (EN1116)
From the Assistant Minister for Superannuation, Financial Services and Financial Technology – to a petition regarding EFTPOS fees (EN1130)
From the Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management – to a petition regarding plastic packaging (EN1142)
From the Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia – to a petition regarding a royal commission into the Murray Darling Basin Authority (EN1149)
From the Minister for Employment – to a petition regarding a royal commission into the treatment of the unemployed and single parents (EN1159)
From the Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety & Multicultural Affairs – to a petition regarding processing times for skilled regional visas (EN1173)
From the Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management – to a petition regarding the environmental impact of helium balloons (EN1175)
From the Assistant Minister for Superannuation, Financial Services and Financial Technology – to a petition regarding EFTPOS and withdrawal fees (EN1207)
From the Minister for Finance – to a petition regarding political donations (EN1211)
From the Minister for the Environment – to a petition regarding policy for reforestation of unproductive land (EN1228)
From the Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs – to a petition regarding claims of the Piri family (EN1232)
From the Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management – to a petition regarding firefighting robots and associated training (EN1235)
From the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister – to a petition regarding the honours list for fire fighters (EN1238)
From the Minister for Health – to a petition regarding Pseudoephedrine Prescriptions (EN1250)
From the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction – to a petition requesting a citizen's assembly for climate and ecological justice (EN1251)
From the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction – to a petition regarding legislation for climate change (EN1253)
From the Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management – to a petition regarding bushfire mitigation strategies (EN1267)
From the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction – to a petition regarding reducing fossil fuel emissions (EN1270)
From the Minister for Finance – to a petition regarding federal politician's remuneration (EN1275)
From the Minister for Families and Social Services – to a petition regarding female domestic violence against children and men (EN1276)
From the Attorney-General – to a petition requesting an independent commission against corruption (EN1277)
From the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology – to a petition regarding country of origin food labelling (EN1279)
From the Minister for Foreign Affairs – to a petition regarding a suspension of the international development program (EN1280)
From the Minister for Health – to a petition regarding blood donation requirements (EN1283)
From the Minister for the Environment – to a petition regarding Australia's flora and fauna (EN1295)
From the Minister for the Environment – to a petition regarding Australia's flora and fauna (EN1296)
From the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians – to a petition requesting a review to tender aged care assessment arrangements (EN1299)
From the Minister for Home Affairs – to a petition regarding international flights coming to Australia (EN1301)
From the Attorney-General – to a petition regarding an independent commission against corruption (EN1303)
From the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians – to a petition regarding misleading packaging (EN1304)
From the Minister for the Environment – to a petition regarding a memorial and museum for extinct and endangered Australian species (EN1313)
From the Minister for Indigenous Australians – to a petition regarding the Australian Constitution (EN1321)
From the Minister for Finance – to a petition regarding four year fixed terms for both houses in Federal Parliament (EN1345)
From the Minister for Health – to a petition regarding vaccine safety (EN1356)
From the Minister for Home Affairs – to a petition regarding travel to Korea during COVID-19 (EN1359)
From the Minister for Home Affairs – to a petition regarding Australian boarders during COVID-19 (EN1385)
From the Minister for Education – to a petition regarding HELP debts during COVID-19 (EN1403)
From the Minister for Families & Social Services – to a petition regarding Newstart payments (PN0458)
From the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister– to a petition regarding changing the date of Australia Day (PN0464)
From the Minister for the Environment – to a petition regarding the protection of Australia's natural heritage (PN0472)
Mr Ken O'Dowd
Chair – Petitions Committee
Fair Work Amendment (One in, All in) Bill 2020
That this bill be now read a second time.
Once an employer decides to participate in the JobKeeper scheme and their eligible employees have agreed to be nominated by the employer, the employer must ensure that all of these eligible employees are covered by their participation in the scheme. This includes all eligible employees who are undertaking work for the employer or have been stood down. The employer cannot select which eligible employees will participate in the scheme.
Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Amendment (Sustainable Procurement Principles) Bill 2020
That this bill be now read a second time.
Family Law Amendment (A Step Towards a Safer Family Law System) Bill 2020
That this bill be now read a second time.
…some victims of family violence may develop the false view that they cannot stop their abuser from having contact with their children. I am advised by some service providers in the sector that this is already happening, mostly involving women who, despite their fears and concerns, feel that new laws mean they will have to accept equal time.
A law that cannot be understood by the people affected by it—or worse still lends itself to being actively misunderstood—is a bad law. That is particularly so when we are talking about a law which affects families and children.
… the convoluted and complex decision making pathway, that must be arrived at through an understanding of the combination of legislation and case law, adds significantly to the time and cost of any parenting matter, and ultimately to the overall delays within the courts.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) in 2019 the independent 11-member Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal did unanimously recommend that the extraordinary bravery of Ordinary Seaman Edward 'Teddy' Sheean should be recognised with the posthumous awarding of the Victoria Cross; and
(b) the Government rejected the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal's unanimous recommendation; and
(2) calls on the Prime Minister to take immediate action to reverse the Government's rejection of the tribunal's recommendation, and take the actions necessary to progress the tribunal's recommendation.
The boundary is clear: policy is not to become a rule of law. The statute is the expression of the rule of law. Executive policy cannot, in form or more importantly in substance, be perceived by decision-makers as, or operate as, a rule …
In October 1942 Armidale's captain, Lieutenant Commander David Richards, was ordered to Darwin and, on 29 November, the corvette began her last operation. Along with two other vessels, she was to undertake a resupply and evacuation mission to Japanese-occupied Timor.
Having been seen by Japanese reconnaissance pilots shortly after leaving the port, Armidale was destined for a dangerous journey. She and the other corvette on the operation, HMAS Castlemaine, missed the rendezvous with the third ship, in Timor's Betano Bay, but met her later some 100 kilometres off-shore. The plan having gone awry, Armidale was ordered to return to Betano the following night. Facing a long day in enemy waters and the certainty of attack, the crew waited.
When in the mid-afternoon she was hit by two aircraft-launched torpedoes, Armidale began to sink fast. Sheean was wounded and, rather than abandon ship, he strapped himself to his Oerlikon and began to engage the attacking aircraft even as the ship sunk beneath him. He shot down two planes, and crewmates recall seeing tracer rising from beneath the surface as Sheean was dragged under the water, firing until the end. He died on 1 December 1942 aged just 18. Only 49 of the 149 men on board survived the attack and subsequent ordeal on rafts and in life boats.
… persons who, in the presence of the enemy, perform acts of the most conspicuous gallantry, or daring or pre-eminent acts of valour or self-sacrifice or display extreme devotion to duty …
Ordinary Seaman Sheean's bravery has become synonymous with the Navy's values of courage and loyalty.
There's a lot of tributes been paid to Teddy, but the VC is what he deserved …
That this House:
(1) acknowledges that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between the Commonwealth of Australia and the United States of America;
(2) recognises the diplomatic relationship is the foundation of the broader strategic, defence and economic partnerships between Australia and the United States;
(3) acknowledges the:
(a) significance of the recent state dinner between President Trump and Prime Minister Morrison on 20 September 2019; and
(b) appointment of United States Ambassador to Australia, Mr Arthur Culvahouse Jnr, on 19 February 2019;
(4) encourages that the anniversary be a reaffirmation of our shared commitment to promote and uphold democratic values, freedoms and the rule of law at home and abroad;
(5) further acknowledges that a strong, bilateral relationship is vital for our continued shared economic prosperity and national security, as Australia and the United States:
(a) face increasingly complex and frequent threats that aim to undermine the integrity of democratic institutions and national sovereignty; and
(b) share the benefits of a robust trade and investment relationship valued at US $1.1 trillion that creates and sustains jobs; and
(6) commemorates the bravery, service and sacrifice of United States firefighters Captain Ian H McBeth, First Officer Paul Clyde Hudson, and Flight Engineer Rick A DeMorgan Jr who tragically lost their lives while fighting bushfires in the Snowy Monaro area, New South Wales, on 23 January 2020.
… through genuine partnerships we can continue to protect and enhance culture, unlock opportunity and build a brighter, more prosperous future for Indigenous Australians.
I speak to you from Australia. I speak from a united people to a united people, and my speech is aimed to serve all the people of the nations united in the struggle to save mankind.
Our legislature is elected the same as is yours; and we will fight for it, and for the right to have it, just as you will fight to keep the Capitol at Washington the meeting place of freely-elected men and women representative of a free people.
That the resolution of appointment of the House Select Committee on Regional Australia be amended to replace 'final report no later than 31 July 2020' in paragraph 2 with 'final report no later than 31 March 2021'.
Commonwealth Registers Bill 2019
Treasury Laws Amendment (Registries Modernisation and Other Measures) Bill 2019
Business Names Registration (Fees) Amendment (Registries Modernisation) Bill 2019
Corporations (Fees) Amendment (Registries Modernisation) Bill 2019
National Consumer Credit Protection (Fees) Amendment (Registries Modernisation) Bill 2019
Health Insurance Amendment (General Practitioners and Quality Assurance) Bill 2020
Treasury Laws Amendment (2019 Measures No. 3) Bill 2019
That the amendments be disagreed to.
The House divided. [12:22]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
That the reasons be adopted.
That the House take note of the report.
That the order of the day be referred to the Federation Chamber for debate.
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Amendment (Coronavirus Economic Response Package) Bill 2020
That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:
"whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House notes that Coalition governments have mismanaged and politicised the Great Barrier Reef, which is a job-generating, economic and environmental powerhouse of global significance, that Australians need to preserve for future generations".
Inshore water quality is improving on a regional scale, but too slowly; poor water quality continues to affect many inshore areas of the Reef. The rate of reduction of pollutant loads has been slow, reflecting modest improvements in agricultural land management practices. Future initiatives need to deliver timely, best practice agricultural land management over a wider area to improve water quality.
We will be one of the last destinations to recover and estimate that the region will lose at least $2.5bn in visitor expenditure which is 15% of our gross regional product in 2020.
We surveyed 1,036 reefs from the air during the last two weeks in March, to measure the extent and severity of coral bleaching throughout the Barrier Reef region. For the first time, severe bleaching has struck all three regions of the Great Barrier Reef – the northern, central and now large parts of the southern sectors.
… the government has swung the risk pendulum back in favour of economic interests over animal welfare.
Labor sees a bright future for meat processing … a better future for farmers, but Labor sees no future for live sheep exports.
For most employees and most businesses, wages and conditions of work would be determined by agreements worked out by the employer, the employees and their union. These agreements would predominantly be based on improving the productive performance of enterprises, because both employers and employees are coming to understand that only productivity improvements can guarantee sustainable real wage increases.
It is a model under which compulsorily arbitrated awards and arbitrated wage increases would be there only as a safety net. … Over time the safety net would inevitably become simpler. We would have fewer awards, with fewer clauses.
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Leader of the Opposition from moving the following motion immediately—That the House—
(1) notes the Prime Minister has slashed postal deliveries, including to isolated, vulnerable and older Australians and people living in regional areas; and
(2) therefore calls on as the next item of business after 3.45 pm today the private members' business notice relating to the disallowance of the Australian Postal Corporation (Performance Standards) Amendment (2020 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2020, standing in the name of the member for Grayndler with the motion given priority over all other business for final determination of the House.
That the Member be no longer heard.
The House divided. [15:23]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
That the member be no longer heard.
The House divided. [15:29]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
That the question be put.
The House divided. [15:32]
The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith
The House divided. [15:34]
The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith
Migration Amendment (Regulation of Migration Agents) Bill 2019
Migration Agents Registration Application Charge Amendment (Rates of Charge) Bill 2019
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Amendment (Coronavirus Economic Response Package) Bill 2020
Assistant director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies Alana Grech said climate change is the 'leading cause of decline' for the Great Barrier Reef and the legislation should be changed to mitigate its impacts.
A CSIRO study, Quantifying extinction risk , estimated that climate change would increase the rate of losses about fivefold—
with 10 birds and seven mammals becoming extinct in the next 20 years 'without purposeful intervention'.
Gradual sea temperature increase and extremes, such as marine heat waves, are the most immediate threats to the Reef as a whole and pose the highest risk.
The ocean is the flywheel of the climate. It sets the timing of climate change. It can do things like store heat in one place and release it somewhere else 1,000 years later.
… tap into the Australian desire to contribute to the recovery effort by encouraging Aussies to holiday in Australia and provide support to affected communities and regions.
The House divided. [17:06]
(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)
That this bill be now read a third time.
National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Amendment (Governance and Other Matters) Bill 2020
That all words after "That" be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:
"whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House notes that:
(1) the Government has damaged Australia's world-class vocational training system by:
(a) cutting funding for vocational education and TAFE by over $3 billion;
(b) presiding over simultaneous crises of skills shortages and youth unemployment; and
(c) failing to tackle falling completion rates, with more people dropping out of vocational training courses than finishing them; and
(2) this bill fails to deliver the reform needed to fix problems in the vocational training sector".
It is important that ASQA be adequately resourced to perform the guidance and educative role and to perform its role more generally. In many jurisdictions there is an understood difference between parts of the regulator’s activity that should be directly funded by the regulated through cost recovery arrangements versus what are broader activities for the 'public good, and should therefore be government funded.
Seeing Aboriginal and other Australians rallying together, Michael's Long Walk became a mission of hope.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Mr R Mitchell ) took the chair at 10:30.
That this House:
(1) recognises:
(a) the significant contribution made by Chinese-Australians to Australia;
(b) that all people in Australia, regardless of their ethnicity, cultural or religious background, deserve to be respected in our society;
(c) that Australia is the most successful multicultural society in the world and that Australia is strengthened by our diversity; and
(d) the important role our multicultural communities have played in stopping the spread of the coronavirus;
(2) notes that the COVID-19 crisis has seen a number of appalling racist attacks on Chinese-Australians;
(3) condemns these shocking racist attacks; and
(4) supports promoting a zero tolerance approach to racism in Australia.
My dream would be a multicultural society, one that is diverse and where every man, woman and child are treated equally. I dream of a world where all people of all races work together in harmony.
We assess the COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced an extreme right-wing belief in the inevitability of societal collapse and a 'race war'.
Messages have been posted on burgeoning COVID-19 conspiracy forums, providing links to white supremacist forums which promote violent extremism and often blame China and Chinese people for the virus.
That this House:
(1) notes that there are:
(a) 1.3 million Australians with diabetes registered on the National Diabetes Services Scheme, with over 280 new people diagnosed and registered each day and an estimated 500,000 Australians with type 2 diabetes which remain undiagnosed; and
(b) an estimated 2 million Australians with pre-diabetes and at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the next 5-10 years;
(2) acknowledges:
(a) diabetes is a complex metabolic disorder, which if not diagnosed early and treated well may lead to serious health complications such as blindness, limb amputation, heart disease and stroke, and kidney disease; and
(b) the Government's long standing commitment to improving the treatment and care of people with diabetes through establishing the Australian National Diabetes Strategy, the roll out of continuous glucose monitors and flash monitors to children, young adults, health care card holders and women with type 1 diabetes who are pregnant, while noting the need for all type 1 diabetics to have affordable access to this important technology, as well as the recently launched Diabetes in Schools program, the KeepSight program, and programs to prevent diabetes related amputations;
(3) congratulates Australian of the Year 2020, Dr James Muecke AM for his work as an ophthalmologist working in many poor and developing nations, and for raising public awareness of the need to prevent type 2 diabetes through encouraging healthier lifestyles and healthier environments; and
(4) calls on all state and federal governments to re-commit to a refreshed Australian National Diabetes Strategy and to fund and develop a national diabetes prevention program.
Use of flash glucose monitoring—with a sensor rather than with strips—is associated with a drop of the incidence of a major, potentially lethal, acute complication of diabetes in insulin-treated people …
The magnitude of the protection potentially afforded by the device is huge.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) water is a scarce and highly valuable resource in Australia; and
(b) Australia is prone to droughts and many parts of our country have recently experienced their worst droughts in living memory;
(2) registers its concern that:
(a) foreign entities, some implicitly backed by foreign governments, are substantially increasing their holdings of Australian water rights;
(b) Australian agriculturalists are increasingly competing with these foreign entities to secure the water rights upon which their livelihoods depend; and
(c) the acquisition of water rights is not directly subject to the approval of the Foreign Investment Review Board;
(3) congratulates the Government on committing to reform the legislation governing the Foreign Investment Review Board; and
(4) calls upon the Government to, in those reforms:
(a) ensure that water rights are directly subject to Foreign Investment Review Board approval, independent to the acquisition of agricultural land to which those rights sometimes attach; and
(b) lower the threshold for Foreign Investment Review Board approval for agricultural and water rights to $5 million.
That this House:
(1) commends the Government's Pacific Step-up and its focus on building prosperity across the regions, including by encouraging close links between Australian business and investors with the Pacific;
(2) recognises that the Pacific is part of Australia's family and that we have a special relationship with our Pacific neighbours; and
(3) notes that the significant Australian investment in key infrastructure projects, such as the Coral Sea Cable, is providing positive economic and social opportunities to communities in the Pacific.
That this House:
(1) notes:
(a) the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on older Australians, their families, their carers and the aged care workforce;
(b) the valuable contributions made by the more than 360,000 aged care workers who have continued to deliver care and support to older Australians during the COVID-19 pandemic;
(c) all aged care workers play a valuable role to deliver care and support to older Australians in residential and home care;
(d) many aged care workers are low paid and around 87 per cent of them are women;
(e) the Government's decision to exclude a large proportion of aged care workers from receiving the retention bonus;
(f) excluded aged care workers who will not receive the retention bonus include those delivering services under the Commonwealth Home Support Program as well as in-direct care workers in residential aged care facilities including lifestyle and leisure therapists, cleaners, hospitality workers and gardeners;
(g) the exclusion of any aged care worker from receiving the retention bonus is unwarranted and unfair;
(h) on 20 March 2020 the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians issued a media release that stated the retention bonus payment would be 'after tax'; and
(i) on 5 June 2020 the Department of Health's retention bonus guidelines stated the payment would be 'subject to income tax';
(2) conveys its disappointment that the Government made:
(a) a decision to exclude about 40 per cent of aged care workers from receiving the retention bonus; and
(b) a late decision to switch the retention bonus from being after tax to being before tax that will see aged care workers lose hundreds of dollars they were previously promised;
(3) calls on the Government, as a matter of urgency, to reconsider its decision and pay the retention bonus to all aged care workers irrespective of their role or where they work and to explain why it changed the rules around the payment being after tax to the payment now being subject to income tax; and
(4) acknowledges the work all aged care workers undertake each and every day and thanks them for their continued dedication to care and support older Australians in residential and home care.
This bonus was intended to recognise the dedication and commitment aged care workers have continued to show in treating and protecting older Australians during the crisis, potentially putting their own safety and their families' safety at risk. But just as we've gained control over the pandemic, aged care workers have weathered that storm and we're on the path to recovery, the Government has backflipped on its promise, which was in writing to every aged care worker, and now said 'we don't actually think you're worth the full amount'.
We feel safe in your care, knowing you have our best interests at heart. The guidelines you have set out have helped reassure us that we are protected when temperature checks are done religiously to all staff, visitors and for us. Our lifestyles have been somewhat curtailed; however this pandemic has invented new and interesting ways of dealing with social distancing laws and restrictions. The wonderful use of technology has enabled us to have face time with relatives, friends and grandchildren. The direction has been a great help and clarity to help us plan our lives, enabling us to put what is necessary into practice effectively and was a great assistance in reducing the risk and promoting excellence in care.
That this House:
(1) notes:
(a) the work the Government is doing to address the issue of veteran suicide with the announcement of an independent National Commissioner for Defence and Veteran Suicide;
(b) that a new independent National Commissioner will be appointed to identify and investigate suicide amongst Australian Defence Force and veteran population; and
(c) that a new Veteran Family Advocate will be appointed to lead engagement, liaison and advocacy amongst families and will be at the heart of policy and decision making with the Department of Veterans' Affairs; and
(2) recognises mental health and suicide are complex issues, but issues that are everyone's business—families, friends, employers, community organisations, governments and the ex-service community.
I actually went back and asked if I could mow the lawns for free, just so I could be around them still. They wouldn't allow it.
If ex-service men could maintain contact with the Australian Defence Force through peer support and informal networks, their identity and sense of purpose could be maintained …
(1) acknowledges that:
(a) an effective public service relies on skilled public servants who have fair and equitable conditions of employment and job security;
(b) the Government's arbitrary average staffing level (ASL) policy is:
(i) driving privatisation as it forces agencies to outsource their core functions;
(ii) causing a blowout in spending on contractors, consultants and labour hire; and
(iii) leading to a hollowing out of the public service; and
(c) evidence to the Australian Public Service (APS) Review indicates that contractors cost 40 per cent more than permanent APS employees;
(2) notes that:
(a) the Australian National Audit Office Information Report No. 19 of 2017-18, Australian Government Procurement Contract Reporting, indicates that in 2016‑17:
(i) Government spending on consultants was close to $700 million, up from around $380 million in 2013; and
(ii) "the big four" had 1,617 consultancy contracts worth $502.1 million since 2012‑13;
(b) more than $400 million has been spent on privatising Department of Human Services call centres, including a $135 million contract for Stellar Asia Pacific, $132 million to Concentrix Services, $120 million to Datacom Connect and $36 million to Serco Citizen Services;
(c) the National Disability Insurance Agency:
(i) recorded a 600 per cent increase in consultants and contractors over two years—from $70 million in 2016 to $430 million in 2018; and
(ii) has previously stated its staffing levels would be 10,595 staff in 2018-2019—this is now capped at 3,230 in the 2019‑20 budget with core functions such as local area coordinators outsourced; and
(d) the Government's billion dollar plan to privatise Australia's visa system will lead to increased visa costs, data and national security risks and job losses; and
(3) calls on the Government to:
(a) abolish the arbitrary and damaging ASL policy;
(b) ensure that workers doing the same job get the same pay to stop the use of labour hire from undermining the pay and conditions of existing workers; and
(c) end the secrecy on government spending on contractors, consultants and labour hire firms.
The nominal contract value under the consultancy code reported in AusTender in 2018-19 is broadly the same level as it was in 2009-10.
… spending of $1.1 billion on the ABC represents a comparatively minuscule amount of just over one-quarter of one per cent of Commonwealth revenues, and it's worth it. Who in the commercial world, with all free-to-air stations complaining of declining revenues, is going to produce quality programs like Four Corners , Foreign Correspondent ,7.30 ,Insiders ,Australian Story ,Q&A ,Gruen ,Catalyst ,The Drum ,The Business ,You Can't Ask That ,Landline ,Back Roads ,Home Delivery ,Matter of Fact and many other quality programs, including the regular news? Are commercial stations going to welcome another entrant into the commercial scene, further diluting the revenue to each station?
Labour contractors and consultants are increasingly being used to perform work that has previously been core in-house capability, such as program management.
This makes it difficult to assess the value of external providers relative to in-house employees or to infer the effect on APS capability.
That this House:
(1) notes that between 1 and 2 per cent of the Australian population suffers from heart failure, with this proportion higher in Indigenous communities;
(2) acknowledges with concern the rising cost of care for the growing number of Australians with heart failure, including the duration and frequency of hospitalisation, medical management and health complications;
(3) further notes that research from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare states that over 60,000 heart failure hospital admissions, amounting to over 400,000 bed days and a cost to the healthcare system of $3.9 billion are potentially preventable;
(4) welcomes the arrival of proven technologies, including trans catheter mitral valve repair, which have demonstrated transformative improvements in addressing underlying causes of heart failure including functional and degenerative mitral regurgitation;
(5) commends the support given by clinicians, advocates, carers and families of Australians suffering from heart failure;
(6) welcomes with appreciation the announcement of the Government's commitment of $220 million over 10 years for the Cardiovascular Mission under the Medical Research Fund;
(7) acknowledges the Government's commitment to address all forms of heart disease under the National Action Plan for Heart and Stroke;
(8) notes the current consideration by the Medical Services Advisory Committee of transcatheter mitral valve repair; and
(9) calls on the Government to ensure all Australians have early access to proven procedures and technologies, such as transcatheter mitral valve repair, where indicated, to address the rising healthcare burden and premature mortality represented by heart failure.