The SPEAKER ( Hon. Milton Dick ) took the chair at 10:00, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.
Report relating to the consideration of private Members' business
1. Pursuant to the resolution of the House of 27 July 2022, the Speaker, Chief Government Whip and Chief Opposition Whip determined the order of precedence and times to be allocated for consideration of private Members' business on Monday, 1 August 2022, as follows:
PRIVATE MEMBER S' BUSINESS
Notices
1 Mr Wilkie: To present a Bill for an Act to end the indefinite and arbitrary detention of people seeking asylum in Australia, and for related purposes. ( Ending Indefinite and Arbitrary Immigration Detention Bill 2022 )
( Notice given 26 July 2022. )
Presenter may speak to the second reading for a period not exceeding 10 minutes — pursuant to standing order 41. Debate must be adjourned pursuant to standing order 142.
2 Mr Gosling: To present a Bill for an Act to amend the law in relation to the legislative powers of territories, and for related purposes. ( Restoring Territory Rights Bill 2022 )
( Notice given 26 July 2022. )
Presenter may speak to the second reading for a period not exceeding 10 minutes — pursuant to standing order 41. Debate must be adjourned pursuant to standing order 142.
3 Mrs Andrews: To move:
That this House:
(1) recognises that since it was established by the previous Government in 2017 the Department of Home Affairs, as it was structured, has been important in keeping Australians safe and secure;
(2) acknowledges the vital work of the law enforcement and national security agencies that have worked very closely together under the Home Affairs portfolio;
(3) notes that the Department of Home Affairs was fundamentally changed by the current Government, as announced on 1 June 2022; and
(4) calls on the Government to ensure that these fundamental changes to the department will not reduce the operating budgets of our national security and law enforcement agencies.
( Notice given 26 July 2022. )
Time allotted — 30minutes.
Speech time limits —
Mrs Andrews — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]
The Committee determin ed that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day.
4 Ms Swanson: To move:
That this House notes that:
(1) the Government is committed to taking real action to end family and domestic violence;
(2) women experiencing domestic violence should never have to choose between their safety and their wages;
(3) the Government will introduce the Fair Work Amendment (Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave) Bill 2022 which will provide workers with ten days of paid leave to deal with the impacts of family and domestic violence, including for casuals; and
(4) this entitlement will be enshrined in the national employment standards, covering up to 11 million employees, and it will be a lifeline for workers, allowing them to take necessary steps to stay safe, while retaining their jobs and their income.
( Notice given 26 July 2022. )
Time allotted — 30minutes.
Speech time limits —
Ms Swanson — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day.
5 Ms Sharkie: To move:
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) critical workforce shortages are being experienced, particularly in regional Australia;
(b) workforce participation among older Australians is lower than the OECD average;
(c) according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics there were 107,700 people aged 60 to 69 who were not in the labour force, not retired and not currently employed but wanted to work part-time or full-time;
(d) increasing workforce participation among older Australians will have positive impacts for gross domestic product; and
(e) a recent, unpublished, National Seniors Australia survey found that 19.8 per cent of pensioners would consider re-entering the workforce—even before the latest increases in inflation and cost of living; and
(2) calls on the Government to introduce an 'opt-in' scheme to increase the income test threshold for pensioners with limited savings, as an incentive to engage in paid work.
( Notice given 27 July 2022. )
Time allotted — remaining private Members' business time prior to 12 noon.
Speech time limits —
Ms Sharkie — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]
The Commi ttee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day.
Items for Federation Chamber (11 am to 1.30 pm)
PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS
Notices
1 Mrs Andrews: To move:
That this House:
(1) recognises that 21 August 2022 is the International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism;
(2) remembers those Australians who have lost their lives in terrorism incidents, both abroad and on our shores, and their families who are forever impacted; and
(3) thanks the men and women of our law enforcement and national security agencies who work every day to keep Australians safe from the threat of terrorism.
( Notice given 26 July 2022.)
Time allotted — 40minutes.
Speech time limits —
Mrs Andrews — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day.
2 Mr Burns: To move:
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) the week of 1 to 7 August 2022 is National Homelessness Week, with the theme of 'To end homelessness we need a plan';
(b) National Homelessness Week aims to raise awareness of the impact of homelessness in Australia via national and local community events, including providing information on the importance of housing as a solution and educating communities on how they can make a difference;
(c) sadly, there were 116,427 people homeless on census night in 2016; and
(d) access to secure and affordable housing has significant social, economic and personal benefits; and
(2) acknowledges that the Government has committed to a reform agenda to address the challenges of homelessness including:
(a) establishing a $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund which will:
(i) build 30,000 social and affordable housing properties in its first five years;
(ii) provide $200 million for the repair, maintenance and improvements of housing in remote Indigenous communities;
(iii) fund $100 million for crisis and transitional housing options for women and children fleeing domestic and family violence and older women on low incomes who are at risk of homelessness; and
(iv) build more housing and fund specialist services for veterans who are experiencing homelessness or at-risk homelessness;
(b) introducing the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council to ensure the Commonwealth plays a leadership role in increasing housing supply and improving housing affordability; and
(c) developing a new national housing and homelessness plan with the support and assistance of key stakeholders.
( Notice given 26 July 2022. )
Time allotted — 40minutes.
Speech time limits —
Mr Burns — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day.
3 Mr Stevens: To move:
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) after 6 years under the previous Labor Government only 51,000 premises were connected to the national broadband network (NBN) at a cost of $6 billion;
(b) today, after 9 years under a Coalition Government, there are over 12 million premises ready to connect to the NBN;
(c) Australians were only able to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the Coalition Government's rollout of the NBN;
(2) acknowledges that upgrades to the NBN were able to be made only because the Coalition Government adopted a policy of building the NBN quickly using the least cost technology;
(3) further notes that the Government has backflipped on their previous policy of fibre to every premises and adopted the Coalition's upgrade policy but cannot identify how it will be funded; and
(4) calls on the Government to explain how they will fund their NBN policy and whether this will include an added cost to Australians.
( Notice given 26 July 2022. )
Time allotted — 30minutes.
Speech time limits —
Mr Stevens — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration of this matte r should continue on a future day.
4 Mr Hill: To move:
That the House:
(1) welcomes the Government's commitment to abolish the previous Government's cruel cashless debit card scheme, an insidious form of privatised welfare;
(2) notes that the previous Government wasted over $170 million on its cruel privatised cashless debit card rather than on services that local communities need, despite there being no key performance indicators, evidence or evaluation conducted to support their scheme as the Auditor-General found in two independent reports to Parliament in 2018 and 2022;
(3) condemns the previous Government for its plans to make its cashless card permanent and extend it to all social security recipients including pensioners;
(4) further welcomes the impending liberation of thousands of Australians who were forced onto this cruel scheme in trial sites, and expresses relief that all social security recipients including pensioners will now avoid this fate;
(5) calls on the Liberal Party of Australia and The Nationals to apologise for the harm done to thousands of Australians forced onto this cruel card;
(6) welcomes the Government's commitment to return self-determination to Aboriginal communities, while noting that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were disproportionately targeted by the former Government in what amounted to a racist scheme;
(7) declares that the Government, not private corporations, should run the social security system and Centrelink for the benefit of social security recipients, including pensioners who worked hard and paid taxes all their lives; and
(8) affirms the Government's principles for income management—which are that any income management should be voluntary, non-privatised, supported by evidence and subject to ongoing evaluation.
( Notice given 26 July 2022. )
Time allotted — remaining private Members' business time prior to 1.30 pm.
Speech time limits —
Mr Hill — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 8 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day.
Items for Federation Chamber (4.45 pm to 7.30 pm)
PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS
Notices—continued
5 Mr Littleproud: To move:
That this House:
(1) recognises that Australia faces a foot and mouth disease (FMD) biosecurity crisis on its borders;
(2) notes that:
(a) to date, Indonesia has recorded hundreds of thousands of FMD cases during the uncontrolled outbreak of this disease;
(b) an outbreak of FMD in Australia would inflict catastrophic damage on Australia's $80 billion livestock industry, decimate the agriculture sector, significantly hurt the Australian economy, and increase the everyday cost of food;
(c) since FMD was detected in Bali on 5 July 2022, it took more than three weeks of indecision and delay for the Government to introduce disinfectant footbaths at international Australian airports; and
(d) the Government has failed to respond quickly and decisively to this biosecurity threat, and has failed in its responsibility to introduce critical biosecurity protections to keep Australia safe from FMD; and
(3) calls on the Government to:
(a) immediately offer a 3D X-ray screening program with Indonesia, so that organic and plant matter in luggage can be effectively identified;
(b) immediately enforce a ban on all passengers from Indonesia bringing any food products into Australia; and
(c) immediately confirm the current biosecurity risk level and at what point, predicated on scientific data, the international border with Indonesia would need to be temporarily closed, in order to protect Australia from the threat of FMD.
( Notice given 27 July 2022. )
Time allotted — 55minutes.
Speech time limits —
Mr Littleproud — 10minutes.
Next Member speaking — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 1 x 10 mins + 9 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day.
6 Ms Murphy: To move:
That this House:
(1) commends the Government for delivering on its commitment to address doctor shortages in rural, regional and outer metropolitan areas by updating the distribution priority area classification to support communities in need of general practitioners;
(2) acknowledges that practices in these areas will now be able to recruit from a larger pool of doctors, including international medical graduates and overseas trained doctors; and
(3) notes the Government's continuing support of access to quality, affordable healthcare through its commitment to establish 50 Medicare urgent care clinics across the country, making it easier to see a doctor for minor emergencies and taking pressure off hospital emergency departments.
( Notice given 26 July 2022. )
Time allotted — 50minutes.
Speech time limits —
Ms Murphy — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 10 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day.
7 Dr Haines: To move:
That this House calls on the Government to:
(1) act urgently to address housing affordability and availability in regional Australia; and
(2) establish a dedicated fund to build critical infrastructure to unlock more housing supply in regional Australia.
( Notice given 27 July 2022 . )
Time allotted — 30minutes.
Speech time limits —
Dr Haines — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day.
8 Ms Thwaites: To move:
That this House:
(1) acknowledges the most recent research from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency showing that the gender pay gap in Australia impacts women across every industry, in every occupation, and at every age and life stage;
(2) recognises that Australian women continue to be left behind in relation to the gender pay gap;
(3) commends the Government's commitment to closing the gender pay gap, including:
(a) establishing an independent Women's Economic Security Taskforce to help inform budget investments in advancing economic equality;
(b) making gender pay equity an object of the Fair Work Act 2009 ;
(c) requiring large companies to publish their gender pay gaps; and
(d) backing a real pay rise for aged care workers, who are overwhelmingly women, and look to provide backing for similar industries; and
(4) notes that there remains significant work to do to end gender inequality, and that initiatives such as reform to paid parental leave are worthy of consideration in pursuit of this aim.
( Notice given 26 July 2022. )
Time allotted — remaining private Members' business time prior to 7.30 pm.
Speech time limits —
Ms Thwaites — 5minutes.
Other Members — 5minutes each.
[Minimum number of proposed Members speaking = 6 x 5 mins]
The Committee determined that consideration of this matter should continue on a future day.
THE HON D. M. DICK MP
Speaker of the House of Representatives
1 August 2022
Ending Indefinite and Arbitrary Immigration Detention Bill 2022
That this bill be now read a second time.
Restoring Territory Rights Bill 2022
That this bill be now read a second time.
That this House:
(1) recognises that since it was established by the previous Government in 2017 the Department of Home Affairs, as it was structured, has been important in keeping Australians safe and secure;
(2) acknowledges the vital work of the law enforcement and national security agencies that have worked very closely together under the Home Affairs portfolio;
(3) notes that the Department of Home Affairs was fundamentally changed by the current Government, as announced on 1 June 2022; and
(4) calls on the Government to ensure that these fundamental changes to the department will not reduce the operating budgets of our national security and law enforcement agencies.
Instead of having to justify why the new arrangements would make us any safer than the current division of responsibility (which has worked so well), the new requirement forces the existing offices to explain why they should continue to exist independently.
That this House notes that:
(1) the Government is committed to taking real action to end family and domestic violence;
(2) women experiencing domestic violence should never have to choose between their safety and their wages;
(3) the Government will introduce the Fair Work Amendment (Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave) Bill 2022 which will provide workers with ten days of paid leave to deal with the impacts of family and domestic violence, including for casuals; and
(4) this entitlement will be enshrined in the national employment standards, covering up to 11 million employees, and it will be a lifeline for workers, allowing them to take necessary steps to stay safe, while retaining their jobs and their income.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) critical workforce shortages are being experienced, particularly in regional Australia;
(b) workforce participation among older Australians is lower than the OECD average;
(c) according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics there were 107,700 people aged 60 to 69 who were not in the labour force, not retired and not currently employed but wanted to work part-time or full-time;
(d) increasing workforce participation among older Australians will have positive impacts for gross domestic product; and
(e) a recent, unpublished, National Seniors Australia survey found that 19.8 per cent of pensioners would consider re-entering the workforce—even before the latest increases in inflation and cost of living; and
(2) calls on the Government to introduce an 'opt-in' scheme to increase the income test threshold for pensioners with limited savings, as an incentive to engage in paid work.
That Members be appointed as members of certain committees in accordance with the following list:
Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters—Mr Chester and Mr Stevens.
Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade—Mr Boyce, Mr Coleman, Ms Daniel, Mr McCormack, Mr Pearce, Ms Price, Mr Wallace and Mr Young.
Joint Standing Committee on Migration—Ms Spender, Dr Webster and Mr Wood.
Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories—Mr Goodenough and Mrs Marino.
Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme—Dr M Ryan and Ms Ware.
Joint Standing Committee on the Parliamentary Library—Mr Broadbent, Mr Ramsey and Ms Tink.
Joint Standing Committee on Trade and Investment Growth—Mr Buchholz and Mr Gee.
Joint Standing Committee on Treaties—Mr Birrell, Mr Pike and Mr Thompson.
Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs—Ms Chaney, Mr L O'Brien and Ms Price.
Joint Standing Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Scheme—Mrs Archer and Mr Pike.
Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity—Mr L O'Brien and Mr Pearce.
Joint Committee on the Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings—Mr Ramsey and Mr Stevens.
Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services—Mr Hawke and Mr Pitt.
Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights—Mr Coleman and Ms Tink.
Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement—Mr L O'Brien and Mr Wood.
Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit—Mr Coleman, Dr Gillespie and Mr Violi.
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works—Mr Chester.
Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Standards—Mrs Marino and Ms Tink.
Standing Committee on Agriculture—Mr Violi and Mr Willcox.
Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts—Mr Coulton, Ms Daniel and Ms McKenzie.
Standing Committee on Economics—Ms Spender, Mr van Manen and Mr Wolahan.
Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training—Ms Daniel, Ms McKenzie and Mr Pearce.
Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water—Ms McKenzie, Ms Steggall and Mr van Manen.
Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport—Mr Coulton, Dr M Ryan and Ms Ware.
Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Resources—Mr Pike and Mr R Wilson.
Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport—Mr Boyce, Mr Buchholz and Dr Haines.
Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs—Ms Chaney, Ms Ware and Mr Wolahan.
Standing Committee on Petitions—Mr Birrell and Mr Hamilton.
Standing Committee on Procedure—Mr Boyce and Mr Young.
Publications Committee—Mrs Archer and Mr Willcox.
Committee of Privileges and Members' Interests—Mr Broadbent, Mr Buchholz, Mr Chester and Mr Wilkie.
Selection Committee—Mr Bandt, Mr Coulton, Ms Price, Mr Ramsey, Ms Sharkie and Mr van Manen.
Standing Committee on Appropriations and Administration—Mr Broadbent, Mr Coulton, Dr Haines and Mr van Manen.
We are the first generation to feel the effect of climate change and the last generation who can do something about it.
Strangers passing in the street
By chance two separate glances meet
And I am you and what I see is me
It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.
We seek constitutional reforms to empower our people and take a rightful place in our own country. When we have power over our destiny our children will flourish. They will walk in two worlds and their culture will be a gift to their country.
We invite you to walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future.
The Australian people want to move. They want to move towards a new settlement of this issue.
I will put to the Australian people within 18 months a referendum to formally recognise Indigenous Australians in our Constitution.
In 1967 we were counted, in 2017 we seek to be heard. We leave base camp and start our trek across this vast country. We invite you to walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future.
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the following from occurring in relation to proceedings on an item of private Members' business, Restoring Territory Rights Bill 2022:
(1) the order of the day for resumption of debate on the second reading of the bill being called on immediately;
(2) debate to continue for no longer than two hours, with debate then being adjourned, the bill made an order of the day for the next sitting and referred to the Federation Chamber for further consideration;
(3) the second reading of the bill having priority over government business in the Federation Chamber, with the exception of the grievance debate, until no further Members rise to speak;
(4) the bill then being returned to the House for consideration of the remaining stages immediately, or otherwise as ordered; and
(5) any variation to this arrangement being made only on a motion moved by a Minister.
If a Member has given a personal explanation to correct a misrepresentation and another Member subsequently repeats the matter complained of, the Speaker may intervene.
While the standard of dress in the Chamber is a matter for the individual judgment of each Member, the ultimate discretion rests with the Speaker … In a statement to the House in 1999, Speaker Andrew noted that Members had traditionally chosen to dress in a formal manner similar to that generally accepted in business and professional circles, and that this was entirely appropriate …
Restoring Territory Rights Bill 2022
The Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Bill 1988, now before the House will establish the A.C.T. as a body politic, with the legislative and executive powers and responsibilities of the States and the Northern Territory. This Bill represents the most significant transfer of power, on a population basis, since Papua New Guinea became independent. It will allow 270,000 people the same democratic rights and social responsibilities as their fellow Australians.
The A.C.T. and the City of Canberra have well and truly come of age. Canberra is the nation's capital. It is the home of many of the symbols of our nationhood—the National Gallery, the High Court, the National Library and of course this magnificent building—the home of the nation's Parliament. But, and this is often overlooked, it is also home for 270,000 people.
270,000 people live in the Australian Capital Territory. They go about the day-to-day business of their lives, working at their jobs, paying their taxes, making decisions about which schools their children will go to, which doctor or hospital will care for them when they are ill—just like every other Australian. However, unlike every other person in this country—where 'a fair go' is the creed by which we live—they cannot elect a member of their own community to their own government. They have no say in the decisions which affect their everyday lives. What an extraordinary admission in a country so committed to democratic ideals, and why? Are these people somehow different from other Australians? Are they second-class citizens in some way? Do they not understand, or have opinions on, the issues that confront them daily? Can they not be trusted with their own destiny? The answer to all these questions is very simple—the only difference between these people and the rest of Australia is that they live in the Australian Capital Territory!
… we may not agree with the ACT's legislative choices, but we have an obligation to respect them where they are democratically made.
A Bill for an Act to amend the law in relation to the legislative powers of territories, and for related purposes.
… … …
This Act is the Restoring Territory Rights Act 2022 .
(1) Despite the amendments made by this Schedule, the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995 of the Northern Territory—
(a) continues to have effect as a law of the Territory in relation to any act or thing that was done before 27 March 1997; but
(b) has no force or effect as a law of the Territory in relation to any act or thing done on or after that day.
(2) Subitem (1) applies subject to a contrary intention in a law of the Northern Territory that is enacted after the commencement of this item.
Dear Hon Luke Howarth MP,
… … …
The Catholic Church has always held that Church and State are properly separate but share the objectives of pursuing the common good and promoting the dignity of the human person. Due to these common goals, I believe it is important to outline a perspective on the anticipated legislation.
The rationale for this proposed legislation is ensuring that Territory Assemblies have equal democratic prerogatives with the States. In my view this argument is flawed and such an outcome is evidently not intended at all.
In fact, the intent of the proposed bill is solely aimed at provision of the capacity of Territories to legislate for state-sanctioned killing through euthanasia or voluntary assisted dying. My view is that a radical change to society's most foundational law, overturning the prohibition on the intentional killing of citizens, is ethically unjustifiable, cannot ensure legal protection of the vulnerable, and would fail to uphold the dignity of the dying.
The purpose of writing to you as a member of the Federal Parliament , at this point in time is to make several observations and to urge your deep reflection on the proposals before you.
The Constitution and the self-government Acts make it clear that Territories are not equivalent to States in nature or in capacities. The Commonwealth retains to itself the capacity to limit the scope of Territory competence and even to disallow Assembly legislation that is contrary to Commonwealth policy. The Constitution ss 53 (i) and 122—
indicate that the citizens of Territories only have such rights as bestowed by the Commonwealth.
2. In light of these provisions, together with public comments that the proposed legislation is exclusively directed at enabling euthanasia/voluntary assisted dying to be enacted in the Territories, it is evident that the Federal Parliament is being asked to take responsibility precisely for legislation enabling the administration of lethal drugs to patients. This is quite a different proposition to the Acts of State Parliaments with similar intent. Through this legislation, the Commonwealth is being asked for the first time to sanction the killing of its most vulnerable citizens in jurisdictions where, Constitutionally, it has direct responsibility.
3. The ACT (Seat of Government) is prevented from establishing its own police force or developing legislation around censorship, yet these are not presented as limitations on democracy in the manner in which provision to legislate to sanction the killing of its own citizens is frequently publicly presented.
As a member of the Federal Parliament you have responsibilities for the citizens of your own electorates, States or Territories, but you also have wider responsibilities to work for the common good and the dignity of persons beyond any local dimensions. In exercising a conscience vote as a parliamentarian, you are called on to consider the deepest dimensions of your own humanity and to act in a manner consistent with the good of all Australian citizens.
For example, I note that at the same time there is a call to make euthanasia and assisted suicide available to all, palliative care remains only accessible to some.
Similarly, there is considerable irony that this call has a high degree of traction while the plight of many vulnerable Australians including First Nations people, those who are living with disability or who are aged may be offered this option but not consistently high quality care.
Legislation directly and specifically aimed at enabling lethal injections is difficult to reconcile with your responsibilities to the common good or the dignity of the person.
In presenting these views I are cognisant that
Please be assured of prayerful support in your deliberations as you seek to resolve the challenges before you in this matter and in exercising your civic duties. If you believed it would be appropriate and helpful, I would welcome the opportunity to speak with you about this proposed legislation.
Christopher Prowse
Catholic Archbishop of Canberra Goulburn.
The worst thing about looking after somebody who is very ill and in pain is that you can't do anything about it …
I would have taken some of his pain for him if I could have, but I was even afraid to hug him.
Tests had shown his bones were ready to crumble because the cancer had moved into his bones, so hearty hugs were not in the picture anymore.
Naturally I didn't want him to die but I didn't want him to live the way he was having to live …
When he got his paperwork signed, the palliative effect was greater than everything everybody else had been trying to do for him. The mental anguish was gone …
That further statements in relation to the death of Archibald William (Archie) Roach AM be permitted in the Federation Chamber.
Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms Claydon ) took the chair at 10:30.
That this House:
(1) recognises that 21 August 2022 is the International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism;
(2) remembers those Australians who have lost their lives in terrorism incidents, both abroad and on our shores, and their families who are forever impacted; and
(3) thanks the men and women of our law enforcement and national security agencies who work every day to keep Australians safe from the threat of terrorism.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) the week of 1 to 7 August 2022 is National Homelessness Week, with the theme of 'To end homelessness we need a plan';
(b) National Homelessness Week aims to raise awareness of the impact of homelessness in Australia via national and local community events, including providing information on the importance of housing as a solution and educating communities on how they can make a difference;
(c) sadly, there were 116,427 people homeless on census night in 2016; and
(d) access to secure and affordable housing has significant social, economic and personal benefits; and
(2) acknowledges that the Government has committed to a reform agenda to address the challenges of homelessness including:
(a) establishing a $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund which will:
(i) build 30,000 social and affordable housing properties in its first five years;
(ii) provide $200 million for the repair, maintenance and improvements of housing in remote Indigenous communities;
(iii) fund $100 million for crisis and transitional housing options for women and children fleeing domestic and family violence and older women on low incomes who are at risk of homelessness; and
(iv) build more housing and fund specialist services for veterans who are experiencing homelessness or at-risk homelessness;
(b) introducing the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council to ensure the Commonwealth plays a leadership role in increasing housing supply and improving housing affordability; and
(c) developing a new national housing and homelessness plan with the support and assistance of key stakeholders.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) after 6 years under the previous Labor Government only 51,000 premises were connected to the national broadband network (NBN) at a cost of $6 billion;
(b) today, after 9 years under a Coalition Government, there are over 12 million premises ready to connect to the NBN; and
(c) Australians were only able to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the Coalition Government's rollout of the NBN;
(2) acknowledges that upgrades to the NBN were able to be made only because the Coalition Government adopted a policy of building the NBN quickly using the least cost technology;
(3) further notes that the Government has backflipped on their previous policy of fibre to every premises and adopted the Coalition's upgrade policy but cannot identify how it will be funded; and
(4) calls on the Government to explain how they will fund their NBN policy and whether this will include an added cost to Australians.
That the House:
(1) welcomes the Government's commitment to abolish the previous Government's cruel cashless debit card scheme, an insidious form of privatised welfare;
(2) notes that the previous Government wasted over $170 million on its cruel privatised cashless debit card rather than on services that local communities need, despite there being no key performance indicators, evidence or evaluation conducted to support their scheme as the Auditor-General found in two independent reports to Parliament in 2018 and 2022;
(3) condemns the previous Government for its plans to make its cashless card permanent and extend it to all social security recipients including pensioners;
(4) further welcomes the impending liberation of thousands of Australians who were forced onto this cruel scheme in trial sites, and expresses relief that all social security recipients including pensioners will now avoid this fate;
(5) calls on the Liberal Party of Australia and The Nationals to apologise for the harm done to thousands of Australians forced onto this cruel card;
(6) welcomes the Government's commitment to return self-determination to Aboriginal communities, while noting that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were disproportionately targeted by the former Government in what amounted to a racist scheme;
(7) declares that the Government, not private corporations, should run the social security system and Centrelink for the benefit of social security recipients, including pensioners who worked hard and paid taxes all their lives; and
(8) affirms the Government's principles for income management—which are that any income management should be voluntary, non-privatised, supported by evidence and subject to ongoing evaluation.
We see the news that grog bans will be lifted on dry communities, allowing the scourge of alcoholism and the violence that accompanies it free reign, despite warnings from elders of those communities about the coming damage. Coupled with this, we see the removal of the cashless debit card, which allowed countless families on welfare to feed their children rather than seeing the money claimed by kinship demand from alcoholics, substance abusers and gamblers in their own family group. I could not offer two more appalling examples of legislation pushed by left-wing elites and guaranteed to worsen the lives of Indigenous people. Yet at the same time we spend days and weeks each year recognising Aboriginal Australia in many ways—in symbolic gestures that fail to push the needle one micro millimetre toward improving the lives of the most marginalised in any genuine way.
I have very little faith in cheers, what they mean and how long they will last, compared with the faith I have in my own love for the game.
That this House:
(1) recognises that Australia faces a foot and mouth disease (FMD) biosecurity crisis on its borders;
(2) notes that:
(a) to date, Indonesia has recorded hundreds of thousands of FMD cases during the uncontrolled outbreak of this disease;
(b) an outbreak of FMD in Australia would inflict catastrophic damage on Australia's $80 billion livestock industry, decimate the agriculture sector, significantly hurt the Australian economy, and increase the everyday cost of food;
(c) since FMD was detected in Bali on 5 July 2022, it took more than three weeks of indecision and delay for the Government to introduce disinfectant footbaths at international Australian airports; and
(d) the Government has failed to respond quickly and decisively to this biosecurity threat, and has failed in its responsibility to introduce critical biosecurity protections to keep Australia safe from FMD; and
(3) calls on the Government to:
(a) immediately offer a 3D X-ray screening program with Indonesia, so that organic and plant matter in luggage can be effectively identified;
(b) immediately enforce a ban on all passengers from Indonesia bringing any food products into Australia; and
(c) immediately confirm the current biosecurity risk level and at what point, predicated on scientific data, the international border with Indonesia would need to be temporarily closed, in order to protect Australia from the threat of FMD.
Farmers have argued for stronger, sustainably-funded biosecurity systems for years—this isn't something that's just happened overnight.
Those people out there who suggested we need to slam shut travel to Indonesia don't understand that would only give a false sense of security, which could actually increase the risk of FMD coming from elsewhere.
It's up to all of us to do the right thing and stop spreading fear and rumour.
That this House:
(1) commends the Government for delivering on its commitment to address doctor shortages in rural, regional and outer metropolitan areas by updating the distribution priority area classification to support communities in need of general practitioners;
(2) acknowledges that practices in these areas will now be able to recruit from a larger pool of doctors, including international medical graduates and overseas trained doctors; and
(3) notes the Government's continuing support of access to quality, affordable healthcare through its commitment to establish 50 Medicare urgent care clinics across the country, making it easier to see a doctor for minor emergencies and taking pressure off hospital emergency departments.
… were set up primarily to address the shortages of doctors in rural areas by mandating that Overseas Trained Doctors (OTDs) and rurally bonded medical students… spend time working in the bush …
To introduce this change, without the implementation of rural specific policies to address the very real issue of the maldistribution of the medical workforce across Australia, is very concerning for the future of rural general practice.
We are fearful for rural communities right across Australia who are now at extreme risk of losing their doctors as they take up positions closer to the cities, abandoning their rural and remote patients who will be left with no access to care close to home at all.
This will cost lives of rural and remote patients who already suffer poorer health outcomes than their city counterparts.
Robbing Peter to pay Paul will not solve the GP shortage in communities across Australia. And that is what the unintended consequence of this policy will be, it will draw GPs from more rural areas to MMM2 areas—
That this House:
(1) acknowledges the most recent research from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency showing that the gender pay gap in Australia impacts women across every industry, in every occupation, and at every age and life stage;
(2) recognises that Australian women continue to be left behind in relation to the gender pay gap;
(3) commends the government's commitment to closing the gender pay gap, including:
(a) establishing an independent Women's Economic Security Taskforce to help inform budget investments in advancing economic equality;
(b) making gender pay equity an object of the Fair Work Act 2009 ;
(c) requiring large companies to publish their gender pay gaps; and
(d) backing a real pay rise for aged care workers, who are overwhelmingly women, and look to provide backing for similar industries; and
(4) notes that there remains significant work to do to end gender inequality, and that initiatives such as reform to paid parental leave are worthy of consideration in pursuit of this aim.