PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BUSINESS— continued
Notices— continued
1 Mr BRADFORD: To move—That this House recognises the serious nature of the ongoing ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka and urges the Australian Government to place greater pressure on all parties involved to bring about a resolution of the problem. (Notice given 25August 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on 2March 1998.)
2 Mr albanese: To move—That this House:
(1)notes that the Investment Funds Association of Australia Limited will be convening its 9th National Conference in Canberra on 25-26 August 1997;
(2)welcomes the overseas delegates and speakers who have come from across Australia, South Africa, Great Britain, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, the USA and New Zealand;
(3)acknowledges that this conference is the national forum for more than 300 industry representatives, regulators, Government officials and consumer representatives who have an interest in contributing to the growth and integrity of the managed investments industry, and will be attended by parliamentarians from both Houses of this Parliament;
(4)recognises that this industry with its 2.5 million investors, whose superannuation and non-superannuation savings total $144 billion, is a key component of our stock of national savings;
(5)believes that the Australian investment industry is one of the leading sectors for employment growth, and should be encouraged to export its services into the Asian region, as recently advocated by the Prime Minister in his speech which referred to the prospects for the “Supermarket to Asia”;
(6)encourages all attending this conference to work towards innovative solutions to make industry more competitive, mo re efficient, more attuned to investor needs and more secure;
(7)notes that the conference will be discussing the full gamut of issues which are on the legislative agenda, for example, collective investments reform, superannuation fund choice, retirement income streams, the savings debate, electronic commerce and the Corporate Law Economic Reform Program; and
(8)wishes the conference every success in its deliberations on these crucial national issues. (Notice given 25August 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on 2March 1998.)
3 Ms hanson: To move—That this House calls on the Government to legislate to renounce the citizenship of Konrad Kalejs and immediately deport him to his country of origin. (Notice given 26August 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on 2March 1998.)
4 Mr PRICE: To move—That the standing orders be amended by amending standing order 94 to read as follows:
Closure of Member
94. A motion may be made that a Member who is speaking, except a Member giving a notice of motion or formally moving the terms of a motion allowed under the standing orders or speaking to a motion of dissent (from any ruling of the Speaker under standing order 100), “be not further heard”, and such question shall be put forthwith and decided without amendment or debate. ( Notice given 27August 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on 2March 1998. )
5 Mr PRICE: To move—That the standing orders be amended by:
(1)adding at the end of standing order 270:
“The Main Committee shall meet every sitting Monday and Tuesday between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. for the purpose of Members’ constituency statements.”; and
(2)inserting the following standing order:
Members’ constituency statements
106B. A Member, other than a Minister, may be called by the Deputy Speaker in the Main Committee to make a constituency statement, as provided for in standing order 270, for a period not exceeding 3 minutes. ( Notice given 27August 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on 2March 1998. )
6 Mr PRICE: To move—That this House calls on the Government to provide a reference to the Standing Committee on Financial Institutions and Public Administration to inquire into the operation and effectiveness of the Banking Ombudsman. ( Notice given 27August 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on 2March 1998. )
7 Mr price: To move—
(1)That a Standing Committee on Appropriations and s taffing be appointed to inquire into:
(a)proposals for the annual estimates and the additional estimates for the House of Representatives;
(b)proposals to vary the staff structure of the House of Representatives, and staffing and recruitment policies; and
(c)such other matters as are ref erred to it by the House;
(2)That the committee shall:
(a)in relation to estimates—
(i)determine the amounts for inclusion in the parliamentary appropriation bills for the annual and the additional appropriations; and
(ii)report to the House upon i ts determinations prior to the consideration by the House of the relevant parliamentary appropriation bill; and
(b)in relation to staffing—
(i)make recommendations to the Speaker; and
(ii)report to the House on any matter its determinations prior to the consideration by the House of the relevant parliamentary appropriation bill;
(3)That the committee consist of the Speaker and 11 other members, 6 members to be nominated by the Chief Government Whip or Whips and 5 members to be nominated by the Chief Opposition Whip or Whips or any independent Member;
(4)That the committee elect a Government member as its chair;
(5)That the committee elect a deputy chairman who shall act as chair of the committee at any time when the chair is not present at a meeting of the committee, and at any time when the chair and deputy chair are not present at a meeting of the committee the members present shall elect another member to act as chairman at that meeting;
(6)That the committee have power to appoint subcommittees consisting of 3 or more of its members and to refer to any subcommittee any matter which the committee is empowered to examine;
(7)That the committee appoint the chair of each subcommittee who shall have a casting vote only, and at any time when the chair of a subcommittee is not present at a meeting of the subcommittee the members of the subcommittee present shall elect another member of that subcommittee to act as chair at that meeting;
(8)That the quorum of a subcommittee be a majority of the members of that subcommittee;
(9)That members of the committee who are not members of a subcommittee may participate in the public proceedings of that subcommittee but shall not vote, move any motion or be counted for the purpose of a quorum;
(10)That the committee or any subcommittee have power to send for persons, papers and records;
(11)That the committee or any subcommittee have power to move from place to place;
(12)That a subcommittee have power to adjourn from time to time and to sit during any s ittings or adjournment of the House;
(13)That the committee have leave to report from time to time; and
(14)That the foregoing provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders. ( Notice given 27August 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on 2March 1998. )
8 Mr PRICE: To move— That this House :
(1)notes chapter 8 of the report entitled Access to justice by the Access to Justice Advisory Committee, “Tax deductibility of legal costs”;
(2)notes recommendation action 8.1, namely, “The Government should commission a review of current law and practice governing the tax deductibility of litigation legal expenses”;
(3)understands that:
(a)there is evidence where large undertakings, particularly some banking corporations, frustrate justice in some litigation cases, by unnecessarily continu ing the legal process until the litigant is unable to continue as they exhaust their funds and can no longer pay for legal representation; and
(b)the legal expenses paid by the defendants are tax deductible while the litigant rarely can make such a claim for their expenses and, consequently, current tax treatment of legal expenses does disadvantage individuals who seek access to the legal system;
(4)notes further that the problem was thoroughly examined in the report of the House of Representatives Stan ding Committee on Finance and Public Administration entitled A pocket full of change in the section, “Settlement processes and litigation’; and
(5)calls on the Government to have the tax deductibility of litigation costs further examined by the Standing Committee on Financial Institutions and Public Administration. ( Notice given 27August 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on 2March 1998. )
9 Mr M c Clelland: To move—That this House:
(1)notes that the decision announced in the May Federal Budget to extend the Therapeutic Refer ence Pricing Scheme will affect the pricing of products designed to help people treat cardiovascular, depression and cholesterol related illnesses and conditions;
(2)acknowledges that the changes to the Therapeutic Reference Pricing Scheme were determined without consultation with medical, industry or community bodies; and
(3)refer the proposed changes to the Therapeutic Reference Pricing Scheme to the appropriate parliamentary committee in order for that committee to receive submissions from the public as to the effect that the changes will have on individuals and the broader community. ( Notice given 27August 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on 2March 1998. )
10 Mr crean: To move— That this House recognises that :
(1)the future of the 100000 Australian textile, clothing and footwear workers must be secured together with future exports and investment growth;
(2)Australia is well ahead of our international competitors in the reduction of tariffs in this industry;
(3)if the Productivity Commission’s recommendations are implemented, at least 50000 Australian jobs will go offshore and many of the remaining 50000 workers will be forced into low paid backyard operations;
(4)there should be a freeze on TCF tariffs from 2000 to at least 2005 (consistent with our international obligations);
(5)the Import Credit Scheme must not be removed without putting into place a program of equivalent value, consistent with our international obligations; and
(6)a review of future assistance arrangements needs to be undertaken in 2004, in consultation with the industry parties taking into account progress on textile, clothing and footwear trade liberalisation among our trading partners and competitors, the industry’s progress in meeting its commitments on employment, investment and exports, and the effect of changes in the TCF industry on regional Australia. ( Notice given 27August 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on 2March 1998. )
11 MISS J. M. KELLY: To move— That this House :
(1)notes that:
(a)local licensed clubs in New South Wales support local and community organisations and sporting teams in an exemplary manner; and
(b)the New South Wales Government tax on poker machine revenue has had a detrimental impact on both licensed clubs and the local communities that they support;
(2) expresses its concern at the damage that will be done to local communities as a result of the Carr Government’s decision;
(3)regrets the New South Wales State Government’s decision to fill holes in its budget by increasing the tax on licensed clubs by up to 33%;
(4)recognises the enormous contribution clubs make to community organisations and to the community itself; and
(5)urges Premier Carr to re-consider his decision to increase the taxes on poker machines in New South Wales given the detrimental effects of this decision, particularly on the residents of western Sydney. ( Notice given 28August 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on 2March 1998. )
12 Mr M c Clelland: To move— That this House :
(1)notes that the Export Facilitation Scheme (EFS) has significantly enhanced the export of motor vehicles and motor vehicle components;
(2)acknowledges that the current scheme discriminates agains t most car component exporters in the way export credits are calculated because while exporters of motor vehicles, engines and transmissions can earn credits under the EFS by reference to a formula that includes the value of raw materials in the exported goods, for all other component exports, raw materials are excluded in the application of a value added formula; and
(3)given the discrimination against most car component manufacturers under the current EFS, determines that a new replacement scheme should be equitable to all exporters of vehicle, engines and transmissions and also for exporters of other car components . ( Notice given 3September 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on the next sitting Monday after 2March 1998. )
13 Mr R. C. BALDWIN: To move— That this House :
(1)congratulates the Newcastle Knights on achieving entry into the Australian Rugby League grand final after only 10 years in the competition;
(2)notes the role of Paul Harragon as captain of the Newcastle Knights in leading the team t o victory;
(3)notes the role of the coach, Mal Reilly, in preparing the team;
(4)notes the contributions of Matthew and Andrew Johns, Mark Glanville, Robbie O’Davis, Darren Albert, Adam MacDougall, Adam Muir, Wayne Richards, Tony Butterfield, Troy Fletcher, Stephen Crowe, Mark Hughes, Bill Peden and Scott Conoley;
(5)notes the contributions of Owen Craigie, Leo Dynevor and Jason Moodie for the part they have played in raising the sporting profile of Aborigines and for being outstanding role models for younger Aboriginals;
(6)acknowledges the pride of the people of the Hunter in the spirit and determination of the Newcastle Knights; and
(7)wishes the Newcastle Knights every success in Sunday’s grand final against the Manly Sea Eagles. ( Notice given 23September 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on any of the next 2 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
14 Mr Beazley: To move— That this House :
(1)notes the publication of the National Accounts for the June Quarter of 1997 which show that for 1996-97, economic growth, as measured by GDP(A), was 2.5 per cent;
(2)notes the outcome for 1996-97 is:
(a)1.3 percentage points below growth in 1995-96; and
(b)the lowest level of economic growth for five years;
(3)notes that the 2.5 per cent result for 1996-97 is one percentage point below the 1996-97 Budget forecast growth of 3.5 per cent and 0.75 percentage points below the revised forecast of 3.25 per cent, as published in the May 1997 Budget;
(4)notes that the Government’s massive cuts to employment and industry programs through its two slash and burn Budgets, its constant talking down of the economy and failure to lift business and consumer confidence, are the main reasons why economic growth has dropped, why the job security of thousands of Australians is so much at risk and why it has failed to make a dent in the appallingly high level of unemployment which has actually increased under the Federal Government to 8.7 per cent, meaning nearly one million people are unable to find worthwhile work; and
(5)calls on the Government to restore those vitally important employment and industry programs and to inject more confidence into the community, and particularly the business community, so that economic growth can climb to over 4 per cent per annum, thus enabling thousands of jobs to be created, for unemployment to be reduced substantially and for the restoration of the job security of thousands of Australians. ( Notice given 23September 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on any of the next 2 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
15 Mr BROWN: To move— That this House :
(1)expresses its absolute disgust at the worsening industrial relations climate throughout Australia as a number of foreign owned companies and their maverick Australian subsidiaries seek to use the Howard Government ’s workplace relations legislation to confront, intimidate and harass Australian workers and their spouses and children and to threaten the viability, stability and peace of Australian communities;
(2)deplores the gross and unconscionable behaviour of the American owned Atlantic Richfield Company for sacking all of the workers at its Gordonstone mine in Queensland with the intention of re-opening the mine with scab labour on individual contracts;
(3)calls on Rio Tinto to halt its continuing provocation against its employees at Hunter Valley No. 1 Mine and their spouses and children and seek to approach industrial relations in a more civilised and co-operative way;
(4)urges all respectable and r esponsible Australian firms to reject the behaviour of the mavericks and renegades whose offensive assaults on decency in the industrial relations system will cost Australian industry and the general community dearly;
(5)encourages all Federal and State industrial tribunals to utilise the laws, conventions and facilities available to them to demand that employers enter into genuine negotiations with unions and seek to achieve honourable settlements, arbitrated if necessary;
(6)demands that the Howard Government act immediately and decisively to halt the frightening trend towards the intrusion of potential violence in our approach to industrial relations;
(7)expresses its unqualified support for the courageous workers and their families who have been forced to put themselves in the front line of sacrifice to protect the rights of all workers; and
(8)calls on all Australians who value and respect our great traditions of fair play, mateship, collective action and civilised relationships to reject the intrusion of un-Australian behaviour into Australia’s industrial relations system. ( Notice given 2October 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on any of the next 3 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
16 Mr HOCKEY: To move— That this House :
(1)condemns the persecution of all religious minorities around the world;
(2)deplores the long lasting plight of the Christian minorities in Turkey involvin g discrimination against those minorities to freely practice their religion and culture; and
(3)requests the Government of Turkey, in the interests of secularism and respect for minorities to:
(a)make it easier for all Christian denominations to be rec ognised as official churches and to have clear legal rights with regard to property ownership;
(b)allow the opening of the Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic seminaries which were forcibly closed in 1971 and permit other Christian denominations such as the Syrian Orthodox to have seminaries as well;
(c)abolish the special tax imposed on Christian institutions;
(d)preserve Christian monuments and cease the destruction or desecration of Christian churches, monasteries and other religious monuments;
(e)provide more protection for the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Orthodox church in Istanbul and Armenian and Greek Christian churches in Turkey, against possible further attacks by Islamic extremists;
(f)return to the Armenian Protestant Church all property that was taken from it including money that the Armenians were forced to pay; and
(g)not interfere in the selection of church leaders or in the affairs of the Christian communities, in particular the operations of schools. ( Notice given 20October 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on any of the next 4 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
17 Mr price: To move— That this House :
(1)dep lores the imposition of accommodation bonds on Australia’s frail aged seeking nursing home placement;
(2)notes that the Government has slashed funding from nursing homes by $500 million;
(3)expresses concern that accommodation bonds have no upper limit and may be as high as $250 000; and
(4)regrets that these measures may result in increased:
(a)incidence of elderly persons dying at home uncared for;
(b)elder abuse; and
(c)suicide. ( Notice given 22October 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on any of the next 4 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
18 MR R. C. BALDWIN: To move— That this House :
(1)acknowledges the damage that the in troduction of diseases, such as Newcastle Disease, Infectious Bursal Disease or other avian diseases, into Australia could have on our native bird life population and the Australian poultry industry;
(2)condemns the former Labor Government, and in particular former Labor Primary Industries Minister, Senator Bob Collins, for putting politics before science and as a consequence putting at risk the very future of the Australian poultry industry in not e xamining or questioning the science involved in determining the risk to Australia’s poultry industry, and as a consequence, our native bird life populations;
(3)commends the actions of the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy, MrAnderson, for listening to the concerns of the poultry industry and taking steps to question the science that the former Labor Government had accepted without question;
(4)calls on the Government to reject the importation of raw or cooked chicken meat, based on sound scientific research reasons that threaten the bio-security of the Australian poultry industry and our native bird life; and
(5)recognises the efforts of the Australian poultry industry in exposing the fraud of the former Labor Government, and in particular former Labor Primary Industries Minister, Senator Bob Collins, in not taking action to examine the science and misconstrued assumptions by scientists in the testing carried out by Dr Denis Alexander, despite the pleadings of the industry that the scientific assumptions were flawed. ( Notice given 23October 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on any of the next 4 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
19 MR A. C. SMITH: To move— That the House :
(1)condemns the practice of child labour and calls on governments around the world to do all in their power to outlaw this evil practice; and
(2)calls on governments and the private sector to boycott produ cts from countries that use children in this shameful way. ( Notice given 17November 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on any of the next 6 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
20 Mr M c Clelland: To move— That this House :
(1)notes with appreciation the valuable work undertaken by Safety House Australia Incorporated which provides a network of safe places for people, especially children, to go if they feel threatened or unsafe for any reason;
(2)appreciates that the Safety House scheme is promoting a sense of safety in the community by encouraging communities to take a shared responsibility with Government authorities to make their streets safer and further notes that the Safety House scheme is consistent with obligations contained in the convention concerning the rights of the child;
(3)therefore views with great concern the decision by the Department of Health and Family Services to reject an application for financial assistance from Safety House Australia Incorporated; and
(4)calls upon the Department of Health and Family Services to immediately provide funding to enable Safety House Australia Incorporated to continue with its valuable work. ( Notice given 19November 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on any of the next 6 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
21 Mr M c Clelland: To move— That this House :
(1)notes the predominance of expert opinion that older motor vehicles cause greater air pollution and that passengers are more likely to sustain serious injury if they are a passenger in an older vehicle which is involved in an accident; and
(2)requests the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment refer to the relevant parliamentary committee the subject of the contribution of older (pre ADR37) motor vehicles to air pollution and recommend appropriate measures to abate their impact, in particular addressing the following aspects:
(a)the nature and extent of the problem;
(b)steps which have been undertaken in other countries to encourage the removal of older vehicles from circulation;
(c)the costs which would be involved in reducing the wholesale sales tax on new motor vehicles and whether those costs would be offset by higher revenue obtained as a result of greater turnover in sales of older vehicles;
(d)the viability of any other regulatory controls or incentives; and
(e)the social, health, economic and environmental impacts of any proposed measures. ( Notice given 25November 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on any of the next 7 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
22 Mr M c Clelland: To move— That this House :
(1)notes that there exists significant scientific controversy as to the eff ects of exposure to electromagnetic radiation emitted from mobile phone towers;
(2)resolves that current legislation should be amended to require that mobile phone towers not be installed within a radius of 300 metres from schools and playgrounds;
(3)resolves that the telecommunications industry be levied to raise funds to conduct research into the health and safety aspects of electromagnetic radiation emitted by mobile telephone towers; and
(4)calls for a review of Australian standard AS2772 which relates to electromagnetic radiation emissions. ( Notice given 25November 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on any of the next 7 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
23 Mr M c Clelland: To move— That this House :
(1)notes that the proposed closure of the St George campus of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) directly arises from the fact that the federal Government has forced cuts of 1900 s tudent places and $14.4 million from the UNSW;
(2)notes that the Prime Minister has been grossly irresponsible in stating that the fate of the St George campus of the UNSW, which is one of Australia’s premier teacher education facilities, is a matter of autonomy for the UNSW;
(3)notes that any directive by the NSW Minister for Education and Training, Mr Aquilina, to attempt a transfer of the control of the campus from the UNSW to the University of Wollongong without proper and adequate federal Government funding would result in:
(a)the University of Wollongong, which has already had its funding reduced by the federal Government, being compelled to assume a significant additional expense;
(b)the likely termination of employment of existing academic an d administrative staff employed at the St George campus in circ*mstances where it would be doubtful that they would be entitled to any severance or redundancy pay;
(c)uncertainty for existing students who have been guaranteed that their current courses at the St George campus will be completed given the inability of the University of Wollongong to commit itself to replicating those courses without adequate funding; and
(d)the potential for NSW taxpayers to be exposed to significant damages arising from the State’s compulsory acquisition of property in circ*mstances where the University of Wollongong is unable to provide an indemnity against such a damages claim; and
(4)calls on Government Members and Senators to immediately acknowledge the federal Gove rnment’s responsibility for the closure of the St George campus and to constructively apply their energy within their own Government to ensure that the necessary federal Government funding is provided to ensure that the valuable work of the St George campus can continue. ( Notice given 26November 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on any of the next 7 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
24 Mr PRICE: To move— That this House :
(1)urges the NSW Government to approve the preparation of a regional environmental plan for the Australian Defence Industry site in the electoral divisions of Chifley and Lindsay;
(2)notes that this will benefit western Sydney by:
(a)inves tment of $13 billion;
(b)providing 630 hectares of open space, equivalent to 3 Centennial Parks, at no cost to any government;
(c)providing significant jobs during construction and after completion;
(d)providing green corridors beyond the development and significantly to biodiversity; and
(e)preserving valuable bushland and Aboriginal heritage; and
(3)notes that the developers will provide as part of their section 94 contributions (a) neighbourhood centres and community development workers, (b) youth services, (c) aged and disability services, (d) children’s services, (e) cultural and library servi ces, (f) education, (g) sport and recreation facilities, (h) Aboriginal and non-English-speaking-background services and (i) botanical and geological gardens. ( Notice given 27November 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on any of the next 8 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
25 Mr PRICE: To move— That this House :
(1)welcomes the second Laughlin Report which outlines options for the five Mt Druitt, NSW, high schools;
(2)notes that the Super High model offers the best chance of improving educational outcomes for students in Mt Druitt;
(3)regrets that the Teachers Federation successfully fought the introduction of a senior high school with junior feeder high schools ten years ago; and
(4)urges the Federation to change their entrenched opposition to all high schools other than comprehensive high schools even when they are collapsing. ( Notice given 27November 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on any of the next 8 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
26 Mr FILING: To move— That this House calls on the Australian Government to reverse its recent decision to refuse Australian entry visa s for several East Timorese, resident in Portugal, who have been invited to speak at a conference in Perth, which aims to find a just, negotiated settlement of the situation in East Timor. ( Notice given 1December 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on any of the next 8 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
27 Mr E. H. Cameron: To move— That the House :
(1)acknowledges the contribution of palliative care to the proper treatment of patients with a terminal illness;
(2)recognises the work of health professionals and volunteers in the field of palliative care and commends those workers for t heir commitment to patients, the compassion with which they undertake their work and the commitment they have to palliative care as a proper treatment of patients with a terminal illness;
(3)acknowledges the benefits to patients, families and health care providers of palliative care;
(4)further recognises the benefits to both patients and families of palliative care provided to patients in their home rather than at medical institutions;
(5)urges the Government to continue the provision of funds to pal liative care with a view to increasing funding to palliative care provided at home in particular; and
(4)implores the Government to investigate the merit of encouraging the provision of palliative care at the patient’s home, and the funding for this, in view of the benefits for both the patient and their family as well as the Government. ( Notice given 1December 1997. Notice will be removed from the Notice Paper unless called on on any of the next 8 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
Orders of the day
1 INTERNET : Resumption of debate ( from 25August 1997—Mrs Gallus, in continuation) on the motion of MrE.H.Cameron—That this House:
(1)acknowledges the growing use of and demand for the Internet in Australia;
(2)notes that a large number of Internet users are families and individuals; and
(3)affirms its support for untimed loc al calls for Internet users. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on 2March 1998. )
2 IMPORTATION OF NEW ZEALAND APPLES : Resumption of debate ( from 25August 1997) on the motion of MrAdams—That this House:
(1)recognises the risk to the Australian apple and pear industry should the Government allow the importation of apples from New Zealand;
(2)considers the impact chemicals used to eradicate the disease will have on the local environment should fire blight take hold in local orchards;
(3)acknowledges that despite new research from the New Zealand industry suggesting there is no risk of fi re blight entering this country through the export of New Zealand apples, it is not a 100% guarantee and that the most effective no risk quarantine policy would be no imports of apples from New Zealand;
(4)calls on the Government to provide certainty to the industry by taking a strong stand on Australia’s quarantine standards as the Australian apple industry continues its expansion into the Asian market where the widespread image of Australian apples is that of a clean and fresh industry; and
(5)calls on the Government, when making its announcement on this issue at the end of March, to protect Australia’s apple industry and reject the importation of New Zealand apples. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on 2March 1998. )
3 ABC CHARTER : Resumption of debate ( from 25August 1997) on the motion of MrBroadbent—That this House:
(1)notes in the recommendations by Mr Bo b Mansfield on the role and functions of the ABC, that a revised ABC Charter should emphasise the importance of providing services to regional Australia and the need for ABC services generally to reflect Australian regional and cultural diversity;
(2)strongly endorses the recommendation; and
(3)calls on the Government to adopt the recommendation and to expand urgently the Charter accordingly. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on 2March 1998. )
4 DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI : Resumption of debate ( from 1September 1997—MrPrice, in continuation ) on the motion of Mr Sinclair—That this House:
(1)expresses its warmest wishe s to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on her 52nd birthday on 19 June 1997;
(2)recognises her selfless commitment to the causes of peace and democracy in Burma for which she received the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize;
(3)notes that she is still denied the right of movement, association and assembly, that access to foreign visitors can be arbitrarily withdrawn, and that she is denied regular access by her husband and two sons; and
(4)endorses the strong diplomatic support of the Australian Government for the case of Suu Kyi, the cause she represents so eloquently and courageously and for the future well-being of the people of Burma. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on the next sitting Monday after 2March 1998. )
5 OUT OF SCHOOL HOURS SERVICES : Resumption of debate ( from 1September 1997 ) on the motion of Mr McClelland—That this House:
(1)expresses its concern at the cutting of th e operational subsidy to Out of School Hours (OOSH) services and the imposition of an increased threshold of eligibility for child care assistance to families;
(2)notes that:
(a)cuts to Out of School Hours funding will result in OOSH services having to increase fees to cover the loss of the operational subsidy which will threaten the quality of child care as OOSH services will be forced to cut costs to meet budgets;
(b)the loss of the operational subsidy means that OOSH services could be facing high administration costs in order to meet the new fee relief system which could result in the closure of smaller services; and
(c)the consequences of cutting funding to OOSH services will result in a situation whereby parents will be dropping children off at school early in the morning to unsupervised playgrounds and picking them up from school well after the school day has finished, or allowing their children to remain in an unsupervised home in the morning and return to an unsupervised home in the evening; and
(3)calls upon the Federal Government to revoke its decision to cut operational subsidy to OOSH services and to restore the previous access to child care assistance for eligible families. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on the next sitting Monday after 2March 1998. )
6 TEXTILE, CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR INDUSTRIES : Resumption of debate ( from 1September 1997 ) on the motion of Mr Lieberman—That this House:
(1)notes with concern th e recommendations of the Industry Commission on the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Industries;
(2)notes, in particular, the likely loss of thousands of jobs throughout Australia, mainly in the regions, if the recommendations of the report are adopted; and
(3)calls on the Government to reject the recommendations and to legislate for a tariff pause from 2000 to 2005 to enable the full benefit of microeconomic reform to be achieved, thus strengthening the economy and industry, and maintaining jobs for Australians. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on the next sitting Monday after 2March 1998. )
7 plebiscite for an australian republic BILL 1997 ( Mr Beazley ) : Second reading ( from 3September 1997 ). ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on the next sitting Monday after 2March 1998. )
8 CUSTOMS tariff amendment BILL (no. 5) 1997 ( Mr Crean ) : Second reading ( from 22September 1997 ). ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 2 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
9 AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE PERSONNEL IN PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS : Resumption of debate ( from 22September 1997 ) on the motion of Mr Price—That this House:
(1)applauds the efforts of those Australian Defence Force Personnel who served in Australia’s peacekeeping operations;
(2)congratulates Major Carol Vaughan-Evans, Lieutenant Thomas Tilbrook, Warrant Officer Rodrick Scott and Corporal Andrew Miller on their receipt of the first gallantry medals since the Vietnam War for their distinguished service in Rwanda, particularly during the massacre of civilian refugees at Kibeho in April 1995;
(3)expresses the thanks and pride of all Australians for their efforts; and
(4)regrets that the Minister for Defence Industry, Science and Personnel felt it was too costly and impractical to receive in person the Parliament’s congratulations, gratitude and recognition of their distinguished service and apologises for the Minister’s slight of these gallant soldiers. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 2 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
10 ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY SERVICE IN MALAYA : Resumption of debate ( from 22September 1997 ) on the motion of Mr Adams—That this House:
(1)notes that:
(a)the members of the Royal Australian Navy wh o served in Malaya between 1955 and 1960 are the only Australians to be deliberately excluded from eligibility for repatriation benefits for honourable ‘active service’ under the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 ;
(b)the members of the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force serving in Malaya were not similarly excluded; and
(c)a letter, dated 11 November 1955, from the Department of the Navy to the Department of the Treasury stated that the date on which RAN ships were allotted for duty as the RAN component of the Strategic Reserve was 1 July 1955;
(2)calls on the Minister for Defence to take action to ensure that members of the Royal Australian Navy between 1955 and 1960 are recognised as being allotted for duty in the Malayan theatre; and
(3)calls on the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs to take action to ensure that naval veterans of the Malayan theatre are recognised with the relevant campaign medal and the Returned from Active Service Badge. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 2 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
11 RESCUE OF THE THAI ECONOMY : Resumption of debate ( from 22September 1997 ) on the motion of Ms Hanson—That this House:
(1)condemns the Government for committing $1.3 billion to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) rescue of the Thai economy without recourse to the Australian Parliament;
(2)calls on the Government to publish immediately all the details of the currency swap undertaken by the Reserve Bank; and
(3)calls on the Government to freeze its undertaking pending a full parliamentary inquiry into the circ*mstances surrounding Australia’s participation in the IMF rescue. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 2 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
12 population planning and community development in tHAIland and vietnam: Resumption of debate ( from 22September 1997—Ms Ellis, in continuation ) on the motion of Mrs Stone—That this House:
(1)recognises the dedication and commitment of the Thai and Vietnamese Governments as they work towards achieving their populati on planning and community development goals;
(2)recognises the coordinating role Thailand is now playing in population planning and reproductive health work in its region;
(3)recognises the enormity of the task and commends the commencement of HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention programs in Thailand;
(4)recognises the appropriateness and significance of AusAID projects aimed at partnering and supporting communities as they work to improve reproductive health, community development, general hospital facilities and HIV/AIDS treatments in Thailand and Vietnam; and
(5)notes the existence of the All party Parliamentary Committee on Population Planning and Development which focuses on the need for population policy that takes into account a nation’s ecological, social and economic resources. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 2 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
13 CHILD Abuse: Resumption of debate ( from 22September 1997 ) on the motion of Ms Jeanes—That this House:
(1)congratulates the organisers of Child Protection Week and recognises its important role in raising the issue of child abuse;
(2) acknowledges the extent of the most insidious form of child abuse, paedophilia, identified in reports including Paedophilia in Queensland by the Childrens Commission of Queensland and the Paedophile Inquiry by the Royal Commission into the NSW Police Service;
(3)acknowledges that paedophilia constitutes a tragedy of national proportions; and
(4)is committed to eradicating the disease of paedophilia by addressing its causes and raising the public’s awareness of its extent and the trauma that it causes to the victims, our children. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 2 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
14 sbs television services to regional areas: Resumption of debate ( from 22September 1997 ) on the motion of MrHicks—That this House:
(1)acknowledges the expansion of SBS television services to regional areas by the present Government;
(2)note s that there is a significant number of people throughout rural and regional areas wishing to access the service; and
(3)affirms its support for the continuation of the expansion program to areas not yet receiving the service across regional Australia. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 2 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
15 CHILDREn and younger australians: Resumption of debate ( from 22September 1997 ) on the motion of Mr Fitzgibbon—That this House:
(1)recognises the important role today’s children and younger Australians will play in determining Australia’s future prosperity;
(2)recognises that the overwhelming majority of younger Australians have no voice in the decision making processes which affect them;
(3)recognises that younger Australians are growing increasingly cynical towards politicians and the political processes and increasingly pessimistic about Australia’s future;
(4)recognises that such pessimism is likely to affect the attitude of younger Australians toward key aspects of Australian society;
(5)recognises the need to keep the interests of children and young people at the forefront when considering policy direc tion; and
(6)calls on the Government to establish an Office of Children and Young People within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to provide advice to the Prime Minister on matters affecting children and young Australians. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 2 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
16 ENDANGERED SPECIES : Resumption of debate ( from 29September 1997—MrAlbanese, in continuation ) on the motion of Mr Cobb—That this House:
(1)notes that many Australian animals have become extinct or are near to extinction in the wild over the last 200 years, especially small to medium siz ed marsupials in temperate to arid areas; and
(2)calls for action to be taken to:
(a)identify the full range of animals and habitats affected by extinction;
(b)identify the causes of extinction, including the detrimental effects of introduced predato rs and increased grazing pressures;
(c)allocate adequate resources to undertake captive breeding programs in appropriate locations where animals still exist in captivity, to fully study the lifecycles of the animals, gather scientific evidence generally and build their numbers up to lessen their endangered status;
(d)undertake appropriate scientific programs with the aim to eliminate predators such as foxes and feral cats, so that native animals can eventually be released back into their original habitats; and
(e)as a matter of priority and noting that most of the animals lost have been in arid areas, fund the Broken Hill endangered species breeding proposal to complement the existing Taronga Park Zoo and Western Plains Zoo breeding programs in NSW. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 3 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
17 INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS : Resumption of debate ( from 29September 1997—MrMcDougall, in continuation ) on the motion of Mr Brown—That this House:
(1)congratulates the International Transport Workers Federation and applauds the support it provided for the union stevedores at the port of Cairns who were under siege as a result of the operation of the Australian Government’s Workplace Relations Act;
(2)endorses the slogans “United we stand, divided we beg” and “Workers united can never be defeated” which have been raised in many recent industrial confrontations;
(3)expresses its support for the courageous miners at Hunter Valley No. 1 Mine and for their wives and children who have stood with them on the picket line in defence of their jobs, families, communities and the right of collective action;
(4)recognises that one to one negotiations between employees and management in the pursuit of individual contracts is not a process conducted between equals but a process stacked in favour of the vastly more powerful position of employers; and
(5)urges the trade union movement, all employees and the wider community to continue to resist the savage attacks being made on Australia’s traditional and civilised approach to negotiation, conciliation and arbitration in the area of industrial relations. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 3 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
18 OLDER MOTOR VEHICLES: Resumption of debate ( from 27October 1997) on the motion of MrMcClelland—That this House:
(1)acknowledges the increasing environmental and safety problems posed by old worn out motor vehicles;
(2)recognises that the removal of older m otor vehicles from our roads would reduce pollution such as lead and other pollutants by increasing the proportion of vehicles using unleaded fuel and fitted with catalysts;
(3)recognises that older vehicles are involved in proportionally more road accidents and that the removal of older vehicles from our roads would have substantial community benefits and health costs savings; and
(4)recommends a reduction in wholesale s ales tax on motor vehicles which would:
(a)add between 150000 to 200000 new vehicles to the market per annum;
(b)give a substantial boost to vehicle and component manufacturing with a substantial impact on employment in those industries;
(c)give a substantial boost to employment in vehicle distribution retailing and wholesaling;
(d)increase State revenues through stamp duty and registration increases; and
(e)make better quality motor vehicles more affordable to average Australians due to the “trickle down” effect as new vehicles enter the top of the market. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 5 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
19 DEVELOPMENT APPROVAL PROCESS: Resumption of debate ( from 27October 1997) on the motion of MrMcDougall— That this House :
(1)expresses its concern that the current lengthy and uncertain process of securing nec essary development approvals acts as a significant disincentive to attracting and securing new capital investment in Australia;
(2)acknowledges that the approval process differs between States and Territories and is cumbersome and confusing for potential investors;
(3)agrees that the time taken to negotiate and complete the approval process is well behind that achieved elsewhere in other countries and demands improvement;
(4)supports a uniform national approval process to be agreed between the Commonwealth and the States, and to be administered by the States and Territories; and
(5)calls for concerted action to achieve a streamlined appeal process recognising the need to seek changes to relevant legislation. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 5 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
20 GAMBLING: Resumption of debate ( from 27October 1997) on the motion of MrsE.J.Grace—That this House recognises the adverse effects of gambling on society in general and on the small business sector in particular and takes steps to discourage State governments from expanding gambling as a means of raising revenue. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 5 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
21 DIABETES : Resumption of debate ( from 17November 1997—Dr Southcott, in continuation) on the motion of MrHollis—That this House:
(1)recognises that 14 November 1997 was World Diabetes Day;
(2)commends the Government for its recognition of the seriousness of diabetes i n making it one of the five health priorities;
(3)recognises that an increasing proportion of the Australian population is affected by diabetes, in that every twelve minutes someone, somewhere in Australia is diagnosed with this chronic disease; and
(4)urges the Government to continue funding research into diabetes and the National Diabetes Strategy and to promote a widespread education campaign through Diabetes Australia to alert the population of the risks of developing the disease. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 6 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
22 RURAL WOMEN CENSUS DATA : Resumption of debate ( from 17November 1997 ) on the motion of MrsBailey—That this House:
(1)recognises the important contribution by rural women to the national economy and local community infrastructure;
(2)acknowledges that Census data does not accurately reco rd the economic or voluntary contribution by rural women;
(3)believes that this lack of accurate Census data should be addressed by changes to the Census form that will enable rural women to record the true extent of their economic and voluntary contribution; and
(4)calls on the Government to refer these proposed changes to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 6 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
23 AUSTRALIAN SPORTSMEN AND SPORTSWOMEN : Resumption of debate ( from 17November 1997—Mr K. J. Thomson, in continuation) on the motion of MrR.D.C.Evans—That this House:
(1) expresses its warmest congratulations to the many Australian sportsmen and sportswomen who have achieved so much recently representing themselves and their country to the highest levels;
(2)recognises our world champions—Cathy Freeman, Michael Doohan and the mens under 23 basketball team—and congratulates them on their achievement;
(3)congratulates our Pan Pac swimming team, the Australian cricket team, Karrie Webb, the Australian world athletics team and the Australian cycling team on their achievements; and
(4)asks the Australian media to become more responsible when reporting sporting achievement and commenting about our sporting champions. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 6 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
24 Customs Legislation (Economies in Transition) Amendment Bill 1997 ( MrCrean ): Second reading ( from 24November 1997 ). ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 7 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
25 Customs Legislation (Willett Review of Anti-Dumping Measures) Amendment Bill 1997 ( MrCrean ): Second reading ( from 24November 1997 ). ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 7 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
26 HELLFIRE PASS : Resumption of debate ( from 24November 1997—MrBrough, in continuation) on the motion of MrAdams—That this House:
(1)recognises the importance of Hellfire Pass, the immediate railway line route and adjacent camps in Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand, where Australians were prisoners of war;
(2)calls on the Government to set in motion the means by which the Thai Government can be approached to have these sites officially recognised as important to Australia;
(3)calls on the Government to seek a special status of this area in the form of a reserve or park, to be administered under the War Graves Act, and which will ensure Australians have permanent access; and
(4)is of the opinion that the museum under construction and being built with Australian funds should be guaranteed sufficient funds to allow a curator to be located permanently in the region to continue the development of the site. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 7 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
27 AUSTRALIANS OF BALTIC BACKGROUND : Resumption of debate ( from 24November 1997) on the motion of MrZammit—That this House:
(1)notes that November 1997 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the arrival in Australia of the first postwar migrants from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia;
(2) recognises the important contribution made to migrant welfare, education and support by the (a) Baltic Council of Australia, (b) Council of Estonian Societies in Australia, (c) Latvian Federation of Australia and New Zealand and (d) Australian Lithuanian Community; and
(3)records its appreciation for the significant contribution which Australians of Baltic background have made to our nation’s economic, social and cultural development. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 7 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
28 CORPORATE RESTRUCTURING : Resumption of debate ( from 24November 1997—MrCharles, in continuation) on the motion of MrMcClelland—That this House:
(1)notes the increasing occurrence of corporate restructuring;
(2)acknowledges that corporate restructuring frequently results in substantial job redundancies; and
(3)amend the Workplace Relations Act to:
(a)redefine transmission of business to inc lude the phenomena of outsourcing of services;
(b)protect the accrued entitlements of workers where employment is transferred to a new entity as a result of corporate restructuring or outsourcing; and
(c)recognise continuity of service for workers transferred to another entity as a result of corporate restructuring or outsourcing. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 7 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
29 PRIVATE HEALTH INSURERS AND COMPENSATION CLAIMS: Resumption of debate ( from 1December 1997—MrsStone, in continuation) on the motion of MrFitzgibbon—That this House:
(1)notes that Australia ns who have sustained an injury or been involved in an accident which may be the subject of a claim for compensation are unable to claim benefits from private health insurers to assist with the payment of medical and other costs incurred as a result of the accident or injury;
(2)is concerned at the extreme hardship this creates for many Australians and Australian families, often extending over many years; and
(3)calls on the Government to present to the House, as a matter of urgency, a bill which will:
(a)require private health insurers to pay provisional benefits to claimants in respect of services which are the subject of compensation claims; and
(b)provide for private health insurers to be reimbursed for these payments from the compensation paid w hen this occurs. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 8 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
30 PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE: Resumption of debate ( from 1December 1997) on the motion of MrE.H.Cameron—That this House:
(1)acknowledges that Australia’s health system is reliant on a successful private health insurance industry complementing the public h ealth system;
(2)notes with concern the neglect of the former Labor Government to stem the exodus from private health insurance between 1984 and 1996;
(3)calls on the Australian Labor Party to agree to supporting incentives for private health insurance as part of its policy platform at its annual conference in 1998;
(4)expresses its support for the incentives provided by the Federal Government for people to maintain private health insurance and for those who do not have it, to take it out;
(5)calls on private health insurers to minimise any premium increases which may force more Australians to reconsider their membership;
(6)welcomes any further policies which encourage people who can afford to take out private health insurance, to do so; and
(7)calls on the Government to refer the issue of private health insurance and the Australian health system to the Standing Committee on Family and Community Affairs for further solutions to alleviate the decline in private health insurance caused by the policies of the former Labor Government. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 8 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
31 UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE ACT: Resumption of debate ( from 1December 1997) on the motion of MsEllis—That this House notes:
(1)that the ACT economy has been driven into recession by the Howard Federal Government and the Carnell ACT Government ;
(2)that youth unemployment in the ACT exceeded 50 per cent in consecutive months in late 1996 and has consistently been above the national average since the election of the Howard and Carnell Liberal Governments;
(3)the significant reduction in publi c sector employment in the ACT flowing from Federal and Territory budget cuts;
(4)the absolute failure of the ACT Liberal Government to implement policies that will contribute to a reduction in the high levels of unemployment; and
(5)the implicit admission by the Howard Government that it has no answer to the unemployment crisis in the ACT. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 8 sitting Mondays after 2March 1998. )
COMMITTEE AND DELEGATION REPORTS (standing orders 102A and 102C): Presentation and consideration of committee and delegation reports has precedence until 1.15 p.m. each Monday.
PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BUSINESS (standing orders 104 and 101) has precedence from the conclusion of consideration of committee and delegation reports, but commencing no later than 1.15 p.m., being interrupted at 1.45 p.m. and then continuing for 1 hour after the presentation of petitions each Monday.
The SELECTION COMMITTEE is responsible for determining the order of precedence and allotting time for debate on consideration of committee and delegation reports and private Members’ business. Its determinations for the next sitting Monday are shown under “Business accorded priority for Monday, 2 March 1998”. Any private Members’ business not called on, or consideration of which has been interrupted and not re-accorded priority by the Selection Committee on any of the next 8 sitting Mondays, shall be removed from the Notice Paper (standing order 104B).
