PARLIAMENT HOUSE, Canberra: I rise also to speak on the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Bill 2012 and the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (Consequential and Transitional) Bill 2012. Everyone in this House no doubt shares the view that charities and non-profits do vitally important work across the community. They run many of our great…
PARLIAMENT HOUSE, Canberra: I rise also to support this motion which supports National Police Remembrance Day, which in Victoria we commemorate as Blue Ribbon Day. This day was instigated in 1989 and is held on 29 September the origins of which is the feast day of Saint Michael, who is the patron saint of police.…
PARLIAMENT HOUSE, Canberra: There is a lot of hypocrisy that we have to put up with in this chamber, coming from the other side of the House, but perhaps the greatest hypocrisy we have seen today has come from the Member for Lyne. We heard the Member for Lyne speak for 15 minutes almost exclusively…
PARLIAMENT HOUSE, Canberra: I rise to speak strongly against this bill in front of us. It is not because I am enamoured of the concept of the supertrawler but rather for three fundamental reasons. First, in no good conscience could I support a bill which gives such unfettered power to a minister to close down…
PARLIAMENT HOUSE, Canberra: I rise also to speak to this condolence motion, which was moved by the Acting Prime Minister and was spoken to by numerous parliamentarians before me. I acknowledge the member for Moreton with regard to his very moving and fine words, and I associate myself with his comments. Every soldier lost in…
PARLIAMENT HOUSE, Canberra: I rise to contribute to this motion that moved by the Acting Prime Minister earlier this week. I would also like to commend the fine words of the member for Higgins and those of all the other members of this House on this motion over the last couple of days. It is…
PARLIAMENT HOUSE, Canberra: As I go around my electorate, the overwhelming response I hear is that small businesses are doing it particularly tough at the moment. Across the retail precincts, we are now seeing some shops vacant when we have not seen vacancies for years. Individual shop owners tell me that customers are few and…
PARLIAMENT HOUSE, Canberra: I rise to congratulate the Rowville Hawks Football Club for their outstanding victory in Division 2 of the EFL on Saturday where they defeated Montrose 8.10.58 to 7.4.46. It was a fantastic effort from the club. They have had a stellar year and their victory means they will go into Division 1…
PARLIAMENT HOUSE, CANBERRA: Mr Deputy Speaker, the Family Assistance and Other Legislation Amendment (Schoolkids Bonus Budget Measures) Bill 2012 abolishes a good program, the education tax refund, and replaces it with a fistful of dollars designed to shore up the electoral prospects of the Prime Minister. The bill itself should be called the ‘sugar hit…
From the Victorian Liberal Magazine The biggest threat to our country today comes from what the Gillard Government isn’t doing, writes Alan Tudge – presiding over the ‘terminal decline’ of our defence forces. Perhaps the finest hour of Australia’s defence forces was their defence of this continent against the axis of dictators intent on destroying…