Week beginning 16 October 2017

Sitting week beginning Monday, 16 October 2017 – 5th sitting week of the Spring 2017 period of sittings of the 45th Parliament.

This page summarises the work done in the House of Representatives and the Federation Chamber. It is updated at the completion of a parliamentary sitting week. For a full report of the business dealt with, including a list of documents presented, go to the Votes and Proceedings. To read the debates, including question time, go to Hansard. 

Legislation

14 bills were presented and debated and debate was resumed on 22 bills

In accordance with section 10B of the Health Insurance Act 1973, the House approved the Health Insurance (Extended Medicare Safety Net) Determination 2017 made on 15 August and presented to the House on 4 September (18 October 2017)

Committee and delegation business

Committee reports presented

Standing Committee on Economics

• Review of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission annual report 2016 (16 October 2017)

Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights

• Human rights scrutiny report: Report 11 of 2017 (17 October 2017)

Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security

• Review of the re-listing of Boko Haram and Islamic State as terrorist organisations under the Criminal Code (16 October 2017)
• Review of the declaration of Jabhat al-Nusra as a terrorist organisation under the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 (16 October 2017)

Joint Standing Committee on the National Broadband Network

• The rollout of the National Broadband Network (1st report of the 45th Parliament) (16 October 2017)

Standing Committee on Petitions

•  Report 16: Petitions and Ministerial responses (16 October 2017)

Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit

• Report 465: Commonwealth procurement—Inquiry based on Auditor-General’s reports 1, 13 and 16 (2016-17) (16 October 2017)

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works

• Referrals made June 2017 (7th report of 2017) (16 October 2017)

Standing Committee on Publications

• Report, 19 October 2017 (19 October 2017)

Selection Committee

• Report No. 18 relating to the consideration of committee and delegation business and private Members’ business on Monday, 23 October 2017 (18 October 2017)

Joint Standing Committee on Treaties

•  Report 174: IMF New Arrangements to Borrow; Scientific Cooperation USA; Science Research Innovation NZ; Technological Innovation Israel (16 October 2017)

Government responses to committee reports presented

Joint Statutory Committee on Law Enforcement

• Examination of the annual report of the Australian Federal Police 2014-15 (16 October 2017)

Delegation reports presented

There were no delegation reports presented

Appointment and discharge of members

A message from the Senate was reported informing the House that Senator O’Sullivan had been discharged from the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement, and Senator Bushby had been appointed a member of the committee (17 October 2017)

Other committee business

Mrs Wicks, Chair of the Standing Committee on Petitions, presented petitions and Ministers' responses to petitions previously presented to the House, and a corrigendum to Report 15 (16 October 2017)

Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme—Provision of hearing services under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Motion to take note, 16 October 2017) (Resumption of debate, 17 October 2017)

Senate message reported informing the House that the Senate agreed to a resolution that the time for the presentation of the report of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services on its inquiry into the life insurance industry be extended to 7 December 2017 (16 October 2017)

• More information about committees
• More information about international delegations

Ministerial statements

There were no ministerial statements made

Matters of Public Importance discussed

National Broadband Network (17 October 2017) 

Poverty and inequality (18 October 2017)

Jobs (19 October 2017)

Private Members’ business

Private Members' motions

The following motions were moved and debated on 16 October 2017

• 70th anniversary of peacekeeping - Ms Rishworth (Kingston, SA)
• Australia and the United States of America (resumption of debate) - Mr Hastie (Canning, WA)
• Catheter ablation - Dr Freelander (Macarthur, NSW)
• Climate change (resumption of debate) - Mr Perrett (Moreton, Qld)
• Coal - Mr Christensen (Dawson, Qld) 
• Coral bleaching -  Ms T. M. Butler (Griffith, Qld)
• Food, beverage and grocery industry - Mr Champion (Wakefield, SA)
• Mental health - Mr Wallace (Fisher, Qld)
• Regional Development Australia committees in Victoria - Mr Giles (Scullin, Vic)
• Stronger Communities Programme - Mr Wallace (Fisher, Qld)
• Trade unions - Mr Wallace (Fisher, Qld)

Private Members' bills

The following bill was presented on 16 October 2017

• Renewable Energy Legislation Amendment (Supporting Renewable Communities) Bill 2017

Other opportunities for private Members

90 second statements in the House (16 October, 17 October, 18 October and 19 October 2017)

90 second statements in the Federation Chamber (16 October 2017) 

Adjournment debate in the House (16 October, 17 October, 18 October and 19 October 2017)

Adjournment debate in the Federation Chamber (19 October 2017)

Grievance debate (17 October 2017)

Members’ constituency statements in the Federation Chamber (16 October, 17 October, 18 October and 19 October 2017)

Public works referrals and approvals

There were no public works referred to the Parliamentary Committee on Public Works for consideration and report by the House.

The following public works were approved by the House on 19 October 2017:

• Australian War Memorial, Treloar E Large Technology Objects Store Project, Mitchell, ACT
• Explosive Ordnance Logistics Reform Program Project
• HMAS Cerberus Redevelopment, Western Port Bay, Victoria
• IP Australia Accommodation Project: Building Refresh Discovery House, Woden, ACT
• JP2008 Phase 5B2 Wideband Satellite Capability—Satellite Ground Station—East Facilities Project

Other business

Statements by indulgence in relation to the death of Dr Evelyn Ruth Scott AO (16 October 2016). A further statement was made in the Federation Chamber (17 October 2017)