Week beginning 12 February 2024

This page provides an overview of the key events of the last sitting week in the House of Representatives. It includes all bills presented and debated, and selected statements, debates and committee business. For the official record of proceedings, see the Votes and Proceedings. For a detailed procedural account of events, see the Procedural Digest and House Review.

Key events

• Sixteenth anniversary of the national apology to Australia’s Indigenous Peoples and the Closing the Gap Implementation Plan (13 February)
• Statements, by indulgence, on:
  • ASEAN-Australia Forum in Melbourne (12 February)
  • Storms in Victoria (14 February)
  • Ukraine (15 February)

Legislation

9 bills were presented, and 11 bills were passed by the House.

Ministerial Statements

Prime Minister—Sixteenth anniversary of the national apology to Australia’s Indigenous Peoples and the Closing the Gap Implementation Plan (13 February)

Matters of Public Importance

• Defence (13 February)
• Cost of living (14 February)
• Trust (15 February)

Committee and delegation business

Committee reports presented

Standing Committee on Appropriations and Administration

• Report No. 28: Additional estimates 2023-24 (13 February)

Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security

• Annual report of committee activities 2022-2023 (12 February)

Standing Committee on Petitions

• Report 20: Petitions and Ministerial responses (12 February)

Committee of Privileges and Members’ Interests

• Report concerning the registration and declaration of Members’ interests during 2023 (15 February)

Selection Committee

• Report No. 22 relating to the consideration of committee and delegation business and private Members’ business on Monday, 26 February 2024 (14 February)

Government responses

There were no government responses to committee reports presented

Delegation reports presented

• Australian Parliamentary Delegation to the 44th ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) hosted by the Republic of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia, from 5 to 11 August 2023 (12 February)

Private Members' business

The following private members' bills were introduced on Monday, 12 February

• Criminal Code Amendment (Telecommunications Offences for Suicide Related Material—Exception for Lawful Voluntary Assisted Dying) Bill 2024—Ms Chaney (Curtin, WA)
• Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Foreign Entities Bill 2024—Mr Gee (Calare, NSW)

The following private members' motions were moved and debated on Monday, 12 February

• Australia Day 2024 award recipients—Mr Hogan (Page, NSW)
• Better and fairer education system—Dr Reid (Robertson, NSW)
• Cost of living—Mr Burnell (Spence, SA)
• Digital economy strategy—Mr Violi (Casey, VIC)
• Domestic and intimate partner violence—Ms Steggall (Warringah, NSW)
• Early childhood educators—Ms Ley for Ms Bell (Moncrieff, QLD)
• Financial abuse—Ms Mascarenhas (Swan, WA)
• Gaza—Mr Chandler-Mather (Griffith, QLD)
• Gender pay gap—Mr Lim (Tangney, WA)
• Industrial relations—Mr Rae (Hawke, VIC)
• Inflation—Mr van Manen (Forde, QLD)
• Overseas agricultural labourers—Mr Birrell (Nicholls, VIC)
• Public school funding—Ms Roberts (Pearce, WA)