Week beginning 27 November 2023

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

• Statements, by indulgence, relating to former member Hon Tom Hughes AO KC (27 November)
• Condolence motion relating to death of former member and Governor-General Hon Bill Hayden AC (28 November)
• Statements, by indulgence, relating to the MV Montevideo Maru (28 November)
• National Apology to all Australians affected by the Thalidomide tragedy (29 November)
• Statements on significant matters—
  • International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (30 November)
  • Delivering for Australians overseas: The consular state of play (30 November)
• Condolence motion relating to the death of former member Gerry Hand (30 November)
• Speaker presented schedule of the status of Government responses to committee reports (30 November)

Legislation

14 bills were presented, and 7 bills were passed by the House.

Ministerial Statements

Minister for Climate Change and Energy—Annual climate change statement to Parliament (30 November)

Matters of Public Importance

Committee and delegation business

Committee reports presented

Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs

• Inquiry into the application of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People in Australia, incorporating dissenting reports (29 November)

Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters

• Conduct of the 2022 federal election and other matters: Final report, incorporating dissenting reports (27 November)

Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights

• Human rights scrutiny report: Report 13 of 2023, incorporating a dissenting report (29 November)

Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Resources

• Sovereign, smart, sustainable: Driving advanced manufacturing in Australia (30 November)

Joint Standing Committee on National Capital and External Territories

• Restoring democracy: Report of the inquiry into local governance on Norfolk Island, incorporating dissenting reports (27 November)

Joint Select Committee on Northern Australia

• Northern Australia workforce development: First report, incorporating a dissenting report (29 November)

Standing Committee on Petitions

• Report 18: Petitions and Ministerial responses (27 November)

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works

• Department of Defence—Defence fuel transformation program—Tranche 2 facilities project (9th report of 2023) (28 November)

Select Committee on Workforce Australia Employment Services

• Rebuilding employment services: Final report on Workforce Australia Employment Services, incorporating a dissenting report (30 November)

Government responses

Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training

• Don’t take it as read: Inquiry into adult literacy and its importance (30 November)

Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

• The Defence Industry Security Program: Review of Auditor-General report 4 of 2021-22 (28 November)

Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport

• The New Frontier: Delivering better health for all Australians: Inquiry into approval processes for new drugs and novel medical technologies in Australia (30 November)

Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security

• Review of the Counter-Terrorism (Temporary Exclusion Orders) Act 2019 (30 November)

Delegation reports presented

• Australian Parliamentary Delegation to the United States of America, 28 October to 5 November 2023—Report, November 2023 (27 November)
• Australian Parliamentary Delegation to the 147th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Luanda, Angola, 23 to 27 October 2023—Report, November 2023. (28 November)
• Australian Parliamentary Delegation to New Caledonia and Fiji, 28 August to 1 September 2023—Report, November 2023. (29 November)
• Australian Parliamentary Delegation to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, 16 to 21 July 2023—Report, November 2023. (30 November)

Private Members' business

The following private members' bills were introduced on Monday, 27 November

• Migration Amendment (Limits on Immigration Detention) Bill 2023—Ms Tink (North Sydney, NSW)
• Online Safety Amendment (Protecting Australian Children from Online Harm) Bill 2023—Mr Coleman (Banks, NSW)

The following private members' motions were moved and debated on Monday, 27 November

• Criminal activity by young offenders—Mr Hamilton (Groom, QLD)
• Family violence—Ms Daniel (Goldstein, VIC)
• First responders—Mr Thompson (Herbert, QLD)
• Future Made in Australia—Mr Georganas (Adelaide, SA)
• Genetic research—Dr Freelander (Macarthur, NSW)
• Renewable energy projects—Mr L O'Brien (Wide Bay, QLD)
• Services Australia—Ms Ware for Mr Fletcher (Bradfield, NSW)
• The centenary of the Republic of Turkiye —Mr R Mitchell (McEwen, VIC)
• The cost of living—Mr van Manen (Forde, QLD)
• The elimination of violence against women—Ms Claydon (Newcastle, NSW)
• The Great Barrier Reef—Mr Perrett (Moreton, QLD)