Have Your Say

CONDOLENCES: Smith, Corporal Scott James

It is with deep sadness that I join the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, the Minister for Defence, the shadow minister for defence, science and technology and personnel, the members for Herbert and Higgins, the Minister For Veterans’ Affairs and the member for Greenway, whom we just heard, to honour another fallen sapper.

PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BUSINESS: Disability Services

Mr McCORMACK (Riverina) (11:33): I rise to speak on this motion put forward by the member for Blair. I encourage him not to politicise this debate. It is all well and good to say that people on his side of parliament support a National Disability Insurance Scheme and support people with disabilities in employment opportunities. […]

PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BUSINESS: Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Monday, 22 October was Pink Ribbon Day. Breast Cancer Awareness Month originated in America in the 1980s and has grown to be the internationally recognised month for cancer awareness.

CONDOLENCES: Bali Bombing: 10th Anniversary

The Riverina, as with the rest of the nation and beyond, mourned deeply on Friday, 12 October 2012, the day which marked the 10th anniversary of the 2002 Bali bombings. Tears were shed for lives cut all too short. Many prayers were said throughout the electorate and certainly throughout the nation and beyond.

CONDOLENCES: Penpraze, Sapper Jordan Ronald

It is a tragically sad turn of events that we again stand here to acknowledge the loss of another fine Australian soldier, a soldier who was in training to join his comrades in the fight against terrorism and the pursuit of freedom.

BILLS: Water Amendment (Long-term Average Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment) Bill 2012

The Water Amendment (Long-term Average Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment) Bill 2012 amends the Water Act 2007 such that a sustainable diversion limit can be adjusted, give-or-take five per cent, without any formal notification to the community or to the parliament. Let us just think about that five per cent. It does not sound a lot but it could amount to the entire water used by the state of South Australia in any given year.

PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BUSINESS: Indigenous Servicemen and Servicewomen

Every capital city, regional centre and remote one-horse town in Australia is immensely proud of its military heritage, and this is certainly so with Wagga Wagga in the Riverina. My progressive, vibrant home town is a tri-service centre and is renowned as the ‘home of the soldier’.

BILLS: Wheat Export Marketing Amendment Bill 2012

The Australian wheat industry is heavily exports focused, with as much as 70 per cent of wheat production each year being exported throughout the world. Australia, historically, has been one of the top five major wheat-exporting countries. Let me from the outset declare a passionate interest in wheat growing and the future viability and prosperity of the industry.

ADJOURNMENT: Education

I rise to speak about the official opening of the National Life Sciences Hub on 21 September at the Charles Sturt University Wagga Wagga campus. On that particular occasion I was joined by the member for Cunningham, the Hon. Sharon Bird, Parliamentary Secretary for Higher Education and Skills.

CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS: Murray-Darling Basin

The federal water minister says the nation has never been closer to a River Murray agreement after new modelling shows that increasing flows would dramatically improve environmental outcomes—so he says.

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