Asian Honey Bees Private Members Bill

The Federal Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch is developing a Private Members Bill to be put to the Federal Parliament in a bid to re-instate the Asian Honey Bee Program. Mr Entsch says the cessation of the program by the Gillard Government is premature and should never have taken place as there is still time…

Appropriations Bills 3 & 4

Mr ENTSCH (Leichhardt) (7.12 pm)-I say to my friend and colleague the member for Hunter that I agree with him-but, first of all, in relation to the youth allowance. Yes of course we are trying again, but we are trying to get more kids in regional Australia access to youth allowance, and we will be…

Malu Sara Trust Fund

Mr ENTSCH (Leichhardt) (12.23 pm)-At noon on 14 October 2005, the Malu Sara left Sabai Island in the Torres Strait for a four-hour journey to Badu Island. I think it is fair to say that the people on board had no idea of the fate that lay before them. However, I know that there were…

Overseas Trained Doctors Inquiry Commences

The first hearing for the Overseas Trained Doctors Inquiry is to be held in Canberra tomorrow 25th February 2011. Hearings in Brisbane and Cairns will follow in coming months. The hearing will be webcast live on: http://webcast.aph.gov.au/livebroadcasting/. The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and Ageing will hold the public hearing to discuss the…

Flood Levy

Mr ENTSCH (Leichhardt) (7.19 pm)-I certainly welcome the opportunity to participate in this debate on the imposition of yet another tax on the Australian people. Massive flooding occurred in eastern Australia at the end of last year and through to January this year, followed by Cyclone Yasi on the evening of Wednesday, 2 February. The…

Condolence Motion – Natural Disasters

Mr ENTSCH (Leichhardt) (7.11 pm)-On Wednesday, 2 February, we were told that Cairns had a real prospect of receiving a serious blow from a cyclone that was forming quite some distance to the east of us. It was closer to Fiji than it was to us; nevertheless it was one that we should watch. At…

Cairns Mental Health Carers Support Hub

Mr ENTSCH (Leichhardt) (7.10 pm)-I rise tonight to express serious concerns about the future of a fabulous support organisation in my electorate and to call on the government and the relevant minister to reconsider a decision to discontinue funding for the Cairns Mental Health Carers Support Hub. This is an organisation I helped to establish…

Tourism Needs Subsidy Saviour

Federal Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch is calling on the Gillard Government to empower the tourism industry of the North and subsidise tourism operators’ product marketing efforts. The call comes as industry heavyweights claim they need assistance to get back on their feet as a matter of urgency in the wake of Cyclone Yasi and…