90 Second Statement – Limbs 4 Life

Limbs 4 Life is Australia's peak organisation for amputees and persons with limb difference. This month, they launched a new program—Limbs 4 Kids. For the first time, all Australian children and young people with limb differences and those who care for them have a program and a website to call their own—www.limbs4kids.org.au. It is a…

Cooktown Re-enactment Festival

**Watch this speech on YouTube** Madam Deputy Speaker, let me take you back to 1770 when Cook's crew first set foot upon the rugged and exotic shores of Australia. We all know the story of Captain Cook landing in Botany Bay, but less well known is what happened after he left and sailed north. In a mariner's…

Appropriations Bills 2015-16

They say a week is a long time in politics. That must be why it is hard to envisage just how far we have come since a year ago. On coming into government, we inherited $123 billion of deficit from our friends from the Labor Party. We saw how this resulted in a decline in…

90 second statement – SilkAir lands in Cairns

**Watch this speech on YouTube** Last weekend a silk road started operating between Cairns, Australia's Gateway to the Reef, and the lion city of Asia. SilkAir is the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, and their Boeing 737-800 touched-down in Cairns just after 10 o'clock on Saturday morning. It was the first of a three-times-a-week service between…

An update on the World Heritage Listing of the Great Barrier Reef

**Watch this speech on YouTube** Mr ENTSCH: My question is to the outstanding Minister for the Environment. Will the minister update the House on the World Heritage listing— Opposition members interjecting— Mr ENTSCH: Can I ask that question again, Madam Speaker? The SPEAKER: There will be silence—and that includes the member for Chifley. The member…

Adjournment – Bowel Cancer Awareness Month

**Watch this speech on YouTube** I rise this evening to take the opportunity to highlight that next month is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. This annual initiative, running through the month of June, aims to raise public awareness of a disease that claims the lives of 77 Australians every week.  Bowel cancer is the second most common type…

90 second statement – Cairns Hockey Association

**Watch the speech on YouTube** On 23 May Cairns Hockey Association celebrated the installation and opening of their new $400,000 artificial turf. The celebration included a march past by junior players and welcome to country ceremony.  I officially cut the ribbon. The cutting of the ribbon involved my beautiful eight year old daughter, Mackenzie Lee…

Australia 2040 forum

I'm pleased to be here today representing The Hon Andrew Robb, Minister for Trade and Investment. Unfortunately Minister Robb is currently in Singapore for meetings with Singaporean government counterparts and senior investors. First, I'd like to offer my congratulations on celebrating the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Cooperative Research Centre's program. I'd like…

World Tuberculosis Day 2015

**Watch Warren's speech on YouTube** First of all, I would like to commend the member for Ryan for her ongoing advocacy on this issue. World TB Day aims to build public awareness that tuberculosis remains an epidemic in much of the world, causing the deaths of nearly 1.5 million people each year, mostly in developing…

Tibet Advocacy Day

**Watch Warren's speech on YouTube** On Monday this week the Australian All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet held an event in the parliament for Tibet Advocacy Day. The AAPGT is a bipartisan group whose purpose is to amplify Tibet's voice in parliament through events such as Tibet Advocacy Day. This year's event had a special focus…