**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…
**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…
**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…
**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…
**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…
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…
**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…
**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…
**Watch Warren's speech on YouTube** There comes a point, when the safety of the Australian people is at stake, that the Government is obliged to step in – when the Government has no choice but to make firm decisions to help safe-guard our country against those who would destroy our free, democratic way of life.…
In this adjournment this evening, I would like to welcome the environment minister's announcement this week that there will be zero capital disposal anywhere in the entire Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The ban will be put into law through regulation and will apply to all applications for capital dredge disposal in the marine park,…