Mr RAM SEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (11:09): This initiative contained in the Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Incentivising Pensioners to Downsize) Bill 2022 was put forward by the coalition. It was a good initiative then, and it’s a good initiative now. Given the tightness of the housing market in Australia, the government should respond in this way,…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (11:58): I’ll just pick up on some of the remarks of the previous member, welcoming the member for Fisher’s comments about the coalition commitment to Medicare. It’s not a new thing. It is not a new thing at all. The coalition is very committed to Medicare. One would not have thought so…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (17:47): The Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (AFP Powers and Other Matters) Bill 2022 is about the extension of temporary arrangements to enable the parliament to act on the recommendations of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security for tightening the permanent legislation. It is a priority, but it should not be rushed.…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (16:21): I was unable to be present last Friday for the special sitting of parliament to debate the condolence motion on the passing of Queen Elizabeth, and I thought might take a few minutes here this afternoon to make some remarks. The level of emotion raised by the passing of Queen Elizabeth…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (13:52): Just last Friday I was given the privilege of opening the new administration building and four classrooms at Sunrise Christian School in Whyalla. The expansion was helped by a $700,000 grant from the Capital Grants Program, but I make the point that the school community contributed two-thirds of the $2.1 million…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (12:06): I rise to speak on the Fair Work Amendment (Paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave) Bill. Family, domestic and sexual violence is a hidden scourge in our modern society. The statistics are horrifying. In the last parliament I was privileged but challenged to sit on the inquiry into family, domestic and…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (17:49): I thank the member for Fenner for his contribution, and I’m pleased that his boys like him taking them to school in his new car. Given that it was cheaper than another equivalent, I’d be interested to know what model you bought, Member for Fenner, but we’ll put that to one…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Opposition Whip) (16:21): On 13 August, I was very pleased to welcome back the 143rd Crystal Brook Show, which had had a couple of years off because of COVID. The show was opened by the newly decorated Commonwealth marathon gold medallist, Jess Stenson, and it was wonderful to have her in Crystal Brook on…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey) (10:06): I’m going to take this opportunity to add to my comments from last night on the cashless debit card and its rollout. I said at the time that I thought it was pretty sad that the first urgent bill the government had to get through the parliament was on the cashless debit…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey) (17:21): Let me say from the outset that a reduction of 43 per cent of CO2 emissions by 2030 on 2005 levels is an admirable target. It is a good target. It may be ambitious but it is an admirable target. It has already been adopted by the government and they have submitted…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey) (13:39): The government has introduced legislation regarding two weeks leave for domestic and family violence. I’d like to lay on the record that I am supportive of the concept, but I am not supportive of the concept that it should be funded by the employer. I think there is a whole lot of…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey) (21:07): I must say, as I stand here today as the member for Grey but also the member for Ceduna, how saddened, deeply apprehensive and angry I am about the gutting of the cashless debit card. To understand the origin of the cashless debit card, I think the House needs to know about…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey) (17:31): This bill purports to be about territory rights. It is, in my view, a very clean handball. It is in fact about voluntary euthanasia. I think there is only one outstanding issue around state rights, or territory rights in this case, and it is voluntary euthanasia. As you would well know, Madam…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey) (11:45): I thank the member for Mayo for bringing this important issue forward. Certainly I would have to say in the last six or 12 months as I’ve travelled around my electorate the No. 1 issue when I walk into a business has been, ‘We can’t get enough workers.’ It’s repeated whether it’s…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey) (19:03): Deputy Speaker Claydon, I, like many others, add my congratulations to your elevation to that position. The address-in-reply by Governor-General David Hurley is good reading. It was good to listen to, and I listened to it intently. I’d like to thank him for that contribution. It’s obviously a document prepared on government…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey) (16:31): Sadly, I’m not quite sure that the new government is actually getting the urgency of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Indonesia, including in Bali. Last week I attended a briefing from the minister. I learned something from that briefing: if we get an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Australia—just one outbreak—our…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (13:53): This morning the House witnessed a valedictory from a highly talented, progressive young woman, my friend and fellow Whip, member for Boothby, Nicolle Flint. Nicolle will be remembered for the many things she’s done in this place over the last six years, perhaps most notably for her campaign on endometriosis, which…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (17:47): I rise to speak on the Social Services and Other Legislation Amendment (Pension Loans Scheme Enhancements) Bill 2021. I totally reject the amendment put forward by the previous member, which frames the government as having failed badly on pensioners and older people in Australia. I reject that entirely, but I think…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (12:53): This is a great program, particularly if you’re responsible for an electorate like Grey, with thousands and thousands of kilometres of road that needs maintenance and, in some cases, upgrading. This program alone has delivered $82.8 million to the electorate of Grey. It comes amongst— A division having been called in…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (13:59): Last week, I was very pleased to participate in the opening of the Willowie Forest bike and walking trails, which are in the southern Flinders, between Melrose and Wirrabara. They are part of the Remarkable Southern Flinders Project, a $10 million project, with 50 per cent funded by the state and…
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