Mr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (13:56): Some years ago I had been campaigning for some passing lanes between Port Augusta and Whyalla; it’s a distance of about 87 kilometres and it’s a pretty busy bit of road. I had been informed by some people back in the electorate that I had Buckley’s chance of getting any kind…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (16:00): This Royal Commissions Amendment (Protection of Information) Bill 2021 amends the way in which we treat evidence given to the royal commission into disability. For the information of the House, I chair the coalition policy committee on Indigenous families and disability. Dealing with those in our community who are disabled forms…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (12:58): I think that our withdrawal from Afghanistan was very well highlighted or described by the Deputy Prime Minister when he spoke in this place, I think it was two days ago. He said that we should never forget why we went there. We went there after the two planes were flown…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (13:48): In 2010, young Sam White was living with his parents, Jim and Andrea, in Whyalla. Jim was a senior manager at Arrium. Sadly, he has passed since. But Sam had a motorbike accident at Port Lowly, about 15 kilometres out of the city and, sadly, he was rendered a paraplegic as…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (16:02): To say that I’m a little surprised at this subject would be putting it mildly. Prior to coming to parliament I spent 35 years farming. I’ve spent 13 years here now and still have agricultural interests, it would be fair to say. I struggle to remember a time over those more…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (11:09): I thank the member for Indi for bringing this important motion forward. It has dated a bit since she tabled it, of course—we’ve had a budget since then and $17.7 extra billion have been allocated over the forward estimates to aged care. Let me preface my remarks by saying that we’re…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (13:52): We’ve all been dealing with the effects of the COVID outbreak back in our electorates, helping where we can. Some electorates are affected more than others. In South Australia at the moment we’re in pretty good shape. But it seems, with the announcement two hours ago by the ACT government, that…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (15:54): Mr Deputy Speaker Wallace, you’d be well versed in that Australian poem Said Hanrahan. I’m afraidHanrahan has been breathing on the other side of the House. I’ve never heard such a group contagion of ‘glass half-empty-itis’. What we need is a little less of what’s going on in the rest of the world.…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (16:19): This bill, the Australian Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority Amendment (Governance and Other Measures) Bill 2021, is largely a technical one. It refers basically to the management of the Australian Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority. It would seem, listening to the speakers, that it has broad support…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (17:46): I don’t agree with the amendment, although I do agree with the proposal put by the government in regard to the Customs Tariff Amendment (Incorporation of Proposals) Bill 2021. There are very few set-and-forget policies in government, particularly when it comes to tax and customs law. It is a scenario of…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (13:44): In the middle of July, I had the great pleasure of hosting the Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and Minister for Government Services, Linda Reynolds, in my electorate. I picked her up early in the morning in Adelaide and we headed 200 kilometres north to Port Pirie to spend…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (16:30): Deputy Speaker Andrews, it will come as no surprise to you that children are not cheap to raise. I understand you have five of them. Given that you are a similar vintage to me, I suspect it’s a little while since they attended child care—and it’s a little while since mine…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (10:44): I disagree with the amendment and I support the Hazardous Waste (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Amendment Bill 2021, unsurprisingly. I have been around for a while—but I haven’t been around forever—and when I was a child, you’d go to the hardware store, you’d grab a paper bag and you’d grab…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (11:17): Yesterday I made a 90-second statement in the main chamber congratulating those involved in passing the national radioactive waste management bill through the Senate on Monday night, but I was cut a bit short—it was a 90-second statement—and there are a few other people who I’d like to cover off on…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (12:25): I was very pleased when Minister Hawke announced on Tuesday some variation to the Working Holiday Maker program and some additions to the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List. The shortage of skilled and unskilled labour in my electorate is absolutely acute. It seems to be acute right across Australia. I guess…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (13:40): It is six years ago, plus a month or so, since I first raised the possibility of my home town, even my home paddock, hosting the National Radioactive Waste Management Facility. On Monday night in the Senate we made a great step towards this possible outcome. I thank my colleagues on…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (16:07): Like the member for Barker, I am somewhat bemused about the subject matter that has been brought before us in this MPI. Last week we heard a couple of outbursts from the member for Franklin about mouse plagues and, again, she has brought mouse plagues into this MPI today. I thought…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (16:03): On one hand I am surprised at this MPI motion today but on the other hand I am not. I’ve been here a while and I remember what it’s like in opposition and how hard it is to score a point when things are going well for the government. That was…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (10:33): I do disagree with the amendments and support the motion as put forward by the minister. There is a lot of excitement and discussion around Australia at the moment—certainly where I come from—about hydrogen, about the possibilities of a hydrogen production platform, about electric cars. As the shadow minister was speaking…
DetailsMr RAMSEY (Grey—Government Whip) (13:37): On Saturday I had the great pleasure of attending the Mortlock Shield on Eyre Peninsula. It started in 1936, so this is the 75th year—with interruptions for World War II and, last year, COVID. It is the longest-running regional Australian Rules football competition, not in Australia but in the world. Just…
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