This is the Presentation of Petitions in the House of Representatives on November 29, 2004.
The text of some of the petitions is also shown below.
This 6-minute clip of the Presentation of Petitions is longer than normal because of the intervening election period.
- Listen to the Presentation of Petitions (6m)
Hansard text of petitions presented to the House of Representatives on November 29, 2004.
To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in parliament:
The petition of certain citizens and residents of Australia draws to the attention of the House that:
Sydney resident David Liang, father of two, was shot in both feet only hours after he and eight other Australians arrived in South Africa to file a lawsuit against Chinese officials who were visiting South Africa.
This proposed lawsuit charged China’s Vice President Zeng and Minister of Commerce Bo with torture, genocide and crimes against humanity, committed according to Jiang Zemin’s personally stated policies regarding Falun Gong to “Ruin their reputations, bankrupt them financially and destroy them physically,” as well as, “Killing them won’t matter because their deaths will be counted as suicides.” Zeng and Bo have been served with lawsuits during previous overseas visits for their pivotal role in prolonging the persecution of Falun Gong in China.
South African Police are investigating the incident as attempted murder against an Australian.
Australians Terrorised
Falun Gong practitioners have long been the victims of discrimination, harassment and assault from Chinese officials on Australian soil and worldwide. A known `blacklist’ has been circulated to prevent Falun Gong practitioners travelling overseas. This incident in South Africa is the most severe case to date and marks a new level of violence in the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners outside of China.
YOUR PETITIONERS THEREFORE REQUEST THE HOUSE TO:
(1) Pay close attention to the safety of Australians, including Falun Gong practitioners, who face terrorist attacks by Jiang Zemin’s faction within the Chinese Government to help prevent such terrorist activities.
(2) Co-operate with authorities in South Africa to thoroughly investigate this incident and bring to justice those responsible for this attempted murder.
(3) Condemn the acts of terrorism by Jiang Zemin’s faction against Falun Gong practitioners both inside and outside of China.
by Mr Albanese (from 701 citizens)
by Mr Andren (from 87 citizens)
by Mr Baldwin (from 151 citizens)
by Mr Bartlett (from 116 citizens)
by Mr Cadman (from 942 citizens)
by Mr Causley (from 141 citizens)
by Ms Annette Ellis (from 525 citizens)
by Mr Fitzgibbon (from 85 citizens)
by Mr Hardgrave (from 168 citizens)
by Mr Hartsuyker (from 96 citizens)
by Mrs Hull (from 112 citizens)* To the Honourable the Speaker and the Members of the House of Representatives in Parliament assembled:Whereas the 1998 Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne carried without dissent the following motion:
`That this Synod regrets the Government’s adoption of procedures for certain people seeking political asylum in Australia which exclude them from all public income support while withholding permission to work, thereby creating a group of beggars dependent on the Churches and charities for food and the necessities of life;
and calls upon the Federal government to review such procedures immediately and remove all practices which are manifestly inhumane and in some cases in contravention of our national obligations as a signatory of the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.’
We, therefore, the individual, undersigned attendees at St Mark’s Anglican Church, Wonga Park, VIC, 3115, petition the House of Representatives in support of the above mentioned Motion.
AND we, as in duty bound will ever pray.
by Mr Andrews (from 7 citizens)
* To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in parliament:The petition of certain citizens of Australia draws to the attention of the House
The very high incidence of abortion – one for every three live births in Australia today – and the use of health care monies to pay for the destruction of the nation’s future children through these abortions.
Your petitioners therefore pray that the House take necessary steps to direct those monies to helping mothers and babies instead.
by Mr Baldwin (from 1,458 citizens)
by Mr Cadman (from 623 citizens)
by Mr Jull (from 1,027 citizens)
by Mr Slipper (from 632 citizens)* To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament:The petition of certain citizens of Australia points out to the House that –
1. 1,400 Australians every year are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour, many of which are of the most lethal type called glioblastoma multiforme grade iv;
2. At a major oncology conference held in June in the USA scientists reported the results of a Phase III trial of 573 patients with this particular tumour in 85 centres throughout Europe, Canada and Australia, which showed remarkable improvements in the two-year survival of patients and better median survival and progression-free survival.
3. The trial involved concomitant use of radiation therapy and the chemotherapy drug temozolomide (Temodar), and continuing use of the drug afterwards, resulting in an increase in the number of patients still alive at two years from 10% to 27%.
Your petitioners therefore pray that the House ask the Health Minister and Government to take urgent and compassionate action to ensure that this new therapy is made available immediately as a subsidised benefit for all newly diagnosed brain tumour patients who have this particular type of tumour.
by Mr Baldwin (from 8 citizens)
by Mr Melham (from 33 citizens)
by Mr Nairn (from 24 citizens)
by Mr Quick (from 60 citizens)* To the Honourable Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament.This petition, of citizens and residents of Australia, is to call the attention of the House to the international trade of dog and cat fur products and accessories, being sold in Australia.
Humane Society International has investigated and unearthed evidence of the appalling international fur trade, where dogs and cats are cruelly slaughtered by inhumane methods, with animals dying by slow suffocation, hanging, clubbing or beating to death. All these methods involved severe panic, trauma and needless prolonged suffering. More than two million dogs and cats are killed each year for use in the international fur trade.
Your petitioners request the House to send a strong message to this terrible industry, by banning the importation of dog and cat fur products into Australia.
by Ms Corcoran (from 107 citizens)
by Ms Hall (from 16 citizens)* To the Honourable Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in parliament:The petition of certain citizens of Australia draws to the attention of the House:
That under proposed changes to Medicare, families earning more than $32,300 a year will miss out on bulk billing, and doctors will increase their fees for visits that are no longer bulk billed;
That the rate of bulk billing by GPs has plummeted by 11% under John Howard;
That more than 10 million fewer GP visits were bulk billed this year compared to when John Howard came to office;
That the average out-of-pocket cost to see a GP who does not bulk bill has gone up by 55% since 1996 to $12.78 today;
That public hospitals are now under greater pressure because people are finding it harder to see bulk billing doctors.
We therefore pray that the House takes urgent steps to restore bulk billing by general practitioners and reject John Howard’s plan to end universal bulk billing so all Australians have access to the health care they need and deserve.
by Mr Crean (from 59 citizens)
* To the Honourable Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament.These petitioners of the Division of Shortland and adjoining areas are deeply concerned at any plans to further privatise Telstra.
Further privatisation of Telstra will result in the loss of thousands more Telstra jobs, worsening services to regional and rural Australia, and the loss of up to $1 billion a year for all Australians earned from Telstra profits.
We believe these profits, both now and in the future, should be set aside to secure improved educational opportunities for our children, increased research and development funds for our scientists and doctors, and more money for rural and regional Australia.
Your petitioners therefore respectfully request that the House reject any further sale of the Commonwealth’s shares in Telstra and that the annual profits from Telstra be used for the benefit of all Australians.
by Ms Hall (from 118 citizens)
* To the honourable Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives assembled in Parliament:The Petition of certain citizens of Australia undersigned draws to the attention of the House:
A well funded Public Education system is vital to the maintenance of a fair and democratic Australian society.
We need our public schools to be well resourced.
This requires the Federal Government to provide a fairer model for funding Australian schools.
Your petitioners therefore ask the House to:
Ensure that the funding policies of the Commonwealth Government are reformed to provide increased and fairer funding for public schools.
by Mr Wakelin (from 72 citizens)
