I stand here in this chamber today in the knowledge that I am but one man among many who have been elected by their peers to serve their community and their nation. I stand here as but one man aware that many others have served the Dawson electorate before me. I wish to acknowledge the previous member, James Bidgood, as well as the previous two Nat...

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Mr CHRISTENSEN (Dawson) (13:13): I thank my colleagues on both sides of the chamber for their valuable contributions on this matter of natural disasters. Firstly, I wish to comment on the natural disaster that we witnessed over the last month, then, to address two important issues that arise from that disaster and which require urgent attention fro...

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Mr CHRISTENSEN (Dawson) (17:28): I rise—I would say with gladness but unfortunately I cannot—because of what is contained in the Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2012-2013 and the Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2012-2013. It is a case of saddling up again for another spending expedition by the Gillard Labor government. Together these bills load an additional...

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Mr CHRISTENSEN (Dawson) (13:34): I rise to speak on the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill 2012. In doing so I would like to note the bipartisan support the NDIS has in this parliament. I would also like to stress the importance of this issue across the nation and in my own electorate of Dawson, including the importance of getting the&n...

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Mr CHRISTENSEN (Dawson) (09:43):  Thank you for the opportunity of allowing me to speak on a constituency matter. Given this jacket that I am wearing, I am grateful to the Speaker that I have not been ejected and grateful to the members opposite that they have not raised a point of order as yet—and the member for Higgins for a comment that thi...

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Mr CHRISTENSEN (Dawson) (13:13): In a video recorded for the Australian Christian Lobby and for the benefit of people of faith right across this country, just before the 2010 election, the Prime Minister made this statement: "We have determined, as a Labor Party, that the Marriage Act will stay unchanged so marriage will be defined as it is in our...

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Mr CHRISTENSEN (Dawson) (18:12): In rising to address this Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives Bill, I have some difficulty getting past the name of the bill itself. It makes it sound like the bill will make things 'fairer'. But this bill has nothing to do with fairness. In fact, it is the exact opposite of fairness. It is about trying to ju...

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  The sentiments behind the push to exempt churches from having to perform same sex marriages, if they are legalised, may be welcomed by some but it is clear from the global experience that any such sentiments, legislated, codified or otherwise, will not withstand the ongoing march of Christophobia that is occurring throughout the West. Arti...

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Mr CHRISTENSEN (Dawson) (10:34):  I would like to associate myself with the comments of the Prime Minister; the Leader of the Opposition; the members for Melbourne Ports, Kooyong and Riverina in particular; and other members who have spoken so eloquently here this morning and yesterday on the condolence motion for Sir Zelman Cowen. Like them I...

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In light of the fact that we are all about to go on a summer holiday from this place, I suggest we take a little tour—two tours, in fact: one on paper and one in a motor car. I will start with the last one first. I would like to invite the Prime Minister, the Treasurer and the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport to come on a little tour with ...

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Mr CHRISTENSEN (Dawson) (12:03): We are here in the 21st century talking about the threat of TB in the Australian parliament. Tuberculosis almost disappeared with 19th century novelists, who wrote of consumption as an everyday occurrence, both giving it to their characters and falling victim to it themselves. Sadly, TB, which was the cause of the d...

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Mr CHRISTENSEN (Dawson) (13:56): Residents of the Whitsundays are fed up with not being listened to by their local council and the state government. This time we have had local Mayor Michael Brunker, his council and state Labor MP Jan Jarratt all pushing for a land swap on the Airlie Beach foreshore, against the community's wishes. The proposed l...

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expect to find in the Third World. We have charitable and humanitarian Australian organisations working in various parts of the world to supply safe drinking water to less fortunate citizens. That is how unfortunate the citizens of Bowen must feel in my electorate of Dawson. This North Queensland town was once supposed to be the capital of Queensla...

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Speaking on Carbon tax amendment in House of Reps:We have had a million-dollar gabfest on tax reform from a bunch of experts the week before we are introducing the biggest reform that Australia has had in taxation, the carbon tax. It is funny that that was off the agenda. I want to put it on the agenda again. We have passed it today but the people ...

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Mr CHRISTENSEN (Dawson) (22:33): The amendment before us is to let the people have a say on this carbon tax by postponing it until after an election. I want to highlight some of the people who have not been able to have a say and really want to have a say. These are people from my electorate. Sallyann Pottinger from Shoal Point says if the carbon t...

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