noon eastern as we speak with local cedar rapids authors and sunday at 2 pm on c-span 3 is american history tv, working with our cable partners as we explore the american story. next from the australian capital, a review of action in australia's parliament. lawmakers debated a variety of issues, including the nation's military power in the south pacific. availability of disability services and climate change. also discussed, the ongoing investigation into the australian ambassador to the u.s., and his involvement in a travel services company, accused of illegally seeking business with the government. sky news chief political reporter karen gill meant gilmore host the 35 minute event. thanks for your company. karen gilbert in the cabinet.

the presence of china in the region is increasing assertiveness in the region, particularly in the pacific and this was one of the questions asked of the foreign minister marise payne. >> thank you mr. president. my question is to the minister for foreign affairs and before i asked my question, minister i note that we had a number of delegations in this place over the last few days from our near northern neighbors. can you outline progress made by the government or government to enhance our efforts in the pacific and how these make the region safer and more secure. >> i think mr. buckman for his question because the government has been very clear in recognizing that a stable, secure and prosperous region benefits us all. we know our

pacific neighbors are our family and that's why the government has announced a comprehensive of initiatives to support the region's ongoing developments and those announcements are becoming a reality. last month prime minister morrison became the first australian minister to visit since 2006 and the first to visit and what to since 1990. affirming their role in regional leadership. last week i was privileged to visit the solomon islands. i met leaders there to discuss progress in deepening our partnerships and i was able to turn to important new initiative ships initiatives.

we are working more closely than ever with the pacific island nations on the issues of greatest concern to them. including regional security around climate solutions and disaster resilience. as a prime minister has had we are strengthening our engagement with the pacific for the pacific sake because this is our home. this government, mr. president, has a comprehensive plan to step up our engagement in the pacific and we are delivering, working closely with the assistant, we are delivering. >> senator bachman. >> thank you for that answer. >> how is australia helping to increase the security, prosperity, and stability of the pacific?>> thank you mr. president, we are stepping up in the pacific to enhance preparation of defense in

policing and cyber security to create a safer and more secure region. again guided by the declaration of security. we are also working to address the pacific's unique security interests including those from environmental challenges from transnational crime both human and cyber security issues because we know a strong, stable region keeps us more secure and enables our economies to grow and our people to prosper. in partnership with fiji we have begun the redevelopment of the blackrock peacekeeping facility with prime minister morrison. we are working together to build police capability and improve infrastructure. we support training and development opportunities there and it in addition to that -- >> your

time has expired, a final supplementary question. >> how else is australia building our crucial people to people links with the pacific to create a more stable and secure region?>> we know that our bond in the pacific is formed in our people to people links. we have shared history, interest, and understanding and that is why we are investing in a number of projects to strengthen those common bonds including particularly in sport. it brings people, communities, and countries together. i was just discussing this with our finance minister this morning, he is powerlifting record breaking in the sports complex that open last year, the stuff of legend. under our sports program we have -- support for a fiji team in the rugby team, support for

australia to assist the fiji team. much effort in that area mr. president. >> time for the answer is expired. >> like many western nations, the threat of terrorism is very real and also the returning foreign fighters from the middle east. in that context, citizenship and revoking citizenship means an issue. >> thank you mr. president. my president is for the minister representing the minister for foreign affairs, senator cash and i ask someone who cares and is concerned for the safety and security of australian citizens as i'm sure all members of this place will do, why is it important to have strong laws in place that make it easier for those guilty of terrorism offenses to lose their australian citizenship. >> good question. >> senator cash? >> thank you senator for very

important question. the liberal national government top priority is to keep australia safe. as part of ensuring our national security, it is essential that we are tough on those terrorists who wish to do our nation and our people harm. senators would know that the government has introduced legislation to strengthen citizenship loss provision for dual nationals who have demonstrated repudiation of the relation to australia. to keep australian safe from evolving terrorist threats and to protect the integrity of australia citizenship and of course the privileges that attached to it. the government changes remove requirements for a citizen to be sentenced to at least six

years imprisonment if they have committed a relevant terrorism offense to be eligible to lose their australian citizenship. what we are doing is a conviction for a terrorism offense is all that will be required and the laws will apply to any terrorist convicted after 12 december 2005. our legislation also provides that the minister must be satisfied that the person will not become stateless if their australian citizenship ceases. mr. president, make no mistake, there are people who have betrayed their allegiance to australia. these are people who have committed barbaric acts, for example, fighting for ices. these are people who have plotted to inflict harm on innocent australian children and families in our cities and our suburbs. mr. president, i would hope that all senators would work together to support the

important changes that the australian government has put forward.>> from security abroad and security in home, were talking about the need to boost services to counter domestic violence that was also an issue that was raised in the parliament. >> how the government is keeping australian safe and secure by combating violence against women and keeping women and children safe in their homes. is a minister aware of any alternative approaches that would not have the same outcomes to vulnerable women and children?>> i do think

australia due to domestic violence. when a woman needs to leave her home because of the threat of domestic violence , very often she has virtually no time to prepare, she will be jumping in the car with the the close on her back and the kids in the car as well. and then the question is where does she go? and there's a shortage of emergency accommodations which is why the prime minister's announcement on monday was so important. the prime minister committed a $16 million commitment that there would be provided over three years to provide capital grounds to eligible

organizations to provide new or expanded emergency accommodations facilities. the grant program will encourage contributions from other levels of government and from private and philanthropic sources and is estimated to create some 400 80 additional places and some 6 1/2 thousand people a year are likely to be able to find refuge in this emergency accommodation. this funding of $78 million, mr. speaker on top of the additional funding we have committed, for example, $10.9 million in november last year this additional funding is possible because of our strong management. when we make this commitment, mr. speaker we know we can pay for it. i'm asking for any other approaches. and i know that when the members stand up in a few weeks time and announces a surplus,

the people of australia can be confident that surplus will be delivered. and that's a very stark contrast from when the members promised a surplus which they comprehensively failed to deliver, not once but twice but four times, mr. speaker. a strong but it is absolutely critical to be able to deliver the services that australians rely upon. services like emergency accommodations for domestic violence. services across the bridge across help across social services. our government, our liberal national governor can be relied upon to maintain a strong budget, a strong economy and therefore to be able to dependably fund the services that australians rely upon. >> were just a few months out from the federal election and labor is putting pressure on the government on a range of issues. in the last fortnight it has been among others on disability care and labor as used for and

won a vote in the parliament for disabilities commission. >> thank you, my question is for the prime minister. in may 2017, there was a call for the violence and abusive australians with a disability. the outgoing and commission, given ongoing and recent shocking reports of treatment australians with a disability. will of prime minister finally joined with labor to support a commission to restrain this and that they've been calling for the past two years? >> thank you mr. speaker. my government takes abuse and neglected of people with disability very seriously and we are engaged in substantial reform to treat people with disabilities. many will be eligible but the disability insurance.

as you would note, there are multiple inquiries looking into the issues of neglect of people with his abilities. now, the national disability insurance team which is i'm very pleased to acknowledge his was created by the former prime minister and supported by members of the side of this house and have been supported by us as we have fully funded this initiative, and we have been taking it through the implementation phase. this is the most significant social reform since medicare and it will provide real choice to people with disability and the services they received. now it's responsibility for disability services to a national system through them the government has established new safeguards to prevent abuse of people with disabilities under this new issue. commenced operation on the rest of july 2018 and continues to

provide the national disability and neglect hotline. these resources deliver the protection people with disabilities that they deserve. now, the commission to investigate the quality of care and safety provided for residential and home-based care service for people with disabilities residing in these facilities including younger people. and it will complement the action the government has already taken for people with disabilities, particularly lung young people. later the operation will have operations in place for accommodations for young people with disabilities. it's champ and he champion by organizations such as young care. the national disability insurance is in its early phases of implementation as

these responsibilities are transferred. these need to be practiced and put into place and we will always remain open to what more can be done to identify any egregious issues or any lack of care or support provided to people with disabilities in this country. right now, our oak is is on implementing the national disability insurance state, getting it right. it's a difficult job. and had it not been a perfect implementation it was never a perfect inauguration when it first came to be. but one thing is true. i believe it is always enjoyed the bipartisan support in this chamber and beyond the major parties and independence in this chamber. and i would like for us to continue to operate in that vein. ? the reality over the last decade has seen military deployment to the middle east therefore our response to returned servicemen has been an ongoing issue. the minister for defense personnel was asked about what the government is doing to

provide sufficient services. >> the members for more. >> thank you mr. speaker my question is for the defense personnel. will the minister update the help on the measures taken by the government to reduce the exposure of our personnel to trauma associated with water protection operations? what are we providing to those who have been exposed to trauma as the result of a deployment on board our protection operation?? the minister of defense personnel i should say. >> they can mr. speaker i thank you for the work he does to support veterans. it is often in australia. mr. speaker it's often said that there is no greater service to our nation and to put on the uniform of our navy, our army, or our airports and to be willing to place yourself in harms way to help those who can't necessarily help themselves. not only these conflicts

abroad, whether it be in wartime in afghanistan and iraq. mr. speaker personnel can be placed in harm's way much closer to home. we've been deployed to protect our borders and they can be exposed to dangers like searching for rivals and often sabotage the boats to sink. they are also deployed mr. speaker on search and rescue missions looking for, or hoping to save people in peril of drowning at sea. but also recovering bodies from the sea. it is rendered and they are quite sickening things. it does have an impact mr. speaker for it and the department of veteran affairs is already helping people with ptsd another problems directly linked to the production activities. in the government provides

nearly $2 million annually to support those programs. there is a hidden cost to the people. the people and their families and the people that we put into harms way that carry the burdens the rest of their lives. i want a quote from senator reynolds last night from her direct experience. and she said let me say to everybody here, it won't be the senators in this place who have to recover the bloated courses of babies and women from the sharks. it will be the women on the australian border force who had to do it twice before. it will be the members of the house of representatives who will be accompanying border personnel who years later still wake with night terrors reliving the horrors we knowingly inflicted upon them. i know, those opposite in the government when they change the

protection ruled it was full of good intentions. i don't suggest there was any malice intended. but it sends the wrong message. 50,000 people arrived and 800 boats with 1200 people tragically dying at sea. so speaker, i do hope that we can reconsider the position. reconsider the position we are taking right now. i feel that it's a pet that ends in more trauma and more lives lost and i don't want to see these people placed in harm's way unnecessarily. and again mr. speaker i would like to take this opportunity to advise current and former men and women serving of counseling services 20 for hours a day, seven days a week. >> a major political issue of the last couple of sitting weeks has been for asylum- seekers and there's been an issue of a medical transfer bill to move refugees from property in new guinea to australia for medical treatment. that's front and center in the

parliamentary question. >> my question is for the attorney general. will the attorney general update the house on how the government is supporting a strong justice system for border protection policy? how would other approaches impact australia's ability to scrutinize transfer them for penalty? >> thank you mr. speaker and i think the member for his question. mr. speaker yesterday we noted reporting of a person on minnis island who was charged with four counts of sexual penetration of a minor, against the png summary crimes against children. today went for the house of individual processing has been charged with assaulting a medical officer who has a history of violence and who is also have been charged allegedly with murder in another another country. we have informed the house that the labor laws now have been

refused the transfer of those individuals we have mentioned. but perhaps an even more fundamental problem relates to the type of assessments that allow our agencies to uneart information of that kind. whether it's trying to find someone who hasn't behaved in a previously unlawful way to whether or not they may be a security risk. that is a resource intensive process that takes an enormous amount of time. and another very fundamental difference that has now emerged because of the labor laws rammed through this parliament on tuesday night, is that previously the minister and department of home affairs controlled the timing of medical transfers. they now face the task of assessing up to 1000 cases of people in a timeframe that is effectively determined by a very small group of doctors. and we reasonably believe that we will be forced with a flight of about 300 immediate labor transfer cases. now assisting someone as the minister of

immigration has noted of uncertain origin as to whether or not they have engaged in criminality or whether or not they pose a security risk to australian people is a difficult, resource intensive and process that takes time. and a case in the high court yesterday demonstrated this very clearly. the case of and 47, it was about an individual who arrived in australia in 2010 that had been an unlawful citizen since then. he variously claimed to be a citizen of algeria, spanish canary islands and was stateless and that person used various false patent passports in securing citizenships in israel, gaza. nine years later we still do not know the country of origin of that person. we still don't know that after nine years of investigation. and this house needs to understand as the australian people need to understand how long it is that labor's laws now give aid to assist those 300. those 1000 cases and as to

whether or not they might present a security risk to the australian people and how long is that timeframe, 72 hours? we are staring down, we are staring down the potential to have up to 300 requirements to assist 300 individuals for their potential security risk at once within a 72 hour period because of your changes to the law. >> at the upcoming election, climate change is going to be a big issue particularly in the states were independents are running against members of the government. one of those independents is julian banks a former liberal who defected and now sits on the cross stage. she asked her former colleague about this particular matter. >> mike question as to the minister of health, could the minister explained to the people in my electorate and to the people in his area who are concerned about his role in environmental and climate

change in action as to what he is actually done to address environmental health issues when the medical journal of australia and countless doctors and health professionals state that climate change in action in which he has played a significant role, threatens the lives and health of all australians? >> the minister of health. >> thank you very much mr. speaker and i would like to receive this question. on this topic. and the reason why is because when we came into government we were met with a gap of 750 million pounds to close our 2020 target. we didn't just close that gap. we are now 368 million pounds in surplus. in other words, we have turned around from labor's position, australia the mission in 2020

of 1.1 billion pounds. 1.1 billion pounds. but we also inherited a barrier reef that was on the world heritage in danger watch list. labor put it on and we put it off. labor put it on, and we took it off. [ crowd noise ] >> manager will, >> i simply take the opposition business to the 2012 and 2013 world committee statement which dammed australia's management of the reef on his watch. [ crowd noise ] >> the world heritage committee in 25th teen praised australia as a global role model only two years later. while management of the reit and at this moment they took australia off that watchlist. and that was a real achievement . in addition to that, i

understand a member has supported throughout his entire time in parliament. he has seen australia achieve our 2020 target and scene projects such as dealing with indigenous savanna management where indigenous australians are able to work in their environment to achieve production and have jobs within themselves. as the prime minister said, we are achieving our target. those targets were set by the people on the other side. [ crowd noise ] >> the members will have the point of order. >> mike question went to environmental health of australians. ? yes, it also, it did, and i listen to the question very

carefully to check that it was in order. and i think that the member of the chamber's successfully linked help to environmental issues. but in doing so, she mentioned climate change very broadly. so i feel that i should coach the minister while he is on the subject. [ crowd noise ] >> whether they are meeting their target. the very thing they said to the australian people that they would do, but claims the pledge that they made to the australian people, we said we would make an beat our 2020 target. we are meeting and beating our 2020 target. and these are the targets that were set by the iop. where meeting them and we will achieve our 20 30 target. [ crowd noise ] >> earlier we touched on the middle east. military deployment remains a reality in the defense minister gave an update. >> [ crowd noise ] my question

is to the minister for defense. will the minister update the house on the rollout australian defense force is playing in operations in the middle east? how might a different approach to border security impact on the adf and australia's national security? >> the minister to for defense? >> thank you mr. speaker and i take the minister for his question. one of the things the minister of defense or for that matter the prime minister or leader of the opposition is the opportunity to visit the troops of the australian defense force overseas and operation. and over the summer break and before christmas, i managed to get to afghanistan, the emirates and iraq to visit our troops in basis to talk to them

about the great work they're doing. and every australian, and every member of this house should be very proud of the work that our works are doing overseas. certainly some members of this house have served in the military and we acknowledge their service and we are very proud of them as well. the young men and women and sometimes not so young men and women from those who stayed to maintain aircraft and provide close personal protection and who are providing assisting and afghanistan and in iraq are doing a great job for our country. the government asked them to put themselves in danger and they responded to the call. it has not been without cost as everyone in this house knows, mr. speaker. the role of the adf in operations is a very important one and is one of the things that makes australia an important and good ally to the

united states. the united states knows it can call australia and we will respond and we can respond. so i am proud of those young men and women mr. speaker and i'm sure we all are. i'm also asking people in the room how changing our border security what impact on the work of the adf. it's a good question . as those who have been around the house for long time, remember the adf was pulling dead bodies out of the water in northern australia , rather than serving in operations that the government asked him to undertake. [ crowd noise ] remember that labor took a successful policy and changed it and then we had 50,000 unauthorized arrivals on 800 boats, 1200 deaths at sea, 17 detention centers. that is what a failed border security policy looks like, 2021. and be adf had the very tragic

responsibility in many cases to have to find those dead people and fished them out of the water. and we on the side of the house don't want to return to those days. i'm mystified that the labour party would actually weaken our border security policy and put our servicemen and women of the adf in that position where they might one day have to do the same thing again. it's a shame on the labour party and the shame on those who supported. >> the sitting fortnight finished with a headache the prime minister had particularly on travel procurement of a particular company called helloworld. the prime minister received company a trip he didn't want to purchase and the ambassador to the us with actual optionally caught up in this particular scandal. >> thank you speaker my question is to the prime

minister. today it's been reported that the us ambassador joe hockey had a million-dollar shareholder in helloworld helped a helloworld subsidiary lobby for the embassies travel contract. how could it possibly be appropriate to use its official position as ambassador to help helloworld win a government contract? why did this liberal government only ever look after itself and its mates at the top? [ crowd noise ] >> the prime minister at the top. >> thank you mr. speaker. i advised him to clear his shareholding in helloworld . [ crowd noise ] >> members on my left are interjecting behind the front page may not realized their own front bench here in the answer. >> the prime minister has the call. >> think mr. speaker. the tender process commenced with the august of 2018.

he had no role in the tender prices. he had his business interest in accordance with the guidelines. this is another grubby attempt by the labour party to distract attention from one very simple thing. [ crowd noise ] they know they have made a very big mistake and showing up the weakness of their own leader by forcing him to bow down. >> the opposition is worn once again. >> by forcing the labor leader to back down to then and we can australia's border security arrangement. and they can come in here and they can throw all the mud they like, but one thing will be known once outside the cameron buzzell double is when it comes to border protection you cannot trust labor. and i will tell you why, it's because they have so divided on the issue of border protection. [ crowd noise ] this is why

they failed so badly in government. they could not agree on this issue from one day to the next. and that's why you can't trust labor. thanks so much for your company, we will see you next time. [ applause ] ♪ c-span's washington journal, live every day with news and policy issues that impact you. coming up friday morning, mary ann phelan, of the heritage foundation and the institute for higher education policies michelle cooper will join us to talk about the recent college admissions scandal and its implications to the college admissions process. also, former transportation department inspector general mary scalable will talk about the recent grounding of the boeing 737 max aircraft and the role government and industry play in airline safety. the sure to watch c-span's

washington journal live at 7 eastern friday morning, join the discussion. coming out life right on the c- span network, at noon eastern on c-span from thing hudson is a a discussion about foreign policy with the former national security advice city advisor to vice president biden. and us criminal justice system. light from the brookings institution and tennyson. and at noon a rand corporation report on russia's use of social media to influence us politics. and on c-span 3 at nine:40 5 pm i look at the ballistic missile threats posed by iran and north korea with the foundation for the defense of democracy. and at 1205 education policy analyst at the roadway talk about proposals to make college education free. sunday on q&a. >> tragically i had no expect tatian that we would be sitting here in 2019 talking about this

war in afghanistan. the way it's been escalated, the way it has escalated every year, the countless lives that have just been wasted and the continual suffering. >> a rack that water in and matthew home on his article time for peace in afghanistan and an end to the lies. >> and nine was the same thing i saw in iraq in 04, six, 07. and when i work at the pentagon and state department in between those times. there was no difference in the administrations were both the desire was to win politically or to win for political reasons. everything else was secondary. >> matthew home, sunday night at 8 eastern on c-span's q&a. next, from the 21st annual

national freedom of information conference to talk about the legal concerns with new government surveillance technology such as spatial recognition software and artificial intelligence. calling the panel discussion, representative jimmy gomez talks about the congress is role of technology, this is an hour and 15 minutes. >> my name is lisa rosenberg i'm the executive director of open the government. i was hoping that representative jimmy gomez would be here to set the stage for this amazing panel. he is not here yet because of the congressional boat so i will do my best and we will hear from him when he arrives. i will say one thing i noticed, the reason we were excited to have representative gomez here is because he has personal experience having been misidentified by facial recognition software