1961. he garnered massive approval from the public, winning two landslide elections. his average approval rating when he was president for eight years, 65%. average. and the next closest to that was afterlinton, at 55%, and that ronald reagan at 53%, way in the rearview mirror. >> watch american history tv this weekend on c-span3. >> now a look at recent debates in australia's parliament, including discussions about china's foreign policy, australian military operations in the south pacific, and climate change. this runs 35 minutes. >> thanks for your company. >> the big focus in canberra

recently has been the presence of china in the region, and increasing assertiveness in the region, particularly in the pacific, one of the questions asked of the foreign minister maurice payne. president.u, mr. my question is to the minister for foreign affairs. before i ask my question, i will note that we had a number of delegations the last few days from our dear northern neighbors. outlining progress made to enhance our gate in the pacific and how the efforts make australia and the region safer and more secure. >> thank you very much, mr. president. the government has been clear and recognizing that a stable, secure and prosperous region benefits us all. we know that are specific neighbors are family.

that's why we've announce announcements that are becoming a reality. last month, the prime minister became the first australian prime minister to visit since 2006. affirming their role in regional leadership. if they were elevating our relationship through the partnership, which would be wrought -- broad ranging and week i wasve, last privileged to visit the solomon and vannevar too. i met leaders there to discuss andress in partnerships there are two important new initiatives.

including regional security for brazilians. as the prime minister said, we are increasing our engagement because this is our home. this government has a for ournsive plan engagement in the pacific and we are delivering, working closely with the assistant editor and prime minister, we're delivering. >> a supplementary question. tohow is australia helping increase the security, prosperity, and stability of the pacific? president.u, mr. where stepping up to enhance cooperation to create a safer and more secure region.

again guarded by the declaration on regional security. we are working together to address the unique security interests including those from humanal challenges, both and other security issues. we know that a strong and stable rate and keeps us more secure and enables our economies to grow and our people to prosper. we have begun the redevelopment of the peacekeeping facility with prime minister morrison and the foreign minister. buildworking to capability and improve infrastructure for the mobile maritime wing and will support training and development opportunities there. in addition [indiscernible] >> a final supplementary question. how else is australia building are crucial people to

inks to create a more stable and secure region? we know our bonds in the pacific are found in our people to people links. that's why we are investing in a number of projects to strengthen those common bonds, including particularly in sport. people, communities, and countries together. i was just discussing this with the finance minister this morning. he opened the for an last year which was the stuff of legend. we have preparations underway for a children's tour of the pacific this year. support for a fiji team in the so much effort in

that area. lecture time has expired. >> the threat of terrorism is medleys --and the from the middle east. revoking citizenship remains an issue. >> my question is to the minister representing the minister for home affairs. i ask as someone who cares and is concerned for the safety and security of australian citizens. what this will do for friends and family and our communities that we represent. why is it important to have strong laws and place that make it easier for those guilty of terrorism offenses to lose their australian citizenship? >> thank you, mr. president.

it is a very important question. the liberal national government's top priority is to keep australia's 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 will know that the government has introduced legislation to strengthen citizenship law provisions for dual nationals who have demonstrated repudiation of their allegiance to australia. this helps to achieve to ames. to keep australians -- it helps to achieve two aims. to protect the australian citizenship and the privileges that attach to it. the government changes removes the requirement for person to be sentenced to least six years imprisonment if they have committed a relevant terrorism

offense, to be eligible to lose their australian citizenship. is a conviction for a terrorism offense is all that will be required and the loss will apply to any terrorist convicted after the 12th of december, 2005. our legislation also provides the minister must be satisfied that the person will not become -- if there australian citizenship ceases. 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 isis. these are people who have plotted to inflict untold harm on innocent australian children and families in our cities and in our suburbs. mr. president, i would hope that all citizens would work together to support the important changes

that the of strain government has put forward. broadly tourity more security in the home, the prime minister began the year talking about the need to boost services to counter domestic violence. it was also an issue that was raised in the parliament to the relevant minister, paul fletcher. >> will the minister update the health and have the government is keeping a strain safe and secure by combating violence against women and keeping will -- women and children safe in their homes. there alternative outcomes that would not have the same outcomes to vulnerable women and children? >> i do think the member saw his question has been a strong champion on the need for appropriate support for women and children facing the threat of domestic violence. in hised closely electorate and through that experience he is acutely aware

of the shortage of emergency accommodations for women escaping domestic violence. as indeed and live from my involvement with the women's shelter in my electric. shocking, mr. speaker. eight women are hospitalized every day in australia due to domestic violence. when a woman means to leave her home because of the threat of domestic violence, very often she has virtually no time to prepare. she may very well be jumping in the car would just the close on her back and the kids in the car as well. then the question is, where does she go? there is a shortage of emergency accommodations, which is why the prime minister's announcement on monday was so important. the prime minister committed that there would be $16 million provided over three years to provide capital grounds to eligible organizations to provide new or expanded

emergency accommodations facilities. threat program will urge contributions from other levels of government and for private and philanthropic sources and is estimated to create some 450 additional places in some 6500 people a year who are likely to be able to find refuge in this emergency accommodation. this funding of $78 million on top of the additional funding we have committed, for example, $10.9 million in november last year, this funding is possible because of our strong management. when we make this commitment, mr. speaker, we know we can pay for it. i'm ask if there any other approaches, and i will tell you, mr. speaker, [indiscernible] stand up in a few weeks time and announce a surplus, the people

of australia can be confident that surplus will be delivered. and that's a very stark contrast promised a surplus with -- which they promised to deliver not once but four times, mr. speaker. a strong budget is absolutely critical to be able to deliver the services that are strange rely upon. services like emergency accommodations for domestic violence. services,cross social our government, can be relied upon to maintain a strong budget, a strong economy, and therefore to be able to dependably find the services that australians rely on. >> just a few months out from the federal election and labor has been fielding pressure on the government on a range of issues. fortnight it has been on disability care, labor has pushed for and won a vote in the

parliament for disabilities royal commission. >> to leader of the opposition. 2017, there's a call last two years and if yours ago in the senate, and -- given ongoing and recent shocking reports, will the prime minister finally join with labor to support a row commission to adjust radians with disability and the love going have been calling for for the last two years? >> thank you, mr. speaker. a government takes abuse and neglect of people with disabilities very seriously and were engaging in substantial reform to improve the treatment of people with disabilities. many of him will be eligible for the national disability insurance.

there are multiple inquiries looking into issues of abuse and neglect of people would disability in the federal and state levels. the national disability insurance, which i'm pleased to knowledge was initiated by the former prime minister and supported by members of the side of the house, and has been supported by us as we of been in government, as we have fully funded this initiative, and we have taking it to the implementation phase, this is most significant social reform since medicare and will provide real choice and control for people with people -- in the services they receive. it shifts from states and territories to national system come the governor has established new safeguards to prevent abuse for people with disabilities. the governor has committed $209 million to establish the commission which commenced operation on the first of july,

2018 continues to provide the national disabilities abused and neglect hotline. these resources deliver the production people with disabilities deserve. the commission to investigate the quality of let -- quality of care and safety providing residential and home-based servicesincludes how to people with disabilities residing in age care facilities, including our people, and complement the action the government has artie taken to improve the treatment of people with disability, particularly young people living with disability. the initiatives were putting in place support accommodations for young people with disabilities as championed by organizations and we are backing that trade the truth is, the national disability insurance scheme is an early phase of implementation is responsibilities are transferred, it seemed to be practice and put into place.

we will always remain open to what more can be done to identify any regis issues or lack of care or support provided to people with disabilities in this country. by now, focuses on implementing a national disability insurance scheme. getting it right is a difficult job and it has not been a perfect importation, or it was never a perfect inauguration when it first came into being. but one thing is true, i believe it has always enjoyed the bipartisan support in this chamber and beyond the major parties to the other party, an independent in this chamber. i would like for us to continue to operate in that they. lastreality over the decade is seeing australian military deployment to the release, therefore a response to return serviceman has been an ongoing issue. the minister for defense personnel was asked about the government is doing to provide sufficient services.

>> thank you, mr. speaker. a question is to the minister of defense personnel. will the minister update the house on the measures taken by the government to reduce exposure of our personnel associated with for a protection associations, what assistance are we providing to those who have exposed to trauma as a result of deployment on border protection operations? >> the administer of defense personnel. i thank you for the work he does to support veterans. it is often said that there is no greater service to our nation than two put on the uniform of our navy, army, or air force, and to be willing to place yourself in harm's way to help those who cannot necessarily help themselves. escaping wartime or

missions, including afghanistan and iraq. personnel can also be placed in harm's way much closer to home. personnel have been deployed to protect our borders and they can , oftensed to dangers votes have been sabotaged. there also deployed on search and rescue missing -- missions, hoping to save people in peril of drowning ansi grade all too often, recovering bodies from the sea. ,t is traumatic, horrendous never quite sickening scenes. it does have an impact, mr. speaker. ptsd and other claims are directed to the service on board a protection activities. the government provides that provides of 200 me dollars annually to support those.

there is a hidden cost and it is how personnel and their families , the people were put in harms way you carry these burdens the rest of their lives. i want to quote from senator reynolds last night from his direct experience. she said, let me say -- say to everybody here, it won't be those here who had to recover the bloated corpses of babies and women from sharks. is those who had to do it twice before. it won't be the members of the house of representatives who years later still wake with night terrors, reliving the horrors we knowingly inflicted on them. she speaks of her direct military experience. it was full of good intentions. i don't suggest there was any

malice intended. but the outcome was terrific. 50,000 people arrived in 800 votes with 1200 tragically dying at sea. reconsider right now. in moreath that ends trauma and more lives lost and i don't want to see personnel placed in harms way unnecessarily. i would like to take the opportunity to advise current and former many women of counseling service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. >> the major political issue of the last couple of sitting weeks has been on asylum seekers the issue of medical transfer peel to move refugees from haploid new guinea to australia for medical treatment. it was front and center in

question time. >> my question is to the attorney general. will the attorney general update the house on how the government has stronger border protection policy? how would other approaches impact of strega's ability to scrutinize the transference for criminal justice and national security purposes? you, mr. speaker. i think the member for his question. yesterday we noted reporting of a person who is charged with four counts of sexual penetration of a minor, and today we've informed house of an individual currently in processing husband been charged with assaulting a medical officer who has a history of violence and who is also alleged to have been charged with murder in another country. we have informed the house that the labor laws now been the minister has no discretion to refuse to transfer of individuals such as those two we have mentioned.

perhaps an even more fundamental problem relates to the types of assessments that actually allow our agencies to unearth information of that kind. weather is trying to find what someone hasn't behaved in a -- has behaved in a -- in an unlawful way or if they maybe a security risk, that is a process it takes an enormous amount of time. another fundamental difference that has emerged because of the labor laws rammed through this parliament on tuesday night is a previously minister and the department of home affairs controlled timing of medical transfers. they now face the task of assessing up to 1000 cases of people in a timeframe that is effectively determine by very small group of doctors. we reasonably believe that we will be faced with the flood of about 300 immediate labor transfer cases. as theng someone minister of immigration has noted of uncertain origin as to

whether or not they have engage in criminality whether or not they pose a security risk to go straight people is difficult, resource intensive process that takes time. in the case of the high court yesterday, it demonstrated this very clearly. it was about an individual who arrived in australia in 2010, that had been in unlawful citizen since then. they variously claimed to be a citizen of several places. that person used various false passports decaying citizenship of israel, iraq. nine years later, we still do not know the country of origin of that person. we still don't know that after nine years worth of investigation. this house needs to understand as the australian people need to understand how long it is that aid to laws now give assist those 300. those 1000 cases, 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 the potential to have of to 300 requirements to assist 300 individuals to their potential security risk at once within 72 hours because of your changes to the law. the upcoming election, climate change will be a big issue, particularly in states where independents are running against makers of the government. one of those is julia banks, a former liberal who has defected and now sits on the cross bench. she asked her former -- or former colleague about this particular matter. >> could the minister a flame to the people who are concerned on climate change

inaction as to what he is excellent done to address environmental health issues when the medical journal of australia and countless doctors and health professionals state that climate isnge in action, in which he played a significant role, threatens the lives and health of all australians. >> the minister for help. >> thank you very much, mr. speaker. >> the reason why is because when we came into government, we were left with a gap of 750 pounds to close our 2020 target. we didn't just clues -- close that gap, we are 368 million tons in surplus. in other words, we had turned around from labor's position, australia's emissions profile

2020 by 1.1 billion pounds. inherited a barrier reef that was on the world heritage endangered watchlist. labor put it on, and we took it off. >> i simply take the leader of 2013ition to the 2012 and world heritage committee blamed it on his watch. but the world heritage committee as a15 praised australia global role model, only two years later. at that moment they took australia off that watchlist. that was really achievement.

>> in addition to that -- i understand the member has supported throughout her time in parliament, the fund has seen australia achieve our 2020 asget and seen projects such indigenous savanna management, where indigenous australians are able to work in their environment, to achieve emissions reductions, they have jobs for themselves, and to achieve our targets. , thee prime minister said targets were set by the people on the other side. >> question of relevance, mr. speaker. my question went to environmental health of australians. listened as hei got to the question carefully to

ensure it was in order. i think the member successfully linked health to environmental issues. in doing so, she mentioned climate change very broadly, so i feel i should be curtailing the minister while he is on both subjects. whether one is meeting their targets. the very thing i said to the australian people that they would do, the pledges they may to the australian people, we said we would meet and beat our 20 target. we are meeting and beating our 20 targets and these other targets that were set by the iop. we are meeting them, we are beating them, and we will achieve our 2030 target. >> earlier we touched on returns of service and from the middle east. military deployment remains a reality and the defense minister christopher pine gave an update.

>> my question is to the minister for defense. will the minister update the house on the rollout australian defense forces play in operations in the middle east? how might a different approach to border security impact, on australia's national security? >> thank you, mr. speaker. for histhe minister question. why the privileges of being the minister for defense or for that matter, prime minister our leader of the opposition, is the opportunity to visit the troops of the australian defense force overseas in operations. on summer break and before christmas, i managed to get to afghanistan, the emirates, and iraq, to visit our troops in basis to talk about the great

work they are doing. every australian should be proud of the work they are doing overseas in operations. knowledge their service and we are proud of them as well. the young men and women and sometimes not so young men and women through to those who provide close personal protection, who are dicing or assisting in afghanistan and iraq, 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 the house knows, mr. speaker. veryole in operations is a important one and is one of the things that makes australia an important and good allied to the united states. the u.s. knows it can call on australia and we will respond, and we can respond.

so i'm proud of those young men and women and i'm sure we all are. how changing our border security will impact on the adf.tions of that is a good question, because those who have been around the house for a long time remember the adak borders mean was pulling dead bodies out of the water in northern australia. >> those of us who remember that labor to a successful policy and changed it, and then we had 50,000 arrivals on 800 boats, , 17 detention sea centers. that is what a failed border security policy looks like, mr. speaker. the adf had the tragic

responsibility in many cases for having to find those dead people and fish them out of the water. i am mystified that the labour actually we our border security policy and put our servicemen and women in that position where they might one day have to do the same thing again. it is a shame on the labour party and a shame on those who support it. >> it finish with a headache for the prime minister on travel procurement of a particular company called helen world. one to pay minister for them, the company didn't purchase credit card, and the was also caught up in this particular scandal. you, speaker. my question is to the prime minister. today has been reported that the

helped a hello world subsidiary lobby for the embassies travel contract. how could it possibly be appropriate to use his official position as ambassador to help hello world when a government contract. prices liberal government only ever look after itself and its mates at the top end of town? >> thank you, mr. speaker. >> members on my left will cease interjecting. i think those interjecting behind the front bench may not realize they are preventing group from hearing the answer and me hearing the answer. >> thank you, mr. speaker. thoseocess commences with

in 2018. he has declared his business interests in accordance with the guidelines. it is just another attempt at the labour party to distract attention for one very simple thing. they know that made a very big mistake in showing up -- shows off the weakness of their own leader of forcing him to -- you are warned. >> to weaken australia's order security arrangement. i can come in here and throw all of them out that i like, but one thing will known, when it comes you cannotrotection, trust later. i will take you why. it's because they are so divided on the issue of border protection. this is why they failed so badly

in government. they could not agree on this issue. that's why you cannot trust labor. >> thanks for your company. we will see you next time. >> here's some of what we are covering thursday. live coverage of the house at 10:00 eastern as they continue to debate on finance rules. considers, the senate the nomination of earl murphy to the court. c-span3, ags on subcommittee hearing on venezuela and at 1:30 p.m., supreme court justices testify on the annual supreme court budget. the war in the pacific, a

cure for measles, and the life and legacy of eisenhower, this weekend on american history tv, saturday at 1 p.m. eastern, first major's offensive. thet came to symbolize manhood of the generation to fight the war. >> with a rash of outbreaks of measles, a look back at the 1964 film on the history of measles and the development of the vaccine. >> the monkeys that were not vaccinated developed measles. the ones given the experiment showed no signs of measles. they have developed protective antibodies. the doctors know they have developed a vaccine that will provide protection against measles. eastern, night at 8:00

william hitchcock on the age of eisenhower. >> he was the most popular, the most respected, admired man of that. 1945-1961. he garnered massive approval from the public. his average approval rating while president for eight years was 65%, average. the next president who comes closest to that was bill clinton at 55%, after that, ronald reagan. >> watch american history tv this weekend on c-span3. >> c-span, where history unfolds daily. 1979, c-span was created by

american public cable companies. we bring you coverage of congress, the white house, the supreme court and public policy events around the country. c-span is brought to you by your cable or satellite provider. the homeland security secretary talked about border security yesterday. members questioned her about the president's use of an emergency declaration to fund a border construction.