Senate debates
Wednesday, 1 March 2006
- Australian Winter Olympic Games Team (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
At the request of Senator Kemp and Senator Lundy, I move:That the Senate—(a)congratulates the Australian Olympic Team for achieving an outstanding result at the Winter Olympics in...
- Broadcasting Services Amendment (Subscription Television Drama and Community Broadcasting Licences) Bill 2006 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (1 speech)
I move: That the following bill be introduced: a Bill for an Act to amend the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, and for other purposes. Question agreed to. I move: That this bill may proceed...
- Second Reading (1 speech)
I table the explanatory memorandum relating to the bill and move: That this bill be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted....
- Offshore Petroleum Bill 2005; Offshore Petroleum (Annual Fees) Bill 2005; Offshore Petroleum (Registration Fees) Bill 2005; Offshore Petroleum (Repeals and Consequential Amendments) Bill 2005; Offshore Petroleum (Royalty) Bill 2005; Offshore Petroleum (Safety Levies) Amendment Bill 2005 (0 speeches)
- In Committee (29 speeches)
Consideration resumed from 28 February. OFFSHORE PETROLEUM BILL 2005
- Third Reading (6 speeches)
I am not going to go back over the argument, but, from an environmental perspective, the Offshore Petroleum Bill 2005 is not just a farce, it is a tragedy. It is a tragedy that this wonderful...
- Jurisdiction of the Federal Magistrates Court Legislation Amendment Bill 2005 [2006] (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (2 speeches)
Debate resumed from 7 December 2005, on motion by Senator Ellison: That this bill be now read a second time.
- In Committee (3 speeches)
Bill—by leave—taken as a whole.
- Third Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time.
- Tax Laws Amendment (2005 Measures No. 6) Bill 2005 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (37 speeches)
Debate resumed from 28 February, on motion by Senator Sandy Macdonald: That this bill be now read a second time. (Quorum formed)
- Matters of Public Interest (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! It being 12.45 pm, I call on matters of public interest.
- Public Sector Accounting Standards (1 speech)
This afternoon I wish to speak about a matter of public importance—that is, public sector specific accounting standards. Last year, the Australian Accounting Standards Board proposed to...
- Sports Betting; Melbourne Commonwealth Games (1 speech)
I also rise to join this discussion on matters of public interest. Recently there has been a great deal of media attention paid to an emerging issue in Victoria: the rights of sports to control...
- Australian Wheat Board (1 speech)
Today I would like to talk about the real cost of the Australian Wheat Board scandal. So far we have been focusing on the dollars, on how the Australian system could have failed, on who should...
- Education: History (1 speech)
One of the really great joys of my life has been a love of history. I often think that, no matter the horrors of politics or the disagreeable days that we all live through, we can all find solace...
- Norfolk Island (1 speech)
On 20 February 2006, the Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads issued a press release entitled ‘New governance arrangements for Norfolk Island’, in which he outlined...
- Australian Citizenship (1 speech)
I would like to speak today on the very important matter of multiculturalism and Australian citizenship. This is a topic that has been spoken about by a number of senior members of the coalition...
- Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
by leave—I wish to inform the Senate that Senator Eric Abetz, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation, will be absent from question time today and tomorrow, 2 March. Senator Abetz...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Aged Care (4 speeches)
My question is to Senator Santoro, the Minister for Ageing. Can the minister confirm that an inspection of the John Cani Estate hostel in Queensland in November 2005 found residents were at...
- Economy (4 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Finance and Administration and Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Minchin. Will the minister inform the Senate of the result of today’s national...
- Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
- (2 speeches)
Order! I draw the attention of honourable senators to the presence in the President’s gallery of a distinguished former minister and senator from the state of Victoria, the Hon. Dame...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Aged Care (4 speeches)
My question is to Senator Santoro, the Minister for Ageing. Can the minister confirm that the Immanuel Gardens Nursing Home has failed to meet care standards for last three years? Can the...
- Family Law (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for the Arts and Sport, Senator Kemp, representing the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Will the minister inform the Senate of the...
- Household Savings (4 speeches)
My question is to Senator Minchin, the Minister representing the Treasurer. I refer to today’s national accounts figures, which show household savings was at negative 3.5 per cent for the...
- Immigration (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Senator Vanstone. Will the minister update the Senate on the considerable progress being made to implement the...
- Oil for Food Program (6 speeches)
My question is to Senator Coonan, representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and relates to the announcement by Mr Downer on 28 March 2003 of a $100 million AusAID package for Iraq, which was...
- Telework (5 speeches)
My question, in conjunction with Senator Hill, is to the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Coonan. Increasingly, the Australian workplace is under pressure...
- Superannuation Guarantee (10 speeches)
My question is to Senator Minchin, representing the Treasurer. I refer the minister to the Treasurer’s announcement of an inquiry into international tax benchmarks and to public comments by...
- Wheat Exports (15 speeches)
My question is to Senator Coonan, the Minister representing the Minister for Trade. Minister, did you see a press release yesterday from the Australian Grain Exporters Association stating that...
- Australia Post (14 speeches)
My question is to Senator Coonan, the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. Is the minister aware of plans by Australia Post to introduce new fees for pensioners and...
- Environment: Conservation of Australian Birds (5 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell. Will the minister inform the Senate how the Howard government is protecting Australia’s rich and...
- Firearms (4 speeches)
My question is to Senator Ellison, the Minister for Justice and Customs. Is the minister aware of instances where gun collectors and enthusiasts in Australia have purchased gun parts from...
- Illicit Drugs (3 speeches)
My question is also to the Minister for Justice and Customs, Senator Ellison. Will the minister update the Senate on the Australian government’s commitment to the fight against illicit...
- Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
- Aged Care (1 speech)
Senator McLucas, in her first question today, asked me a question in relation to the John Cani Estate Aged Hostel in Queensland, and I undertook to seek some information in relation to the...
- Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
- Household Savings (11 speeches)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Finance and Administration (Senator Minchin) to questions without notice asked by Senators Sherry and George Campbell...
- Oil for Food Program (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (Senator Coonan) to a question without notice asked by Senator...
- Petitions (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
The Clerk: Petitions have been lodged for presentation as follows:
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Presentation (0 speeches)
Senator O’Brien to move on the next day of sitting:That the Senate notes that:(a)over a decade in office the Howard Government has established a new low for government integrity and...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Selection of Bills Committee; Report (1 speech)
On behalf of Senator Eggleston, I present the second report for 2006 of the Selection of Bills Committee. Ordered that the report be adopted. I seek leave to have the report incorporated in...
- Leave of Absence (0 speeches)
- (2 speeches)
by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to Senator Stott Despoja for the period 27 February to 1 March 2006, on account of ill health. Question agreed to.
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Postponement (0 speeches)
The following items of business were postponed: Business of the Senate notice of motion no. 1 standing in the name of Senator McLucas for today, proposing the reference of a matter to the...
- Withdrawal (1 speech)
I withdraw business of the Senate notice of motion No. 376 standing in my name for today, relating to the extension of time for the presentation of a report on water policy initiatives.
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Aged Care (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
by leave—I move the motion as amended: That the Senate—(a)notes the recent reports of abuse on residents of aged care nursing homes; and(b)calls on the Government and all state and...
- Nuclear Nonproliferation (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I move:That the Senate—(a)notes:(i)the current speculation about Iran’s capabilities and intentions with regard to its possible development of nuclear weapons,(ii)with deep concern,...
- Separation of Church and State (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I move:That the Senate—(a)notes that:(i)on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Insiders program on Sunday, 26 February 2006, the Treasurer (Mr Costello) said that he thinks...
- Proposed Expansion of the Mcarthur River Mine (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I move:That the Senate—(a)notes:(i)that on 23 February 2006 the Northern Territory Minister for Natural Resources, the Environment and Heritage, Ms Marian Scrymgour, recommended against the...
- Young People and Tobacco (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I move:That the Senate—(a)recognises that:(i)smoking continues to be a major cause of death and disability in Australia,(ii)more than 25 per cent of adolescents aged 12 to 17 in Australia...
- Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
- Aged Care (24 speeches)
The President has received a letter from Senator McLucas proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the Senate for discussion, namely: The need for the Government...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Scrutiny of Bills Committee; Report (1 speech)
On behalf of the chair, I present the first report of 2006 of the Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills. I also present Scrutiny of Bills Alert Digest No. 2 of 2006, dated 1 March 2006....
- Budget (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Auditor-General’S Reports (0 speeches)
- Report No. 31 of 2005-06 (2 speeches)
In accordance with the provisions of the Auditor-General Act 1997, I present the following report of the Auditor-General: Report No. 31 of 2005-06—Performance Audit—Roads to Recovery:...
- Environment Groups: Deductible Status (0 speeches)
- Return to Order (34 speeches)
by leave—This statement is read on behalf of the Minister for the Environment and Heritage. The order arises from a motion moved by Senator Brown as agreed by the Senate on 21 June 2005. It...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Ministers of State Amendment Bill 2005; Telecommunications (Interception) Amendment Bill 2006 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (1 speech)
Bills received from the House of Representatives.
- Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That these bills be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speeches incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The speeches read as follows— MINISTERS OF STATE...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Membership (0 speeches)
Messages received from the House of Representatives notifying the Senate of the appointment of Mr Cadman to the Joint Committee on the Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings in place of Mr...
- Tax Laws Amendment (2005 Measures No. 6) Bill 2005 (0 speeches)
- (0 speeches)
Consideration resumed.
- Third Reading (0 speeches)
Bill passed through its remaining stages without amendment or debate.
- Financial Framework Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2005 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (5 speeches)
Debate resumed from 27 February, on motion by Senator Kemp: That this bill be now read a second time.
- In Committee (8 speeches)
Bill—by leave—taken as a whole.
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Commonwealth Grants Commission (2 speeches)
I move: That the Senate take note of the report by the Commonwealth Grants Commission State revenue sharing relativities2006 update. Over recent weeks we have heard much through the media that...
- Australian Political Exchange Council (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the report. This report is about the Australian Political Exchange Council, which is a valuable organisation whose work needs to be recognised. I will...
- Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the document. There are three documents that are related. The first is a statement by the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Minister...
- Consideration (0 speeches)
The following government documents were considered: Migration Act 1958Section 486O—Assessment of appropriateness of detention arrangements—Report by the Commonwealth...
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! There being no further consideration of government documents, I propose the question: That the Senate do now adjourn.
- Petrol Sniffing (1 speech)
I have the pleasure of landing myself an adjournment speech tonight because of a function involving the vast majority of people in the coalition, as they take into account the privilege they have...
- Migrant Workers (1 speech)
On Wednesday, 8 March I rose in this place to raise a matter of public interest relating to the employment of skilled migrant workers who had been forced to work under quite appalling...
- Howard Government (1 speech)
I rise this evening to make some remarks marking Mr Howard’s 10 years as Prime Minister. Holding the office of Prime Minister for a decade is definitely a noteworthy personal and political...
- Cultural and Religious Tolerance in Australia (1 speech)
Australia is a young and immigrant nation. From our first settlement, through our Federation, to today, we have grappled with the distinctive challenges that has brought—grappled with the...
- Ash Wednesday (1 speech)
I rise in the brief time left to me this evening to express my grave concern about the bash that the government are holding this evening in this place. We start each morning in this place with a...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Tabling (0 speeches)
The following government documents were tabled: Australian Political Exchange Council—Report for 2004-05. Commonwealth Grants Commission—Report—State revenue sharing...
- Departmental and Agency Contracts (0 speeches)
The following documents were tabled pursuant to the order of the Senate of 20 June 2001, as amended: Departmental and agency contracts for 2005—Letters of advice— Education, Science...
