Senate debates
Thursday, 10 August 2006
- Petitions (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
The Clerk: A petition has been lodged for presentation as follows:
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Presentation (1 speech)
Senator Bartlett to move on the next day of sitting:That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to remove unnecessary and unjust ministerial discretion relating to assessments of the...
- Business (0 speeches)
- Rearrangement (2 speeches)
I move: That the following government business orders of the day be considered from 12.45 p.m. till not later than 2 p.m. today: No. 8 Trade Practices Amendment...
- 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 Crossin for today, proposing the reference of a matter to the...
- Fuel Prices (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I move:That the Senate—(a)recognises that the global price of oil is likely to continue to rise because of dwindling global supply, ongoing demand including from the rapidly growing...
- Tarkine Wilderness (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I move:That the Senate calls on the Government to assess Tasmania’s Tarkine wilderness with a view to nomination for listing for its World Heritage values, including those related to...
- Fuel Prices (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I move:That the Senate—(a)notes that:(i)record high prices of petrol in Australia are likely to increase due to recent wars in the Middle East, a diminishing number of significant oil...
- Middle East (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
by leave—I move the motion as amended: That the Senate—(a)notes that the details of any ceasefire in the Middle East will be controversial but given the ongoing loss of life any...
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Postponement (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That general business notice of motion No. 483 standing in my name for today, relating to a ceasefire in Lebanon, be postponed until Tuesday, 15 August 2006. Question agreed to.
- Business (0 speeches)
- Rearrangement (1 speech)
At the request of the Minister for Justice and Customs (Senator Ellison), I move:That the following operate as a temporary order until 30 June 2007:If a division is called for on Thursday after...
- Australia-Japan Foundation (Repeal and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2006 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (1 speech)
Bill received from the House of Representatives.
- Second Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The speech read as follows— AUSTRALIA-JAPAN...
- Australian Technical Colleges (Flexibility in Achieving Australia’S Skills Needs) Amendment Bill 2006 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (36 speeches)
Debate resumed from 9 August, on motion by Senator Coonan: That this bill be now read a second time. (Quorum formed)
- Third Reading (3 speeches)
I move: That this bill be now read a third time.
- Business (0 speeches)
- Rearrangement (1 speech)
I move: That intervening business be postponed till after consideration of government business order of the day no. 8 (Trade Practices Amendment (National Access Regime) Bill 2006). Question...
- Trade Practices Amendment (National Access Regime) Bill 2006 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (7 speeches)
Debate resumed from 28 February, on motion by Senator Sandy Macdonald: That this bill be now read a second time.
- Third Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time. Sitting suspended from 1.14 pm to 2.00 pm Sitting suspended from 1.14 pm to 2.00 pm
- Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I table for the information of senators a revised ministry list, reflecting the appointment of the Minister for Human Services, the Hon. Joe Hockey MP, as the Minister Assisting the Minister for...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Telstra (4 speeches)
After that, you would think it was the comedy hour. I have a question for Senator Coonan, the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. I refer the minister to the...
- Employment (8 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Finance and Administration, Senator Minchin. Will the minister inform the Senate of the July labour force figures released today by the Australian Bureau of...
- Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
- (2 speeches)
Order! I draw the attention of honourable senators to the presence in the President’s gallery of a delegation from the Republic of South Africa, led by Mrs Tshivhase MP, Chairman of the...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Broadband Services (11 speeches)
My question is to Senator Coonan, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. Does the minister recall her media release attempting to defend her claim that no-one is...
- Migrant Workers (31 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Senator Vanstone. Will the minister advise the Senate about the benefits of skilled workers to the Australian economy? Is...
- Broadband Services (4 speeches)
My question is to Senator Coonan, the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. Does the minister recall claiming on The 7.30 Report this week: ADSL 2 plus has speeds on...
- Home and Community Care (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Ageing, Senator Santoro. Will the minister outline to the Senate the progress on the renegotiation of the Home and Community Care agreement with the states and...
- Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
- (2 speeches)
Order! I draw the attention of honourable senators to the presence in the President’s gallery of a delegation from Argentina, led by His Excellency Jorge Taiana, Minister for Foreign...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Fuel Prices (4 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Minchin. Given that high petrol prices fuelled the latest interest rate hike, does the government agree that its stubborn...
- Defence: Jezzine Barracks (2 speeches)
My question is to Senator Ian Campbell, the Minister representing the Minister for Defence—and, I guess, vicariously through him, the Parliamentary Secretary for Defence, Senator Sandy...
- Telstra (4 speeches)
My question is to Senator Coonan, the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. Can the minister confirm that two of the 5,000 payphones to be cut by Telstra this year...
- Iraq (4 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Minchin. Is the government aware of the growing opposition in Australia to our continued involvement in the occupation of...
- Telstra (5 speeches)
My question today is to Senator Coonan, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. I again refer the minister to the removal of Telstra payphones at the Wollongong TAFE...
- Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
- Answers to Questions (6 speeches)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by ministers to questions without notice asked today. Yet again we have seen the sheer incompetence and arrogance of this government in...
- Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
- Telecommunications (9 speeches)
The President has received a letter from Senator Conroy proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the Senate for discussion, namely: The Australian Government’s...
- Business (0 speeches)
- Rearrangement (1 speech)
I remind the Senate that the standing orders provide for general business to be called upon at this time. Before I call on general business, is leave granted for documents listed on today’s...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Treaties Committee; Report: Government Response (1 speech)
I present the government’s response to the 65th report of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, tabled on 7 December 2004(3) and 8 February 2005. I seek leave to incorporate the...
- Procedure Committee; Report (1 speech)
I present the first report of 2006 of the Procedure Committee on the proposal to alter the structure of the Senate committee system, together with documents presented to the committee. Ordered...
- Membership (2 speeches)
Order! I have received letters from a party leader seeking variation to the membership of committees.
- Housing and Accommodation Affordability (0 speeches)
- (19 speeches)
I move:That the Senate—(a)condemns the Howard Government for its failure to address the widely acknowledge affordability crisis in Australia’s rental and home ownership markets;...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Auditor-General’S Reports (0 speeches)
- Report No. 38 of 2005-06 (1 speech)
Debate resumed from 9 May, on motion by Senator Mark Bishop: That the Senate take note of the document.
- Report No. 47 of 2005-06 (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the document. Audit report No. 47 of 2005-06 relates to funding of communities and community organisations. The government is progressively casting off...
- Consideration (0 speeches)
The following orders of the day relating to reports of the Auditor-General were considered: Auditor-General—Audit report no. 31 of 2005-06—Performance audit—Roads to Recovery:...
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! It being 8 pm, I propose the question: That the Senate do now adjourn.
- New Queensland Electorate (1 speech)
It is not very often that I rise in this place to express my very strong agreement with the views of the Australian Labor Party. Tonight, however, in a spirit of bipartisanship, I want to express...
- Mining Industry (3 speeches)
As listeners to this program this evening would be well aware, Australia is going through a major mining and resources boom, with us receiving record levels of income for our resources. This is...
- Middle East (1 speech)
One of the most chilling and telling comments I have ever heard came from the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs when he said on ABC radio shortly after Israel launched its air strikes...
- Interest Rates (3 speeches)
I come to this adjournment debate disappointed at the very jaundiced and inaccurate remarks made about a great Australian and generous company, BHP Billiton, by the former union boss and now ALP...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Tabling (0 speeches)
The following documents were tabled by the Clerk: [Legislative instruments are identified by a Federal Register of Legislative Instruments (FRLI) number] Customs Act—Tariff Concession...
