Senate debates
Wednesday, 18 October 2006
- Long Service Leave (Commonwealth Employees) Amendment Bill 2006 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (10 speeches)
Debate resumed from 17 October, 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.
- Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Bill 2006; Corporations Amendment (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations) Bill 2006; Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Consequential, Transitional and Other Measures Bill 2006 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (7 speeches)
Debate resumed from 16 October, on motion by Senator Santoro: That these bills be now read a second time.
- In Committee (15 speeches)
CORPORATIONS (ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER) BILL 2006 Bill—by leave—taken as a whole.
- Third Reading (1 speech)
I move: That these bills be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bills read a third time.
- Child Support Legislation Amendment (Reform of the Child Support Scheme — New Formula and Other Measures) Bill 2006 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (2 speeches)
Debate resumed from 16 October, on motion by Senator Santoro: That this bill be now read a second time.
- Matters of Public Interest (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! It being 12.45 pm, I call on matters of public interest.
- Private Health Insurance (1 speech)
I rise to speak today about private health insurance and an insidious practice that could be costing nearly nine million Australians up to $800 million every year. I refer to fraud and...
- Independent Contracting: Owner-Drivers (1 speech)
I rise this afternoon to speak about independent contractors in the road transport industry, usually known as owner-drivers. Many senators may be aware that over the last few weeks the...
- Water (1 speech)
I would like to talk today about water and coming to terms with our drying environment. We need to come to terms with the fact that we live in the driest inhabited continent on earth, that we are...
- Sedition Laws (1 speech)
On 13 September, the report of the Australian Law Reform Commission on its review of sedition laws was tabled. The report, No. 104, is called Fighting words: a review of sedition laws in...
- Child Abuse (1 speech)
I rise this afternoon to talk about the matter of child abuse and to share with the Senate some of the latest findings on the extent of the problem on a global scale and, importantly, what we can...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Media Ownership (4 speeches)
My question is to Senator Coonan, the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. I refer the minister to reports today that media moguls are positioning themselves to carve...
- Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
- (2 speeches)
Order! I draw the attention of honourable senators to the presence in the President’s gallery of members of the parliament of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Mandisi Mpahlwa, Minister for...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Drought (14 speeches)
My question is directed to Senator Abetz as the Minister representing the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Is the minister aware of allegations by Dr Clive Hamilton of the...
- Aged Care (14 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Ageing, Senator Santoro. Can the minister confirm that in August an agency assessment team found that the Elizabeth House Private Nursing Home failed 30 of the...
- Mental Health (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Ageing, Senator Santoro, in his capacity as the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing. Will the minister outline to the Senate the mental...
- Aged Care (25 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Ageing, Senator Santoro. Is the minister aware that two other facilities operated by the provider at Elizabeth House Private Nursing Home also failed to meet...
- Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
- (2 speeches)
Order! I draw the attention of honourable senators to the presence in the chamber of a parliamentary delegation from Denmark led by Mr Christian Mejdahl, Speaker of the Folketing. On behalf of...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Crime in the Community (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Justice and Customs, Senator Ellison. Will the minister inform the Senate of Australian government initiatives to address the problem of crime in our communities?
- Nuclear Energy (4 speeches)
My question today is addressed to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Minchin. Does the government consider Russia’s record in nuclear facility safety, nuclear waste...
- Immigration (6 speeches)
My question is addressed to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Senator Vanstone. Will the minister inform the Senate of the benefits to Australia of current immigration...
- Military Justice (4 speeches)
My question is to Senator Abetz, the Minister representing the Minister for Defence. Is the minister aware that the High Court has given the green light to a constitutional challenge to the...
- Media Ownership (14 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan. The minister said that she is aware of media and market speculation that the...
- Civil Aviation Safety Authority (5 speeches)
My question is to Senator Abetz representing the Minister for Transport and Regional Services. Does the minister recall asserting on Monday: The new MPL has not been adopted by Australia; it is...
- Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
- Military Justice (1 speech)
Mr President, I have some further information in relation to the question Senator Bishop asked me. Spooky as it is, I was right, Senator Bishop. I am advised that the issues to be tested by the...
- Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
- Answers to Questions (5 speeches)
I move: That the Senate take note of answers given by ministers to questions without notice asked by Opposition senators today. In the contribution I am about to make, I want to deal with the...
- Nuclear Energy (4 speeches)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Finance and Administration (Senator Minchin) to a question without notice asked by Senator Milne today relating to the...
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Presentation (0 speeches)
Senator Mason to move on the next day of sitting:That the time for the presentation of the report of the Finance and Public Administration Committee on the transparency and accountability of...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee; Extension of Time (1 speech)
At the request of Senator Heffernan, I move:That the time for the presentation of the report of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee on Australia’s future oil supply be...
- Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee; Meeting (1 speech)
At the request of Senator Johnston, I move:That the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee be authorised to hold a public meeting during the sitting of the Senate on Monday, 6 November...
- Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts Committee; Meeting (1 speech)
At the request of Senator Eggleston, I move:That the Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts Committee be authorised to hold a public meeting during the sitting of the...
- Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts Committee; Extension of Time (1 speech)
At the request of Senator Eggleston, I move:That the time for the presentation of reports of the Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts Committee be extended as...
- Treaties Committee; Meeting (1 speech)
At the request of Senator Mason, I move:That the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties be authorised to hold private meetings otherwise than in accordance with standing order 33(1) during the...
- 50TH Anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
At the request of Senator Ian Macdonald and Senator Alan Ferguson, I move:That the Senate—(a)commends the people of Hungary as they mark the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian...
- Leave of Absence (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to Senator Bob Brown for 18 October and 19 October 2006, to enable him to receive an international award. Question agreed to.
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Postponement (0 speeches)
The following item of business was postponed: General business notice of motion no. 601 standing in the name of Senator Nettle for today, relating to the conflict in Iraq, postponed till 19...
- Crimes Amendment (Victim Impact Statements) Bill 2006 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (1 speech)
I move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to provide for victims of crime to be heard as part of criminal proceedings, and for related purposes. Question agreed to. I move:...
- 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 and to table an explanatory memorandum relating to the bill. Leave...
- Child Protection (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I, and also on behalf of Senator Heffernan, move:That the Senate—(a)notes the fundamental human rights and protections contained in the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the...
- Global Poverty and the Millenium Development Goals (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
by leave—I move the motion as amended: That the Senate—(a)notes that on 18 November and 19 November 2006, the Treasurer (Mr Costello) will host a meeting of the Group of Twenty (G-20)...
- Siev X (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I move:That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Attorney-General, no later than 11 am on 19 October 2006, the three lists held by the Australian Federal Police which...
- Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
- Skills Shortages (20 speeches)
The President has received a letter from Senator Wong proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the Senate for discussion, namely: The Government’s decade-long...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Scrutiny of Bills Committee; Report (5 speeches)
I present the ninth report of 2006 of the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills. I also lay on the table Scrutiny of Bills Alert Digest No. 12 of 2006, dated 18 October 2006....
- Public Works Committee; Reports (1 speech)
On behalf of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present three reports of the committee: report No. 16 of 2006, Provision of facilities for Project Single LEAP—Phase 1;...
- Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee: Joint; Report (1 speech)
On behalf of Senator Ferguson and the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, I present a report on the committee’s review of the Defence annual report 2004-05 and...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Auditor-General’S Reports (0 speeches)
- Report No. 8 of 2006-07 (3 speeches)
In accordance with the provisions of the Auditor-General Act 1997, I present the following report of the Auditor-General: Report No. 8 of 2006-07: Performance audit: Airservices Australia’s...
- Building Industry Taskforce: Commonwealth Ombudsman Review (1 speech)
I present the report of the Commonwealth Ombudsman on his review of the use of compliance powers by the Building Industry Taskforce for the period 13 January 2005 to 27 March 2006.
- Parliamentary Zone (0 speeches)
- Proposal for Works (1 speech)
In accordance with the provisions of the Parliament Act 1974, I present two proposals for works within the Parliamentary Zone, together with supporting documentation, relating to refurbishment of...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Membership (2 speeches)
The President has received a letter from a party leader seeking to vary the membership of a committee, and letters from senators resigning from the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations...
- Trade Practices Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2005 (0 speeches)
- Consideration of House of Representatives Message (57 speeches)
Message received from the House of Representatives returning the Trade Practices Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2005 and informing the Senate that the House has agreed to amendments Nos (2)...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! It being 6.50 pm, the Senate will proceed to the consideration of government documents.
- Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (2 speeches)
I move: That the Senate take note of the document. The annual report of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs is particularly of interest to me in my shadow portfolio area. This...
- Commonwealth Grants Commission (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the document. I will not speak for my full time. I am fairly sure that in years gone by you have spoken to previous annual reports of the Commonwealth Grants...
- Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs; Commonwealth Ombudsman (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That the Senate take note of the documents. I am taking note of these documents together because they relate to each other. One is a report from the Ombudsman as part of a...
- Office of the Commissioner for Complaints (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the document. The 2005-06 annual report of the Commissioner for Complaints within the Aged Care Division of the Department of Health and Ageing is the last...
- Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Report to Parliament 2005-06 (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the document. The document I want to discuss is ASIO’s annual report to parliament. I want to comment particularly on one section of the report which...
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! It being 7.20 pm, I propose the question: That the Senate do now adjourn.
- Iraq (1 speech)
The role of a democratically elected government is to govern efficiently and effectively and to make decisions based on accurate and relevant information and not necessarily popularity. If...
- (1 speech)
Too often for privileged people like us, the horrors of poverty seem to be a natural, inevitable part of the geopolitical landscape. But poverty is not inevitable. We have the knowledge and the...
- Sir John Monash (1 speech)
Just over 75 years ago, on 8 October 1931, Labor Prime Minister James Scullin rose in the House of Representatives and announced the death of Sir John Monash, Australia’s great wartime...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Tabling (0 speeches)
The following government documents were tabled: Albury-Wodonga Development Corporation—Report for 2005-06. ASC Pty Ltd—Report for 2005-06. Australia Business Arts Foundation...
