Senate debates
Wednesday, 28 February 2007
- Australian Technical Colleges (Flexibility in Achieving Australia’S Skills Needs) Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2006 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (82 speeches)
Debate resumed from 27 February, on motion by Senator Scullion: That this bill be now read a second time. upon which Senator Carr had moved by way of amendment: At the end of the motion, add...
- Matters of Public Interest (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! It being 12.45 pm, I call on matters of public interest.
- Homeownership (1 speech)
The media has painted a bleak picture for young Australian people seeking to buy their first home. Just a couple of days ago, the residential development council released a survey showing that...
- HMAS Sirius (3 speeches)
I rise in this matters of public interest discussion to make a few comments about a recent report of the Australian National Audit Office relating to the purchase, chartering and modification of...
- Climate Change (1 speech)
I want to speak today on climate change and the great missed opportunity that it represents. The government’s push on nuclear power as the solution to climate change would be laughable if...
- Australian Defence Force (1 speech)
Everybody knows one undeniable fact in this place—that is, there is no-one in the federal opposition that has any knowledge or understanding of defence. There is no-one in the federal...
- Obesity (1 speech)
Australians have a traditional self-image. Wherever we have come from, it is an image of a nation of sports loving, fit and friendly characters reminiscent of Max Dupain’s bronzed Aussies:...
- Indigenous Communities (3 speeches)
I was on Palm Island on Australia Day—which the Indigenous people refer to as Invasion Day. The highlight of the day was a performance by approximately 50 kids who, having been intensively...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Nuclear Energy (4 speeches)
My question without notice is to Senator Minchin, the Minister representing the Prime Minister. Can the minister confirm that the industry department is rushing to complete a paper to go to the...
- Telstra (2 speeches)
I direct my question to the Minister for Finance and Administration and Leader of the Government in the Senate. Will the minister update the Senate on the final stages of the sale of Telstra?...
- Nuclear Energy (12 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Education, Science and Training, Senator Brandis. Is the minister aware of a speech on 11 July 2006 by the director of Australian...
- Information and Communications Technology (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Coonan. Will the minister inform the Senate of the importance of information and communications...
- Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
- (2 speeches)
Order! I draw the attention of honourable senators to the presence in the President’s gallery of a parliamentary delegation from the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, led by the...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Nuclear Energy (10 speeches)
My question is to Senator Abetz, the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources. Is the minister aware of the former environment minister’s proposed national...
- Gynaecological Cancer (7 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Ageing, Senator Santoro, in his capacity representing the Minister for Health and Ageing. In this National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Week, would the minister...
- Smartcard (4 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Human Services. Given that in August last year more than 100 Centrelink employees were sacked or fined or resigned as a consequence of privacy...
- Bushfires (9 speeches)
My question is to Senator Abetz, the Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation. Will the minister update the Senate on the environmental impact of this summer’s bushfires,...
- Water (11 speeches)
My question is to Senator Minchin, the Minister for Finance and Administration. Can the minister confirm that his department was only told about the Prime Minister’s $10 billion water...
- Smartcard (7 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for a Human Services, Senator Ian Campbell.
- Howard Government: Expenditure (4 speeches)
My question is to Senator Minchin, Minister for Finance and Administration. Does the minister recall defending the decision not to take the water package to cabinet at estimates on 12 February,...
- Parliamentary Language (0 speeches)
- (2 speeches)
Order! Yesterday at question time I undertook to consider remarks which were made during answers by Senator Ian Campbell to questions about the smartcard. As a preliminary point, I remind...
- Environment Groups: Deductible Status; Tasmanian Pulp Mill (0 speeches)
- Returns to Order (2 speeches)
I draw the Senate’s attention to orders for production of documents Nos 24, 25 and 27, orders to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage about the Tasmanian pulp mill and to the...
- Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
- Renewable Energy (1 speech)
Yesterday during question time, Senator Milne asked me a supplementary question about solar thermal energy and, in particular, recent reports of the CRC for Coal in Sustainable Development. I...
- Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
- Nuclear Power (19 speeches)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by ministers to questions without notice asked by opposition senators today relating to nuclear power. It is little wonder that the...
- Smartcard (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Human Services (Senator Ian Campbell) to a question without notice asked by Senator Stott Despoja today, relating to the...
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Presentation (0 speeches)
Senator Bartlett to move on the next day of sitting:That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Migration Act 1958 to provide fair access to judicial review of migration...
- 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 Carr for today, proposing the reference of a matter to the...
- International Women’S Day (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
At the request of Senator Nettle, I move:That the Senate:(a)notes that:(i)8 March is International Women’s Day,(ii)International Women’s Day is now an official holiday in Armenia,...
- Comfort Women (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
At the request of Senator Nettle, I move:That the Senate:(a)notes that:(i)the term ‘comfort women’ refers to an estimated 200 000 women who were forced into sexual slavery by the...
- Renewable Energy (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I move:That the Senate:(a)notes the recent polling conducted by the Australian Research Group on community attitudes to climate change solutions which found that:(i)Australians want to embrace...
- MR David Hicks (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
At the request of Senator Nettle, I move:That the Senate calls on the Government to return Mr David Hicks to Australia. Question negatived.
- Salween River Dams (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
At the request of Senator Nettle, I move:That the Senate:(a)notes:(i)that on 28 February 2007 people around the world will participate in an international day of action against the proposed...
- MR Murray Chapman (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I move:That the Senate:(a)notes the sudden death of Mr Murray Chapman in Canberra on 23 February 2007;(b)acknowledges:(i)the contribution of Mr Chapman’s energy, commitment and...
- Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Australian Crime Commission Committee; Report (2 speeches)
I present the report of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australian Crime Commission entitled Inquiry into the manufacture, importation and use of amphetamines and other synthetic drugs...
- Scrutiny of Bills Committee; Report (1 speech)
On behalf of Senator Robert Ray, I present the second report of 2007 of the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills. I also lay on the table Scrutiny of Bills Alert Digest No. 2 of...
- Community Affairs Committee; Report (1 speech)
On behalf of the Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs, Senator Humphries, I present the report of the committee on the provisions of the Private Health Insurance Bill 2006...
- Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee; Reports (3 speeches)
At the request of the Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport, Senator Heffernan, I present the report on the provisions of the Murray-Darling Basin...
- Economics Committee; Hansard Record of Proceedings (12 speeches)
On behalf of the Chair of the Economics Committee, Senator Ronaldson, I present the Hansard record of proceedings on the committee’s inquiry into the Tax Laws Amendment (2006 Measures No....
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Child Protection (2 speeches)
I present a response from the New South Wales Minister for Community Services, Ms Meagher, to a resolution of the Senate of 18 October 2006 concerning child protection.
- Parliamentary Zone (0 speeches)
- Proposal for Works (1 speech)
In accordance with the provisions of the Parliament Act 1974, I present a proposal for works within the Parliamentary Zone, together with supporting documentation, relating to the design and...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Membership (2 speeches)
The President has received letters from party leaders seeking variations to the membership of committees.
- Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2006-2007; Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2006-2007 (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— APPROPRIATION...
- Human Services (Enhanced Service Delivery) Bill 2007 (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— I have great pleasure in...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! It being 6.50 pm, I propose the question: That the Senate do now adjourn.
- Multiculturalism (1 speech)
I am here to discuss one of the most important issues facing Australia in the early 21st century, an issue that gives rise to questions of identity, values and strength of will: the question of...
- Blundstone (1 speech)
I rise to speak on a matter that is of great importance to the people of Tasmania and to all those involved in the textile, clothing and footwear industry in this country. The closure of the...
- Social Disadvantage (1 speech)
I rise to speak tonight on issues of fairness and to share some stories that have been brought to my attention as to how Australia has become less fair in recent times. I also want to reflect on...
- Disaster Victim Identification (1 speech)
I rise this evening to inform the Senate of disaster victim identification processes. I do this as I have been made aware by Senate colleagues over the last 18 months or so, and also by the...
- 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] Civil Aviation Act—Civil Aviation...
- 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 2006—Letters of advice— Communications,...
- Indexed Lists of Files (0 speeches)
The following documents were tabled pursuant to the order of the Senate of 30 May 1996, as amended: Indexed lists of departmental and agency files for the period 1 July to 31 December...
