Senate debates
Monday, 13 August 2007
- Business (0 speeches)
- Rearrangement (2 speeches)
by leave—I move government business notice of motion No. 1 as amended: That:(1)On Monday, 13 August 2007:(a)the hours of meeting shall be 12.30 pm to 6.30 pm and 7.30 pm to...
- Aviation Legislation Amendment (2007 Measures No. 1) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (6 speeches)
Debate resumed from 21 June, on motion by Senator Abetz: That this bill be now read a second time.
- Third Reading (0 speeches)
Bill passed through its remaining stages without amendment or debate.
- Australian Citizenship Amendment (Citizenship Testing) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (3 speeches)
Debate resumed from 8 August, on motion by Senator Johnston: That this bill be now read a second time.
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Interest Rates (9 speeches)
My question is to Senator Minchin, the Minister representing the Prime Minister. Is the minister aware that today’s statement on monetary policy by the Reserve Bank expresses serious...
- Internet Content (2 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Coonan. Properly harnessed, the internet is a wonderful tool to educate, to inform, to communicate...
- Interest Rates (4 speeches)
My question is addressed to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Minchin. Is the minister aware that working families around Australia now spend nearly one dollar out of every...
- Workplace Relations (4 speeches)
My question is addressed to the Leader of the Government in the Senate and Minister for Finance and Administration, Senator Minchin, representing the Prime Minister. Is the minister aware of any...
- Climate Change (7 speeches)
My question is to Senator Minchin, the Minister representing the Prime Minister. Is the minister aware that four government MPs have today stated in the dissenting report of a parliamentary...
- Drought (2 speeches)
My question is to the very distinguished minister representing the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Abetz. Will the minister update the Senate on the current drought...
- Tasmanian Pulp Mill (9 speeches)
My question is to the minister representing the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Senator Abetz, and concerns the proposed Gunns pulp mill for northern Tasmania. I ask: given...
- Defence Force Recruitment (3 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, Senator Ellison. Will the minister update senators on the latest Australian Defence Force recruitment figures? Further, will...
- 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 Republic of Indonesia led by the Hon. Dr Bomer Pasaribu,...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Housing Affordability (9 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Minchin. Is the minister aware of comments by the Prime Minister, in 1995, that ‘owning a home is part and parcel of...
- Iraq (4 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister. Minister, I refer to the fact that 17 of the 38 members of the Iraqi cabinet have now withdrawn—all of the Sunnis and two big...
- Imported Seafood (12 speeches)
My question is to Senator Abetz, representing the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. I refer the minister to recent reports that Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service...
- Australian Literature (12 speeches)
My question is to my distinguished colleague from Queensland Senator Brandis, in his capacity as the Minister representing the Minister for Education, Science and Training. Will the minister...
- Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
- Centrelink (1 speech)
On 9 August Senator Siewert asked me for figures in relation to the number of people that have incurred an eight-week non-payment period since 1 July 2006. I can inform the Senate that between 1...
- Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
- Answers to Questions (7 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 today. Over the last week, and before...
- Tasmanian Pulp Mill (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation, (Senator Abetz), to a question without notice asked by Senator Milne today relating...
- Petitions (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
The Clerk: Petitions have been lodged for presentation as follows:
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Withdrawal (1 speech)
Pursuant to notice given on the last day of sitting on behalf of the Standing Committee on Regulations and Ordinances, I now withdraw business of the Senator notice of motion No. 1 standing in my...
- Presentation (2 speeches)
Following the receipt of a satisfactory response, on behalf of the Standing Committee on Regulations and Ordinances I give notice that on the next day of sitting I shall withdraw business of the...
- Leave of Absence (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to Senator Ludwig for the period 13 August to 14 August 2007 inclusive on account of illness. Question agreed to.
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Australian Crime Commission Committee; Meeting (1 speech)
by leave—At the request of the Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australian Crime Commission, Senator Ian Macdonald, I move: That the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the...
- Business (0 speeches)
- Rearrangement (1 speech)
by leave—At the request of the Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Senator Barnett, I move: That business of the Senate order of the day no. 1,...
- 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 Faulkner for today, proposing the reference of a matter to the...
- Local Government (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
At the request of Senator Boswell, I move:That the Senate—(a)condemns the dictatorial actions of the Beattie Queensland Government in imposing forced amalgamations on Queensland local...
- Yangtze River Dolphin (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I move:That the Senate—(a)notes with regret:(i)news of the extinction of the Yangtze River dolphin, and(ii)that this is the first large vertebrate to be forced to extinction by human...
- Nuclear Nonproliferation (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I move:That the Senate—(a)notes that:(i)the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is an intergovernmental body concerned with reducing nuclear proliferation by controlling the export and...
- Food Labelling (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I move:That the Senate—(a)notes the report by Voiceless, the fund for animals, From Label to Liable: Scams, Scandals and Secrecy—Lifting the veil on animal-derived food product...
- Discrimination Against Same-Sex Couples (0 speeches)
- (2 speeches)
I move:That the Senate—(a)notes that:(i)the acceptance and celebration of diversity, including sexual orientation and gender diversity, is essential for genuine social justice and equality,...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Appropriations and Staffing Committee; Report (1 speech)
I present the annual report for 2006-07 of the Standing Committee on Appropriations and Staffing dated August 2007. Ordered that the report be printed.
- Scrutiny of Bills Committee; Alert Digest (2 speeches)
I present the Scrutiny of Bills Alert Digest No. 9 of 2007, dated 13 August 2007. I seek leave to move a motion in relation to the document. Leave granted. I move: That the Senate take note of...
- Economics Committee; Additional Information (1 speech)
On behalf of the chair of the Economics Committee, Senator Ronaldson, I present additional information received by the committee on its inquiries into the provisions of the Trade Practices...
- Intelligence and Security Committee; Reports (1 speech)
On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, I present two reports of the committee and seek leave to move a motion in relation to the reports. Leave granted. I...
- Delegation Reports (0 speeches)
- Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Protecting Services for Rural and Regional Australia into the Future) 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— Today I am bringing...
- Australian Citizenship Amendment (Citizenship Testing) Bill 2007 (0 speeches)
- Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Welfare Payment Reform) Bill 2007; Northern Territory National Emergency Response Bill 2007; Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (Northern Territory National Emergency Response and Other Measures) Bill 2007; Appropriation (Northern Territory National Emergency Response) Bill (No. 1) 2007-2008; Appropriation (Northern Territory National Emergency Response) Bill (No. 2) 2007-2008 (0 speeches)
- egal and Constitutional Affairs Committee (1 speech)
On behalf of the Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, I present the report on the Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Welfare Payment Reform)...
- Second Reading (30 speeches)
Debate resumed from 8 August, on motion by Senator Scullion: That these bills be now read a second time. upon which Senator Chris Evans moved in respect of the Social Security and Other...
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! It being 10.00 pm, I propose the question: That the Senate do now adjourn.
- Hospitals (6 speeches)
Tonight I want to comment on the Tasmanian Labor government’s administration and specifically to say that, in my view, it is a frightening dress rehearsal of how a Rudd Labor government...
- Aviation: Cabin Air Quality (1 speech)
Earlier today the Senate gave passage to a bill which provides for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to administer a new drug and alcohol testing regime for the aviation industry. CASA appears...
- Private Health Insurance (1 speech)
NIB Health Funds is set to become the first private health insurer in the country to list on the Australian Stock Exchange. It is the first of the traditional mutual or not-for-profit health...
- Iraq (1 speech)
Just over two weeks ago I attended a rally held by the Assyrian Chaldean Syriac community that was protesting against the treatment of Christians in Iraq. At the meeting was the Victorian shadow...
- Workplace Relations (1 speech)
The government is always trying to tell us how much better off workers are under Work Choices, but information coming straight from workplaces across the country is telling a very different...
- Payday Loans (1 speech)
Australia’s consumer credit reliance is an issue of growing concern. The proliferation of credit cards, mortgage brokers and easy credit plans represent the majority of products which...
- Ms Holly Deane-Johns; Retirement: Graham Edwards (1 speech)
Tonight I rise to speak briefly on two different issues, both of which involve my home state of Western Australia. Firstly, I rise to congratulate the state government—more particularly,...
- Australian Labor Party (1 speech)
I rise tonight to talk about a range of things, and one is the incredible transformation of the Labor Left over the last few years. I am not of the Labor Left—I am a conservative—but...
- Battle of Fromelles (1 speech)
Tonight I would like to speak on the discovery of World War I mass graves at Fromelles in northern France. I have addressed this subject on a number of occasions in the past, arising from...
- Drought (3 speeches)
I rise tonight to make a few comments about drought and the economy, but before I do I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge that this is your last evening here in the chamber, Mr...
- Defence Management Review (1 speech)
I seek leave to speak for up to 20 minutes. Leave granted. The release of the report on the Defence Management Review is just one more example of how sneaky the Howard government can be. Many...
- President (4 speeches)
Mr President, it occurs to me that this is the last occasion upon which you will preside over the Senate; when the Senate adjourns in a few minutes time it will be the last time we will see you...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Tabling (0 speeches)
The following documents were tabled by the Clerk: Class Rulings CR 2007/73-CR 2007/76. Defence Act—Determinations under section 58B— 2007/49—Location and higher duties...
