Senate debates
Thursday, 13 March 2008
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Presentation (0 speeches)
Senator Allison to move on the next day of sitting: That the Senate—(a)notes the study published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health (Vol. 31, Issue 6, pp 551-7,...
- Business (0 speeches)
- Rearrangement (3 speeches)
by leave—I move: That—(1)On Monday, 17 March 2008:(a)the hours of meeting shall be 12.30 pm to 6.30 pm and 7.30 pm to 11.40 pm;(b)the routine of business from 7.30 pm shall be...
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Postponement (0 speeches)
The following item of business was postponed: General business notice of motion no. 26 standing in the name of Senator Bartlett for today, proposing the introduction of the National Commissioner...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Superannuation Legislation Amendment (Trustee Board and Other Measures) (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (1 speech)
At the request of the Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law, Senator Sherry, I move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the law relating to superannuation,...
- 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....
- Drink Container Recycling Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (1 speech)
I move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to provide for product control and payment and refund of deposits in relation to certain drink containers in order to protect the...
- 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— Family First is today...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Intelligence and Security Committee; Membership (0 speeches)
Message received from the House of Representatives informing the Senate of the appointment of Mr Bevis, Mr Downer, Mr Dreyfus, Mr Melham and Mr Ruddock to the Parliamentary Joint Committee...
- Screen Australia Bill 2008; National Film and Sound Archive Bill 2008; Screen Australia and the National Film and Sound Archive (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2008 (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— SCREEN AUSTRALIA...
- Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Amendment Bill 2008 (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— The main purpose of this...
- Governor-General’S Speech (0 speeches)
- Address-in-Reply (17 speeches)
Debate resumed from 12 March, on motion by Senator Wortley: That the following address-in-reply be agreed to: To His Excellency the Governor–General MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY–We,...
- Defence Legislation Amendment Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (1 speech)
Bill received from the House of Representatives.
- Second Reading (4 speeches)
I table a revised 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...
- Third Reading (0 speeches)
Bill passed through its remaining stages without amendment or debate.
- Governor-General’S Speech (0 speeches)
- Higher Education Support Amendment (Vet Fee-Help Assistance) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (2 speeches)
Debate resumed from 11 March, on motion by Senator Faulkner: That this bill be now read a second time.
- Third Reading (0 speeches)
Bill passed through its remaining stages without amendment or debate.
- Therapeutic Goods Amendment (Poisons Standard) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (2 speeches)
Debate resumed from 12 March, on motion by Senator Ludwig: That this bill be now read a second time.
- Third Reading (0 speeches)
Bill passed through its remaining stages without amendment or debate.
- Trade Practices Amendment (Access Declarations) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (3 speeches)
Debate resumed from 12 March, on motion by Senator Ludwig: That this bill be now read a second time.
- Third Reading (0 speeches)
Bill passed through its remaining stages without amendment or debate.
- Screen Australia Bill 2008; National Film and Sound Archive Bill 2008; Screen Australia and the National Film and Sound Archive (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (4 speeches)
Debate resumed.
- Third Reading (0 speeches)
Bills passed through their remaining stages without amendment or debate. Sitting suspended from 1.20 pm to 2.00 pm
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Indigenous Communities (8 speeches)
My question is to Senator Evans, the Minister representing the Prime Minister. Yesterday the minister refused to repudiate the disgraceful comments made by Labor Senator Crossin in relation to...
- Dr Mohamed Haneef (13 speeches)
My question is to Senator Ludwig, the Minister representing the Attorney-General. Can the minister inform the Senate what the government is doing to ensure public confidence in Australia’s...
- Economy (7 speeches)
My question is to Senator Conroy, the Minister representing the Treasurer. Can the minister outline for the Senate the challenges confronting the domestic economy? Can the minister advise the...
- Access Card (4 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Human Services, Senator Ludwig. Minister, why from opposition did Labor oppose the coalition’s smartcard yet now supports it, wasting $1.1 billion of...
- Fuel Prices (4 speeches)
My question is to Senator Sherry, the Minister representing the Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs. Minister, petrol prices jumped 15c a litre overnight in Melbourne, Sydney and...
- Cost of Living (4 speeches)
My question is to Senator Conroy, the Minister representing the Treasurer. Can the minister confirm that the March Sensis consumer report, released today, and the March Westpac-Melbourne...
- Economy (9 speeches)
My question is to Senator Evans, the Minister representing the Prime Minister. Can the minister outline to the Senate what the government is doing to manage inflationary pressures on the economy,...
- Bonny Babes Foundation (9 speeches)
My question is to Senator Sherry, the Minister representing the Minister for Finance and Deregulation. Will the minister confirm that the government’s razor gang has scrapped $800,000 of...
- Workers Compensation (4 speeches)
My question is to Senator Wong, the Minister representing the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. Minister, are you aware that there is a lack of consistency in workers compensation...
- Broadband (14 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. I refer to his earlier comments around the high-speed fibre-to-the-node network. The minister...
- Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I seek leave to make a personal explanation in relation to an answer given by Senator Ludwig earlier. Leave not granted.
- Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
- Kangaroo Culling (1 speech)
I have some further information in relation to a question asked of me yesterday by Senator Bob Brown on the planned cull of kangaroos. The following information has been provided to me by the...
- Illicit Drugs (1 speech)
I seek leave to have incorporated some further information in response to a question asked of me by Senator Allison on Tuesday. In doing so, I indicate to Senator Birmingham that, in accordance...
- 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 ministers to questions without notice asked today. I particularly want to take note of two answers given by Senator Ludwig on behalf of...
- Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
- (3 speeches)
I seek leave to make a personal explanation in relation to comments made by Senator Ludwig and Senator Mark Bishop. Leave granted. During question time Senator Ludwig used comments made by me...
- Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
- Wheat Marketing Export Legislation (1 speech)
On behalf of the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Mr Burke, I table a statement on the Wheat Export Marketing Bill 2008 and I seek leave to incorporate the statement in Hansard....
- Tax Laws Amendment (Personal Income Tax Reduction) Bill 2008 (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— The amendments contained...
- Budget 2008-09 (0 speeches)
- (59 speeches)
I move: That the Senate:(a)notes:(i)the concern of Australians given the impending budget cuts proposed by Labor’s razor gang;(ii)that Labor is showing with its backflips and ill-conceived...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! It being 6 pm, the Senate will proceed to the consideration of government documents.
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (10 speeches)
Debate resumed from 14 February on motion by Senator Nash: That the Senate take note of the document.
- Consideration (0 speeches)
The following orders of the day relating to committee reports and government responses were considered: Economics—Standing Committee—Interim report—Australian Securities and...
- Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
- (8 speeches)
I seek leave to make a very short statement, having been misrepresented in this chamber. I would like to correct the record.
- Auditor-General’S Reports (0 speeches)
- Report No. 10 of 2007-08 (3 speeches)
I move: That the Senate take note of the document. This report is the Auditor-General’s Performance audit: whole of government Indigenous service delivery arrangements, which was handed...
- Consideration (0 speeches)
The following orders of the day relating to reports of the Auditor-General were considered: Auditor-General—Audit report no. 26 of 2007-08—Performance audit—Tasmanian forest...
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! There being no further consideration of committee reports, government responses and Auditor-General’s reports, I propose the question: That the Senate do now adjourn.
- Australian Political Parties for Democracy (1 speech)
Tonight I wish to provide to the Senate a report on Labor’s Australian Political Parties for Democracy, APPD, work. Over the past two years my colleague Senator John Faulkner has reported...
- Wheat (3 speeches)
I rise tonight to respond to the ministerial statement on wheat. The statement was laid down this afternoon and it is an attempted defence of deregulation which has obviously been cobbled...
- International Women’s Day (1 speech)
Tonight I would like, somewhat belatedly, to acknowledge International Women’s Day, which occurred on 8 March 2008, as you would be aware. The celebrations this year, I believe, were...
- Pollie Pedal (1 speech)
I stand tonight to pay tribute to Diabetes Tasmania and in particular to highlight the wonderful success of the Tasmanian Pollie Pedal for 2008. The Pollie Pedal in Tasmania has been held since...
- Bonnie Babes Foundation (1 speech)
I want to take the opportunity to briefly rebut the comments from Senator Boyce as I was in the chamber when she spoke on the adjournment this evening. Senator Boyce alleged that the razor gang...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Indexed Lists of Files (0 speeches)
The following document was 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...
- Return to Order (0 speeches)
The following document was tabled pursuant to the order of the Senate of 25 March 1999, as amended on 18 September 2002: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission—Report to the...
- Tabling (0 speeches)
The following documents were tabled by the Clerk: [Legislative instruments are identified by a Federal Register of Legislative Instruments (FRLI) number] Financial Sector (Collection of Data)...
- Departmental and Agency Contracts (0 speeches)
The following document was tabled pursuant to the order of the Senate of 20 June 2001, as amended: Departmental and agency contracts for 2007—Letter of advice—Health and Ageing...
