Senate debates
Wednesday, 3 December 2008
- Auditor-General Amendment Bill 2008; Corporations Amendment (No. 1) Bill 2008; Migration Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2008; Therapeutic Goods Amendment (Medical Devices and Other Measures) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (1 speech)
At the request of the Special Minister of State, Senator Faulkner, the Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law, Senator Sherry, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Evans,...
- Second Reading (1 speech)
I table the explanatory memoranda relating to the bills, and I move: That these bills be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speeches incorporated in Hansard. Leave...
- Business (0 speeches)
- Consideration of Legislation (2 speeches)
I move: I move government business notice of motion No. 5: (1) That the provisions of paragraphs (5) to (8) of standing order 111 not apply to the following bills, allowing them to be considered...
- Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Digital Television Switch-over) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (10 speeches)
Debate resumed from 24 September, on motion by Senator Ludwig: That this bill be now read a second time.
- In Committee (28 speeches)
Bill—by leave—taken as a whole.
- Third Reading (1 speech)
I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time.
- Interstate Road Transport Charge Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2008; Road Charges Legislation Repeal and Amendment Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (15 speeches)
Debate resumed from 10 November, on motion by Senator Sherry: That these bills be now read a second time.
- In Committee (3 speeches)
These bills impose taxation and, therefore, all amendments must be moved in the form of requests. INTERSTATE ROAD TRANSPORT CHARGE AMENDMENT BILL (No. 2) 2008 Bill—by...
- Matters of Public Interest (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! It being 12.45 pm, I call on matters of public interest. I understand that informal arrangements have been made to allocate specific times to each of the opposition speakers in...
- Workplace Health and Safety (1 speech)
I rise on a matter of public interest—the need for ongoing vigilance in relation to workplace health and safety within Australia. As we come to the end of the parliamentary year and we look...
- Disability Services (1 speech)
Today is the International Day of People with Disability, and I rise to talk about some of the challenges and opportunities faced by people with a disability. It is a particularly pertinent topic...
- Radioactive Waste (1 speech)
I rise this afternoon to speak about the issue of Australia’s radioactive waste. The Senate Standing Committee on Environment, Communications and the Arts has spent the last few weeks...
- Gunns Ltd (1 speech)
I thank the Senate for allowing me to have these few minutes. This week Gunns Ltd pleaded guilty in a Tasmanian court to the offence of failing to maintain a plant in a safe condition—a...
- International Day of People with Disability (2 speeches)
I rise to commend to the parliament a very special observation today, that of the International Day of People with Disability. This year’s theme is ‘Convention on the Rights of...
- Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (1 speech)
We have just heard a wonderful speech from a wonderful senator. I am sure that the Senate will be the poorer for Senator Ellison’s retirement, and I hope that I will have the opportunity to...
- Health Forum (3 speeches)
In the few moments prior to question time I will take the opportunity to highlight the merits of the health forum recently held in Launceston on the issues of public hospitals, rural health and...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Emissions Trading Scheme (12 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Wong. I refer the minister to the publicly stated concerns about the flawed design of the government’s emissions trading...
- Economy (6 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Conroy. Can the minister update the Senate on the national accounts released today?
- Automotive Industry (8 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Conroy. Given that the deadline for the withdrawal of finance from car dealers is less than a month away, when will the...
- Men's Health Ambassadors (9 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Ludwig. The Minister for Health and Ageing recently appointed Mr Barry Williams of the Lone Fathers...
- Internet Filtering (9 speeches, 2 comments)
My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. I refer to the minister’s call for expressions of interest by 8 December to conduct...
- Economy (9 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law, Senator Sherry. As the economic circumstances we face are a once-in-a-generation challenge and have been described as the...
- 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 the Republic of Iraq, led by the First Deputy Speaker of the Council of...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Human Services (14 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Human Services, Senator Ludwig. With an increase of more than eight per cent in complaints about Centrelink’s service, will the government now accept that...
- GROCERYchoice (6 speeches, 2 comments)
My question is to Senator Conroy in his capacity as Minister representing the Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs and relates to the GROCERYchoice website. At its launch in...
- Water (20 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Senator Wong. Will the minister heed the calls of the local community to reconsider the...
- MR Marat Aminov (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
by leave—I want to report to senators on an incident earlier today in which Mr Marat Aminov attempted self-harm by trying to set fire to himself outside Parliament House. Security staff...
- Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
- Whaling (1 speech)
On Thursday, 13 November I took a number of questions on notice from Senator Siewert in relation to Japan’s whaling program and undertook to seek additional information from the Minister...
- Oceania Nautica (1 speech)
I was also asked yesterday, in my capacity as the Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs, a question by Senator Trood in relation to an inter-agency assessment of the piracy...
- Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
- Emissions Trading Scheme (10 speeches)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Climate Change and Water (Senator Wong) to questions without notice asked by Senators Cash and Colbeck today relating to...
- Men’s Health Ambassadors (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Human Services (Senator Ludwig) to a question without notice asked by Senator Siewert today relating to men’s...
- Condolences (0 speeches)
- Hon. Frank Crean (6 speeches)
It is with deep regret that I inform the Senate of the death on 2 December 2008 of the Hon. Francis Daniel Crean, a former minister and member of the House of Representatives for the division of...
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Presentation (1 speech)
Senator Barnett to move on the next day of sitting:That the following matter be referred to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee for inquiry and report by 25 June 2009:...
- 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 Siewert for today, proposing a reference to the Environment,...
- Child Labour (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I move:That the Senate—(a)notes the valuable work of World Vision’s youth movement, Vision Generation, in actively educating and empowering young Australian students to take action in...
- Water Amendment (Saving the Goulburn and Murray Rivers) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (1 speech)
I move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Water Act 2007 to save the Goulburn and Murray Rivers, and for related purposes. Question agreed to. I present 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— WATER AMENDMENT (SAVING...
- Elucidation of Section 86a of the Water Act 2007 (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 315 standing in my name for today before asking that it be taken as formal. Leave granted. I move the motion, as amended:That there be...
- Contingency Plan for the Provision of Childcare (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I move:That the Senate—(a)notes:(i)the recent announcement by receiver McGrathNicol that 386 of the ABC Learning’s 1042 centres are ‘subject to further operational...
- The Government's Economic Strategy (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
At the request of Senator McGauran, I move:That the Senate—(a)notes and commends the honesty of the Deputy Prime Minister (Ms Gillard) for saying on ABC TV Breakfast on 7 November...
- Environment (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I move:That the Senate notes that Australia’s native forests and woodlands are a vital carbon bank and biodiversity habitat which should be conserved. Question put:
- National Disability Policy (0 speeches)
- (2 speeches)
I move:That the Senate—(a)notes that:(i)Wednesday, 3 December 2008 is International Day of People with Disability,(ii)the theme for 2008 is the Convention on the Rights of Persons with...
- Senate Temporary Orders (0 speeches)
- (3 speeches)
At the request of Senator Ludwig, I move:That the following operate as temporary orders from the first sitting day in 2009 until the conclusion of the 2009 sittings:(1)Adjournment debate on...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Scrutiny of Bills Committee; Alert Digest (1 speech)
As Chair of the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills, I lay on the table Scrutiny of Bills Alert Digest No. 14 of 2008, dated 3 December 2008, and move: That the Senate take note...
- Senators’ Interests Committee; Documents (1 speech)
On behalf of the Senate Standing Committee of Senators’ Interests, I present the following registers for the period 24 September to 1 December 2008:(a)gifts to the Senate and the...
- Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Auditor-General’S Reports (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
In accordance with the provisions of the Auditor-General Act 1997, I present a report by KPMG on the Australian National Audit Office: Human resource management: Performance audit.
- Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (Further 2008 Budget and Other Measures) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- Nation-Building Funds Bill 2008; Nation-Building Funds (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2008; Coag Reform Fund Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (1 speech)
Bills received from the House of Representatives.
- Second Reading (1 speech)
I table a revised explanatory memorandum relating to the COAG Reform Fund Bill 2008 and move: That these bills be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speeches...
- Schools Assistance Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- Consideration of House of Representatives Message (0 speeches)
Message received from the House of Representatives returning the Schools Assistance Bill 2008, informing the Senate that the House has agreed to amendment Nos (1), (2), (3), (5), (6), (7), (8)...
- Appropriation (Economic Security Strategy) Bill (No. 1) 2008-2009; Appropriation (Economic Security Strategy) Bill (No. 2) 2008-2009; Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Economic Security Strategy) Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- Assent (0 speeches)
Messages from the Governor-General reported informing the Senate of assent to the bills.
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Economics Committee; Report (6 speeches)
On behalf of the Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Economics, Senator Hurley, I present the report entitled, The need, scope and content of a definition of unconscionable conduct for the...
- Valedictory (0 speeches)
- (30 speeches)
It is both with pleasure and pain that I rise tonight to honour the service of Senator Chris Ellison. It is with great pleasure that I take this opportunity to pay tribute to his contribution to...
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! It being 7.19 pm, I propose the question: That the Senate do now adjourn.
- Internet Safety (1 speech)
Tonight I rise to bring to the attention of senators one of the biggest challenges concerning the protection of our children. It is very appropriate, given the valedictory speech from Senator...
- Climate Change (1 speech)
It is a pleasure to speak in the adjournment tonight. In the debate on climate change policy the government has not shown itself to be above the rhetoric of personal demonisation and straw-man...
- Pacific School Games; Health: Obesity and Diabetes (1 speech)
This is a big week for Canberra, the host of the 2008 Pacific School Games, from 30 November to 6 December. Sunday’s spectacular welcome event featured a choreographed display and music by...
- Dame Elizabeth Couchman Scholarship (1 speech)
I rise this evening to recognise the organisers and the winner of the Dame Elizabeth Couchman scholarship, an initiative of the Centennial Liberal Women’s Committee—part of the...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Tabling (0 speeches)
The following government documents were tabled: Anglo-Australian Telescope Board—Anglo-Australian Observatory (AAO)—Report for 2007-08. ASC Pty Ltd—Report for 2007-08....
