Senate debates
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
- Excise Tariff Validation Bill 2009; Customs Tariff Validation Bill 2009 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (19 speeches)
Debate resumed from 12 May, on motion by Senator Stephens: That these bills be now read a second time.
- In Committee (37 speeches)
Bills—by leave—taken together and 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.
- Australian Business Investment Partnership Bill 2009; Australian Business Investment Partnership (Consequential Amendment) Bill 2009 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (19 speeches)
Debate resumed from 12 May, on motion by Senator McLucas: That these bills 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.
- Mining (1 speech)
I rise to speak on a matter of public interest that has been causing anger, fear and apprehension in my duty electorate of New England. There has been significant community concern that...
- Federal Magistrates Court (1 speech)
Last August, the government received a report entitled Future governance options for federal family law courts in Australia, prepared by Mr Des Semple. The terms of reference of the Semple review...
- Environmental Conservation (4 speeches)
I rise today to draw the attention of the Australian Senate and the Australian people to criminal activity occurring in southern Tasmania. It is occurring as we speak. That criminal activity is...
- Aged Care (2 speeches)
I rise to speak on a matter of public importance and draw attention to the report on aged care that was recently tabled in this place. On 29 April 2009 the Senate Standing Committee on Finance...
- Child Abuse (1 speech)
Today I would like to take the opportunity to talk about one of society’s few remaining taboos: child abuse and how adult survivors still suffer from their traumatic childhood experiences...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Budget (29 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Conroy. Will the minister confirm that this Labor government is now the biggest spending government in modern Australian history...
- Swine Influenza (6 speeches)
My question, with a little bit of notice, is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing. Following reports of pigs in Canada catching the Mexican flu—H1N1, otherwise...
- Budget (17 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Conroy. Will the minister confirm that Labor’s budget forecasts unemployment of nearly one million Australians?
- Rural and Regional Health Services (10 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Ludwig. Can the minister confirm that the budget spends around 400 times more money on pink batts and other...
- Aged Care (12 speeches)
My question is to Senator Ludwig, the Minister representing the Minister for Ageing. My question relates to the recommendations arising out of the recent Senate Standing Committee on Finance and...
- Budget (20 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Sherry. Given that the agriculture sector will play a key role in Australia’s...
- Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
- Budget (13 speeches)
I move: That the Senate take note of answers given by the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (Senator Conroy) to questions without notice asked by Senators Minchin,...
- Petitions (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
The Clerk: Petitions have been lodged for presentation as follows:
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Presentation (1 speech)
I give notice that, on the next day of sitting, I shall move: That the provisions of paragraphs (5) to (8) of standing order 111 not apply to the following bills, allowing them to be considered...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Community Affairs Committee; Extension of Time (1 speech)
At the request of the Chair of the Standing Committee on Community Affairs, Senator Moore, I move: That the time for the presentation of the report of the Community Affairs Committee on...
- Economics Committee; Extension of Time (1 speech)
At the request of the Chair of the Standing Committee on Economics, Senator Hurley, I move: That the time for the presentation of the report of the Economics Committee on foreign investment...
- Treaties Committee; Meeting (1 speech)
At the request of the Deputy Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, Senator McGauran, I move: That the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties be authorised to hold a public meeting...
- Climate Policy Committee; Extension of Time (1 speech)
At the request of the Chair of the Select Committee on Climate Policy, Senator Colbeck, I move: That the time for the presentation of the report of the Select Committee on Climate Policy be...
- Condolences (0 speeches)
- Miss Anne Lynch (1 speech)
At the request of the President of the Senate, Senator Hogg, I move: That the Senate records its deep regret at the death, on 24 April 2009, of Miss Anne Lynch, former Deputy Clerk of the Senate,...
- Mr Laurie Short (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate—(a)notes:(i)the passing of the esteemed union leader and Australian Labor Party (ALP) hero, Mr Laurie Short, and(ii)the international regard in which he was held as...
- Broadband (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
At the request of the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Minchin, I move:(1)That the Senate notes that the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (Senator...
- Sri Lanka (0 speeches)
- (5 speeches)
I move: That the Senate, in regard to the massacre of civilians, including hundreds of children in the Tamil homelands of northern Sri Lanka, calls on the Government to take decisive action...
- Fair Work Amendment (Paid Parental Leave) Bill 2009 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (1 speech)
I move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Fair Work Act 2009 to guarantee 26 weeks government-funded paid parental leave, and for related purposes. Question...
- Second Reading (1 speech)
I present the explanatory memorandum 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. The speech read as...
- Radioactive Waste (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I move:That the Senate—(a)recalls the Government’s election promise and policy platform to repeal the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005;(b)notes:(i)the statement...
- National Volunteer Week (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I move:That the Senate—(a)notes that the week beginning 11 May 2009 is National Volunteer Week;(b)recognises that more than 5.4 million Australian volunteers contribute more than 700...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
- Record Level of Debt (18 speeches)
The President has received a letter from Senator Fifield proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the Senate for discussion, namely: The Rudd Labor government’s...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Scrutiny of Bills Committee; Report (1 speech)
On behalf of Senator Coonan, I present the fourth report of 2009 of the Standing Committee on the Scrutiny of Bills. I also lay on the table Scrutiny of Bills Alert Digest No. 5 of 2009 dated 13...
- Public Accounts and Audit Committee; Statement (1 speech)
On behalf of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit, I table a statement on the draft budget estimates for the Australian National Audit Office for 2009-10 and the committee’s...
- Selection of Bills Committee; Membership (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That Senator Coonan be discharged from and Senator Bushby be appointed to the Selection of Bills Committee. Question agreed to.
- Financial Assistance Legislation Amendment Bill 2009; Social Security and Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (2009 Budget Measures) Bill 2009 (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— Financial...
- Order of Continuing Effect (0 speeches)
- (9 speeches)
I move:That the Senate—(a)notes that ministers and officers have continued to refuse to provide information to Senate committees without properly raising claims of public interest immunity...
- Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committees (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
by leave—I move the motion as amended:That, effective on 14 May 2009, standing order 25 be amended to read as follows:25 Legislative and general purpose(1)At the commencement of each...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee; Report (1 speech)
On behalf of the Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Senator Crossin, I present the final report of the committee on the provisions of the Native Title...
- Australian Business Investment Partnership Bill 2009; Australian Business Investment Partnership (Consequential Amendment) Bill 2009 (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Community Affairs Committee; Report (1 speech)
On behalf of the Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs, Senator Moore, I present a report of the committee on matters not disposed of by the current committee that will...
- Employment and Workplace Relations Amendment Bill 2008 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (2 speeches)
Debate resumed from 13 February, on motion by Senator Sherry: That this bill be now read a second time.
- Documents (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! It being 6.50 pm, the Senate will proceed to the consideration of government documents.
- Digital Television: Transmission and Reception (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the document. This report by the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy is quite comprehensive. It talks about the digital television...
- Consideration (0 speeches)
Government documents tabled earlier today were called on but no motion was moved. General business orders of the day nos 59 and 61 to 74 relating to government documents were called on but no...
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! There being no further consideration of government documents, I propose the question: That the Senate do now adjourn.
- Paid Parental Leave (1 speech)
I would like to speak tonight to celebrate, along with thousands of other women around the country, the historic announcement by the government on Sunday that it will introduce a national...
- UNICEF State of the World Children Report (2 speeches)
I want to speak tonight about the 2009 UNICEF State of the World’s Children report. Every minute somewhere in the world a woman dies from complications in childbirth—more than 500,000...
- Victorian Bushfires (1 speech)
Tonight I rise to speak about some of Tasmania’s contributions to helping Victorians recover from the devastating fires of Black Saturday and the weeks following. Only this week we heard...
- Australian Red Cross (1 speech)
I welcome former Senator Crowley, a great South Australian senator, to the chamber. I rise to inform the Senate of the outstanding work being undertaken by Red Cross in South Australia,...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Tabling (0 speeches)
The following government documents were tabled: Medical Training Review Panel—Report for 2007-08. Migration Act 1958 Section 91Y—Protection visa processing taking more than 90...
