Senate debates
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
- Question Time (0 speeches)
- (14 speeches)
During question time on 23 June 2009 I undertook to examine the transcript of two incidents in the chamber and come back to the Senate if need be. The first incident occurred when Senator...
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Withdrawal (1 speech)
I withdraw government business notice of motion No. 1 proposing exemption of the Rural Adjustment Amendment Bill 2009 from the bills cut-off order. It was given yesterday for the exemption of the...
- Tax Laws Amendment (2009 Budget Measures No. 1) Bill 2009 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (7 speeches)
Debate resumed from 15 June, on motion by Senator Faulkner: That this bill be now read a second time.
- In Committee (3 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.
- Health Workforce Australia Bill 2009 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (2 speeches)
Debate resumed from 18 June, on motion by Senator Faulkner: That this bill be now read a second time.
- In Committee (2 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.
- Business (0 speeches)
- Rearrangement (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That government business order of the day no. 3 (Car Dealership Financing Guarantee Appropriation Bill 2009) be postponed to the next day of sitting. Question agreed to.
- Rural Adjustment Amendment Bill 2009 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (1 speech)
Bill received from the House of Representatives.
- Second Reading (3 speeches)
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 Rural Adjustment...
- Third Reading (0 speeches)
Bill passed through its remaining stages without amendment or debate.
- Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Pension Reform and Other 2009 Budget Measures) Bill 2009 (0 speeches)
- Report of Community Affairs Committee (1 speech)
On behalf of the Chair of the Community Affairs Legislation Committee, Senator Moore, I present the report of the committee on the Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Pension Reform...
- Second Reading (5 speeches)
Debate resumed from 17 June, on motion by Senator Carr: That this bill 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.
- Colombia: Human Rights (1 speech)
I rise on a matter of public interest concerning the murder of trade unionists in Colombia and the violation of the human rights of Colombian trade unionists. The International Trade Union...
- Victorian Bushfires (1 speech)
I rise on a matter of significant concern to all Australians in the aftermath of the tragic Victorian bushfires in February this year. I am concerned that failed land management practices and...
- Wielangta State Forest; Ms Anne Lynch AM (1 speech)
Wielangta State Forest on the east coast of Tasmania is a very special 10,000 to 15,000 hectares of forest which contains a great range of ecosystems and wildlife. Seeing it being rapidly eroded...
- Child Abandonment (1 speech)
I rise today to speak on an important matter of public interest: the ongoing issue of baby abandonment in Australia. In September last year, I spoke to the Senate on the urgent need to adopt...
- Wheat Exports (1 speech)
I associate myself with the remarks of Senator Polley on baby abandonment. Yesterday marked the first anniversary of the deregulation of the wheat industry in Australia. Usually when an...
- Public Hospitals (10 speeches)
I rise today to make a contribution to the matter of public interest. I think this matter is of particular interest to the more than 20 million people around the country—and that is health...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Economy (25 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Sherry. Given that the 2009-10 budget reveals a $210 billion fall in revenue over the forward estimates, will the minister...
- Australian Building and Construction Commission (15 speeches)
My question is to Senator Arbib, the Minister representing the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. Why is the Rudd Labor government neutering the Australian Building and Construction...
- Swine Influenza (6 speeches)
My question is to Senator Ludwig, the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing. Overnight the number of cases of swine flu, H1N1, in the Northern Territory has risen to 78. The...
- Building the Education Revolution Program (15 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Education, Senator Carr. Given that in question time yesterday the minister refused to guarantee that all projects funded under the...
- Climate Change (7 speeches)
My question is to Senator Wong, the Minister for Climate Change and Water. Can the minister advise the Senate on recent developments in our understanding of climate change? Is it the case that...
- 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 Colombia, led by Senator Antonio Guerra de la Espriella. On behalf of all...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Pulp and Paper Industry Strategy Group (18 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Carr. With the future of Tasmania’s two north-west paper mills to be decided next week, why did it...
- Australian Made Campaign Ltd (17 speeches)
My question is to Senator Sherry, representing the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. It relates to the government’s financial support for Australian Made Campaign Ltd, a...
- Emissions Trading Scheme (12 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Small Business, Independent Contractors and the Service Economy, Senator Carr. Has the minister seen the statement from the Australian...
- Question Time (0 speeches)
- (3 speeches)
When I made a statement earlier today about remarks used during question time on 23 June 2009, Senator Macdonald raised a point of order to the effect that Senator Wong made an improper...
- Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
- Laura Aboriginal Dance and Cultural Festival (5 speeches)
Yesterday in question time Senator Macdonald asked me a question in my capacity as Minister representing the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. I am happy to provide the...
- Pulp and Paper Manufacturing Industry (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
by leave—Mr Deputy President, I would like to seek an explanation for the absence of an answer from a minister to a question verbally given on notice. On Monday I asked Senator Carr, the...
- Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
- Building and Construction Commission (24 speeches)
I move: That the Senate take note of the dissembling, inept answer given by the Minister for Employment Participation and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery...
- Petitions (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
The Clerk: A petition has been lodged for presentation as follows:
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Presentation (1 speech)
Senator Xenophon to move on the next day of sitting:That, on Thursday, 13 August 2009:(a)the hours of meeting shall be 9.30 am to 6.30 pm and 7 pm to adjournment;(b)the routine of business from...
- Postponement (0 speeches)
The following items of business were postponed: General business notice no. 1 till 25 June, business of the Senate no. 2 till 25 June and general business notice nos. 479, 480 and 465 till 25 June.
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Privileges Committee; Reference (1 speech)
I move:That the following matter be referred to the Committee of Privileges: Whether any adverse action was taken against Mr Godwin Grech in consequence of his evidence before the Economics...
- Sudan (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 478 standing in my name. Leave granted. I move the motion as amended: That the Senate:(a)acknowledges the Sudanese Government’s...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Climate Change (0 speeches)
- (3 speeches)
I move:That the Senate calls on the Government to task the Department of the Treasury with modelling the cost of achieving greenhouse gas emission cuts of 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020...
- Parthenon Marbles (0 speeches)
- (5 speeches)
I move: That the Senate calls on the Australian Government to make representations to the British Government to undertake the permanent return of the so-called ‘Elgin Marbles’ to the...
- Digital Broadcasting (0 speeches)
- (2 speeches)
I move:That the Senate—(a)notes that:(i)it has been 2 years since the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (Senator Conroy) attended Channel 31’s Antenna...
- Trade Practices Amendment (Guaranteed Lowest Prices — Blacktown Amendment) Bill 2009 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (1 speech)
I, and also on behalf of Senator Xenophon, move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Trade Practice Act 1974 to reduce predatory pricing by requiring...
- Second Reading (1 speech)
I, and also on behalf of Senator Xenophon, 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...
- Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2009 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (1 speech)
I move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Marriage Act 1961 to create the opportunity for marriage equality for people regardless of their sex, sexuality or...
- Second Reading (1 speech, 1 comment)
I table an explanatory memorandum relating to the bill and a petitioning document entitled Equal rights for all: support same-sex marriage, end legal discrimination, signed by over 30,000...
- Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
- Economy (43 speeches)
The President has received a letter from Senator Williams proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the Senate for discussion, namely: The inability of the Rudd...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Scrutiny of Bills Committee; Report (1 speech)
On behalf of Senator Coonan, I present the seventh report of 2009 of the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills. I also lay on the table Scrutiny of Bills Alert Digest No. 8 of 2009,...
- Senators’ Interests Committee; Report (47 speeches)
On behalf of Senator Johnston, the Chair of the Standing Committee of Senators’ Interests, and in accordance with the Senate resolution of 17 March 1994 on the declaration of...
- Public Accounts and Audit Committee; Report (1 speech)
On behalf of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit, I present the report of the committee, Review of Auditor-General’s reports tabled between August 2007 and August 2008, and I...
- Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee; Report (2 speeches)
On behalf of the Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, Senator Forshaw, I present the report of the committee Inquiry into Australia’s relationship...
- Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I seek leave to make a personal explanation. Leave granted. At question time today I asked Senator Carr a question about the paper industry strategy group that was being established, its time...
- Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
- Forestry (9 speeches)
On behalf of the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Mr Burke, I table a ministerial statement on preparing our forest industries for the future.
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Auditor-General’S Reports (0 speeches)
- Report No. 45 of 2008-09 (1 speech)
The Acting Deputy President: In accordance with the provisions of the Auditor-General Act 1997, I present the following report of the Auditor-General: Report No. 45 of 2008-09: Performance...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Work of Committees (1 speech)
The Acting Deputy President: I present a report on access to documents of the Joint Select Committee on Electoral Reform.
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Report: Government Response (1 speech)
I present the government’s response to the President’s report of 4 December 2008 on government responses outstanding to parliamentary committee reports and seek leave to have the...
- ; Australian Building and Construction Commissioner (0 speeches)
- Return to Order (1 speech)
I table documents relating to the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner, in response to the order of the Senate of 23 June 2009. The ministerial direction under section 11 of the...
- Delegation Reports (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Membership (2 speeches)
The President has received letters from party leaders requesting changes in the membership of committees.
- Privilege (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Senator Ludwig has raised under standing order 81, by letter dated 24 June 2009, another matter of privilege in relation to the hearing of the Economics Legislation Committee on 19 June...
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Presentation (0 speeches)
Senator Conroy to move on the next day of sitting:That the following matters be referred to the Committee of Privileges:(a)whether any false or misleading evidence was given to the Economics...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- (0 speeches)
General business order of the day No 1 relating to government documents was called on but no motion was moved.
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! I propose the question: That the Senate do now adjourn.
- Environment: Marine and Antarctic Research (3 speeches)
I rise to speak briefly on the pivotal role that Tasmania is playing in facilitating the federal government’s marine and Antarctic research agenda. Tasmania shared in over $200 million...
- China; Poland (1 speech)
Twenty years ago earlier this month we remembered, commemorating one and celebrating the other, two momentous events of last century: the Tiananmen Square massacre in China and the first...
- Cambridge Downs Store (1 speech)
This evening I rise to discuss a recent activity from approximately four weeks ago. On Saturday 23 May I was in Richmond, which is half way between Townsville and Mount Isa on the Overlanders...
- Kidney Health Week (1 speech)
I rise to bring to the attention of senators this evening issues associated with Kidney Health Week, which recently took place nationally. I commend Kidney Health Australia for its efforts to...
- Laura Indigenous Dance Festival (1 speech)
I was delighted to hear Senator Furner’s address to the chamber tonight about the little town of Richmond up where I live and where I have been a visitor by road on many occasions. It is...
- 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] Australian Prudential Regulation...
- Departmental and Agency Appointments (0 speeches)
The following documents were tabled pursuant to the order of the Senate of 24 June 2008: Letters of advice in response to the continuing order relating to departmental and agency appointments and...
