Senate debates
Tuesday, 9 March 2010
- Absence of the President (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
The Clerk: I advise the Senate that the President is temporarily absent today. He is attending a state lunch for President Yudhoyono of Indonesia. Therefore, pursuant to standing order 13, the...
- Liberal and National Parties (0 speeches)
- Leadership and Office Holders (1 speech)
by leave—I am pleased to inform the Senate that the Leader of the Opposition has appointed Senator Mitch Fifield as the Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate. This is an...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Community Affairs Legislation Committee; Meeting (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That the Community Affairs Legislation Committee be authorised to hold public meetings during the sittings of the Senate today, and Wednesday, 10 March 2010, from 3.30 pm,...
- Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee; Meeting (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee be authorised to hold a public meeting during the sitting of the Senate today, from 4 pm, to take evidence...
- National Broadband Committee; Meeting (1 speech)
by leave—At the request of Senator Ian Macdonald, I move: That the Select Committee on the National Broadband Network be authorised to hold a private meeting otherwise than in accordance...
- Business (0 speeches)
- Rearrangement (12 speeches)
I seek leave to move a motion to vary the hours of meeting and routine of business for tomorrow. Leave granted. I thank the Senate for its courtesy in enabling me to do this. Before moving the...
- Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives Bill 2009 [No. 2] (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (14 speeches)
Debate resumed from 25 February, on motion by Senator Ludwig: That this bill be now read a second time.
- Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
- (2 speeches)
by leave—I table for the information of the Senate a revised ministry list reflecting the changes announced by the Prime Minister on 26 February 2010. I also formally advise the...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Home Insulation Program (12 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts and Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Water, Senator Wong. Why is 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 Rwanda led by the President of the Senate, the honourable Mr Vincent Biruta...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Economy (12 speeches)
My question is to the Assistant Treasurer, Senator Sherry. Can the Assistant Treasurer inform the Senate of the latest official figures on the world-leading performance of the Australian economy...
- Home Insulation Program (6 speeches)
My question is to the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery, Senator Arbib. Can the minister confirm that the department of the environment was given explicit...
- Defence: Budget (6 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Defence, Senator Faulkner. Is the minister aware of concerns regarding defence expenditure, as outlined in today’s media? What is the government’s...
- Home Insulation Program (24 speeches)
My question is to the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery, Senator Arbib. Was the minister advised of any risk issues associated with insulation operators under...
- Timor Sea Oil Spill (6 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Defence, Senator Faulkner, representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and it relates to the Montara oil spill. Is the government aware that an oil sample...
- Hobart Private Hospital (28 speeches)
My question is to Senator Evans, the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing. Has the Rudd government committed funding to redeveloping the Hobart Private Hospital site? If so,...
- Building the Education Revolution Program (19 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research representing the Minister for Education, Senator Carr. Can the minister inform the Senate on the development of...
- 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 New Caledonia. On behalf of all senators, I wish you a warm welcome to...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- King River, Tasmania (14 speeches, 1 comment)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts, Senator Wong. What plans does the government have to remediate the King River on...
- Broadband (12 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. Can the minister inform the Senate on the progress of and any recent developments with the...
- Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
- Home Insulation Program (5 speeches)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Employment Participation and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Government Service Delivery (Senator Arbib) to...
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Presentation (0 speeches)
Senator Ludlam to move on the next day of sitting:That the Senate—(a)notes that:(i)9 March is an international day of action to raise awareness about the new military offensive against...
- Withdrawal (2 speeches)
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 Senate notice of motion No. 1 standing in my...
- Leave of Absence (0 speeches)
- (2 speeches)
by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to Senator Ludwig for today on account of ministerial business. Question agreed to.
- Committees (0 speeches)
- 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 Xenophon for today, relating to the reference of the application of...
- Food Importation (Bovine Meat Standards) Bill 2010 (0 speeches)
- First Reading (1 speech)
I, and also on behalf of Senator Joyce, move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to ensure equivalence to Australian production standards in the importation of bovine meat...
- 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— This is a Bill for an...
- Home Builders Warranty Insurance (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate:(a)notes:(i)the Federal Government’s aim to implement through the Council of Australian Governments a seamless economy,(ii)that the Australian building industry is...
- Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
- Beef Imports (29 speeches)
I have received a letter from Senator Parry proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the Senate for discussion, namely: The Rudd Government’s complete...
- Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Tabling (1 speech)
Pursuant to standing order 166, I present documents listed on today’s order of business at item 13 which were presented to the Deputy President and temporary chairs of committees since the...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Selection of Bills Committee; Membership (2 speeches)
The President has received a letter from a party leader seeking to vary the membership of a committee.
- Cyber-Safety Committee; Establishment (1 speech)
A message has been received from the House of Representatives transmitting for concurrence a resolution relating to appointment of a joint select committee. Copies of the message have been...
- Statute Law Revision Bill 2010; National Consumer Credit Protection Amendment Bill 2010; Education Services for Overseas Students Amendment (Re-Registration of Providers and Other Measures) Bill 2010 (0 speeches)
- Assent (0 speeches)
Messages from the Governor-General reported informing the Senate of assent to the bills.
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Economics Legislation Committee; Report (1 speech)
On behalf of the Chair of the Economics Legislation Committee, Senator Hurley, I present the report of the committee on the provisions of the Trade Practices Amendment (Infrastructure Access)...
- Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives Bill 2009 [No. 2] (0 speeches)
- Address by the President of the Republic of Indonesia (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
A message has been received from the House of Representatives inviting senators to attend an address to the House by His Excellency Dr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of the Republic of...
- Crimes Amendment (Working with Children — Criminal History) Bill 2009 (0 speeches)
- Second Reading (5 speeches)
Debate resumed from 19 November 2009, on motion by Senator Ludwig: That this bill be now read a second time.
- In Committee (16 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.
- Documents (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! It being 6.50 pm, the Senate will proceed to the consideration of government documents.
- Consideration (0 speeches)
The following government documents tabled earlier today (see entries nos 20 and 22) were considered: Commonwealth Grants Commission—Report on GST revenue sharing relativities—2010...
- Commonwealth Grants Commission (7 speeches)
I move: That the Senate take note of the document. I would like to talk to the Commonwealth Grants Commission Report on GST revenue sharing relativities: 2010 review. I welcome the report because...
- Statements of Compliance and Letters of Advice (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That the Senate take note of the documents. I seek leave to continue my remarks later. Leave granted; debate adjourned.
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
Order! There being no further consideration of government documents, I propose the question: That the Senate do now adjourn.
- International Women’s Day (2 speeches)
Yesterday, 8 March, we celebrated International Women’s Day. In past years, for International Women’s Day I have highlighted the disadvantages, discrimination and underrepresentation...
- Hon. John Kilday ‘Jock’ Ferguson (1 speech)
It is with heartfelt sadness that I participate in the adjournment debate to acknowledge the life and work of a great Australian, the Hon. Jock Ferguson, unionist, socialist and member of the...
- North-East Tasmania (1 speech)
Tonight I stand to pay a tribute to the people of north-east Tasmania and to call for real change in Tasmania’s north-east after a decade of neglect under state Labor. I want to say at the...
- GP Superclinics (1 speech)
I was privileged just last month to be part of the official opening of the Strathpine GP Superclinic, part of an excellent Rudd Labor government initiative. The Minister for Health and Ageing,...
- International Women’s Day (1 speech)
I rise today to speak about International Women’s Day and the great advances that have been made in achieving equality in this country and around the world. In doing so, I am pleased to see...
- Larrakia Development Corporation (1 speech)
I rise this evening to put on record a success story for Indigenous people in the Northern Territory and particularly the Larrakia people, who live in and around Darwin. It is without doubt a...
- Defence Procurement (1 speech)
I was prompted to speak tonight by an informative and useful article, published in the Weekend Australian on 27 February, by two respected defence writers, Paul Dibb and Geoffrey Barker. The...
- International Women’s Day (1 speech)
Before beginning, I need to seek leave to speak a little beyond 10 minutes, certainly not longer than 20. Leave granted. This evening I rise to mark the occasion of International Women’s...
- Tasmania: Election (1 speech)
by leave—I thank the Senate for its indulgence. Although I am not intending to go for 20 minutes I may need to go for more than 10. I rise tonight because we have seen today in this place...
- Tasmania State Election (1 speech)
Very rarely do I agree with Senator O’Brien, whether we are in opposition or government. However, I agree with some of his comments relating to voting and how you intend to vote. Obviously...
- 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] Appropriation Act (No. 1) 2009-2010...
