Senate debates

Monday, 19 September 2011

• Bills (0 speeches)
  • National Health Reform Amendment (National Health Performance Authority) Bill 2011; Second Reading (5 speeches)
    Debate resumed on the motion: That this bill be now read a second time.
  • National Health Reform Amendment (National Health Performance Authority) Bill 2011; In Committee (16 speeches)
    Bill—by leave—taken as a whole.
  • National Health Reform Amendment (National Health Performance Authority) Bill 2011; Third Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time.
  • Schools Assistance Amendment Bill 2011; Second Reading (5 speeches)
    Debate resumed on the motion: That this bill be now read a second time.
  • Schools Assistance Amendment Bill 2011; In Committee (19 speeches)
    Bill—by leave—taken as a whole.
  • Australian Energy Market Amendment (National Energy Retail Law) Bill 2011; Second Reading (3 speeches)
    Debate resumed on the motion: That this bill be now read a second time.
  • Australian Energy Market Amendment (National Energy Retail Law) Bill 2011; Third Reading (2 speeches)
    No amendments to the bill have been circulated. Before I call the minister to move the third reading, does any senator wish to have a committee stage on the bill to ask further questions or...
  • Migration Amendment (Complementary Protection) Bill 2011; Second Reading (4 speeches)
    Debate resumed on the motion: That this bill be now read a second time.
  • Migration Amendment (Complementary Protection) Bill 2011; Third Reading (2 speeches)
    As no amendments to the bill have been circulated, I shall call the minister to move the third reading unless any senator requires that the bill be considered in the Committee of the Whole. I...
  • Schools Assistance Amendment Bill 2011; In Committee (2 speeches)
    Debate resumed.
  • Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Child Care Financial Viability) Bill 2011; Third Reading (2 speeches)
    No amendments to the bill have been circulated. Before I call the minister to move the third reading, does any senator wish to have a committee stage on the bill to ask further questions or...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Rearrangement (1 speech)
    I move: That intervening business be postponed till after consideration of government business order of the day no. 10 (Higher Education Legislation Amendment (Student Services and Amenities)...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Higher Education Legislation Amendment (Student Services and Amenities) Bill 2010; Second Reading (2 speeches)
    Debate resumed on the motion: That this bill be now read a second time.
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Carbon Pricing (15 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Carr. I refer the minister to research released today by the Australian Trade and Industry Alliance which...
  • Middle East (8 speeches)
    My question without notice goes to Senator Conroy, the Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs. What will be Australia's position in the United Nations as the issue of recognition...
  • Carbon Pricing (19 speeches)
    Mr President, my question is to the minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Senator Wong. Can the minister outline to the Senate the importance of the...
  • Environment (6 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Senator Conroy. Last weekend saw hundreds of Clean Up Australia events...
  • Carbon Pricing (17 speeches)
    My question is to be Minister for Small Business, Senator Sherry. Can the minister outline to the Senate how the Gillard government is giving Australians a fair share of the mining boom through...
  • Broadband (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. Can the minister inform the Senate of any recent updates to do with pricing and affordability...
  • Carbon Pricing (11 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Senator Wong. I refer the minister to reports that Standard & Poor's has lowered the credit...
  • Social Housing: Australians with Disabilities (6 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness, Senator Arbib. Can the minister update the Senate on what the government is doing to help build appropriate housing for...
  • Climate Change (17 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Senator Wong. Does the government expect that the Durban climate change conference, to which...
• Questions to the President (0 speeches)
  • Parliament House: Energy Use (1 speech)
    Last week, Senator Bob Brown asked me a question without notice about energy saving measures at Parliament House. With the concurrence of the Senate, I shall incorporate the answer in Hansard....
• Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
  • Alcohol Pricing (1 speech)
    I seek leave to incorporate further information in answer to a question that was asked by Senator Di Natale on 23 August 2011 in relation to the government's response to the Preventative Health...
  • Drought (1 speech)
    I seek leave to incorporate an additional answer to Senator McKenzie's question to me on 15 September 2011. Leave granted. The answer read as follows— All programs are costed through the...
  • Tarkine Wilderness (1 speech)
    I seek leave to incorporate answers to questions taken on notice from Senator Milne last week. Leave granted. The answers read as follows— The Minister for Sustainability, Environment,...
• Answers to Questions on Notice (0 speeches)
  • Questions Nos 673 and 674 (3 speeches)
    Pursuant to standing order, I ask Minister Carr, representing the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, for an explanation as to why answers have not been provided to questions on notice Nos...
  • Carbon Pricing (7 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by ministers to questions without notice asked today relating to a proposed carbon tax. Many people around Australia would have been...
  • Environment (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (Senator Conroy) to a question without notice asked by Senator Ludlam...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Presentation (24 speeches)
    
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Leave of Absence (2 speeches)
    by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to: Senator Madigan for today, for personal reasons; Senator McLucas from 19 September to 22 September 2011, for personal reasons; and...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee; Reporting Date (1 speech)
    by leave—At the request of the Chair of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee, Senator Eggleston, I move: That the time for the presentation of the report of the...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Postponement (0 speeches)
    The following items of business were postponed: General business notice of motion no. 227 standing in the name of the Leader of the Australian Greens (Senator Bob Brown) for today, proposing the...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Education, Employment and Workplace Relations References Committee; Reference (1 speech)
    I seek leave to amend business of the Senate notice of motion No. 1 by inserting, after paragraph (e), the following paragraph (f): ways to further incorporate animal welfare principles in...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Rural and Regional Health Services (7 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate—   (a)   notes a recent report put out by the Climate Institute, A climate of suffering: the real costs of living with inaction on climate...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Scrutiny of Bills Committee; Reporting Date (1 speech)
    I move: That the time for the presentation of the report of the Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills on the future direction and role of the committee be extended to 30 November 2011....
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Medicare Chronic Disease Dental Scheme; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 420 standing in my name for today relating to an order for the production of documents. Leave granted. I move the motion as amended:...
• Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
  • Carbon Pricing (10 speeches)
    The President has received a letter from Senator Fifield proposing that the following matter of public importance be submitted to the Senate for discussion, namely: The Gillard Government's...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Tabling (1 speech)
    Pursuant to standing order 166, I present a government document which was presented to a temporary chair of committees immediately after the Senate adjourned on 15 September 2011. In accordance...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Rural Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee; Membership (1 speech)
    The President has received a letter from a party leader seeking to vary the membership of a committee. That Senator Colbeck replace Senator Heffernan on the Rural Affairs and Transport...
  • Clean Energy Future Legislation Committee; Membership (0 speeches)
    The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT ( Senator Fawcett ) : The President has received a message from the House of Representatives informing the Senate of the appointment of members to the Joint Select...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Veterans' Entitlements Amendment Bill 2011, Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Child Care Budget Measures) Bill 2011, Indigenous Affairs Legislation Amendment Bill 2011, Indigenous Affairs Legislation Amendment Bill 2011, Legislative Instruments Amendment (Sunsetting) Bill 2011, Australian National Registry of Emissions Units Bill 2011, Statute Stocktake Bill (No. 1) 2011, Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Bill 2011, Carbon Credits (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2011; Assent (0 speeches)
    Message from the Governor-General reported informing the Senate of assent to the bills.
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, Community Affairs Legislation Committee; Report (1 speech)
    Pursuant to order and at the request of the chairs of the respective committees, I present reports on legislation from the Legal and Constitutional Affairs and the Community Affairs legislation...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Higher Education Legislation Amendment (Student Services and Amenities) Bill 2010; Second Reading (55 speeches)
    Debate resumed on the motion: That this bill be now read a second time.
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • Parliamentary Privilege (1 speech)
    Members of parliament enjoy many privileges and one of the most fundamental is to come into the chamber and made statements without fear of a civil suit for defamation. Parliamentary privilege...
  • Disability Services (1 speech)
    Before I became a senator, I spoke with a couple in their 70s from a dairy farm in regional Victoria. It was the first real conversation about disability support that I had ever had. I was about...
  • National Police Service Medal (1 speech)
    The establishment of the National Police Service Medal was a 2007 ALP election commitment. In November 2010, the Minister for Home Affairs, the Hon. Brendan O'Connor MP, and I jointly announced...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Departmental and Agency Files (0 speeches)
    The following documents were 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 January to 30 June...
  • Tabling (0 speeches)
    The following documents were tabled by the Clerk: [Legislative instruments are identified by a Federal Register of Legislative Instruments (FRLI) number. An explanatory statement is tabled with...
• Questions on Notice (0 speeches)
  • National Health and Medical Research Council (Question No. 910) (2 speeches)
    asked the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, upon notice, on 16 August 2011: With reference to the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) document, Naltrexone...
  • Australian Bureau of Statistics (Question No. 996) (2 speeches)
    asked the Minister representing the Treasurer, upon notice, on 18 August 2011: (1) What was the total expenditure of the Australian Bureau of Statistics for the 2010-11 financial year in relation...
  • Defence (Question Nos 275, 302 and 209) (2 speeches)
    asked the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, upon notice, on 14 September 2011: Since 14 September 2010, for each Minister and any Parliamentary Secretaries within their portfolio:...