Senate debates

Thursday, 10 November 2011

• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Quarantine Amendment (Disallowing Permits) Bill 2011; Second Reading (23 speeches)
    Debate resumed on the motion: That this bill be now read a second time.
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Presentation (7 speeches)
    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 various bills, as set out in the list circulated in...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Selection of Bills Committee; Report (1 speech)
    I present the 16th report of 2011 of the Selection of Bills Committee. Ordered that the report be adopted. I seek leave to have the report incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The report read...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Leave of Absence (1 speech)
    by leave—at the request of Senator Xenophon, I move: That leave of absence be granted to Senator Xenophon on 9 November and 10 November 2011, for personal reasons. Question agreed to.
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Economics Legislation Committee; Meeting (1 speech)
    by leave—At the request of the chair of the Economics Legislation Committee, Senator Bishop, I move: That the Economics Legislation Committee be authorised to hold a private meeting...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Remembrance Day and Mental Health Services for Veterans (1 speech)
    I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 551 standing in my name and to add the names of Senator Feeney and Senator Ronaldson to the motion. Leave granted. I, and also on...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Gambling Reform Committee; Meeting (1 speech)
    At the request of Senator Crossin, I move: That the order of the Senate of 2 November 2011 authorising the Joint Select Committee on Gambling Reform to hold a private meeting otherwise than in...
  • Education, Employment and Workplace Relations References Committee; Reporting Date (1 speech)
    At the request of Senator Marshall, I move: That the time for the presentation of the report of the Education, Employment and Workplace Relations References Committee on disability employment...
  • Senators' Interests Committee; Reporting Date (1 speech)
    I move: That the time for the presentation of the report of the Standing Committee of Senators' Interests on a draft code of conduct for senators be extended to 10 May 2012. Question agreed to.
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Asbestos (1 speech)
    I seek leave to add the name of Senator Singh to motion No. 555 standing in my name. Leave granted. I, and also on behalf of Senator Singh, move: That the Senate— (a)   notes...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Australian Broadcasting Corporation Amendment (International Broadcasting Services) Bill 2011; First Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983, and for related purposes. Australian Broadcasting Corporation Amendment...
  • Australian Broadcasting Corporation Amendment (International Broadcasting Services) Bill 2011; Second Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I seek leave to table an explanatory memorandum relating to the bill. Leave granted. I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Latrobe Valley: Clean Energy (1 speech)
    I move: That, in light of the possible passage of the Clean Energy bills through the Senate and the acknowledgement of the fact that the Latrobe Valley region will be the hardest hit by the...
  • Cultural Heritage (1 speech)
    I move: That, in light of the fact that the Australian Parliament, on behalf of the Australian people, has rightly recognised the cultural heritage of the Indigenous members of our community and...
  • Great Barrier Reef (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate— (a)   notes:   (i)   that the Government and the Opposition did not support the Australian Greens' motion on 9 November 2011...
• Budget (0 speeches)
  • Consideration by Estimates Committees (1 speech)
    On behalf of the respective chairs, I present additional information received by committees relating to the following estimates: Community Affairs Legislation Committee––2 volumes...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Tobacco Plain Packaging Bill 2011, Trade Marks Amendment (Tobacco Plain Packaging) Bill 2011; Second Reading (6 speeches)
    Debate resumed on the motion: That these bills be now read a second time.
  • Excise Legislation Amendment (Condensate) Bill 2011, Excise Tariff Amendment (Condensate) Bill 2011; Second Reading (5 speeches)
    Debate resumed on the motion: That this bill be now read a second time.
  • Excise Legislation Amendment (Condensate) Bill 2011, Excise Tariff Amendment (Condensate) Bill 2011; Third Reading (2 speeches)
    No amendments to the bills 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...
  • Maritime Legislation Amendment Bill 2011; Second Reading (30 speeches)
    Debate resumed on the motion: That this bill be now read a second time.
• Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
  • (1 speech)
    I inform the Senate that Senator Ludwig, the Manager of Government Business in the Senate and Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, will be absent from question time today. I think we...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Gillard Government (13 speeches)
    I refer to this week's lame efforts by the government to distance itself from its—
  • Broadband (12 speeches)
    Mr President, my question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. Can the minister please inform the Senate of any recently announced...
  • Australia Network (25 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. Has the government sought legal advice on the question of whether its abandonment of the...
  • Afghanistan (6 speeches)
    My question is directed to the Minister representing the Prime Minister. I ask: is the governor of Oruzgan province in Afghanistan, Mohammed Sherzad, a good and important ally for the Australian...
  • Australia Network (10 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy and well-known climate sceptic, Senator Conroy. I refer the minister to his statement to the Senate on Tuesday...
  • Workplace Relations (6 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations, Senator Evans. Can the minister outline to the Senate today's announcement by the Prime Minister to...
  • Australia Network (15 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. I refer the minister to his statement to the Senate on Tuesday of this week regarding the...
  • Renewable Energy (6 speeches)
    Mr President, my question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Arbib. Can the minister advise when the government will act upon recommendation 4 of The...
  • Australia Network (12 speeches)
    Mr President, my question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. I refer the minister to his statement in the Senate on Tuesday regarding the...
  • Superannuation (7 speeches)
    My question is to Senator Sherry, the Minister representing the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation. Can the minister outline to the Senate how many...
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • Australia Network, Gillard Government (15 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations (Senator Evans) and the Minister for Broadband, Communications...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Australia Network; Order for the Production of Documents (15 speeches)
    Mr Deputy President, I make a statement in regard to the order dated 9 November in which the Senate sought all recommendations of the Australian Network tender assessment panel, the legal advice...
  • Responses to Senate Resolutions; Tabling (1 speech)
    I present the following responses from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Rudd, to: (a) a resolution of the Senate of 7 July 2011 concerning Sri Lanka; and (b) a resolution of the Senate of 22...
  • Tabling (0 speeches)
    The Clerk: Documents are tabled pursuant to statute. Details will be recorded in the Journals of the Senate and on the Dynamic Red. Details of the documents appear at the end of today's Hansard.
• Delegation Reports (0 speeches)
  • Official Visits by the President of the Senate (1 speech)
    I present the following four reports of official visits by the President of the Senate: United Kingdom – July 2010 United Kingdom, the Hague, Brussels and Turkey – April 2011...
• Auditor-General's Reports (0 speeches)
  • Report No. 12 of 2011-12 (2 speeches)
    In accordance with the provisions of the Auditor-General Act 1997, I present the following report of the Auditor-General: Report No. 12 of 2011-12: Performance audit: implementation of the...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Environment and Communications Legislation Committee; Documents (1 speech)
    I present a letter to the Chair of the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, Senator Cameron, relating to a report from the previous parliament on the Telecommunications...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement, Live Animal Exports; Order for the Production of Documents (2 speeches)
    I table a statement relating to the order for the production of documents concerning the Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement. I also table documents relating to the order for the...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Tobacco Plain Packaging Bill 2011, Trade Marks Amendment (Tobacco Plain Packaging) Bill 2011; Second Reading (32 speeches, 1 comment)
    Debate resumed on the motion: That this bill be now read a second time.
  • Tobacco Plain Packaging Bill 2011, Trade Marks Amendment (Tobacco Plain Packaging) Bill 2011; In Committee (54 speeches)
    Bills—by leave—taken together and as a whole.
  • Tobacco Plain Packaging Bill 2011, Trade Marks Amendment (Tobacco Plain Packaging) Bill 2011; Third Reading (5 speeches)
    I move: That these bills be now read a third time.
  • Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Fair Protection for Firefighters) Bill 2011; First Reading (1 speech)
    Bill received from the House of Representatives.
  • Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Fair Protection for Firefighters) Bill 2011; Second Reading (1 speech)
    I table a revised explanatory memorandum relating to the bill and move: That this bill be now read a second time I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Rural Affairs and Transport References Committee; Membership (2 speeches)
    The President has received a letter from a party leader seeking to vary the membership of a committee.
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • Australian Women's Land Army (1 speech)
    Tonight I want to take the opportunity to update the Senate about recognition of the Australian Women's Land Army. I raised this issue in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Senate...
  • McCartney, Dr Anthony (1 speech)
    Tonight I rise tonight to pay tribute to a great Australian and, more particularly, a great Western Australian: Professor Dr Anthony McCartney. Dr McCartney was a godsend to women in Australia...
  • Remembrance Day (1 speech, 1 comment)
    Sixty years ago tomorrow the following statement was read out on radio across Australia. Although it was written for another time, it is still relevant today, possibly even more than it was then....
  • Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (1 speech)
    A lot has been going on in parliament this week, but I think some other quite significant recent achievements should not pass without note. I am talking about the Commonwealth Heads of Government...
  • Campion College (1 speech)
    I recently had the great honour of attending a function for a young institution building on our shared history and carving a very bright future: Campion College. The President, Dr David Daintree,...
• Address by the President of the United States of America (0 speeches)
  • (1 speech)
    I remind honourable senators that they have been invited to attend a meeting of the House of Representatives on Thursday, 17 November 2011 to hear an address from the Hon. Barack Obama, President...
• 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. An explanatory statement is tabled with...
• Questions on Notice (0 speeches)
  • Foreign Affairs (Question No. 927) (2 speeches)
    asked the Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs, upon notice, on 18 August 2011: How many debtors have been refused a passport renewal under section 16(1) of the Australian...
  • Treasury: Code of Conduct Investigations (Question Nos 1044, 1079 and 1080) (2 speeches)
    asked the Minister representing the Treasurer, the Assistant Treasurer and the Minister representing the Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation, upon notice, on 29 August 2011: (1)...
  • Murray-Darling Basin (Question No. 1110) (2 speeches)
    asked the Minister representing the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, upon notice, on 12 September 2011: In regard to the Murray-Darling Basin: (1) What...
  • Aid Program (Question No. 1250) (2 speeches)
    asked the Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs, upon notice, on 22 September 2011: Since 24 November 2007, how many cataract surgeries have been performed in the Asia-Pacific region.
  • Aid Program (Question No. 1252) (2 speeches)
    asked the Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs, upon notice, on 22 September 2011: Since 24 November 2007, what amount of funding has been spent on eye screening of primary...