Senate debates
Thursday, 15 March 2012
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Selection of Bills Committee; Report (1 speech)
I present the third report of 2012 of the Selection of Bills Committee and I seek leave to have the report incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The report read as follows— SELECTION OF...
- Business (0 speeches)
- Consideration of Legislation (1 speech)
I move: That the following general business orders of the day be considered on Thursday, 22 March 2012 under the temporary order relating to the consideration of private senators’ bills:...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Business (0 speeches)
- Leave of Absence (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to the following senators: (a) Senator Boswell for today, on account of parliamentary business; and...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Motions (0 speeches)
- Murray-Darling Basin (1 speech)
I, and also on behalf of Senators Birmingham and Hanson-Young, move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) since...
- Privileges Committee (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate requests that, in the absence of a final report, the Committee of Privileges should provide a progress report, not later than Monday, 19 March 2012, on the matter referred...
- University Fees (2 speeches)
I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) both universities and students recognise the contribution that...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Motions (0 speeches)
- Coal (2 speeches)
I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) China's twelfth 5 year plan is expected to introduce caps on coal...
- Nuclear Submarines (4 speeches)
I seek leave to recommit the vote taken yesterday on general business notice of motion No. 692, relating to nuclear submarines, due to a miscommunication that does not reflect the will of the...
- Business (0 speeches)
- Leave of Absence (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to the following senators: (a) Senators Evans, Farrell and Feeney for 16 March 2012, on account of parliamentary business; and (b) Senators...
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Legislation Committees; Report (1 speech)
Pursuant to order and at the request of the chairs of the respective committees, I present reports on the examination of annual reports tabled by 31 October 2011. Ordered that the reports be printed.
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Grants Allocation (33 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Finance and Deregulation, Senator Wong. Are there any ministers who have failed to report cash grants made to their own electorates over the past two years? If...
- Mining (6 speeches)
Mr President, my question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Evans. Can the minister advise the Senate how the government...
- Future Fund (19 speeches)
My question is to the
- National Disability Insurance Scheme (7 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Disability Reform, Senator Evans. In 2007 the Australian government ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons...
- Small Business (24 speeches)
My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Small Business, Senator Lundy. Is the minister aware of a recent article published by Dun and Bradstreet in the magazine Small...
- Employment (13 speeches)
My question is to—
- Family Court (6 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Attorney-General, Senator Ludwig. The minister will recall that on 14 February he told the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation...
- Small Business: Enterprise Connect (6 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Industry and Innovation, Senator Lundy. Can the minister explain why, in the International Year of Co-operatives and with many of the...
- Rural and Regional Health Services (26 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Wong. I refer the minister to the government's spending priorities for rural and regional Australia in the upcoming May budget....
- Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
- Grants Allocation, Future Fund (7 speeches)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Finance and Deregulation (Senator Wong) to questions without notice asked by Senators Sinodinos and Cormann today...
- National Disability Insurance Scheme (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research (Senator Evans) to a question without notice asked by Senator Siewert...
- Business (0 speeches)
- Senate Temporary Orders (1 speech)
Before proceeding to the next business, I remind the Senate of the order to return to government business at 3.45 pm this afternoon. That may well put a constraint on business transacted between...
- Condolences (0 speeches)
- Scott, the Hon. Douglas Barr (3 speeches)
It is with deep regret that I inform the Senate of the death on 12 March 2012 of the Hon. Douglas Barr Scott, a senator for the state of New South Wales in 1970 and from 1974 to 1985, and during...
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives Bill 2012, Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives (Medicare Levy Surcharge) Bill 2012, Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives (Medicare Levy Surcharge — Fringe Benefits) Bill 2012; Second Reading (29 speeches)
When question time interrupted my contribution on this, many Labor senators had come in to hear what I had to say about this particular bill. I see they have all left now and, for the record,...
- Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives Bill 2012, Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives (Medicare Levy Surcharge) Bill 2012, Fairer Private Health Insurance Incentives (Medicare Levy Surcharge — Fringe Benefits) Bill 2012; Third Reading (1 speech)
The question now is that the remaining stages of the bills be agreed to and the bills be now passed. Bills read a third time.
- Minerals Resource Rent Tax Bill 2011, Minerals Resource Rent Tax (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2011, Minerals Resource Rent Tax (Imposition — General) Bill 2011, Minerals Resource Rent Tax (Imposition — Customs) Bill 2011, Minerals Resource Rent Tax (Imposition — Excise) Bill 2011, Petroleum Resource Rent Tax Assessment Amendment Bill 2011, Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (Imposition — General) Bill 2011, Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (Imposition — Customs) Bill 2011, Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (Imposition — Excise) Bill 2011, Tax Laws Amendment (Stronger, Fairer, Simpler and Other Measures) Bill 2011, Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Amendment Bill 2011; Second Reading (24 speeches)
The coalition opposes this raft of bills. This raft of bills, the Minerals Resource Rent Tax Bill 2011 and related bills, will strike at the very heart of the Australian economy. This package of...
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence (1 speech)
I rise to speak this evening about the National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence, which this year is held tomorrow, Friday, 16 March. This national day of action occurs on the third...
- Fair Work Australia (1 speech)
If I wanted to pull teeth for a job, I would have become a dentist. Little did I realise in coming into this place that the skills of dentistry would be an essential requirement in the pursuit of...
- Justice Reinvestment (1 speech)
I am taking the opportunity today to inform the Senate about two important events I co-hosted in my hometown of Adelaide last Friday. Along with my South Australian Greens colleague the Hon....
- Trojan's Trek (1 speech)
I rise tonight to speak about an initiative in South Australia called Trojan's Trek. For some current or ex-members of the military, coming back home and adapting to the normalities of everyday...