Senate debates
Wednesday, 29 October 2014
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Scrutiny of Bills Committee; Report (1 speech)
by leave—I present a further report from the Scrutiny of Bills Committee on the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Foreign Fighters) Bill 2014 and move that the report be printed....
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Statements by Senators (0 speeches)
- Albany Convoy Commemoration (1 speech)
This coming weekend and in particular this Saturday, 1 November, will mark a moment of both enormous pride and enormous solemnity in a very special part of regional Western Australia. This Friday...
- Aged Care (1 speech)
I rise to speak today about some of the outstanding work being undertaken by people committed to improving the lives of older Australians—people whose work often sadly goes unrecognised....
- Coal Seam Gas (1 speech, 1 comment)
I rise as a senator for Queensland who has seen our communities, our farmland and our environment devastated by coal seam gas extraction. I am deeply concerned that this industry is on the verge...
- Gas Exploration, Australian National University (1 speech)
It is quite fitting that I follow Senator Waters's contribution here in this chamber because I do not actually believe that fairies live in the bottom of the garden. The issue of gas and how we...
- Trade with China (1 speech)
I rise today to speak on the China free trade agreement. Labor strongly supports trade liberalisation because it is good for economic growth, exports, jobs, living standards and competitiveness....
- Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Russia (1 speech)
I rise to address a matter that was raised in the media this morning regarding an alleged ASIO report which was leaked to Fairfax journalist Peter Hartcher. Today I have written to the...
- Shipping (2 speeches)
I fear my topic is somewhat more mundane than Senator Lambie's, but I would like to speak to the chamber today about the costs and impacts of coastal shipping on industry and business here in...
- Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I inform honourable senators of the presence in the President's gallery of a delegation from Malawi, led by the Hon. Richard Msowoya, Speaker of the Malawi parliament. On behalf of all senators,...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Fuel Prices (17 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Finance, Senator Cormann. I refer to the government's petrol tax ambush and the comments by senior Liberal senator Ian Macdonald, who is totally opposed to the...
- Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I draw the attention of honourable senators to the presence in the chamber of the President of the German Bundestag, Professor Norbert Lammert. On behalf of all senators, I wish you a warm...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Higher Education (8 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Human Services, Senator Payne, representing the Minister for Education. Will the minister inform the Senate how the government's higher education reforms will...
- Australian Defence Force (27 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Defence. I refer the minister to reports that Australian soldiers in the Middle East have condemned the government's offer of a real pay cut to ADF personnel,...
- Indigenous Employment (6 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Senator Scullion. It relates to reports today that unemployed Aboriginal people in remote communities will be subjected to harsher...
- Australian Building and Construction Commission (30 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Employment, Senator Abetz, and relates to the government's intention to re-establish the Australian Building and Construction Commission. Can the minister...
- Defence: Submarines (9 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Defence, Senator Johnston. I refer the minister to evidence given to the Senate by submarine expert and retired Commodore, Paul Greenfield, who said: An...
- Defence Procurement (11 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Defence. Will the minister confirm that a decision on the future submarine project will be announced within a month? Will this involve a genuine competitive...
- Economic Competitiveness (10 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Finance and Assistant Treasurer. As part of its competitiveness agenda, the government recently announced industry assistance of $188 million for five...
- Minister for Defence (25 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Defence. I refer the minister to comments by the Assistant Minister for Defence on the ABC's Q&A program, where he said, and I quote: I just run the...
- Aged Care (9 speeches)
My question is to the Assistant Minister for Social Services, Senator Fifield. Will the minister update the Senate on what the government is doing—
- Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
- Fuel Excise (13 speeches)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Finance (Senator Cormann) to a question without notice asked by Senator Cameron today relating to indexation of fuel...
- Indigenous Employment (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Indigenous Affairs (Senator Scullion) to a question without notice asked by Senator Siewert today relating to assistance...
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Presentation (3 speeches)
On behalf of the Standing Committee on Regulations and Ordinances, I give notice that, at the giving of notices on the next day's sitting, I shall withdraw business of the Senate notice of motion...
- Business (0 speeches)
- Leave of Absence (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That leave of absence for personal reasons be granted to Senators McEwen and Peris for today, 29 October 2014. Question agreed to.
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Motions (0 speeches)
- Public Housing (1 speech)
I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 477 standing in my name for today relating to public housing. Leave granted. I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) the New...
- Ebola (1 speech)
I, and also on behalf of Senator Di Natale, move: That that there be laid on the table by the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, no later than 3 pm on 30 October 2014, a...
- Broadband (1 speech)
At the request of Senator Conroy, I move: That there be laid on the table by the Minister for Finance (Senator Cormann), and the Minister representing the Minister for Communications (Senator...
- Carbon Pricing (4 speeches)
I move That the Senate notes the biggest reduction in energy costs ever recorded and continues to support initiatives that will bring downward pressure on the cost of energy to all Australians.
- International Brain Tumour Awareness Week (1 speech)
Before I ask that this motion be taken as formal, I inform the chamber that Senator Xenophon has been added as a co-sponsor to the motion. I ask that general business notice of motion No. 487...
- International Day of the Girl Child (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That the Senate— (a) notes: (i) the significant impact of the International Day of the Girl Child, on 11 October, in promoting girls' rights and women's empowerment,...
- Sunswift University of New South Wales Solar Racing Team (4 speeches)
by leave—I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) the Sunswift University of New South Wales Solar Racing Team was recently confirmed by the Fédération Internationale de...
- Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (7 speeches)
by leave—I move: That the Senate— (a) notes members of the: (i) Australian Parliament will only be allowed to see the final text of the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (the...
- Matters of Urgency (0 speeches)
- Ebola (28 speeches)
I inform the Senate that I have received the following letter from Senator Siewert: Pursuant to standing order 75, I give notice that today I propose to move that, in the opinion of the Senate,...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Darfur; Tabling (1 speech)
by leave—I table a petitioning document, relating to the war in Darfur, which is a non-conforming petition and has been put through both whips. I now seek leave to make a short statement of...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Joint Standing Committee on Treaties; Report (1 speech)
I present the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties report No. 144 and I seek leave to have the report incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The report read as follows— Treaty tabled on...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Asylum Seekers; Tabling (1 speech)
by leave—I present to the Senate a non-conforming petition relating to the treatment of asylum seekers in Immigration detention. It has been previously approved by the whips.
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Membership (2 speeches)
Order! The President has received letters from party leaders requesting changes in the membership of various committees.
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Addresses by World Leaders (0 speeches)
- Prime Minister for the Republic of India (1 speech)
Messages have been received from the House of Representatives inviting senators to attend meetings of the House for addresses by the Rt Hon. David Cameron MP, Prime Minister the United Kingdom;...
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- 25th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall (1 speech)
Freedom is an innate human aspiration. Millions of people have campaigned for freedom. Millions have died in the cause of freedom. Freedom is a fundamental aspiration common to all humanity. We...
- University of Newcastle Central Coast Campus (1 speech)
I rise in the shadow of many conversations of the last week—since the passing of the great Gough Whitlam—to speak to 'something little that has grown'. We have the image of Vincent...
- Western Australia: Sharks (1 speech)
Tonight I wish to talk about sharks. I know that that will come as no surprise to some people, as I have spoken on sharks on many occasions in this place. I am pleased to say that we have made...
- Freedom of Religion (1 speech)
I spoke in this chamber on 25 March this year about persecution of religious minorities. I talked at that time about the German International Society for Human Rights which highlighted that 80...
