Senate debates

Tuesday, 17 March 2015

• Statement by the President (0 speeches)
  • Photography of the Senate (1 speech)
    Honourable senators, I seek concurrence, as I did last year, in relation to a request from the press gallery. The press gallery has requested that photographs may be taken not in agreement with...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee, Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee; Meeting (1 speech)
    Does any senator wish for any of those motions to be put? There being none, we will proceed to business.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Higher Education and Research Reform Bill 2014; Second Reading (20 speeches)
    I rise to speak on the Higher Education and Research Reform Bill 2014. For 10 months the Abbott government has pursued an unfair, unnecessary and ideologically driven agenda to restructure higher...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Higher Education and Research Funding (26 speeches)
    My question is to Senator Abetz, the minister representing the Prime Minister. I refer to the threats made by the Minister for Education, Christopher 'the fixer' Pyne, on Sunday's Insiders...
  • Australia: Demographics, Pensions and Benefits (6 speeches)
    Mr President, my question is to the Minister for Finance and the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Cormann. Will the minister advise the Senate of the appropriate government policy...
  • Higher Education (25 speeches)
    Mr President, my question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Cormann. Can the minister advise the Senate exactly how much the latest iteration of the government's university...
  • Community Pharmacy Agreement (8 speeches)
    My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Health. I refer to the damning report by the Australian National Audit Office into the Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement. The...
  • Indigenous Affairs (6 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Senator Scullion. Will the minister advise the Senate of additional action the government is taking to increase Indigenous employment and...
  • Automotive Transformation Scheme (6 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Finance, Senator Cormann. Did the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Industry exchange letters quantifying the net budget impact of the government's...
  • Australian Building and Construction Commission (6 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Employment, Senator Abetz. I refer the minister to reports of continued thuggery by unions purporting to represent workers on construction sites. Can the...
  • Telecommunications Data Retention (9 speeches)
    My question is to the Attorney-General, Senator Brandis. Attorney, given that the NBN Co will become the largest wholesale provider of internet based services, including voice-over-IP telephone...
  • Minister for Foreign Affairs (6 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz. Can the minister confirm the foreign minister delivered a scathing assessment of the Abbott government's first...
  • Disability Services (6 speeches)
    My question is to the Assistant Minister for Social Services, Senator Fifield. Can the minister outline to the Senate what the government is doing to help organisations that provide services to...
  • Legal Aid (10 speeches)
    My question is to the Attorney-General, Senator Brandis. I refer to a joint letter from state and territory attorneys-general, including those from New South Wales, Western Australia, Tasmania...
  • Illicit Drugs (7 speeches)
    My question is to Senator Nash, the Assistant Minister for Health. Will the minister inform the Senate what the Australian government is doing to fight the scourge of drugs? Can the minister also...
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • Higher Education and Research Funding (18 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Employment (Senator Abetz) and the Minister for Finance (Senator Cormann) to questions without notice asked by Senators...
  • Community Pharmacy Agreement (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Assistant Minister for Health (Senator Nash) to a question without notice asked by Senator Di Natale today relating to the Fifth...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee; Reporting Date (1 speech)
    Does any senator wish to have that question put? There being none, we will declare that is happening.
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Leave of Absence (1 speech)
    by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to Senator Smith for 16 March and 17 March 2015, for personal reasons. Question agreed to.
  • Consideration of Legislation (2 speeches)
    I move: That— (a) the Business Services Wage Assessment Tool Payment Scheme Bill 2014 and the Business Services Wage Assessment Tool Payment Scheme (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2014 be...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Uranium Mining (3 speeches)
    At the request of Senator O'Sullivan, I move: That the Senate recognises: (a) the supportive role Australia's uranium export industry provides in global efforts to address climate change by...
  • Indigenous Communities (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes: (i) the insensitive remarks of the Prime Minister (Mr Abbott) in which he called remote Aboriginal communities a 'lifestyle choice', (ii) the anguish...
  • Iraq (5 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) the Government has committed a further 300 troops to the war in Iraq, in addition to the special forces and air force personnel already...
  • National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (4 speeches)
    I, and also on behalf of Senators Lazarus, Muir, Rhiannon, Xenophon, Madigan, Lambie and Wang, move: That the Senate calls on the Government to commit to the allocation and release of $150...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Telecommunications Data Retention; Order for the Production of Documents (7 speeches)
    I move: That— (a) the Senate notes that: (i) the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act requires that the overseeing Minister (currently the Attorney-General), as soon as...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Solar Energy eXchange Initiative (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) a group of western New South Wales councils, accounting for two thirds of the state's area, are working together on a solar initiative, known as...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Charter of Budget Honesty Amendment (Intergenerational Report) Bill 2015; First Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to provide for the Intergenerational report to be prepared by the Parliamentary Budget Office, and for related purposes. Question...
  • Charter of Budget Honesty Amendment (Intergenerational Report) Bill 2015; 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 and to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Automotive Transformation Scheme; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    I, and also on behalf of Senators Carr, Madigan, Muir and Wright, move: That there be laid on the table, no later than 4 pm on Monday, 23rd March 2015: (a) by the Minister representing the...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Great Barrier Reef (7 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has repeatedly stated that the most serious threat to the reef is climate change, (ii) the Abbot...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Consideration of Legislation (1 speech)
    I move: That the provisions of paragraphs (5) to (8) of standing order 111 not apply to the following bills, allowing them to be considered during this period of sittings: Appropriation...
• Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
  • Indigenous Affairs (30 speeches)
    I now inform the Senate that, at 8.30 am today, Senators Moore and Siewert each submitted a letter in accordance with standing order 75, proposing a matter of public importance. The question of...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Public Works Committee; Report (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Chair of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, I present report No. 2 of 2015: Referrals made December 2014.
  • Education and Employment References Committee; Report (1 speech)
    At the request of the Chair of the Education and Employment References Committee, Senator Lines, I present the committee's report on higher education together with the Hansard record of...
  • Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Joint Committee; Government Response to Report (2 speeches)
    I present the government’s response to the report of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade on its inquiry into Australia’s trade and investment...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Automotive Transformation Scheme; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    I table a document relating to the order for the production of documents concerning the Automotive Transformation Scheme.
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Membership (2 speeches)
    Order! The President has received a letter from a party leader seeking a variation to the membership of committees.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2014-2015, Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2014-2015, Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2014-2015; First Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That these bills may proceed without formalities, may be taken together and be now read a first time. Question agreed to. Bills read a first time.
  • Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2014-2015, Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2014-2015, Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2014-2015; Second Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That these bills be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speeches incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The speeches read as follows— APPROPRIATION...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Legislation Committees, Reports (1 speech)
    Pursuant to order and at the request of the chairs of the respective committees, I present reports from committees in respect of the examination of annual reports tabled by 31 October 2014....
  • Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee; Report (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Chair of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, Senator Heffernan, I present the report of the committee on the Biosecurity Bill 2014 and related...
  • Legislation Committees, Reports (1 speech)
    Pursuant to order and at the request of the chairs of the respective committees, I present reports from legislation committees in respect of the 2014-15 additional estimates, together with the...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Higher Education and Research Reform Bill 2014; Second Reading (13 speeches)
    I rise to speak today on the Higher Education and Research Reform Bill 2014 for the second time. Due to the complexities of this bill, I have seen two main responses. One is highly-uninformed...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Rearrangement (1 speech)
    I move: That intervening business be postponed till after consideration of the government business order of the day relating to the Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2)...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2014-2015, Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2014-2015, Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2014-2015; Second Reading (3 speeches)
    I rise to speak on the three appropriation bills forming the additional estimates for 2014-15—appropriation bills Nos 3 and 4 and of course the parliamentary departments bill. In total,...
  • Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2014-2015, Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2014-2015, Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2014-2015; In Committee (4 speeches)
    by leave—I move amendments (3) to (6) on sheet 7684. (3) Schedule 2, page 11 (table), omit the table, substitute: (4) Schedule 2, page 13 (table), omit the table, substitute: (5) Schedule...
  • Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2014-2015, Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2014-2015, Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2014-2015; Third Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That these bills be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bills read a third time.
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • Baylis, Mr John (1 speech)
    It is with great sadness that I acknowledge the passing of Mr John Baylis, who passed away on 5 March in Darwin after a long battle with motor neurone disease. He was 83 years old. John Baylis...
  • Queensland: Cyclone Marcia (1 speech)
    Tonight I rise to pay tribute to the resilience of Queenslanders, particularly those affected by Tropical Cyclone Marcia. On 20 February this year, Tropical Cyclone Marcia hit the central...
  • Arthritis Awareness Week (1 speech)
    I rise to speak about Arthritis Awareness Week, which started on Sunday. The theme of arthritis week is 'Kids get arthritis too'. Most people think that arthritis is a condition that only affects...
  • Coal Seam Gas (1 speech)
    I would like to take the opportunity to thank the people of Australia for their support. I have created a petition on www.change.org to secure the help of the people of Australia to call on the...
  • Tasmania: Hear Our Voices Gathering 2015 (1 speech)
    I rise this evening to speak about the Hear Our Voices Gathering 2015 'Stepping Out' women's gathering, which I attended last Friday in Glenorchy in Tasmania. This was the second annual...
  • International Day of Forests (3 speeches)
    Just on the outskirts of my home town of Melbourne, you can find the tallest flowering plants in the world, the majestic mountain ash of the central highlands. These spectacular forests form the...
  • Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (1 speech)
    I rise tonight noting the rumours, reported by Paul Kelly in yesterday's The Australian newspaper and also in an excellent piece by Linda Jakobson in today's The Australian, that the Abbott...
  • New South Wales: Environment (1 speech)
    The New South Wales Liberal and National parties line up with the Abbott government as environmental vandals. Premier Mike Baird and the coalition government are creating a legacy of...