Senate debates

Thursday, 13 August 2015

• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee, Select Committee on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee; Meeting (1 speech)
    I remind senators that the question may be put on any proposal at the request of any senator.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • National Integrity Commission Bill 2013; Second Reading (35 speeches)
    I rise today to speak in support of the National Integrity Commission Bill 2013. This is the third straight time that the parliament has had the opportunity to consider this bill. I am the third...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Selection of Bills Committee; Report (1 speech)
    I present the 9th report of 2015 of the Selection of Bills Committee. I seek leave to have the report incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The report read as follows— 1. The committee...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Rearrangement (1 speech)
    I move: That the order of general business for consideration today be as follows: (a) general business notice of motion no. 806 standing in the names of Senators Madigan and Xenophon relating to...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Perth Freight Link (8 speeches)
    I, and also on behalf of Senator Sterle, move: That— (a) the Senate notes the failure of the Minister representing the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development to comply with...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Aged Care Amendment (Independent Complaints Arrangements) Bill 2015; First Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Aged Care Act 1997, and for related purposes. Question agreed to. I present the bill and move: That this bill may...
  • Aged Care Amendment (Independent Complaints Arrangements) Bill 2015; Second Reading (1 speech)
    I table the explanatory memorandum and move: That this bill be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The speech read as...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Nuclear Weapons (1 speech)
    I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 799 standing in my name. Leave granted. I move the motion as amended: That the Senate— (a) notes: (i) that on 6 and 9 August 2015...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Fair Work Amendment (Penalty Rates Exemption for Small Businesses) Bill 2015; First Reading (1 speech)
    I, and also on behalf of, Senator Day, move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Fair Work Act 2009, and for related purposes. Fair Work Amendment (Penalty Rates...
  • Fair Work Amendment (Penalty Rates Exemption for Small Businesses) 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. Leave granted. I table an explanatory memorandum and seek leave to have...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Education Funding (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) the Abbott Government’s attempts to deregulate university fees and slash public funding to higher education have been defeated twice in...
  • Cassowary Protection (7 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes: (i) the fact that the southern cassowary is listed as endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, and that...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Parliamentary Expenses Amendment (Transparency and Accountability) Bill 2015; First Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Parliamentary Entitlements Act 1990 and other legislation, and for related purposes. Parliamentary Expenses Amendment...
  • Parliamentary Expenses Amendment (Transparency and Accountability) 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. Leave granted. I table an explanatory memorandum and seek leave to have the...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Dialysis in the Northern Territory (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) welcomes the $9 million for Purple House to deliver dialysis services in Alice Springs and remote communities in Central Australia, and the $10 million in...
  • Firearms (5 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) the Adler A110 lever-action shotgun is currently a Category A firearm, (ii) lever-action shotguns similar to the Adler A110 currently exist and...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Postponement (1 speech)
    by leave—I move: That general business notice of motion No. 802, standing in the name of Senator O'Sullivan for today, relating to the Tasmanian timber industry be postponed till the next...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Tax Laws Amendment (Small Business Measures No. 3) Bill 2015; First Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That this bill may proceed without formalities and be now read a first time. Question agreed to. Bill read a first time.
  • Tax Laws Amendment (Small Business Measures No. 3) Bill 2015; Second Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The speech read as follows— This Bill amends...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee; Report (1 speech)
    On behalf of the chair of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, Senator Macdonald, I present reports on legislation as listed at item 11 on today's Order of Business...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Tax Laws Amendment (Small Business Measures No. 3) Bill 2015; Second Reading (17 speeches)
    I rise today to speak on behalf of the opposition on the Tax Laws Amendment (Small Business Measures No. 3) Bill 2015, which Labor will be supporting. Labor will support these small business...
  • Tax Laws Amendment (Small Business Measures No. 3) Bill 2015; Third Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That this bill be read a third time Question agreed to. Bill read a third time.
  • Medical Research Future Fund Bill 2015; In Committee (3 speeches)
    I move: That the committee agrees to the amendment made by the House of Representatives which is identical to Senate amendment (1).
  • Social Services Legislation Amendment (Youth Employment and Other Measures) Bill 2015; Second Reading (5 speeches)
    We often say in this place that we wish the government would listen to what the people are saying. This legislation shows that they listened, a bit, but they obviously did not hear what was being...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Employment (6 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Employment, Senator Abetz. Is the minister aware that, yesterday, 26 workers at ASC in South Australia were sacked by phone and text message? If so, when did he...
  • National Ice Taskforce (11 speeches)
    Might I take a slight indulgence in congratulating my bench partner for having received a letter from Her Majesty the Queen. But that is not the purpose of rising.
  • Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption (25 speeches)
    My question is to the Attorney-General, Senator Brandis. Can the Attorney-General confirm that Commissioner Dyson Heydon, the head of the Abbott government's royal commission into trade unions,...
  • Syria (11 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz. Given confirmation by the Prime Minister today that he is in active talks with the United States government about...
  • Shipping (16 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Employment, Senator Abetz. I refer to the Abbott government's plan to deregulate Australian coastal shipping. Can the minister confirm that the government's own...
  • Shipbuilding Industry (9 speeches)
    My question is to the Attorney-General, representing the Minister for Defence. In the last 24 hours, another 140-plus job losses have been announced in the naval shipbuilding sector: 128 at BAE...
  • Trade with China (6 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Trade and Investment, Senator Payne. Can the minister outline how the government's trade policy is a vital part of the coalition's...
  • Indigenous Health (6 speeches)
    My question is to the Assistant Minister for Health, Senator Nash. Today the Western Sydney Aboriginal Medical Service is closing its doors after 28 years of serving the community. I note the...
  • Marriage Equality (10 speeches)
    My question is to the Attorney-General, Senator Brandis. Has the High Court settled the question of whether the federal parliament can legislate with respect to the definition of marriage? Is a...
  • National Broadband Network (10 speeches)
    My question is to the Assistant Minister for Social Services, Senator Fifield, representing the Minister for Communications. Can the minister update the Senate on how the government is rolling...
  • Consumer Leases (19 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Human Services, Senator Payne. I refer to comments on consumer leases made by ASIC Deputy Chair, Mr Peter Kell, who said last month: It is not uncommon for...
• Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
  • Employment (1 speech)
    I have some further information in relation to the question asked of me by Senator Wong. I can indicate that the ASC has denied union claims that workers at its Osborne shipbuilding base were...
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption (18 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Attorney-General (Senator Brandis) to a question without notice asked by Senator Conroy today relating to the Commissioner of the...
  • Indigenous Health (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 Siewert today relating to the Aboriginal...
• Budget (0 speeches)
  • Consideration by Estimates Committees (1 speech)
    On behalf of the chair, I present additional information received by the Senate Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Legislation Committee relating to budget estimates hearings.
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee; Membership (1 speech)
    by leave—I move: That Senator Moore replace Senator Ludwig on the Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee for the committee's inquiry into the Australian Government Boards...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Automotive Transformation Scheme (18 speeches)
    I, and also on behalf of Senator Madigan, move: That the Senate notes the importance of an Automotive Transformation Scheme to Australia’s economic prosperity and development. This is a...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Wind Turbines Select Committee; Report (3 speeches)
    The date 3 August 2015 should go down in history as an important date for global action on climate change, when Barack Obama announced the final release of America's Clean Power Plan. Sadly, on...
  • Privileges Committee; Report (1 speech)
    The question is that the motion be agreed to. Question agreed to.
• Personal Explanations (0 speeches)
  • (1 speech)
    I seek leave to make a personal explanation. Leave granted. I understand a question has been raised in respect of references in a report which was submitted to the finance department or the...
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • Higher Education (1 speech)
    Tonight I briefly want to spend some time updating the Senate on a round of consultation that the government is undertaking on behalf of the education backbench. Over 30 rural and regional...
  • Shipping (3 speeches)
    Last month Devonport was the scene for what I fear may become a common event in the maritime sector. The 36 crew of the Caltex oil tanker Alexander Spirit learnt that on their return to Singapore...
  • Justice Reinvestment (1 speech)
    I rise to speak tonight on an issue very close to my heart—justice reinvestment. It is something I have spoken about quite a few times during my four years in the Senate. I hope by now many...
  • Taxation (1 speech)
    I want to talk tonight about tax, and I want to start by complimenting the government on bringing forward a broad-ranging review into the tax system in their first term of government. It is...