Senate debates

Monday, 7 September 2015

• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Meeting (1 speech)
    Does any senator wish to have the question put on any of those motions? There being no-one, we will proceed to business.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (2015 Budget Measures) Bill 2015; Second Reading (22 speeches)
    I rise to speak on the Veterans' Affairs Legislation Amendment (2015 Budget Measures) Bill 2015. Labor supports the majority of measures in this bill because they represent a modest improvement...
  • Tax and Superannuation Laws Amendment (2015 Measures No. 2) Bill 2015; Second Reading (9 speeches)
    I am pleased to inform the Senate at the outset that the opposition will be supporting the Tax and Superannuation Laws Amendment (2015 Measures No. 2) Bill 2015. This bill contains four...
  • Tax and Superannuation Laws Amendment (2015 Measures No. 2) Bill 2015; Third Reading (2 speeches)
    As no amendments to the bill have been circulated, I shall call the minister to move the third reading unless any senator requires that the bill be considered in Committee of the Whole.
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Rearrangement (1 speech)
    I move: That government business order of the day no. 3, Migration Amendment (Maintaining the Good Order of Immigration Detention Facilities) Bill 2015, be postponed till a later hour. Question...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Social Services Legislation Amendment (No. 2) Bill 2015; Second Reading (2 speeches)
    I note the minister's passionate speech in favour of a bill that we were agreeing to; I am a bit worried about how passionate it would be if we were disagreeing with the bill! On the particular...
• Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
  • (1 speech)
    I advise the Senate that Senator Abetz will be absent from question time today for personal reasons. In Senator Abetz's absence, I will take questions in the Prime Minister's portfolio, Senator...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Abbott Government (6 speeches)
    My question is to the minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. I refer to the Abbott government's two-year anniversary and Mr Abbott's election promise to build a 'strong and...
• Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
  • (1 speech)
    I inform senators that we have present in the chamber today the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Parliament of Tasmania, the Hon. Elise Archer; and the Clerk of the House of Assembly, Parliament...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Trade with China (8 speeches)
    ) ( ): My question is to Senator Cormann, the Minister for Finance and Minister representing the Treasurer. Will the minister advise the Senate about the opportunities the China-Australia Free...
  • Economy (9 speeches)
    My question is to Senator Cormann, the Minister for Finance. I remind the minister of his boast to this chamber on the day before the winter recess that this government is 'heading in the right...
  • Trade with China (6 speeches)
    Mr President, my question is to my friend and colleague the Minister for Human Services, Senator Payne, representing the Minister for Trade and Investment. Can the minister outline the benefits...
  • Refugees (12 speeches)
    My question is for the Minister Representing the Prime Minister. There are now 60 million displaced people worldwide, the largest number since World War II. Four million Syrian refugees are now...
  • China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (14 speeches)
    My question is to the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Senator Cash. Can the minister correct misleading claims about the labour market testing provisions applicable to...
  • Climate Change, Mining (17 speeches)
    My question is to the minister representing the environmental and climate minister, Senator Birmingham. Last week, the government finally announced its so-called safeguard mechanism, the cap...
  • Trade with China (6 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Senator Scullion, who is representing the Minister for Agriculture. Will the minister update the Senate on the benefits of the...
  • Canning Electorate (10 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. Why is the Prime Minister cutting $5.8 billion from Western Australia's hospitals over the next 10 years,...
  • Trade with China (7 speeches)
    My question is to the Assistant Minister for Education and Training, Senator Birmingham. Can the minister inform the Senate of the government's response to the current misleading campaign about...
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • Abbott Government (10 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 the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate (Senator Wong)...
  • Economy (18 speeches)
    Thank you, Mr Acting Deputy President—
  • Climate Change, Mining (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Assistant Minister for Education and Training (Senator Birmingham) to a question without notice asked by Senator Waters today relating...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Withdrawal (1 speech)
    Pursuant to standing order 78(1), I give notice of my intention at the giving of notices on the next day of sitting to withdraw business of the Senate notice of motion No. 1 standing in my name...
  • Presentation (1 speech)
    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 the following bills, allowing them to be considered...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Consideration of Legislation (1 speech)
    I move: That general business order of the day No. 66, Social Security (Administration) Amendment (Consumer Lease Exclusion Bill) 2015, be considered on Thursday 10 September 2015, under...
  • Leave of Absence (2 speeches)
    I move: That leave of absence be granted for Senator Abetz, for today, for personal reasons. Question agreed to.
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Environment and Communications References Committee; Reference (5 speeches)
    At the request of Senator Urquhart and Senator Brown, I move: That the following matter be referred to the Environment and Communications References Committee for inquiry and report by 30 April...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • First Speech — Senator McKim (1 speech)
    I move: That consideration of the business before the Senate on Wednesday, 9 September 2015, be interrupted at approximately 5 pm, but not so as to interrupt a senator speaking, to enable Senator...
  • Aboriginal Recognition in Western Australian Constitution (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that legislation amending the Western Australian Constitution to recognise Aboriginal people as the first peoples of Western Australia recently passed in...
• Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
  • Asylum Seekers (17 speeches)
    The President has received the following letter from Senator Siewert: Pursuant to standing order 75, I propose that the following matter of public importance be submitted to the Senate for...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Consideration (1 speech)
    We will now proceed to consideration of documents. The documents are listed on pages 5 to 7 of today's Order of Business.
  • Australian Institute of Health and Welfare — Australia's welfare 2015 (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the document. This is a particularly important piece of work, again highlighting the importance of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. It gives us...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee; Membership (1 speech)
    by leave—I move: That senators be discharged from and appointed to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee as follows: Discharged—Senator Moore as a substitute...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank 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.
  • Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank 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— Mr Speaker, today I am...
  • Social Services Legislation Amendment (No. 2) Bill 2015; Second Reading (21 speeches)
    When we left off this just before question time, I was expressing my deep concern that this particular bill is continuing and extending income management, making it much harder for those who are...
  • Social Services Legislation Amendment (No. 2) Bill 2015; In Committee (7 speeches)
    The question is that the bill stand as printed.
  • Social Services Legislation Amendment (No. 2) Bill 2015; Third Reading (3 speeches)
    I move: That the bill be now read a third time.
  • Fair Work Amendment Bill 2014; Second Reading (3 speeches)
    I rise to speak on the Fair Work Amendment Bill 2014. This bill, should it pass, will make a number of amendments to the Fair Work Act of 2009 to respond to a number of outstanding...
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • Equal Pay Day (2 speeches)
    I rise to talk about Equal Pay Day, which occurred on 4 September 2015. It is a day that highlights the fact that Australian women are working an extra 65 days at the end of a financial year to...
  • Canning Electorate (1 speech)
    I rise tonight to talk about a West Australian issue, and that is the Canning by-election. The electorate of Canning in Western Australia has received a lot of attention over the last couple of...