Senate debates

Thursday, 10 September 2015

• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee, Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security; Meeting (1 speech)
    I remind senators that the question may be put on any proposal at the request of any senator.
• Parliamentary Representation (0 speeches)
  • South Australia (1 speech)
    I inform the Senate that I have received a letter from Senator Wright resigning her place as a senator for the state of South Australia. Pursuant to the provisions of section 21 of the...
• Party Office Holders (0 speeches)
  • The Nationals (1 speech)
    by leave—I wish to inform the Senate that Senator Canavan will be replacing Senator O'Sullivan as the Nationals Whip in the Senate. I would like to thank Senator O'Sullivan for the...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Social Security (Administration) Amendment (Consumer Lease Exclusion) Bill 2015; Second Reading (10 speeches)
    It gives me great pleasure to rise today to continue my remarks in relation to this bill. At the end of my previous contribution on this bill I was talking about changes the government has...
  • Social Security (Administration) Amendment (Consumer Lease Exclusion) Bill 2015; Third Reading (2 speeches)
    Given that 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.
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Selection of Bills Committee; Report (1 speech)
    I present the 11th report for 2015 of the Selection of Bills Committee. Ordered that the report be adopted. I seek leave to have the report incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The report...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Rearrangement (1 speech)
    I move: That— (a) government business order of the day no. 2 (Aged Care Amendment (Independent Complaints Arrangements) Bill 2015) be considered from 12.45 pm today; and (b) government...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Steel Industry (3 speeches)
    I, and on behalf of Senator Madigan, Senator Carr and Senator Xenophon, seek leave to amend the general business notice of motion No. 845. Leave granted. I move the motion as amended: That the...
  • Climate Change Authority (4 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes, with regret, the resignation of Mr Bernie Fraser as Chair of the independent Climate Change Authority 2 years before the expiry of his 5 year term; (b)...
  • Climate Change (4 speeches)
    I ask that that general business notice of motion No. 847 standing in my name for today relating to our Pacific Island neighbours be taken as a formal motion.
  • World Suicide Prevention Day (8 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that Thursday 10 September, is World Suicide Prevention Day and RU OK Day in Australia, and acknowledges that: (i) the theme for World Suicide Prevention...
  • Migration (9 speeches)
    As this is my last motion for the year, I would like the indulgence of the chamber to perhaps have it supported unanimously. I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) the Temporary Work...
  • Indigenous Affairs: Arts Funding (4 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) the Nindji Nindji Aboriginal arts and music festival, the only one of its kind in the Pilbara, has been running in South Headland since 1996,...
  • Qantas (11 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) recognises the excellent performance and financial turnaround of the Qantas group; (b) notes that: (i) all sectors in the group returned a profit, (ii) Qantas...
  • World Suicide Prevention Day (3 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) Thursday, 10 September 2015, is World Suicide Prevention Day, and (ii) this day is an awareness day to provide worldwide commitment and action...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Membership (2 speeches)
    The President has received letters requesting changes in the membership of committees.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Water Amendment Bill 2015; Second Reading (2 speeches)
    The Water Amendment Bill 2015 is an important piece of legislation that will have a great impact on my home state of South Australia as well as the whole of the Murray-Darling Basin. A couple of...
  • Aged Care Amendment (Independent Complaints Arrangements) Bill 2015; Second Reading (2 speeches)
    The Aged Care Amendment (Independent Complaints Arrangements) Bill 2015 amends the Aged Care Act 1997 to reflect the 2015 budget measure to transfer the responsibility of aged care complaints...
  • Aged Care Amendment (Independent Complaints Arrangements) Bill 2015; Third Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time.
  • Water Amendment Bill 2015; Second Reading (11 speeches)
    I am pleased to resume my speech. I was talking about the fact that the recent stock take of sustainable diversion limits has shown that we are on track to meet our environmental targets. This...
  • Water Amendment Bill 2015; In Committee (6 speeches)
    by leave—I move Liberal Democratic Party amendments (1) and (2) on sheet 7752 together: (1) Schedule 1, Part 1, page 5 (after line 12), at the end of the Part, add: 2A Subsection 86AE(2)...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Shipping (11 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Employment, Senator Abetz. I refer to the job losses in our home state of Tasmania of 36 seafarers of the Alexander Spirit, a ship which has since returned to...
  • Syria (6 speeches)
    My question is to the Attorney-General, Senator Brandis. Can the Attorney advise the Senate of the legal basis for Australia's decision to extend military action against Daesh into eastern Syria?
  • Economy (6 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz. Has the Prime Minister's short-lived progress report Sticking to our plan disappeared from government talking points...
  • Asylum Seekers (41 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz. Yesterday, the government announced an emergency intake of 12,000 Syrian and Iraqi refugees. I congratulate the...
  • Paid Parental Leave (8 speeches)
    My question is to the minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz, and I refer to the government's budget measure of removing double dipping from parental leave pay. Does the minister...
  • Defence Procurement (6 speeches)
    My question is for the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, Senator Brandis, and it relates to the government's welcome announcement in Adelaide last month that it intended to spend...
  • Indigenous Employment, Trade with China (6 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Senator Scullion. Can the minister update the Senate on how the China-Australia free trade agreement will benefit Indigenous Australians,...
  • Trade with China (18 speeches)
    After 15 Dorothy Dixers from the government this week on the China free trade deal, I have some real questions for the Minister representing the Minister for Trade and Investment, Senator Payne....
  • Nauru (12 speeches)
    My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Senator Cash. I refer to the deeply concerning evidence provided to the Senate select committee...
  • Illicit Drugs (7 speeches)
    My question is to the Assistant Minister for Health, Senator Nash. Will the minister update the Senate on the importance of the national drugs campaign warning about the devastating effects of ice?
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • Answers to Questions (2 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by ministers to questions without notice asked by Opposition senators today. What sort of government is it that actively sets out to destroy...
  • Nauru (4 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister representing the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Senator Cash, to a question without notice asked by Senator...
  • Paid Parental Leave (1 speech)
    It is great to have the opportunity to take note of answers given. I want to confine my comments to the question I asked around paid parental leave changes that were introduced in the budget. It...
  • Trade with China (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Human Services (Senator Payne) to a question without notice asked by Senator Whish-Wilson today relating to the...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Education and Employment Legislation Committee; Additional Information (1 speech)
    I present additional information received by the Education and Employment Legislation Committee relating to estimates.
  • Regulations and Ordinances Committee; Delegated Legislation Monitor (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Regulations and Ordinances, I present the Delegated Legislation Monitor for No. 10 of 2015 of the Standing Committee on Regulation and...
• Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
  • Global Outlook and the Australian Economy (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Treasurer, I table a ministerial statement on the Global Outlook and the Australian Economy.
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Syria (20 speeches)
    I move: That parliamentary approval should be required for Australian forces to be deployed to Syria. You would be aware, I think, that the first bill that I introduced when I came into this...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Select Committee on the Regional Processing Centre in Nauru; Report (10 speeches)
    I rise to take note of the Select Committee report on Nauru. I rise in relation to a number of contributions made by government ministers and government senators in which they made remarks about...
  • Economics References Committee; Report (1 speech)
    I rise to take note of the report of the Economics References Committee on the future of Australia's naval shipbuilding industry and seek leave to continue my remarks later. Leave granted; debate...
  • Environment and Communications References Committee; Report (1 speech)
    I rise to take note of the report of the Environment and Communications References Committee on regulation of the fin-fish aquaculture industry in Tasmania, and seek leave to continue my remarks...
  • Joint Standing Committee on Treaties; Report (1 speech)
    I rise to take note of the 151st report of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties and seek leave to continue my remarks later. Leave granted; debate adjourned.
  • Law Enforcement Committee; Report (1 speech)
    I rise to take note of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement's inquiry into financial related crime and seek leave to continue my remarks later. Leave granted; debate adjourned.
  • Economics References Committee; Report (1 speech)
    I rise to take note of the Economics References Committee's interim report on the future of Australia's automotive industry and seek leave to continue my remarks later. Leave granted; debate...
  • Community Affairs References Committee; Report (1 speech)
    I rise to take note of the report of the Community Affairs References Committee on out of home care and seek leave to continue my remarks later. Leave granted; debate adjourned.
  • Select Committee on the Regional Processing Centre in Nauru; Report (4 speeches)
    Mr President, I rise to take note of the initial report of the Select Committee on the Recent Allegations relating to Conditions and Circumstances at the Regional Processing Centre in...
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • Health Care (1 speech)
    I rise to report to the Senate some concerns about the provision of health care in country South Australia. I had the privilege last week of spending two days in regional South Australia with...
  • Asia Pacific TB Caucus (1 speech)
    I rise tonight to report on the inaugural meeting of the Asia Pacific TB Caucus that I attended in Sydney recently. The caucus, convened by Melissa Parke and Warren Entsch, is a gathering of...
  • Employment (1 speech)
    I rise to speak about the great news for Tasmanian employment revealed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics' jobs figures released today. It is my pleasure to inform the Senate that over 6,200...