Senate debates
Wednesday, 16 March 2016
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Statements by Senators (0 speeches)
- Transport Industry (3 speeches)
I hope that Senator Sterle stays here to listen to this speech, because it is very important and involves people that Senator Sterle and I have worked with. I have always believed in a fair day's...
- Nepal Earthquake, Halal Certification (5 speeches)
In the short break that this chamber had between the two weeks of sitting and this week, I had the opportunity over last weekend to make a very brief visit to the amazing country of Nepal. I was...
- Women's Rights (1 speech)
I rise today to talk about women's rights. Sadly in 2016, as we all know, we still do not have gender equality: we do not have equal representation in our parliaments or our business community;...
- Live Animal Exports (1 speech)
I rise today to speak about what is potentially another emerging attack on one of the most substantive industries in northern Australia—that is, the live cattle trade. This chamber would...
- Multicultural Women's Council of Tasmania (1 speech)
I rise to pay tribute to the Multicultural Women's Council of Tasmania. On Saturday night, I was fortunate to join the council for their International Women's Day dinner in Hobart. This dinner...
- Economy (1 speech)
There was once a country that enjoyed strong economic growth and had government debt of around 22 per cent of GDP—a level not much more than Australia's expected debt in the next year or...
- Liquid Natural Gas (1 speech)
Before starting, I want to acknowledge and welcome the grandmothers in purple who are with us in the gallery today. On Monday of this week I was privileged, along with the Minister for Energy and...
- Forced Adoption (1 speech)
On 21 March 2013, our government made a formal apology to the people who have been affected by past forced adoption policies. Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard made her statement in the Great...
- Boothby Electorate (1 speech)
In the couple of minutes left before question time, I want to reflect upon the contribution that my good friend Dr Andrew Southcott has made in the House of Representatives. Dr Southcott has been...
- Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I inform the Senate that Senator Colbeck, the will be absent from question time today. In Senator Colbeck's absence, Senator Birmingham will represent the international education portfolio and...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Budget (14 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Finance, Senator Cormann. Will the federal budget be delivered on 10 May 2016?
- Australian Labor Party (10 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Employment, Senator Cash. Is the minister aware of any secret deals between unions and Labor governments? What are the implications of these deals?
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (21 speeches)
My question is for the Minister representing the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Senator Sinodinos. Mr Pyne issued a media release today celebrating 100 years of CSIRO. Does the...
- Asylum Seekers (20 speeches)
My question today is to the minister representing the Prime Minister, the Attorney-General, Senator Brandis. Attorney-General, today, represented here in the chamber and, of course, around the...
- Media Ownership (6 speeches)
My question is to the Senator Fifield. Can the minister outline why the Turnbull government's media reform package is so important in a transitioning economy?
- Legal Aid (6 speeches)
My question is for Senator the Hon. George Brandis, representing the Minister for Justice. Last year, in my home state of Queensland we saw 80,000 people turned away from community legal centres...
- Smart Specialisation Strategy (8 speeches)
My question is to the Cabinet Secretary, Senator Sinodinos, representing the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science. Can the Cabinet Secretary inform the Senate about the smart...
- Fiscal Policy (6 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Finance and Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Cormann. The government's medium-term fiscal strategy is to achieve budget surpluses on average over...
- Taxation (6 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Cormann. Does addressing bracket creep through tax cuts remain government policy?
- Child Care (6 speeches)
My question is the Minister for Education and Training, Senator Birmingham. Will the minister advise the Senate on how the government's childcare assistance package will support parents who...
- Superannuation (30 speeches)
My question is to Senator Brandis, the Minister representing the Prime Minister. Can the minister confirm that from next year two million women will face a tax hike of up to $500 as a result of...
- Defence White Paper (7 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Defence, Senator Payne. Will the minister inform the Senate how the new Centre for Defence Industry Capability will drive innovation and competitiveness and...
- Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
- Answers to Questions on Notice (0 speeches)
- Question No. 283 (19 speeches)
Pursuant to standing order 74(5), I ask Senator Nash, representing the Minister for Health, why question No. 283, which I placed on notice on 16 December 2015, remains unanswered.
- Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (38 speeches)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Finance (Senator Cormann) and the Cabinet Secretary (Senator Sinodinos) to questions without notice asked by the Leader...
- Asylum Seekers (1 speech)
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 Hanson-Young today relating to asylum seeker...
- Petitions (0 speeches)
- Centrelink (1 speech)
by leave—I present to the Senate a petition relating to Centrelink, from 36,889 citizens, which is not in conformity with the standing orders as it is not in the correct form.
- Business (0 speeches)
- Withdrawal (2 speeches)
I move: That Business of the Senate notice of motion No. 1 and 2 for 10 May 2016, Christmas Island Marine Traffic and Harbour Facilities Determination 2015 and Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine...
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Presentation (1 speech)
Does any senator wish for the question to be put on any of those notifications? If not, we will proceed.
- Business (0 speeches)
- Leave of Absence (1 speech)
by leave—I move: That Senator McKim be granted leave of absence for the 17 March 2016 for personal reasons. Question agreed to.
- Rearrangement (1 speech)
On behalf of Senator Fifield, I move: That consideration of the business before the Senate on Wednesday, 16 March 2016, be interrupted at approximately 5 pm, but not so as to interrupt a senator...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Motions (0 speeches)
- Polio (1 speech)
At the request of Senator Singh, I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) 14 March 2016 marks Commonwealth Day for 2.2 billion people living in 53 countries, (ii) in 1987, when...
- National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence (4 speeches)
At the request of Senators Bilyk and Polley, I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) the 6th National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence is being held on Friday, 18 March...
- Tait, Ms Sarah, Cervical Cancer (4 speeches)
I, and also on behalf of Senators Nash, Cash, Moore and Peris, move: That the Senate— (a) notes the tragic loss of Sarah Tait, Australian rowing champion, following her battle with cervical...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Electoral Matters Committee; Reporting Date (1 speech)
At the request of Senator Reynolds, I move: That the time for the presentation of the report of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters on its inquiry into financing of participants in...
- Motions (0 speeches)
- Polio (1 speech)
I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 1087 standing in my name. Leave granted. I move the motion as amended: That the Senate— (a) recognises that: (i) 14...
- First Speech (0 speeches)
- (2 speeches)
Pursuant to orders, we will pause the housekeeping there and move to the consideration of a first speech. Before I call on Senator Paterson, I indicate the presence in the gallery of former...
- Motions (0 speeches)
- Syria (10 speeches)
I ask that general business notice of motion No. 1079, relating to the ongoing conflict in Syria, be taken as a formal motion.
- Business (0 speeches)
- Days and Hours of Meeting (8 speeches)
I move: That the resolution of the Senate of 15 March 2016 relating to the hours of meeting and routine of business for the week be amended as follows: (a) in paragraph (4) add to the...
- Statement by the President (0 speeches)
- Photography in the Chamber (7 speeches)
I advise senators that I have had a request from the media to take photographs of divisions in the remaining hours and days of this sitting of the Senate. I have raised this before with the...
- Motions (0 speeches)
- Renewable Energy (5 speeches)
I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) clean energy is the key to Australia's future prosperity and supports the jobs, investment and technological innovation that is created in...
- Days and Hours of Meeting (2 speeches)
I, and also on behalf of Senators Day, Wang, Lazarus, Lambie and Leyonhjelm, move: That— (a) the Senate notes: (i) That the building and construction industry is a...
- Income Management (5 speeches)
I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) compulsory income management failed to meet policy objectives as assessed by the final evaluation of the Northern Territory Intervention, (ii)...
- Mandatory Telecommunications Data Retention Scheme (2 speeches)
I move That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) the expensive, intrusive and ultimately pointless mandatory telecommunications data retention scheme was introduced in the 2015-16 Budget at a...
- Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
- Climate Change (11 speeches)
I 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 which...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Biological Control Amendment Bill 2016, Law and Justice Legislation Amendment (Northern Territory Local Court) Bill 2016; First Reading (1 speech)
These bills are being introduced together. After debate on the motion for the second reading has been adjourned, I shall a motion to have the bills listed separately on the Notice Paper. I move:...
- Biological Control Amendment Bill 2016, Law and Justice Legislation Amendment (Northern Territory Local Court) Bill 2016; 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— BIOLOGICAL...
- Territories Legislation Amendment Bill 2016, Passenger Movement Charge Amendment (Norfolk Island) Bill; 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.
- Territories Legislation Amendment Bill 2016, Passenger Movement Charge Amendment (Norfolk Island) Bill; 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— TERRITORIES...
- Corporations Amendment (Life Insurance Remuneration Arrangements) Bill 2016, Migration Amendment (Character Cancellation Consequential Provisions) Bill 2016, Registration of Deaths Abroad Amendment Bill 2016, Tax and Superannuation Laws Amendment (2016 Measures No. 1) Bill 2016, Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Access Regime and NBN Companies) Bill 2016, Treasury Legislation Amendment (Repeal Day 2015) Bill 2016; First Reading (1 speech)
I indicate to the Senate that these bills are being introduced together. After debate on the motion for the second reading has been adjourned, I will be moving a motion to have the bills listed...
- Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Access Regime and NBN Companies) Bill 2016, Treasury Legislation Amendment (Repeal Day 2015) Bill 2016; Explanatory Memorandum (1 speech)
I table explanatory memoranda relating to the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Access Regime and NBN Companies) Bill 2016 and the Treasury Legislation Amendment (Repeal Day 2015) Bill 2016.
- Treasury Legislation Amendment (Repeal Day 2015) Bill 2016; Second Reading (2 speeches)
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— CORPORATIONS...
- Transport Security Amendment (Serious or Organised Crime) Bill 2016; 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.
- Transport Security Amendment (Serious or Organised Crime) Bill 2016; Second Reading (2 speeches)
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— TRANSPORT SECURITY...
- Commonwealth Electoral Amendment Bill 2016; Second Reading (109 speeches)
I have seen a lot in my time in here, but I have to say that something as shameless and slimy as the deal that has been struck between the government and the Greens just astounds me. And, my...
