Senate debates

Wednesday, 23 November 2016

• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Meeting (1 speech)
    Does any senator wish to have any of those motions put? There being none, we will proceed to business.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Treasury Laws Amendment (Fair and Sustainable Superannuation) Bill 2016, Superannuation (Excess Transfer Balance Tax) Imposition Bill 2016; Report of Legislation Committee (1 speech)
    On behalf of the chair of the Economics Legislation Committee, Senator Hume, I present the report of the committee on the provisions of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fair and Sustainable...
  • Treasury Laws Amendment (Fair and Sustainable Superannuation) Bill 2016, Superannuation (Excess Transfer Balance Tax) Imposition Bill 2016; 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.
  • Treasury Laws Amendment (Fair and Sustainable Superannuation) Bill 2016, Superannuation (Excess Transfer Balance Tax) Imposition Bill 2016; Second Reading (7 speeches)
    I move: That these bills 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— TREASURY LAWS...
  • Treasury Laws Amendment (Fair and Sustainable Superannuation) Bill 2016, Superannuation (Excess Transfer Balance Tax) Imposition Bill 2016; In Committee (35 speeches)
    by leave—In relation to the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fair and Sustainable Superannuation) Bill 2016, I move opposition amendments (1) to (4) on sheet 7980: (1) Schedule 2, item 15, page 61...
  • Treasury Laws Amendment (Fair and Sustainable Superannuation) Bill 2016, Superannuation (Excess Transfer Balance Tax) Imposition Bill 2016; Third Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That these bills be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bills read a third time.
  • Income Tax Rates Amendment (Working Holiday Maker Reform) Bill 2016; Second Reading (27 speeches)
    It is good to have the opportunity to speak to the Income Tax Rates Amendment (Working Holiday Maker Reform) Bill 2016. It is worth having a look at the history of elements of this package. The...
• Statements by Senators (0 speeches)
  • Road Safety (1 speech)
    I am very pleased to inform the Senate that the Parliamentary Friends of Road Safety Group has been re-formed in this parliament. I—along with Llew O'Brien MP, the member for Wide...
  • Geelong Star (1 speech)
    I rise during senators' statements today to talk about the extraordinary development overnight where it was reported that the supertrawler—the large factory freezer vessel—the Geelong...
  • National Adoption Awareness Week, Diwali, Hungarian Revolution: 60th Anniversary, Australian Capital Territory Australian of the Year (1 speech)
    It is great to get up today to highlight some important events that have taken place here in Canberra in the last few weeks. In particular, two weeks ago we celebrated National Adoption Awareness...
  • Employment (1 speech)
    I rise today to talk about something that the government does not seem particularly interested in—and that is jobs. And, no, I am not talking about the Prime Minister's job, or the...
  • Trade with Mexico (1 speech)
    This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Mexico and Australia, and this time last year Senator Gallacher and I put forward to the Senate a report on our relationship...
  • Tasmania (1 speech)
    Despite the government barely scraping in at the last federal election, there is no doubt that the result in Tasmania was a disaster for the Liberal Party. They returned only four senators, and...
  • Australian Defence Force, Pensions and Benefits, Euthanasia, Australian Federal Police (1 speech)
    Yesterday I raised in this Senate life and death matters regarding high-level official corruption, crime and misconduct in the Australian Defence Force, which involved the deliberate targeting...
  • Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (1 speech)
    Today, I rise again in this place to speak on what I believe is an essential pillar of our democracy—that is, freedom of expression. Free speech underpins every successful modern democracy....
  • Special Olympics Tasmania (2 speeches)
    I rise to talk about a story that was in today's Mercury, a Hobart newspaper, about the closing of Tasmania's Special Olympics branch. If this is indeed the case, it is very disappointing and...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Murray-Darling Basin (19 speeches)
    My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Senator Canavan. I refer to the Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Senator...
• Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
  • (1 speech)
    Could I indicate to honourable senators that in the gallery we have the Senate Commission of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, Media and Information delegation from the Kingdom of...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • National Security (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Attorney-General representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. Can the Attorney-General update the Senate on the Prime Minister's national security statement made in the...
  • Employment (15 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. Australian Bureau of Statistics data released last week shows that over the past year part-time employment has...
  • Migration (13 speeches)
    My question is to the Attorney-General. Attorney, I draw your attention to the remarks of immigration minister Peter Dutton, who said it was 'a mistake' to allow Lebanese Muslim immigrants into...
  • Domestic and Family Violence (14 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Employment and the Minister for Women, Senator Cash. Can the minister inform the Senate of the importance of the International Day for the Elimination of...
  • Murray-Darling Basin Plan (12 speeches)
    My question is to Senator Brandis, the Minister representing the Prime Minister. The Deputy Prime Minister has told South Australia that the previously agreed 450 gigalitres in recovery of...
  • Building Better Regions Fund (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Local Government and Territories, and Minister for Regional Communications—just to mention a few—Senator Nash....
  • Domestic and Family Violence (8 speeches)
    My question is to Senator Ryan as the minister representing the Minister for Social Services. As has already been mentioned today, White Ribbon Day is this Friday—a day that is about...
  • National Broadband Network (9 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Communications, Senator Fifield. I refer to the minister who, when asked about the cost of the NBN in May of this year, stated: Well, the Commonwealth has...
  • Water (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Senator Canavan, representing the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources. Following...
  • Broadband (9 speeches)
    My question is for the Minister for Finance, Senator Cormann. I refer to the minister, who, when asked in May whether the government was open to the possibility of more equity funding for the...
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • Murray-Darling Basin (13 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia (Senator Canavan) to a question without notice asked by Senator Gallacher today relating...
  • Migration (4 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 McKim today relating to comments made by the Minister...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Rearrangement (1 speech)
    I move: That the order of the Senate agreed to on 22 November 2016 relating to the consideration of private senators’ bills on Thursday, 24 November 2016 be varied to add general business...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Ministerial Conduct; Order for the Production of Documents (1 speech)
    The question is that the motion moved by Senator Waters be agreed to.
  • Regional Australia (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that the Meander Valley Council, Tasmania, is characterised by an aged population, high youth unemployment and under-employment, and low household income;...
• Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
  • Turnbull Government (36 speeches)
    I inform the Senate that at 8.30 am this morning Senators Gallagher and Siewert each submitted a letter in accordance with standing order 75 proposing a matter of public importance. The question...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • 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 Delegated Legislation Monitor 9 of 2016. Ordered that the report be printed.
  • Scrutiny of Bills Committee; Report (1 speech)
    On behalf of Senator Polley, I present the ninth report of the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills. I also lay on the table Scrutiny of Bills Alert Digest No. 9 of 2016, dated 23...
  • Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights; Report (10 speeches)
    On behalf of the Chair of Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, I present the ninth report of 2016: Human rights scrutiny report. Ordered that the report be printed. I seek leave to have...
  • Environment and Communications References Committee; Report (5 speeches)
    I present the report of the Environment and Communications References Committee on large capacity fishing vessels, together with the Hansard record of proceedings and documents presented to the...
  • Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee; Government Response to Report (1 speech)
    I present the government's response to the report of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee on its inquiry into the exposure draft of the Medical Services (Dying with Dignity)...
• Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
  • National Security, Foreign Investment (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Prime Minister and the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment I table ministerial statements on counterterrorism and on investment: working in the national interest.
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Membership (2 speeches)
    Order! The President has received a letter requesting changes to the membership of committees.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Australian Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority Amendment (New Governance Arrangements) Bill 2016, Law Enforcement Legislation Amendment (State Bodies and Other Measures) 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 move a motion to have the bills listed separately on the Notice Paper. I...
  • Australian Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority Amendment (New Governance Arrangements) Bill 2016, Law Enforcement Legislation Amendment (State Bodies and Other Measures) Bill 2016; Second Reading (1 speech)
    I table a revised explanatory memorandum relating to the Law Enforcement Legislation Amendment (State Bodies and Other Measures) Bill 2016 and move:   That these bills be now read a...
  • Superannuation (Objective) 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.
  • Superannuation (Objective) 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— SUPERANNUATION...
• Regulations and Determinations (0 speeches)
  • Legal Services Amendment (Solicitor-General Opinions) Direction 2016; Disallowance (11 speeches)
    We have a situation where the Attorney-General has sought to establish himself as a gatekeeper to the Solicitor-General, and, extraordinarily, this would extend to such circumstances as the...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Income Tax Rates Amendment (Working Holiday Maker Reform) Bill 2016, Treasury Laws Amendment (Working Holiday Maker Reform) Bill 2016, Superannuation (Departing Australia Superannuation Payments Tax) Amendment Bill 2016, Passenger Movement Charge Amendment Bill 2016; Second Reading (11 speeches)
    I rise to speak on the government package known as the 'backpacker tax' legislation, which includes the Income Tax Rates Amendment (Working Holiday Maker Reform) Bill 2016; Treasury Laws...
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • Gambling (1 speech)
    I rise tonight to speak on the scourge of poker machines and the drive by my colleague, Nick Xenophon, to even up the playing field and curtail the significant social harm that poker machines...
  • Peroni, Mr Alex (1 speech)
    Mr President, I am pretty sure that you are aware that I am a bit of a motoring enthusiast, and I have a particular interest in motorsport. In that arena, I would like to rise tonight to...
  • Sri Lanka (1 speech)
    Last week Sri Lanka was under the microscope at the UN Committee Against Torture's 59th session in Geneva. Sri Lanka's delegation included Sisira Mendis, the country's chief of national...