Senate debates

Monday, 28 November 2016

• Statements (0 speeches)
  • Attorney-General (2 speeches)
    by leave—Can I indicate to the chamber that at approximately noon I will be seeking leave to make a statement in relation to the matter of the Bell liquidation. I should mention that within...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Attorney-General (21 speeches)
    I seek leave to move a motion requiring the Attorney-General, Senator Brandis, to explain his actions with respect to the Bell Group litigation. Leave granted. Mr President, it has been...
• Statement by the President (0 speeches)
  • Harris, Mr Bernie (1 speech)
    I wish to inform the Senate of the passing of former Chief Hansard Reporter, Mr Bernie Harris. Bernie joined the then Department of the Parliamentary Reporting Staff in 1964 and served the...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Building and Construction Industry (Improving Productivity) Bill 2013, Building and Construction Industry (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2013; Second Reading (17 speeches)
    On 6 October this year there was an incident in my home state that shows that safety on a worksite is more than just a political plaything for those opposite. I can remember where I was when I...
• Statements (0 speeches)
  • Attorney-General (31 speeches)
    I thank the Senate for giving me the opportunity to make this statement concerning the Bell litigation. Between 1991 and 1993—that is, a quarter of a century ago—members of the Bell...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Building and Construction Industry (Improving Productivity) Bill 2013, Building and Construction Industry (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2013; Second Reading (5 speeches)
    We need to stop the charade of attacking one particular section of society that just happens to be the political opponents of the government. Let us use this as an opportunity to tackle...
• Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
  • (1 speech)
    I advise of changes to ministerial arrangements this week. Senator Payne will be absent from question time this week due to illness. In Senator Payne's absence, I will represent the Minister for...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Attorney-General (11 speeches)
    My question is to the Attorney-General. I refer to the Attorney-General's statement to the Senate earlier today, in which he said, in part: … one of the options I considered … was...
  • Education (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Education and Training, Senator Birmingham. Is the minister aware of new research, released by the Grattan Institute, which identifies the importance of...
  • Attorney-General (19 speeches)
    My question is to the Attorney-General, Senator Brandis. What instructions did the Attorney-General provide to the Solicitor-General, either directly or through his office or department, in...
  • Arts (10 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Communications and Minister for the Arts, Senator Fifield. Can the minister inform the Senate what the Turnbull government is doing to promote Australian music...
  • Attorney-General (31 speeches)
    My question is to the Attorney-General. Attorney, this question relates to your statement today, regarding the Bell act. I will preface it by saying that you have been very clear that you did not...
  • Fishing Industry (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Senator Canavan. Your counterparts in the New South Wales government have begun the Commercial...
  • Indigenous Employment (8 speeches)
    I have a cracking question for the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Senator Scullion. Can the minister update the Senate on the government's Community Development Program and how it is supporting...
  • Western Australian Government (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Finance, Senator Cormann. The minister, in relation to the Liberal Western Australian government's legislation—giving it priority over other Bell Group...
  • Disaster Risk Reduction (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Senator Fierravanti-Wells. Can the minister advise the Senate of what the government is doing to build on Australia's...
  • Disability Support Pension (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Attorney-General, Senator George Brandis. The government have already reassessed the eligibility of 28,000 people with disability under the age of 35 for the disability...
  • Attorney-General (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Revenue and Financial Services, Senator Cormann. What communications did the minister or the minister's office have with the...
  • Space Exploration (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Cabinet Secretary, representing the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Senator Sinodinos. Can the Cabinet Secretary outline Australia's important role in the...
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • Attorney-General (18 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answers to questions to Senator Brandis asked by the opposition. I had the pleasure the weekend before last of attending the 40th anniversary of my law...
  • Disability Support Pension (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by Senator Brandis to questions asked by Senator Siewert today relating to legal aid and DSP. The reason I ask is because of the large...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • 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 Civil Nuclear Transfers to India Bill 2016, allowing...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Leave of Absence (2 speeches)
    by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to Senator Polley for today and tomorrow, 28 to 29 November, for personal reasons. Question agreed to.
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Postponement (1 speech)
    I remind senators that the question may be put on any proposal at the request of any senators. I shall now proceed to the discovery of formal business.
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Privileges Committee; Reference (10 speeches)
    I seek leave to amend business of the Senate notice of motion No. 1, standing in my name and in the names of Senators Griff and Kakoschke-Moore, for today concerning a reference to the Senate...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Donation Reform and Transparency) Bill 2016; First Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 to improve donation transparency and accountability, and for related purposes....
  • Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Donation Reform and Transparency) Bill 2016; 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...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Community Affairs References Committee; Order for the Production of Documents (4 speeches)
    At the request of Senator Brown, I move: That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Treasurer, by no later than 3.30 pm on Tuesday, 29 November 2016, the government's...
• Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
  • Great Barrier Reef (12 speeches, 2 comments)
    I inform the Senate that, at 8.30 am today, Senators Gallagher and Roberts each submitted a letter, in accordance with standing order 75, proposing a matter of public importance. The question of...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Consideration (2 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the document. It is extraordinary that in a week where we are still squabbling over tens of millions of dollars in revenue raising from backpackers, some of...
  • Australian Public Service Commission; Consideration (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate take note of document No. 12 on page 6 of the Order of Businessthe Australian Public Service Commission's State of the Service Report 2015-16. I seek leave to continue my...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Membership (2 speeches)
    Order! The President has received a letter requesting changes in memberships of committees.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Civil Nuclear Transfers to India 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.
  • Civil Nuclear Transfers to India 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— India is the world's...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Education and Employment Legislation Committee, Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee; Report (1 speech)
    Pursuant to order and at the request of the chairs of the respective committees, I present reports on legislation as listed at item 16 Nos 1 and 4 on today's Order of Business together with the...
  • Finance and Public Administration References Committee; Report (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Chair of the Finance and Public Administration References Committee, I present the report on the Commonwealth funding of Indigenous Tasmanians together with the Hansard record of...
  • Environment and Communications References Committee; Report (1 speech)
    I present the interim report on closures of electricity generators. Ordered that the report be printed. Ordered that consideration of the report be made an order of the day for the next day of...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Building and Construction Industry (Improving Productivity) Bill 2013, Building and Construction Industry (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2013; Second Reading (17 speeches)
    I rise to strongly oppose the Building and Construction Industry (Improving Productivity) Bill 2013 and the Building and Construction Industry (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Rearrangement (19 speeches)
    I seek leave to move a motion to vary the hours of meeting and routine of business for today and tomorrow. Leave not granted. Pursuant to contingent notice standing in my name, I move: That so...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Building and Construction Industry (Improving Productivity) Bill 2013, Building and Construction Industry (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2013; Second Reading (11 speeches)
    In rising tonight I want to remind this place of the history of this particular piece of legislation. This bill was introduced into the 44th Parliament on 14 November 2013. Indeed, it was...