Senate debates

Tuesday, 12 September 2017

• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Meeting (1 speech)
    Does any senator wish to have the question put on any of those proposals? There being none, we will proceed to business.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Broadcasting Reform) Bill 2017, Commercial Broadcasting (Tax) Bill 2017; Second Reading (12 speeches)
    It is a delight to be able to contribute to the debate on the Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Broadcasting Reform) Bill 2017. Like many of those who have spoken on the debate already, it is...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Newlands Civil Construction: Senator O'Sullivan (24 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Senator Nash.
  • North Korea (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Defence, Senator Payne. Can the minister update the Senate on how Australia is working with other nations to address the threat from North Korea?
• Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
  • (1 speech)
    I draw to the attention of honourable senators in the President's gallery the Australian Political Exchange Council's 34th delegation from the United States of America. On behalf of all senators,...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Murray-Darling Basin (11 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Senator Nash. Yesterday, the New South Wales government released the interim investigation report...
  • Energy (46 speeches)
    This government has been in power for four years, and the entire energy system is crumbling around it. The government has—
  • Higher Education (8 speeches)
    My question is for the Minister for Education and Training, Minister Birmingham. In 2016 the Australian National Audit Office released a report into the management of the HELP scheme. It...
  • Energy (16 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Senator Scullion. Yesterday, Senator Brandis claimed that the government had already triggered gas...
  • Registered Organisations (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Employment, Senator Cash. Is the minister aware of any recent reports relating to the payment of taxpayer funded Commonwealth grants to registered organisations?
  • Aged Care (14 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Aged Care, Senator Nash. A national prioritisation list for the Home Care Packages Program was introduced in February, but vulnerable...
  • Resources Sector (15 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, representing the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Senator Scullion. Can the minister update the Senate on how the coalition...
  • Energy (39 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. The Australian Energy Market Commission has recently admitted that moving to a five-minute settlement for...
• Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
  • Disability Support Pension: Transvaginal Mesh (1 speech)
    As I foreshadowed yesterday, I have some further information from the Minister for Human Services for Senator Hinch in relation to a question he asked me last week concerning eligibility for the...
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • Aged Care, Energy (11 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Attorney-General (Senator Brandis), the Minister for Indigenous Affairs (Senator Scullion) and the Minister for Regional Development...
  • Higher Education (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Education and Training (Senator Birmingham) to a question without notice asked by Senator Lambie today relating to...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Leave of Absence (2 speeches)
    by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to Senator Ruston for today, for personal reasons. Question agreed to.
  • Consideration of Legislation (1 speech)
    I move: That the provisions of paragraphs (5) to (8) of standing order 111 not apply to the Australian Grape and Wine Authority Amendment (Wine Australia) Bill 2017, allowing it to be considered...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Great Barrier Reef (4 speeches)
    At the request of Senator Whish-Wilson, I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that:   (i) there has been mass bleaching of Great Barrier Reef coral from abnormally warm water...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Parliamentary Business Resources Amendment (Voluntary Opt-out) Bill 2017; First Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the Parliamentary Business Resources Act 2017 to provide for members of the Parliament to voluntarily opt-out of payment...
  • Parliamentary Business Resources Amendment (Voluntary Opt-out) Bill 2017; 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 I seek leave to have...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (4 speeches)
    At the request of Senators McCarthy and Dodson, I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that:   (i) International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Day was held on 9...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Medicinal Cannabis Legislation Amendment (Securing Patient Access) Bill 2017; First Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to amend the law relating to medicinal cannabis, and for related purposes. Question agreed to. I present the bill and move: That...
  • Medicinal Cannabis Legislation Amendment (Securing Patient Access) Bill 2017; 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...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Coal-Fired Power (4 speeches)
    I, and also on behalf of Senator Macdonald, move: That the Senate notes that on 6 September 2017, the Australian Labor Party declined to support a Senate motion calling for the development of a...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Defence Procurement; Order for the Production of Documents (9 speeches)
    I, and also on behalf of Senator Carr, move: That— (1) The Senate notes that: (a) on 5 September 2017, the Senate agreed to an order for the production of documents directed at the Minister...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Energy (5 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes the significant increase in retail electricity prices in recent years; (b) notes that:   (i) privatisation has had negative consequences in the...
  • Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area (8 speeches)
    I, and also on behalf of Senator Whish-Wilson, move: That the Senate— (a) notes that:   (i) the Arthur Pieman Conservation area in the takayna/Tarkine region of Tasmania has...
  • Renewable Energy (7 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate agrees that— (a) the renewable energy target should not continue beyond 2023; (b) no scheme to subsidise renewable energy generation or mandate a particular market...
  • Bondi Pavilion (4 speeches)
    I inform the chamber that Senator Dastyari will also sponsor general business notice of motion No. 489 for today. I seek leave to amend the motion standing in my name and the name of Senator...
  • Nuclear Weapons (10 speeches)
    I ask that general business notice of motion No. 412 standing in my name for today, relating to the prohibition of nuclear weapons, be taken as a formal motion.
• Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
  • Environment (31 speeches)
    I inform the Senate that, at 8.30 am today, 13 proposals were received in accordance with standing order 75. The question of which proposal would be submitted to the Senate was determined by lot....
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • National Capital and External Territories Committee; Report (1 speech)
    I present the report of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories on the strategic importance of Australia's Indian Ocean territories. I move: That the Senate...
  • Public Accounts and Audit Committee; Report (2 speeches)
    On behalf of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit, I present report No. 466, the annual report of 2016-17. I move: That the Senate take note of the report. I am pleased, as Chair of...
  • Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee; Report (5 speeches)
    On behalf of the Chair of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee, Senator Sterle, I present the report on the effects of market consolidation on the red meat processing...
  • Community Affairs References Committee; Government Response to Report (3 speeches)
    I present the government's response to the report of the Community Affairs References Committee on its inquiry into out-of-home care. I seek leave to incorporate the document in Hansard. Leave...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Australian Border Force Amendment (Protected Information) Bill 2017, Social Services Legislation Amendment (Welfare Reform) Bill 2017; 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 Border Force Amendment (Protected Information) Bill 2017, Social Services Legislation Amendment (Welfare Reform) Bill 2017; Second Reading (1 speech)
    I table revised explanatory memoranda relating to the bills and move: That these bills be now read a second time. I seek leave to have the second reading speeches incorporated in Hansard. Leave...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee; Report (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Chair of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, I present the report of the committee on the provisions of the Australian Border Force Amendment (Protected...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Broadcasting Reform) Bill 2017, Commercial Broadcasting (Tax) Bill 2017; Second Reading (7 speeches)
    The media landscape is changing fast. The industry is changing and the industry's regulation needs changing too. It's ridiculous to say that the only way to defend a struggling industry is to...
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • Parliamentary Friends of the RSPCA (1 speech)
    I rise to speak on matters of importance to all creatures great and small. Last week I had the pleasure of joining Jason Wood MP, the member for La Trobe, to relaunch the Parliamentary Friends of...
  • Medicinal Cannabis Legislation Amendment (Securing Patient Access) Bill 2017 (1 speech)
    I rise to speak to my Medicinal Cannabis Legislation Amendment (Securing Patient Access) Bill. I introduced this bill in the name of Australian patients who are sick and tired, who are angry, at...
  • Housing Affordability (1 speech)
    I was going to talk tonight about the Prime Minister, who in recent times has been inclined to resort to rather immature name-calling, and that meant I could talk about things such as his...
  • Child Sexual Abuse (1 speech)
    I'm going to tell you a horror story tonight—a real life nightmare—about a five-year-old girl raped, with a gun held to her head, raped almost daily by her stepfather, to the extent...
  • Australian Labor Party (1 speech)
    It is obviously hard to follow that contribution from Senator Hinch with what I was going to talk about—and I will get to that—but I do know that Senator Hinch's motivation in this...
  • Gambling (1 speech)
    I rise tonight to speak on a topic that is uncomfortable and confronting to many, but one that we must speak about more. For years 'suicide' has been the word we don't want to say and the topic...
  • Climate Science (1 speech)
    I want to do a shout out tonight—a big shout out—to scientists, especially the world's global climate scientists. Given some of the tragedies we have seen in recent weeks, some of the...
  • Reid, Mr Don (2 speeches)
    I rise tonight to speak about a dear family friend and a former teacher who, sadly, passed away last month after a long struggle with illness. I imagine that everyone in this place can look back...
  • Cape York (1 speech)
    As a servant to the people of Queensland and Australia, I want to speak about my recent trip to Cape York. I love being out with the people of Queensland and listening. It makes our work here in...
  • Wilson, Mr Alexander Rodney Lockie 'Rod', Pensions and Benefits (1 speech)
    I wish tonight to pay tribute to a great contributor to Queensland politics, Alexander Rodney Lockie Wilson—known to most simply as Rod. Rod, unfortunately, passed away last month at just...
  • Dementia Awareness Month (1 speech)
    I rise this evening to speak about Dementia Awareness Month 2017, which runs for the month of September and aims to raise awareness of the second-leading cause of death in Australia. I would like...
  • National Disability Insurance Scheme (1 speech)
    I rise tonight to speak about the National Disability Insurance Scheme and young people with a disability residing in aged-care facilities. It is an issue that many of us in this place have a...
  • Higher Education (1 speech)
    There's one area of public policy currently which differentiates the two major parties: the issue of higher education policy. This is a matter of regret for me, and it is a matter of...
  • Rohingya People (1 speech)
    I draw the Senate's attention to reports that thousands of Rohingyas have lost their lives and thousands more from the minority groups in Rakhine State, Myanmar, are now refugees sleeping rough...
  • Rohingya People, China: Human Rights, Local Government Elections (1 speech)
    I also have been deeply shocked to hear the reports about what is happening to the Rohingya people. I wish to share tonight the words of some of these Rohingya people in Sydney. They have a right...