Senate debates
Tuesday, 6 February 2018
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Meeting (1 speech)
I remind senators that the question may be put on any proposal at the request of any senator.
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
- (1 speech)
I inform the Senate that Senator Cash, the Minister for Jobs and Innovation, will again be absent from question time today, for personal reasons. She will be back tomorrow. During Senator Cash's...
- Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
- Goods and Services Tax (29 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health, Senator McKenzie. Yesterday, the Minister for Finance refused to rule out any cut to the distribution of GST to South...
- Internet Content (11 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Communications, Senator Fifield.
- Molan, Senator Jim (40 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. I refer to the Prime Minister's statement of 20 March 2017 affirming his government's commitment to...
- Indigenous Employment (9 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Senator Scullion. Can the minister update the Senate on how the government has supported more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people...
- Health Care (28 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health, Senator McKenzie. Under the Abbott-Turnbull government, private health insurance premiums have risen 27 per cent. Can the...
- Education (8 speeches)
My question is to Senator Birmingham. Under the Turnbull government's Quality Schools reform, how much extra funding is each school sector receiving over the forward estimates and the decade to 2027?
- Infrastructure (10 speeches)
First, I'd like to register my disgust at the Greens gutless attack on a proud Australian.
- Goods and Services Tax (8 speeches)
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Home Affairs, Senator Fifield. Yesterday, the Minister for Finance refused to rule out any cut in the distribution of GST to South...
- Ovarian Cancer (8 speeches)
My question is to the Minister for Rural Health, Senator McKenzie, representing the Minister for Health. It is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and I can see many senators wearing the ovarian...
- Television Sports Broadcasts (15 speeches)
My question is also to the Minister for Sport, Senator McKenzie. I'd like to congratulate her on her recent appointment, but I point out that there have been four sports ministers in the last 12...
- Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
- Environment (7 speeches)
I seek leave to make a short statement to add some information on a question asked of Senator Birmingham by Senator Hanson in question time yesterday.
- Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
- Goods and Services Tax, Molan, Senator Jim (24 speeches)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Regional Communications (Senator McKenzie) and the Minister for Finance (Senator Cormann) to questions without notice...
- Molan, Senator Jim (2 speeches)
I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Defence (Senator Payne) to a question without notice asked by Senator Di Natale today relating to Senator Molan. Another...
- Condolences (0 speeches)
- Cohen, Hon. Barry, AM (4 speeches)
It is with deep regret that I inform the Senate of the death, on 18 December 2017, of the Hon. Barry Cohen, AM, a former minister and member of the House of Representatives for the division of...
- Business (0 speeches)
- Leave of Absence (2 speeches)
by leave—I move: That leave of absence be granted to Senator Sinodinos from 12 February to 28 March 2018, for personal reasons. Question agreed to.
- Notices (0 speeches)
- Withdrawal (1 speech)
I withdraw general business notice of motion No. 677, standing in the name of Senator Brown for today, relating to consideration of the Regional Investment Corporation Bill 2017.
- Business (0 speeches)
- Rearrangement (1 speech)
At the request of Senator Birmingham, I move: That consideration of the business before the Senate be interrupted at approximately 5.30 pm, but not so as to interrupt a senator speaking, on: (a)...
- Motions (0 speeches)
- Ovarian Cancer (4 speeches)
At the request of Senators Bilyk and Polley, I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) February is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, (ii) the focus for Ovarian...
- Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (1 speech)
At the request of Senator Smith, I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that today, 6 February 2018, marks the 66th anniversary of the ascension to the throne of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II;...
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Motions (0 speeches)
- Cricket (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate— (a) notes: (i) that the Australian Cricket team has defeated England 4-0 to regain the coveted Ashes, (ii) that Australian captain Mr Steven...
- Simmons, Professor Michelle (1 speech)
At the request of Senator Griff, I move: That the Senate— (a) congratulates 2018 Australian of the Year recipient Professor Michelle Simmons and all the recipients of this year's Australia...
- Bowel Cancer (4 speeches)
At the request of Senator Griff, I move: That the Senate— (a) congratulates all the participants of the People's Choice Undies Run for Bowel Cancer held on 14 January 2018 in Adelaide, with...
- Condolences (0 speeches)
- Gordon, Mr Michael (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate— (a) notes: (i) the passing of Mr Michael Gordon, veteran journalist with Fairfax, last Saturday, (ii) that he was an outstanding journalist...
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Motions (0 speeches)
- Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre (7 speeches)
I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) the funding for the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) runs out mid-2019, (ii) a Liberal...
- Schools: Smartphones (4 speeches)
I move: That the Senate— (a) notes: (i) warnings from experts that smartphones are diluting students' focus in the classroom and curbing students' social skills,...
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Economics References Committee; Reference (6 speeches)
I move: That the following matter be referred to the Economics References Committee for inquiry and report by 14 August 2018: The appropriateness and thoroughness of the site selection process...
- Motions (0 speeches)
- National Disability Insurance Scheme (5 speeches)
I move: That the Senate— (a) notes the recently released Mind the Gap report, a collaboration between the University of Sydney and Community Mental Health Australia; (b) recognises that the...
- Mining (8 speeches)
I move: That the Senate— (a) notes with concern: (i) the Adani Group's proposed Carmichael coal mine, which would see 2 billion tonnes of coal dug up over 60 years,...
- Matters of Public Importance (0 speeches)
- Asylum Seekers (26 speeches)
I inform the Senate that, at 8.30 am today, four proposals were received in accordance with standing order 75. The question of which proposal would be submitted to the Senate was determined by...
- Delegation Reports (0 speeches)
- Documents (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Joint Standing Committee on Migration; Corrigenda to Report (1 speech)
I present a corrigendum to the report of the Joint Standing Committee on Migration on the inquiry into migrant settlement outcomes. Ordered that the document be printed.
- Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters; Report (1 speech)
On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, I present the report of the committee on the inquiry into decisions made by the Court of Disputed Returns. Ordered that the report...
- National Disability Insurance Scheme; Report (1 speech)
I present the report of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme on the provision of services under the NDIS Early Childhood Early Intervention Approach, together...
- Economics Legislation Committee; Government Response to Report (1 speech)
I present the government’s response to the report of the Economics Legislation Committee on its inquiry into the provisions of the Customs Amendment (Anti-Dumping Measures) Bill 2017. I...
- Environment and Communications References Committee; Report (1 speech)
With respect to document No. 2, the report of the Environment and Communications References Committee's inquiry into shark mitigation and deterrent measures, I move: That the Senate take note of...
- Migration Committee; Report (17 speeches)
In respect of the report of the Joint Migration Standing Committee entitled No-one teaches you to become an Australian, I move: That the Senate take note of the report. The Australian Greens did...
- Economics References Committee; Government Response to Report (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the document. This document is the government response to the Economics References Committee report on Australia's insurance industry. I make the point that...
- Education and Employment References Committee; Government Response to Report (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the document. Once again, we see in this government's response a complete lack of empathy, a complete lack of understanding, a complete disregard for the fact...
- Environment and Communications References Committee; Government Response to Report (1 speech)
I move: That the Senate take note of the document. Let me start off this evening by saying: about goddamn time! It has taken no less than 642 days—for the benefit of those listening and...
- National Broadband Network - Joint Standing; Government Response to Report (1 speech)
In respect of the government response to the Joint Standing Committee on the National Broadband Network's first report of the 45th Parliament, The rollout of the National Broadband Network, I...
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Committees (0 speeches)
- Bills (0 speeches)
- Adjournment (0 speeches)
- Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (1 speech)
Although there remain cynics out there, the reality is everyone loves a wedding—especially a royal wedding. A wedding is one of the most significant milestones in anyone's life, and an...
- Daly River Evacuation (1 speech)
I rise tonight in adjournment to make a contribution on behalf of—and to report to the Senate about—the Daly River community and the residents of Daly River. It's a community over 230...
- Telecommunications (1 speech)
Tonight I would like to talk about this coalition government's track record in relation to IT and its general failure in the space of telecommunications, data protection and civil rights. This...
- Lindsay, Mr Greg (1 speech)
I rise tonight to pay tribute to Greg Lindsay, who earlier this year stepped down as executive director of the Centre for Independent Studies, the think-tank he founded in 1976. Few Australians...
- Indigenous Affairs (1 speech)
I rise tonight to put on the record my serious concerns about the Turnbull government's attitude towards the funding of housing in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This...
- Victoria: Criminal Justice System (1 speech)
I want to tell you a horror story tonight—a number of horror stories, actually—involving one family in Victoria where, again, our so-called justice system went terribly wrong. Once...
- Bjelke-Petersen, Lady Florence 'Flo' Isabel (1 speech)
I would like to make a few brief comments this evening about the passing of Lady Flo Bjelke-Petersen. I apologise to the Senate that I was unable to speak on the condolence motion yesterday, but...
- Early Childhood Education (1 speech)
Early childhood educators perform some of the most valuable work in our society for less than half the average Australian wage. Anyone who has had a child attend child care knows the importance...
- Burston, Senator Brian (1 speech)
On Sunday last, 4 February 2018, the SydneyMorning Herald published an article with the front-page headline 'One Nation senator and top Hanson strategist misled Parliament'. The article implied...
- Myanmar (1 speech)
Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to join UNICEF on a visit to a refugee camp in Bangladesh with my co-chair of the Parliamentary Friendship Group for UNICEF, National Party MP and member for...
- Ovarian Cancer (2 speeches)
I rise this evening to speak about ovarian cancer, as I do each February for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. The campaign for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month this year is Time For Action, which is...
- Middle East: Human Rights, Myanmar (1 speech)
Ahed Tamimi was arrested by the Israeli army in mid-December, along with her mother and cousin. She has since been denied bail and presented with a list of cobbled-together charges. She is now in...
- Jones, Mr Lindsay Gordon Bower (1 speech)
When my friend Lindsay Jones died last year, his friends gathered to remember a strong Labor man dedicated to social justice— a real Labor warrior. He didn't want any fuss. He just needed...
- Western Australia: Australian Labor Party (3 speeches)
Tonight, I am absolutely delighted to be able to introduce to the Senate five fantastic women who have been pre-selected by the Labor Party as our WA Labor candidates in Liberal-held marginal...
- Tasmanian Election (1 speech)
There is something rotten at the heart of Tasmania's democracy that's been festering for many decades and still corrupts our parliament and our government decision-making to this day. I want to...
- Nuclear Weapons (3 speeches)
I had a rare privilege last week. I met someone who survived the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a hibakusha, Mr Terumi Tanaka. Mr Tanaka was 13 and living in Nagasaki at the time the...
- Environment (1 speech)
I'd like to speak tonight reflecting on a couple of things, triggered by some recent visits to Central and North Queensland, the state I have the honour of representing on behalf of the Greens,...
