Senate debates

Thursday, 8 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.
• Parliamentary Representation (0 speeches)
  • Queensland (1 speech)
    I inform the Senate that I have received a letter from Senator Brandis resigning his place as a senator for the state of Queensland. Pursuant to the provisions of section 21 of the Constitution,...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Future Frigate Program; Order for the Production of Documents (4 speeches)
    The Future Frigate Program, which is the subject of this discussion, is currently undertaking a competitive evaluation process, a CEP, to select a designer/builder to deliver nine antisubmarine...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Rearrangement (2 speeches)
    I move: That the business of the Senate notice of motion proposing the disallowance of the Social Security (Administration) (Trial Area) Amendment Determination (No. 2) 2017, standing in the name...
• Regulations and Determinations (0 speeches)
  • Social Security (Administration) (Trial Area) Amendment Determination (No. 2) 2017; Disallowance (5 speeches)
    I move: That the Social Security (Administration) (Trial Area) Amendment Determination (No. 2) 2017, made under the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999, be disallowed [F2017L01170]. I know...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Social Services Legislation Amendment (Cashless Debit Card) Bill 2017; Second Reading (9 speeches)
    As we debate today the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Cashless Debit Card) Bill, I want to say at the outset that Labor's approach to this is to look to community-driven initiatives to...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Withdrawal (1 speech)
    On behalf of Senator Williams, Chair of the Standing Committee on Regulations and Ordinances, I give notice of the withdrawal of business of the Senate notice of motion Nos 5 and 6 for 28 March...
  • Presentation (1 speech)
    I give notice that I will shortly be tabling a notice of motion on Closing the Gap.
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Selection of Bills Committee; Report (3 speeches)
    On behalf of Senator Bushby, I present the first report of 2018 of the Selection of Bills Committee. I seek leave to have the report incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The report read as f...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Rearrangement (1 speech)
    I move: That— (a) government business orders of the day as shown on today's order of business be considered from 12.45 pm today; and (b) government business be called on after consideration...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Wirth, Dr Hugh, AM (1 speech)
    At the request of Senators Di Natale and Rhiannon, I move: That the Senate— (a) notes:   (i) the passing, on 5 February 2018, of Dr Hugh Wirth, AM,   (ii) that Dr Wirth...
  • Broadband (4 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that:   (i) on 30 October 2017, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) draft report for the Communications Sector Market...
  • Australia Day (8 speeches)
    I, and also on behalf of Senator Di Natale, move: That the Senate— (a) acknowledges that:   (i) on 26 January 2018, tens of thousands of Australians around the country marched in...
  • Defence Industry (8 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes:   (i) the Australian Government's plans to make Australia one of the top ten weapons manufacturers globally, raising us from the 20th to the...
  • Mining (8 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes, with concern, that the Adani Group (Adani) is on the record blatantly misrepresenting the number of jobs its polluting Carmichael coal mine would create;...
  • Live Animal Exports (11 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that:   (i) according to the Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union (AMIEU), since 1990, more than 40 000 jobs in Australian meat processing...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • West Lorengau Haus; Order for the Production of Documents (5 speeches)
    I, and also on behalf of Senator McKim, move: That the Senate— (a) notes that:   (i) on 7 December 2017, the Senate passed a motion for an order for the production of documents...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Education and Employment References Committee; Reference (7 speeches)
    I move: That the following matter be referred to the Education and Employment References Committee for inquiry and report by 14 August 2018: Work health and safety of workers in the offshore...
  • Economics References Committee, Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee; Membership (2 speeches)
    I have received letters requesting changes in the membership of committees.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Imported Food Control Amendment Bill 2017, Migration Amendment (Prohibiting Items in Immigration Detention Facilities) Bill 2017, Treasury Laws Amendment (Banking Measures No. 1) Bill 2017; 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...
  • Imported Food Control Amendment Bill 2017, Migration Amendment (Prohibiting Items in Immigration Detention Facilities) Bill 2017, Treasury Laws Amendment (Banking Measures No. 1) Bill 2017; 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— IMPORTED FOOD...
• Regulations and Determinations (0 speeches)
  • Illegal Logging Prohibition Amendment (Due Diligence Improvements) Regulations 2017; Disallowance (2 speeches)
    At the request of Senators Brown, Hinch and Rice, I move: That items 1, 3 to 8, 11 to 13, 16 to 19, 21 to 25, 28 to 30, and 33 to 36 of Schedule 1 of the Illegal Logging Prohibition Amendment...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Amendment (Authority Governance and Other Matters) Bill 2017; Second Reading (14 speeches)
    This afternoon I rise to discuss the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Amendment (Authority Governance and Other Matters) Bill 2017. Indeed, we support the amendments that are contained in this...
  • Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Amendment (Authority Governance and Other Matters) Bill 2017; Third Reading (2 speeches)
    As no amendments to the bill have been circulated, I shall call the minister to move the third reading unless any senator requires that the bill be considered in Committee of the Whole.
  • Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Digital Radio) Bill 2017; Second Reading (2 speeches)
    Radio is an important service that has been providing information and entertainment to Australians for over 90 years. In government, Labor introduced digital radio in Australia to supplement...
  • Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Digital Radio) Bill 2017; Third Reading (2 speeches)
    As no amendments to the bill have been circulated, I shall call the minister to move the third reading unless any senator requires that the bill be considered in Committee of the Whole.
  • Australian Capital Territory (Planning and Land Management) Amendment Bill 2017; Second Reading (2 speeches)
    Today Labor supports the Australian Capital Territory (Planning and Land Management) Amendment Bill 2017. We understand the aims of the bill in terms of improving governance, transparency and...
  • Australian Capital Territory (Planning and Land Management) Amendment Bill 2017; Third Reading (2 speeches)
    As no amendments to the bill have been circulated, I shall call the minister to move the third reading unless any senator requires that the bill be considered in Committee of the Whole.
  • Social Services Legislation Amendment (Cashless Debit Card) Bill 2017; Second Reading (3 speeches)
    ( I call a very patient Senator Paterson, who will likely be interrupted for a second time shortly.
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Indigenous Affairs (24 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Indigenous Health, Senator McKenzie. The Close the Gap Campaign Steering Committee today released its 10-year review of the Closing...
  • Broadband (13 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Communications, Senator Fifield. Can the minister advise the Senate of the jobs and future opportunities created by the rollout of the Australian National...
  • Goods and Services Tax (9 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Finance, Senator Cormann. A fortnight ago, the Tasmanian Liberal government released the revised estimates report, which lists the Turnbull government's...
  • Member for Cook (12 speeches)
    . My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Home Affairs, Senator Fifield. Minister, documents released last week show that the former immigration minister, Mr Morrison, asked...
  • Tasmania: Biosecurity (16 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Senator Canavan. In January, adult fruit flies were detected on Flinders Island and in north-west...
  • Defence Facilities: Chemical Contamination (8 speeches)
    My question is for the Minister for Defence, Marise Payne. Minister, my question relates to the issue of PFAS chemical contamination found in numerous defence sites across Australia, including...
  • Employment (8 speeches)
    My question is to my fearless leader in the Senate and Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Senator Scullion. Can the minister outline how the coalition government's recently announced regional jobs...
  • Influenza (8 speeches)
    My question is to Senator McKenzie, representing the Minister for Health. There were 745 deaths from the flu last year. It was a shocking season, with many young and healthy people dying. What...
  • Energy (17 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment and Energy, Senator Birmingham. Last year, with much fanfare, the South Australian Liberal opposition leader, Mr...
  • Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Sport, Senator McKenzie. The 2018 Winter Olympic Games begin tomorrow. Can the minister please update the Senate on the Australian Winter Olympic team...
  • Donations to Political Parties (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Rural Health and Minister for Sport, Senator McKenzie. What proportion of Australians living in remote and regional areas smoke, and what is the cost to the...
  • Australian Defence Force (16 speeches)
    Thank you, Mr President.
• Questions without Notice: Additional Answers (0 speeches)
  • Goods and Services Tax, Health Care (1 speech)
    During question time on Tuesday, I agreed to seek advice from the Minister for Health on whether he'd held certain discussion with his state counterparts. I also agreed to seek advice in relation...
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • Goods and Services Tax, Tasmania: Biosecurity (6 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Finance (Senator Cormann) and the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia (Senator Canavan) to questions without...
  • Member for Cook (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Communications (Senator Fifield) to a question without notice asked by Senator McKim today relating to the processing of...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Postponement (1 speech)
    by leave—I move: That business of the Senate notice of motion no. 3 standing in her name for today, proposing the disallowance of the Basin Plan Amendment Instrument 2017 (No. 1), be...
• Budget (0 speeches)
  • Consideration by Estimates Committees (1 speech)
    I present additional information received by committees relating to estimates: Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee.
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Intelligence and Security Committee; Report (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, I present the report of the committee on the review of the listing of Islamic State Khorasan Province and...
• Budget (0 speeches)
  • Proposed Expenditure (1 speech)
    I table particulars of proposed additional expenditure for 2017-18: PARTICULARS OF PROPOSED ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURE 2017-18— ESTIMATES OF PROPOSED ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURE FOR 2017-18—...
• Regulations and Determinations (0 speeches)
  • Illegal Logging Prohibition Amendment (Due Diligence Improvements) Regulations 2017; Disallowance (4 speeches)
    Just because of the hard marker in the Senate papers, I was making some remarks about Labor's reason for moving this partial disallowance motion, which relates particularly to our concerns about...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Publications Joint Committee; Report (1 speech)
    I move: That the Senate adopt recommendation 5 of the report of the Publications Committee of the inquiry into printing standards for documents presented to Parliament. Recommendation 5 5.6 That...
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Regional Forest Agreements Legislation (Repeal) Bill 2017; Second Reading (6 speeches)
    I rise today to speak to the bill which I introduced into this place, the Regional Forest Agreements Legislation (Repeal) Bill 2017. This bill seeks to end the destruction of Australia's native...
  • Voice for Animals (Independent Office of Animal Welfare) Bill 2015; Second Reading (27 speeches)
    Today I will revisit the Greens Voice for Animals (Independent Office of Animal Welfare) Bill 2015. We first introduced this in 2015. We've taken the call for an independent office of animal...
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • President's report to the Senate on the status of government responses to parliamentary committee reports; Consideration (1 speech)
    This is the President's report to the Senate on the status of government responses to parliamentary committee reports. It is something that's provided twice yearly. It's one of those documents...
  • Northern Australia; Consideration (1 speech)
    I would like to speak to another document that I think is important enough to merit some debate, and that is the annual statement for 2017 on Our north, our future: white paper on developing...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Education and Employment References Committee; Government Response to Report (1 speech)
    I seek leave to reinstate two government responses that were on item 16 on yesterday's red: responses to the Education and Employment References Committee reports, Getting our money's worth: the...
  • Environment and Communications References Committee; Government Response to Report (1 speech)
    On 29 April 2016, the Senate committee tabled the report Game on: more than playing around—the future of Australia's video game development industry. I chaired this committee at the time,...
  • National Broadband Network - Joint Standing; Government Response to Report (1 speech)
    Three-quarters of all fibre-to-the-node premises will not be able to reach 100 megabits per second. Over 200,000 premises on copper will not be able to receive the minimum 25 megabits per second...
  • Economics References Committee; Government Response to Report (1 speech)
    I'd like to speak about the government's response to the Economics References Committee Report, Australia’s general insurance industry: sapping consumers of the will to compare. This...
  • Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters; Report (1 speech)
    As Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, I rise to speak on the report on the inquiry into decisions made by the Court of Disputed Returns. I've got to say up-front that I...
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • Science, Questacon (1 speech)
    Tonight I wanted to put on record some of the great work that is being done by some of our scientists and some of our institutions within government, within some of our universities and, indeed,...
  • Defence Procurement (1 speech)
    I rise tonight to speak on the topic of defence procurement. It is an important topic, noting the taxpayers' cost associated with it and the national security significance of it. I have a real...