Senate debates

Monday, 26 March 2018

• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters; Meeting (1 speech)
    I remind senators that the question may be put on any proposal at the request of any senator.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • High Speed Rail Planning Authority Bill 2017; Second Reading (12 speeches)
    I'm pleased to speak on this private senator's legislation, the High Speed Rail Planning Authority Bill 2017, that was introduced into the Senate on 4 September last year. It demonstrates the...
  • Treasury Laws Amendment (Enterprise Tax Plan No. 2) Bill 2017 (9 speeches)
    I'd like to remind the Senate of some of the points that I previously covered, very quickly. I spoke about the fact that tax reform fits into a larger economic context and about how this...
• Ministerial Arrangements (0 speeches)
  • (1 speech)
    by leave—I advise the Senate that Senator McKenzie will be absent from question time today for personal reasons. In Senator McKenzie's absence, Senator Fifield will represent the Minister...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Taxation (24 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Finance, Senator Cormann. Can the minister confirm that, under the Turnbull government's $65 billion tax cut for big business, the big four banks can expect to...
• Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
  • (1 speech)
    I'd like to draw to the attention of honourable senators the presence in the gallery of the honourable Mr Vasantha Senanayake, State Minister of Foreign Affairs in Sri Lanka. On behalf of all...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Energy (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment and Energy, Senator Birmingham. Can the minister advise the Senate as to why good energy policy is essential for...
• Distinguished Visitors (0 speeches)
  • (1 speech)
    I would like to take this opportunity to welcome back to the chamber, albeit in the gallery on this occasion, a friend, former colleague and, indeed, former President of the Senate, former...
• Questions without Notice (0 speeches)
  • Apprenticeships (14 speeches)
    My question is also to the Minister for Education and Training, Senator Birmingham. Can the minister confirm that, under the Abbott-Turnbull government, 140,000 Australian apprenticeships have...
  • Mining: Mineral Exploration (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Senator Canavan. Minister, in my home state of WA, the mining industry last year employed over 89,000 workers, paid over $1.1...
  • Forestry (17 speeches)
    My question is to Minister Ruston, the Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water. Media reports this morning quoted sawmill owners in eastern Victoria as saying: At the moment, everyone is in...
  • Pensions and Benefits (15 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Social Services, Senator Fierravanti-Wells. How is it fair that the Turnbull government wants to make Australians work until they're...
  • Middle East (9 speeches)
    My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Payne. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website, Australia will contribute an...
  • Defence (8 speeches)
    My question is also to the Minister for Defence, Senator Payne. Can the minister update the Senate on this year's United States marine rotation to Darwin and advise of how it contributes to...
  • Taxation (8 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. How is it fair that the Prime Minister is hitting ordinary workers with a $44 billion tax increase to pay for his...
  • Indigenous Affairs (8 speeches)
    My question is for the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Senator Scullion. Can the minister please update the Senate on the government's support for native title holders? How is this government...
  • Visitor Visa (12 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Home Affairs, Senator Fifield. On 7 June 2015, Minister Dutton used his ministerial powers to intervene to issue a tourist visa to a...
  • South Australia: Defence Procurement (24 speeches)
    My question is to the Minister for Education and Training, Senator Birmingham. I refer to the minister who, in 2015, said that South Australia was: … guaranteed of getting the vast bulk of...
• Questions without Notice: Take Note of Answers (0 speeches)
  • Answers to Questions (13 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Finance (Senator Cormann), the Minister for Education and Training (Senator Birmingham) and the Minister for...
  • Forestry (1 speech)
    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 Rice today relating to...
• Business (0 speeches)
  • Leave of Absence (2 speeches)
    by leave—At the request of Senators McKenzie and O'Sullivan, I move: That leave of absence be granted to the following senators for personal reasons: (a) Senator McKenzie for today; and (b)...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • Postponement (1 speech)
    Does any senator wish for the question to be put on this notification? If not, we will proceed.
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Reporting Date (1 speech)
    Thank you, Clerk. I remind senators that the question may be put on any of those proposals at the request of any senator. There being none, we will move on
  • Education and Employment References Committee; Reference (4 speeches)
    At the request of Senator Marshall, I move: That the following matters be referred to the Education and Employment References Committee for inquiry and report by the last sitting day of September...
  • Economics References Committee; Reference (1 speech)
    At the request of Senator Cameron, I move: That the following matter be referred to the Economics References Committee for inquiry and report by 7 May 2018: The 'Commitment to the Senate' (the...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Dowsett, Professor Gary (11 speeches, 2 comments)
    At the request of Senator O'Sullivan, I move: That the Senate: (a) acknowledges that Professor Gary Dowsett is: (i) currently employed as Deputy Director at the Australian Research Centre in Sex,...
  • Cambodia and Myanmar: Human Rights (13 speeches)
    I ask that general business notice of motion No. 764, relating to human rights in Cambodia and Myanmar, be taken as a formal motion.
  • Native Title (1 speech)
    I inform the chamber that Senator Wong is also sponsoring this motion. I, and also on behalf of Senator Wong, move: That the Senate: (a) notes that: (i) it has been over 25 years since the...
  • Dividend Imputation (5 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate— (a) notes that: (i) the Australian Labor Party has announced its intention to reform cash refunds for excess dividend imputation credits, an idea first proposed by...
• Notices (0 speeches)
  • World Autism Awareness Day; Postponement (1 speech)
    by leave—I move: That general business notice of motion no. 767 standing in my name for today, relating to World Autism Awareness Day, be postponed till Tuesday, 27 March 2018. Question...
• Motions (0 speeches)
  • Dividend Imputation (3 speeches)
    Deputy President, you may have missed it, but I was on my feet. I wanted to seek leave to make a short statement about my motion, general business notice of motion No. 765, which I understand you...
• Matters of Urgency (0 speeches)
  • Politics and Sport (52 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 lot....
• Delegation Reports (0 speeches)
  • Australian Parliamentary Delegation to Greece and Turkey (1 speech)
    by leave—I present the report of the Australian parliamentary delegation to Greece and Turkey which took place from 26 September to 4 October 2017.
• Documents (0 speeches)
  • Department of Agriculture and Water Resources; Consideration (2 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the document. I rise to speak on the Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry Act 1997 Livestock mortalities during export by seareports for the period of 1...
  • Murray-Darling Basin Authority; Consideration (2 speeches)
    I move: That the Senate take note of the document. I also seek leave to continue my remarks later. Leave granted.
• Ministerial Statements (0 speeches)
  • Timor Sea Treaty (1 speech)
    On behalf of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, I'm pleased to table a ministerial statement on the Treaty between Australia and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste Establishing Their Maritime...
• Committees (0 speeches)
  • Membership (2 speeches)
    Order! The President has received letters requesting changes in the membership of committees.
• Bills (0 speeches)
  • Social Services Legislation Amendment (Welfare Reform) Bill 2017; Third Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time.
  • Treasury Laws Amendment (Junior Minerals Exploration Incentive) Bill 2017; Third Reading (1 speech)
    I move: That this bill be now read a third time. Question agreed to. Bill read a third time.
  • Family Law Amendment (Parenting Management Hearings) Bill 2017; Report of Legislation Committee (1 speech)
    Pursuant to order and at the request of the Chair of the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, I present the committee's report on the Family Law Amendment (Parenting...
  • National Broadcasters Legislation Amendment (Enhanced Transparency) Bill 2017; Report of Legislation Committee (1 speech)
    Pursuant to order and at the request of the Chair of the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, I present the committee's report on the National Broadcasters Legislation...
  • Treasury Laws Amendment (Enterprise Tax Plan No. 2) Bill 2017; Second Reading (1 speech)
    The current shadow Treasurer, when asked in 2015 whether he agreed with the statement that 'company tax falls hardeston the workers', said: It's a statement of fact , which I agree with. And I...
  • Communications Legislation Amendment (Online Content Services and Other Measures) Bill 2017; Second Reading (18 speeches)
    I rise after some anticipation, having thought we were going to get to this legislation last week, but here we are, one week later, and we have the piece of legislation before us: the...
  • Communications Legislation Amendment (Online Content Services and Other Measures) Bill 2017; In Committee (44 speeches)
    I have some questions for the minister. Could the minister outline which sports events would be shown on commercial television post 8.30 so that we are absolutely all aware about which sporting...
• Adjournment (0 speeches)
  • Fatality Free Friday (1 speech)
    I rise to make a contribution in tonight's adjournment debate on a matter of critical importance to the Senate and also to the whole of Australia. As co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Road...
  • Western Sahara (1 speech)
    Western Sahara is Africa's last colony and it has implications for Australia. The importation of phosphate mineral rock from the occupied part of the territory to this country needs to stop. The...